Easter Road Trip

Last fall, Chris and ventured outside of Paris to find a cute, charming town. What we found was Roune – and industrial city that was far from pleasant. This past weekend, while visiting our friend Xavier in his house just south of the Loir Valley, we finally found what we were looking for.


Just like Chicago, it seems many people in Paris have second homes away from the city. For us, it was Saugatuck alongside Lake Michigan. For Parisians, they opt for either homes near the ocean (i.e. Normandy) or ones nestled in the French countryside. This past weekend, Xavier invited Chris and I to visit his home just South of the Loir Valley – in the heart of French farmland.

We departed with Maddie on Friday around noon. We should have left earlier but we both wanted to go to the gym before leaving. Big mistake. What should have been a three-hour drive quickly evolved into a five hour haul (a combination of both traffic and our GPS system guiding us around Paris to avoid congested traffic). But fortunately, it was sunny. And as we drove South, it became warmer by the mile. So by the time we stopped at a rest area three hours in, it was almost 70 degrees.

Two hours later, we made our way off the 23€ toll-way and onto Xavier’s. Yes, 23€ for toll. My draw dropped when the total flashed on the screen. Maybe the French should open stores on Sunday to reduce the fare.

The countryside was picturesque. It was just as I imagined. Rolling hills filled with charming cottages and flocks of sheep. And as we made our way over to Xavier’s home, it became even more pictorial.

The main house rests on a small hill overlooking a babbling stream. The recently remodeled two-floor home is simple in design with a mixture of modern elements and was recently featured in February’s French Maison magazine. The former owner rebuilt the house a few years back after the original working mill was burned down (some say by the owner for insurance money). Not far away, the guest cottage, with two rooms on both ends divided by a dining room Xavier uses during summer, was recently beautifully remodeled as well (and continues to be worked on due to an unexpected flood this past March).

Over the next two days, Xavier treated us to some fine French cooking he only prepares in the country (otherwise, in Paris, it’s take out for the Frenchman). In addition, we explored small villages around his village of Huriel. I bought flowers at Jardineland for our flower boxes in Paris. We had an adventure trying to connect his projector for movie night. Our attempt to start a bonfire failed. We hunted for lamb. I watched a few episodes of Family Guy on my computer (I couldn’t go without TV for two days).

But more importantly, Chris and I had quality time with our newfound friend Xavier. We talked. We laughed. We had a wonderful holiday weekend.