Almost French

When he first visited Paris as a young student, artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren could never have imagined that one day he would end up owning a château in rural France. Almost French is the entertaining, often hilarious account of his induction over the past 21 years into all things French: snooty waiters, highbrow countesses, numerous faux pas with the French language and, of course, encounters with the infamous French bureaucracy. Turning the dilapidated Château de la Creuzette into a celebrated boutique hotel with his life partner, Hardy Olivier, required patience and perseverance. Many lessons were learnt the hard way. For instance, four heaters are not enough to hear an entire château and they will blow your power supply. Louis interweaves the stories about his life in France with fascinating snippets of history, culture, food and drink, and tradition. A must for all Francophiles and anyone who loves good living.

LOUIS JANSEN VAN VUUREN is a well-known artist who has held over 50 exhibitions in South Africa and abroad. He was a lecturer at Stellenbosch University and Michaelis School of Art in Cape Town until he moved to France in the late 1990s. Louis and his life partner, Hardy, turned a château in Boussac, France, into a successful boutique hotel where they lived and worked for 21 years. In 2009 he and Hardy co-wrote Festive France / Feestelike Frankryk with Anet Pienaar-Vosloo. He has also contributed short stories to various anthologies and he is the author of Die storie van 'n huis and a volume of poetry, Tempermes.