Expat Life In Gascony, France Is Not What You Think

“Every home should have at least a pair of Cypress trees at the entry. One at either side of the gate, so that when you cross your threshold, the boughs dust the outside world from your shoulders.

“You’re home… leave the rest at the gate.”

This was the explanation Robin, my host in Gascony, gave me about these ubiquitous trees as we villa-hopped across this agricultural region of southwest France.

Most homes here, even the most modest, are entered via a long driveway, bordered by Cypress on both sides. If not an allée, there are always at least those two token trees planted on either side of the driveway for this reason.

As we passed through his own Cypress gate and pulled into his villa’s courtyard, thunder rolled in the distance, unaccompanied by any visible clouds, rain, or lightning.

It was storming somewhere nearby… but in the valley Villa Traddure is nestled in, the sun shone bright, warming the stone patio and the pool. I was glad for a sunhat even in early June.

A glass of chilled wine in hand, I swung in the hammock, watching butterflies and bees dance around the flower beds that easily rival botanical gardens I’ve visited.

This is how Robin and his wife Clare spend their days… or at least their evenings.

Indeed, the Dunipaces keep plenty busy during the day, with renovations currently underway in the villa, a big family visit expected in a few weeks (which means the work needs to be done on time!), and they’ve been working the last few years to create a holiday rental company that has organically branched out into offering relocation assistance to future expats.

Robin’s company, Simply Gascony, most recently helped a Californian couple purchase a true dream home here. A 19th-century old Presbytery with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, living room, dining room, reception room, and additional space to be converted. The 2,500 square-foot villa is spectacular, but the landscaping alone seemed worth buying the home for. With a mature garden full of towering old trees, blossoming bushes, and vines climbing all over, plus a swimming pool and woods, for a total of 2 acres of land. Perched as it is on a bit of a hill, the views of the countryside all around are stunning.

While the area doesn’t see many Americans—this couple are perhaps the first to settle here!—there is no shortage of British expats.
I expected to meet lots of retirees, which I did, but I was surprised at the number of business owners I encountered on this trip.

Laura Washburn, a former chef who has globe-hopped from L.A. to Paris to London and has now settled in the village of Fourcès here in Gascony, founded Atelier Cuisine Fourcès, offering cooking workshops and food tours…

Laura even flexed her cooking skills for us, offering a lunch of duck confit stuffed zucchini, fresh homemade ratatouille, and local potatoes so flavorful they don’t need any dressing up! This is a typical south of France meal in the summertime and will be followed by salad, cheese, and, finally, a dessert of clafoutis made with fresh cherries.

Bee and Adam Fitch started E-Velo Gers and Simply Gascony, the first business renting out electric bikes to tourists and the second offering them “tipis,” big comfortable tents in which to get closer to nature.

The couple just expanded their operations with a townhouse in their nearby town that they’ve completely renovated and can rent out to two families at a time.

And, by all accounts, business is good in France—even in this secluded little corner.

Though I’m a Francophile—I choose to live in France because I love everything about it and its culture—I have to admit that it’s not historically been a business friendly destination.

Before Live And Invest Overseas was founded in 2008, founder Kathleen Peddicord had been living in France, but when she decided to start a business, she knew she’d have to up stakes. This was just no place to do business.

But that’s changing…

Everyone I spoke with cited Macron’s business reforms as the reason. In 2019, our current president here in France launched several initiatives to encourage investment and employment through reduction in taxes, promoting professional mobility, supporting corporate growth and innovation, and overhauling administrative systems.

And it worked!

The system is so simple now, every business owner I spoke with on this trip said starting a business and working in France is a pleasure. The visa and work permit are easy to qualify for and acquire, the systems are all automated and taxes done entirely online, and there are even centers that help foreigners to navigate these waters.

Plus, in these small towns, it’s easy to make things happen with the powers that be. They’re just people you can have a conversation with—maybe even meet them at the café after business hours.

Most of the people I met on this Gascony tour personally knew the mayors of their nearest villages, and in some cases they had become great friends. When the expats laid out their plans, explaining how their business would benefit the community, the mayors are all too happy to help.

While Gascony is the epitome of “La France Pofonde,” deep France, there’s a vibrancy here that belies the tranquility…

People are bringing fresh ideas to these little villages, and everyone wants to bring in more visitors—locals and foreigners alike. Over the last few years, the place has been increasingly discovered by Brits and Northern Europeans who come here to get back to nature.

And thanks to France’s new business-friendly policies, people who came to visit are deciding to stay in ever-larger numbers, bringing their businesses or their ideas with them.

Bonne route,

Kat Kalashian
Editor, In Focus: Europe