Melanie Lewis's selection of French property for sale

About my area

I live in Anjou, in Maine-et-Loire, the western side of the Loire Valley. The principle city is Angers - vibrant and culturally rich, it has been voted the best city in France to live twice. The region has a rich history and beautiful architecture to show for it, with numerous châteaux and monuments to visit......and maybe to buy! Nowhere in Anjou is too remote, with lovely market towns and villages dotted between Angers and Saumur. The region is easy to reach with Paris just 90 minutes away via TGV from the station at Angers and two major ferry ports under 3 hours away. It is of course a major wine producing region, so there are many vineyards dominating the gently undulating landscape to the south of the Loire, producing wines to suit all palates and budgets. The area also happens to produce an array of wonderful fruits and vegetables, thanks to a lovely mild climate and it is known as the Garden of France. Town and village communities hum with activities, fêtes, markets and brocantes in Anjou, with cultural and sporting events all year round.

About me

I have lived in Anjou in the Loire Valley with my husband and twin children since 2017. We. live in a 'petite cité de charactère', a pretty village by the Loire called Blaison-Gohier. My husband and I had both served in the British Army for a total of 32 years between us and before meeting, we both had dreamed of moving to France. We searched in several regions before we fell in love with 'la douceur angevine' and a 16th century manor house nestled in the vineyards. We were drawn by the glorious landscapes, historic towns and villages around Saumur and Angers, beautiful period architecture and the enigmatic river Loire. After completing renovation work, we opened our luxury chambres d'hôtes (bed and breakfast) in 2018. I have loved building a potager garden from scratch and it was always a dream to produce food for the table. We keep chickens and have bee hives too. Our children love going to the village school and help bring us in to the fold of the local community though a variety of school and village events. I look forward to showing you our lovely part of France!