So...What's Happening?

Quoi de Neuf? This week I thought I'd share a couple short, newsy things that recently caught my eye: a vintage ice cream truck, a new place to store your luggage in Avignon, a farm for fresh flowers all winter, upcoming fundraisers, the starting lineup for Jazz à Juan and some other fun things to do. We're not gonna win any Pulitzers here but hopefully you'll find some things of interest...

Scoop! Vintage Ice Cream Truck Ready to Roll 

My friend Nicola Christinger-Grant and her daughter Victoria Moss are just about ready to unveil a vintage ice cream truck named Esta, after months of restoration. The classic 1976 Renault Estafette is still in Corsica finishing serious cosmetic surgery but she'll arrive in France  at the end of the month. "We thought Provence needed a good old fashioned classic ice cream van," Nic tells me. "Given the sensational weather I can’t believe they don’t really exist! When I first found Esta, she was a total rust bucket...but I knew immediately that I loved her!" As of February, Esta will be ready to rent for all types of events (she's booked for a number of weddings already) and will be rolling up at weekly markets including Eygalieres on Friday, Uzes on Saturday and the July/August Thursday evening night market in Nimes. Esta can travel roughly one hour from Nimes and will serve a range of ice creams (whole milk, vegan, fat-free, organic). The four pix up top show the ongoing restoration; the two below them are "befores." When the work is complete, I'll post more photos because you can be sure she'll be a beauty! The website (vintage.ice.fr ) is still under construction but email Nicola for info in the meantime: nicolachristinger@me.com.

Got Baggage?

Did you know...the folks behind La Consigne in Nice have opened a second location in Avignon? It's a luggage checkroom where you can store your stuff safely (they've got scanners, cameras and alarms) at super-reasonable prices. Located close to both the Avignon Centre (city) Train Station and the Avignon Tourist Office, La Consigne also rents baby strollers and wheelchairs, offers a bike-courrier baggage delivery service and will store oversized items if you book ahead. Plus, they have free and speedy WiFi which you're welcome to hang out and use. La Consigne Avignon is open May 1st to Aug 31st, at #1 ave Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 84000 Avignon, +33 (0)6 63 68 91 09. Lots more info on both locations is on the website here.

Brand-New St. Remy Home for Summer Rental

Ian and Lizzie Ferris are just putting final touches on their new home in St. Remy...but have learned they'll need to spend the summer back in the UK.  That means they want to rent the house out, for the whole summer if possible, or at least for a month at a time, starting in June. You can see it here on Homeaway and on AirBnB. Located less than ten minute's walk from the historic center of the village, it has three double bedrooms, an upstairs bathroom and downstairs shower room, off-street parking in a gated community, a south-facing garden with private pool, A/C, WiFi and a nice modern kitchen. Ian says his ideal would be one family for 12 weeks (mid June to mid September,  €17,000) but will happily consider monthly rentals for June (€6000), July (€7000) and August (€8000). For info: ianferris56@gmail.com.

Shmoozing for Social and Business 

Since I first wrote about it here almost three years ago,  the women's group Network Provence has grown tremendously, thanks to the hard work and creativity of director Rebecca Ronane and the giving spirit of its members. The group now holds regular meet-ups and activities in a variety of Provencal villages (Aix, St. Remy, Maubec, Orange, Eygalieres, etc.) and continues to expand. Pay 50€ to join for a year and attend all the events you want...or pay as you go (most events are 10€ each). The group's Facebook page (sign up required) has become an extremely valuable resource for info sharing among English-speaking women of all nationalities in the region. Upcoming NP events include a a crash course in pairing wine with chocolate with Sophie Bergeron in Avignon (Jan 23rd at 2 pm), a talk on happiness by Trudi Bannister in Aix (Feb 13, 3 to 5 pm) and a presentation and light lunch with Nicky Ginsberg, at her new NG Art Creative Residency Program in Eygalieres (March 23, noon to 2:30). See these and other events  (and reserve...and become a member) on the Network Provence site. Questions? Email: rebecca.ronane@me.com.

