Douzillac - Be bat and mouse friendly!

We're pretty rural here. Our hamlet is in the commune of Douzillac - a pretty hill village overlooking the River Lisle. It is a lively commune with lots going on in summer including cycle races, car boot sales, village meals and firework displays at the end of August.

An excellent network of foot and bridle paths is all around us - suitable for mountain bikers and enthusiastic walkers. There are fields of sunflowers in July, wild orchids in the spring and blackberries to be gathered in early September.

The river has excellent fishing in season and is also a fine place for canoeing and kayaking with charming river banks drifting past, overhung by trees. You might even see a kingfisher.

Le Treuil is one of the many hamlets that are part of the commune and includes two farms producing veal sous de la mere (calves reared under their mothers) foie gras and strawberries in season. You don't have to mind farm machinery passing by in harvest.

There is plenty of wildlife too - this year we had to put up bigger brollies to shield swimmers from enthusiastic swallows, les hirondelles, swooping low over the pool. At dusk a lady with us in July was thrilled to watch an owl swoop low under the tree where she was watching the sunset. It came every evening at about 10.30. And, don't tell the squeamish, we have families of mice in our compost bin. Well, we have to try to be 'green'.

Written by Delia Bugg - Owner of Property 91673 in Douzillac, France