Ralph and I covered a lot of ground the last two days and we even found a contender! More to come on that (decisions, decisions) but here’s what we’ve been up to…

Yesterday we left Pau and met up with two new friends, Mykle and Doug, to get a tour of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. They relocated to southwest France two years ago from Phoenix and have become defacto ambassadors of the town for other Americans looking to make the leap. In fact, they were even featured in this article from International Living! This bustling town of just over 10,000 boasts views of the Pyrénées, two rivers, and the Lindt chocolate factory, which sadly, was closed on Sundays. We got our steps in as we learned about the town’s history and lore, making our way up and down the biggest hill in town to capture these glorious views of the mountain backdrop.

Then we set off in a caravan to have lunch together at Karen’s home, the grand connector who put us in touch with Karen and Jim as well as Mykle and Doug. She lives in a character house in a small village of only a few hundred people in the rolling hills of the Béarn. It occurred to me that we couldn’t have really planned it any better, because now we’ve had the chance to see what life is like in towns of various sizes – 77k, 10k, and now 300! Karen was running a wee bit late in her lunch prep, so along the way, we stopped off to stroll around through Navarrenx, one of the earliest fortified villages in France. It was also the home of the Musketeers, immortalized in the book “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas. Coincidentally, we saw the house where he was born when we visited the town of Villiers-Côtterets on our last house-hunting trip!

Finally, we arrived at Karen’s, the most darling French farmhouse with cheerful blue shutters. Lunch was perfection – the food, the wine, and the people! I don’t usually go into this level of detail, but it was an experience like something out of a book. Imagine a leisurely Sunday, the sun shining through the windows, and friendly dogs at our feet begging for scritches (and maybe some cheese and salami) as we gather in the kitchen. 

Things kicked off with a champagne toast, bleu cheese that paired perfectly with the wine and fig bread, and an assortment of salamis. Next up was a savory veal stew on pasta paired with a crisp glass of Sancerre, followed by a salad (such is the flow of a French lunch)! For dessert, we had crépes with candied blood oranges in a Grand Marnier sauce. And then of course, espresso. Mmm mmm mmm.

The conversations flowed and the sun was practically setting by the time we left for our 2.5-hour drive to Bordeaux. To be honest, we haven’t seen much of the city yet. That’s for tomorrow. But so far, it’s giving us major Paris vibes, and that’s not a bad thing at all!

Instead, today we drove east to the villages of Villeréal and Monflanquin, both having the distinction of being some of “les plus beaux villages” of France. 

The house in Villeréal was an immediate disappointment. In the pictures, it showed promise – cement tiles, big fireplaces, and hardwood floors. But it needed a LOT of work and smelled so musty that it was a hard pass from me within 2 minutes of walking in the door. Sometimes that’s how it goes! And to be quite frank, the idea of Ralph and I navigating a complex and expensive renovation in rural France with minimal language skills was daunting. So instead, we wandered the village streets, quiet but with signs of life – cute boutiques, a market hall, and restaurants (all of which were closed on Mondays).

Then it was off to Monflanquin, a bastide town on a hill with views of the rolling countryside. The house we came to see was a true village house but with the added bonus of a lovely garden. The entrance didn’t look like much, but stepping through the doorway brought us to a small but welcoming courtyard as if we had passed through a secret portal. A good sign, for sure!

The rest of the house was just as magical – wide wooden plank floors, big fireplaces, stone – all those character elements I love. Every detail was perfect, so we were not surprised to learn that one of the owners is a designer. In fact, if I could buy the home furnished I would – it’s that good. However, the idea of selling everything is overwhelming. We wouldn’t have to play furniture Tetris on the other side, but I could already feel the tension brewing between us.

Ralph and I both agreed we could live there, and that’s huge. We’d be able to walk to shops and restaurants, and there’s a weekly market on Thursday, plus festivals throughout the year. But there are some things to consider. The garden is smaller than we would usually consider for Phoebe, and even though there are services in the village, the next large town is 20 minutes away. The big kicker for me is the airport since I travel so much for work. Bergerac has an airport but it doesn’t take me to any of my preferred cities. Toulouse is a solid 1 hr 45 mins away, or another option is to drive 45 mins to Agen to catch the fast train to Paris. It also occurred to us that the location might make it difficult for friends and family to visit, let alone those serendipitous meet-ups when friends are passing through. Is that a dealbreaker? Hmmm…

These bonus pics are from Bergerac – one of the larger towns close to Monflanquin. And yes, that’s a statue of Cyrano de Bergerac on the right! As the story by Edmond Rostand goes, he was a man with an exceptionally large nose, convinced he could not win the affection of his love, Roxane. But he was a terrific writer and wrote love letters – to Roxane! – on behalf of his handsome friend. A recipe for disaster...and that’s why it’s a tragedy.