Sebastien's Home

Our last stop was visiting Sebastien's family.  

Sebastien was our French exchange student last year.  

His family lived in Aubanas in the center of France. We visited their weekend home, 

which was in the mountains an hour away of Aubanas. Below is the one lane bridge 

that we took to get to the weekend home. 

 

Sebastien relaxing in the living room.  Donna Genia and Gary getting warm on the sofa. 
The home was heated with a small wood stove. 

One of the many great meals that Gerard, Sebastien's father, prepared for us.  This meal was a casollette. It included duck, pork, and beans.  So much for being vegetarian! 

 

Sebastian and Gerard giving us a tour.  Below is Sebastien on the bridge behind
one of their weekend homes (they had two right next to each other).

 

The outside of the house, with the sundial on the corner halfway up.

 

The cellar of the house, which is being remodeled into a living space.

A swimming pool with natural springs which Sebastian and Gerard built.
The potato garden is below.  They had to be very creative to keep the wild boars away.

A storage area behind the house.

This was the first weekend house that Gerard and his father bought many years ago. 
It was a wreck when they bought it, and they have lovingly rebuilt it.

All the roofs are redone with rough slate.

Genia at the entrance to the first house.

Sebastian with his mother Marie and Genia.

The first set of stairs (wooden) to the bedroom.

The stone stairs to the kitchen on the top (third) floor.

   

The vaulted kitchen.  When Gerard bought this with his dad, this room was completely open. They hired a German stonemason to completely redo the ceiling.

 

Sebastien's sister Elise, who is studying to become a doctor like her father.

For Gerard's 50th birthday, he got this yurt.  They brought in a tribal person from Mongolia who specialized in assembling these.  They slept in this for 12 years while the house was being remodeled.