REAL LIFE The wood of the French oak
tree is also world-famous for making wine barrels. ‘Matured in French oak’ conjures up delectable taste sensations! There are lakes and dams
and a majestic convergence of two rivers painted by several Impressionist artists: Claude Monet and Pierre-August Renoir captured the impressive scene on canvas.
A SUSTAINABLE PLOT The search for a new home took on epic proportions and soon became my obsession. I needed to put my roots down. I dreamed of a forest and a kitchen garden where I could interact with nature and try to move closer to living off the grid. A more sustainable and way of life was in the making. It is often said that your wish
will materialise if you desire it with your entire being, heart and soul. I did precisely that. We had to fi nd a place soon, as our temporary dwelling wasn’t really big enough for two demanding hounds and us. We perused every magazine,
newspaper, and agence immobilière in the vicinity. One desperate night, the
universe responded: I scrolled through a website off ering houses for sale. My heart started a spectacular drumroll when I spotted a place on the edge of a forest. We met the estate agent in
a small hamlet called Lépaud, about 19km from Boussac. It was a sunny autumn day in 2019. The property was a few kilometres outside the village. To get there, we drove along the edge of a vast forest. I opened the car window and the air was cool against my cheek. The autumn leaves, the woods and the smell of moss were beguiling. Hardy, my partner, who was driving, pulled over and we sat for a while, taking in nature at its undiluted best. A stag with magnifi cent horns crossed the dirt track, paused briefl y and disappeared into the leafy surrounds. We drove along the forest road for another half a kilometre before stopping in front of an imposing
Louis strolls in the lavender fi eld at Le Rémbucher with fellow foodie Isabella
Earth pods in Louis’ carefully craſt ed kitchen garden
house with suitable-sized outbuildings. Called Le Rémbucher, it was on the edge of the forest. There were birds everywhere.
The building was the
hunting pavilion of Château de Lépaud, a Renaissance
castle built by the illustrious princes of Combrailles. After milling around in every nook and cranny, I wanted to sign on the dotted line there and then. Hardy told the anxious agent that we would think things through. There was too much work to be done, and he was done with restoring dilapidated treasures. I was disappointed, and we drove away in silence. There was no sign of the deer. Hardy stopped the car.
“What now?” I asked, looking around. He rolled down the windows for the second time that day. “This is the only other place on earth I want to live,” he said, his voice thick with feeling. We jumped right in with
Louis outside Le Rémbucher with one of his berry and meringue creations
the house renovations. The fi rst night we spent in our new home was magical. I had to remember what darkness in the countryside felt like. We
were so used to village and street lights that when we were enveloped by natural darkness, we suddenly felt insecure. Our new dwelling was surrounded by so much darkness it lit up the sky! I have been a vegan for
a decade and I dreamed of a garden that we could progressively re-wild and establish a permaculture kitchen garden and an organic potager. To be able to mostly eat from our own garden became a new kind of devotion. The sheer joy of making my own compost and running a no- waste kitchen was becoming a reality. Exhilarating potential while helping to give our fragile planet a bit of a breather.
TAPESTRY OF LIFE One of the many jewels of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, within which Creuse lies, is the historic village of Aubusson. For centuries they have woven and restored wall hangings and carpets there. A fascinating link between Boussac and Aubusson is still a talking point. The famous Lady and the Unicorn, a series of six
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: July/August 2023 79
© LOUIS JANSEN VAN VUUREN
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