I’ll proceed renting homes in rural France regardless that it by no means fails that I’ve an encounter with an enormous bug or creature. I’m a metropolis woman and I HATE BUGS. I’ve encountered my share of scorpions, geckos, huge spiders, bats, daddy lengthy legs, crickets, and extra—in my home, beneath my mattress, crawling up my leg, strolling throughout my chest, and staring down at me from the nook of the ceiling. There have been so many adventures in my French countryside leases that many nights I couldn’t sleep.
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Adventures Renting Homes In Rural France
The encounters with the varied bugs, lizards, and spiders occurred in homes that have been within the French countryside often with no different homes close by, or in a really small village surrounded by farmland. Many had been renovated however nonetheless retained the genuine allure and look of a French nation home.
This publish isn’t to dissuade you from renting a home within the French countryside. I’ve beloved the houses I’ve rented and would do it once more. One of many benefits of renting a home in smaller villages or out within the countryside is that the costs are considerably cheaper than getting a resort or renting a spot in an enormous metropolis, like Paris. However you need to be conscious that you just’ll probably encounter some creatures like I did. So, why not be ready?
[For the sake of brevity, I’ve grouped all scorpions, bats, spiders, geckos, crickets, and daddy long legs into one term: BUGS!]
1. Child Scorpion In Provence
Throughout my first journey to France, my mother and father, sister and I stayed with household mates of their place in Gordes, within the Luberon massif of southern France. It was a house constructed into the facet of the village so there have been numerous stone partitions. I wrote a thanks letter to dad concerning the journey when dad turned 91. [Post: Thank you, Dad]
My sister and I shared a room the place she (the eldest) acquired the mattress and I (the youngest) acquired to sleep on the ground. As we turned in for the night time, I regarded up on the ceiling and noticed a child scorpion wanting down at us. After all we freaked out. It occurred over 40 years in the past and I don’t actually bear in mind my mother and father or household mates eradicating the scorpion. I believe we have been advised if we don’t trouble him/her, we might be nice. I can’t imagine I even slept that night time.
Lavender
Whereas there was a pot of lavender on the window sill, I suppose it actually didn’t forestall the scorpion (hopefully there was only one) from getting into the home. It’s stated that scorpions don’t just like the flower’s perfume and discover it too robust. Nonetheless, in addition they hunt down cool locations which is why it was inside the home. We have been in Provence in August and it was highly regarded. It’s uncertain you’ll discover a scorpion in Normandy as they like the nice and cozy local weather of the south. Simply don’t maintain me to it.
2. Creatures At Our Home In La Rouvière
My first home rental was in La Rouvière, a really small village near Nimes within the Gard division. For two weeks my good friend and I stayed on this beautiful home with 3 flooring, 2 bedrooms, a rooftop terrace, and a courtyard with a barbecue. [It was my Trip #5 to France]. This home has all the time been a favorite rental as a result of it was so completely embellished. Sadly, we had many encounters with creatures: a scorpion, a bat, a fowl, spiders, and a daddy lengthy legs. (Oh, and there was a bug of some sort that I noticed within the kitchen cabinet. After the day I found it, I refused to open that cabinet once more.)
(a) Spiders, Not Mattress Bugs
One morning my good friend Laurie wakened with little bites throughout her physique. They have been itchy and again within the Nineteen Nineties, there wasn’t actually speak about mattress bugs. To this present day, she nonetheless believes they weren’t mattress bugs as a result of the bites began the day after the sheets had been modified by the couple who have been caretakers of the home.
We predict some spiders hopped on the sheets, maybe once they have been on the clothesline drying they usually ended up snuggling with Laurie at night time. We visited the native pharmacist who gave her some calamine lotion to assist with the itching.
(b) Bat Swoops Down On Laurie
Poor Laurie. One other incident. Late one night time we have been strolling to the village depot to drop off our rubbish after which to make a cellphone name. This was properly earlier than cellphones have been used. There was only a cellphone sales space within the centre of city. After dropping off our rubbish and making our calls, we walked again to our home. Alongside the way in which, a bat swooped down in the direction of Laurie’s head. I don’t know why s/he was after her however it acquired near her head. We ran screaming again to the home!
(c) Fowl Makes A Shock Entrance
After returning house from a day’s outing, we might usually head to the lounge, write in our journals and take heed to music. We had a shock go to throughout a quiet second late one afternoon.
First, a surge or puff of soot got here out of the hearth. Then a sparrow flew out, hitting the French doorways between the lounge and kitchen. It struggled frantically to get out and at last flew out by way of the kitchen doorways. We have been fairly speechless after that and hoped there have been no further birds (or different animals) hanging out within the fire.
(d) Daddy Lengthy Legs
One night whereas studying in my room, a daddy lengthy legs hopped on my mattress and began to stroll throughout my physique. I screamed for my good friend, pleading together with her to return to my bed room to kill the bug. [Yes, we shouldn’t have killed it but should have just sent it on its way outside]. Those that personal cottages encounter them on a regular basis, however as I stated, I hate bugs and I’m a metropolis woman.
(e) Scorpion Hangs Out At Dinner
Our dinners often passed off within the courtyard entrance to the home. Once you opened the doorways to the complicated, the very first thing you noticed was this courtyard and it was beautiful. It had a barbecue, a big desk, flowers, stone partitions, and…..a scorpion that frolicked on the wall. It stayed away from us and visa versa.
