Chez elle

My 81 year old mum lives in a sweet converted barn in my brother's garden in the same french village as me. It's all on one level and has just the rooms she needs - and no more.

At the moment the garden has yet to suffer from the blistering heat of the summer, so the roses and petunias in particular give her great pleasure.

It's not easy living in a foreign country with less language than she'd like, but it's not the worst option.