Dancing in the dining room

We bought our French village house (Le Cormoran) the year after we returned to Australia from our family’s first French adventure - about which I wrote in ‘But you are in France, Madame.’ It was a heart decision, of that there is no doubt, based on the belief that our French journey was meant to continue. At the time, my passion was such that I brushed aside the implications of inheritance rules, tax declarations, mortgage repayments, changeable home owner obligations and the not insignificant 17000 km separating us from our French home, and flung myself into a new future.

 

To complicate matters (and to help with the above-mentioned mortgage), we decided to share our home with travellers. Easy? No. Rewarding? Yes. Alongside weekly summer and winter rentals, we have introduced families to our village who have gone on to become permanent Talloiriens; we have welcomed back guests several years running; we have facilitated long-service leave opportunities for couples to ‘live French’ and we have witnessed the joy of multi-generational groups sharing our home.

 

With permission, I am sharing with you some of the email and photos that I received from recent guests, Alan and Heidi:

 

 … the house, the location, and the environment are just the perfect antidote to the stresses of life. Staying in Le Cormoran gave us the authentic feel of life in the heart of a French village. We loved the ambience of the house, a classic French townhouse that allows you to step out of the front door and onto Rue André Theuriet, while at the same time providing a peaceful haven both on the first floor living area and on the rear terrace with its private garden and amazing views of the Dents de Lanfon. The house itself was just what we had wanted: authentically French, with its thick walls, shuttered windows and tiled floors, tastefully furnished, and with cosy attic bedrooms (along with the ground floor bedroom). We slept in the main bedroom on the top/attic floor. This presented us with the daily reward of opening the shutters and looking down Rue André Theuriet and seeing the bottom of the lake, the mountains beyond, and the occasional hot air balloon drifting above the lake. The heating in the house in the cool early spring and the hot water supply in the ground floor shower room made for very comfortable living. We loved the easy access to the lake - just a short walk out of the garage with paddleboard under the arm. Breakfast was invariably al fresco on the terrace. We spent our evenings, when not out and about, with an evening meal and a glass or two of wine at the dining table, catching up on Netflix or – wait for it – dancing in the dining room.

And for cyclists, Alan offers some superb options:

I cycled extensively, and would strongly recommend your house to any keen cyclists. Having a Category 1 climb (the Col de la Forclaz) on the exit from the village was a treat and of course you can try out both sides. I could not quite decide which was the more severe. And there is much more within easy reach. My personal favourite is any ride that goes beyond the Col de Leschaux into the Massif des Bauges. While the lake, with all of its many viewpoints, is naturally the most spectacular feature of the region, for me the Massif des Bauges pushes it close. The road from Leschaux to Bellecombe-en-Bauges has some great views once you emerge from the trees. Other favourties include the Col de la Croix Fry, the tarte myrtle at the Col des Aravis (Restaurant les Rhodos), Le Bon Wagon bike café on the bike path at Duingt, and of course Le Semnoz.  My top tip for cycling visitors who choose the circular route around La Tournette (Talloires - Faverges – Saint- Ferreol – Col du Marais – Thones – Alex – Bluffy – and home) is to take the back road back to Bluffy from Thones. So many cyclists trudge up the main road from Thones past Alex and up the hill, but there is a fabulous backroad from Thones via Thuy (Route de Thuy) through La Balme-de-Thuy and Dingy-Saint-Clair. There is then another backroad up to the Col de Bluffy. It avoids all of the traffic. Best coffee stop in Thones? Mountains Coffee Thones, 4 Rue Blanche. Lovely people.

Not forgetting the drawcard which is the lake:

Of course, the lake is the big feature. We took Heidi’s paddleboard to Talloires and it got plenty of use – usually from “Heidi’s launch point” down the lane (Chemin de Quoex). You quickly learn that the wind always blows down the lake, so paddling down the lake first gives you quite a tough trip back. By the end of our stay, we were swimming each morning before breakfast. The water had been cold on our arrival (we had wetsuits, but didn’t use them) but by early June it was perfect.

