Anna Bibby was 54, between relationships and bored of life in New Zealand when she bought an old stone house on a whim in France.
Within six months, she’d rented out her Auckland apartment and sold the art gallery she’d run for 20 years. Then she travelled to the picturesque medieval village of Martel, famous for its walnuts and truffles, to renovate the falling down home. There, she made friends with locals and started a whirlwind relationship with a handsome Portuguese stonemason. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Anna.
“My understanding of the French language and culture was limited, and although I did French lessons, I was absolutely hopeless,” laughs the 68-year-old. “After the lessons, I’d drive the 45 minutes back in a sea of tears, with this overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. I get by now, but it’s frustrating sometimes.”
She originally planned to have a summer-on-summer existence, living between Martel and New Zealand.
But after two years of living out of a suitcase and constantly being on holiday, it lost its appeal for Anna, who wanted to feel grounded. She settled in France, flying her beloved pooch Henry over from Auckland, and opened a bed and breakfast.
“I fell in love with Martel because it’s like something from a children’s fairy tale,” she says of the village which she first visited in 2009.
Shopping at the Martel markets with her dogs.
“As you come down the hill into the village, you see towers everywhere and the high steeple of the church. It had beautiful honey-coloured stone houses and was eye candy.”
Describing her purchase as a gentleman’s home, originally built around the 13th century, Anna saw potential in its generously sized rooms, with awe-inspiring views of the village and countryside.
“It had a large kitchen and dining room, but it was like a dark rabbit warren. It needed a lot of work, but I do tend to need a project. I’d enjoyed doing up quite a few houses in the past.”
Her helpful bilingual real estate agent organised artisans to remove the walls in the kitchen, while Anna was in Auckland packing up her life, filling a large shipping container with everything she needed to fill a home. They also got rid of foam board glued to the living room walls used as insulation, and a neighbour stripped the fading orange wallpaper.
“I fell on my feet in a way because the real estate agent introduced me to all her friends and I ended up walking a neighbour’s dog, who everyone knew,” tells Anna. “Locals got to know me quite quickly, and they love New Zealand and the All Blacks, and asked me to bring them back rugby jerseys.”
She also met Portuguese stonemason Costa, who turned up to replace her tiles, and sparks flew. “He said it was like an electric shock,” Anna shares. “He turned out to be 15 years younger than me, but we just got along so well. He didn’t speak English and my French was poor, so I wonder if it’s what’s kept the relationship going these 12 years!”
Anna with partner Costa.
Within a year of arriving in France, however, during a long weekend, Anna realised everyone she knew had disappeared on holiday. As she sat on her terrace drinking a glass of wine, reality hit. “In a bombshell moment I realised I couldn’t go back to New Zealand because I’d sold the gallery and had people living in my apartment. I couldn’t sell a house that was half done up. It was all irreversible and I was stuck,” she shares. “I burst into tears and drank the whole bottle of wine. It was a very depressing weekend, but after a few Panadol, everything cheered up and it never happened again!”
After five years of running her B&B, Anna wanted more privacy, and decided to find a place that would allow travellers to book self-contained and self-catering accommodation. She bought a new section and did up three buildings on it, including a peasant’s cottage with French doors opening onto a cobbled garden with olive trees. There was also an above-ground wine storage area with two bedrooms and a barn she converted into her house.
Enjoying the view from her bed and breakfast.
“They all look out onto their own area and there’s a pool in the garden,” she enthuses. “But I’m about to move again into a lovely house that doesn’t have a huge garden. It’s perfect for old age, since I’ll be 70 soon, and can retire and travel.”
Anna’s hoping her book Learning to be French (and Failing) will inspire others to take the plunge. “People have dreams but they’re often too scared to follow through on them,” she tells.
“I wanted to write a book that’ll give people a laugh and make them think, ‘If that woman can do it, so can we! We can follow our dreams and it won’t be all that bad.'”
