Views From The Top

We bought our house from the Church: previously it had been used for catechism and Sunday school teachings for children. I still remember walking into the grand hallway for the first time and seeing a registration table at an angle, poised in front of the statue of St. Francois de Regis (who still graces our entrance, we have become rather fond of him). The original owner was, we think, a Flemish businessman who built it around the turn of the century in a style totally at odds with French architecture. Either the bureaucracy was not so stringent in those days or the Flemish businessman had enough cash to influence people! Whatever the reason, she stands imposingly opposite the 14th century Church of St. Julien and hardly a day goes by without someone standing outside the huge Church door and looking up at our house, such is her grandeur.

The Church were happy to leave the bits and pieces of furniture and religious artefacts in place – although Monsieur le Cure (the priest) will come by one day to take back some of the dusty books at the top.

Our guests have left us and we have had a week on our own, Mr. Fix It fine tuning the 2 ensuites and starting to connect the electrics on the first floor. The top floor, still awaiting a loving touch, has a magical quality: the 6 rooms are large and afford great views over the rooftops and I have taken great delight exploring their contents. We have huge candelabra, some borne by angels with wings for which we will find a place in the future.

Often when one walks into an old house, one has an immediate sense of atmosphere. The minute we first saw this one, we had a good feel about it and others have commented on this too. Religious or not, there is a feeling of tranquillity and safety here somehow; dirt and dust notwithstanding, we feel as though our house is always smiling at us. The graceful marble staircase winds its way all the down from the top floor and the urge to slide down the banisters is sometimes quite overwhelming.



With summer now in full flow, we relish the hubbub of life in our village. It feels like home now and we feel at once a sense of familiarity as well as admiration for its beauty each time we drive through the promenade lined with huge plane trees. Stephanie and Ludo, who own our bar, have welcomed us with open arms – Eddie and Alfie too. The pace of life is slower, the sun far hotter and the colours and light far sharper than we remember in the UK.

Soon we will be turning our attention to our kitchen – although I confess I have got quite used to our mini oven and lack of cupboards or decent lighting. It is amazing what a feeling of space can do. Mr. Fix It continues to gain my admiration with his attention to detail and fine ideas for design. Why, he must be enjoying it all.

We don’t know how long it will take us to fully renovate this lovely house but we are loving the journey and look forward one day to welcoming both our families down here for a proper celebration. Until that day comes, life really could not be better.

As for Mr. Fix It and I, we still feel as though we have just begun: each little piece of renovation in this house brings its own reward and despite our having many more days and weeks of work to go, we enjoy the simplicity of life, the flowers, the natural beauty of this countryside and thank our lucky stars every day.

Alexis
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