Going native in the Charente, France

Well, we are shortly to go native in the Charente in France.

Kerry and Brian, then total strangers but fellow members of a house exchange website, popped an email invitation to us about 12 months ago. Would we care for a long term exchange in the Dordonge/Charente part of France?...the sales spiel was very alluring and attractive...and it was the best (and only) offer on offer. After very careful consideration and thought lasting all of 5 minutes we shot back an email "Oui, oui,oui".

So now we have (what we fervently hope will be) a grand 11 month home exchange coming up very shortly, in fact commencing in just four weeks.

The ideal we had in mind, of course, was a cute/stone/old/weather-beaten but comfortable French home, just a short friendly stroll through the village to a charming bar and cafe, aka "Allo,Allo". We would become regulars for the apres-midi aperos then stroll home to a slow cooked boeuf bourguignon taken with a good red in front of the open fire. Oh la la!

Time for a reality check! Our new "mini-chateau" is actually in the hamlet (four/five houses) of Le Petit Maine which is just a little way from the very petit village of Juignac, which itself is 6k from the nearest bar and cafe!!! which itself is 120k from Bordeaux. Sacre Bleu!!!

So you can see that we are taking up residence in the sticks. "C'est la vie". 

A view of Le Petit Maine...our home for 2014

We do get the old lovely farmhouse. Val does a very passable boeuf bourguignon and there is a cosy fire place. As for the bar/cafe, we are reliably informed that there is a ready supply of the good red stuff in Jerome's barn. And Jerome's farm is right next door to our new home, in fact just 10 paces across the driveway. Kerry does insist that it's a quite quaffable drop...and at the right price.

"What's the price?" I hear you ask, thinking of the cost of living in rural France. The price is helping to bring in the grape harvest and (Val) dishing up the after-harvest village feast.....well someone has to do it. But more of that in another postcard.

We also get excellent introductions to the village people, courtesy of Kerry's and Brian's good standing in the area. From one of Kerry's emails "Both Jerome & Yvon (his / our mate, a chap about your age) mentioned if it would be nice if they took you under their wings & took you to the festivals we go to". What more can you ask,eh.

For now, it's back to the French lessons.

Cheers to all
Bryan and Val

PS Feedback, questions and conversation most welcome.

The "vindange" 2012...that's Brian in the blue shirt