Welcome back and bienvenue to new subscribers – it’s lovely to have you here! If you’d like to read previous editions, they’re all available to you as a subscriber via the Adventures & Ateliers website.

Pssst… some exciting news from this part of the world… there’s an Adventures & Ateliers book in the pipeline 💃 The release date and more details will be shared soon…

In the meantime, I’m gathering people to add to ‘the ARC list’… If you’d be prepared to review an advance reader copy (ARC) and provide honest, warts and all reviews, please do let me know by email.

Let’s begin : )

Alethea x

We all think we know our family and friends inside out, don’t we? Yet, one of life’s loveliest surprises is when those you already love do something so unexpected and generous that you find yourself thanking your lucky stars having them in your life and loving them even more. 

This rubbish health year has been full of those moments. The kindness and support from family and friends have been extraordinary, and it still catches me off guard. It’s easy to say: “You’d do the same”, and I absolutely would, but for some reason I find it’s always harder to accept help than to offer it – or perhaps that’s just my stubborn streak showing! 

The latest example arrived in the shape of a hire van. Driven from the UK by two of my oldest friends, H&S, it rolled up at Les P packed to the brim with (also incredibly kind, merci) artwork and furniture from my Dad’s latest move. The whole operation was their initiative, quietly coordinated with my sister, who took time to squeeze in her own whirlwind round-trip to add to the haul. 

Over this year, family and friends – here, near and far – have really been amazing, and their support has been integral to recovering from this stupid brain injury. I’ve been helped, cared for and supported in countless ways, big and small. It makes me teary even to write this, but I am so deeply, profoundly grateful to each and every one of them. 

As a big believer in the ‘what-goes-around-comes-around’ school of thought, it’s fair to say I am itching to return the favour(s) and have the ability to be the one doing and giving the support. Soon, I hope 🤞  

Following this, another boost came soon after by way of a mini catch-up with my brother, over from Oz, and his two boys. We met ‘halfway’ between Toledo and here, on the Atlantic coast in the Pays-Basque. Windswept beaches, kites, Biarritz Halloween, Bayonne tapas and a little birthday portrait painting fun!

The Atlantic beaches are wild and beautiful, perfect for dog-rolling, kite-flying (thank you to friends for the kite loan), and general messing around. Remnants of the great Atlantic wall still punctuate the coastline, stark reminders of a very different past amid all that energy and freedom.

The boys had been slightly miffed about missing Halloween shenanigans with their friends, but fortune smiled… as it turns out, Biarritz, surprisingly, goes all out for Halloween. Who knew? The whole town was transformed: a full Halloween park, shop-led trick-or-treating and kids in fancy dress everywhere. It felt more like a town in the US than the south west of France. New fact of the trip: one quarter of the population of Biarritz is, apparently, largely descended from Russians. Something my brother had stored deep in his memory, and much to our surprise, was really a thing 😯   

Another great find was a brief visit to Bayonne. A fabulous French Spanish mix, its kooky architecture and relaxed city vibe reminded us variously of Amsterdam, Strasbourg and Barcelona, all condensed into a smaller, unmistakably Basque form. I will definitely be going back to explore more another time. 

Back home, exhausted but somehow energised, Autumn had truly arrived. The giant Linden trees are shedding fast, carpeting both terraces in a sea of leaves. Ideally daily leaf-blowing is now required, my once a week attempt isn’t quite cutting the mustard!

La Petite Maison is available for longer term rentals between November and March by direct arrangement - so if you or someone you know is house-hunting, needs some peace to write or fancies a few week’s quiet - do get in touch via this email : ) 

Apparently, it’s one of the most loved homes available for rental on Airbnb 😄

It has become very clear to me that ‘Madame’ (my shorthand for this grand dame of a property) is in charge around here. Being the elder woman by almost three centuries (born in 1730) and having seen a tad more over the years than her current guardian (me!) it shouldn’t really be a surprise that she likes to test her latest minions occasionally.

She’s overseen families come and go, hidden priests, witnessed wars, resistance and the great societal shifts that have swept through rural France. She’s weathered storms, endured baking heat, and been home to farm animals, assorted wildlife and, of course, people. Through it all she has stood firm, braced against the hill, quietly dignified but with just the faintest air of disapproval when some new inhabitant arrives thinking they can ‘update’ her. The piffling renovations of her many inhabitants have, I suspect, mostly amused or simply been shrugged off over time.

There’s something reassuring about her metre-thick stone walls, bejewelled with wisteria and roses in the Spring / Summer and surrounded by a halo of fallen golden leaves and dramatic skies in Autumn / Winter. These same walls help to retain her preferred cool composure, while Winter warmth appears to be like a new style she’s slowly learning to be comfortable with.