Another Super Support Group for Expat Women

Another networking group that's really gathering steam is called LiANU. It's described as "An Anglophone support group of ex-pat ladies for ex-pat ladies living in, or with strong ties to, the Avignon-Nimes-Uzès region." According to Petra Van Der Wal, one of the group's five informal leader/organizers, the first "Ladies In..." group, Ladies in Languedoc, was created in 2013 and as it grew, a need was identified for other locally-focused ex-pat groups "where you can find a local tradesman or places to buy your halloumi cheese! Ladies In groups are now in Perpignan and Carcassone too...and they've all been likened to a big, chatty, online coffee morning!"  The next LiANU event is a New Year's Dinner, to be held Jan 24 in Nimes; see all the info here. I've not been to a LiANU event yet but a few friends of mine are active in the group and they give it a hearty thumbs up. To get involved, click join on their Facebook page here. If you'd like to start a Ladies In group in another region of France, contact Nicole Hammond by messenger through the LIL group here.  

Friday Morning: Coffee and Cake for a Great Cause

Lucy Bakr will hold a "coffee morning" fundraiser for Busoga Trust this Friday Jan 19 from 10 am to noon in St. Remy, with homemade Gâteau de Roi. Entry is 5€ pp, please. Lucy will also be selling her famous homemade marmalades (including a brand-new batch of orange marmalade & Bergamot lemon marmalade--woot woot!) plus new olive oils, books, DVDs and more. All proceeds go to build wells for clean water in Uganda. The address is: 1 Av Jean Baltus;  park inside the courtyard or on the street. For more info: lucydavid@bakr.fr.

Flowers All Winter, Fresh from the Farm

People often forget about their favorite farm markets in winter but the very-popular Boutique at Ferme Fleurie, between Tarascon and Graveson, sells their beautiful home-grown blooms all year long. The prices are wholesale and the flowers are gorgeous! (Read my recent story about them here.)  Debbie, who runs the farm with her husband Marcel, tells me: "All good down on the farm this winter! And full speed ahead for the season 2018!" Deb tells me they have anemones now until May, tulips from the end of February to April,  narcissi and daffodils in March and of course their star performer, peonies, at the end of April through May. For daily hours and what's available, check their Facebook page. The Boutique at Ferme Fleurie is at 4583 Route d'Avignon, 13150 Tarascon. 

This Friday in Avignon: Cabaret at Theatre Le 9

If you're up for some entertainment in English and like to mingle with other expats, this one's for you. This Friday Jan 19 at 8 pm, the Aix-Marseille and Avignon Chapters of Democrats Abroad will team up to take in a cabaret show in Avignon with Stefan Bednarczyk, a stage and screen actor, director, choirmaster, organist and composer.  (Stefan brought the works of Noel Coward, Flanders and Swann and Comden & Green to the stage...and has worked as musical director with the most prominent theaters in the U.K., including the National and the Barbican.) His latest cabaret adventure, "Beyond a Joke," explores in piano and song the works of three of the 20th-century’s greatest satirists: Allan Sherman, Tom Lehrer and Jake Thackray. The show takes place at the splendid Théâtre Le 9; I wrote about the theater and its charming owner Hilary when it opened here.  After the show, the group will mingle and meet Stefan over a glass of wine. The theater is tiny and there are seats set aside for the DA group so make sure to mention DA when you reserve. Plus, please bring something sweet or savory to share with 30 people. Tickets are 20€ pp. To reserve, call +33 (0)4 84 14 27 28 or email: le9theatreavignon@gmail.com. Then, let kwildau@gmail.com know you're coming. For more info: theatrele9.com.

Calling All Wine-Industry Insiders

All wine pros  (winemakers, retailers, restaurateurs, hotel f&b staff, etc.) are invited to a two-day "Naked Wine Fair" sponsored by the Languedoc-based Vignerons de L'Irreel, a group of local winemakers, on Jan 28 and 29 in Montpellier. Both days, there will be 50 French, Italian and Spanish winemakers present and pouring, along with five artisan brewers. A Sunday evening party will have concerts and a DJ, with lots of Italian charcuterie, the Le Duke food truck and more. More than 200 people have signed up and many more will certainly join in.  The event will be at the Dieze Warehouse, at 188 ave. du Marche Gare. Admission is 10€ and all the details are on the group's Facebook page here.  

