This is the topic that I most hope will pop up when your substack drops into my inbox! I love to hear about it...maybe partly because we lived our own French dream life a few years back, and also because hearing others dream and fulfill their dreams is so inspiring for our own future dreams, whatever they may be!!! Keep dreaming, keep living it and please please keep writing about it for us 🙏🥰
Oh Sara - I've just spent a dreamy afternoon in a golden French meadow with you! Please, please do continue to share your adventures so we can live vicariously through you - I'd love to do what you are doing - and have loved reading all about it and can't wait to hear what happens next!
This is a lovely post, just bursting at the seams with life. Thanks for sharing this, and making me smile--there's a lot I recognise from living here in France too (the eyelash bugs/house centipedes at our place have a habit of hiding in the saucer beneath plant pots so, when I move the bougainvillea indoors every night in case of sudden mountain cold, they fluffily scurry over my hand with alarming regularity. How I've not dropped it yet, I don't know).
I also added you on Duolingo (I'm finding it useful as a backup, whilst learning more as our 21 month old begins to learn new words. This teaches me some sort of humility, or something, that my French improves through conversations with the nounou and small children.)
Thanks again for sharing such a lovely post, the photos are wonderful too.
I have loved reading this update. Your words are like a soothing tonic. Reminds me of the days where we spent more time reading blogs, feels so much nicer than the noise of social media etc!
Loved your update, sharing the dreamy parts and the reality parts is what we want! Real life shares are so important :)
I loved reading about this. A friend recently bought a small house in a village in Normandy and my boyfriend and I are suddenly really actually thinking about doing the same! It’s so great to see what is possible and to get a look at what other people are doing. Inspiring!
Having previously lived the otherwise of the globe, now back in the UK I often wonder about a move to France so it’s great to have some insight into the reality, thank you
Love reading all about the French house and it’s refreshing to hear a little about the not so good with the good. I love how you write, it’s like we’re having a chat and you make me laugh and smile throughout. Can’t decide on my favourite bits.. no knickers made me laugh! Bug with too many legs made me want to cry! Orla making friends warms my heart ❤️ Jax is an only child and it’s the best when they make friends and are happy. Keep the updates coming, it’s all so beautiful to hear xxx
I very much enjoyed this. I even liked reading about the bugs.
For mosquitoes etc try Parakito. It smells nice, it’s mainly essential oils and it’s French. Both my husband and I are allergic to mosquito bites so we have tried everything. Parakito is the most effective, even more so than 99% Deet. The only mosquitoes who aren’t bothered by it are the stripy black and white ones but they can also bite you through several layers of clothing so they’re basically unstoppable.
I absolutely loved reading about this! I have pretty much the same dream based on a trip I took with my family as a little kid to a beautiful little town in the south of France. I remember finding tons of snails and making a “snail nursery” and going to the bakery every morning, where the baker would give my sister and me a sweet if we said a French word. I’ve been obsessed ever since. It’s fun to hear about how it might actually be! Also- the eyelash bugs- if you cut them in half (like when trying to catch one or something), they run in opposite directions. We have those centipedes where I’m from and they really are the stuff of nightmares 😳
I adore this! Your writing is delicious, I would happily gobble up more. Plus, we’re going to need to know which color you choose for the shutters and if you ever figure out the cause of the zappy tap water.
I’ve added you as a friend on DuoLingo 🤞 it motivates me to get back into my own French lessons!
Enjoyed reading this Sara! Much as the montage moments are a relief to reach, I think most of us who’ve made a bold move or shot for an out-there dream learn pretty quickly they can take a while to materialise. And some great stories show up in the the waiting and weathering :-)
Loved this update, Sara, and hope you'll share more of your French adventuring. It was endearing, funny, idyllic all at the same time. Of course I loved the images you added, your photography was what first drew me into your orbit in the first place many years back. Looking forward to the next one you will share!
This is all absolutely wonderful, yes please with the reality and the magic and also an entire series based around the French Husband. The thought of a plumber arriving in a beret and having a real ferret work with him sent me into absolute giggles. I feel as though there is a children’s book idea floating around so whew in there! Please keep writing!
