Holiday Rentals In France

Our old house in Normandy, which is now a charming rental cottage. We highly recommend this place!


For the first 10 years that we lived here, whenever I was visiting the U.S. and met someone new, they would inevitably ask me where I lived. When I would reply that I lived in France, their response, every single time, would be, "so how long have you lived in Paris?"
I always found that pretty funny. It's like telling someone that you live in the U.S. and they respond by asking how long you've lived in New York City.

But I get it. Paris represents "France" to most foreigners.

However there is much, much more to l'Hexagone than Paris! And over the years we've been fortunate enough to live in a few regions and have enjoyed exploring a good chunk of this beautiful country on many of our vacations.

I know that once you've chosen where to go, picking where to stay can be daunting. The sheer number of holiday rentals out there is crazy, so I thought I would share a handful of places that we know and would recommend around France. We stayed in some as paying guests (and would happily return), a few are owned by friends and one house we lived in for 4 wonderful years.

If you have any more places to recommend, please share them in the comments!


This gorgeous home, with a large pool, is located close to the Mediterranean sea in Occitanie. The owners, who are close friends of ours, are renting it out this summer.



A perfect spot for a summer apéro is the terrace of Maison de la Fontaine, a vacation house located in the center of the market town of Nérac, in the south west. It is owned by my good friend, Mardi, of Eat. Live. Travel. Write.



Gîte de la Roche à Vent in the Loire Valley, located between Saumur and Angers. We spent a week in this spacious, comfortable house, which was a fantastic location for exploring the region. 


Another lovely rental, complete with a big swimming pool and a large garden, is located in a medieval town in the south of France.


Can you imagine sitting here with a glass of wine, enjoying this view? Gorgeous! And the owners are winemakers, so a visit to their vineyard and wine tasting is included in the price.



Another picturesque spot in Gascony is Kate Hill's home, Camont, where I learned to make cassoulet many years ago. It is exceptionally being rented out for the summer of 2017.



Logis la Cabane, located about 20 minutes from Cognac, is a beautiful property with 2 acres of gardens and a heated swimming pool. 



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5 (Languedoc-Roussillon) Things

1) Heading out of the village

2) Canal boats




3) View toward the Pyrénées




4) Leda and the swan fountain




5) Terrace view



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Photo du Jour - Iconic

The Canal du Midi - a true icon of the Languedoc-Roussillon.

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Photo du Jour - Le Languedoc

Languedoc colors - olive green and brilliant blue.

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Photo du Jour - Looking Up

Plane tree lined Languedoc roads.

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Photo du Jour - #5

A weathered facade.

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The North vs. the South

I don't want to spark a big debate about the north of France vs. the south of France or anything, but hey, this is my blog, so I'm just going to say it...so far living in Normandy has been so much better than living in the Languedoc-Roussillon.

For those of you moving to or already in the L-R, please don't get all up in arms just yet.


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Surviving Summer in the South of France - 10 Things You Should Know

1) It's HOT.
You probably already knew that, right?
Well, you'd be surprised by how many people come here and are shocked by how intense the heat can be in June, July and August.

2) Air conditioning is a luxury.
A good fan is worth its weight in gold.


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Photo du Jour - Summer Light

Summer evening light over the Canal du Midi. Magical.


My first submission to The Creative Exchange hosted by Lisa Gordon.

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Photo du Jour - Floating Garden

A canal barge herb garden, floating on the Canal du Midi. Now, this is my kind of gardening!

This week's entry to Your Sunday Best, hosted by A Rural Journal and to Sunday's in My City by Unknown Mami.

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Photo du Jour - Coquelicots

Every spring the fields of the Languedoc are splashed with scarlet poppies.

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Photo du Jour - Waiting...

Le Pic de Bugarach

Last week we took a little road trip down into the middle of nowhere, or more precisely, down into the middle of the Corbières.

It's an area of the Languedoc-Roussillon that I've never really been enamored with, though there are some producers making some spectacular cheeses and some pretty decent wine.  
Les Corbières, despite its ruggedly beautiful landscape and charming, picturesque villages, is a region shrouded in mystery. It also boasts a turbulent history and there always seems to be an ominous cloud hanging over the place.
(People who live in the Corbières will most likely disagree with me - all I can say is that it's just a feeling I get when I go there)



The region's most recent claim to fame, or infamy, is the tiny village of Bugarach and the Pic de Bugarach, which looms over the village.
Le Pic is the highest peak in the Corbières and there is a certain group of crazies people out there who believe that aliens are living in limestone caves at the base of the mountain.

