French Village and Country Life
No 9: An American in Beauville
Well , yes ! Here in the backwaters of rural Lot et Garonne, in the pretty bastide village of Beauville ( population 550 !!) our man in the sunshine ( picture below) decided to buy a house with a view last year.
Milton Hoffman and his then girlfriend ( now wife... they spent their honeymoon here) spent some time looking around various country and village properties with me in 2000 and we finally found a most attractive old stone house built over the ramparts of this one time fortified village. The view sold them the house straight away. The garden stretches right to the edge of the old ramparts, so the outlook is straight out over the rural valley below, a real spectacle at all times of the year.
Since becoming owners, and on their several visits since, the Hoffmans have come to appreciate the qualities of a small French village... friendly local people, good bakery and grocers, lovely long country walks ( I often find Milton striding bravely up the steep slope which approaches our village) and , of course, an excellent village restaurant ( in the Hotel du Midi). On his last visit of one week.. every lunch was spent in the restaurant savouring his favourite meal of Cuisses de grenouilles ( Yes !! Frogs legs) and a good bottle of wine. Its a long way to come from Washington for a good meal, but some feel it is certainly worth the trip.
So.... when you come to visit us to go and view properties, as you walk throught the square, the man you see sitting reading La Dépèche newspaper with a smart beret, looking very French indeed.... is indeed, our Americain in Beauville.
Our very best wishes to Lynda and Milton for a long and happy life in our little corner of Paradise
