Could This Be the Sound of Making Memories?
In my world, music always has a place—there is almost always something playing in the background.
Except for the early morning, that is. That’s when the French birdsong is so gloriously loud that there is simply no point in trying to compete. You just have to stop and listen. If angels really sang, I think this is exactly what it would sound like.
It got me thinking about the unique soundtrack of living in the South of France. If our life here were a band, it would feature Mother Nature on the xylophone, village life on the drums, and backing vocals courtesy of humanity.
We all have our favourite noises that instantly transport us to a moment in time. Are yours among these?
The Sounds of Expat Life in the Languedoc
1. The Sounds of French Wine Culture
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The gentle pop of a wine cork: Or the equally delicious glug of a box of wine (BIB).
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The meatier pop of Crémant: We are close to Limoux now, so we get the really good stuff!
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The clink of glasses: That universal sound of raising a glass and toasting santé with good friends.
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The vineyard hustle: The distant rumble of tractors in the vineyard. By September, this transforms into the deeper thrum of La Vendange (the harvest). There really should be smell-o-vision for that moment—you can almost taste the wine in the air.
2. South of France Wildlife and Birdsong
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Cicadas: Loud enough to break your eardrums, but utterly wonderful. To me, they are the absolute epitome of a French summer.
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Frogs and toads: Extraordinary, loud, and echoing from the garden.
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The morning birdsong chorus: Right now, we have four or five different cuckoos a day. I'm fairly sure I heard a green woodpecker that sounded exactly like laughter (though I'm confident there are no Kookaburras in the Aude!). There are hoopoes doing their best pool-alarm impression, the Scops Owl (Petit-Duc), and our quarrel of sparrows having their endless, magnificent rows. Plus, a good friend in the village is being treated to nightingales at the moment.
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The Black Redstarts: Or "the Upstarts," as I call them. They click at us like they’re tutting our life choices. They probably are! But every year, they nest a little closer.
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The scuttle of lizards: Alongside the surprisingly stompy tantrum of the geckos. They are wonderful neighbours, just a bit dramatic.
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The insects: The almost aircraft-like drone of Carpenter Bees, and this year, the Rose Chafer Beetle—as noisy as it is incapable of flying in a straight line.
3. The Natural French Landscape
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Soft summer rain: Followed immediately by that beautiful scent of petrichor—warm earth being given a cooling drink.
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Wind and water: The wind rustling through the trees, the little river gurgling toward the Aude, and the subdued roar of our local waterfall.
4. Daily Village Life in Rural France
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Bonjour and Au revoir: Hearing it as you walk into a shop and as you leave. Simple, classy, and perfect.
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Laughter over an apéro: Or the clatter of a quick coffee at the local café.
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The village loudspeaker: Though we’re slightly too high up the valley to hear it clearly ourselves, I love the sound of the village loudspeaker clicking on with the latest essential announcement. It makes me childishly giggle every time. “I will say zis only wuuunce!!”
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Arlo's morning greeting: These days, the soundtrack includes the small, yawny noise Arlo makes to say he’s awake and ready to go out now, please.
The Beauty of French Silence
And then… there is the quiet. That particular rural French silence that is its own kind of sound. It's the feeling of peace descending, with only Mother Nature still singing softly in the background.
I know there will be far more sounds that I’ve forgotten than remembered.
Over to you: What sounds make up your French life? Or what noises can you not wait to hear the next time you visit the South of France?
Follow along for everything we share and love about life in France!
x Jen x
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