In the Heart of France: A Love Letter to Châteauroux
Fresh out of college, I had no clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life—except for one thing: I wanted to get out and experience the world. I was accepted as an English language teaching assistant in France, and when placements were announced, I found myself assigned to a small French town that was merely the butt of a joke. Despite the challenges, I quickly fell in love with it. During a period of uncertainty in my life, living slowly and appreciating the simple, everyday moments felt grounding and deeply refreshing.
Through the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), I lived and worked in Issoudun, where I was assigned to three primary schools. Once sustained by a strong factory-driven economy, the town has largely faded from prominence. Its many abandoned buildings and factories stand as quiet reminders of a time when Issoudun was vibrant and thriving.
I lived in the nearby town of Châteauroux and commuted daily by train to Issoudun. I shared a loft-style apartment with two flatmates in a former garment factory that had been converted into housing, situated along the banks of the River Indre. The space still carried traces of its industrial past—high ceilings, wide windows, and an open floor plan—while the river just outside our windows set the pace of daily life. Mornings began with the walk to the station, evenings with long dinners and quiet reflections, creating a routine that felt both grounding and distinctly French.
The ochre building in the background was our apartment, its windows looking directly into our kitchen. Behind it sat a small bohemian bar—L’Atelier de la Poissonnerie (The Fishmonger’s Workshop)—and beside it, a quiet art gallery in another converted garment factory. It all felt stitched together, old lives layered on top of new ones.
From our apartment we had a direct view of the Château Raoul, the centerpiece of the small town. Pictured is the old château on the edge of the Indre river. Just a quick stroll up the river led to Le Lac de Belle-Île (Belle-Île Lake), which I would equate to the “central park” of Châteauroux.
Le Lac de Belle-Île during springtime, view from the guingette (a traditional French open-air bar usually on the banks or rivers and lakes)
One of my fondest memories from my time in Châteauroux was spending Saturday mornings at Le Marché des Légumes, a distinctly French ritual held in the heart of the city. The market stretched between Place de la République and Place des Halles, filling the streets with stalls of fresh produce, flowers, and local specialties. Wandering through the crowds, listening to vendors call out and neighbors greet one another, made the city feel alive in a way that was both ordinary and deeply memorable.
