Here's another segment from the Maison France 5 show about Saint-Aignan and the surrounding area. It's about a young couple, Létitia et Charles, who moved to the area three or four years ago. They bought a big old house just across the river from central Saint-Aignan, in the town called Noyers-sur-Cher. Before coming to settle here, they lived and worked in the Paris area, he in print journalism and she in environmental affairs, they say in this segment.
C. says that his family was originally from this area and that he always loved the forests of the nearby area called La Sologne. He spent part of his childhood in the city of Orléans, 50 miles to the north. The house L&C found to buy and renovate over in Noyers was not owned by his family; L&C found it on the market and bought it. It's less than a mile and a half from our house, but we haven't actually met the couple.
Apparently, the house was built by an architect from Paris in the 1890s. It sits on 3 hectares (7½ acres) of land. The new owners wanted a big property where they could keep animals (sheep, chickens, etc.) and plant a big vegetable garden. They wanted to turn the place into a B&B (chambres d'hôtes) as well as turn two outbuildings (dépendances, communs) into vacation rentals (gîtes, guesthouses).
They have done a lot of the renovations themselves, they say, starting with the outbuildings before tackling the main house, which they wanted to live in for a while before beginning to restore and renovate it. The prospect of re-doing such a house was intimidating, they say. In Paris, they lived in a 400 ft² apartment, so moving to such a big place in a basically rural area was a real life change for them.
They furnished the place with items they found in second-hand shops (brocantes), antique stores, and charity shops, especially the Emmaüs organization (similar to Good Will or the Salvation Army in the U.S.). They use the verb chiner to describe the process of making the rounds of brocantes, antiquaires, and charity shops, searching for furniture and other items they liked. Chiner means to shop, to hunt for bargains, especially second-hand or antique items.
Here's a link to the web site advertising the chambres d'hôtes and gîtes business that Charles and Letitia have recently opened. Some of the site's pages have been translated into English.
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Here are links to the five clips from the recent La Maison France 5 show
about the Saint-Aignan area that I've posted over the past week.
- Saint-Aignan introduction
- A B&B in Saint-Aignan/Noyers
- Gîtes ruraux in Saint-Aignan/Noyers
- A "cave dwelling" near Amboise
- A farmhouse at Pontlevoy
Truly so interesting. They are young and brave! And they have already accomplished so much. They are at the right age to begin such and enterprise.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Sometimes I think Walt and I should have done something like that. But I was already too old to launch into such an adventure.
DeleteGreat looking place! I haven't watched the video snippet yet, but I definitely will.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching a French documentary about people who opened gîtes or chambres d'hôte, but without really a full concept in their heads of the costs and the work involved. They are in way over their heads. I believe that Jane and Peter are doing great with their gîtes, because they had a strong background in the lodging industry. I remember periodically reading the blog of a woman who ran a business like this with her husband, and she said that we just have no idea what it can be like... people with kids who let them run all over the place without watching them, people being rude and demanding. It would be nice to do something like this, it seems to me, like once a month, or just a few times a year, but to know that you have to rely on it to make your living, or risk losing your home... too frightening a prospect for me!
I agree, Judy. Owners of gîtes we've stayed in have told us that you can't really make a living off one or two gîtes. And imagine the work involved in keeping the whole operation going! People in this business must wonder whether it's better to have fewer customers — less hectic work — or more — potentially more income.
DeleteA beautiful restoration! The kitchen and library are especially nice.
ReplyDeleteNice! It's a lovely house. Found this video a little more difficult to understand. Did you notice the black cat that is their pet?
ReplyDeleteOur cat Bertie was born in that neighborhood in Noyers-sur-Cher. Maybe their cat is a relative of his.
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