FOR writer Heidi Fuller-love a move to France meant dealing with a troublesome 2CV, strange bathroom arrangements and non-existent heating in a draughty house.
But when her plans to open a gite with her French partner were met with indifference, ridicule and veiled threats, most people would have headed back home.
In Crossing the Loire, Heidi writes about her move from London in the late 1980s to the small village of Mouzon, in the Charente, and how at first she faced many of the problems of starting a fresh in France.
There was the battle to clean out the fosse septique, stunningly cold winters when the temperature failed to nudge above freezing and plenty of entertainment from the local characters in the village.
Alongside these challenges was the fun of a nighttime expedition to track down a Christmas tree, and the sheer decadence of being the only diners in a restaurant with the staff waiting on their every beck and call.
As Heidi, and her partner Fabrice, became part of village life they decided that they would start a small business, and look to attract visitors to the green fields and woods of the region.
However, this was when their troubles began as they faced the notorious French system and the wrath of officials who were resistant to change, eventually reducing Heidi to tears and who became increasingly worried about her own sanity.
Many titles about life in France paint a jolly picture of long, summer afternoons sipping wine underneath a tree – Crossing the Loire is anything but.
In her book Heidi highlights that despite having plenty of ideas and inspiration, alongside a willingness to put in the work, sheer bloody-mindedness might be one of the best skills to develop.
For Heidi there was much to draw from her battle with bureaucracy, changing her as a person and it is clear there is little chance of her heading north back across the Loire in the near future.
Crossing the Loire, by Heidi Fuller-love
Paperback, 271 pages.