Back to the barn. Above the ground floor there were steps leading to the grenier, where thick ancient beams held up the old tiled roof. The attic walls would need fixing. We ducked below hanging curtains of cobwebs to check out the small finished bedroom at the end, that lay hidden behind a rough cinderblock wall. It was usable, with nice large arched windows. However, no signs of a WC up there. Maybe the guest was expected to have loins of steel, rush down the steep steps, and race down the corridor to the nearest toilet!

The lowest region of the barn boasted an enormous, badly lit room, described as a former cave. It was stacked with empty wine racks. Two steep open shafts lead up to the back garden. What exactly did they roll down the shafts in past centuries? All that slipped through now were curious mosquitoes.

From There To Here

Fast forward to the present. The damp wine cellar has been cleaned and painted white several times over. We lucked out with finding an electrician who suggested how to add more light, and he connected up two convection heaters that keep the room snug and dry. It’s now a well lighted office with loads of room for computer furniture and filing cabinets.

Walk-in closets, a standard feature in most American houses, are just not the norm, so it was off to the DIY stores to order made to measure wardrobe shelves and drawers. These were assembled and fitted wall to wall with not an inch to spare.

Half the walls in the rooms and corridors were unfinished raw building blocks, which contrasted strangely with some beautiful walls  of thick Charentaise stone.  It took many months of vigorous scraping, sanding, plastering and painting to get those raw walls finished and smoothened. Dave often appeared to have dipped himself into a large bag of flour, as he worked through these projects doggedly.

The lawn was just a stony weed-covered triangle, with just a few pathetic stubs of grass. Hand digging up the entire surface produced tons of small rocks that had to be carried out to the decheterie (local town dump). Weeks after re-seeding, we can look out onto some fine emerald-green grass.  It covers the mysterious underground stairs that we discovered a few feet below the surface.

Some General Advice:

1. When purchasing a house in France, it is essential to work with an established bi-lingual notary if you don’t have a good grasp of French. The documentation involved covers everything to safeguard your purchase, as well as setting up the precise way you can legally choose family members to inherit the property. Because the work involved in preparing a deed is very involved,the notary tags on a healthy fee to the purchase price. As a buyer, you also pay the realtor’s commission. All this needs to be factored into the price you ultimately wish to pay.

2. We did not at first think of the barn as a full time residence, but one we could live in perhaps half the year while spending the rest of the time in South Carolina. When adding the numbers, consider if you want to pay taxes and maintenance for both places. A costly scenario, unless either place could be rented out to help cover the costs. Not easy to do. We checked.

3. Sell your cars - importing and changing to French registration is a very convoluted process.

4. Get rid of all your credit cards and expensive club memberships. You are giving up the lifestyles of the rich, famous and deeply in debt.  No one we know here flashes Rolexes or minks. Just ship your favorite most durable and essential clothes, the music you can’t do without, the books that you cherish and plan to read at last, now that you have the time.

5. Give away all electric appliances.  Nothing works here with the French plugs. You can make some of them work, but only with special transformers, which are quite expensive.

6. Be prepared to join the French national health system as soon as you can. It is compulsory, and an absolute godsend. Compared to the $1200 a month we would have had to pay for two individuals medical BC/BS coverage, we are now benefactors of the best health system in the world at less than one-sixth the cost. Earlier this year I stayed for ten days following major surgery at a hospital, and my insurance picked up the entire cost except for 13 Euros a day for the shared room. This included impeccable nursing care and fabulous meals presented with wine if you could stomach it!

7. Learn as much French as you can before arriving, and be determined to practice it on your neighbors and in the shops. They are very polite and don’t smirk, though you may mangle the pronunciation. There are many people available to teach you the language but it takes time to get really fluent.

The Good Life In Rural France

There are hiking clubs, swimming and tennis facilities, and  many cultural activities offered in nearly every town. Some retiree friends are encouraging us to join the line-dancing lessons here in Ruffec. You may find yourself more active than you were when you were part of the rat race!

You will realize right away that you are living in the most staggeringly beautiful region in the world, surrounded by peaceful country roads, farmlands dotted with sheep farms and chateaus, historical castles to explore, and of course a gourmet lovers paradise.

If you still yearn for big city lights, Paris is less than four hours away by fast train. Most of the north-south highways are a breeze to drive as well.

With the internet and really cheap international phone connections, I send and receive more frequent messages from family members and friends than when we lived in the same country.

Establishing yourself as a resident can present some mind-boggling bureaucratic challenges. There are a lot of professional agencies and qualified individuals available to help you tackle problems with insurance, taxes and other legal requirements. A lot of the time you won’t have to pay for help --I got the best explanation on handling a tax bill from someone at the American Club of Lyon.

Just remember that patience and persistence and a pioneering spirit will help get most things resolved. At the end of the day, you can even switch on your TV and be amused at Walker Texas Ranger struggling through his adventures in flawless French!