“Breaking up is never easy, I know…” Good old Abba – always ready with an apposite lyric, though in this case I suppose it should be “Letting go is never easy” as I say farewell to the garden I have m

Funny how things go. Our campervan neighbour at Wales’ Green Man Festival in mid-August came up with the chance recommendation that saw us at Les Machines de l'Île, in Nantes. This was a late, must-se

Saving a dilapidated old winery from ruin wasn’t the plan when she moved to France, says Wendy Gedney , but turning it into a wonderful home was a privilege and a joy

What to know before you commit

RONNIE and I had enlisted with the agency as house-sitters for people who wanted their properties to be occupied when they went away. We assumed any bookings would be in the summer months. “That’s cer

For some, having extra space to keep animals is one of the drivers for moving to France – Gillian Harvey meets three such people