Luxury Real Estate

Pierre-Yves Guillaume with Rive Droite Immobilier

Located in a charming French hamlet at one hour drive from Geneva (Switzerland) and Lyon (France), this breathtaking estate is one of the most prestigious properties currently offered in Europe.

This elegant and refined castle , which can accommodate 100 persons, has just been entirely restored by some of the best European craftsmen. The current owner received the European Union Cultural Commission’s grand prize for a prior restoration.

The entire property is comprised of the main castle, a keep tower, a gardener cottage, the stables and its outbuildings, a workshop, pavilion and barn.

Established as a Barony since 1582, the estate has a surface of 130 hectares including 80 hectares of fenced and lanscaped grounds with a french park, 10 horse paddocks, a covered riding school,15 km of private roads, tennis court.

The castle is divided into 5 levels of living space.

The lower ground floor (150 sqm / 1,625 sq feet) offers a fully equipped kitchen with serving hatch, service room, shower room, toilets, laundry room, and several service rooms.

The ground floor (480 sqm / 5,150 sq feet) is where you will find the large entrance hall decorated by a 16th-century tapestry, the astonishing ball room with a fireplace of sculpted wood, original 1880 tile floors and splendid paneling, a breathtaking round smoking room, a charming Orangerie with views of the park, small dining room, the formal dining room for 40 persons with its Renaissance fireplace, classified as a French historical monument, the elevator, a gallery with wardrobe and toilets for visitors. From the ground floor there is also access to the 3-story tower with a bedroom on the first floor, a large terrace and a second bedroom on the second floor.

The second floor of the castle ( 480 sqm / 5,150 sq feet) is home to an impressive large central reception room with its subtly decorated wooden fireplace, beautiful herringbone parquet floor and painted ceiling, the royal apartment is furnished with a Louis 13th canopy bed, and features a large terrace and an extraordinary round bathroom. The prince apartment, the count apartment and the Baron apartment, all beautifully appointed with the finest details and their own bathroom .

The third floor ( 357 sqm / 3’850 sq feet) holds 8 more bedrooms and bathrooms, including two superb Louis 16th style bedrooms, plus an elegant Egyptian-style reception room and turret.

The fourth level of the castle features 7 additional apartments, a large family room, storage room and the maid¹s room with a small shower. All the bedrooms of the castle are furnished in different styles of furniture that cover all the French historical periods from Louis 13th to Louis-Philippe.

The impressive keep features a wine cellar, a billiard room anorded with a charming balcony, a library with a 17th century fireplace and embellished by an 18th century tapestry, two very charming small apartments with ceilings «à la française» and delightful small bathrooms. The top level is an amazing terrace overviewing the whole estate.

Nicola Christinger of Home Hunts SARL

The property market in France is likely to be boosted by the news that the country has come out of recession. The announcement of new air routes from key British destinations to four cities in the south west of France is also set to encourage buy to let property investors and those searching for holiday homes in France.

An examination of statistics from Notaires shows that is French buyers who are set to lead the property market recovery although 50% of current foreign buyers are still British. Many of HOMEHUNTS partner agents are reporting an increase in appointments and enquires in August, which is normally notoriously quiet.

France`s property market has been less affected by the recession than many other countries due to the fact that there is a strict policy on lending in the country which has meant the sub prime problem has been minimised. Of course there has been a knock on effect around the globe and it is estimated that residential property prices in some parts of France have fallen by up to 25%. Popular hotspots like the Cote d’Azur, Paris and Provence have seen smaller price falls and a steady flow of sales. The fact that prices have been adjusted over this past 12-18 months alongside the fact that interest rates and mortgage rates are at an all time low makes France an interesting prospect for buyers at present.

The setting up of a new base by Ryanair at Leeds Bradford International Airport will see new routes opening up to Carcassonne, Limoges, Montpellier and Nantes, making these areas more accessible for buy to let property investors, Montpellier and Nantes, in France.

Recent closures at the London stock exchange have recorded their highest level this year after an unexpected return to growth in France – one of the eurozone’s powerhouse economy. This has boosted hopes of recovery from the severest financial crisis since the 1930s. France reported that output had grown by 0.3% in the three months to June – bucking market fears of a fresh contraction in activity and far exceeding the performance of the UK.

