After long acquaintance with Southern France, and many summer visits to the Herault Valley west of Montpellier, I decided in 1990 that I must have a home of my own there in the village of Aniane.

Click HERE to open a new tab showing Aniane on a map of France.

What I wanted was one of those ancient stone village row-houses that one sees everywhere in the Mediterranean regions of France. I was looking for a house, and a setting, that would never let me imagine that I was back in North America.

That requirement was well fulfilled by the house here at 19 Rue de la Tour in the heart of Aniane, about 25 minutes west of Montpellier. The village itself goes back to the early Middle Ages; the portion within the old city wall, where this house is located, features tiny streets, pedestrian passageways, and all amenities within an easy stroll.