Hi! We are Trevor and Karen Roper, living with Luca and Coco in a small village, near the town of Chef-Boutonne in Deux-Sèvres, close to the boarders with Charente, Charente-Maritime and Vienne in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region of France. We regularly return to the UK to visit children in London and Birmingham, and our home offers an exciting getaway for our young grandchildren several times a year. Retired teachers from the UK, our respective specialisms of technology and languages inform our everyday lives here. With great respect for period homes, of which this is our third experience together, we moved in during 2020 with eyes open. We have enjoyed living in and working on the property since, and still have many more projects in the pipeline. Also appreciating our beautiful outside space, there are always ongoing gardening commitments depending on the time of year: associated with watering in the greenhouse and​/​or vegetable patches, borders or numerous pots. As a keen cook, Karen's summer challenges revolve around the harvested sequential gluts of fruit, vegetables and nuts, with jams, chutneys, flavoured oils, sauces and soups complimented by a range of savoury dishes, cakes and cheesecakes. Rather than allow produce to perish, we are more than happy for neighbours or guests to savour these benefits during our absence. There is a market somewhere nearby every day, shops in Chef or nearby Melle; whilst Niort, Poitiers and Bordeaux offer opportunities for more significant forays and culture. Brocantes figure high in our weekend routine, and there is a full agenda of local fêtes and music festivals during the summer. As temperatures hit 40 degrees, it can be difficult to drag ourselves away from the pool, but the shopping, animations and lovely beaches around 75 minutes away at La Rochelle are always a strong temptation!