Les Jolies Pitts have arrived!

At last! The suspense is broken! The golden couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, last night became the proud parents of a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline.

Why report on this in the Chateau Lalinde Blog? Well, it has to be acknowledged that these two, Brad and Angelina, have become the past masters of manipulation of the press. Even Madonna can come learn a thing or two from them, and I am quite sure that in time to come -- if it is not already happening -- students of sociology and psychology will be writing their doctoral theses on the subject of media manipulation -- using Pitt and Jolie as their single case study.

I may sound a little cynical on this beautiful Monday morning in July - in France - but ---
Have you noticed the date? 14 July! Yes! The storming of the Bastille is being celebrated throughout France today with dances, bands, flags and pennants, fireworks and jubilation.
Have you noticed in which country these babies were born? France, of course -- the country where Bastille Day is celebrated most notably!
Have you noticed how these twins were born? By caesarean procedure -- where the mother and the doctor can pretty much decide the day and time -- within reason, of course.
Have you noticed the comment? "The twins were born slightly earlier than scheduled", gynaecologist Michel Sussmann commented.......

Anyway -- we congratulate the couple and the siblings on the new additions to the family -- and we wish the new-born babies everything of the best that the world can offer them. Welcome to the World, little ones -- stay sane, stay grounded and be happy!

From AFP this morning:
Jolie, 33, gave birth to the twins last evening during a half-hour caesarean operation at a maternity clinic in Nice on the French Riviera.
"Everything went smoothly. The children are doing very well, the mother is doing very well and the father is doing very well," told AFP.
Knox Leon weighed 2.27 kg and Vivienne Marcheline 2.28 kg.
Pitt, who had attended the birth by caesarean of their daughter Shiloh, "was very calm and was not at all disturbed" by the operation, said Sussman.
"When the babies arrived he was very euphoric" and Jolie had a "blinding smile".
Jolie is set to stay several more days at the Fondation Lenval clinic to recover.

The first photograph of the baby celebrities was sold to a US paper for $US11 million ($A11.5 million), the regional Nice-Matin newspaper said, adding that the money would be given to a humanitarian cause.

The twins brought the number of Jolie's children with 44-year-old Pitt to six.
Dubbed "Brangelina" in the press, the couple have adopted three children: Maddox, six, born in Cambodia; four-year-old Pax, born in Vietnam; and Zahara, three, born in Ethiopia. Their biological child, Shiloh, was born May 2006 in Namibia.

The pair, who frequently top magazine lists of the world's most beautiful people, set up home in May in a chateau they rented from an American acquaintance in France's Provence region. In addition to her movie career and founding a family with Pitt, she works as a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.


The Before and After? Let's hope not!

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Are these grapes sour, or are they simply replacing a tongue in the cheek?...........

From time to time one reads an account of and Expat's life in the Dordogne that is not all confit and foie gras, Pecharmant and Monbazillac. But when I came across this little report on the change in tendency aka slowing down of sales of beautiful old restorable Perigourdine homes to disenchanted Brits, I have to admit I was not sure of the intent of the author -- Perhaps it is just that I have always, and no doubt will always fail to grasp the sense of humour of my fellow-Brits........

You tell me what you think.....

From The Times, April 12, 2008
A Vendre : The British who turned the Dordogne into Dordogneshire are leaving for home

For sale: one French département, unexpectedly back on the market after having been occupied by the same nationality for 40 years. Offers incoming purchasers a chance to modernise to their own taste to create a marvellous ambience for family life.

Sale triggered by vendors facing credit crunch back in Britain, putting strain on finances, making it hard to raise mortgages for foreign property purchases, and thus forcing expatriate community to “retournons à nos moutons” (literally, “go home to Morden”). Compounded by frustration that the natives insist on speaking their own language; possibly because even after many decades of tourists addressing them in English, the locals are evidently a bit slow in picking up a foreign tongue - however loudly the English might speak.

Also disenchantment with the local menfolk parading along beaches in Speedos the size of a Post-It note; and German shepherd dogs guarding houses where the Jean-de-Florette-style owners don't even possess a full set of their own teeth, let alone valuables to tempt a burglar; and a nagging unease at taking children afflicted with swimming-related ear infections to be treated by French-style medicine (“Mais comment c'est possible, Monsieur le Docteur, qu'un suppositoire que vous voulez introduire dans la derrière de mon fils va améliorer un mal dans une oreille?”).

The Brits depart relieved that they will never again be embarrassingly caught out offering a double-cheek kiss to a native who kisses three times, or cheek-kissing three times with a diehard four-cheeker. Or be baffled by how much to tip, even though the bill says “service compris”.

