Autumn is beach time in the Pyrenees

It’s that time of year again when everyone is back at work and school and hence the beaches, both Mediterranean and Atlantic are now empty. Which means that it is also the ideal time of year for a day at the seaside. The difficult thing living here is not just the decision which beach but, firstly, whether it will be Mediterranean or Atlantic beaches, both being almost equidistant, a bit over two hours and a very easy drive along almost empty motorways; I can never get over that - living somewhere that gives us the choice of not  just one but two oceans to visit.

The forecast promised much better conditions on the Atlantic when we looked the night before so it got the vote on this occasion. We always set off early to make the most of the day and arrive in time for coffee and Gateaux Basque in the sunshine at one of the many lovely cafes in St Jean de Luz before heading off to the sandy beach for a day of swimming, sandcastle building, cricket (just to keep the locals guessing) and people watching, all of course punctuated by a delicious seafood lunch. By the time we arrive home in the evening, it really feels as if we have had a mini-holiday and certainly recharged our batteries, ready for another (not so manic) week in the foothills of south west France.

Organic wine from the Ariège; delicious and good for you – santé

Philippe Babin

Most people have never heard of the Ariège – and that includes most French people – which means that very few people have ever tasted an Ariège wine despite the fact that the region now occupies the top spot for organic winegrowers in France, making up 25% of the total. However, the wines of the Ariège still tend to be ignored because the number of vineyards is minimal and the production is very low so it is actually very hard to get your hands on a bottle of wine from the Ariège. At the end of the 19^th century, there were 20,000 hectares of vines in the region but thanks initially to industrialisation and depopulation followed by Phyloxia and World War 1, the vines were gradually abandoned until by 1979, there were just 2000 hectares of vines under cultivation and today there are fewer than 100 winemakers in the region.

We were recently lucky enough to meet the charming Philippe Babin, one of the best-known organic wine producers in France, who produces the delicious Côteaux d’Engraviès. His vineyard is situated in little village of Vira to the east of Foix in a beautiful pocket of rolling hills tucked below the higher peaks of the Pyrenees. He started growing vines in 1998 on land which had never been treated with chemicals and thus was able to secure a subsidy to grow and produce organic wine. He took us on a fascinating tour of his vineyards and is an eloquent and entertaining host, clearly with huge passion for his wine and immense knowledge which he is happy to share. He insists that it is perfectly feasible to produce delicious wine organically and argues that it is only by growing without chemicals, that it is possible to get the true flavour of the grapes and the ‘terroir’; that all important hidden ingredient in every wine – the flavour provided by the land and position on which the grapes are grown. He also points out that the Ariège is a magical area for wine because it sits on the climatic cusp between the Mediterranean and Atlantic, with influences from both as well as from the mountains and thus he is able to use both traditionally Mediterranean grape varieties and traditionally colder climate varieties from the Atlantic region to create a truly special and unusual wine.

Philippe makes just three wines and I can confirm (after some serious tasting both in situ and since) that they are all delicious. If you are lucky, you might be able to buy his wine from his website but it is very much first come, first served because demand for Côteaux d’Engravies now outstrips supply. Even better, pay him a visit. Here’s the link: http://www.coteauxdengravies.com/index.php?store=18&erase_records=1 

The reality behind the photos

I thought this photo perfectly illustrated one of the many reasons why it pays to use a property finder out here, especially if you don’t have the time or money to make endless trips to France to view properties which look perfect in the photos but then turn out to be very disappointing in reality.

Of course, I am sure that there are plenty of people who wouldn’t mind living under a high voltage power line – I have even seen new houses built right underneath so that you can hear the hum of the electricity passing overhead. Others may be happy to have a huge pylon as a feature in the middle of their garden. But I know from experience that the majority of people moving to France are looking for a better quality of life and a healthier lifestyle and there is no way that I would ever recommend a house in this particular type of ‘hot-spot’ for any of my clients.

Hence the 90 minute round trip to view this property was a complete waste of time. But at least it was my time, not my clients’ and this is, after all, my job. Although these wasted viewings are very frustrating they are a large part of the search; the process of sorting the wheat from the chaff and making sure that I have seen every apparently suitable house for sale before drawing up a short-list of the very best properties on the market that match budget and brief. It is a time-consuming and frustrating process but also immensely satisfying when I know that I have found the ‘one’. 