The home is not obtainable to be rented; nonetheless, the Gard division is an excellent place to remain. One of many locations I’ve stayed is close to Pont du Gard. Listed below are a few of the locations to think about for those who’re within the space:
Gard Division Lodges And Houses
3. A Spider, “The Dimension OF A Buick”- In Bonnieux
A number of years in the past I rented a stunning condo that was related to a farmhouse close to Bonnieux. It ignored a winery and was actually out within the nation. [It was Trip #33 To France when I spent 2 months travelling around the country, especially in the south of France.
The apartment was renovated and very clean; however, one day I was sitting on a chair arranging my luggage and all of a sudden I saw a really large, black spider crawling up my leg. I can’t remember if I killed it or captured it and put it outside (after I screamed). I did write in my journal, “I pray there aren’t any more” and that it was “gigantic”.
Annie Hall Movie
The incident reminded me of the Woody Allen movie, “ Annie Hall”. Annie (Diane Keaton) asks her friend Alvy (Woody Allen) to come over to her place because there’s “a big, black spider in the bathroom!”
Annie says, “… you know how I am about insects…I can’t sleep with a live thing crawling around in the bathroom.”
Alvy takes a tennis racquet from the closet and heads to the bathroom.
He comes out and says, “Honey, there’s a spider in your bathroom the size of a Buick”.
That’s what I always think of when I think about that spider. It was the size of a Buick.
The apartment is currently not available; however, there are other properties on the outskirts of Bonnieux worth considering. It was an easy walk for me into town and one afternoon I also walked from Bonnieux to Lacoste. You’re in the heart of the Luberon and Bonnieux is the perfect base for exploring. Check out the properties in Bonnieux here: Bonnieux Hotels And Homes.
4. Gecko And Cricket In Gordes
One year another friend and I rented a gite that was located outside of Gordes, in the countryside again. [It was Trip #12 To France]. There have been two bug incidents: a gecko within the bathe and a cricket within the bed room.
(a) A Small Gecko Takes A Bathe
Judy determined she couldn’t cope with the gecko, who was most likely simply innocently ready to take a bathe and she or he insisted, “It’s a must to get it!”
I replied, “Why me?”
I proceeded to scoop up the bug (okay, lizard) in a cup, ran out the entrance door and threw it into the backyard. We prayed it wouldn’t come again; nonetheless, there have been no screens on the home windows!
(b) A Artful Cricket Sneaks Into Our Home
Then there was the cricket that had one way or the other gotten into the bed room.My good friend tried to make use of a brush to brush this second bug from the bed room, by way of the kitchen, and out the entrance door. In some way, the cricket began working across the kitchen, so she threw MY SHOE at it!
Why my shoe? Why not hers?!?!
Anyhow, it departed rapidly and from then on, we saved the door to the home closed.
The gite that I rented is just not longer obtainable; nonetheless, I’ve stayed at Résidence Status Odalys La Bastide des Chênes. It was simply exterior of Gordes and was nice. (And are available to consider it, I didn’t encounter any bugs!). My condo was a part of an even bigger complicated that additionally had a pool. It had a kitchen, sitting space, decent-sized toilet, terrace, and a big bed room.
Take a look at one of the best costs right here: Résidence Status Odalys La Bastide des Chênes
There are lots of different properties in and close to Gordes that you just would possibly contemplate: Gordes Lodges And Houses
5. Gecko And Cricket Make A Go to In Murs
I rented a stunning home exterior of Murs—which is a small village not removed from Gordes within the Luberon. [This was Trip #28 to France]. The home was undoubtedly within the countryside. There have been horses and trails close by however it was fairly distant. The primary time I stayed there I wanted the proprietor to fulfill me on the town so I may observe her in my automobile to the home.
(a) Gecko Hides Beneath My Mattress
At some point I used to be in my bed room and I noticed it. A gecko sitting on my garments, on my mattress. It checked out me. I checked out him/her. It ran beneath my mattress and determined to remain there. I believe he crept within the earlier night time as a result of I had left the French doorways open.
I had a choice to make: go away it there with the prospect that it may run throughout my physique or INTO my mattress as I slept, or, attempt to eliminate it. After an hour, I gave up attempting to catch him. I lived with him for the remainder of my keep and pretended he wasn’t there.
Out of sight = Out of thoughts?
Then sooner or later, after I returned from a day’s outing, he ran in entrance of me within the kitchen. I virtually stepped on him however he bumped into one other a part of the home. Maybe he was attempting to flee. I felt sorry for him. Possibly we have been bonding.
(b) A Cricket Hops In
Then one other day a cricket entered the home and began hopping everywhere in the kitchen. After all, I freaked out. I acquired the broom and I swept him out. In hindsight, I ought to simply have taken benefit of my resident gecko as I later discovered that they feed on quite a lot of bugs, like crickets.
Right here’s the property on Airbnb. It’s solely 7 kilometres from Gordes:
Tranquil home in nature Gordes Luberon Provence
Observe:
When you don’t suppose geckos can leap on you, suppose once more. I forgot to say that after I was in Aigues-Mortes, simply east of Montpellier, there was a cute little gecko on one of many medieval metropolis partitions. In line with the notes in my journal, he was about 3 inches lengthy and it abruptly jumped on my chest as I learn one of many metropolis indicators. No observe about whether or not I screamed.
I suppose it’s wonderful that I preserve renting homes in rural France—contemplating the percentages are that I’ll encounter a bug of some sort. However in the long run, my love for France is stronger than my concern of bugs, lizards, or bats.
Have you ever encountered little critters in any of your own home leases in France? How did you cope?
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