Lenny Kravitz to Open Jazz à Juan 2018

And finally, down on the Côte d'Azur, the International Jazz Festival Jazz à Juan (the oldest jazz fest in Europe), has just announced, following a well-established tradition, the names of the first three artists who will perform this year, the 58^th edition of the festival. After the opening concert on July 12 with Lenny Kravitz and his “Raise Vibration Tour,” the festival welcomes Chick Corea (one of the most important and influential pianists of his generation), Youn Sun Nah (who has led a brilliant international career exploring in risky ways the infinite possibilities of her voice), and Marcus Miller ("promising an incredible performance!"). The full program will be announced in March. For all the info: jazzajuan.com, antibesjuanlespins.com. 

Where to Stay in Provence? A Roman Quarry!

Calling all wanna-be cave dwellers! Get in touch with your inner troglodyte by vacationing in this one-of-a-kind stone home, built within a Roman quarry in Provence.

Located five km from Bonnieux--near the villages of Gordes and Roussillon--the Carriere St. Symphorian is the home and studio of husband-and-wife architects Philippe and Lien Jonathan and their two boys ages 8 and 11.  And they love to welcome travelers from all over the world.

Philippe, who lived in nearby Aix as a child, first fell in love with the Luberon while biking its winding roads as a teenager. He went on to a career in Paris, built the quarry house as a vacation property and moved the family to Provence full time in 2013. Today he designs residential projects across the South of France--houses, gardens, pools and greenhouses--as well as public buildings in France and elsewhere. Lien works with Philippe on all projects...and you can see their striking work here. 

Looking for property in the Luberon back in late 1990s, Philippe wanted something "different and challenging"--not the typical mas or bastide. When a realtor showed him the site in 1997, it was derelict, overrun with vegetation and had been on the market for many years.

"Previous buyers had been put off by its inaccessibility and lack of services," Ruth Corbett wrote in a Sunday Times Magazine story in 2012. "But Philippe was mesmerized from the moment he set foot in it."

"I am an architect which means I am a rational man," Philippe chimes in, "but concerning this I am irrational. I felt that the place had chosen me."

The quarry dates officially to the 12th century but archaeologists say that Romans were cutting limestone here 2000 years ago. Stones from this quarry were used to build the nearby Apta Julia Theater and the Château de Buoux, among others. During the final chapter of the quarry's life, workers excavated the mountain itself using the “chamber and pillar” technique, which resulted in the space that the Jonathans now call home. At one point 20 workers lived in its humble dwellings, until it was finally abandoned in 1930.  It took Philippe and Lien ten years to transform the rubble into this magical property.

"There are not so many places where I feel so good," Philippe told the Times.

There are a couple different ways you can stay here. You can rent a room in the quarry house (it's called "Situation Exceptionnelle" on Airbnb)...or rent a small separate house called the Eagle's Nest. During the month of August, you can rent the entire property, although the first two weeks are already taken.  Occasionally the Jonathans also rent out the grounds for events such as art exhibits, concerts and weddings.

The "Situation Exceptionnelle" (quarry room) is for two people only, consisting of a bedroom with a 160 cm bed,  bathroom (shower, sink and toilet) and a small living room/lounge.  The 60-square-meter Eagle's Nest--with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small lounge area with a fridge--can accommodate a couple with two children. 

All guests have use of the infinity pool--carved into the rock, with exceptional views of the Luberon and three historical monuments--plus the pool house with its small outdoor kitchen.

The property has three hectares of outdoor space so you and your imagination can run wild in a totally tranquil setting.

The Luberon is a vast regional "parc naturel" and one of the most-popular areas of Provence. The serene rolling landscape of farms and vineyards is dotted with perched Medieval villages and laced with paths and trails, perfect for hiking and biking. Tennis, golf, kayaking, hot-air ballooning, historical sites and multiple outdoor markets are nearby. Bonnieux is roughly one hour from the Avignon TGV (high-speed train) station, from Aix and from the Marseille/Marignane Airport.

