Raphaël at our 'Clos Lussault' near Amboise in the Loire Valley

Frankly, I never thought I'd end up living here but - you see, I met a man. On a ski trip - Alps - chalet - fireplace - well, it's been over twenty years. I can't give you the complete insider's guide to France yet, (I believe that takes three generations) but I can give you an ex-New Yorker's guide to this fabulous Valley of Kings. We'd started in Paris, of course - our first studio was my husbands - that's where we lived once we decided to share a continent. We were there until our son was about negative-one-month old, and we didn't want to have to convert the bidet into a bassinet. Once we moved, I started renting out that apartment and everything fell into place. As an architect, I loved fixing up the apartments, and as an ex-pat, I loved meeting the people who come to enjoy their vacations here.

Now, we’ve made the move out to the Loire Valley. We've renovated two glorious properties, creating several fabulous vacation homes, you’ve got to see the pictures. The locations are perfect for exploring the region – it has so much to offer! Castles, vineyards, hiking, canoeing, bicycle riding - I never get tired of the walk from the Clos Lussault along the Loire River to Amboise. I can't give you the complete insider's guide to this fabulous region yet (I believe that takes minimally three generations) but I can give you an ex-New Yorker's guide to our adoptive Valley of the Kings.