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Sun, 21 Aug 2022 19:17:38 GMT

Activities for adults: tasting the local booze...

While we are surrounded by vineyards, most of the grapes are used for cognac or Pineau de Charentes rather than still wines. For those interested in the former, the town of Cognac is just 25 minutes to the southeast, with boozy and educational tours at renowned cognac houses such as Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell and Courvoisier (in nearby Jonzac) on offer. (Most are bookable via their websites with English-speaking tours). On the rare occasions we’ve traveled to Cognac child-free, we thoroughly enjoyed the tour and tasting at the Chateau de Cognac due to its fascinating history (you can still see the graffiti from English prisoners in the grand hall) and modern collaborations (they produce Jay-Z’s branded tipple).

Not interested in big-name cognac producers or rappers? Within 3 minutes of us by car are small, family-run distilleries which produce not only cognac, but also the local aperitif, Pineau de Charentes, which is a blend of grape juice and cognac. Most of these tasting rooms are, ahem, très rustique, compared to the name-brand producers, such as pictured tasting shack of Guy Gombert, but in the nearby hamlet of Les Touches de Périgny, F. Gacon has a sleek new tasting room. Note: many also produce and bottle their own grape juice, if you are that day’s designated driver!

Activities for Kids (or the young at heart!)

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 18:01:42 GMT

Zipping through the trees or bouncing through the air

Although we are in a very rural area where it can sometimes feel as though there are more tractors than cars, we are blessed to be just 20 minutes away from some wonderful activities for children.

The Abbaye de Fontdouce offers tree climbing and zipwire courses for children and adults (children as young as 3 years old can participate) as well as activities on the ground such as laser tag, archery and bubble football . Open from early April to early November (check their website for dates and hours), the site also offers tours of the abbey for those who prefer a walk to treetop adventures. The Activity Park gets very busy during the summer, so be sure to book online, and try to arrive at opening time. You can pack a picnic (there are a small number of tables, but plenty of grassy areas) or purchase snacks on-site. In summer months there is a small food truck. For adults, jazz and classical music concerts are held from May through September.

In the picturesque village of Saint Savinien is the small amusement park on the Ile de la Grenouillette , open from April – September. The park offers two main attractions: miniature boating on a small lake (an adult must accompany a child/children), and an amusement park with rides for small children (carousel, go-karts) and park full of large, inflatable, bouncy structures. As of 2023, a ticket for both the rides and inflatable park is 12.50€. Boat rides start from 4.90€ for children under aged 9 (see website for tariffs). An unlimited access day pass to the inflatable park (which James LOVED) is 6.50€, which to me is a bargain if you’re looking for a way to amuse (aka fatigue) your child. While there is a café just next to the boats, queues can be long. Feel free to bring a picnic and enjoy it while your child is bouncing around the park, or leave the amusement park and enter the picnic/grassy area of Le Mung. There is also a seasonal food shack , Les Canotiers , if you forget your picnic basket!

Of course, there is plenty more to do; these are just two of our favourites. Not far from the Abbaye de Fontdouce in Saint-Cesaire, you can journey back to Neolithic times at the Paleosite or fish for your lunch at Pisciculture. Further afield (1 hour by car) are the Zoo de Palmyre and the Aquarium of La Rochelle. Enjoy!

A New Life in the Sun

rkuo76@gmail.com (Renee Kuo) — Fri, 20 May 2022 19:53:17 GMT

Ready for your close up? Not quite!

Nearly a year after moving to France, we opened the doors of our B&B in June of 2020 to guests…and a film crew! ‘A New Life in the Sun’, the UK TV programme which features British ex-pats as they embark on new careers after leaving Britain, followed our early days of renovations to the close of our first summer as a Bed & Breakfast.

