YOU know what it’s like when you buy a new house. You open all the cupboards, look in every nook and cranny hoping to find an old newspaper or perhaps a time capsule, writes Phil Voice.
And it is even more exciting when the house you have bought is an old French farm just north of Monflanquin which already has proven to be a fascinating adventure.
When you are told by an architectural historian that the front door surround has more than likely been reclaimed from a property dating from between the Baroque and renaissance periods, it feels special.
But walk outside into the garden and things feel very special.
The ‘garden’ is over seven hectares of unspoilt French countryside, which is still used as a working farm, but its banks, meadows, fields and woodland are a treasure trove for anyone who loves wild flowers and wildlife.
Spring came quick and early in the Lot et Garonne. One day there was snow on the ground with overnight temperatures of minus five then the following week we hit highs of 26 degrees C.
With the sun came an explosion of colour and the wildlife started awakening. There is no way of knowing for sure but once you hear the gentle call of the cuckoo it dawns! Spring has arrived.
There is the Helleborus with its succulent upright form shrugging off the winter blues to absorb the warmth of the sun and daffodils, so bright, nod hello as you pass.
Cowslips are everywhere, dandelions cover the meadows making for a spectacular sight and even the house martins are darting around the house.
Overall spring has started with gusto in the Lot et Garonne and it looks sure to continue as the sun gets warmer mixed with the more frequent showers.
About the author
Phil Voice and his family moved to France last year and are busy working on renovating a farm near Monflanquin. Phil is keeping an online diary, called Periogord Vacance, about the work as well as life in France.