And some practical tips for getting around:

Surprisingly, we did not make many visits into Annecy. Most of our visits were to show guests the sights or, on one occasion, to meet some friends who were camping on the other side of the lake. We cycled in a couple of times on our own bikes, but also made use of the Velonecy e-bikes. The first 30 minutes are free, and the cost rises to just €1.50 for up to an hour, although you get severely stung if you keep the bike for over an hour. But one hour is easily enough to get into Annecy. The other method of getting into Annecy is the bus – Ligne 60. Again, for a bargain €1.50 each way, you can get in and back with no hassle. We drove in a couple of times but parking is either costly or difficult and, of course, there is traffic. I certainly would avoid driving into Annecy on a Saturday or Sunday in July or August (or June, or May, for that matter).

As for supermarkets, we tried the new Carrefour at Sevrier and the Intermarche in Annecy, but settled on Carrefour at Thones as the preferred option.

... and eating out in the village:

We did not push the boat out and visit Jean Sulpice (the Michelin-starred restaurant), but we did have a very nice meal (sorry, that is understating it – a fantastic meal) at Le Cottage Bise. It is from previous stays in Le Cottage Bise that we came to know all about Talloires and why we were so delighted to find your house available to rent. We also dined a few times at the Café de la Place. Several early evenings were spent with a beer/gin and tonic on the veranda at the Beau Site Hotel across the road, again taking in views of the lake as the sun began to disappear. It is a very good spot, and the hotel looks pretty good too.

The day after we left, I started to miss my daily visits to Le Fournil de mon Père.

And this is why, despite the challenges, we continue to offer our French home for your holidays. 

Tempted? 

For bookings, either send me an email at cb222@me.com or visit one of the major advertising platforms, VRBO or AirBnB.

Look forward to helping your dream of a French holiday become a reality.

Catherine's books (including her books celebrating her French-Australian life) below.

The links should take you to where you need to go, wherever you are in the world, to make a purchase.

Merci mille fois

But you are in France, Madame: One family, three children, five bags and the promise of adventure living in the French Alps

Weaving a French Life: An Australian story

Love, fear and a return to France: A family memoir

With bare feet and sandy toes: Growing up in Australia in the 1960s & 70s

La Providence in Provence ... discover the good life

 

Nancy, it has been lovely connecting with you. Thanks for participating in my occasional series, ‘Australians in France.'

Can you tell us about yourself and your French connection? 

I spent most of my life until now living in Australia but took a big mid-life leap last year to come and live permanently in France. In my own defence, there was some logic to the decision. For the previous few years, I had been working for the Alliance Française (a French language and culture centre) and my husband is French. But the real decider was that I fell utterly in love with a crumbling farmhouse in Provence. It was La Santonne that signed the deal for me.

 

You have bought and are renovating a property (La Santonne) in France:

 

·      Do you live in France or spend some of the year there?

I live there…or to be more exact, right now I live in a mobile home in front of our house La Santonne.

 

·      For many, choosing to buy in Provence would need no explanation, but why did you choose Revest-du-Bion? 

If you are someone who believes in the power of the stars, then I would answer that I was led there by them. But the more rational answer is that a real estate ad landed in my inbox, I took one look at the photo of the property, was lovestruck and found myself on a plane three days later headed for France. In the meantime, I had discovered that La Santonne is actually in the town where my father-in-law was born. Some would say it “was meant to be.” My husband calls it “la Providence.” It does read like a fairy tale and I’ve written the whole story in my blog that I’ve just launched. 

 

·      What advice would you give to other families who dream of buying their own special place in France? Do you have any practical tips regarding the purchase process? What do you wish you had known before you signed for your French home?

