We moved to the Ariege from London at the beginning of 2009 lured by the excellent climate, great food, skiing and a generally more relaxed and outdoor way of life. And because we were totally bowled over by the view from the garden of the then fairly-dilapidated farmhouse.
Since our arrival Alex, a TV director, has worked tirelessly renovating the house and gite while Catherine has continued with her work as a freelance journalist.
The children Toby, now 14 and Olivia, 12 have settled in well at school, made friends, are excellent skiers and swimmers, love having so much space and sunshine and think it's hilarious that they now speak French much better than their parents do.