According to Martin van Vliet, economist at ING bank: “There is a more than decent chance that eurozone economic activity has now hit a bottom and will expand again in the third quarter, as many other eurozone economies follow Germany and France out of recession”

By: Nicola Christinger of Home Hunts

The Dordogne is a region of South West France between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river that runs through it. Known locally as the Perigord, there is a rich diversity of towns and villages in the Dordogne with splendid high ‘perched villages’ and bastide towns such as Domme, delightful riverside villages such as Limeuil and cultural centres such as Sarlat.

But there is currently serious interest in the number of Chateaux available for sale and you don’t have to be as rich as a king to be able to afford one.

One particularly imposing country chateau(above) surrounded by 5424m² of land with an unspoilt panoramic view is available for sale at Price: 844,000 euros.

This regal Chateau in the Dordogne (below) stands in 15 hectares of wooded grounds and has several outbuildings. Price: 1,320,000 euros

Needing renovations to be completed, (below) once finished this 18th Century Chateau, set back in a beautiful small valley to the North of Bergerac could be fit for a king. It offers approx 600m2 of living space, two outbuildings of 200m2 and 300m2 and stands in grounds of 12 hectares with long private driveway, pond and spring. Price: 1,284,000 euros.

With far reaching views over the surrounding countryside, this beautifully restored 19th century castle is situated between Bergerac and Saint- Emilion. Price: 630,000 euros

However if your budget does stretch a little higher, this outstanding chateau with a luxurious yet country home feel, is the ultimate combination of classical decor and modern comfort and style. The chateau has ten suites with en-suite bathrooms and five reception rooms, with a total of 1000m2 living space.

There is also an independent 4 bedroom cottage completely refitted with contemporary interior preserving original features, plus another one bedroom cottage as part of outbuildings. There is a further 2500m2 of outbuildings and orangerie with great potential for development, if desired. Planning permission granted for a further 10 rooms, as well as an 18 hole golf course.

Quiet secluded location, set in 55 hectares of parkland, woods and meadows with a stream and bordered by a small river. Steeped in history with President Mitterand a frequent guest and formerly owned by the Marquis de Nattes, and records of settlement here date back to Roman times. Price: 3,500,000 euros. Experience the history, take pleasure in the countryside and live like a King. For more information and a full selection of chateaux please contact info@home-hunts.com

Nice, June 30^th 2009 – Riviera Estates, a leading luxury estate agent on the French Riviera with offices in Paris and Courchevel (French Alps) and an Associated office in Monaco announced today the signing of an agreement with Luxuryrealestate.com.

” We are convinced that Luxuryrealestate.com will be an outstanding marketing support for our company, enabling us to efficiently promote on the internet the best properties of our portfolio to high profile visitors and specialized luxury real estate brokers worldwide. Riviera Estates is continuously exploring new marketing opportunities to take its business to the next level and we believe that Luxuryrealestate.com will be a major contributor to the growth of our sales activities” said Jean Claude Caputo, CEO and Senior Partner of Riviera Estates.

“Joining Luxuryrealestate.com is also a great opportunity to join the community of the best luxury real estate brokers on the planet and to exchange views, ideas and …clients” added Jean-Claude Caputo.

About Riviera Estates

Riviera Estates operates on the French Riviera, from St Tropez to the Italian border. From first class offices located in Nice, Cap Ferrat and Plascassier (near Valbonne), a team of highly qualified and experienced multilingual sales agents actively work in key markets including St Tropez, Cannes, Valbonne, Mougins, St Paul de Vence, Nice, Cap Ferrat, Cap d’Antibes and all other areas where there is a high demand for luxury residences.

Riviera Estates has been the exclusive associate of SAVILLS on the French Riviera for the past 9 years. SAVILLS is the leading property consultancy firm in UK and one of the major worldwide, headquartered in London with 180 offices and associates around the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.savills.co.uk/abroad.

Riviera Estates has an associate company operating in Paris; Paris Estates (http://www.paris-estates.com), an associate company operating in Monaco; JCC Properties Monaco (http://www.monaco-estates.net) and runs a corporate sales office in Courchevel, French Alps (http://www.courchevel-estates.net).

Riviera Estates regularly markets some of the best properties on the French Riviera with sale prices from 700 000€ up to more than 50M€.

Mr. Jean Claude Caputo, CEO and Senior Partner of Riviera Estates, is one the leading professionals in the field of luxury residential real estate in France. His considerable knowledge of luxury real estate niche markets on the French Riviera but also in Monaco, Courchevel and Paris, is a tremendous asset to the company. His highly qualified sales agents are always available to deliver Riviera Estates clients the best possible service, professional, efficient and discreet.