In love with the pics. Reminds me of old Instagram
This is the topic that I most hope will pop up when your substack drops into my inbox! I love to hear about it...maybe partly because we lived our own French dream life a few years back, and also because hearing others dream and fulfill their dreams is so inspiring for our own future dreams, whatever they may be!!! Keep dreaming, keep living it and please please keep writing about it for us 🙏🥰
Oh Sara - I've just spent a dreamy afternoon in a golden French meadow with you! Please, please do continue to share your adventures so we can live vicariously through you - I'd love to do what you are doing - and have loved reading all about it and can't wait to hear what happens next!
This is a lovely post, just bursting at the seams with life. Thanks for sharing this, and making me smile--there's a lot I recognise from living here in France too (the eyelash bugs/house centipedes at our place have a habit of hiding in the saucer beneath plant pots so, when I move the bougainvillea indoors every night in case of sudden mountain cold, they fluffily scurry over my hand with alarming regularity. How I've not dropped it yet, I don't know).
I also added you on Duolingo (I'm finding it useful as a backup, whilst learning more as our 21 month old begins to learn new words. This teaches me some sort of humility, or something, that my French improves through conversations with the nounou and small children.)
Thanks again for sharing such a lovely post, the photos are wonderful too.
I have loved reading this update. Your words are like a soothing tonic. Reminds me of the days where we spent more time reading blogs, feels so much nicer than the noise of social media etc!
Loved your update, sharing the dreamy parts and the reality parts is what we want! Real life shares are so important :)
I loved reading about this. A friend recently bought a small house in a village in Normandy and my boyfriend and I are suddenly really actually thinking about doing the same! It’s so great to see what is possible and to get a look at what other people are doing. Inspiring!
Having previously lived the otherwise of the globe, now back in the UK I often wonder about a move to France so it’s great to have some insight into the reality, thank you
Love reading all about the French house and it’s refreshing to hear a little about the not so good with the good. I love how you write, it’s like we’re having a chat and you make me laugh and smile throughout. Can’t decide on my favourite bits.. no knickers made me laugh! Bug with too many legs made me want to cry! Orla making friends warms my heart ❤️ Jax is an only child and it’s the best when they make friends and are happy. Keep the updates coming, it’s all so beautiful to hear xxx
I liked this so much! Your writing is fun, and having moved from Sweden to France to spend 25+plus years there, it sure brings back memories!
Keep it up! (Maybe writing like yours will let me dare taking my own leap onto Substack with more than comments..)
I very much enjoyed this. I even liked reading about the bugs.
For mosquitoes etc try Parakito. It smells nice, it’s mainly essential oils and it’s French. Both my husband and I are allergic to mosquito bites so we have tried everything. Parakito is the most effective, even more so than 99% Deet. The only mosquitoes who aren’t bothered by it are the stripy black and white ones but they can also bite you through several layers of clothing so they’re basically unstoppable.
I absolutely loved reading about this! I have pretty much the same dream based on a trip I took with my family as a little kid to a beautiful little town in the south of France. I remember finding tons of snails and making a “snail nursery” and going to the bakery every morning, where the baker would give my sister and me a sweet if we said a French word. I’ve been obsessed ever since. It’s fun to hear about how it might actually be! Also- the eyelash bugs- if you cut them in half (like when trying to catch one or something), they run in opposite directions. We have those centipedes where I’m from and they really are the stuff of nightmares 😳
I adore this! Your writing is delicious, I would happily gobble up more. Plus, we’re going to need to know which color you choose for the shutters and if you ever figure out the cause of the zappy tap water.
I’ve added you as a friend on DuoLingo 🤞 it motivates me to get back into my own French lessons!
Enjoyed reading this Sara! Much as the montage moments are a relief to reach, I think most of us who’ve made a bold move or shot for an out-there dream learn pretty quickly they can take a while to materialise. And some great stories show up in the the waiting and weathering :-)
Loved this update, Sara, and hope you'll share more of your French adventuring. It was endearing, funny, idyllic all at the same time. Of course I loved the images you added, your photography was what first drew me into your orbit in the first place many years back. Looking forward to the next one you will share!
This is all absolutely wonderful, yes please with the reality and the magic and also an entire series based around the French Husband. The thought of a plumber arriving in a beret and having a real ferret work with him sent me into absolute giggles. I feel as though there is a children’s book idea floating around so whew in there! Please keep writing!
This is amazing. All of it.