Discover Roquebrun: The Secret "Little Nice" of the Hérault Valley
Meet Roquebrun—a spectacular village nestled in the Hérault department that clearly missed the memo about being landlocked.
Beyond the ordinary
Welcome to the blog... this is where the longer stories live..... the bits that don't quite fit into a Facebook post or a 30 second reel, but deserve a proper telling. Expect tales of expat life in the Aude... the good, the bad, and the deeply confusing (looking at you, French bureaucracy). There'll be local guides to villages, markets and walks around Narbonne, Carcassonne, Minervois and beyond, plus the usual cast of characters: Jen & Jenna, mates whose husbands Lee and Bob, the dogs Ren, Jaeger and Arlo, create a motley crew...Oh and whatever new disaster We've managed to create this week.
Grab a coffee (or a glass of Minervois, no judgement), and settle in.
Join us as we grow and succeed together. We're glad you're here to be a part of our story.
Does Moving to France Change You? | Mardi Musings with Jen
Before we packed up our lives and made the leap across the Channel, I had a very specific vision of what my future self would look like.
How to Understand the French TV Weather Forecast Like a Local
Right then… welcome to the next event in our completely unofficial Village Olympics of Weather Speak.
Real Culture Shock: How Moving to France Changes Your Entire Personality
Before moving to France, we considered ourselves perfectly normal people. We had reasonable cheese opinions, functional relationships with standard shop opening hours, and a calm approach to grocery shopping.
Olonzac market day: a love letter to cheese, chaos and too many olives
If you want to understand life in the Minervois, forget the guidebooks. Just turn up in Olonzac on a Tuesday morning and stand very still. Within about four minutes, someone will have hugged you, sold you a cheese you didn't know existed, and asked your opinion on the weather... despite the fact you've lived here eight years and still answer in a mixture of French, English, and increasingly confident hand gestures.
France Will Pay 50% of Your Gardener: French Tax Credit Guide
Right. Gather round, because this is genuinely one of the most brilliant financial perks available in this country, and a surprising number of expats living in France have absolutely no idea it exists.
What eight years in france, three kids and a grandchild have taught me about mental strength..
What eight years in france, three kids and a grandchild have taught me about mental strength..
Creating a Quirky French Bucket List | My Life in Languedoc
The reality of living and working in France? We work incredibly hard for a living!
Expats in France: What Happens if You Die in France?
We usually keep our What If Wednesday feature quirky and fun—focusing on odd questions, interesting hypotheticals, and little daydreams.
The Sounds of the South of France: Creating a Languedoc Soundtrack
In my world, music always has a place—there is almost always something playing in the background.
Using what3words in France: A Lifesaver for Rural Expats?
What happens when you need to give your exact location in rural France, but your house doesn't have a standard street number, or you are stuck on an unmarked vineyard track?
Dog-Friendly Beaches in Aude: The Ultimate Guide for Pup Parents
Good news, dog parents of the Aude! Your four-legged beach bum doesn't have to sit this summer season out.