It’s really important to be in contact with a notaire – a French conveyancing lawyer – before starting the purchase process. There are English speaking notaires in Australia who specialise in helping Australians buy in France. So I highly recommend tracking one down in Australia and making contact before going to look at property in France. I also organised a surveyor to check the structural integrity of the building before I made an offer. He was quite some guy … I’ve written about Monsieur Pierre in my blog.

 

·      Was your intention always to renovate in France? 

Kind of…but not to this scale! The house hasn’t been lived in for 26 years. It is officially uninhabitable and we are undergoing a huge renovation to bring La Santonne back to life again. Frankly, it’s much more than I expected to take on. But I fell in love at first sight and threw caution to the wind! That said, we had always intended to buy a property large enough for us and to set up an AirBnB to welcome guests to the region, so we had known there would be some renovation required…just not this much! It is quite a project and you can follow the unfolding renovation on the La Santonne Instagram account.

 

·      You plan to welcome guests to enjoy your French life. Can you tell us what they can expect?

The motto of La Santonne’s logo is “Discover the good life in Provence!” and that is exactly what we offer. We can show you where to go for good food, good wine and good company as you relax in the stunning surroundings of La Santonne. Guests will be staying in the old Shepherds House, which is at the West end of the La Santonne looking out to the Mont Ventoux, often with our ponies grazing in the foreground. This fully self-contained space will have a woodburning stove to cuddle up in front of in the winter months and a fully equipped kitchen so you can cook with the regional organic produce we can arrange to be delivered to your door. 

 

Our part of Provence – high on the Plateau d’Albion and in the midst of lavender fields – is off the beaten tourist track. We offer a more authentic experience of Provence life where farming is still the predominant activity and tourism hasn’t overtaken the landscape. The local markets are a riot of colourful produce and the surrounding countryside is incredibly diverse – everything from rocky mountain ranges to gorges with aqua blue rivers running through. My husband Patrice grew up in Provence and knows all the hidden spots only the locals know. We can share these with guests through our bespoke itinerary service where I put together a program based on clients’ interests. These can either be self-drive itineraries or guests can take advantage of the fully guided service. This is where I act as chauffeur and interpreter meaning that guests experience the real Provence by being able to chat with the locals and truly relax by not having to drive on the winding roads of the region. An extra glass of wine at lunch won’t be a problem! This is the real way to safely get off the beaten track and discover the real Provence.

 

To give you an idea of what the experience is like, here is a testimonial from one of my recent full-service tours:

 

“The beauty and history of Sisteron, the majesty of the Gorges de la Méouge, the richness of Valley de Touleronc, markets in Banon, a picnic, morning tea in an organic bakery known only to the locals (I can’t give it away), exploring perched villages and walking in the shadow of Mont Ventoux are what I chose and only some of what Nancy’s tours offer. It was an unforgettable day and I would never have discovered half of these perfect places without Nancy’s guidance. A magical experience!”

 

 

Do you speak French? I talk frequently with families who feel that their French would not be sufficient for either living in or buying in France. What are your thoughts about the level of language required?

Yes, I speak French close to fluently…although the gender of all the nouns is still a weak point! It has definitely helped having a level of French enabling me to talk easily with the locals and make friends. That said, I don’t think my level is necessary for people not living permanently in France. For those intending to buy a holiday house and spend chunks of time there, basic French is enough to get by, especially if you are in areas where many people speak English (not mine!). But for a truly authentic experience, I do feel the more French you have, the more you can engage with the world around you and truly connect with the culture and people. And as someone who used to run a French language school, you can’t expect me not to encourage people to learn the beautiful language of French!  

 

 

I love to hear of different village traditions and stories. How have you adapted to life in your village and your village to you? 

I live opposite a tiny village of just 400 people and have become known as the Australienne with the huge black dog. Standard poodles are surprisingly uncommon in France and so the pair of us make quite an impression apparently! At the same time, given my father-in-law was born in the village, I often get told by locals “I knew your father-in-law”…even the mayor mentioned this to me when I went in for the official visit that is customary when one moves into a village. He then added that they used to hunt regularly together and gave me a big smile. So it’s like I’m half an alien and half a local. 

