Owner Julia recently spoke to Forbes for their September Issue: The Fashion Guide To Travel.
Read the edited article here (LINK) and the full piece below.
My favourite travel place:
I was late to the game of marriage. I met my widowed husband to be, at a wedding aged 54 and we
married 2 years later. He wooed me at his home in Hampshire with a bunch of fresh asparagus from
the garden and a box of eggs from his chickens. The first trip we took together was to his house in
France… tough!
The cottage is in a tiny Hameau called Palisse, it is on a map but the nearest village is called Petit
Bersac and the nearest town is Riberac in the Dordogne. Our nearest airport is Bergerac and that’s
one hour away, occasionally we fly from Southampton which is an equally small airport but mainly
we drive.
We go to the house about three times a year, May to open up and sort out the geraniums and make
a list of any maintenance issues (re threading the washing line was a challenge). July I do a road trip
with my 4 buddies that I was at school with since we were 7 and now we are all 64… no secrets
there! Then we go in September October to shut the house up.
We have a lovely English couple out there that help us ( there is a huge English community). Linen
changes, guest swops, pool cleaning, mowing weeding and strimming. Lots of maintenance.
Our holiday starts with the 7.00pm Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen or St Malo. We try to
get a commodore cabin but they go like gold dust with the silver surfers. Otherwise we have a cabin
with bathroom, then off to the restaurant for lovely seafood and a chilled glass of wine. Then tucked
up for a good night’s sleep.
We wake to the bing bong then off to the restaurant for coffee and croissant before the big drive. It
takes around 5and a half hours on the motorway to go to the house, with the service station stop…
they have a “Paul “and that’s always good for lunch. I buy the Breton Petit Beurre biscuits which are
in gorgeous tins and these make lovely gifts for dog and chicken sitters back home!
Once at the house we unpack… (using my packing cubes ) I always bring too much but as long as I
have my Kaftan and flipflops to float round the pool, cotton dress to mooch the markets a cashmere
travel wrap for cool evenings and shorts and T shirts so I can go on bike rides and also do a bit of
gardening.
We had a small project last year which was to build a guest chalet in the garden, we got a bit carried
away and it has a bathroom and air conditioning now. I made a wild garden in front of the chalet and
added a small planter which I plugged up and now it’s a pond. I went to the garden centre and found
all the plants in August which had survived the drought and heat and now those are in my wild
garden.
The gardener is called Benoit and he doesn’t speak English, so in my broken French, google and
pointing he has helped with big planting. We are on clay (argile) and there is no way you can dig a
hole unless it rains. My new pride and joy is a Walnut tree, this year it has 5 walnuts which should be
ready at the end of September on our next visit.
There is a local walnut producer in the next village, Laprade you have to knock at the door ( before
lunch) and hope they haven’t sold out of first pressing Huile de Noix (walnut oil) , walnut flour and
walnut and honey spread… that is nectar and I’m hooked.
Our local bakery ( boulangerie) is in Petit Bersac which is an 8 minute cycle ride downhill and 18
minutes back uphill. They have the most gorgeous fresh croissants, pain au raisins, pain au chocolate
and fresh baguettes and local bread. Sometimes there is homemade goats cheese with different
toppings and lovely little mouth watering tartes. On a Thursday a local producer sets up his stall
outside and sells whatever is in season, so big tomatoes, beans, aubergines and herbs and flowers.
Back on the bikes to cycle off the extra pounds. We go to a beautiful Mill ( Moulin )which farms eels
and has used the river Dronne to grow them on. There is a beach area on the river and a restaurant
and café on the side of the river in the middle of a tree canopy. La Guinguette du Moulin De Poltrot,
Nabinaud Charente. Some crusty bread with garlic butter and a cold fresh glass of white wine and
then back on the bikes.
On Friday mornings its market day in Riberac, we drive 10 minutes into town and then fight in the
carpark for a space with the locals and the Brits. Grab the shopping bags and walk 2 mins to an
enormous outdoor market. Table clothes, shoes and espadrilles straw hats and baskets, loose
colourful cotton clothing ( only looks good there) trinket sellers, Peter the English potter, then past
the plants and flower seller and on to the food area. Fresh truffles, garlic plaits, walnuts, ripe
melons, fat tomatoes, local bio wine, honey, nougat, goats cheese, seafood with great big fat prawns
and oysters. Every fruit and vegetable in abundance.
We take all our visitors 10 minutes in the opposite direction to Aubeterre where there has been
medieval hill town since the 11 th century. It’s easy to park and a short walk down a hill to the main
square which has restaurants cafes and bars all around, market day is Sunday and there is a new bar
at the end of the square which does a very nice plate of oysters or charcuterie and a glass of wine for
around 8 euros, beware its heaving! On the lower side there is a small road which leads to the
underground church carved out of rock which is worth a visit on a hot day. But my favourite shops
on that street are a huge pottery shop with brightly coloured pots from France Spain and Portugal
which is in a barn and only takes cash and has odd opening hours. Then a bit further on is Xavier
Maffre 33 Rue Saint Jean who is a potter who has his own workshop and kiln and display area, if you
speak nicely to him he will take you behind the scenes. His colours are muted soft greens, taupes,
French greys and I can’t help but buy a piece every time I visit.
