The Good Life France Magazine




The Good Life France Magazine brings you the best of France - inspirational and exclusive features, fabulous photos, mouth-watering recipes, tips, guides, ideas and much more...


Published by the award winning team at The Good Life France

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2 years ago

Issue No. 16

Bringing you the best of France including captivating towns like sunny Montpellier, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, the antiques capital of Provence, Gascony, Chateaux of the Loire Valley, Paris, Lyon, a long lost cheese story, mouth-watering recipes and a whole lot more.

Kitchen before...

Kitchen before... Kitchen after.... The Mill was enormous and had been abandoned for several years. Roofs needed repairing, there was no kitchen or bathroom. It felt unloved. It was in a nice spot, but that was all. It was too big a project, I told Greg, we should just forget it" says Rebecca. They returned to their hotel and discussed the day’s viewings. Greg was very taken with the Mill, Rebecca wasn’t, but as they talked, she says she started to come round. The next day was beautifully sunny and they decided to revisit the Mill. “What a difference a day makes. We realised that the Mill was effectively on its own private island, with a huge mill pond and lake, plus forest either side. The stone walls glowed in the sun. It was picture perfect and truly unique. We both felt our pulses quicken and knew that our search could be over. What we didn’t know until it had utterly captured our hearts was that there was no mains water, a complicated sluice system and an insufficient and antique electricity supply. But, it was too late by then…” Rebecca and Greg are now the proud owners of Moulin De Fontalbe and say they feel “privileged to own a beautiful property nestled in the middle of the Dordogne countryside, close to Saint-Avit Senieur with its UNESCO listed medieval abbey, picturesque villages and a long, winding river. Everyone that we have met has been welcoming and helpful”. Their plan is to turn the Mill into a beautiful home plus a 6-bedroom gite with a yoga studio. It's an enormous project, not just the house and gite to renovate but 16 acres of land, forest, three fields and a quarry. In the meantime, home is a caravan whilst the work is ongoing. “It is tough, stressful and incredibly expensive but it will all be worth it in the end” says Rebecca. “The mill is starting to share its secrets with us and I'm looking forward to the days when, once again, it is filled with friends, laughter, chatter and love. Our agent found our original brief the other day. It says, “don’t mind a bit of painting and decorating, but no major projects”…. Rebecca blogs about her adventures when she has time at Fontable.com

FIND YOUR DREAM HOME IN DORDOGNE Local estate agent Corrie Phillips of Leggett Immobillier gives an overview of Bergerac and picks three fabulous properties for sale in the area... On the surface Bergerac is a quiet and understated city. Look a little closer and it is not difficult to understand what is attractive about living here. It has a temperate climate with longer summers and cool winters, making it conducive to a more outdoor lifestyle. There is something to do for all ages, from Go- Karting, to canoeing, wine tasting from one of the 120 wine producers of the region , or shopping at one of several weekly markets. If all this becomes too much, then people watching from one of the many cafés offers a welcome rest. With an International airport and major train station, Bergerac has excellent transport links to the rest of France and further affield. €140,000 Situated within close proximity to Mouleydier, and a short stroll to the shops, with all the village facilities. This house is ideally located. With a little tender loving care this charming 2-bedroom house could make an ideal holiday home or permanent home for a young family. Click here for more information Large stone family house situated in the town of Bergerac. Sitting on two plots this house has 5 bedrooms, a bathroom and a guest wc, large attic, large basement, private garden, with an immense double garage with the possibility to convert to an independent lodging or commercial business. Click here for more information €397,000 €520,000 Exquisite old stone house with far reaching views, renovated to an exceptional standard. Original features have been retained, such as bread oven, exposed stone wall, vaulted ceilings and beams. Whilst being enhanced by modern features including underfloor electric heating, bespoke kitchen with granite worktops, and remote-control Velux window blinds. It has a fabulous heated salt water pool. Click here for more information