More information about Riviera Estates including some of the best properties for sale on the French Riviera can be found at www.riviera-estates.com

CONTACT: Media: Patrice Rochas (+33 4 93 87 41 15), patrice@riviera-estates.net

By: Nicola Christinger of HomeHunts

The present global financial crisis does not seem to be having a significant impact on the outlook of recent international buyers of French property.

On the contrary, according to a survey published last month, carried out by French bank BNP Paribas, there remains strong confidence in the French housing market, with over 90% of buyers from overseas who bought property in France in the last three years who consider the property a good medium to long term investment. There also seem as many who intend to invest further in the French property, as those who propose to sell.

BNP Paribas surveyed 220 international buyers who had purchased a property in France since 2006, around a quarter of whom came from the United Kingdom. The results do contrast somewhat with the view that has been expressed in the media, that some kind of mass exodus is taking place from France. More encouraging, the survey also confirmed what many previous surveys of French property buyers have also shown, that it was the appeal of the laid back lifestyle in France that was the main reason for buying property in France.

 By Nicola Christinger of HOMEHUNTS

HOMEHUNTS, the luxury French property specialists based in Marseille, South of France, has recently launched the newly redesigned website:

http://www.luxury-french-property.com

Since its launch, the website has been beating the current global economic slowdown and has seen dramatic increases in property enquiries, as well as rave reviews from prospective buyers looking to buy their own slice of life in France.

The website features a portfolio of over 4000 luxury properties located throughout the regions of Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Cote D’Azur, St Tropez and Paris. With such an extensive range of apartments, villas, luxury estates and chateaux to choose from, finding the perfect property has never been easier, thanks to their comprehensive search facility featured on the website.

HOMEHUNTS Director, Tim Swannie said, “Since the launch of the website we have been contacted by serious buyers from all over the world. People are still taking advantage of the buyer’s market and now is always a notoriously busy time for clients looking to buy before the end of the summer.”

The Luxury French Property website also offers a unique free property finder service which has proved popular with people looking to buy but aren’t sure or unable to locate their ideal home. By simply completing the online questionnaire, the Luxury French Property team will use their experience and knowledge to search the entire property market and find a selection of properties meeting the requirements of the prospective buyer.

Confirming the advantages of the service, Tim Swannie adds “The property finder service has proved extremely popular because everyone is so busy in this day and age. This service offers buyers the chance to have their own local consultant appointed in France, who will comprehensively search the market based on what they are looking for. Our team are all specialists in their local areas and as well as finding the properties, they offer unbiased advice and in depth information. Basically, we hold the clients hand from start to finish. It takes the whole hassle factor out of home hunting which is a really beneficial for overseas clients.”

By Meghan Barry

Today, LuxuryRealEstate.com posted its 1,000,000th property listing since the website originated in 1995. This is a major accomplishment for a website with such specific and discriminating standards. Properties listed on LuxuryRealEstate.com must be in the top 10% of property listings in any given market. The 1,000,000th property, a stunning waterfront Belle Epoque villa in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, France (near Nice and Monaco) listed by Home Hunts SARL can be viewed here: http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/1000000.

As a leader in the real estate and technology space since 1995, LuxuryRealEstate.com has paved the way on the internet for many other real estate websites, specifically in the luxury niche. LuxuryRealEstate.com is the most-viewed luxury real estate specific website in the world, with far more content than any other website of its kind. LuxuryRealEstate.com was recently named a Webby Award Honoree, the only real estate website to be granted this honor.

Property listings on LuxuryRealEstate.com are represented by members of the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network which includes 1,500 of the world’s finest real estate companies and individuals with properties in over 100 countries. Members have access to an array of powerful marketing solutions, including access to the Luxury Lounge, a ‘gated’ social networking website for members only. Participation is strictly invitation-only by CEO/Publisher John Brian Losh. The Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network is governed by the Board of Regents.

By Philippe Marmin of Cabinet Marmin Immobilier

Located in the west of the continent in the Loire estuary, as a port city Nantes has always been able to make the most of its geographic location to connect to major international exchange channels. It is located at the centre of the Atlantic arc, which covers 32 regions, 20% of European territory and 57 million inhabitants.

40 minutes from the Atlantic beaches Thanks to the TGV, Nantes is now only two hours from Paris and its international airport provides connections to major European capitals. The city’s economic influence now extends to all of France's Atlantic front and its 8 million inhabitants. It provides its visitors and inhabitants with unrivalled quality of life, 40 minutes from the Atlantic beaches, one hour from the Loire valley and two hours from St Malo, La Rochelle or Paris.