On the way out we have to stop at the garden centre Aubeterre sur Dronne. It really is one of the
most colourful and inspiring garden centres I’ve been to. Constantin Jean Luc is family run with
passion. If you go in October the tunnels are full of Chrysanthemums getting ready for Le jour des
morts or the day of the dead and there are huge puff balls of every coloured Chrysanthemum
imaginable. In summer there are rows of geraniums in hanging baskets, but we only stay two weeks
so I cant buy them! Then I’m wooed by bougainvillea, hibiscus, hortensia ( hydrangeas) climbing
campsis which I have bought and now have 2, fabulous pink blousy roses I have 3 Pierre Bonsard. It’s
an obsession. On the way out we say hello to the aviary of love birds, budgies and parakeets. Then
I’m torn away by impatient husband.
We drive back across the Dronne and see the happy campers playing tennis, and kayaking down the
river, it really is idyllic.
We buy most of our food from Leclerc supermarket in Riberac, they support local growers so their
fruit and veg section is good, if we are between market days. They have a lovely meat and fish
counter and a super wine section at very reasonable prices. Our sparkling wine for our wedding was
bought here, you can get a lovely bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne or Blanquette de Limoux for
around 5 Euros and at home its between £10 and £15 a bottle. Well worth stocking up ( 24 bottles
per person )This time Im impatient and tear the husband away!
With all this gorgeous produce we stay at home eat and drink and enjoy the quiet peaceful country
side and our lovely pool and gardens quite often with our next door neighbours Mark and Ingrid who
seem to come over when we do. But occasionally we venture out for dinner. We have found a little
Italian restaurant called La Trattoria, 2 Place du Chateau, Saint Severin, the husband is front of
house and always calls you back when you leave a message and his wife is the chef, they use local
produce but cooked with an Italian twist. It’s very small and you need to book well in advance but
we love our visits there. Tomato and peach salad with honey vinaigrette and sourdough and garden
basil, orecchiette broccoli with chilli pepper, crispy toasted panko with herbs and cranberries and
finally rose water panna cotta tangy raspberry coulis homemade lychee sorbet.
Read the edited article here (LINK) and the full piece below.
My favourite travel place:
I was late to the game of marriage. I met my widowed husband to be, at a wedding aged 54 and we
married 2 years later. He wooed me at his home in Hampshire with a bunch of fresh asparagus from
the garden and a box of eggs from his chickens. The first trip we took together was to his house in
France… tough!
The cottage is in a tiny Hameau called Palisse, it is on a map but the nearest village is called Petit
Bersac and the nearest town is Riberac in the Dordogne. Our nearest airport is Bergerac and that’s
one hour away, occasionally we fly from Southampton which is an equally small airport but mainly
we drive.
We go to the house about three times a year, May to open up and sort out the geraniums and make
a list of any maintenance issues (re threading the washing line was a challenge). July I do a road trip
with my 4 buddies that I was at school with since we were 7 and now we are all 64… no secrets
there! Then we go in September October to shut the house up.
We have a lovely English couple out there that help us ( there is a huge English community). Linen
changes, guest swops, pool cleaning, mowing weeding and strimming. Lots of maintenance.
Our holiday starts with the 7.00pm Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen or St Malo. We try to
get a commodore cabin but they go like gold dust with the silver surfers. Otherwise we have a cabin
with bathroom, then off to the restaurant for lovely seafood and a chilled glass of wine. Then tucked
up for a good night’s sleep.
We wake to the bing bong then off to the restaurant for coffee and croissant before the big drive. It
takes around 5and a half hours on the motorway to go to the house, with the service station stop…
they have a “Paul “and that’s always good for lunch. I buy the Breton Petit Beurre biscuits which are
in gorgeous tins and these make lovely gifts for dog and chicken sitters back home!
Once at the house we unpack… (using my packing cubes ) I always bring too much but as long as I
have my Kaftan and flipflops to float round the pool, cotton dress to mooch the markets a cashmere
travel wrap for cool evenings and shorts and T shirts so I can go on bike rides and also do a bit of
gardening.
We had a small project last year which was to build a guest chalet in the garden, we got a bit carried
away and it has a bathroom and air conditioning now. I made a wild garden in front of the chalet and
added a small planter which I plugged up and now it’s a pond. I went to the garden centre and found
all the plants in August which had survived the drought and heat and now those are in my wild
garden.
