Villa la Rive

31/05/2026

The Hilarious Reality of Moving to France... ✂️🏊‍♂️
Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes of running a rental villa in the sun-drenched Southwest of France? Spoiler alert: It isn't all wine, sunshine, and relaxing by the river Lot!

In our brand new episode premiered today on YouTube at 17:00, this time Richard gets completely caught between the ultimate expat luxury and absolute psychological warfare.

While sitting in the most scenic salon chair in Aquitaine getting a haircut from the brilliant Charlotte, a glance at a pool test strip reveals a total chemical meltdown!

With a fresh group of holiday guests arriving, it's a race against time to stop a 31°C oasis of luxury from turning into an aggressive, green industrial solvent.

Also in this episode:
💬 Salon Secrets & Local Gossip: From local pub drama to a genuinely surreal story about a festive do******ix... Charlotte has seen it all!

🚜 The Clarkson’s Farm Debate: We dive into the unexpected realities of country life and heavy machinery.

🍹 The Ultimate Sundowner: We wrap things up on the terrace by shaking up a proper Caipirinha cocktail - ah the taste of Brazil!

A massive shout-out to some of our fantastic fellow creators featured in this week's episode, including:

, -Charente, , , , and !

Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and join us on the terrace at 17:00.

👉 https://youtu.be/cdb_OfXt9wQ

Thinking about moving to France or dreaming of living in rural Fran...

26/05/2026

BREAKING NEWS 🚨🐶🚤

After years of sitting on the front of our boat judging Richard’s steering… Albie has apparently decided to take matters into his own paws.

He’s now offering “premium river experiences” on the River Lot.

So far his qualifications include:
• barking at ducks
• staring aggressively at fishermen
• and demanding snacks every 14 minutes

Surprisingly… still better customer service than Ryanair.

Join us for one of our relaxed river rambles from Villa La Rive and discover southwest France from the water 🌅

Beautiful villages, peaceful sunsets and occasional sightings of Captain Albie attempting a three point turn.

Guests are welcome aboard.
Life jackets recommended.
Biscuits essential.

📍Temple sur Lot
📧 [email protected]
🌐 https://villa-la-rive.com/

17/05/2026

We genuinely thought it was all over. Maria had practically packed the bags with a view of possibly moving to Spain!

Then, right in the middle of a solemn village memorial, the Mayor of Fongrave decided to casually drop an absolute bombshell on us.

We have suddenly been thrown a massive lifeline to stay in France, and our immediate reward is having to figure out how we might have to run a commercial kitchen before July!

Watch us attempt to process the absolute shock in the brand new episode: "Thrown a Lifeline to Stay in France 🇫🇷"

📺 Watch the full episode on our channel tonight at 17:00 CET: and pour yourselves a dangerously large glass of wine and let us know what you think in the comments. We are going to need all the advice we can get.

Thrown a Lifeline to Stay in France 🇫🇷We thought our dream of starting a business in France was completely over, but a shock announcement from the Mayor ha...

10/05/2026

Right. The time has come to finally make a proper, mature decision.

Do we buy the ridiculously fast Californian spaceship that aggressively pins you to the seat every time you touch the throttle, or do we accept our fate and buy a highly sensible French family wagon capable of towing a massive trailer full of garden recycling?

In today's brand new episode, we unveil our incredibly practical new motor. However, it is not just a documentary about sensible European cars.

I have also finally acquired my commercial drone licence to actively annoy Albi on his morning walks, and our security cameras have somehow captured an African wildcat prowling around the villa.

It is pure, unfiltered rural chaos.

Watch the absolute madness unfold -

Are you seriously considering escaping the dreadful British weather and moving to France? Well, let us provide you with a brutal reality check regarding what...

06/05/2026

The View from Above (is Better) 🚁✨

We’ve had a bit of a "moment" here at Villa la Rive.

After years of looking at our beautiful Lot Valley from the ground, we’ve decided to officially launch 'Drone Media Aquitaine'.

This isn’t just about "having a go" with a drone; it’s about bringing decades of flight experience to help our neighbours showcase their properties properly.

Why should you care?

The Pilot: Richard has been operating professional drone systems since 2016, with a background of drafting classy aerial photography from good old traditional helicopters in the 90's🚁

The Precision: We specialise in cinematic "fly-throughs" using our drones for making your villa or estate look like it belongs in a high-end travel magazine. 🎥

The Legals: We are fully registered for commercial flights in Europe with €1,300,000 in liability insurance. We do things by the book. ⚖️

03/05/2026

Right. The brand new episode is dropping tonight at 17:00 CET and it features the absolute extremes of the French property market.

