At the risk of starting to sound more like an estate agent than a wannabe writer, last night I got caught up in a bit of dreaming about what we can never have. Here are some pictures of real houses featured on estate agent websites in the Lake Geneva area where I currently live. Any one of them can be yours if you have a few million euros to spare. I moan about not having time to write, but spent nearly two hours last night drooling over them. Because – of course – I would get soooo much writing done if I only had a retreat like that!
The websites featured include: Affinity Prestige Immobilier, Immofrontiere and Agence Clerc.







However, my own tastes run towards the more modest end of the grandiose spectrum. A traditional manor house with those ubiquitous blue shutters. No pool but massive old trees and an orchard would suit me fine.


I would have a vineyard, keep a few beehives and write all day. Of course, reality came crashing in this morning, with more work commitments in far-flung places which I would rather not do but cannot turn down.