The gardener is called Benoit and he doesn’t speak English, so in my broken French, google and
pointing he has helped with big planting. We are on clay (argile) and there is no way you can dig a
hole unless it rains. My new pride and joy is a Walnut tree, this year it has 5 walnuts which should be
ready at the end of September on our next visit.
There is a local walnut producer in the next village, Laprade you have to knock at the door ( before
lunch) and hope they haven’t sold out of first pressing Huile de Noix (walnut oil) , walnut flour and
walnut and honey spread… that is nectar and I’m hooked.
Our local bakery ( boulangerie) is in Petit Bersac which is an 8 minute cycle ride downhill and 18
minutes back uphill. They have the most gorgeous fresh croissants, pain au raisins, pain au chocolate
and fresh baguettes and local bread. Sometimes there is homemade goats cheese with different
toppings and lovely little mouth watering tartes. On a Thursday a local producer sets up his stall
outside and sells whatever is in season, so big tomatoes, beans, aubergines and herbs and flowers.
Back on the bikes to cycle off the extra pounds. We go to a beautiful Mill ( Moulin )which farms eels
and has used the river Dronne to grow them on. There is a beach area on the river and a restaurant
and café on the side of the river in the middle of a tree canopy. La Guinguette du Moulin De Poltrot,
Nabinaud Charente. Some crusty bread with garlic butter and a cold fresh glass of white wine and
then back on the bikes.
On Friday mornings its market day in Riberac, we drive 10 minutes into town and then fight in the
carpark for a space with the locals and the Brits. Grab the shopping bags and walk 2 mins to an
enormous outdoor market. Table clothes, shoes and espadrilles straw hats and baskets, loose
colourful cotton clothing ( only looks good there) trinket sellers, Peter the English potter, then past
the plants and flower seller and on to the food area. Fresh truffles, garlic plaits, walnuts, ripe
melons, fat tomatoes, local bio wine, honey, nougat, goats cheese, seafood with great big fat prawns
and oysters. Every fruit and vegetable in abundance.
We take all our visitors 10 minutes in the opposite direction to Aubeterre where there has been
medieval hill town since the 11 th century. It’s easy to park and a short walk down a hill to the main
square which has restaurants cafes and bars all around, market day is Sunday and there is a new bar
at the end of the square which does a very nice plate of oysters or charcuterie and a glass of wine for
around 8 euros, beware its heaving! On the lower side there is a small road which leads to the
underground church carved out of rock which is worth a visit on a hot day. But my favourite shops
on that street are a huge pottery shop with brightly coloured pots from France Spain and Portugal
which is in a barn and only takes cash and has odd opening hours. Then a bit further on is Xavier
Maffre 33 Rue Saint Jean who is a potter who has his own workshop and kiln and display area, if you
speak nicely to him he will take you behind the scenes. His colours are muted soft greens, taupes,
French greys and I can’t help but buy a piece every time I visit.
On the way out we have to stop at the garden centre Aubeterre sur Dronne. It really is one of the
most colourful and inspiring garden centres I’ve been to. Constantin Jean Luc is family run with
passion. If you go in October the tunnels are full of Chrysanthemums getting ready for Le jour des
morts or the day of the dead and there are huge puff balls of every coloured Chrysanthemum
imaginable. In summer there are rows of geraniums in hanging baskets, but we only stay two weeks
so I cant buy them! Then I’m wooed by bougainvillea, hibiscus, hortensia ( hydrangeas) climbing
campsis which I have bought and now have 2, fabulous pink blousy roses I have 3 Pierre Bonsard. It’s
an obsession. On the way out we say hello to the aviary of love birds, budgies and parakeets. Then
I’m torn away by impatient husband.
We drive back across the Dronne and see the happy campers playing tennis, and kayaking down the
river, it really is idyllic.
We buy most of our food from Leclerc supermarket in Riberac, they support local growers so their
fruit and veg section is good, if we are between market days. They have a lovely meat and fish
counter and a super wine section at very reasonable prices. Our sparkling wine for our wedding was
bought here, you can get a lovely bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne or Blanquette de Limoux for
around 5 Euros and at home its between £10 and £15 a bottle. Well worth stocking up ( 24 bottles
per person )This time Im impatient and tear the husband away!
With all this gorgeous produce we stay at home eat and drink and enjoy the quiet peaceful country
side and our lovely pool and gardens quite often with our next door neighbours Mark and Ingrid who
seem to come over when we do. But occasionally we venture out for dinner. We have found a little
Italian restaurant called La Trattoria, 2 Place du Chateau, Saint Severin, the husband is front of
house and always calls you back when you leave a message and his wife is the chef, they use local
produce but cooked with an Italian twist. It’s very small and you need to book well in advance but
we love our visits there. Tomato and peach salad with honey vinaigrette and sourdough and garden
basil, orecchiette broccoli with chilli pepper, crispy toasted panko with herbs and cranberries and
finally rose water panna cotta tangy raspberry coulis homemade lychee sorbet.