2027 Retreat · February 27 - March 5, 2027
Fireside LIVING IN FRENCH
A Language & Lifestyle Immersion at Château de Borie
with Déborah Pham Van Xua
Winter in France has its own rhythm.
The markets are quieter. Stews simmer for hours. Fires are lit, bread is baked, and evenings stretch out over the dinner table. It is a season for slowing down—and perhaps the perfect time to stop studying French for a few days and simply begin living in it.
Winter Living in French is a small, immersive retreat for intermediate French learners who want to become more comfortable actually using the language.
Led by Déborah Pham Van Xua of Feel Good French and hosted by Abby Carter at Château de Borie, the retreat combines daily French workshops with the ordinary pleasures of winter life in Southwest France.
Rather than filling every day with sightseeing, we will spend much of our time at the château: gathering around the fire, cooking together, sharing long meals, making things, reading and talking in French, and venturing out occasionally to experience the region in its quieter season.
“Come in from the cold. Gather by the fire. And live in French for a little while.”
A week, lived in French
French you can actually live in
- A daily session with Déborah, built around real conversation rather than a syllabus
- Practise connecting your ideas, adding nuance, and finding another way to say something when a word escapes you
- Follow an unexpected reply, ask a spontaneous question, tell a story that holds together
- Built for B1–B2 speakers who already have French — this is about retrieving and using it, not starting over
- Keep a carnet d'hiver — short writing moments to gather expressions and shape the week into stories
Les petits plaisirs de l'hiver
- A visit to a winter market or local artisan
- A countryside walk exploring the plants and vocabulary of the season
- A simple creative project — an herbier, cyanotype or similar
- Perhaps a truffle market, chocolatier, pottery studio or an afternoon at the thermal baths
- Winter gives us permission to stay home — plenty of unstructured time to read, rest and simply be at the château
Gather around the fire
- A hands-on winter cooking session with Chef James
- Bread and sourdough making — including a sourdough pizza night
- A guided wine tasting
- Long château lunches and candlelit dinners
- Fireside evenings — conversation, storytelling, games and jigsaw puzzles on the dining table
- Shared meals, wine and conversation with your fellow guests
Your teacher & your host
Déborah Pham Van Xua
Teacher · Founder, FeelGoodFrench
Déborah Pham Van Xua is a native French teacher from southwest France and the founder of FeelGoodFrench. Now based in the Basque Country, she has spent her life crossing cultures. She especially enjoys helping North Americans aged 50 and over explore French—and the cultural quirks no textbook quite explains.
Her favourite challenge? Helping learners whose French disappears the moment someone asks them a question. Expect humour, playful practice and memory tricks shaped by her interest in neuroplasticity and how we learn.
For Déborah, language is about human connection. She creates a warm, non-judgmental space where you can recognise your strengths, find your motivation and dare to speak. Her mission is to help you trust yourself, stay curious and enjoy connecting with others in French.
Bring your imperfect French. There’s plenty we can do with it.
Abigail Carter
Host · Château de Borie
Abigail Carter is an American author and the owner of Château de Borie, the centuries-old château in southwest France she has called home since 2022. After building a life and career in the United States, Abby did something she never quite expected: bought a crumbling French château and began creating a new chapter on the other side of the Atlantic.
Today, she opens the château to small groups of curious travelers who want to experience France a little differently—not rushing from sight to sight, but settling in, sharing meals, exploring the surrounding villages and getting to know the rhythms of life here.
Abby believes some of the best experiences happen around a table, on an unplanned detour, or in conversations between people who were strangers a few days before. Her retreats are built around that idea: come as you are, make yourself at home, and see what happens.
Meet Chef James
Chef James Lee Gordon brings more than a decade of experience in organic and Michelin-rated kitchens to Château de Borie. A remarkably creative cook, James transforms fresh, seasonal ingredients into dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious—often looking more like works of art than dinner. Founder of The Chocolate Bear Kitchen in England, he is also particularly skilled at creating thoughtful, inclusive menus for guests with food allergies and intolerances.
Meals with James are an experience in themselves, often enjoyed outside on the château terrace. Depending on the season and the menu, that might mean a summer barbecue, a pizza night, or a little culinary theatre—such as his spectacular tableside Crêpes Suzette.
James brings imagination and a sense of occasion to every meal, making the food at Château de Borie an unforgettable part of the retreat experience.
