I’m back from France and thrilled to say my experiences outweighed my expectations! In fact, I have so many interesting stories and tidbits to share, that I’ve decided to break this down into a series of several blogs. Whether you’ve been to France before, as I had; whether you’re planning a trip there, or whether it is just an area you have an interest in, I hope to share some of the highlights of this magical country.

On October 4^th, my birthday, my dear friend Jan and I set off on a flight to Paris to meet our mutual friend Julie who was flying in from Australia. Our first goal was to reach what we hoped was the perfect farmhouse in the Dordogne region of France. We had thoroughly researched homes to rent for a week. We had a lot of “must-have’s” on our list. We were looking specifically for a farmhouse with lots of charm. It had to be centrally located, as we had lots of exploring to do, however, we were also looking for privacy and a place with a view. Each wanting our own bedroom with a private bath and wonderful kitchen to cook our meals, we had a tall order to fill.

So once in Paris, we hopped in our rental car, (you can see so much more than you do taking the train!) and headed to the Dordogne. Upon reaching the farmhouse it was love at first sight! A kitchen made for culinary dreams, a large living area with a cozy fireplace, three bedrooms each with their own bath and an enormous outdoor patio where the view was just as spectacular as the pictures on the website had shown.

Needless to say, settling in to this quaint, comfortable farmhouse, we were in for a week of pure bliss. I can’t wait to tell you more in the coming weeks about the markets, the food and the lovely villages surrounding our home-away-from-home!