We sample the simple life in a tiny French village, the perfect intermediary between the sweeping highs of travel and the daily challenges of city life
There are certain connotations attached to country life. It’s either bourgeois and boring (if you adopt it) or insular and provincial (if you were born into it). Five years ago, the thought of spending several months in a tiny French village with nothing more than a bakery and a corner shop would have worried me.
After a year on the road, however, it seemed like the perfect intermediary between the sweeping highs of travel and the challenges of city life. And, so, after a fleeting visit home, we packed our bags and moved to France for a few months.
Adjusting to life in our tiny French village has been easier than I feared. There are fewer people here, less noise, less pollution and better food. I love London but Saint Jouin de Marnes has offered an insight into the simple life – arguably a better life. Here’s what we did in our first month here.
Got accustomed to the morning boulangerie run

In London, fresh bread that’s still warm is a treat. Here, it’s a normality. In fact, a bakery cannot call itself a bakery (or boulangerie) unless it makes its bread from scratch. We’re also told that villagers’ access to bread is decreed by law.
Went for lonG rides ACROSS yellow fields


Atlas & BOots
Atlas & Boots
I only learnt to ride a bike properly during our year away. The country lanes of Saint Jouin de Marnes have given me a chance to ride alongside traffic, practise signalling and improve general awareness without putting my life in danger on the streets of London.
Attended a village fête

Peter accepted the glass of cider. C’est combien? he asked, reaching for his wallet. The older gentleman waved away the question and explained that the cider, locally sourced and made, was free. We spent the afternoon making broken conversation with the locals who graciously spoke slowly so that we could understand their questions.
Found charming tableaus around every street corner




Atlas & BOots
Atlas & Boots
The Abbey Church of Saint Jouin de Marnes is a five-minute walk down the street. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries, it provides a fairytale beacon on our cycle journeys home. We also love the house around the corner. We don’t know who lives there but we expect it’s a little old lady who might invite us in for a drink if we were ever to meet her.