 

One little thing that I love in village life is the clock bell that rings at every hour and half hour from 5am to 11pm. I feel it accompanies me throughout the day. It’s a steady presence that reassures by its regularity and tradition. It’s probably been ringing for centuries.

 

 

If you can’t live in France, what do you think is the best time of year to visit? Apart from your wonderful place in France, do you have any favourite French villages or towns that you would recommend to other families?

I would definitely say May and June are my favourite months where I live. The beginning of spring sees the wild flowers blooming all through the fields and the previously bare tree trunks and branches push forth an amazingly rich array of shades of green. Everything seems to glow. The word stunning seems hardly to suffice.

 

Although Provence is home, there is another region of France that remains close to my heart: Alsace. In the north east and on the border with Germany, this area has a very different architecture and culture to the rest of France. It’s famous for its Christmas markets resplendent with colourful decorations, mixed spice Christmas treats and little wooden cabins selling all things perfect for the festive season. I spent 3 months living there with my children and we all have such happy memories of our winter in Alsace.

 

Can you tell us just one thing that makes your life in France special?

The feeling that life is beautiful here. When I wake up to the pink glow behind the Mont Ventoux, or sit with a coffee in the bustling market at my local town, banter with a stall-holder, or put the world to rights with the farmer I buy my hay from, then at the end of the day gaze out across the lavender fields with a glass of wine in hand …I feel there could be no more beautiful way to live than here.

 

 

Thanks so much, Nancy. Your comment "the feeling that life is beautiful here" resonates completely with me and I'm sure it does too with my readers.

If you would like to follow Nancy's journey, discuss a tour or enquire about one of her two apartments for rental (beginning in 2024) Nancy can be found on Instagram. Her blog, more photos and details can be found here

I look forward to staying in touch and thanks again for sharing your French life with us.

Catherine's books (including her books celebrating her French-Australian life) below.

The links should take you to where you need to go, wherever you are in the world, to make a purchase.

Merci mille fois

But you are in France, Madame: One family, three children, five bags and the promise of adventure living in the French Alps

Weaving a French Life: An Australian story

Love, fear and a return to France: A family memoir

With bare feet and sandy toes: Growing up in Australia in the 1960s & 70s

To clean or not to clean your number plates. Plus book 4 now out.

July 14. 

Today is a special day. France's national day? Yes. 

Publication day for my latest book? Also yes. 

I had actually intended to have book three in my series celebrating my French-Australian life out to you a couple of weeks ago, but ... life ... including a little run in with the police and a very expensive breakdown. 

The flashing lights and siren were clearly meant for my husband, Alex, as his was the only car on the road way out west in our very large state. Ah, I do a lot of kilometres each week for work, it was inevitable that at some point an incident would befall me, he surmised, as he put on his indicator and pulled off the road, remaining in the car as the policeman did the same before sauntering over to do a slow round of inspection.

"Your lights, sir."

Alex complied. All were working.

"Your indicators, sir."

Again, he complied with no issue.

"Do you know why I've pulled you over?"

"No," he answered politely.

"Could you please get out of the car and follow me."

Alex did as he was told, stopping at the back of the car alongside the policeman and waiting.

"Your number plates, sir, are dirty."

"Oh, I do a lot of kilometres on the dusty, open road, but I do have some water. I'll wipe them down."

"That will not be sufficient. I'd like you to head to the nearest town and replace them, plus I will need to issue you with a fine."

If the nearly five-hundred-dollar fine were not enough, they also came with three demerit points. Tough to swallow when a quick check revealed that driving whilst using the telephone - a whole lot more dangerous, I would have thought - was considered a less severe offence with a commensurately smaller fine.