How much is a French property really worth

I am sure I am not the only one drawn to Estate Agent’s windows whenever I visit a new country or region; of course houses are my business so perhaps I have more interest than most but I think many of us are fascinated to see the different sorts of property for sale in other places and the prices that are being asked. This is of course why estate agents put their most photogenic and seemingly best value properties in their windows - a sort of juicy worm to hook people in. But I know by experience how very misleading such properties and prices can be – it is the same on the internet with beautiful shots of tightly cropped and apparently very cheap houses for sale giving the impression that property in France is as cheap as chips. Well property in this region is certainly very good value but I think that many people window shopping for houses this summer are likely to be disappointed if they are thinking that they will be able to pick up something for almost nothing and, if it looks too good to be true, more often than not, it will be.

Although it has now become a buyer's market in France, there is as yet no general agreement that the reduction in the level of sales will be accompanied by any major collapse in prices and the general strength of the market over the past two years has surprised many analysts.

The difficulty for buyers in France right now is of course is how much a property is really worth and how much they should offer? It is usually said that a property is worth whatever someone is prepared to pay for it but it is human nature to want to get the best possible deal. The difficulty is working out what the best possible deal actually is and what the ‘right price’ should be? Is a house in the middle of nowhere worth more than a house in the middle of a village or vice versa? And is it better to buy a rundown property and spend money on improving it or buy one at a higher price where someone else has done the work? Is an old house worth more than a new? How much value does access to big towns and good transport links add to a house? And, in this region particularly, how much more does a view of the mountains add to the price of a property?

Although I have a good feel for what price a house should be in my region, I do still always look at four basic things when calculating if the house is correctly priced and deciding at what level to start the negotiations for my clients:

Firstly it makes sense to get an idea of what other similar properties are for sale in the vicinity and at what price. If the property is far more expensive than anything similar in the area then it has probably been priced at that level by the owners who think that is what it is worth rather than an estate agent or Notaire who will have a better idea of the real value. You need to be particularly wary of private sales for this reason and do your research well.

Secondly it helps to find out how long the property has been on the market as this will allow you to judge whether or not a lower offer seems plausible. A low offer on a property that’s only been on the market a few weeks is less likely to be accepted than an offer on a property that has been on the market for a year.

Thirdly it is very useful to find out whether there have been any price reductions. If a property has been recently reduced in price then it is unlikely that the owners will drop the price a lot further. Again, do your homework and find out if offers have been made in the past and, if so, what level were they at if you can – although this information can of course be difficult to get hold of.

Fourthly, it is always useful, if at all possible, to find out the personal circumstances of the seller and whether there is any urgency to sell. To find out the truth however is not always easy and usually takes a great deal of detective work.

A lot of people think that the current economic crisis in Europe means that French property prices are free falling. This just isn’t true. Whilst there are fewer properties being sold, there are also fewer properties for sale and prices are remaining stable. So by all means make an offer but be realistic or you are likely to be disappointed and tread carefully before making a lowball offer; the French tend not to take kindly to low offers and can feel insulted, meaning that chances of further negotiation are slim.

Dare I say that, of course, the very best way of ensuring that you are only paying what a property is worth and not a penny more is of course to employ a property finder...

Oh and a final word on all the scaremongering in the press about increased taxes on second home owners in France. For a start these are all still proposals but should they become law, they will have little or no effect on the vast majority. First rental tax only applies if you let your house commercially and the majority of second home owners don’t – they simply accept contributions from guests. Secondly UK tax payers are already liable to UK CGT on foreign property and tax paid in France is in any case off-settable against any UK liability and that will remain the case.

Up and Over to Barcelona

The longer we live in this privileged location, the more I realize how lucky we are to be in reach of so much.  Both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coasts are an easy day-trip; skiing at a choice of resorts is just an hour away; fabulous walking, cycling, kayaking and just about every sport is on the doorstep; we are also just an hour away from the lovely city of Toulouse and, for a weekend of a very different city culture, Barcelona is just a 3 ¾ hour drive, up and over the mountains from us.

Hence we have just come back from a perfect weekend in one of my favourite cities where it is equally possible to visit fantastic museums and exhibitions, eat some of the best food and drink some of the best wine in the world and spend time on the beach or just wandering the maze of historic streets and enjoying the very Spanish architecture.

We left home on Friday afternoon and set off over the mountains for what must be one of the most stunning cross-border drives, winding up the green French valleys and over the Pyrenees down into the plains of Spain. Just four hours after leaving, we were enjoying a chilled cava and seafood tapas watching the sun go down over the yachts, illuminating the city and hills behind. Barcelona really comes alive in the evenings and at weekends and you can’t help to relax and enjoy the party mood. People were incredibly friendly, service excellent and, of course, the weather was perfect, the cooling breezes from the sea keeping the temperature at a very comfortable level. We saw lots, visited lots, walked lots, talked lots and ate and drank lots; perfect.