Meanwhile, British males take home their regret that the local girls, always sniggering at their ankle-socks-with-sandals, never invited them to dabble in that legendary French cinq-à-sept pastime of “mouchoir-pouchoir” (or “hanky-panky”).

Like Samuel Johnson, Brits have decided that “what I gained by being in France was learning to be better satisfied with my own country.” So “à tout a l'heure” (or, “What a wake-up call!”).

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A great new magazine in the Dordogne

I recently came across a magazine - freely on offer on the counter of my little supermarket -- that I took home and read from cover to cover - finding the articles pertinent, well written and informative, and presented in a reader-friendly and attractive way.

In a market already well-supplied with various how-to and setting-you-on-your-way publications, this one appealed to me. It contains just enough to take in in one go.

Expats have no shortage of helpful publications, but often they are so packed with so much information that it is impossible to remember half of it -- let alone remember where to go look for it again when you need the information.

"Impressions" has just enough of a variety of things, and with the clearly defined content, coming back to the correct copy which contains the specific information you will need some time in the future, should be a diddle.

I decided to go look for the person behind this lovely little magazine, "Impressions".

Jon Burton is the man, and he was ready to tell me more:

A: Thank you for your kind words regarding Impressions magazine.
The magazine was launched in April 2003 in the Deux Sèvres department of the Poitou - Charentes. Its aim was to help integration between the French and English speaking communities, promote local attractions and events and to promote both French and English speaking registered artisans. Impressions magazine carries both feature and general interest articles making it different to the likes of French News, Connexions and Sud Ouest which are predominately current affairs newspapers.

Impressions magazine expanded rapidly in the Deux Sèvres and soon was being distributed in all departments of the Poitou Charentes. It now has a content of 28 pages, a readership of over 20,000 and carries 60+ advertisers.

Q: So it is not a new magazine?

A: No, in the Dordogne it is, but as a magazine it is already well established ---- In fact, it is now in its fifth year.

Q: You say there are 60+ advertisers. Yet reading the magazine, one does not get that 'crowded' feeling with too many advertisements competing for space with the articles.

A: That is good, because it really is a symbiotic relationship ---- the advertisers are not only important to us, but to the reader as well, as they are the people that make up the networking system of the expat in his new home. And of course, the magazine is wholly funded by advertising revenue, keeping it free to the reader ----- thus generating greater exposure for the advertiser. Impressions magazine also has a large subscriber base of readers who have the magazine delivered to their door throughout the world. Being a well-established magazine already, it has become a much relied upon and successful medium and has many advertisers who have been advertising from issue one including Century 21, AXA insurance and local Notaires.

Q: Interesting, because it is not a very 'big' magazine.

A: Yes, but we are confident we can replicate the success of the magazine here in the Dordogne and believe that Impressions magazine will be a good medium for businesses to advertise at a lower cost than other publications. --- Although Impressions magazine is starting as a 12 page magazine for the Dordogne edition, this is expected to increase in size rapidly.

Q: Ah! I hope not too big -- because that is exactly what I found was unique about it and made it so attractive to me as the reader -- the 'digestible' size!

A: And its availability, I hope! -----We are also pleased to announce that we have signed a partnership agreement with the Chambre de Commerce et Industry of Dordogne and the Bergerac Airport Authority. This will ensure that the magazine will be made available to a wider audience hence offering better coverage for advertisers.

As well as being available in the Arrival and Departure Halls at Bergerac Airport, 3000 copies of Impressions magazine will be distributed in restaurants, bars, tabacs, banks, supermarkets, immobiliers, Office de Tourisme and insurance offices, initially throughout the areas of:- Riberac, Bergerac, Eymet, Lalinde, Monbazillac, Saint Foy and Mussidan.

We wish Impressions much success in the Perigord Dordogne ---
Look out for it wherever you are and have a look for yourself --
and do let us know what you think about it!

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And now for the Finnish view of the typical Frenchman!

And this is what Alexia, a lovely young French woman who has moved to Finland, says the Finnish see as the stereotypical Frenchman:



- We are not good at learning other languages

- We eat strange things

- We drink too much red wine

- We pretend to know everything

- We always want to be right

- We talk too much and often to say nothing

- We are proud of our language and everything French

- We spend too much time greeting each other, we speak to each other in the respectful form and we are always thanking each other

- We are fussy about what we eat

And I have to say thus far I am wondering why these are things the Finns do NOT like about the French???? -ed

- We refuse to speak English

- We are always on strike

- We are arrogant and otherwise

- We like to flirt and sweet talk

- We are not very eco-conscious

- We make cars which are not suitable for Finland (well, excuse me!! -ed)

- Our grammar is complicated and the pronunciation is diffcult (and THIS from the Finns?? -ed)

- we are bureaucratic

- We have an opinion on everything and do not hesitate to give it (Bravo! -ed)

- We have no idea how to drive

- We are too chauvinistic

- Our hierarchy is too important

- Looking at the corruption, the scandals and the demonstrations, there is obviously a problem with our system

Well -- it is good for a laugh, n'est-ce pas?