A scant few days later, after an early start and a six-hundred-kilometre day-with very clean number plates-Alex lost power to the car just after nightfall, still 120 km from home. His luck was in, though, as he could capture a weak telephone signal and had just enough battery power to make a few phone calls. I was the first. 

"I'll come and get you," I said, "and we can leave your car until it is daylight."

"No. It'll be stripped bare by then. I'll see if I can get a tow truck."

The first three companies that he tried were not keen and declined Alex's request for help. The fourth agreed. 

Five hours later than expected, and another five-hundred dollars out of pocket, he arrived home.

The morals of the stories? 

You've understood the first already - go out now and check your number plates. The second? Always carry a spare tin of sardines. It will come in handy when you are cold and hungry waiting roadside in the dark - although a blanket, torch and water would have been useful too. 

And, with my community service announcement over, I wish you a happy July 14. 

If you'd like to check out my newest book, Love, fear and a return to France, here is a link, with my most sincere thanks.

À bientôt.

Books 1- 3 below.

The links should take you to where you need to go, wherever you are in the world, to make a purchase.

Merci mille fois

But you are in France, Madame: One family, three children, five bags and the promise of adventure living in the French Alps

Weaving a French Life: An Australian story

With bare feet and sandy toes: Growing up in Australia in the 1960s & 70s

Trusting in not knowing: Book 4 is on its way

“I have just published my third book.” It wasn’t bragging nor was it an attempt to impress. I was still in the emotional aftermath of putting my figurative pen down and in awe that my words had come for a third time. “Interestingly, all my books have come about because of sadness and struggle,” I continued. 

Woah, again. How had I not realised that before? 

“I hope you never write another book,” he said.

(Excerpts from February '23 blog post after the release of Book 3 With bare feet and sandy toes)

But I have. 

 

Was it different this time? 

 

Yes and no.

 

As for most, the last few years have tested me. A wise soul in a deep, and deeply appreciated, conversation challenged me to look inwards.

 

“Truthfully, when searching for your ‘next’ are you moving towards something or are you constantly running away?” she asked me.

 

With that question hanging, 2023 arrived. My words started bubbling up again and my husband was a complicit sounding board. He recognised the drill. I talked and departed to cogitate. Repeatedly.

 

At some point, my daughter rang to discuss her trip abroad. I listened, we chatted and then I described to her how sitting at my desk to write produced the strangest directions. 

“I think I am going to go in one way, but I end up travelling along a completely different path,” I mused.

 

“Like this conversation. Yeah, I wouldn’t know,” she answered. 

 

“Here. Here. You took the wrong turn at Opelika,” said Daisy.

 

“Well, now, you took it with me, Miss Daisy, and you got the map,” replied Hoke. (Beresford, B. (Director). (1989). Driving Miss Daisy [Film])

 

Funny how trusting in not knowing keeps leading somewhere worth going, and thankfully my Hoke is along for the ride. 

 

I guess that is the yes.

Love, fear and a return to France out soon.

Books 1- 3 below.

The links should take you to where you need to go, wherever you are in the world, to make a purchase.

Merci mille fois

• But you are in France, Madame: One family, three children, five bags and the promise of adventure living in the French Alps
• Weaving a French Life: An Australian story
• With bare feet and sandy toes: Growing up in Australia in the 1960s & 70s

Burgundian Beauty

Kate's home in Lucenay-l’Évêque in Burgundy

Kate, it has been lovely connecting with you. Thank you for participating in my occasional series, ‘Australians in France.' 

Can you tell us about yourself and your French connection? 

I really discovered France later in life. My first trip to Europe was at 41, with Paris being our first stop. It was definitely love at first sight. Since then, my husband Nathan and I have been lucky enough to spend time exploring many regions of France, especially those noted for their food and wine. As a chef, Nathan looks to France and French cuisine as the foundation of modern cookery, and we have embraced our quest to experience as much of it as possible with great gusto! Our travels throughout France have provided inspiration for multiple hospitality venues that we have been involved in - a tiny laneway wine bar, a French bistro and a neighbourhood café. We love that we have been able to bring a little piece of France back with us to share with others and to help us not miss France as much when we are not there. 

