My name is Sheena Pacetti and I have lived with my partner near Nouziers in the North of the department for nearly five years. Our house is an old watermill with around seven hectares of land and I am able to indulge my passion for animals, something I could only dream about in my postage stamp garden in Essex. Now we have peacocks, geese and ducks roaming freely and enjoying their daily dips in the river running through the garden.

We chose the area of La Creuse for its peace and quiet, its beautiful countryside, its meandering rivers and lakes and its climate. The people are warm and friendly and the pace of life is relaxed and easy. Respect is a very important part of French culture and perhaps this is why many visitors say it reminds them of how Britain used to be fifty years ago.

When we arrived our house required renovation, not major, but enough to keep ourselves and three builders that we brought from the UK busy for four months ! In that time we made many mistakes mainly because we had arrived in a foreign country without any preparation. We couldn’t even speak the language ! We spent days shopping, trying to make ourselves understood at the local builders merchant or the large DIY shops in Chateauroux. Thankfully the jungle drums had been hard at work and we discovered we had English neighbors who quickly introduced us to a local French lady who could speak a little English. She told us many things that we never would have found out for ourselves and gradually our lives became a little easier. I want to pass on to you the information and knowledge that I now have in the hope that I too can make your lives that little bit easier when you come to live in this beautiful country. Over the following pages I have included useful tips to help you adapt to life in a foreign country and also some information about the area, the shops, places to visit and local artisans that you may require.

I would love to hear of any other ideas you have to add to this website or if you would like to be included please contact me by telephone 0033(0)555807361 or e-mail: sheena@centralfranceinfoguide.com