Ido Bakker lives and works in an area known locally as "Le Grand Est
Oublié". He explains why he is so happy that this hidden corner remains
France's best-kept secret.
Chapelle Saint-Léon, Vosges, Moselle
Grand Est & Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Lac Bonlieu
Y
es, this secret
paradise seems
to have been
overlooked by
many Parisians and
international tourists, and we
locals are content that property
prices are such great value for
money because of it! As a child,
travelling in the summer to
the south of France, I clearly
remember my dad saying, "pedal
to the metal, fl oor it" as we
passed through. The perception
was that it is cold and wet here
- that may well have been true
when I was a young boy, but now
the local climate has become
more Mediterranean, just without
the Mistral and oppressive heat.
Indeed, the climate here is
increasingly becoming a major
draw as we are not susceptible
to the extremes that have been
hitting continental Europe.
Buyers realise that as well as
glorious countryside and a rolling
landscape, we can offer the kind
of weather that they are looking
for. I live in a tiny village called
Fouchécourt on the "rive droite"
of the River Saone. Most Fridays,
you can fi nd me ten minutes
down the road in the quaint
town of Jussey, enjoying an apéro
in anticipation of the weekend.
"Au Bon Coin" serves as good
a selection of hamburgers as you
will fi nd in France. If I happen to
have sold a property that week,
I may even treat myself to the
Chateaubriand, sauce au poivre,
at "La Marine" in nearby Port-surSaône.
As long as you promise not
to tell anyone, then I can confi rm
that the very best fi sh is served at
"La Marina" in Corre.
For our weekly shop, we
will take a twenty-minute drive
into our provincial capital, Vesoul,
although we do also enjoy
shopping in Besançon. This is a
lively city with a great university
and 24,000 students, glorious
shops, bars and restaurants. It has
heaps of historical monuments
Ido Bakker
is our agent in
Haute-Saône.
68 +33 (0)5 53 60 84 88 info@leggett.fr