Island in the sun

Swept away by the enchanting Île de Ré, Karon Foxwell and husband Mark found themselves returning from their holiday having made an offer on a dilapidated period property there.

- GREG COOK

One of the beauties of holidaying in France is how easy it is to get carried away in the moment. Countless of us have done so and returned with an array of souvenirs to prove it; from the boules set gathering dust in the garage over the past decade, to the bottle of fragrance from the bespoke Parisian perfumery that cost 10 times what you’d normally pay.

As impulsive purchases go though, not so many of us arrive home having just made a serious offer on a French property – especially having set off on our travels without the remotest intention of buying a house in France.

Karon and Mark Foxwell, however, can place themselves squarely within this exclusive set, having returned from what can best be described as a remarkable holiday on France’s west coast back in 2013.

“It was our first proper summer holiday without our daughters, taking our vintage Mercedes over on the ferry to Dieppe and touring down the north-west coast,” recalls Karon, still quite dreamily. “The sun was shining, wind in our hair, staying in lovely châteaux. By the time we reached Île de Ré I think we were approaching a state of bliss.”

HAPPY MEMORIES

Aside from this, Île de Ré, as many will attest, has the power to bewitch entirely by itself. Connected by a 3km bridge to La Rochelle in the mainland Charente-Maritime department, this beloved island, a slice of seaside heaven stretching 30km east to west and studded with languid pines, green-shuttered, whitewashed houses and endless miles of golden, sandy plage, is one of the jewels of the French coast.

“Mark is a keen sailor and used to come here when he was young,” Karon explains, “so we had a fond history with Île de Ré – but this time we totally fell in love.