🏡 The Stories Behind Holidays-Normandy
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Last updated: September 2026
Every gîte has a backstory. Ours began with a bold family move from the UK to the heart of Normandy — and it hasn’t been short of surprises!
From building works and language fails to unexpected rescue animals and life with llamas, the story behind La Ruche and Ursula Gîte is full of colour, character and countryside chaos.
👣 Real Life, Real Stories
This is where we share our journey — the good, the bad, and the muddy. If you're dreaming of a similar lifestyle shift, or just curious about what it takes to run a gîte in France with animals and a young family in tow, you’ll enjoy these honest accounts.
📚 Read the Blogs in This Category
The Witch Bottle Hidden in the Walls of La Ruche
We found a witch bottle concealed behind a fireplace in our 1730s Normandy home. Follow the trail into La Manche witch trials, Dames Blanches, Château de Pirou and centuries of folk belief. 🕯️🧹
👨👩👧 From Family Dream to Reality
We never planned for it to look quite like this — but the dogs, ducks, llamas and crooked walls have made the journey more meaningful than we ever imagined.
This category is for the personal stories. The family decisions, the renovation wins (and disasters), the unexpected guests, the trials of DIY gîte life… and the joy of creating something from scratch.
As always, we share it all with honesty — and probably a few photos of llama ears in the foreground.