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Next event at Chateau Lalinde

‘Down by the Riverside’

A First! A total immersion course for French speakers! Learn English and the English ways:


Stage d’immersion

Au Château Lalinde ~ Samedi 17 - Dimanche 18 novembre 2007

Ce Stage d’Anglais, de totale immersion, commencera samedi à 9h00 et se terminera à dimanche à 15h


Ce stage comprend

* Pension complète au Château. Deux déjeuners, 1 dîner (le meilleur de la cuisine anglaise traditionnelle), 1 petit-déjeuner anglais complet et le 4 O’clock Tea avec ‘scones’

* 18 heures d’immersion totale(cours, discussion, jeu de rôle, présentation, une conférence). On parle même anglais pendant les pauses et au repas!

* Une conférence sur un aspect de la civilisation britannique présentée avec humour et savoir-faire.

*******************************

Quelques informations sur le château en Anglais:

As it is a residential course -- you will be staying in a delightful 13th century Château perched on the edge of Dordogne river.

The six tastefully decorated rooms in the château are equipped with either double or twin beds, modern bathrooms and all have a view of the river

Niveaux:
Pré-intermédiaire et Intermédiaire

Coût:
265 € TTC par personne, en chambre double
60€ supplément pour une chambre single

Réservation s’adresser à:
Aquitaine Langues:
Domaine de La Tour
769 Route de Ste Alvère
24100 Bergerac

Téléphone: 0033 (0) 553 741785

Courriel: admin@aquitainelangues.fr















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Why the Brits (don't) come to the Dordogne............. A smile for Expats

Photo: Clare
Recently in The Telegraph, Jim White listed -- tongue in cheek -- 30 reasons why Britons say that Britons stay in Britain ---

The Great Brit Exodus: British citizens are starting new lives abroad at the rate of one every three minutes. With 385,000 people emigrating in the 12 months to July 2006, we're witnessing the biggest exodus for a generation - which has reignited the debate about what exactly is wrong with our country.

These are the reasons why the readers of Tne Telegraph think the Britons who are still in Britain, stay in Britain:

1 There's never a problem getting a Polish plumber.

2 The walk from Solva to Whitesands Bay, round St David's Head in Pembrokeshire - probably the world's most scenic stroll.

3 Barbecuing in the rain.

4 Somewhere in virtually every British television schedule, there still lies a gem: Armando Iannucci's The Thick of It, Andrew Marr's A History of Modern Britain, David Attenborough's Planet Earth series…

5 London's revitalised Southbank. Art, architecture, design, culture and a big wheel all in one astonishing, two-mile-long strip. Try finding something to match that in Perth.

6 This summer, there has been no need to ring the neighbours to see if they'd remembered to water your garden while you were on holiday…

7…Or any worries about suffering from sunburn.

8…Or any fear of being snitched on for putting the sprinkler on your lawn at three in the morning (that's if the sprinkler hasn't rusted up under the swell).

9 Not having to spend four hours traipsing round town looking for a bar that might be showing the Rugby League cup final.

10 Teeing off at the first at Wentworth. Forget bungee jumping in New Zealand, hang-gliding in the Himalayas or croc-taming in Oz, there is no experience on Earth that gives an adrenalin rush quite like that. Absolutely terrifying.

11 You can't get a decent chicken tikka masala anywhere else.

12 Meeting up with an old mate in the pub, rather than sending an email to make an appointment to be at the computer at the same time so you can talk via Skype for five minutes before losing the link.

13 The rail journey from Plymouth to Penzance.

14 Where else can you pay £150 for the privilege of wading thigh-deep in sewage-laced mud before sitting in a sodden tent, unable to get to sleep at four in the morning because the bloke in the next door tent has decided to regale the world with his atonal version of Redemption Song? And do it every weekend, all summer long, anywhere from Loch Lomond, via Glastonbury, to the Isle of Wight?

15 Cheese-rolling in Gloucestershire, bog-snorkelling in Llanwrtyd Wells, barrel-burning in Lewes: no one does bonkers traditions like they do here.

16 Some of the best French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish and Thai restaurants in the world.

17 Here, you can walk on pavements where dog owners clear up after their mutts, unlike much of France, which is close to being buried under a rising brown drift.