61% of undeveloped surfaces Greater Nantes extends over 523 km² and has seen significant urban development: the areas developed over the last thirty years represent the equivalent of all the areas conquered by man since the city was created. Yet it still manages to conserve significant development potential since 61% of the territory is made up of undeveloped surfaces, one of the highest rates among large French urban areas.

The 5th largest metropolitan area in France Nantes is planning to use its urban development, travel and consistent and reasonably-dense business and housing area policy to limit the effects of urban spread to preserve the territory’s quality of life while ensuring its development at the same time. Like Bremen, Greater Nantes and its advance port Saint-Nazaire form a coherent metropolitan area of 760 000 residents – the 5th largest metropolitan area in France – and is an economic territory with complementary centres.

Courtesy of Philip Marmin of Cabinet Marmin Immobilier

By Susan Han of Nantes International

A bustling jazz festival on the Erde River. A giant hydraulic elephant heralding its arrival. A high-tech museum housed in a formidable feudal castle. These are some of my favorite memories of Nantes after a whirlwind week of shooting in late August.

Before I was approached by University of Nantes professor Laurence Lotode to collaborate on a documentary about the Seattle-Nantes relationship, I confess I did not know much about Nantes, much less the sister-city connection between the 2 cities. I had visited Paris several times before, and in fact had seen the signage for Nantes while catching the TGV to Bordeaux, but did not realize the 27-year history between us. I was intrigued to learn about the geographical similarities, the parallel industries and even the relatively more liberal political leadership we shared.

Seattle has 21 sister cities – or "twin" cities, as it is known in France! Nantes was one of Seattle’s earliest siblings, thanks to the efforts of former University of Washington Romance Language and Literature professor Howard Lee Nostrand (now deceased) and former Seattle City Council member Randy Revelle. According to Revelle, around 1978, professor Nostrand was organizing a local festival called Bonjour Seattle and approached him to gain city hall sponsorship for the event. Revelle has a reputation for being passionate about all things French, and before long, he was roped in to help pick a French sister city for Seattle. The dilemma at the time: Nantes on the west coast, or Nancy in eastern France? As it turned out, Nantes was much more simpatico with Seattle, and in April 1979, a deal was struck, twinning the 2 cities.

Today, while there are some traces of Nantes’ influence in Seattle (a bakery here, a park there), the truth is most Seattleites are still unaware of the rich history, culture and economy of the Nantais. My goal in spending a week in Nantes this fall was to create a 30-minute documentary that will air as part of the Seattle Channel’s “Sister Cities” series starting next January. Our hope is to give Seattle residents a flavor of the diverse ties we have around the world and to provide some insights into how those relationships developed. Naturally, since many viewers are “armchair travelers,” we also want to transport them to Nantes through the magic of television and the web for a first-hand look at why our sister city was recently voted “the most pleasurable and peaceful city to live in France.”

Perhaps one of the most striking observations for a first-time visitor to Nantes is how green the city is. I was amazed to learn that 15% of the city is green and that there are over 400 city gardeners in Nantes, responsible for planting a million flowers and plants each year while maintaining the many lovely parks. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Jean Noel Soignon, a lifelong resident of Nantes who runs the team responsible for Nantes’ parks, and we toured the Jardin des Plantes, a very cosmopolitan and beautifully landscaped park reminiscent of New York’s Central Park, right in the heart of the city. (I confess I was tickled by the local interpretation of totem poles there, which differs greatly from the Native American creations found in the Pacific Northwest.)

A little-known fact for most Seattleites is Nantes’ connection to slavery. I was able to gain some insight into this dark part of Nantes’ past through deputy mayor Yvon Chotard, who graciously spent time with us during my visit. His law office is housed in a building that belonged to an 18th century slave trader, and he explained that while there were technically no slaves in Nantes, the city was the biggest and richest slave trading port in France. He was also instrumental in organizing an eye-opening exhibit in 1992 that forced the Nantais to “open the armoire” and confront their historical link to slavery. I visited the new slavery exhibit housed in the Chateau des Duces de Bretagne and was amazed at the historical artifacts like documents, whips and shackles that have been preserved over the centuries.

