French urbanites fuss about rustic noises and smells
Some second-home owners have sued over loud livestock and church bells
FRANCE’S SENSE of itself has long been rooted in the land, even though three-quarters of French people live in towns. Now, however, having locked down in small airless spaces, many city-dwellers feel the call of the wild. Estate agents report an uptick in searches for homes with gardens. Diehard urbanites talk wistfully of a bucolic existence in la France profonde. In a poll, 61% of the French think confinement will encourage people to move to the country or buy a second home. But do today’s townsfolk know what rural life really entails?
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “The call of the wild”
From the June 20th 2020 edition
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