Once the tickets to Toulouse were booked, I started browsing websites for more homes to see. I figured we couldn’t fly all the way out there for one house…I needed more lined up to make the trip really count.

It wasn’t long before another house on FB marketplace caught my eye. It was a 3-story “maison de maitre” style house built in the 1850s with beautiful character elements like cement tile in the entryway, a stone staircase, and an orangerie. It couldn’t be more different from the house in Lauzerte, yet it showed great promise. In my conversation with the owner, I learned that the property was walkable to lots of shops and restaurants, had good medical access, and was along the train line to get you to places like Avignon in 20 minutes. This was good to hear because after a bit of deliberation, I realized that Lauzerte was too small and remote for this stage of our lives. Going from a town of 1500 to one of 18,000 sounded like a step in the right direction. Plus there was a yard for Phoebe with a small vegetable garden!

So we arranged a meeting and that’s where we headed after Lauzerte. But when you dig into the details, Bagnols-sur-Cèze is a solid 4-hour drive. And this brings me to another one of my lessons learned: France is bigger than you think! Plus, most of the highways have tolls, so you might as well whip out a credit card and put it somewhere handy because you’ll probably go through 3-4 tolls and pay around €30 for a trip like that. 

On that note, I have a funny story for you! At one toll plaza, I pulled up to the kiosk only to realize that the PVC arm in front of me was a little broken. I didn’t think much of it until I paid the toll, which caused the arm to swing up like usual. And then dramatically, half of the arm snapped most of the way off and blocked us from moving forward. I start to panic, thinking we only have a few seconds left to go through, so I yell “Jen! Jump out and pick that up and I’ll get you on the other side!” And that’s what we did because Jen is a badass. Turns out those barriers are very light and easy to lift and it was no big deal. But for a second, Jen was looking at me like “Are you F&CK!N$ serious right now?!”

So those were some of the shenanigans we were getting ourselves into as we drove through France. By the time we rolled into Bagnols-sur-Cèze, it was already starting to get dark. We stayed at a small hotel on the edge of town and used our dinner-time stroll to explore the downtown area. I would not consider it a charming town, but there were signs of improvement like freshly paved roads and pedestrian walkways. 

The next day at around 10 am, the owner joined us at our hotel and rode with us to the property. It was a little hard to find since the driveway was shared with two homes in the process of being renovated. This was a big dealbreaker for me, but we were already there – no turning back!

Upon stepping through the threshold though, it was like being transported right into those insta-worthy posts. There was a practical (yet cute!) laundry/cleaning room. A stylish WC tucked under the stairs. A floor with hexagonal tiles that created a mesmerizing trompe d’oeil effect. Jen and I oooh’d and aaahhh’d over these gorgeous details. The house was massive, with a full 2-bedroom apartment on the top floor. Plus the orangerie was full of promise – I could see myself hosting leadership retreats there. 

The owner invited us to sit for coffee and told us her family’s story – how they came to find the house, the work they did, and their goals for the future. It was amazing what they’d accomplished. Again, I was struck by the experience of connecting with another lovely person during a home showing! As refreshing as it was, it was also emotional. On one hand, I wanted to be the buyer that would solve their problems, but on the other, I had concerns. The town didn’t have the vibe we wanted and I still couldn’t overlook the confusing entrance. The time had come to go, and we left our new friend with hugs and bisous and sincere wishes that she’d find the right buyer.