Rates for the quarry room and Eagle's Nest are range from 130€ to 170€  per night, including breakfast, for a minimum of three nights. 

Want more info?

See a video of Philippe and his family at home here....

Read the Times Magazine story here (if you have Times access) or here  (if you don't)...

And see the "Situation Exceptionelle" and the Eagle's Nest on Airbnb here and here. (Change the language to English at the very bottom of the screen, then click "translate" within the text itself.)

Then, for further questions and booking, contact Philippe: jonathan.architectes@orange.fr, +33 4 90 71 70 88.

Photos:  (1 to 6) Various indoor and outdoor spaces including the room (photo #6)--called "Situation Exceptionelle" on Airbnb--that you can rent. (7) The stone infinity pool and its view. (8) At night, parts of the quarry site have made a mystically beautiful space for concerts and other performances. (9) Come into our cave: Lien and Philippe love to welcome guests from all over the world.  (10) A site overview from Google Maps.  Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Still looking for the perfect Provence vacation rental? We can help! Email me: whattodoinprovence@gmail.com.--Julie

English-Speaking Cancer Support in France

The good folks at the non-profit Cancer Support France have just launched a new association serving the Vaucluse, the Bouches du Rhône and the Gard departments of Southern France...and they've asked me to spread the word.

CSF supports all English speakers in France who are affected (directly or indirectly) by cancer. Their volunteers include highly trained "Active Listeners" who support, accompany, translate, visit and provide general help. Some are medical professionals, some are cancer patients or survivors...but many just want to help. There are also volunteers who assist with admin, fundraising and PR.

"We started in the Gard about a year ago, as part of CSF Languedoc," president Tim Forster tells me. "But seeing a need, we've separated from the Languedoc so we can better offer our services in Provence. There are 15 associations within CSF and these include four who cover much of Southern France. Provence has long been a gap and we need to fill it. 

“For our clients, a cancer diagnosis turns the world upside down," he continues. "For someone living in a foreign country, there's the added challenge of trying to manage their illness in another language. Our volunteers--many of them bilingual--offer vital emotional support, guide clients to essential information and provide practical assistance during times of crisis. Their training is ongoing and they operate in the strictest confidentiality to ensure fully professional service.”

Tim reached out to me with four goals in mind. First, to help build awareness among the English-speaking community, "so anyone who needs us can find us." Second, because he needs volunteers of all types for the new association.  Another goal is to raise funds through events and direct donations (to donate, click here) and finally, to let you all know about the group's upcoming inaugural meeting next month (info on that is below).

"Networking is the best way to get our message out," he says.  

To learn more about CSF nationwide and see a calendar of events, their website is here.

To learn more about CSF Provence Gard or to inquire about helping in any capacity, please contact Tim directly: +33 (0)4 66 72 71 60, tim.csfprovencegard@gmail.com.   

If you or someone you know needs cancer-related info or support, call the 24-hour CSF Provence Gard Helpline on +33 (0)4 66 81 18 58 and a coordinator will call you back promptly. Or, you can email: csf.provencegard@gmail.com. The National Helpline, serving other parts of France, is: +33 (0)8 10 24 02 00.

The new CSF Provence Gard Association will hold their inaugural meeting and coffee morning from 10 am to 1 pm on October 5th, at Mas de la Bousquette in Lussan (30580), near Uzes.  Everyone is welcome. To get there: locate the roundabout on the D 979 at Lussan, take the road towards Lussan and after 50 meters, you'll see the entrance signposted on the right.

Wine Trips to France & Other Ways to Learn

The French Wine Society (FWS) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, founded in 2005 and dedicated to French wine education. They offer self-paced learning online....and webinar certificate programs...and classes in various US cities...and more.  This year, they're also offering a number of splendid week-long Wine Immersion Study Trips in France. These are new trips, providing an intensive, professional-level educational program, coupled with certification through the FWS’s industry-endorsed Masters-Level programs. 