There are whispered stories of her past - the many coloured shutters, the wine barrels once stored in the dining room, and the priests who escaped through a tunnel into the woods. I’m certain she’s borne witness to many extraordinary dramas, both grand and domestic but she prefers to maintain an air of mystery. One day, I’m determined to uncover that escape tunnel… once ‘the list’ is a little less long.

I have absolutely no doubt that Madame is unequivocably French. This is not as obvious an assumption as you may think. The region’s proximity to Spain, its Catalan links, the lingering presence of English after the Hundred Years’ War, and the steady influx of Dutch, German and English-speaking newcomers ever since mean she is most definitely, in my view, multilingual. I imagine her voice as refined paysanne with some Bordelais style hauteur, a hint of Catalan expression and some heavily accented English 😄

I occasionally wonder what annoys her most about the actions of us minions. If I were Madame, it would be the telegraph pole and wire (which I will find a way to get rid of, eventually) that crosses her view of the valley. Or perhaps she rolls her metaphorical eyes at our modern clutter, the cables, routers and other essential mod-cons now lining interior walls. Or maybe it’s the new colours and décor she’s forced to wear! Some days she’s benevolent, accepting of change and progress. On others, ‘stroppy’ would be my best description as she throws up unexpected challenges to make it clear who’s really in charge.

When I first got the keys, I was vaguely aware that Madame would take over a large chunk of my life. Naively, I thought it would be a few years of acclimatisation and perhaps a little more intensive immersion during renovations. Haha, I was SO wrong. Madame is no one-stop project; she’s an indomitable presence. As both home and business, she is never far from my thoughts. An additional, extremely demanding (!), family member who works tirelessly to ensure ‘the list’ is frequently refreshed and never finished.

Yet despite the challenges she sets, the patience she demands, and the endless complications of updating three centuries of character, I’ve come to love and respect her and her quirks entirely. She’s stubborn, proud, and full of cool secrets. I may have a bit of a fangirl crush, haha! In truth, I think she’s merely testing whether I’m worthy of occupancy. Slowly, I think (hope!) she’s beginning to approve.

Ps: Thanks to the friend who prompted me to write a little more on Madame’s indomitable character, it’s been fun to mess around with 😆

More Snapshots of the Domaine Les Plonges ‘journey’ every edition.

Possibly you found your way here via Instagram? @domainelesplonges? If so, an extra Bienvenue! You’ll already know I love a good visual. So here I’ll share others and a little more context behind the images…

There’s a whole section on my bookshelves dedicated to the published work of family and friends, ranging from historical non-fiction to satire and fiction. Clever F&F! I’m in awe of anyone who can start, finish and actually get their book on the shelves ✨

I’ve always written, for myself as well as it being a big part of what I do for a living, and find it one of the best ways to make sense of the world, share ridiculous stories and let off some creative steam. Over the years, files of tales and scribbled notes have accumulated, slowly finding their place in one of several books-in-waiting.

Yet these books, all in varying but fairly advanced stages of completion, continue to hover in the wings waiting for me to summon enough bravery and self-confidence to let them out into the world.

One of the unexpected benefits of taking a chance on this newsletter is that it’s helped quiet some of the fear around using my voice.

The more I write, the less daunting it feels and the kind feedback I’ve received from you lovely people (thank you!!!) over these little A&A stories has encouraged me towards writing more. These newsletters have reignited my love of storytelling and given me the determination to not only add to the A&A stable with a more polished / in-depth book on all things Les P but also finish my books-in-waiting.

So… Adventures & Ateliers (the book) has in some ways jumped the queue. The last in order of the projects sitting patiently on the shelf, but the first to finally step off and onto the pages of a real-life book. Similar in style to the type of stories I share via this newsletter but with more oomph and thread, I’ll be able to share more details soon. In the meantime…

Finally, I know there are a few published authors as well as many voracious readers among the A&A subscribers, so my question this edition:

Simply put, for two key reasons:

There are free and paid subscription options: With a free subscription, you’ll receive a bi-monthly newsletter- just like this one, but different (obvs!) - every other Thursday. With a paid subscription, it’s not just more of the same, you’ll also receive a long list of additional stuff. More details here.

Whichever way you subscribe, I’m delighted to have you along for the adventure - thank you 💛

If you’re interested in the tech I’m using for this, it’s Beehiiv. I did a LOT of research on platforms and I’m happy to explain why etc in more detail, just ask. They’ve also given me a partner link, and this gives anyone using the link a 30-day free trial and 20% off your first three months on any paid plan. Note, it’s an affiliate link and I may receive commission on any purchases made through it.

NB: No instagram links this edition as instagram simply isn’t playing! You can see more here: Instagram @domainelesplonges