Patience is a virtue
Living France|February 2020
For anyone deciding to make a new life in a new country by starting a new business in hospitality, a list of qualities beneficial to the task ahead might well include: a knack for teamwork, steely determination, a grasp of logistics and courage in the face of adversity, all topped off with a well-evolved sense of humour.
GREG COOK
Patience is a virtue

It’s fair to say there are few professions that usefully instil all of the above, but the Armed Services are undoubtedly one of them. Fortunately for Hywel and Melanie Lewis, proud owners of luxury guesthouse Manoir de Jouralem since 2017, both have previous long-serving army careers that have stood them in excellent stead for this exciting new chapter in their lives.

Between them the couple have spent time in Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany and the Balkans, but today they find themselves ensconced within wooded vales on the western edge of the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional nature park. Here, in countryside just a few kilometres from both the sedate southern banks of the River Loire and the bustling café culture of Angers, a thriving historic city that was once the seat of Plantagenet kings, they have made a home and created a stunning guesthouse that seamlessly blends period charm with luxury mod cons.

A SHARED VISION

This is a truly beguiling pocket of the world, a sybarite’s paradise created in equal parts of historic splendour, rural idyll and gastronomic majesty. Little wonder this verdant valley, a tapestry of vineyards, orchards and forests over-stitched with many of France’s most opulent and important châteaux, is now one vast UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For many over the centuries, this special region has come to represent France at its finest, an arcadia demarking the junction between north and south, that offers visitors a perfect synthesis of the country’s most treasured archetypes and cultural exports. It’s also a part of France that Mel and Hywel had no intention of settling in.

This story is from the February 2020 edition of Living France.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2020 edition of Living France.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM LIVING FRANCEView All
Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company
Living France

Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company

If your current employer is happy to let you continue working for them after you move to France, there are a number of rules and regulations to be aware of to ensure you stay on the right side of the law, as Catharine Higginson explains

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2020
On vintage soil
Living France

On vintage soil

Life in the vineyards of Aude is a dream come true for Leicestershire-born Katie Jones who now successfully exports her wines back to the UK, as Brigitte Nicolas learns

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2020
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Living France

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

What happens if you are buying a French property but can’t attend the completion meeting at the notaire’s office in person? Matthew Cameron explains how a power of attorney can be used and how it works

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2020
In safe hands
Living France

In safe hands

There can be few more unusual homes than the 11th-century Château de Clérans, situated close to the Dordogne river in the Périgord Pourpre region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2020
THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
Living France

THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE

Robin Ellis made his name as the original Captain Poldark but a diabetes diagnosis led the Tarn-based actor to add cookbook writing to his CV, as Richard Webber learns

time-read
7 mins  |
May 2020
My frugal France
Living France

My frugal France

Embracing modern technology could save you money and time on both the pleasures and essentials of life in France, says Laura Harley as she shares some of her favourite French apps

time-read
2 mins  |
May 2020
Hidden Talents
Living France

Hidden Talents

Moving to France enabled these three expats to switch off from busy careers and in turn discover new creative talents, says Gillian Harvey, who counts herself among them

time-read
7 mins  |
May 2020
Beauty to behold
Living France

Beauty to behold

With its legendary vineyards, charming old towns and rich gastronomy, Gironde is quintessential France at its best, as Alison Weeks discovers

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2020
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
Living France

AS SEEN ON SCREEN

A Dordogne town, a Charente city and a Pyrenean village all have a starring role in three new films hitting the big screen this year, joining a long list of French locations that have gone before them, as Vicky Leigh learns

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2020
A local's view
Living France

A local's view

Trish and Mark Tyler run a beautifully restored chambres d’hôtes, set in six hectares of park and woodland near StÉmilion, which has a fascinating history

time-read
6 mins  |
May 2020