All the profiles are very different: everything from young couples, to singletons, families, retired couples.” 
 
 Dutch and Belgian couples had made enquiries about living on the island, said Ms Gay, but the shortlist is now only down to French citizens. It's looking for a couple to run a deserted island, in Brittany, and guaranteed solitude in its farmhouse. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David and Soizic Cuisnier talk about their time on the island 
 
 Exactly a decade on, France's Coastal Protection Agency (Conservatoire du Littoral) has advertised for new volunteers to take over a unique experiment. The new occupiers would be tasked with looking after Quéménès, a mile-long stretch of beach off the Breton coast, home to seals, sea-birds and a flock of Urshant sheep . According to the BBC , the island was inhabited for thousands of years, but 25 years ago, the last residents moved off, and so the Conservatoire du Littoral, the French Coastal Protection Agency, stepped in to buy it. Image copyright EPA 
 
 And so it was that in 2007 David and Soizic Cuisnier were given possibly the most romantic job in the world: to live on a deserted island, and to keep the island alive. AFP 
 
 The Cuisniers were given the keys to the island ten years ago, and have since expanded their family with two children: seven-year-old Chloé and five-year-old Jules. They have fallen out with the Conservatoire over the issue of rent. Accessible only by boat, the parents decided to leave to let the children get to school more easily. The BBC reports that there are 20 serious candidates and the new people will be installed in the new year. (Image: BBC) 
 
 (Image: www.alamy.com) 
 
 (Image: BBC) 
 
 A decade ago, David and Soizic Cuisnier became the new residents of the island, but they have decided to move on, falling out with the agency over rent. (Image: BBC) 
 
 (Image: www.alamy.com) 
 
 They may have what seems like an idyllic life, but those on the island have to earn their own keep, so the Cuisniers have been growing Mona Lisa potatoes, which they export, and running a guesthouse for half the year. Mr Cuisnier told the BBC: "The fact is we live in modern times. "From the farm we can see the mainland and the other inhabited islands. We have the internet, we have constant visitors. "Never once have we felt alone!"
– It's the perfect job for someone who prefers the minimum amount of human interaction. The French government is looking for a couple to take care of the deserted Brittany island of Quemenes. The mile-long island in the Molene archipelago off the Breton coast was occupied by humans for thousands of years, but the last owners left 25 years ago. The Conservatoire du Littoral (French Coastal Protection Agency, per the Mirror) bought the island, which includes a farm, and selected David and Soizic Cuisnier to run it and take care of the flock of sheep living on it. That was in 2007, and the couple and their two children, ages 7 and 5, are ready to move on, leaving a job opening, the BBC reports. Unfortunately for would-be island caretakers, the deadline for applications is over and the Conservatoire has narrowed it down to a shortlist of applicants. "We received around 60 inquiries and 40 applications, but only 15 or so of those were serious," a manager tells the Local. A decision is expected by October or November. "Coming here was an act of glorious folly," David Cuisnier tells the BBC. "But it turned into the most wonderful adventure. We developed the farm into a successful business. We raised a family. It has been unforgettable." The Cuisniers' lease required them to earn a livelihood, which they did by growing and selling potatoes, gathering edible seaweed, and running a B&B for half the year, among other things. They could also use only the resources provided by the island, meaning they get electricity from a wind turbine and solar panels, and water from a well.