With this in mind we booked an exploratory trip to Limousin on 14th February 2004, during the half term holiday.
We set out straight after Joshua had finished school and ventured down to Dover, across on the Eurotunnel and into France as a family on the adventure together.
The trip was easy and uneventful, EXCEPT the troubling encounter in the dark around the Paris Peripherique, which would prove problematic for a few more journeys.
We arrived at the Service Area on the A20 north of Limoges at 3.30am to grab a few hours sleep. It was very cold that night and some snow had settled on the ground, but we were not alone, as many other drivers had decided to do the same. We eventually ventured into Limoges and found the magnificent railway station there at 6:00am to freshen up and get a wonderful coffee before most people had risen.
This is the story of the Gray Family search for a home in France and the eventual conversion of a Barn in the Creuse that has now been turned into a beautiful home for our family to enjoy in the years ahead. The story of La Grange Grise gives an indication of our experience of doing so between 2006 and 2016. Also added are details and history of the subsequent purchase and work on La Maison Grise from 2013 and the renovation work started in 2016 on the house opposite our the Grange.