Naples Illustrated

Photography by Louis Lesko

Without furniture, rugs or artwork to absorb the voices, echoes ping-pong off the empty walls and pale stone tiles. A ladder stands open in the middle of the sunny living room and the smell of new paint permeates the air. Virginia Ward and Casey Gaines of Tierra Verde stare at an empty built-in bookcase, heads tilted and eyes squinted, and debate the color they have chosen. After numerous trips to the local hardware store, they agree they have finally concocted the perfect shade of blue-gray.

Though their furnishings so far consist of one lone chair and a bed, the 1,900-square-foot house in Vaison La Romaine, France, is far from empty. One only has to watch Ward carefully hang the "bienvenue" (welcome) sign on the kitchen door to realize the house is full - of plans for the future. The couple is not only putting the finishing touches on a house, but also on their dream of retiring to France someday.

When that someday will commence is still up in the air. Gaines, 58, a neurosurgeon at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, is ready anytime. But Ward, 46, is still passionate about her practice as a plastic surgeon, and jokes she needs to work longer than she went to medical school. But until the day arrives, the doctors are taking steps toward a life spent half the year in this 2,000-year-old riverside town, and half the year in their ultra-modern waterfront Florida home that Gaines built 19 years ago.

"There is something magical about new beginnings," says Gaines.

Driving in through the garden gates of the 150-year-old country house, it's easy to fall under the spell. Amid the rolling hills and vineyards of northern Provence, an ancient castle standing guard in the distance, the Gaines-Ward home is surrounded by six acres of land dotted with prolific almond, chestnut and cherry trees. From the pool there is not a neighbor in sight. Trellises dripping wisteria create irresistible outdoor dining corners. Two wild pheasants occasionally dash across the garden, reminding the couple how far removed they are from their hurried existence back in Florida. Ward walks over to a cherry tree and pops the succulent red fruit into her mouth. "I can't believe this is ours," she says, looking around. "This is the good life."