Light of France Tours
FEATURED GUEST of NORMANDY:
The Smiths: Brent & Sheree
BIJOUX GITES
It’s a narrow, not-winding country road that leads straight to their door …
Directions I had received the first time I looked for it were, ‘turn left at the Maire’ and keep going, then bear right at the split.
So I did that.
The drive had an element of timelessness to it; the road was empty but for green fields of wheat and corn coming on … easy to get lost — and quiet in the mind with a horizon of blue and green …
It’s that moment when you wonder if you heard the directions correctly, right before the moment you stumble upon the find.
At the end of the road, basically, turn right and there you are. It is in its own cul de sac with a pool sitting leisurely by the side; all this within the Normandy commune of Marigny.
That’s right — out in the middle of nowhere but five minutes to somewhere.
I met Sheree and Brent through mutual friends. I’d heard for months about their project, and had frequent updates on ‘how close they were’ to finished.
(You take a smattering of expats in a grouping of small villages in France — and word travels.)
Their story is not unusual; having a holiday home in France is not uncommon for the English. What people *do* with their holiday homes however, differs broadly from gate to gate.
For Brent and Sheree, they took their initial jump into France 19 years before. They’d come to rest, replenish, and dream.
A little over four years ago, everything changed.
It takes a leap of faith, a holding of the breath in hope and exhilaration, and a dash of courage to bite off what they bit … to heave ho, swing in full time, and offer to others a slice of life to be enjoyed.
Remember, this is an early 1600s grouping of stone buildings from a time gone by. So that meant gutting the lot of it and building from the inside out.
Bijoux Gites lives up to its name; tied with a bow, it sits ready for you to unwrap and discover. Hats Off, you two; your project is finished and exudes joy.
