It has long been my opinion that gathering wild food is good for the soul; it’s mentally stimulating, it boosts confidence and it’s intensely satisfying. Above all, it teaches everyone, especially our children, so much. Foraging in the forest, scavenging along hedgerows or digging in the tideline on the coast are all lessons they will certainly never learn in a classroom, and the best part of all, finding wild food is easy. Continue reading “Wild Food”
A question I am often asked is, “How do you make a living in France?” and for anyone even vaguely contemplating a life abroad, income is very often the number one consideration. For others who will never live here, and who may never even get to visit, how to earn a living in a foreign country is still a fascinating subject; the details of how people support themselves, and the measures they will go to in order to achieve their ambition can be the most compelling part of the adventure. It’s not always easy to work here. Some people run online businesses, others own or manage gites and chambre d’hôtes and some commute long distances. This is exactly why I was so happy to start this series about expats living in France; because everyone has their own story to tell of how they overcame the obstacles and made their dream a reality, and today I’d like to introduce you to an English couple – Jacqui and her husband Adrian. Continue reading “An English Family in France”
I discovered a little secret the other day about the pâtisseries you see in a typical French boulangerie. All those lovely tarts, the fruity slices and the sensual rum babas, perfectly centred in little paper wrappers – do you know who buys them? Certainly, there are lots of them sold in beautiful cardboard boxes to elegant ladies dressed to within an inch of their lives, and of course, others go out the door in the clutches of small children, but to my surprise I learnt that very few go home with bored housewives. Of course, no French woman touches anything outside of a meal-time; we know that. So where do these pâtisseries go? Continue reading “The Great French Baguette”
Finding the time to ‘stand and stare’. It seems like only last week I was lamenting the end of the summer holidays and somehow the children and I were trying to get back into the school routine of early mornings; bundling everyone into the car on time, usually while someone is carrying their shoes and someone else has a drooping backpack half-open with books threatening to make a bid for freedom. We’ve just about got organised, the daily drill has almost fully fallen back into place and now here we are eagerly looking forward to the two week autumn holiday known as les vacances de la Toussaint. Continue reading “Time to Stand and Stare”
It’s mid-October yet at midday you’d be forgiven for thinking we were still in the midst of summer; but by evening there is a discernible feel of autumn in the air, a decisive nod of acknowledgement towards the cooler months ahead. However, if you rise with the lark the crisp early morning chill is unmistakable. I’ve put the heating on in the car for the school-run, I’ve found a scarf to wear over a t-shirt and when I return home I firmly shut the front door behind me. Continue reading “Falling into Autumn”
I had my blog post for tomorrow half-written; I’ve been taking photos and preparing it all week but then Matthew came into the equation. How could I write about the tranquility of our autumn in France when lives have already been lost and people are suffering so greatly from the devastation caused by a hurricane churning it’s way slowly northwards through the Caribbean and into the Bahamas? The answer – I couldn’t – we have many friends in the islands and many in Florida, and although we may not be there we’re thinking of you all a lot right now. Continue reading “Hurricane Matthew”
Rummaging through someone else’s possessions or scouring makeshift tables for illusive treasure may seem like an odd way to spend a perfect hour, but I’m a bit of an addict. Sometimes I’m on the lookout for something specific, and sometimes I’m merely browsing, looking for items which I can repurpose; searching for relics of the past, for vintage bric-a-brac or genuine antiques. More often than not, I walk away without buying anything. But no matter what reason one has for browsing Brocantes I always feel a tiny frisson of anticipation as we arrive at our destination and see a bubbling crowd thronging around the stalls. Continue reading “Brocantes, Treasure Hunting and Your Advice Please.”
Our French Oasis 