18 The view from the top of Mount Snowdon.

19 Being able to watch great Shakespearian actors, who the rest of the world only get to see on the movie screen as they bolster their pensions in ropey Hollywood blockbusters, performing Shakespeare on stage. And doing it so well, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

20 Not having to pay to be stuck in a five-mile jam on the motorway.

21 Blackberries the size of ping-pong balls.

22 The announcements to passengers on First Great Western trains. Where else can you find anything to match the invention ("The delay was caused by the effects of sunshine on signals"), the self-righteousness ("We are held up behind a slow-running train operated by another operator") and the complete lack of self-awareness ("This is a special announcement for those passengers waiting for the special to London Paddington. This special train has been cancelled")?

23 Going for a swim in the sea without fear of being assaulted by anything larger than a passing condom.

24 Listening to The Archers omnibus on the radio while preparing Sunday lunch - rather than via the internet in your study at 11 o'clock at night.

25 The drive from Glasgow to Oban.

26 Never having to worry that you might catch a chill from the air conditioning on public transport.

27 The Edinburgh Festival: you don't often get to see Hungarian stilt walkers performing a comedy mime version of Macbeth in Puerto Banus.

28 A day at Lord's, the most civilised sporting venue in the world.

29 John Humphrys, the Matt cartoon, Sky Plus, Alan Green, Fighting Talk, Mark Radcliffe, Private Eye, Craig Brown, The Spectator, Chris Morris, Jeremy Paxman, and all those other media delights whose output we casually consume every day. Nowhere else in the world can begin to match strength like that.

30 Plus, at least here, unlike in the Dordogne and southern Spain, you're not surrounded the whole time by other bloody Brits.




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Food writing that leaves a bitter after taste...

In an article he titles "When food tribes go abroad", Jay Rayner of the Observer Food Monthly, gives a somewhat bitter and twisted view of any- and everyone who ventures across the channel to come and enjoy the different lifestyle of life in La Belle France.

He starts off well --- "Holiday eating is like holiday sex: nowhere near as exotic as you think it's going to be but just as risky. You can pick up a dose of something very nasty doing both. My parents, siblings and I still talk fondly of the violent food poisoning we acquired in some dodgy cantina on Ibiza. We were all taken out by it, one by one, within hours. Oh, how we laughed."

He continues to make an astute remark: "These things happen, of course - but they carry such significance on holiday because our expectations are so damn high. We insist that everything be wondrously lovely and this makes us behave very oddly indeed where food is concerned. The meal at the end of a day is an expression of who we are, of how we like to imagine our true selves to be."

But then his not-so-sub-conscious envy of all who have the good fortune to come to this part of the world to sample the gastronomic delights -- and disasters -- of a foreign and different culture, bubbles to the top and forms an unsightly and distasteful scum which completely covers any other possible tasty bits that may still have been underneath -- and as much as I tried to skim it off, hoping to reveal something that would reveal a tongue-in-cheek soupcon of dry humour, even if somewhat twisted, there was none. Just a bitter brew -- with a strong flavour of sour grapes.

"After some rigorous research, I have been able to sort the modern British gastro-traveller into five distinct, and equally irritating, categories. And they start with ...

1. The Dordogne Bore

Dordogne Bores have been holidaying in crumbling gites around Bergerac for the last two decades. They insist on calling it Périgord, and throw around words like 'paysanne' and 'terroir' to bolster their foodie credentials. They also claim to have a handful of their own 'secret' little places where they go to eat; restaurants so far off the beaten track that their location is known only by 23,000 other people from Dorking, Guildford and Cheltenham.

What the DB will never recognise is that every single restaurant in the region serves exactly the same bloody food: duck confit, foie gras, more duck confit, herb omelettes, duck confit and more duck bloody confit. What's more, 85 per cent of the restaurants will serve mediocre versions of these dishes, though the DB will either not notice or not acknowledge this. Usually this is because they are plastered on cheap wine, arguing that you don't have to spend big money 'down here' to get good wine. This, too, is nonsense. No matter; they will praise the 'civilised' French attitude to drinking, while failing to recognise that France has one of the highest rates of alcohol-induced liver disease in Europe.
Most likely to be found in: the Dordogne, natch; the Lot and Garonne; Tuscany.

2. The Authenticity Addicts

The AA is convinced that only by eating exactly what the locals eat can they really connect with the culture they are visiting. This means they end up consuming some of the nastiest food items ever devised, though they will always claim to really, really like them: stews made from goat intestines; braised cow's udder; pressed pig's ear in vinegar. What the AA fails to recognise is that renowned local dishes like these are almost always the product of poverty, and therefore generally more a matter of necessity than tastiness.
Most likely to be found in: India; China; Thailand; and the more wretched, typhus-sodden corners of the former Soviet Union.

