REAL LIFE


in cheek. Fast-forward to 2011 and, after a year of renting and “57 viewings”, the couple fi nally found what they were looking for in the picturesque village of Pouzolles, at the heart of the Haut Languedoc et Vignobles area. However, as Monica admits,


it has subsequently cost more — in time, eff ort and money — than they’d anticipated to do their property up. “It’s a slightly atypical village house with some strange ‘modern’ renovations done to it in the 1970s, which we are slowly stripping out. Apart from the original structure, which was very sound, we have redone or renewed the kitchen, bathrooms and most of the fl ooring. We’ve also stripped out some seriously dodgy wallpaper and completely redone the garden.”


CREATING A HOME Over time, and despite the diffi culties, the house became a home. But the idea of starting a painting holiday business — now called Painting Holidays in France — didn’t spring to mind until they were well established. As Monica explains: “Simon started doing weekly painting and drawing classes in our studio after a couple of people who lived locally asked if he off ered them. After a couple of years of doing this, we decided to expand into multi-day holidays for an


international clientele.” As the business grew, the groups became larger. But Simon and Monica found the solution to their accommodation problem, quite literally, just around the corner. This solution, La Couronne,


The water fountain in Pouzolles


is an elegant holiday rental and former home of a maître vigneronne or winemaker, run by an Australian couple. It has fi ve bedrooms, fi ve bathrooms, two living areas, two dining areas, a pool and a courtyard. It’s also right in the centre of the village with a traditional restaurant next door. Just next to this is the commanding 15th- century Château de Pouzolles with its cone-topped turrets. In fact, the architectural style is fairly unusual for the area (it’s more reminiscent of


“The couple found what they were looking for in the picturesque village of Pouzolles”


the Loire) and comes from a 19th-century makeover, but it’s undeniably charming. Another interesting feature of the village is its ‘Château d’Eau’, or public fountain, which is situated in front of the park opposite and fed by a well. Curiously, though, the water has run dry for the fi rst time this year. The couple have had a bit


of a bumpy ride with Painting in France in more recent years following Brexit and Covid, but the journey as a whole has been well worth it. Along the way, they made an


appearance on Channel Four’s popular series A New Life in the Sun. This was more intense than they’d imagined, but it certainly helped to raise their profi le, to the point that they became minor celebrities and were recognised by a host of holidaymakers at the airport. One of the painting locations


that featured in the programme is the delightful village of Roquebrun, which lies at the southern edge of the Haut- Languedoc Park. Beyond this, the landscape around Pouzolles stretches out towards the


 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: July/August 2023 31


Simon’s painting of Roquebrun is slowly coming to life


© SIMON AND MONICA ROBERTS


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