Yes, my son and his new bride recently returned from their honeymoon in southern France, where we were able to arrange a home exchange for them for two weeks. What an experience for the two of them to be able to have thanks to HomeExchange.com!
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| Two Foodies In France Enjoying Some Gigantic Crepes |
A FRENCH WELCOME
Giles, the owner of the the vacation beach cottage located in Messanges, met Van and Megan upon their arrival with a home cooked French dinner! Yes, the owner provided dinner for them after their long flight from California and then a three hour drive to the house. What a wonderful welcome! After dinner and showing them around the house, giving them lots of suggestions for places to go and things to see, Giles left them to enjoy their first night in France as husband and wife.
Having a home base in Messanges for two weeks gave Megan and Van the opportunity to not only explore the immediate area but allowed them to travel to Bordeaux for two nights, as well as to San Sebastian, Spain for two nights. Since they did not have to spend a cent for their home in Messanges they were able use the money saved to visit the other areas, touring the wineries of Bordeaux, and being the foodies they both are, spending quite a bit on some amazing Michelin starred feasts in San Sebastian.
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| Messanges Is Conveniently Located Between San Sebastian and Bordeaux |
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| Basque Style Tapas Called Pintxos |
Little did I know when I arranged this home exchange that Messanges is one of the surfing hot spots of Europe. Megan and Van were unfortunately not able to spend too much time at the beach because of the weather, but on their last day in France they were able to use the gift certificate Megan's aunt had given them for a private surfing lesson at Messanges Surf School. What a treat, to be learning how to surf from a world class surfer on the coast of France. Great gift idea Tari!!
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| California Kids Surfing in France |
A NEW FRIEND MADE, AS WELL AS A WONDERFUL EXCHANGE
After Megan and Van's first meeting with Giles they happened to run into him on the beach where he enjoyed hanging out while his wife and children were away visiting relatives. They thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him more and feel that he will be a friend they will stay in contact with for many years to come. A key to this successful exchange I feel was not only all of the contact I had with Giles before the exchange, but also the amount of time Megan and Van spent on Skype with Giles and his wife Virginie prior to the trip. While Giles and his family are not planning on coming to our home at Reserva Conchal in Costa Rica for a year or more, when they do decide to come we will certainly try to extend the same hospitality to them which they extended to Van and Megan while at their lovely beach cottage in the south of France.
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| New Best Friend Giles |
A SPECIAL GIFT
Just remember, even if you may not be able to travel to a foreign country nor have the desire to do so, maybe someone else you love would enjoy a trip of a lifetime thanks to a home exchange you set up. And, surprisingly often times the yearly cost to join a home exchange network is less than one night's stay in a hotel room! Give it a try, and see what it's like for you, or someone special, to vacation and live like a local.
Just remember, even if you may not be able to travel to a foreign country nor have the desire to do so, maybe someone else you love would enjoy a trip of a lifetime thanks to a home exchange you set up. And, surprisingly often times the yearly cost to join a home exchange network is less than one night's stay in a hotel room! Give it a try, and see what it's like for you, or someone special, to vacation and live like a local.
