The Crusader's House

We are in the process of acquiring appliances and furniture for our new house at Bazens, in the south-west of France.

To that end, we went to Clairac, an old village on the river Lot,  to see an item advertised for sale on the Facebook page "Pre-owned in Aquitaine".

The address given turned out to be a twelfth century, columbage-fronted house in the oldest part of town. It was positioned on the edge of a square that faced the church, the abbey and the convent.

A 40-something, bald-headed man greeted us warmly and ushered us into his house.

As we entered the living room, we drew a sharp, collective breath.

(remember, you can click on the photos to enlarge them)

a reproduction suit of armour from the first crusade of 1099 

a closer look at the helmet

sword forged in Scotland in 1300

The owner of this wondrous house is Michel Girod. He told us he was the descendant of one of the Knights Templar crusaders whose job it was to protect pilgrims to Jerusalem.

He told me the suit of armour is a reproduction of the type worn by the early Christian soldiers who liberated the Holy Land from the Muslims.

He bought this ancient village house four years ago and decorated it with ancestral furniture and tapestries.

panelled oak doors and Celtic applewood armoire

800 year old solid oak table with Fleur de Lys and a Templar cross

a Gothic chair

a wall mounted 17C tapestry depicting the Crusaders

in search of the Holy Grail

He found a 70 year old leadlight master who meticulously created this magnificent front window, complete with heraldic coat of arms which includes, of course, a Templar cross.

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Michel's house has a gorgeous elm-wood staircase dating back to the 17C. The floor tiles were laid in the 15C and tracks are still evident of birds who walked on the drying clay.

For lovers of history and the Middle Ages, of all things Templar and the romance of crusading knights, Michel's house is a treasure-trove. It is a museum.

We were thrilled to have discovered it and to have made the acquaintance of this extraordinary man.

By the end of the tour, I had forgotten why I'd gone there in the first place! 

Our garden

In our garden there are many flowering plants.

I don't know the names of all of them.

Here is a selection. Their form and beauty are wonderful.

In the lime tree and in the olives, bees fill the air with sound.

Also heard, the warning cough of two resident pheasants, a male and female, who've made their home in a dark corner of the pines.

The house I will call Ellesmere

The masthead photo is of the house we bought. I would like to name it Ellesmere after my Uncle Frank's house in Chinchilla, Queensland.

He wasn't really my uncle, but a close friend of my father's family. His house was very old and full of antiques. As a boy, in the company of my Aunty Viv, I used to visit Frank. He was very kind to me.

Our new house in Bazens is the culmination of a 15-month search which took us around the Lot et Garonne and into neighbouring departments.

It was a bleak and wintry day when we first saw the place. As we walked through the house, Cliona kept prodding me in the back.

Inside and out, it reflected the taste of its owners. They were determined to preserve its farmhouse heritage, the exposed limestone and massive oak beams.

We have a big, beautiful garden. It has bloomed prolifically and requires constant maintenance and care.

Our furniture and personal effects were off-loaded onto the docks at Rotterdam a week ago.

Hopefully, we will be re-united with our belongings this week.

iron and glass over the shuttered door

a closer look at our front door

one of the three mulberry trees at the front of the house

a corner of the garden

the pool on the left, the barn on the right and a glorious twilight sky

a threatening storm looms large from the south

a crepuscular glow through the lime tree

the front garden and the covered pool