2027 Retreat · September 4-11, 2027
Learn French, retire to the life you keep imagining.
Seven days of real-life French — markets, cafés, and vineyards — inside a working château in the Gascon countryside. No grammar drills. No tour bus. Just connection, curiosity, and joy.
with Déborah Pham Van Xua, founder of FeelGoodFrench,
and your host, Abigail Carter
“Step into France not as a tourist, but as a participant.”
A week, lived in French
Language & learning
- Daily interactive immersion sessions
- Real-life practice in markets, cafés, vineyards
- Wine vocabulary workshop with our sommelier
- "Keeping French Alive" — a post-retreat practice plan
- Optional yoga, taught in French
Cultural experiences
- Local market visit with the château chef
- Cooking demonstration & dinner prep
- Wine tasting with sommelier Stephan
- An afternoon in Agen — museum, cathedral, shops
- Excursions to historic bastide villages
- Evening storytelling & reflection circles
Meals
- Continental breakfast daily
- Family-style dinners, chef-prepared with local ingredients
- Lunch at the château or during excursions
- Dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant nearby
- Dietary restrictions accommodated where possible
Your teacher & your host
Déborah Pham Van Xua
Teacher · Founder, FeelGoodFrench
A French native with 10+ years teaching internationally — building libraries in Togo, lecturing at university in China, now based in New Zealand. She specializes in learners 50+ and expats, teaching through connection rather than conjugation.
Abigail Carter
Host · Château de Borie
Published author and artist, and owner of Château de Borie since 2022. Abby lives at the château year-round with her Boston terrier, Lulu, and writes about rebuilding a life she didn't plan for.
Who this week is for
You're picturing France as a retirement destination and want to test the dream before you commit to it.
You're anywhere from absolute beginner to intermediate (A2–B1) — this isn't a classroom, it's a week of practice.
You'd rather learn through a market conversation and a glass of wine than a textbook.
You want a small, unhurried group — never more than 12 — and a week built around ease, not itinerary-crunching.
The week, day by day
SAT SEPT 4th
Arrival
Arrive at Château de Borie before 4:00 pm. Settle in, meet the group over an early dinner.
SUN 5th — FRI 10th
Immersion week
Daily French sessions woven through market visits, the Agen excursion, the sommelier tasting, bastide village trips, and evening reflection circles. Full day-by-day detail shared after booking.
SAT SEPT 11th
Departure
Depart before noon.
Rooms & investment
Premium
€4,600 solo, per person
€4,000. 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
€4,000 solo, per person
€3,600. 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
- Round-trip transport from Agen train station
- 7 nights, private or shared
- All meals, beverages, and wine
- Daily French sessions
- Market town excursion
- Sommelier wine tasting
- Creative language workshops
- A post-retreat guide — sites, apps, films & podcasts to keep your French alive
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.
Twelve seats. One week. A very different September.
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.