3. The Anything-with-a-View Crew

Everybody knows that the worst restaurants in any fishing town are the ones right on the water, where the smell of food is undercut by the foul stench of the stagnant sea-bilge lip-lapping at the harbourside. The owners of these prime pitches know that the punters will come solely for the location, so they don't have to worry about the quality of the food, plus they can also charge the suckers roughly double what those places a street back are charging.

The AWAVC will happily leave the beach at five in the afternoon to drive two hours into the mountains to this 'fabulous little bistro with the most fantastic view of the sunset', forgetting that, after the first half hour, the sun will have indeed set and that they will then be eating their mediocre dinner in total darkness.
Most likely to be found in: the Greek islands; Provence; Sardinia.

4. The Gastro Tourist

The GT regards a holiday as an eating opportunity, and time spent on the beach between lunch and dinner as an irritating distraction. The GT needs only one holiday read - the Michelin Guide, and will tick off restaurants as they go. But few of the meals they pay astronomical sums for will meet with their approval, as the GT has shockingly high standards and cannot be conned by gastronomic smoke and mirrors.
Most likely to be found in: Burgundy; around Lyon; northern Spain near San Sebastian; Catalonia.

5. The Market Kings

Market Kings stay in villas or gites and never eat out because, as they insist, loudly and often, 'really, why would you when the produce in the markets here is so fabulous, I mean look at the tomatoes nothing like the flavourless rubbish you get back home and the peppers are so sweet you could eat them for dessert. Here try some of the bread - it's made by a local man who's 103, blind, incontinent and crippled by arthritis but he's still got the touch ...'
The MK gets up every morning at six to go to the local village to buy their produce (even though exactly the same stuff is available at half the price at Carrefour nearby).
Most likely to be found in: Tuscany; Dordogne; Provence."

The Observer Food Monthly would do well to send Mr Rayner on one of our excellent Relocation Orientation courses at the Chateau Lalinde before allowing him to write another article about something he knows so little about or on which he holds such prejudiced -- or should I say, 'jaundiced' views; and Jay Rayner would do well to forget about the frissons of 'risky sex' in Ibiza and rather come enjoy a heavenly few days in -- yes! the Périgord, also known as the Dordogne, and soon officially to be known as Dordogne Périgord -- where we will initiate him into the true pleasures of life -- which I can guarantee will exclude anything boring, but include a fair few pleasurable hours of fine dining with interesting people and stimulating conversation.

POST SCRIPT: See Jay Rayner's response in comments below.

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Bring on the Champagne! The New Chateau Lalinde Website is launched!

Thanks to the amazingly talented -- and patient -- team of Lesley Trett at BlueSky Graphics and Colin Lawrence of ChilliSplash Web Design and Hosting, and all the many friends who have helped read, and read, and read again, Chateau Lalinde's new website is finally launched -- and looking beautiful!

Please come visit and tell us what you think if it!

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Two new Flybe flights into the Dordogne

Flybe has started two new services into Bergerac, one from London Gatwick and the second from Manchester. This will be good news for all the British expats in the area -- and great that Ryanair are given some competition.

Flybe also recently announced its acquisiton of BA Connect, the regional part of British Airways, apart from BA Connect's London City and Manchester-JFK routes.

This acquisition and the creation of 11 new routes will make Flybe Europe's largest regional airline, with 152 routes operating from 22 UK and 34 European airports. Manchester-Bergerac flight single fares will be from £39.99 including taxes and charges, and London Gatwick-Bergerac flights will offer fares from £42.99 one way.

There are twenty other new Flybe routes previously run by BA Connect.

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Buying property in France

There are as many articles written about buying property in France as there are people buying property in France! It is a phenomenon in its own right. Probably because France is one of the most retirement friendly, investor friendly and DINKY- and DITKY- friendly countries -- where property can still be bought for very reasonable money and growth and increase in value is almost 100% assured. In particular the SouthWest of France, here in the Perigord Dordogne, the non-French - as well as the French themselves, are streaming in to profit from the low prices, the number of available properties with potential for restoration and DYI improvements, good weather, friendly locals, diversity of interests and job opportunities and of course the very good and healthy life style.

I have been writing quite a bit about Bordeaux -- the city that is undergoing a renaissance which is remarkable and wonderful, as well as about the developments that are happening in the area, where off-the-plan homes can be bought in comfortable and attractive estates.

Related Links:
Bordeaux; Feast for body and soul
Canadians build new resort and estate near Bordeaux
The Bordeaux Renaissance
Tourism and property in France


In an article by Lucy Alexander in The Times a few days ago, she writes:

Posh pads that pay their way
Fancy an affordable luxury home in Bordeaux?

Buying property in France may be a costly tangle of red tape, but that doesn’t seem to deter the Britons who own more than 200,000 properties there, according to figures from Rightmove.com. France’s obvious attractions combined with low property prices would seem to be an effective analgesic for the headache induced by VAT, wealth tax, residents’ tax and legal and agency fees.

