Two More Possibles

What a busy day we had today. We met with an agent in Eymet, which is about a half hour west of Bergerac, and he had several other houses lined up to show us as well. The first was in Rouffignac de Sigoules in the midst of the Monbazillac wine region. This house has much to recommend it- lots and lots of space, including a large kitchen, three bedrooms, a fireplaced living room and a huge room that could make a spectacularly light and spacious studio. It also has a full cellar, a roofed terrace and a large garden. So what's wrong, you ask? Maybe nothing, but there is one fairly close neighbor, and the sounds of rock music were coming from that house during the time we were there. In some ways, this house seems to be in two different sorts of location at the same time. If you look to the side with the neighboring house, it seems almost like a boring, 70s-built American suburb. But if you look out the other side, the only views are the vineyards and old stone villages and church in the distance - quite lovely. The house itself is not lovely, but is not disagreable either. Here's photos of the house and the possible studio. (For some reason I can't upload these photos tonight - I'll try again tomorrow)


The house - front part would be the studio.

The studio from inside.

The second house was the one that originally drew us to this agency. It was an old Perigordine style house - with lots of neighbors, very little room and work that needed doing. A nice house, but not what we need. An amusing sight - there was a goat in the fenced yard of the neighbor across the street, in a yard with an impressive assortment of junk on display. When we were leaving, the goat was standing in the house window, perhaps wanting to be let in?

How much is that goat in the window

The third house was in the town of Castilonnes, just over the border into the department of Lot-et-Garonne, right in the midst of the area I like most. It's a gorgeous house, with everything in it perfect, everything beautiful, with two large gardens, fruit trees, two terraces, a garage that would make a lovely studio, views over lovely fields. There is one neighbor, not very nearby and another across the street, Americans who are there only in the summer. So, I hear you ask again, What's wrong? Well, it's small, that's what's wrong. There are three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a small laundry room and/or pantry - and of course bathroom and separate WC. What else is good - huge windows, many of them French doors (well of course!) out into the gardens. Another plus is that the gardens are all bordered with high hedges, making them private. Much to think about. And, of course, it being in perfect shape and all it is more expensive - we would have to bid quite a bit lower than the asking price, but the agent says the people are eager to sell and will entertain any reasonable sort of offer.

Castillones House - there's a neighboring barn attached to the let side of it

OK, morning viewings over, we went back to Eymet and had lunch in a delightful little restaurant that had the best potato leek soup I've ever had - rich and creamy and garlicky. Yum!!! We then went to our afternoon appointment in Beaumont, and by now it was pouring down rain. The house turned out to be uninteresting, had lots of neighbors, and a somehow industrial feel to it - could it have been those metal door moldings? A very new house, very well built, very well equipped, very, very, very boring. No point in showing photos!

Morning update - uploading photos seems to be impossible, perhaps because the wifi here at the hotel cuts in and out. If we can find a McDonalds (source of continuous free wifi everywhre in France) I'll upload photos then. OK - here we are at a McDOnalds in Bergerac, drinking beer and using their wifi. Yes, McDonalds in France will sell you beer - but you have to buy food as well. So, 2 beers, one small frites and we're set for as long as we like.