The trips are led by well-known experts who reside in the visited regions, such as Dewey Markham Jr. (Bordeaux), Matthew Stubbs (Languedoc-Roussillon), Kelly McAuliffe (Rhône Valley) and Jean-Pierre Renard (Burgundy).

The trips include extensive high-caliber tastings at some of the best estates. They're nearly all-inclusive, including the FWS Master-Level Course, ''full comfort'' hotels, gourmet meals with great wines (bien sur!), all winery tours and tastings and ground transportation. Prices range from $3,495 to $3,895 per person, double occupancy, and each trip is limited to just 18 guests. (Single rates are available or you can ask to be paired up with another single traveler.)

The 2013 schedule included seven trips, three of which have already sold out. Trips still available are: 

Languedoc-Roussillon - June 2-7, 2013 (4 spots left)
Bordeaux  - September 1-7, 2013
Rhône Valley - Oct. 13-19, 2013
Bourgogne - Oct. 20-26, 2013
 

To learn more about the trips, click here. 

And what if you can't run off to France and drink wine for a week? Then check out the wide range of local learning opportunities the FWS offers in various US cities. For more info, click here.

Then, there are self-guided learning opportunities (study at your own pace) and online webinar based classes, such as the Provence Master Level online Study and Certificate Course which begins January 28. For general info on these programs, click here. For specific info on the Provence class, click here.

FWS director Julien Camus tells me he's happy to answer any questions you might have. Contact him: jcamus@frenchwinesociety.org or call 1-202-640-5466.

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Another Fine French Travel Book Giveaway!

Edwin Mullins was a young boy when he discovered Roman tile shards on a riverbank near his home in Sussex, England. This led to a lifelong obsession with Roman history and for years, he's been scrambling over and under the half-buried ancient Roman ruins of Provence with his eager dog, Star, and beleaguered wife, Anne. The results of these expeditions can be seen in his latest book, The Roman Provence Guide, where he shares his vast knowledge of both the known sites and hidden traces of this ancient empire. 

The 192-page Roman Provence Guide was designed to appeal to anyone interested in ancient Roman and French history, archaeology, travel and more. And Mullins' very-kind publisher, Interlink Books, has graciously offered me two copies to give away here. Details on entering appear below.

Although the Roman Empire was eventually vanquished, its impact on the world has never vanished of course. In Provence particularly, Julius Caesar'’s grandiose plans live on in countless ruined aqueducts, monuments, triumphal arches, roads, temples, amphitheaters, baths, ramparts and other feats of engineering and architecture. Part historical account, part traveler’s companion, The Roman Provence Guide puts in historical context Rome’'s 600-year rule of ancient Provence, which also included regions of the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Rhône Valley. The guide also includes maps, black & white and color photos of the sites, a list of museums and visitor centers and a Further Reading List.

The Roman occupation of Provence (“Provincia” in Latin), lasted six centuries, beginning more than 100 years before the birth of Christ, and surviving until well after most of Europe had become Christian. Today the region remains richer in Roman monuments than any other place in the world, with vast amphitheaters, triumphal arches, paved roads and aqueducts spanning the countryside.

Provence owes its name to Julius Caesar, who described the region as “the Province of Rome.” It was then a much larger area, stretching westwards to include Languedoc and Roussillon as far as the Pyrenees, eastward to the Riviera and the Maritimes Alps, and northwards up the Rhône Valley as far as Lyon. This book covers much of that larger area while concentrating on present-day Provence and neighboring Languedoc, the heartlands of the former Roman colony. 

In the book, Mullins tells the story of how the Romans came to invade Provence, how they stayed to colonize it, and how they transformed Provençal cities into imitations of Rome. He relates how Emperor Constantine brought about the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity from his favorite city of Arles— and how the Romans were eventually driven out by the Visigoths.

