ABOUT US
The story began many years ago and it goes like this ...
I was born and grew up in Melbourne, Australia in the 1960’s, the youngest son of Russian parents who had escaped Europe post WW2 in the late 1940’s. My parents were given the opportunity to settle in Australia as refugees, it was a blessing that they never forgot their roots and took on the role as Australian immigrants with great pride..
Having been born and raised by my parents in the European way in Melbourne, I have always felt more akin to the European way of life. In 2000 I found myself visiting and working in the motorsport industry based in Europe and it felt like home for me. Travelling and vacationing in just about every country around Europe over a number of years, I felt very drawn to France and its lifestyle, its friendly, hospitable people and the beautiful countryside. It felt like home.
During that period of my life I was lucky enough to find a partner with a kindred spirit who had the same interest and vision as I had and what we could achieve in France. Like myself, Heidi Broady, who is from the UK, had vacationed in France many times over the years and was also looking at doing more with her life, just as I was. Heidi has a feel for the land and I have a practical knowledge of what people look for and expect in the hospitality industry. So an idea was created.
At the beginning of 2019 we planted the seed of opportunity and begun the search that would see us combining our knowledge and skills of the land and hospitality into a property in beautiful rural France. That search finally took us to the French region of the Limousin and specifically to the Haute-Vienne. We found our dream property nestled away in a secluded hamlet only minutes away from the village of Coussac-Bonneval.
Our 300 year old stone country house and converted gite, which was once a piggery, large barn and five acres of land is totally surrounded by our very own mature woodland, packed with local flora and fauna including many species of birds, squirrels, bats etc. We even have a resident deer who visits us daily There is also a pond which is fed by our very own spring. However, the most exciting feature is the peace and serenity the property offers. The sound of the wind in the trees and views across the nearby valley is outstanding.
We have been given the opportunity to develop the property as a quality, self-contained accommodation retreat and will shortly be providing an opportunity to walk Alpacas, followed by afternoon tea on the barn verandah, overlooking the beautiful countryside. Other activities will include cycling, fishing, horse riding, lake swimming , caving and a huge range of places to visit from the pottery factories of Limoges, the carpet making showrooms of Aubusson, the many chateaux of the region, including our very own Chateau Bonneval, towering over our village, together with many other activities via business partnerships within the region.
Heidi and I look forward to welcoming you to our home and little piece of paradise in beautiful rural France, very soon.