Wait...it gets better...

They also think that when the Mayan calendar ends, on December 21, 2012, bringing on Armageddon and the end of human civilization, the Pic is a "special mountain" that will be saved from destruction. At the moment when it's all going to hell in a handbasket, the aliens will emerge from their caves and will invite the "lucky few" on to their spaceships, saving them from the certain death and destruction that is the fate of us poor souls left here on earth.

I have just one question: What are these people on? Pin It

Photo du Jour - Floating

Evening light on the Canal du Midi. Pin It

le Minervois

Le Minervois. Where I live.

It is a region of breathtaking natural beauty, superb wine and history so old I can hardly get my head around it. 
And I admit that I sometimes take it for granted.
When I was recently offered an opportunity to move up north to Normandy, it forced me to look around the Minervois and see it with fresh eyes.

Right now the almond trees are covered in fluffy, white flowers and little leaves are starting to sprout on the fig trees. Soon, boats will be gliding down the Canal du Midi and the seasonal restaurants will open their doors.
The vignerons are busy tending their vines and our neighbors have thrown open their windows to let the fresh air inside. The café terraces are filling up as the weather slowly gets warmer and rosé is replacing red as the preferred apéritif. 

Yes, life is good here. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Sud de France

The pouring rain, swollen rivers and flooded roads that welcomed me home Tuesday afternoon have subsided and the familiar south of France sun is slowly peeking through the clouds.

And thankfully the jet lag induced fog in my brain is clearing as well. Pin It

Photo du Jour - l'Épicerie

Most small villages in our area have the vestiges of an old café, an old boulangerie and an old épicerie. Sometimes they're still open for business and sometimes their faded shutters are closed up tight and the building is left to deteriorate.

This little épicerie is now closed, but happily the owners have made the effort to preserve its quaint, vintage facade. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Urban Decay

This old building's worn exterior and peeling paint reminds me of the historic stucco buildings in New Orleans.

Taken in Béziers. Pin It

5 Reasons to Visit the Languedoc-Roussillon in December

1) The Marché aux Truffes in Villeneuve-Minervois

2) Cassoulet.  When the cold winds blow, there is nothing better. 


3) Vin Chaud.  Same as above.

4) Quiet, sunny seaside towns.  The perfect place to enjoy a leisurely lunch of moules frites and a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet.


5) It's the south of France!  Any time of year is a good time to visit. Pin It

Languedoc Cheese Course

Sometimes you just have one of those perfect days... Pin It

French Desserts

Yesterday we indulged.
I had two days off in a row and we were celebrating some recent good news, so we took ourselves out to lunch.

After consulting my Minervois Restaurants and Wineries notebook and sorting through the various criteria - price, wine included or not, shade or sun, inspiring menu, possibly somewhere new - we had it narrowed it down to a few places. I called the first one to book a table and there was no answer.
Fair enough, it was only 10:30am.
I tried again at 11am and still no answer.  By 11:30 we assumed that they had shut down for les vacances and started calling restaurant #2.
Same story.  No answer, no "we're closed for vacation" message.  Nothing.
By now it was almost noon and I was starting to worry that I would end up having to cook, so a final, desperate phone call was made to restaurant #3.

The third time was a charm.

We ended up in Olonzac at Le Minervois Bel, a restaurant that's tucked away on a dead-end side street, across from the middle school and next to a bar, and so well hidden that we often forget it's even there.

The owners are charming and the shady courtyard is a plus, but the food is the main attraction.
Yesterday's €13 lunch menu (which changes every day) was a chilled tomato soup with a dollop of whipped, herb infused chèvre and a parmesan tuile;  fillet of merlu in a succulent, slightly garlicky white sauce with a potato and wild mushroom timbale and sautéed carrots; followed by cheese or dessert of your choice.

We both opted for dessert.  I tried the mousse au fromage blanc avec fruits rouges and my husband ordered crème brûlée. 
The mousse au fromage blanc was sublime.  I mean really, really sublime.  And the crème brûlée was some of the best I've tasted since moving to France.

Since becoming a cheese addict I usually prefer cheese over dessert, though sometimes my sweet tooth wins.  I know there's no comparing the two, but when they're done right, French desserts really do take the cake.  Pin It