Leon invited me to visit him in Châlus not long after he finally moved there. We flew from Cape Town to Paris (via Doha!), after Leon had spent a gruelling seven weeks in South Africa to finally tie up business there.

I saw many pictures of the house he bought before restoration and during restoration (which was not completed when I arrived). The transformation was amazing and I could immediately see his special touch in completed and semi-completed rooms. He clearly had a very strong vision of what he wanted to achieve. He has endless energy and even during my stay he relentlessly worked on very detailed finishing touches. Now practically completed, it is no wonder that his French neighbours refer to it as PETIT VERSAILLES!

Within days I met most of his new neighbours and friends: French, Irish, Scottish and English, all people with diverse cultures – throw in a South African, and you really have a very interesting mix!

Leon is much loved by all these people and fortunate to have such wonderful and caring neighbours.

Châlus is a beautiful medieval village with loads of history and beautiful old buildings. Supermarkets stock food items that we can only dream of in South Africa, and not as expensive as I thought it would be. As a matter of fact some items are even cheaper and of course of a quality we are not used to. What a pleasure to visit a patisserie, boulangerie, boucherie and of course the weekly market where farmers of the region sell the freshest produce one can dream of – at very reasonable prices!! On the old town square we enjoyed many cups of coffee, glasses of rosé and meals at Le Sax’o, a restaurant and bar solely run by owner Manu; cook, barman, waiter, cleaner and energetic, friendly host! 

The French LOVE to eat and drink! Lunch takes hours and can consist (it seems to be the norm!) of five courses!! I over-indulged in their fabulous food, breads, cheeses, pâté, charcuterie and cakes. We were treated to a barbecue (‘braai’) with Leon’s Scottish friends in the nearby village Bussière- Galant, five course lunches with French neighbours across the road and a traditional lunch with Irish neighbours.

This was just the start of many, many meals (normally accompanied with lots of Champagne and Rosé wines, which seems to be the preferred wine in that part of France!). Leon invited neighbours and friends for lunch and dinner on various occasions. When I first met him he could only make an omelette; now he has become a cook to be reckoned with! He prepared delicious 3 or 5 course meals for his guests, with passion and meticulous detail. It is clear that his love for good food has inspired him to cook outstanding meals. Many dishes were French, traditional and cordon bleu, sometimes with a little South African twist. The South African dishes he served were always a winner and loved by his guests, especially his tart with patates douces (sweet potatoes)! During my visit meals were served in the kitchen as the dining room was still undergoing a complete transformation. With a beautifully laid table and an excellent, vibrant and sparkling host, the luncheons and dinners were all huge successes! Thank you Leon for these memorable moments!

Then there was the buying of a car, about one week after my arrival. Needless to say, there followed many road trips to nearby villages and towns. We visited small villages for attic sales (Oradour sur Vayres and Chassenon), took a trip to Civray to collect a rug Leon had bought on the internet and had lunch in Saint Junien. Last-mentioned was the first long trip with the new car and I might add, hysterical (screaming on the top of our lungs when a huge truck approached on the very narrow roads, of course on the ‘wrong’ side of the road too!). We had a very memorable trip to nearby Rochechouart to visit the castle, now a contemporary art gallery, during a religious festival which only takes place every seven years. The town was beautifully dressed-up with bunting and flowers all over. Here we also had one of the best meals in a restaurant I had up to that date in France. We drove to Limoges several times where Leon visited his favourite shop CASTORAMA, a Hardware, Home, Do-it-yourself ‘heaven’ where Leon could not stop shopping!

We visited so many beautiful villages and towns in this picturesque part of France, Haute Vienne (situated in a national park Parc naturel regional Périgord Limousin), that there are too many to mention. There is however one more place I have to mention: Brantôme in the department of Dordogne. This ancient, historical town has the Dronne river running through it. A spectacularly beautiful town with loads of character. This visit was another of the highlights of my four week visit.

Thank you Leon for a very memorable visit to your beautiful home, Le Cœur de Léon, your outstanding hosting, your sense of humour but most of all, your priceless and special friendship!

Meilleurs voeux pour votre nouveau voyage!

Click here to see some of my holiday pics