The drive home was equally stunning; it is always a great feeling to leave the baked Spanish plains and come back over the mountains back to our unspoiled and very beautiful little corner of France, having had our fill of Catalan culture, a country so close and yet so different. After just two days away, we arrived home feeling as if we had been on holiday and hugely appreciative yet again that we discovered this very special location with so much so close.

Anyone for tennis?

The French Open (or Roland Garros as it is known in France) is over and Wimbledon is about to start which seems the perfect time to take a look at the differences between the game of tennis in both countries. And now that I am the chauffeur of a budding tennis champion here in France, I am beginning to understand why tennis is such a popular and thriving activity in this part of the world, far more so than I remember it being in the UK where it only seems to capture the collective imagination for those two famous weeks in June.

Tennis seems to be a completely different sport here in France than it is in England. Well obviously the hitting the ball back and forth over a net is the same but that’s pretty much it, in terms of similarities. In the UK I would suggest that tennis is an elite sport whereas in France it is an activity open to anyone and everyone. Even the smallest village seems to have at least one tennis court and the bigger towns often have a selection of clay and hard courts as well as one or two covered courts.

Membership of a tennis club here costs practically nothing and the price of lessons (for children at least) is also minimal. Tennis whites are rarely seen and the plumber and doctor play happily with or against the Notaire and postie. Class, status or occupation are completely irrelevant, the only thing that matters is technique and winning; make no mistake, the French are extremely competitive and play to win – another obvious difference to their English counterparts (I’m asking for trouble here I know!)

The advantage of all this for French tennis of course is that the talent net is spread wide and so every budding champion is spotted young and gets the chance to practice locally – after all, even the best players will get nowhere without the opportunity to practice...and practice.  And of course they need to play matches, compete, win and lose which is another great strength of the French system. Even the youngest players are ranked and this continues throughout their tennis career so everywhere they go, they can play against similar ranked players and they improve their rankings through competing and winning. Believe me, to a teenage boy, this competitive spirit is hugely important in motivating them to train and win and hugely satisfying that they have the chance to reach their potential.

For anyone moving to France or looking to spend time out here, tennis is also a fantastic way of integrating into the local community. Because every club is open to all, you simply need to go along, sign up and add your name to the ladder and you will soon get the opportunity to play. And if you start joining in competitions you will get your ranking which means that wherever you travel in France, you can turn up and offer to play someone of similar ranking (or lower obviously if you like to win!) In fact any type of sport is a very levelling and inclusive and certainly one of the easiest and best ways to become part of a community here.

Having said all that, my money isn’t on a French win at Wimbledon any more than it is on an English one but what is important, I think, is that at least everyone should have the chance to learn and play if they want to, wherever they are from and whoever they are.

The work/life balance in France

Much as I absolutely appreciate the luxury of modern technology which allows me to work in this beautiful and rural part of France and still be connected to the rest of the world, I do somehow still hanker after that simpler way of life which for many is only a distant memory but which, here in the foothills, is still very much in evidence - as you can see in this photo of my neighbours getting around as they always do; husband at the wheel, wife precariously balanced on the back. Such style!

Luxury is all relative - at least she doesn't have to walk up the hill anymore!

Perhaps it is the pace of modern life that is drawing more and more of us to France and the French lifestyle where the simpler things in life still matter. Hence everything still stops for lunch – at least in this part of France – and families still make time to eat a meal together around the table at least once a day and often more. The market is still the main source of everyday foodstuffs, fresh bread every day is vital (bakeries are the only places that open on Sunday and Bank Holiday mornings) and business is still best done face-to-face in your local town. Being in a rush here is almost an admission of failure and can be used as an insult if you were to suggest that someone is perhaps pushing in front of you in a queue because he is pressé.

I am by no means suggesting that everything in France is perfect; we all know that everywhere has its bad aspects as well as good. Nor am I suggesting that I really want to be transported around on the back of my husband’s tractor! I am certainly guilty of getting the balance wrong much of the time and working too many hours at the expense of leisure and family time and then beating myself up about it just like everyone else. However living here is a good antidote to this – I just have to drive up my hill and see my neighbours sitting on the bench putting the world to rights with all the time in the world and it puts me straight back on track as to what is really important in life.

If I lived in London I would be so carried away by the rush and stress that I know I would never take an afternoon off to walk in the mountains, plant my tomatoes, picnic by the river or go cycling with the children. I think it is living in France that has saved me and kept me sane and has taught me that there is lot to be said for the traditional way of life - despite how incongruous it might look in this very modern world. I certainly have never seen two more smiley and contented people than my neighbours pictured here so they are certainly doing something right!