If your dream is to buy and renovate a rundown farm, an element of expensive hassle is inevitable. But if you’re seeking a holiday home that doubles as an investment, France’s leaseback scheme, which offers tax breaks on the purchase of buy-to-let properties, is an attractive option. The quality of leaseback developments varies, but more luxurious ones are becoming more common as the purchasing power of the pound grows. The Canadian resort operator Intrawest has spotted a market in France, and is now building its first non-ski resort there.

She talks about the difficulty foreign buyers encounter when they come up against the tax laws, inheritance laws and wealth tax, VAT, residents' tax and red tape in general. When I bought property and moved to France, it took me an entire year, expensive legal advice, relocation advice, surveyors' reports, and much more before I finally took possession of the keys and moved in. Then I would have agreed with Ms Alexander - and the general perception of the difficulties one has to deal with in buying property in France.
However -- last month good friends of mine from Australia came to Bordeaux for one week, found an exceptional apartment to buy - with a terrace and view over the river - signed the Compromis de Vente within two hours of seeing the apartment for the first time, and all the red tape, all the papers -- every single requirement, within the next couple of days. The contract is with the notaires and the final deed of sale is expected to be signed and possession taken the first week in September.
Admittedly, they did do their homework beforehand -- but -- all research was done in Australia and all over the internet, they did obtain a local bank approved loan before they came, and I did spend a little time in Bordeaux looking at the best areas and apartments that were for sale, and -- they did buy the apartment through a reputable estate agent. No doubt that helps enormously. The money that you would save on agents' commission is just not worth the energy and headaches -- and other hidden costs you would have otherwise.

If you are interested in investing in property in France, do not be put off by the red tape involved, or by the horror stories you hear from people who have come here before you. Equip yourself well with the plethora of information that is available to you about buying property in France, do your research, do your homework, make sure you have your bank behind you and you will find it is as easy as - enjoying a glass of Bordeaux wine! - Or you can of course attend one of the excellent Relocation and Orientation Courses offered right here in Château Lalinde - be it with the view to come and live in France or simply to spend your holidays in France.

You can still buy a large, lovely honey coloured stone house in the Dordogne, ---or a gorgeous two bedroomed flat with visible 600 year old oak beams and exquisite light, a balcony looking out onto the cobble-stoned streets and in a restored stone building in the heart of the old, historic quarters of Bordeaux - to let out to the thriving and growing tourist market or to use as a pied-a-terre when you visit France - and all for less than €200 000.

So -- what are you waiting for?


Two highly recommended and very good value for money
Chambres d'Hotes - B&B - Bed and Breakfast in Bordeaux:

Une Chambre en Ville
Pedroni Guesthouse





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Pedroni Guesthouse : detail

Canadians build a new resort in the Dordogne

St. Emilion

If you've always dreamed of owning a traditional property in rural France, but don't want to be isolated or get involved in renovation work, a new development in the Bordeaux region may be just the ticket.

According to an article by Laura Latham in The Independent two days ago, you will now be able to invest in some stylish mock architecture in France. Close to the beautiful St Emilion, there is a pocket of rural charm -- a ruined 19thC manor house with its outbuilding, surrounded by farm land and vineyards, called the Domaine Haut-Gardegan. This will form the backdrop to a new village, which, though being built from scratch, is designed to look as though it has always been there.

As well as a mix of flats and detached houses, the 12-acre estate will have cobbled streets, a village square with restaurant and bar, and shops run by independent local retailers. And the old stable block is being regenerated into a market place where you will be able to buy fresh produce, just as you would in any farmers' market.

Will it be a Disney-esque attempt to capture the magic of Bordeaux?, asks Ms Latham. Well, it makes a refreshing change from the faceless new-builds in more developed locations – but it may come as little surprise that there is transatlantic involvement: the Canadian developer bought the site after the original owner failed in his attempt to turn it into a golf course, and though there will still be an 18-hole course, designed by the champion Tom Lehman, the main focus of the project is the village.
"It will be built in the traditional mellow stone of the area, and according to strict planning laws. The original manor house at the centre of the development dates back to 1890, but burnt down in the 1950s and is now a shell. Nevertheless, the company decided to keep it as a focal point, and the structure help to preserve a sense of the history and character of the original estate. " The chateau will have some renovation, but it will be left as a ruin. Along with the open market and exhibition space, it will be the soul of the site".

Not everything at Haut-Gardegan is as you would find in your average village, though. In addition to the golf course (which will be open to the public) there will be a spa, swimming pools, acres of formal gardens, a conference centre and a cookery school, all aimed at drawing visitors throughout the year. The company hopes to attract a top chef for the school, where residents and visitors can do classes.