The Roman Provence Guide features all the principal sites in the region as well as those rarely visited. It has separate chapters on triumphal arches, aqueducts, farming, city life, bridges and road-building, temples and shrines, theatres and amphitheaters. Another section considers the aftermath of Roman rule, the restoration of ancient ruins, and the debt we owe to the remarkable engineers who inspired the first great achievement in medieval church architecture known, appropriately, as “Romanesque.”

Mullins is a writer, journalist, filmmaker and the former art critic of London'’s Sunday Telegraph. His books include The Pilgrimage to Santiago, Avignon of the Popes, The Camargue, and the award-winning In Search of Cluny: God’s Lost Empire.  

The book is available directly from the publisher (click here or call US 800-238-5465), from Amazon and Barnes and Noble or in bookstores. But better yet, enter to win a copy by simply leaving a comment under ''comments'' below. Please be sure to leave your email address somewhere within the comment box or we won't be able to reach you; simply signing in with your website or Google account is not enough. The more creative your comment, the better. Bon Chance!

Welcome to our Newest Advertiser

If you’ve ever hunted for a home in a foreign country—or are looking for one now--you know how time consuming it can be.  

You spend hours on the internet, squinting at photos and watching bad videos, trying to determine if ‘’lush country setting’’ means 20 miles from the closest grocery with high-speed internet coming ‘’soon.’’

You study the windows of all the local realtors, only to find that the perfect house in the photo was unfortunately—dommage!--just sold.

You make appointments with realtors who tell you that what you’re looking for simply does not exist. And when they do have a listing with potential, the owner will have just left for Paris with the only set of keys. Or be caught up in messy divorce proceedings pour le moment. Or be at beach with her children until we-don’t-know-when. Or actually isn’t quite certain that she wants to sell after all.

If you do find the house of your dreams, you’ll be encouraged to decide quickly because someone else is this close to making an offer.

Then when it comes to mortgages, taxes, property laws and such, you’ll get loads of well-meaning advice from friends and experts...and just as much advice that contradicts it.

Everyone I know who has bought real estate in a foreign country reports that these scenarios tend to be the rule rather than the exception. And still so many people, myself included, feel it’s one of the best things they’ve ever done. But if you’re thinking of buying abroad, wouldn’t it be incredibly helpful to have someone on the ground to help? Ah, but you do: Tim Swannie, Francois-Xavier de Vial and the gang at Home Hunts.

Home Hunts is a buyers’ agent specializing in finding luxury homes and investment properties in France, Monaco, Geneva, London and New York.  They work at no cost to the buyer.

‘’We’re a registered realtor (immobilier) with all the relevant insurance but we don’t act like a traditional estate agent,’’ explains Home Hunts’ director Tim Swannie, who founded the company in 2005 with partner Francois-Xavier de Vial. ‘’You tell us what you want and we go out and find it.’’

Home Hunts collaborates with all of the best selling agents, notaires and developers to search the entire market on your behalf. They also periodically work with private owners to handle direct sales. ‘’As we’ve become more well known--our website now gets 220,000 hits per month--we do get owners who ask us for help selling their house,’’ Tim explains. ‘’And if it’s a good property at a good price we’ll take it. But our focus is very much the buyer.’’

Tim has vast industry experience, having worked in property and recruitment throughout Europe, particularly in the UK, France and Benelux. (He hails from Harrogate,  Yorkshire, in the North of England.) A frequent visitor to the French Riviera over the years, he moved here permanently in 2004 and is currently based in the Cannes area, although he continues to travel extensively.

Francois–Xavier, meanwhile, was brought up in Paris. His international sales and marketing career has taken him to more than 100 countries...but his love of Provence finally drew him to Marseille, where he settled with his family in 2002. He worked for an English-based estate agency here in the South of France for several years before he and Tim saw a niche in the marketplace and set out to fill it.

‘’We really saw how we could help overseas buyers,’’ Tim says, ‘’and act as their eyes and ears on the ground in France.’’

While Home Hunts’ head office is in Marseille, the company has a team of 30 multi-lingual, international property specialists, each of whom oversees a specific region.  New clients who contact the firm are immediately directed to the specialist in their geographic area of interest. ‘’Not only are our consultants residents of the countries we operate in,’’ Tim says, ‘’but they have outstanding local knowledge and strong associations with the best partner agencies, developers and private sellers in those areas.’’

