Our Exchange Home

Posted on by JR

We enjoyed 2 weeks in a beautiful French farm house. The style of house is called Bastide and they’re fairly common because they’ve been popular for centuries. We had guessed that the one we were staying in was built in the 1800’s, maybe even earlier. But it looked like some remodeling had been done to modernize the kitchen and bathrooms. The walls were about 18 inches thick, the floor and roof tiles showed years of loving use, and the house was quite austere looking, like the houses in those days did. Then we found out the house is only 15 years old. We were blown away.

It’s what they call a 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom house. There are 3 bedrooms upstairs and another room downstairs with a pull-out sofa and the only full bath. I think it could be a garage. It has its own outside entrance through a large rounded door that looks like a garage door. They use it for a game room. Actually there are only 3 toilets but there are 4 bathrooms each with a sink and a tub and/or shower plus 1 powder room by the front door. The master bathroom has a sink and shower but no toilet.

Our exchange couple said they bought the house from the couple who built the house, the pool and the “garden,” which we would call fabulous landscaping. Then 3 years ago the couple divorced so they bought the house from them. The lot is very large and the landscaping is gorgeous and looks like it’s been here forever. It perfectly surrounds the house and behind the landscaping is a fence, so although there are other houses around, this house is totally secluded. And it’s got a locked gate. One odd thing we noticed: the landscaping all seems to have lighting but the lights were never lit and we couldn’t figure out how to turn them on. Normally they would be on timers. When we came home at night, it was pitch black.

Another strange thing is that while they had a clothes washer, they didn’t have a clothes dryer. And so, since they have to hang their clothes on a rack to dry, they are not at all soft. But probably the strangest thing of all is that the house doesn’t have heat. Fortunately the beautiful fireplace is a great help since it got down to 40 degrees some of the nights we were here (and this is April!)

So let’s take a look.

Looking at the house from the swimming pool. The patio furniture and the pool are still covered since it’s not quite pool or patio weather just yet.
This is the front entrance off the driveway. To the left you can see the door on the guest room that looks like it could be a garage door.
The shed off the driveway where they store tools, bikes and patio furniture.
The little pool house where they keep the pool equipment. And see how old the tile looks! On top is one of 3 resident pigeons who hung around the pool drinking water from the corners.
Looking down the lane. Around the curve is the gate.
The inside of the front gate at the end of the driveway.
Landscaping behind the pool.
More landscaping. They had a lot of these huge stones that looked so natural. This would be gorgeous at night all lit up.
The wisteria over the patio was at its prime.
Looking outside through the wisteria.
Good houseguests help clean up the wisteria petals.
There were several fruit trees blooming next to the driveway.
The view of the pool from the master bedroom window. When the sun came up in the morning, the pool cover almost seemed to glow as if lighted from within. It was eerie.
Staircase going upstairs. This was really pretty. Behind it you can see the dining area.
The living room.
Looking into the kitchen. She had a totally different oven, although it was a Whirlpool, and it was great. It was a regular oven, a convenction, it defrosted, it made bread rise, it baked bread, it baked pizza, and it had a grill, all on different easy to use settings. I’ve never seen an oven like that and I really learned to like it while we were here. They also had a induction stove top which was really nice.
This is that extra bedroom that they use for a game room. It has the only full bath in the house in that door on the right. There’s a window the same shape as the door but we couldn’t get the shutters open so it was really dark in here.
Cute little powder room. TIniest sink I’ve ever seen.
They use this room as the music room. I love being able to open all the doors and windows but hard to get used to the fact that nobody here has any screens.
The entire house has this tile on the floor, except for the kitchen which I think was concrete.. Doesn’t it look old?
  • The laundry room was nice with lots of storage and this wine cooler next to the washer.
  • I don’t know how a working mother with 2 boys can live without a dryer.

I want to do just a couple more posts after we get home so hang in there.

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Published by JR

3 thoughts on “Our Exchange Home”

  2. Loved the house tour. Aunt Joyce did I detect a little “appliance envy” concerning that stove? 🤢. 👍. I wouldn’t mind having one of those myself. The French just aren’t into bathrooms like we are in the US are they? I loved the tile floors and the stairway reminded me of yours. The yard looked immaculately cared for and the wisteria was beautiful. Lovely place, you “did good”.

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  3. Such a nice provincial house with its terra cotta tile floors and black wrought iron railing……we didn’t have screens in Germany but didn’t seem to have any unwanted flying insects either…..go figure!…..LOVED the trees and you are in the right place at the right time to see them blooming……the wisteria at your exchange house is GORGEOUS……and the patisseries with their beautiful cakes and cookies was FUN to study!….too bad about the riots…..France is experiencing quite a lot of social unrest lately…..and the fire at Notre Dame was very suspicious also……..oh well, you two had a LOVELY vacation and I thank you for taking the time to do this wonderful blog……Merci

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