It may come as a surprise but I actually first fell in love with Château Lameraux online. Go back to May 2021 and the not so joyous COVID restrictions. It was becoming very difficult to market French properties and so many agents were forced to make mini YouTube films to promote their stock.

I had made a long list of pre requisites and had researched and visited the area many times and of course the beautiful city of Bordeaux. I actually wanted to choose an area with less English purely so I could immerse myself in France and jump right in at the deep end and become part of a French community. That’s not to say I haven’t met some wonderful and supportive English friends since finally moving in October 2021. We of course all share a love of France and the beautiful surrounding countryside here, food and wine and culture.

After being tempted by the promotional video of this house and the business opportunities as well as providing a renovation project of the main house. My brain was buzzing with creative ideas not least to be close to the UNESCO site of St Emilion and it’s 8th Century historical medieval roots. The town was named after a monk Émilion who lived a life of spirituality. His pilgrimage led him to live as a hermit. He took up residence in a secluded carved limestone cave, now at the base of the stunning monolithic church.

It’s also an area full of Anglo French history not least the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry ll Plantagenet in 1152. Hundreds of years later the area was severely affected by the battles and sieges of the Hundred Year War. Resulting in the famous Battle of Castillon in 1453 where the British General John Talbot and his army were defeated.

Despite the years of feuds between Anglo and French here time has moved on and the area is an eclectic mix of people from all over the world settling here. Wine being the major industry here and laiden with thousands of Châteaus providing some of France’s finest wines, red, white and pink.

Vineyards fill the majority of the countryside here and no space for cows and sheep which were the norm back in England. Bordeaux and Bergerac both 45 minutes away and the beaches not far.

I finally was able to make a visit to view the property in the July after the COVID travelling restrictions were lifted. However, I took a big risk and after having a 2 hour viewing online with the Estate Agent Margret running around with her iPad as I asked her to show me each room, boundary etc, I made an offer without physically viewing in person.

Some may think you are bonkers, however, I followed my gut also backed up by a different house purchasing method where by you sign a sales document, compromis de vente and have a 10 day cooling off period. Frantically I tried to book my stay in one of the properties 3 gîtes so I could spend a week with the owner to get a feel for the area and house. Leaving 3 days of the cooling off period to return and pull out or go through with the purchase.

It makes sense to spend and research as much time as you can in the area. To see where the sunsets, test the shops, interact and really absorb the energy and atmosphere. It’s a big step and one that nothing really prepares you for.

Moving post Brexit was not ideal but nor was I going to let it effect my new home and life. To say it was smooth sailing would be a lie. Paperwork and applying for visas whilst wrapping up a house sale in the UK and a business sale all in the space of 4 months was a testing period. Thankfully all knitted together eventually and the adventure began.

La belle vie en France was about to begin 🇫🇷