Property is priced from £205,000, which gives you a 42sq m, one-bedroom apartment with terrace and views over the countryside or golf course. At the upper end, a 98sq m three-bedroom penthouse apartment, with Jacuzzi on the terrace, starting at about €300,000, and when the villas are released, they'll be more expensive still. So, it's not cheap, but the proximity of sought-after St Emilion raises prices. Plus, residents will have access to on-site facilities, including concierge services.

You may find that you're there more than you think – part of the beauty of owning in this area is that you can hop over with ease. It'sa 90-minute flight from the UK to Bordeaux; three hours from Paris via TGV."




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Americans in France

In my recent article for the Expatica.com website, I made a few observations about why Americans go to Paris and the British come to the Dordogne. This article caused quite a storm in the big tea cup of the cyber world, and in that stormy process, I discovered a number of blogs and sites where similar issues are addressed.

One such blog,
Americans in France, writes in particular about the Americans in France. Although his statistics seem a little suspect -- they are vastly different from the official current numbers of 700 000 Brits and 165 000 Americans in France - of which 50 000 in Paris, and this always makes then wonder about the rest of the article, I did find it an interesting read. This is what he has to say:

"Although your first thought might be that Americans in France would end up, for the most part, in the same areas of France as the Brits, this isn’t actually the case so funnily enough there is very little interaction between the two communities.

Generally speaking, the Brits end up in Brittany/Normandy, Dordogne/Loire, and Provence with the Americans largely confined to Paris, though obviously there are a lot of exceptions to this.

One of the more complete sites is Americans in France which seems to be a fairly complete reference guide for Americans aiming to move over here. Interestingly for me is that they still need to declare their income to the US tax authorities.

Of interest to the parents amongst us is the list of bilingual schools. You might think that the list on the site “must” be too short. There are bound to be more bilingual schools in France, aren’t there? Well, there might be a few more but there aren’t an awful lot more which is something you may want to factor in when you’re considering where in France you might want to settle. If you don’t arrange bilingual teaching for your children from about age 11-18, they will not be fluent English speakers and that will set them at a major disadvantage in their future life.

Not listed on the site are the international schools though there aren’t many of these either and bilingual is the way to go. International schools don’t raise children to fluency in both languages as you might expect.

Anyway, lots to see on the site."


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Market Day in Lalinde and Cheese cakes from the Poitou Charente

Every so often, one discovers something new.

And the most likely place to make new discoveries is when one travels. Being a tourist in France must be one of the most exciting experiences -- there are just so many things in this country that are unique and special and delightful!

One of the many great pleasures of living here in the Dordogne, is the availability of fresh organically grown produce that one can obtain at any of the country markets in many of the towns and villages in the area.
Not only can one buy the most delicious fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood straight out of the sea at Arcachon, locally home made cheeses of every kind, flowers picked from a garden, deliciously aromatic home cured hams and sausages, second hand books, candles, donkey milk soaps and toiletries, exotic silk skirts and sun bleached cotton shirts, but one can listen to an actor reciting poetry or to a group of talented youngsters making the most beautiful music.





And then -- you discover yet another speciality from the region --- such as these light-as-air fairy cakes made with goat's cheese. Originally from the Poitou Charente, the same area as the first would-be woman president of France hails from, the tourteau fromagé not only look splendid, neatly stacked in perfect little rows, looking like a class photograph of little school boys in their black caps, but taste heavenly!



One needs a special mould for these cakes, but should you not have one, choose an oven proof dish which is preferably narrower at the base than at the outer rim, about 8 inches in diameter and about 2 inches high.

The black caps were probably originally an accident, but that is what gives these cakes their individual and special appearance!



Recipe for tourteau fromagé or cheese cake

Ingredients

260 gr flour
120 gr butter
250 gr fresh goat's cheese
175 gr sugar
6 eggs
5 cl milk
a pinch of salt
1 coffee spoon vanilla essence

Method

With the butter, 200 grams of the flour, salt and a little bit of water, make a pastry, cover it and let it stand in the bowl for a couple of hours -- preferably in the fridge.
In a bowl, mix the cheese with 125 grams of the sugar and the milk
As soon as the sugar, cheese and milk mixture is well beaten, mix in the egg yolks one at a time, 60 grams of the flour and the vanilla essence
Beat the egg whites with the rest of the sugar until stiff and fold into the mixture.
Press the pastry into the well greased mould. Pour the cheese mixture on top.
Bake in an oven at about 180'C for 45 minutes.
When baked, either under a very hot grill or with a blow torch, very quickly and evenly blacken the top.