Our lovely camerawoman, Iris, was fantastic at putting us at ease as we were more than a little nervous to have a camera in our faces as we struggled to teach yoga classes in French (Renée) or install a toilet for the first time (Alastair). And then there was the daily juggling of family life with preparing copious breakfasts, cleaning rooms, and trying to keep an infant out of trouble! Fortunately, with teamwork (and hard work!), we seem to have pulled it off, as several of our guests were kind enough to be interviewed on film about their stays, and all left wonderful reviews.

If you are in the UK, you can catch a replay of our three episodes (Season Six, Episodes 26, 27 and 28) on Channel 4’s website .

TV show aside, we are so happy we embarked on our 'new life' in France. It hasn't always been an easy transition, especially in the early days with a baby/young child, but we have absolutely no regrets. As much as we loved London, we were looking for a new start which afforded us more time as a family. We feel very fortunate to have found this wonderful region, our quiet village, and La Maison . We hope you love it here as much as we do.

Métro, Boulot, Dodo

rkuo76@gmail.com (Renee Kuo) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 11:58:00 GMT

Learning the Slow Life

The phrase, ‘Métro, Boulot, Dodo’, was created in the 1960s to describe the Parisian fast-paced life of ‘commute, work, sleep’ – but we’ve found this phrase describes working life in any major city. While we no longer have the long commute into London to get to an office, work at La Maison starts the minute we awake, from feeding the chickens, cats and dogs and tending 3 acres of gardens in early morning to late-night cleaning and admin.

Is this the idyllic ‘slow’ life that many city-dwellers romanticize from their cubicles within concrete jungles? Not at all! But there is definitely a slower pace in the French countryside than in any major city – a slowness that was admittedly maddening when we first moved here and expected the same on-demand conveniences to which we had felt entitled in London.

Trying to run errands during your lunch hours? Most small shops and grocery stores close from 12-2pm. Too busy to cook the family dinner? I haven’t once seen the formerly ubiquitous food delivery scooter or bicycle in our vicinity in the three years since we’ve lived here. Even once having taken James to see a nearby château at Christmas which advertised photos with Father Christmas, we found that we had arrived during Père Noël’s 2-hour lunch break. London, this isn’t.

But what we lose in the 24/7 convenience of city life, we make up for in well-being and family time. We cook more, enjoy lunch as a family, value dinner with friends. Do we wish we could order our favourite London take-away now and again? Yes! But it makes it all the more special when we stumble upon a fantastic restaurant or find the ingredients to make the dish ourselves. It’s not less work by any stretch of the imagination, but it helps us value our time, and it’s time better spent.

Which way to the Marché?

rkuo76@gmail.com (Renee Kuo) — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 13:00:59 GMT

A Marché every day

In California, I used to love going to ‘Farmer’s Markets’ – a rather twee name to describe a large gathering of fresh produce vendors in a parking lot. If lucky, there would be a rotisserie chicken stand wafting its tantalizing aromas of herbs, oil, and roast bird. The strawberries were always sweeter and the broccoli tastier than anything you could find in a supermarket. The Farmer’s Markets were held once per week starting in spring and ending in autumn, and parking was always a battle unless you got there in the early hours. When I moved to London, we were fortunate to have a fantastic greengrocer within walking distance from our front door.

Here in France, we are spoiled for choice. Unlike the Farmer’s Markets California, fresh produce markets are just called ‘marchés’, and you can find one every day of the week within driving distance. In addition to a rotisserie chicken stand, you may find fresh oysters and other shellfish, traiteurs with prepared escargots or rabbit in prune sauce, butchers with homemade pâté de campagne, and much more. Some villages have a monthly market with streets of clothing stalls, bric-a-brac, and even live chickens (not for roasting, but for your backyard).

Our two favourite markets are listed below, but there is a myriad from which to choose in the Charente-Maritime.

Saint Jean d’Angély: Wednesdays & Saturdays from 8h00-12:30h at the Place du Marché.

Saintes: every day but Monday from 7h00-13h00 in various locations . Our favourite is the Sunday market at the intersection of Ave. Gambetta and Ave. de la Marne.