Asa rule, Home Hunts clients tend to be heavily European (British, Scandinavian, Dutch, Swiss, German, etc.) and Americans figure prominently as well. On the Riviera and in Paris in particular, lots of clients right now are coming from Russia, China and the Middle East.

Because so many of their buyers are international, Home Hunts will do whatever they can to make the process easy: airport pickups, hotel booking, driving clients around to see properties and more.

Home Hunts will also make recommendations for specialists to help with finance, tax and legal issues. They’ll negotiate on your behalf to ensure you get the best possible deal and assist you throughout the entire buying process. Once the sale has gone through, they offer ongoing support with everything from home improvements to rentals.

As a rule, Home Hunts work with buyers looking to spend €1 million or more on the Riviera and €750,000 in Provence. ‘’When we do get inquiries at lower prices,’’ Tim says, ‘’we refer them to other companies and agents that specializes in that price range. We’ll pass you to someone who speaks your language and specializes in the type of property you want.’’

So what’s hot right now in Provence? Home Hunts Provence manager Nicola Christinger-Grant says that the village of Uzes--which is not, strictly speaking, in Provence but rather in the Gard Provencal--is definitely her #1 undiscovered up-and-coming location. ‘’We have buyers from all over showing interest there at the moment,’’ she reports. ‘’Uzes is situated with Nimes to the south, Avignon to the East and the Cevennes mountains to the north/west. It offers a fabulous mix of countryside and deep gorges, with the river Gardon skirting through many neighbouring villages. Like St Remy de Provence, the main town center has a circular boulevard lined with shops. And nestled inside is the main square, Place aux Herbes, the heart of this chic, honey-colored town. Architecture and property types here are also interesting, with farmhouses, village houses, hotel particulier and villas--all offering excellent value for money.’’

To date, Home Hunts has successfully sourced more than 300 homes for happy buyers and is currently negotiating on 14 properties for their clients. ‘’Sometimes the house of your dreams lands in your lap,’’ Tim says. ‘’More often, it takes extensive searching—a process that can be long, confusing, frustrating and, if you’re hunting long distance, even more difficult. We’re here to help.’’

For more info, see the Home Hunts website here. You can see the different regional offices and meet the team members here.  To reach Tim directly, call the company headquarters at +33 (0)9 70 44 66 43 or email him at tim@home-hunts.com.

Photos: Tim Swannie (left) and Francois-Xavier de Vial. House photos are as follows:

1. & 2. For sale! Located in a charming village of Sanilhac, less than ten minutes from Uzes, this detached house was originally part of a large agricultural domaine. It's surrounded by vineyards and offers stunning views of Mont Ventoux. The house has 230 square meters of living space including four bedrooms, with gardens/grounds of 4800 square meters, a pool, terraced area, outbuildings and numerous trees including olive, apricot, plum, fig, cherry, quince, apple and pear. Originally dating to the late 19th century, the property was extended in 1950 and renovated in 2004. Price: €790,000.  For info, click here.

3. Sold! Home Hunts handled the sale of this six-bedroom waterfront property on the Cap d'Antibes (French Riviera). Completely renovated throughout, it has an indoor/outdoor pool, beautiful gardens and access to a private beach. The family from Geneva that purchased it went on to buy another property nearby for their staff. It was priced at €19 million.

4. Sold! This beautifully renovated farmhouse, in a small village just to the South of Uzes, has five bedrooms, a small stone outbuilding, well laid out gardens a pool. Priced at €795,000. 

5. & 6.  For sale! Located within walking distance to the town center of Uzes, this beautiful 'maison de maitre' dating to 17th/18th century was recently reduced in price. It has an olive grove with 60 trees and grounds of almost 9000 square meters, sitting next to a pretty river which offers private safe bathing in a natural pool. Original materials and features (central staircase, stone fireplaces, etc.) have been preserved. A guest house and several other outbuildings await renovation. Priced at €1.18 million. For info, click here.