HillgirtHeightsAdventures: Janet's House in Central France (10-19JULY2014)

I have known Janet since the mid 70s when we were introduced by a mutual friend when we all lived in Manhattan - she always said when she retired, she would buy a house in France. Well, she did and this is it. And we are grateful for the opportunity to relax here for a week after escaping the anger which overtook Israel while we were there.

3 years ago, I sent her an advertisement from an Oakland realtor for a French country cottage - that place wasn't the best but it was in this region and the first house her French realtor showed her was this one. It seems like an amazing property but is actually typical of the region although better renovated than some. There are many British residents here, either in a holiday property or ex-pats from England. And of course, the majority of the neighbours are French farmers.

Chickens, ducks and rabbits are raised for food. There is a huge goat farm and many dirhams of crops like wheat, straw, hay, corn, sunflowers grown for oil, other grains grown for Canola oil. The sunflower fields are in full bloom now and spectacular. It's quiet, litter free along the road, and the land is flat with 360 degree vistas. The roads are lightly travelled by cars (and farm machinery) although automobile drivers go much too fast for my taste. Janet lives here six months and spends the winters in a condo in Arizona. This is the first time I saw the house she tells everyone I "found" for her (not really). It is larger than the photographs show and the walls are close to three feet thick, plastered on the inside - a stone farmhouse or 2 or 3 acres of grass and orchard.