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It
was not too long before we understood!
Hotel stays, though pleasant enough at first, left us with a disturbing
feeling of being mere itinerant tourists, without a base, having no real
sense of being "at home" in this country we so much enjoyed.
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pleasures such as buying fish at the local market, cooking at home and
relaxing with a bottle of wine over lunch whilst your French neighbours
do the same, were not possible; dining out
at restaurants was obligatoire. Moreover, being always on
the move prevents you from discovering those secret out-of-the-way
places – you’re confined to the typical and over-visited. |
So we decided to buy our own cottages where we, our
friends, and people like yourselves, could move in, relax, be
independent and really feel a part of the daily French life - if only
for a week or two...or three.
But where should these cottages be?
The first part was easy - in Provence, Dordogne or the Loire.
But should they be in the country, a small village, a big town, a well
known place or somewhere out of the way?
Much thought was given to this. There seemed to be so much to consider!
Large, industrial towns were definitely to be avoided; but so were the
picturesque but remote hamlets without a bakery or café in sight.
We steered the middle ground.
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The houses
should be located in beautiful, lively
villages
with all the amenities – where you can just walk around the corner to
buy a croissant, a newspaper or a cognac - but still be only a few
minutes ride or drive from the many fascinating attractions of the
French countryside. Solved?
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Not quite...we soon realised there was one more essential factor... |
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