Les Marguerites - Latest News Feed

5 things we didnâ€™t expect moving our family to the south of France

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere’’- Chinese Proverb

1/ The amazing way that the children reacted to the move: we were prepared for tears and unhappiness from the children, especially from the older 2 girls who were 11 and 9 years old at the time. We had spent many summers here prior to the move, and they knew the area well, we are what the French call a ‘famille composée’, I was married previously and the girls are from my first marriage, so when we left the UK in 2008 they left not only their school and friends, but also their dad too, of course they found it a challenge, and at times I bet they wished they could have returned to their old life, but they were truly amazing at just getting on with it!

2/ How flipping cold the winters are here! Alet les Bains is in south west France, 1 hour away from both the Mediterranean sea and the Pyrenees mountains, today and for the last week we have dropped down to -8c at night and not much above +8c in the day. Generally when you view properties it is in the warmer months and the estate agent NEVER tells you how cold it gets and how expensive it is to heat your old stone house. We spend many hours loading up wood fires, stacking logs, bringing logs in and cleaning ash out.

3/ How beautiful it is to have 4 very distinct seasons and the treasures that the countryside has to offer, we have skied, canoed, swam in lakes and hiked etc. We knew it was all there, but didn’t expect that we would embrace it so. The seasons are not only visible from our window, but also there is a strong sense of what season you are in by what you can buy in the supermarkets, you can only find local vegetables that are in season and I love that.

4/ Sexism, I was not prepared for that at all. Keith continued to work in the UK during the early days and I managed the project and the tradesmen. I had a smattering of French, Keith had less, so I totally project managed the renovation and yet when the bills came in they were always addressed to Mr Keith Fairhurst only, what’s that about?!

5/ That we could be so resourceful, we had a limited budget and like most renovations it was very easy to go over that budget. We left the electrics and plumbing to the professionals of course, but we plastered, replaced glass, re-laid floors, painted and so on. We lifted floor tiles from the old attic rooms and used them in the kitchen, nothing went to the tip if we thought we could re-use it somewhere else: everything has a value.

The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life

‘’The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life’’
Agnes Repplier

Now that Christmas and the New Year are behind us and 2022 is properly in, we begin to turn our thoughts to the spring, longer days and even to that distant dream of summer. I’m not sure how you are feeling after the previous few years of travel restrictions, but I found it very challenging not having the freedom to get away in a stress free and simple manner, and I don’t think I am alone with that feeling either. There are some that managed to slip in a little getaway, but with PCR tests, isolation, locator forms and all the many hoops that they had to jump through it hardly seemed worth it. My dear Mum managed to get here from the UK a couple of times over 2021 and it was wonderful to see her. However, the stresses she went through to be able to achieve those precious family trips were awful to witness. That stress really DOES NOT ignite an impulse to travel!

My roots where I live are strong and I am fortunate enough to live in a simply divine part of the World. In fact Alet les Bains is a holiday destination in its own right and it feels safe here. I have a deep sense of gratitude for the clean air, sunshine, trees, blue skies, babbling river and the steep mountains that surround our home.

In 2020 we were told to stay at home to protect others, to protect our doctors and nurses. We did, and quite happily so. It was after all, the least we could do. It was a time to cocoon, to look inside, for me it was a great opportunity to spend time with my teenage children and my husband.

Projects were started and completed. We cleared out cupboards, tidied, de-cluttered, grew vegetables, made cakes, got a puppy (that is a whole blog of its own!), painted, put a swimming pool in the garden (and another story to be told), walked, slept and many other things, but it’s enough now, the impulse (one might even call it an instinct) I have to travel is so strong, I believe it is not only a hopeful symptom of life, but also hopeful symbol that the worst of the last few years is behind us. If we are starting to feel ready to travel again and to step out of our protected havens then perhaps it really is safe to start travelling again and trusting again.

My wings are twitching and so ready to be stretched, so where to? Perhaps the chance to finally go on that family holiday you had booked for 2020, or to fly the other side of the World to see some family you haven’t seen for 2 years. You may just want to get away to simply sit on a sunny square sipping chilled rose and eat something different. Alternatively you may have that special place where you always go to, but haven’t been able to get to. That place which makes your heart sing and allows you to just a be. Of course it could be a new adventure, a new country or an area that you have never been to, but have desired to travel to for a long time. For me, firstly, I want to get myself back to the UK to see my sister and Dad, I have missed them so much and even with the wonders of modern technology it still does not replace the face to face contact and a hug. And after seeing them who knows, I know for sure that it will be with our 4 children and it will involve sunshine, good food and splash or two of wine. So wherever your impulse takes you may your travels be fulfilling and joyous.
Bon Camino.

Opening the Doors..

I know that I am very late to the blog writing world, but in 2008 when we started our journey there was no such thing as writing a blog, and if there was, I certainly wasn’t aware of it, and I certainly didn’t have the time to write anything more than a shopping list! However I can remember the start of the journey to restore Les Marguerites like it was yesterday and am feeling very drawn to share our story, so here goes…

We signed and completed on Les Marguerites in June 2008, but only moved here ‘ en famille’ in the August of 2008. The first time we turned the key of the huge deep-rooted wooden front door it was a warm summers day, the children stayed in the garden, quickly returning to the spot where they had started making a den on our last visit earlier that year, the den was hidden in the middle of the 100 year old box hedge maze, it was a mess of bits of wood and old fallen branches from the ancient trees that have been guarding the house their whole life. All I could see from the steps of our new home was their little blonde heads bobbing up and down the hedging gathering more branches to add to their den, they were shadowed by those large trees who’s rustling leaves sounded like the whispers of secrets.

I pushed through the door into the large hallway, if felt so cool in the house despite the heat of the day, walking through the house room by room I decided to open every shutter and door of our sad shabby villa. I could see condensation running down the walls as the heat of the day hit the cold stone walls, some of the rooms hadn’t seen the light of day for almost 50 years. It was as if the house was crying, then I thought that the house was crying from neglect, but now 14 years on I realise that they were of joy, because it was time again to make new memories and she knew that.

On the first floor on the east side of our once grand house I pushed into what is now room 5 and flung open the shutters. There is a little lane that runs along the back of the house, and as I looked out, I could see a couple walking along the lane, they looked over and waved a friendly wave and shouted up at me, ‘ Bonjour, so lovely to see the old house opened up! It has been too many years closed up!’ Merci, I replied, with a feeling that this magnificent venture of ours was going to have an impact on not just us, but our neighbours too, and in that moment I knew that a new chapter was just beginning in the story of Les Marguerites...
Antoinette