On a lighter note, I also had the opportunity to take a couple of field trips outside the city, and enjoyed meeting the Marquis Robert de Goulaine, who spoke candidly of his family history, the business of running a chateau, winery and museum, and the joys of sustaining a very unique butterfly sanctuary (in one of our most surreal photo-ops, we captured a giant monarch butterfly that landed on the Marquis’s face, engulfing it!). Along with coordinator Laurence Lotode and photojournalist Mekioussa Boudjema, I also visited the Guerande Peninsula and stood on the banks of a square sea salt pond where the famed fleur de sal is harvested. And we also visited the childhood home of naturist John James Audubon in Coueron to learn about local efforts to convert it into a museum.

Since Seattle is the original hometown of the Boeing Company, it was with some guilty pleasure that I visited the Airbus plant in Nantes, for a first-hand look at the competition between the 2 aerospace giants. I was surprised to learn the facility is the first plant to build major airplane body parts using composite materials, and that the center wing box and nose of all Airbus planes, including the A380, are made there. The Airbus-Boeing competitive tension was even more palpable than in Seattle, especially at a time when both companies are vying for orders for their next-generation aircraft.

Seattle is considered a hotbed for biotechnology, and I was impressed by the entrepreneurial talent and zeal in Nantes’ blossoming biotech sector. I was also amazed at the creative genius behind the very cool and fantastical machines on the Ile de Nantes, and enjoyed talking with designer Francois Delaroziere about how his imaginary journey has been a success. I had read that the public transportation system was Nantes’ pride and joy, and was surprised to learn that Nantes’ tramway system is the longest and oldest in France, growing in tandem with the city’s development over the past 2 decades.

In fact, this time frame of the past 2 decades seems like a significant one for Nantes. From what I understand from my brief visit, Nantes has undergone a series of rapid transformations over the past 20 years or so, necessitated by the relocation of the shipbuilding industry and port to Nazaire. Former eyesores are now promising new enterprises.

The fact that the city has successfully blended elements of the old while embracing the new is quite remarkable, and there is a feeling of history and presence even as avant-garde modern facilities pop up around town. The Chateau des Duces de Bretagne seems to epitomize this and curator Marie Helene Jouzeau helped provide some context for how, after 15 years of renovation and 52 million euros, the ancient royal residence has been preserved yet thoroughly modernized.

Ultimately, my overarching impression of Nantes is that it is a city in transition. 2007 has been a big year, with many new attractions opening and with a renewed pride in the citizenry about the future of the city. I was struck by the openness and joie de vivre of the people I met in official meetings and on the streets. All these wonderful individuals made my visit to Nantes unforgettable, and their generosity and kindness made our crazy production schedule only a minor annoyance. I hope that now it takes less than 11 hours to fly from Seattle to Nantes, with a short connection in Paris on Air France, even more Seattleites will choose to discover Nantes and better understand what it is that has bonded our 2 cities for nearly 3 decades.

By Nicola Christinger of HOMEHUNTS

Journalist and children’s author, Nicola Christinger, offers an insight into the city which combines Roman, Mediterranean and Provencale influences and why she has made it her home.

Dating back to the 2^nd century BC, Nîmes, the capital city of the Gard in the Languedoc-Roussillon department of southern France was discovered by the Emperor Augustus. Since then it has maintained the title of being the most important Roman city, outside of Rome and is not only a popular holiday destination but home for many people looking to live in the Languedoc.

The “Nîmois” (the locals) are fiercely proud of their traditions and the city excels because of the many different influences that all join together to make it such a vibrant, cultural, gastronomic heaven.

Although there are many Roman historical buildings throughout the city, the most impressive is the Arena of Nîmes (Les Arènes), an amphitheatre that was constructed in around 70AD and remodelled in 1863 to serve primarily as a bullring. It can seat 16,000 spectators and the people of Nîmes take the bullfighting sport extremely seriously. The most important two dates in the bullfighting calendar of Nîmes is the ‘Feria de Pentcote’, which takes place during the end of May Whitsun weekend, and the other is the Feria des Vendanges, organised for the 3^rd weekend of September to celebrate the grape harvest.

I got my “dummies guide to bullfighting” last September, when I attended the ‘Feria’ with my Nîmois neighbour, a resident here since 30 years. I had initially said that although it fascinated me, I wasn’t sure I was quite ready to watch a bull being taunted and killed. He nodded sympathetically (obviously privately he thought I was mad) and said that I would be missing out. As we wandered past the Arena, we could hear the crowds inside cheering and clapping then all of a sudden silence would fall. In bullfighting decorum you can’t just pay for one bullfight, you pay for the whole event which is up to 6 bullfights in one sitting – just a little bit too much bull killing for my liking. Suddenly, the gates to the entrance of the arena were thrown open and hastily my neighbour grabbed my arm and quickly explained that it was free to anyone wanting to watch the last bullfight of the event. We ran up the steps and took our place, squeezing into the standing room only centimetres of space left in the gangways. Every single seat was taken, every last standing place was occupied, the music faded, a hush descended and in galloped his majesty, the bull - all 500 kilograms of him.

