By Neil Parkinson

Published in French Property News, November 2004

 

 

A sojourn in the French capital has been common among many leading names in English literature for enlightenment, a change of scenery and to rekindle inspiration. George Orwell, H.G. Wells, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and among the more contemporary, Paul Auster are such literary giants. However, the south of France, traditionally a magnet to artists seeking that special intensity of sunlight has also been well frequented by famous authors.

 

Joseph Conrad, recruited in his early years to the French navy, is known to have paused in such places as Marseilles, Hyères and Montpellier though his experiences are not disclosed in his literature. Graham Greene was to settle in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes) in 1966 and stay for the rest of his life. One might say though that three writers stand out historically, for the inspiration they summoned from their adopted regions, and the fond memories left locally.

 

Robert Louis Stevenson with such writings as Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, is famous internationally. Of lesser renown but displayed with pride in bookstores across the Languedoc - in various publications, some embellished with photographs - is « Travels with a donkey in the Cevennes », first published 1879 in his 29th year. The book circumstantially and figuratively recounts his autumnol expedition the previous year with Modestine, his 12 day companion from Le Monastier on the upper plains of the Lozère to St. Jean du Gard in the southern quarters of the Cevennes.

 

His account of seeking assistance from locals to guide him to his planned overnight accommodation is memorable. Given the late hour and pitch darkness, the locals ardently refuse to be his companion in fear of the « Bête du Gévaudan ». The nature of the monster in question - subject to much controversy and fear from 1764 to 1767 in the wake of as many as 176 victims - was never clearly elucidated, though there was much speculation as to the possibility that it be a wolf, man or the customary hybrid, the werewolf.

 

Stevenson's itinerary brings him through his sumptuous setting in the valley beside Florac, a charming town situated close to the Gorges du Tarn. Resorting periodically to sleeping outdoors for economy he feels compelled to pay for his good fortune and the excellent hospitality of his alfresco environment - the temperate breeze, fresh water and gentle awakening at dawn - by leaving a few coins on the ground.

 

Today some delightful and very secluded properties await new owners in the region. Close to Florac for instance, a delightful old farm rich in character and offering a vast 400 square metre interior can be purchased for £60,000. Another stunning property, part of a 12th century chateau is for sale for a very reasonable £210,000. With its adjoining tower in which climbs a spiral staircase, and in a setting of exceptional beauty, this delightful property, with an operational gîte represents excellent value for money.

 

Samuel Beckett was also to spend time in the southern provinces of France. Roussillon-en-Provence in the Vaucluse was where he fled in 1942 in wartime France under German occupation, having actively assisted the Résistance translate texts destined for British Intelligence. He fled Paris when his group was unmasked. His new environment was not only genuinely inspirational for his work, but also essential to his salvation.

 

France's classification of the most beautiful villages puts Roussillon-en-Provence among its highest rated. The town is nestled between the Lubéron mountains to the south and the Vaucluse plateau and magnificent Mont Ventoux to the north. Hence the Roussillonnais hiker is never short of recreation. Proximity to Avignon and Orange is a further attraction to those seeking rich cultural programmes.

 

Beckett's presence in Roussillon is fondly remembered by Aimé Bonnelly, only a child in 1942 but already destined to succeed his father and grandfather in the Bonnelly vineyards. In « Waiting for Godot », Beckett speaks of the local wine producers, for whom he worked in exchange for regular quotas of wine. « ... but there everything is red. », he has Vladimir say in Godot, in reference to the surrounding lands rich in iron oxides.

 

An association has been created in Beckett's honour, its principal aim being the mounting of cultural events in his memory and the purchase and maintenance of the house he occupied in Roussillon. This now houses a cultural centre dedicated to Beckett, for which membership has achieved a balanced blend of international writers and village natives.

 

Those seeking a home in the area will find some genuinely excellent offers. A well proportioned mas requiring full restoration on over an acre of secluded grounds can be acquired for £89,000. A vast 18th century mas comprising an operational gîte and 100 acres of orchards can be purchased for £633,000.

 

Lawrence Durrell was to settle in Sommières (Gard) in 1957, where he lived until his death in 1990. What more could such a widely travelled man have said of Sommieres than « I admit that I have seen nothing more beautiful than Sommières », having spent his childhood in India and early career in various diplomatic positions in such places as Egypt, Cypress, Yugoslavia and Argentina. His friend Henry Miller, was also to visit him in Sommières on several occasions.

 

A couple of years into his stay, Durrell acquired a mazet, a small and very rudimentary mas, that he made his home till 1966. His environment was propitious for writing - here he completed the Alexandria Quartet - but in addition he developed his expertise in building dry (cementless) stone walls, a passion he discovered in the Greek isles, to the extent that he gained quite a reputation locally. For the latter part of his life he occupied a former wine producer's house, unique in Sommières with its slate roof. The « Espace Lawrence Durrell » in Sommières proudly houses a permament exhibition in his memory.

 

Sommières has retained its delightful medieval format, arcaded streets and the traditional militaristic features acquired during its period as a Protestant stronghold - chateau and observation tower among them. Durrell undoubtedly appreciated the town, but was also to spend much time in the surrounding countryside, and around Nîmes. His appreciation of the Pont du Gard - the Roman aqueduct - is summed up in « Caesar's Vast Ghost » which evokes the ways the Romans gave form to the southern French provinces. In it he says that it is impossible to remain indifferent to the view of the sumptuous honey coloured stone arches assembled without mortar.

 

The region around Sommières is very interesting for prospective settlers. Highlights, within a 15 mile radius include the majestic Pic St. Loup, a rocky ridge due west that culminates high above the Languedoc plains at 658m and the medieval villages of Claret, Quissac and Sauve. The Roman city of Nîmes and the charming medieval fortified city of Aigues Mortes in the Camargue are respectively in easterly and south-easterly directions. Montpellier is closeby in a south-westerly direction.

 

An architect designed villa is for sale in hills 5 miles north of Sommières, but a mere 25 minutes from the nearest beaches. The interior is designed such that all rooms are vantage points to the half-acre pine forest that surrounds the property. A brilliant choice of materials, numerous living spaces, generous bedrooms each with mezzanine, and the adjoining but independent apartment make it genuinely compelling at £277,000.