Kate and her husband in their garden

You have bought and are renovating a property in France, do you live in France or spend some of the year there?

We take full advantage of the Schengen visa that allows non-EU passport holders to spend 90 days per 180 in France. That means that we are in France for 6 months of the year and in Geelong for the other half.

Can you tell us how you settled on Burgundy for your French home? 

We love many regions of France and toyed with the idea of buying in Normandy (good proximity to Paris) or in the Jura (fabulous wine) but Burgundy has it all for us. We love its scenery, its easy access to Paris, Dijon and Lyon and of course its iconic food and wine offerings. The weather is idyllic for us too … four very distinct seasons with warm and pleasant summers and crisp, cold winters. 

What advice would you give to other families who dream of buying their own special place in France?

DO IT! It’s incredibly exciting and rewarding and relatively easy. Coming from Australia, where housing prices and the cost of living is high, we found that you can actually achieve your dream of owning your own little piece of France very affordably. 

Have your criteria on size, price, region etc. but be a little open and flexible. Your dream home may be where you least expect it. 

Do you have any practical tips regarding the purchase process? 

Have the patience of a saint. Nothing happens quickly. French real estate agents (Immobiliers) are more relaxed and not always as responsive as ones in Australia. 

Make as many appointments as you can to see properties in person whilst you are in France. We made our purchase online from Australia and had only photos and one video to go on. 

Open a French bank account. This is not necessary for the purchase, but will have you ready to sign up for all your utilities. 

Use a buyer's advocate if the agent for the property doesn’t speak English (and if your French is not up to deciphering legal documents) They will  guide you through the whole process, even negotiating the sale price for you, will hold the key for you until you get to the property, and in our case, help you get your utilities set up. 

The French purchase system we found does not have the big negotiation range that we tend to have in Australia. You may only get a few thousand off the asking price. 

A new roof, electrics and septic are expensive works and a change in ownership may trigger having to bring existing systems up to code. Have your agent or buyer's advocate alert you to any impending costs. 

If you are looking at buying purely a home for holidays, maybe reconsider buying a 5-acre farm or anything with a lot of land involving upkeep. The grass and weeds can grow at a staggering pace. We know this first hand with our property. 

If you are considering buying in a rural area, make sure that your land boundaries and right of access for you and your neighbours are explained to you very clearly. Often plots of land are not adjoining and in many instances, the farmer or neighbour has rights to go through your property. This is to note, particularly, if you’re planning to put a pool or a garage etc.

What do you wish you had known before you signed for your French home?     

Just how patient you have to be!  Especially when you are purchasing remotely. We wish that we had been more aware that when the agent said that the house comes fully furnished (which most do) that he also meant that we inherited the contents of all the outbuildings as well. That in our case included copious amounts of rubbish, old white goods and a gigantic, rust-riddled bulldozer. We were quoted €2000 to remove it all. 

If you can, use tradespeople that are referred to you by people you trust and ideally from your village or town. Usually tradespeople only work in a very small radius from their home base. 

Might there be a renovation story or two that you could share?

SO MANY! One fun one was that we found a secret room at the back of the house that wasn’t on the floor plan that we were given by the agent. The owners had said there was something back there but that they had never entered the sealed and padlocked room. Nathan had grandiose visions of unearthing a priceless collection of vintage pinot noir, but all we found was a dusty small room with two dormant dormice who were not very happy about being disturbed. It has now become a candle-lit cellar lined with wine racks and with a wine cask for a table.  It stays at a perfect cool temperature year round, and is filled with a lovely (although not priceless) selection of local Burgundy wine. 