“Go back, turn around, before it’s too late” I wanted to shout, but then after several minutes the atmosphere became so tense and exciting I was mesmerised. There are some basic rules to bullfighting; the first is to know that the Matador (mata in Spanish means killer) uses the red cloak to obtain control over the bull (known as the ‘passing phase’) and it is he that starts and finishes the fight. The second is that just the right amount of “ooohing” and “aaahing” in the right places are essential. It is not a place to throw caution to the wind and shout your own appreciation – it is a crowd decision.

Armed with these basic facts and after a lot of ceremony, dancing and taunting from men in tightly fitted colourful outfits, the bull finally gave in. As the “show” finished, my neighbour handed me a white handkerchief whereupon I smiled but shook my head defiantly and declined his offer. Surprisingly, I wasn’t the least bit tearful but he insisted and pressed it into my hands. Seconds later the arena was filled with spectators waving their white handkerchiefs – a sign of their appreciation and taken into account by the judging panel. The more white handkerchiefs are waved the bigger the honour for the Matador. Another tip, always listen to the locals.

There are such strong, clear influences on the lifestyle in Nîmes, not only Roman and Hispanic. Although still in Languedoc, it is a border town and is considered part of Provence. The region famous for fragrances, culinary delights and olive trees extends its delicious tastes and smells throughout the city. The passion and influence of the Mediterranean also reveals itself through the architecture, tradition and language in Nîmes. The coast, Le Grau du Roi and La Grande Motte are half an hour away by car and the captivating region of the Camargue, with its docile white horses and flamingos are to be seen in the surrounding villages just outside the city.

On the hills that overlook the city, many luxurious villas and beautiful estates keep a watchful eye over the grandeur below and exclusive areas such as La Tour Magne and Quai de la Fontaine are highly sought after. One stunning example is a magnificent property located in the TOUR MAGNE area. This unique residence has been totally refurbished with high quality materials and comprises a main stone house opening onto a wooded park. Boasting a panoramic view and in keeping with city’s style there is a roman pool in the grounds and is on the market for sale at 1,360,000 euros.

Nîmes is a true city of crossings, where all roads meet. Just north of the city is the town of Uzès, Remoulins and the famous Roman aqueduct the Pont du Gard and to the east are Arles and Tarascon. Heading south brings you to the Mediterranean and vivacious city of Montpellier and out to the west will bring you to the magnificent nature park in the Cevennes hills.

I had been coming to Nîmes on holiday, every year since 2003 for five years and now after eight months of living here, I am proud to call it home. The atmosphere and traditions of an energetic city combined with culture, sophistication and stunning countryside make it a fascinating place to live. The locals are open, friendly and only to keen to offer their advice – and a very good way to do a crash course in French language learning! My two children started French school in the city, unable to speak much more than a ‘bonjour’ and ‘au revoir’ and after eight months the youngest girl now corrects me in the supermarket and the older girl runs up the telephone bill discussing boys and what to wear with all her teenage friends. My French may not be perfect but I am proud to shrug my shoulders and sigh heavily like a local.

Nîmes holds on to its deep-rooted identity, diversity and exuberance to ensure that it remains unique and, like its roman architecture, original.

Nicola Christinger is the PR and Customer relations manager for luxury property search company HOMEHUNTS, the author of the illustrated children’s book “The Fish with a Wish: and other stories” and also a freelance journalist writing for French Property News and a number of property and lifestyle publications.

Information:

For a selection of luxury property in Nimes: www.home-hunts.com

Feria 2009 – 27 May to 1 June. www.arenesdenimes.com/cartels.php

Restaurants:

L’imprevu : place d’assas. Tel: 04 66 38 99 59

Restaurant au Chapon Fin : 3 rue du Château Fadaise. Tel : Tel : 04 66 673 473

Chez Jacotte : 15 rue Fresque. Tel : 04 66 21 64 59

Le Lisita : 2 boulevard des Arenes. Tel : 04 66 67 29 15

Casa Bella : 6 place de la Revolution. Tel : 04 66 67 64 68

La Bodeguita : 3 boulevard Alphonse Daudet. Tel: 04 66 58 28 27