A Cariad Life

Throughout my blog posts, I’ve alluded a bit to how we landed on France when considering where to buy a Bed and Breakfast. Today, I thought I would share more, including why we landed on Southwest France in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (the largest of France’s 13 regions), specifically in the Dordogne department, named after the beautiful river that winds through this part of the region. Really brave Brits like to call this area of France, “Dordogneshire”–due to the number of Brits who have settled in this part of France, making it an “extension of Britain.” But considering the 100 Years’ war (1337–1453) in the region between England and France, I won’t ever be using that word with a French person in my presence! The Dordogne is also referred to as Perigord, and we will live in the Perigord Vert region (there are four Perigord regions–and we are in the most northern and greenest of the four–thus “vert”).

The first thing I should clarify is we are not buying a B&B in the South of France–it is in Southwest France. There is a big difference; in the South of France (think Nice, Aix-in-Provence, Avignon, and Cannes) there is a very warm, Mediterranean climate; the architecture is more similar to Italy and Spain, and it is VERY expensive. Southwest France is known for its vineyards (think Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Cognac), medieval villages (the land of 1000 castles), rolling hills and sunny valleys, the beautiful Dordogne river flowing through the countryside, and the majestic Pyrenees at the southern end on the border of Spain. The climate is pleasant and mild, with little to no snow and warm summers. Besides its numerous chateaus and cities built on hillsides, the area has countless prehistoric caves to explore and ancient forests to wander. People enjoy biking the region (including Tour de France cyclists) and kayaking down the Dordogne, stopping at villages along the way.

So how did we find a B&B in Southwest France, especially when we had never visited the area or even knew where the Dordogne was? When the B&B opportunity on Bainbridge Island didn’t work out, and I knew that we still wanted to try to buy a B&B, hopefully in cash, Europe was a strong option. The US was too if we were willing to live somewhere like Nebraska–nothing wrong with living there, but it has never been on my bucket list. Bed and Breakfasts are an important part of European culture and there is a strong market for them throughout Europe. The chances of finding a working B&B were high, so I began searching. I looked at France because I’ve always loved France and all things French. (Yes, I am a card-carrying Francophile!)–I love it all… the fashion, the food, the wine, the architecture, the art, the culture… I also know France (just like the US) is far from perfect, and just like in the US there are dark times in history when the actions of this country caused great harm and destruction. Yet, the country has always been alluring to me.

When it came time to find an international B&B, I learned that France, the Southwest region especially, provided great options at an affordable price. Interestingly, according to internationalliving.com, “France is about 1.5 times bigger than Germany but with a population 20% smaller. In effect, it has a larger rural area with less people to populate it. And as more and more people relocate to cities, more houses are being added to the market—often at bargain prices.” I learned that rural France, the Dordogne department specifically, actually has a very high inventory of property, causing prices for properties to be lower. Also, according to livingcost.org, “The average cost of living in France is 35% less expensive than in the United States. France ranked 29th vs 6th for the United States in the list of the most expensive countries in the world.” The cost of living differential is even better in rural France than an urban area like Paris.

Before this venture, Darrell and I had been to Paris twice, the second time with our sons. Let’s just say the Martin men are not great lovers of The City of Light… they found it crowded, smelly, rude, and (gasp) overrated. Other than staying in a little B&B in a suburb outside the city, Villa La Riante in Le Vesinet, we had not experienced anything French outside of Paris. So, when I began mentioning the opportunity to buy Repos a Riberac in Southwest France, I think Darrell drew first upon his feelings of Paris (which at that point really represented his entire feelings about France.) However, considering Paris as a representation of France is really like only visiting New York City and considering it to be full representation of the US. To his credit, he was willing to visit–though only to see if he could possibly bear living there.

As you all know, in June, Darrell and I finally visited Southwest France and stayed in the B&B that we are now buying. We noticed first how much Southwest France looks like rural NC, where he and I both grew up–which was very comforting. There were endless fields and crops (ok…the vineyards and stone cottages were new), rolling hills, beautiful old trees, and creeks and rivers. There were long quiet country roads with glimpses of grazing cattle and quaint little villages. The food was local and delicious, with regional specialties of truffles, walnuts, wine, and foie gras–all incredibly affordable. People were kind and willing to answer our questions. Even if they couldn’t speak English well, they tried, and we tried to speak French. The pace of life was slower, and the overall feel was relaxed and peaceful–in other words, very different from Paris.

Could we make a living here? France itself is the most visited country in the world with over 90 million tourists visiting each year, approximately 10 million visitors in the Southwest region. The B&B owners shared that while the summer season is peak for them, they have guests year-round. French and international visitors stay to conduct business in the village (Riberac, our town, has a population of about 4000) or in surrounding towns, house hunt, visit the market and area French flea markets (brocantes), and come to see family/friends. Some stop here on their travels to Spain, Lyon, Bordeaux, and other cities. Our B&B is one of only two in the village and there are no other hotels in the town proper. On July 8, 2023, Stage 8 of the Tour de France will travel directly through Riberac for the first time in 28 years, and in 2024, Paris will host the Olympics, with some of the venues in French towns to include nearby Bordeaux. There is a lot happening in this sweet area of France!

So…a beautiful and calm place to live with access to wonderful food and wine at affordable prices, coupled with a thriving economy with visitors from all over the world, and a beautifully renovated home that we could buy in cash…it really isn’t too hard to see why we chose this space in Southwest France. If you decide to come visit, we can help you plan a trip, so that you have the opportunity to experience this magical place that is really undiscovered by many Americans. Sometimes, we all just need to know one person in a new place, someone who knows the area, can create a sense of familiarity and comfort, and share the local highlights–we can be that for you in Southwest France! Partir à l’aventure!