Try it at breakfast, with your apéritif, with a glass of Haut Poitou white wine, or as a dessert, covered with fruit purée or ice cream. -- or like we did, with a cup of coffee at a little bistro on the Lalinde market square!

As with all great traditions, there is a special Brotherhood of the Tourteau Fromagé, founded in 1974 in Lezay! Their address is:
9 avenue Général Faucher
79400 Saint Maixent



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Biron, another superb Dordogne Chateau

Biron Castle towers over the green rolling hills of the landscape around it. One of the most imposing chateaux of the Dordogne, Biron is also probably the warmest and most welcoming castle and not only can hold its own with any of the best that the Loire Valley has to offer, but should be on the itinerary of every tourist that comes to France.

After passing from French to English and back to French hands -- a most prized object coveted at any cost, it ended up as the privately owned home of the Gontaut-Biron family for eight centuries and as such lived in and used as a home for many many generations -- which inevitably leaves its indelible marks of history and life and love and drama and pathos.

Between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries the castle underwent many restoration and transformation projects -- which give it an interesting and 'different' aspect -- one is never quite sure what its background is or where its architectural roots lie -- around every corner, from every other angle, it presents you with yet another surprise - almost like a child playing games with you.

However, the restoration projects may have made the castle a mish-mash of styles and architectural designs, but the work on it has always been of the highest standard, and today, as the property of the Dordogne Département, Biron Castle, one of the original Périgord’s four baronies (the other three were Beynac, Mareuil and Bourdeilles) merits its listing as an Historic Monument.

What makes it so different and so much more welcoming than most of the other chateaux in the Dordogne, is the feel and look of a chateau still lived in today --- walking through the twelfth-century keep, the Renaissance apartments and the immense vaulted kitchen as well as the beautiful chapel with its tombs, almost makes you believe that you might catch a glimpse of one of the members of the Gontaut-Biron family. And the views out of the windows in every direction over the vast beautiful landscape, are breath-taking.
The Chateau Biron still keeps its historical ties to the nearby fortified market town of Monpazier, which was built in 1284.


Related articles:

Biron, Monpazier

Monpazier, Cepes, market

Biron, Monpazier

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Learning French : One phrase a day

J'en ai ras le bol / J'en ai marre :
I have had enough / I am fed up / I have had it up to here... (strong)
photo credit




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Expats in : Fes, Morocco : The Good Life

I have just had the most glorious week in Fes, Morocco, visiting my friends' Sandy and Suzanna's Riad Zany, an ancient riad which they are renovating with incredible patience, careful adherence to the original and traditional techniques and meticulous attention to detail.

Riad Zany's courtyard, before and after renovation

On the first night of my stay a huge surprise awaited me : A special evening of traditional music was arranged in my honour to celebrate my birthday! All afternoon the riad was brought into readiness, with chairs for 70 guests arranged around the courtyard, plastic sheets stretched over the open roof in case of rain, caterers coming in with delicious food and bunches of mint for the tea, while a few of the musicians practised for the performance, filling the space with their hauntingly beautiful music. I picked a few lemons off the tree under which we were sitting and offered freshly squeezed lemon juice with ice cubes to soothe the hard-working voices and Ben Ali, the base player, presented me with a signed copy of his latest anthology of love poetry, and translating the Darija -- Moroccan Arabic -- of a couple of the exquisite poems for me. At about 8pm a couple of helpers went down to the nearest medina gate to guide the guests through the maze of narrow alleys to the riad and slowly the court yard filled with the excited buzz of the guests. The performance was opened by the angelic singing of Anas and then followed by five different kinds of traditional Moroccan music performed by 12 musicians, amongst them the grand masters in their individual genres.The evening was a brilliant success and the guests seemed reluctant to finally leave -- but everyone in agreement that this was an evening of exceptional quality and that they would love for similar events to be repeated again and again.





My birthday treats continued day after day with watching the sun set over the medina whilst sipping champagne on the roof terrace of Riad Laaroussa, the stunningly beautifully restored riad of Frédéric Sola (but more about this lovely man's creative and bold spirit later...), a demonstration of my 'sabrage' techniques to the nervous horror of the spectators, unforgettable meals at Thami's, a little one table!-cafe near the Bab Boujeloud (the blue gate to the medina)where you may share the meal with anyone else who happens to come along and join you at the table -- such as Radek, the handsome young intrepid traveller from Poland, Kate and Wayne from New Zealand -- who had just travelled 8 hours through the desert, Louis - originally from Norwich but now proud owner and restorer of one of the most unique homes in the medina, Barbara - who aims to make Fes the venue for the most exotic weddings on offer, David - the master of master restorers......and the list goes on...., walking through the medina revelling in the sounds, colours, smells......
I cannot wait to get back!















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