Twelve hours before our flight to Toulouse, my house-hunting buddy Jen and I got texts from Lufthansa that our early morning flight was cancelled. Instead, our new flight to Toulouse around took off around noon. We’d hoped to arrive in Lauzerte in time to see the Saturday market, but now that plan was out the window. So instead, the best we could do was arrive before dark. After landing, we picked up our rental car and expeditiously navigated a 90-minute drive through winding country roads to one of France’s most beautiful villages. You know it’s windy when it takes that long to go 76 km!

We’d been keeping in touch with the owner via WhatsApp, a bubbly British woman with a heart of gold. She was outside ready to greet us when we rolled up to “Le Maison des Ecrivains” – the House of the Writers. It was just like in the photos – a medieval stone townhouse with cheerful robins’ egg blue shutters. And what a vibe it was! The windows were open and a mesmerizing fire was burning in the massive stone fireplace. She really knew how to set the mood…

After exchanging a few pleasantries, she let us into the house down the street – a friend’s Airbnb where we’d stay the night. Then it was time for a tour. The house was larger than you might imagine – two had been joined together to offer 3 bedrooms and 3 baths on 3 floors – plus a garage. Not only was the house stylishly furnished, but the furniture (as well as a baby grand!) was included in the purchase price. Also of note, there was potential to put in a rooftop deck (with the Mairie’s approval, of course) and there was an unfinished vaulted cellar to develop. I was immediately taken in by the property…but what about Phoebe? How would she do with no green space of her own? 

These are the thoughts that were on my mind when our lovely host invited us to take a walk around the village. I spotted art galleries and boutiques I was dying to explore, but since it was the last week in October, many businesses and restaurants were closing for the winter. In fact, there was only one café/restaurant open. And that’s where we found the seller’s husband, their other two friends, and 3 tiny chihuahuas. Two bottles of red later, we decided to go out to dinner. So the six of us walked back to the house and piled into their LandCruiser for the short drive down the hill to an Italian restaurant called L’Etna. 

The lively conversation continued with more wine but now, a bit of food. Alright, let’s be honest – it wasn’t a bit! I ate an entire pizza by myself because it was hands down the best pizza of my entire life. The thought of leaving any of it to waste was unbearable. In fact, I even looked up the pizza’s description in the hopes that one day I would find a similar style:

Vodoo – tomate, mozzarella, jambon cuit, chèvre, gorgonzola, ail et persil frais, crème d’Isigny, and cantal

So basically, it is a bunch of cheese with garlic and a little ham and it tasted like heaven. It’s worth mentioning that the chèvre was not the fresh stuff you see on salads in the US, but an aged version that comes in slices from a round puck-like shape called a “crottin” with a much deeper flavor. If you ever come across a pizza like this, please try it – you won’t regret it!

As the evening stretched on, I couldn’t help but glance around the table and wonder if this whole scene was real. Here we were, engaging in rowdy banter at a dinner with the sellers of the house we’d come to see? It was a stark contrast to my experiences with “the other side” when buying a property in the US. Our agents would communicate on our behalf during the negotiations, then maybe we’d have a short conversation while signing the final paperwork. What a refreshing difference!

Bellies full, we headed back to our respective homes and our new friends made us promise to stop by in the morning for some coffee and nibbles before we had to head out. And that’s what we did – sitting around the table with the fire going again, sipping cappuccinos while smearing jam onto fresh bread. Heaven! 

Next stop – Bagnols-sur-Cèze.