About France
 La Follette, my childhood home. A Grey-Stone Villa in the South of France near Biot |
~ France ~ My parents found the land the day President Kennedy was assassinated. My father built my mother’s dream, a grey-stone villa in the sun. He died 6 months later. I was a “minor” at the time. This meant that my mother could not sell the house till I was 21 and my father’s bank account was going to be frozen for 5 years. Luckily President Pompidou or De Gaulle, changed the law to suit us and at 18, I signed my part of the house back to my Mother. I am briefly touching on this situation, as, to this day, “innocent” foreigners are caught in the French Inheritance trap. Luckily the laws have changed dramatically since the sixties, but there are still anomalies, to any one familiar with the Anglo-Saxon system. |
| It often amuses me when friends talk about Peter Mayle’s stories in his book “A Year Provence”. I believe he wrote his book in the the late 80′s or early 90′s. Imagine how it was in the 60′s. But I am just jealous of his success.Like everywhere, the South of France has changed, almost beyond recognition, especially the “infamous” French Riviera” stretching from Cannes to Menton on the Italian border. Returning to Europe, generally in May, a blanket a snow still covers the Alpes Maritimes ski resorts. Seeing this above the shining blue Mediterranean makes a wonderful landscape, as so many Impressionists knew. But density of the construction terrifies me, especially when I fly straight from jungle. However, compared to certain stretches of the Costas in Spain, it is still amazingly beautiful, clean and stylish. |
 Valbonne - a very cosmopolitan village |
 Antibes Yacht Marina - one of the largest in the Mediterranean. |
The ancient Provençal village of Biot, (you pronounce the T) over 500 years old, lies on a hill between Nice and Cannes (famous for the Film Festival) and only 10 minutes away from Antibes, probably the biggest motor-yacht harbour in the Mediterranean. Gigantic private motor yachts, often with helicopters on deck and classical sailing boats moor beneath Vauban’s Fort Carré. You can now walk around the Fort and admire both Nice in the distance, and the old town of Antibes with its old ramparts, chateau, museums and cafes. Well on the tourist map, Biot is famous for its Glassworks, the Fernand Léger Museum and Marineland, now owned by Spaniards and one of Europe’s largest Aquatic Attractions. |
| Well positioned for Nice’s International airport (25 mins away), the train station (10 mins away), the A8 motorway leads Westwards to St Tropez, Paris, the Spanish border and Eastwards to Monaco and the Italian border. |
 Comfortable, secluded and easy house. |
I supposed you could say, that we live in a “gated community”. It certainly did not start out like that. There are 120 luxury houses spread over 5 kms of sealed roads. We have now buried all the telephone and electricity wires. La Follette, may one day be for sale, for rent, or for Home Exchange. We would really like to spend more time in the summmer, in our little hideaway in Greece, a lot less sophisticated and cheaper ! Letting go of this comfortable, secluded and easy house, is like a drug addiction, I cannot bear to part with it. |
| If you’re looking to invest or perhaps stay long term, allow me to recommend Domaine des Clausonnes . |