Yes I live in London in a flat with no garden, work in an office (most of the time) and am pretty much always surrounded by concrete… but behind this city girl façade lies a secret farm girl.

Every summer I pack a bag containing the most practical clothes I own… jodhpurs, walking boots, waterproof jacket, chaps, couple of t-shirts and head to Toulouse to reconnect with my farm girl roots. A week of early mornings and hard graft… and I adore every second of it.

I’m lucky enough to have the most wonderful friend who lives in Themes-Magnoac in the Hautes-Pyrénées region of France.  She owns a small holding where she lives with her fabulous husband, two amazing daughters, flock of sheep, gaggle of geese, collection of dogs and cats of various shapes and sizes, horses, donkeys, pigs and the odd mouse or two, possibly more. Every morning you’re greeted by the most wonderful views of the mist rising over the Pyrenees in the distance.

Days are spent on the farm working under the French sunshine, feeding and mucking out various animals, working in the pottage, doing DIY, driving tractors and riding horses. In my opinion I really don’t think you can get much better.

At night when I head to bed with hands covered in blisters, achy shoulders and legs scratched by brambles I really couldn’t be happier. So if you feel as though the city is all getting a little bit much, why not pack your bag (no make-up, fancy clothes or shoes allowed) and head to the country.

By Nadia Kassas, PR Account Manager