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Why Gascony?

Gascony was a surprise to me, I never dreamed such a magical country existed right under my nose. I was looking for a home my horses and discovered Gascony completely by accident, purely because it has 300 days of sunshine a year and produces the liquid gold liquor, Armagnac. I first looked around the Cognac area, but couldn't find anything suitable, when a friend mentioned in an absent-minded sort of way that, actually, he preferred Armagnac anyway. Ah bon? I said. And where do they make Armagnac? Somewhere in the south-east of France, came the answer. And the rest is history.

Somewhere in the south of France turned out to be in Gascony, one of the best-kept secrets in the whole country. Nearly 90% of visitors to Gascony are French, and they come in great numbers. This is the home of d'Artagnan, one of Alexandre Dumas' musketeers, of Armagnac, of Floc de Gascogne, of Pousse Rapiere, of foie gras...it is the ultimate source of douceur de vivre or the simple sweetness of life. Le Bonheur est dans le Pré, a very famous French film, was shot here.

Here I found peace and quiet in abundance. Gascony is one of the least populated regions in Western Europe. And lots of green rolling hills as well as the ever-present and majestic Pyrenées stretching from east to west on the southern border of this ancient province. The perfect home for a retreat, the area well-known since gallo-roman times for the healing properties of its spring waters. Three Spa towns dominate the scene, Castera-Verduzan, Barbotan-les-Termes and Lectoure, each famous in its own right for treatment of specific illnesses. And it remains popular, there was a 20% increase over the last two years in spa-goers to the area.

I was enchanted, from the first moment I crossed the border into Gers en Gascogne. What a strange and mysterious country! Bullfights, flamenco, jazz and latin music festivals, siestas, food for kings and wine for angels - where was I all these years?

Definitely the right spot for my retreat. It took me a long time to find the perfect property, due to my rather exacting requirements. I was every estate agents nightmare. How many times did I hear but Madame, no property is perfect! I wanted a property with land, 8 or more acres, for my growing herd of Friesian horses and to ensure my and my guests' privacy. But it also had to be close to a village with a few shops and located close to several of the areas tourist highlights.

The house itself needed to be large, and old, and renovated to a high standard, with lots of rooms for my guests. Furthermore, it needed to be easily accessible by plane, train and car and have one or more natural springs on the property. And pasture for the horses and outbuildings for stables. And space for my running/cycling/walking circuit, on site, as well as bridle paths and walking/cycling routes close by. And a room with a view for the gym. Another for the giftshop.

Of course, I did not mention all this at once to the poor unsuspecting estate agents, they would have given up on the spot. I hoped to find a property with as many of these criteria as possible. Alegria exceeded all my expectations, in every single way. It had every thing I ever wanted, and much more besides. Why is Gascony such a perfect place for a retreat?

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