Who this week is for
Build on your French, one shared experience at a time
You can already communicate in French, but perhaps you hesitate when the conversation takes an unexpected turn, lose your thread when telling a story, or find yourself using the same familiar words.
Cook together, exchange stories over candlelit meals, and settle into conversations by the fire. With Déborah’s guidance, you’ll practise connecting your ideas, explaining your choices, expressing opinions with more nuance, and finding another way to say something when a word escapes you.
A conversation with a local producer becomes a chance to follow an explanation and ask a spontaneous follow-up question. Cooking and tasting together invite you to compare, describe, and share traditions. Around the fireplace, you’ll learn to set the scene, move between past events, and express what made an experience funny, surprising, or meaningful.
Short writing moments in your carnet d’hiver help you gather useful expressions and shape those experiences into stories to share. Along the way, supportive feedback helps you notice recurring difficulties and put useful language into practice again.
The slower winter rhythm gives you time to absorb, revisit, and use what you learn. Each day builds on the last, helping you find your words and say more of what you want to say.
What you'll take home
You won't leave speaking perfect French — and that's not the point. You will leave more comfortable using the French you have, less worried about making mistakes and more willing to start a conversation.
Through small everyday moments, you'll discover how much you can already do. Along with new friendships and memories of your week at the château, you'll take home your own carnet d'hiver and practical ways to keep your French alive — and the confidence to keep using it.
Voices of Past Participants
“My week at Château de Borie was magical. I came to learn more French and improve my confidence. I achieved both of my goals, but also made friends and had wonderful experiences. I came away from the week with more confidence and a path/routine for improving my French. The accommodations and food were excellent. Château de Borie is lovely.”
~ 2026 Participant
“The people - the staff & participants became like friends.”
~ 2026 Participant
“I am overwhelmed with what Abby has accomplished both at the chateau and with the retreats. It’s wonderful how she shares it with others. Our language instructor, Deborah made learning French comprehensible and fun. James, our chef created delicious dishes from local frech ingredients. Finally making ten new, wonderful friends is truly a gift that keeps giving.”
~ 2026 Participant
The week, day by day
SAT Feb 27th
Arrival
Arrive at Château de Borie before 4:00 pm. Settle in, meet the group over an early dinner.
SUN 28th — FRI March 4th
Immersion week
Daily French sessions woven through fireside cooking with Chef James (including a sourdough pizza night), a winter market visit, a guided wine tasting, and candlelit evenings of storytelling, games and jigsaw puzzles by the fire. Full day-by-day detail shared after booking.
SAT March 5th
Departure
Depart before noon.
Rooms & investment
Premium
€3,950 solo, per person
€3,450 shared, per person
Cygne, Étoile, Gingko, Rossignol, and Jasmin — all are second-floor, private bathrooms down the hall, except Jasmin, which is a third-floor room with a full ensuite.
Standard
€3,450 solo, per person
€3,100 shared, per person
Magnolia, Colibri, Chouette, Renard, Lapin, Paon — third floor bedrooms with private bathrooms down the hall. Shared pairings available in Lapin, Paon, and Cygne.
What’s included
What's Included
- Round-trip transport from Agen train station
- 6 nights, private or shared
- All meals, beverages, and wine
- Daily French sessions
- Market excursions
- Wine tasting
- A post-retreat guide — sites, apps, films & podcasts to keep your French alive
What's Not Included
- Airfare or international travel
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Personal spending money
- Occasional lunches during excursions where indicated
Getting here & getting around
Book your own flights into Toulouse or Bordeaux, then a roughly 90 min, train to Agen — or fly into Paris and take the 3-hour TGV from Montparnasse. We recommend arriving a day early in Toulouse if you can, to shake off the jet lag before the week begins.
Transportation is provided for all group excursions, so a rental car isn't necessary. Trip and medical cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. The château is multi-level with stairs throughout, so comfortable, unassisted walking is a must — and you'll likely meet Lulu, the resident Boston terrier.
Cancellations & refunds
A deposit holds your seat. Here's exactly how refunds work as the date approaches.
Deposit is refundable up to this date.
Full refund if your spot is filled from a waitlist; otherwise 50% refund, or a 12-month credit transfer to a future retreat.
No refunds. We strongly recommend trip/medical cancellation insurance.
A small group. One week. A very different winter.
Have a question before you commit — about your French level, a room, or the dates? Reach out directly and we'll help you figure out if this week is right for you.