Is your long-term plan to welcome guests (holiday let, other experiential services)?

We want to have guest accommodation and host cooking classes and food and wine tours as soon as possible. The house and barn are being renovated with that in mind as we are dying to share our little (relatively unknown) part of Burgundy with as many people as possible. 

Do you speak French? I talk frequently with families who feel that their French would not be sufficient for either living in or buying in France. What are your thoughts about the level of language required?

Un peu…..

We have found that you can definitely get by with “Google Translate” BUT negotiations and renovations and friendships can be very challenging to cultivate without knowing some basic  French. At the bare minimum, we feel that a basic knowledge and understanding of pleasantries, numbers and every day conversation is important in becoming a part of your new  French community. Making this effort, coupled with a big smile goes a very long way.

I love to hear of different village traditions and stories. How have you adapted to life in your village and your village to you?

We have happened upon an incredible little village on the edge of the Morvan National Park to call our own. A large number of French people have recently chosen to call Lucenay-l’Évêque home and have made a conscious effort to welcome and embrace all who follow suit. This simple town houses a primary school, a convenience store, a renowned restaurant, a locally designed handbag shop, a hairdresser, an architect's studio, a recording studio, a brocante, a wine bar and soon a patisserie. We have a medieval church that is currently under restoration, a lovely river and a town square that hosts a pizza truck on a Saturday night and a butcher on Wednesdays. 

Our village has accepted us with open arms, and we are humbled to be considered a part of this vibrant community. We are routinely invited to all manner of events and celebrations - birthdays, music sessions, pig roasts, shop openings and weeknight dinners. We, in turn, host couples, families and large groups of new friends to BBQs and dinners at our little house on the outskirts of town. 

Our next door neighbours are incredible. They always ready our house for our visits by opening windows and doors to air it out in summer, or lighting a fire before we arrive in winter. This past Christmas they decorated the whole house with Christmas cheer, and topped it off with a real Christmas tree covered in decorations and lights. I was reduced to tears with their thoughtfulness and generosity. We are very lucky. 

If you can’t live in France, what do you think is the best time of year to visit? 

Oh it’s too hard to choose in our region….

Summer has exceptionally blue skies and endless sunshine. 

Autumn is just stunning with the colour of the leaves in the mountains and on the vines. 

In the colder months, our countryside turns into a stunning, snow-covered winter wonderland. 

We have yet to experience a full spring in Burgundy, and are anxious to see this area come back to life from its sleepy winter. 

We will say from experience that we feel it’s a good idea to avoid Paris in the height of summer as it can be very hot, and many restaurants and small shops are closed for the holidays. We also wouldn’t choose to go to Alsace again in summer, where the wonderfully rich regional food and wine is definitely more suited to snowy winter days than hot summer ones.

Apart from your special region in France, do you have any favourite French places that you would recommend to other families?

Lake Annecy

Annecy and it’s lake. It is staggeringly beautiful and clean and the views will stay with you always. 

Normandy and Brittany. Lovely winding roads with beautiful scenery and stunning coastline (oh and the oysters!).

Jura. Again, beautiful scenery and picture-postcard villages, with really interesting unique regional wine.

And finally, what is your favourite thing about French living?

For us, it is specifically French country living that we love so much. It is the slower pace of life, the scenery, the markets and their magnificent local produce, the affordability of food and wine and the ability to cultivate relationships with those with whom we come in contact.. 

Thanks so much, Kate. I look forward to staying in touch. It has been a pleasure chatting.

If you would like to follow her journey (highly recommended), Kate can be found on Instagram @lapetitemaisonburgundy.

Here again are my three books. Clicking on the links should take you to where you need to go, wherever you are in the world, to make a purchase.

• But you are in France, Madame: One family, three children, five bags and the promise of adventure living in the French Alps
• Weaving a French Life: An Australian story
• With bare feet and sandy toes: Growing up in Australia in the 1960s & 70s