Room with a View

After catching numerous trains across France (vertical train travel is much easier than horizontal in France) I am now staying with a friend in a tiny village in the Dordogne region. Very picturesque, set in a valley surrounded by woodlands. Autumn has arrived now with mists and a slight chill – quite delightful.

Tomorrow I will meet some local writers and deliver a mini-workshop followed by lunch. Am really looking forward to hearing all about life in an expat community.

This is the amazing five-storey villa where I’m staying and the idyllic view from my room.

Au Revoir, La Rochelle

 

Early departure today from La Rochelle and off to my next destination; Argentat in the Upper Dordogne. La Rochelle lays on the most beautiful sunrise every morning giving the whole town a rosy glow.

Had a very ‘French’ experience on my final night here. My friends here decided we would share a bottle of champagne by the harbour before going to the restaurant for dinner. The problem was that the only glasses available were the dreaded plastic cups.

So Hervé went into a nearby bar and explained that this was my last night here in La Rochelle and it was unacceptable that I should suffer the indignity of drinking champagne from a plastic cup.  Of course, the owner completely agreed this was a matter of civic pride and loaned us four champagne glasses. Voila!  Who says the French are unhelpful?

The Good Life

The writer’s life is not all serious research and pondering, sometimes it’s ‘beer and skittles’! These two fabulous Frenchies lived with me several years ago in Australia and it’s been fun to catch up with them in La Rochelle.

I’ve been in a dilemma when to set ‘Madame Mathilde’. Although it’s a current day story and this year is the obvious choice – I started to wonder if we will actually want to relive 2016!

However, given that my characters are tucked away in a beautiful spot in France, it’s probably interesting for them peek out at this topsy-turvy world from a safe distance. In that light, it’s great to talk to locals about where things are at here right now.

Gone Fishin’

Interesting visit to the Poitou-Charentes coast to see these little fishing huts built on stilts and known as ‘carrelets’ – named for the square (carré) net that hangs off the front and, presumably, fills up with fish.

Strange and lonely landscape once the tide recedes.

Another Mathilde..

Apropos of absolutely nothing, apart from the name, what sweet little place! Will have to come back when it’s open. (FYI: ‘comptoir’ is a fancy French name for a bar).

La Rochelle

My first stop is La Rochelle, a beautiful ancient city in the Bay of Biscay. It’s about four hours drive from where I’m planning to set my story and I’m  envisaging that when things get difficult (as they most definitely will!) my characters, Mia and Adam, an Australian couple in their early thirties, will come here for a few days to straighten themselves out.

It’s a small city with a relaxed vibe. The French do a good line in chilling out. They sit in the cafés with a view of the harbour, sipping coffee or aperitifs, nibbling on something delicious and pondering existentialist conundrums. Well, maybe not everyone but Jean-Paul Sartre lived here and he definitely did. I expect Simone De Beauvoir was also in residence given there are streets named after them both. Now that’s my idea of celebrity spotting!

Bonjour France

Great to be back in France for another research expedition. At the start of 2015 I spent a month in the South of France researching ‘The French Perfumer‘ which will be published by Penguin Books in February 2017. This time, I’m here scouting locations for my next book ‘Madame Mathilde’ which will be set in the South West region, in the Tarn area.

I’ll be using this blog to share some of the people and places I find along the way – come along for the ride!