First, I am dropping in on Rob and Lisa from A Place in the Sun

Having valiantly hacked all the old render off their converted barn in the Charente, they have finally finished their stonework and saved themselves fifteen thousand euros. It is exactly the sort of ambitious expat DIY that usually ends in absolute disaster, but annoyingly, Rob has actually done a rather brilliant job of it.

Then in complete contrast I am taking you on a television recce to three of the most absurdly massive palaces in France. This includes a building so enormous it has casually housed thirty four kings, two emperors, and a pope. Not all at exactly the same time, obviously, because the morning queue for the bathroom would have been frankly catastrophic.

It is muddy expat reality versus absolute royal luxury.

Get the kettle on.

The Ultimate French Chateau Tour goes live very soon!

Watch our channel and please subscribe : https://www.youtube.com/

26/04/2026

A massive thank you to everyone in Fongrave on Friday for your wonderful support.

As many of you are likely aware, the local council recently voted to end the commercial lease for Aux Delices.

We were naturally very sad to hear this, as our only goal has been to keep a vital social hub open for the community to enjoy.

However, following a recent conversation with Monsieur le Maire, we are now submitting a formal and very clear new proposition to the Mairie. The final decision will then be entirely in their hands.

The final decision is now entirely in their hands.

You can hear what the village thinks of the situation and watch our full update in the latest video here

Thank you again to everyone who has spoken up for the restaurant.

En Francais :
Un immense merci a tous les habitants de Fongrave pour votre merveilleux soutien.

Comme vous le savez probablement, le conseil municipal a recemment vote la fin du bail commercial pour Aux Delices. Nous avons ete naturellement tres attristes par cette decision, car notre seul souhait est de maintenir un lieu de rencontre vital ouvert pour la communaute.

Cependant, suite a un echange recent avec Monsieur le Maire, nous soumettons actuellement une nouvelle proposition formelle et tres claire a la Mairie. La decision finale sera alors entierement entre leurs mains.

Vous pouvez entendre les reactions du village et voir notre derniere mise a jour dans notre video ici

Merci encore a tous ceux qui ont exprime leur soutien pour le restaurant.

34 likes, 8 comments. "We Tried to Open a Restaurant in France… But Got Turned Down 🇫🇷"

22/04/2026

🎶 BIG NEWS FROM THE LOT… AND NO, IT’S NOT RICHARD SINGING (THANKFULLY) 😄

Somehow… between river rambles, night markets, dodgy French phone calls, and Albie supervising everything… we’ve ended up with an album.

Yes. An actual album.

It’s born from the moments you see on the channel… the music, the mood, the magic of life here in France. And now it’s stepping out into the world like a slightly nervous but very proud debutante 🎼

If you’ve ever sat watching one of our videos and thought
“that music just fits”… well, now you can take it with you… in the car, on a walk, or with a glass of something chilled as the sun goes down over the river 🍷

It’ll be landing on all the streaming platforms in the next few days… including Spotify and Amazon Music… which feels slightly surreal, if we’re honest.

From a little YouTube channel to this…
not bad for two people who just fancied a new life in France.

Let us know what you think…
be gentle… we’re still recovering from the shock of pressing “release” 😄

Best wishes
Richard & Maria

👉 Here’s a little preview to dip your toes in

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19/04/2026

There’s something about a boat like this… it doesn’t just move through the water, it makes a statement 🚤✨

Today on the Lot, right in front of Fongrave, this classic MasterCraft was doing exactly what it was built for… pulling two skiers in perfect rhythm, carving clean lines across a glassy river.

And here’s the thing… it’s only April. The season’s barely stretched its legs and already the skis are out and the river’s alive again. That first burst of energy after winter… you can feel it.

It’s these simple, timeless moments that make life here feel a little bit special. Not rushed, not staged… just good weather, a powerful engine, and a river doing its thing.

If you’re dreaming of a stay where scenes like this unfold right in front of you, well… you know where we are 😊

Villa La Rive
Temple-sur-Lot
River views, relaxed mornings, and a front-row seat to days like this

Best wishes
Richard & Maria

13/04/2026

There’s a moment, just before a storm, when everything seems to hold its breath…

The river goes quiet.
The trees stop gossiping.
Even the boat looks like it’s waiting for instructions.

And then the sky rolls in like a moody film extra who’s about to steal the entire scene.

This is life on the Lot. One minute sunshine and birdsong, the next… something far more dramatic. And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Days like this remind you why we came here. Not for perfect weather. For real weather. The kind that makes you stop, look up, and feel something.

If you fancy watching the weather put on a show from the front row, come and stay with us. The views here don’t sit still for long… and that’s exactly the point.

Villa La Rive, Temple-sur-Lot
[email protected]
https://villa-la-rive.com/

Best wishes
Richard & Maria