Published: Nov. 15, 2011
Words: 58,941 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781466035959

Short description

Five years ago in 2006 we left our large, brand new house in Co. Cork, which we’d built ourselves, for a two-hundred-year-old hovel in Creuse, France. Why, oh why? We wanted to change our lives and we've certainly done that. I began my blog detailing our experiences in 2009 and it's become very popular. Here's a selection of entries from its first two years arranged January to December.

Extended description

Five years ago we left our large, brand new house in Co. Cork, which we’d built ourselves, for a two-hundred-year-old hovel in Creuse, France (actually, two, plus a crumbling barn, and not forgetting 75 acres of land and lakes).
Why, oh why? Why did we aspire to go down in the world, to leave the country where we could communicate successfully and actually use our painstakingly acquired professional qualifications to make a living? Why did we abandon all that and go abroad where, at least at first, we would be scratching a living so far below the poverty line as to be complete out of sight of it? Insanity? Bloody-mindedness? Misguided romanticism? The spirit of adventure?
None of the above. Quite simply - necessity. It was the only thing to do.
We couldn’t carry on in Ireland the way we were. After fifteen years there, it was time to go before Chris’s work-related stress made me a widow and the cost of living got any worse. And so we changed our lives by moving to rural France .. (Read more) Five years ago we left our large, brand new house in Co. Cork, which we’d built ourselves, for a two-hundred-year-old hovel in Creuse, France (actually, two, plus a crumbling barn, and not forgetting 75 acres of land and lakes).
Why, oh why? Why did we aspire to go down in the world, to leave the country where we could communicate successfully and actually use our painstakingly acquired professional qualifications to make a living? Why did we abandon all that and go abroad where, at least at first, we would be scratching a living so far below the poverty line as to be complete out of sight of it? Insanity? Bloody-mindedness? Misguided romanticism? The spirit of adventure?
None of the above. Quite simply - necessity. It was the only thing to do.
We couldn’t carry on in Ireland the way we were. After fifteen years there, it was time to go before Chris’s work-related stress made me a widow and the cost of living got any worse. And so we changed our lives by moving to rural France to run a gîte and carp fishing business and do a little llama farming on the side.
We are: myself, Stephanie, author and freelance editor and now also llama farmer and gîte cleaner; Chris, ex-quality assurance in the chemical industry, now carp lake manager, DIY expert and mole hater; three totally Frenchified children, namely Benj, currently nearly 20 and at University; Caiti 17 who regularly wins national school awards, and 10 year-old free spirit Ruadhri; Nessie our dog who came with us too, but all the other animals – alpacas, carp, cats, goats, guinea pigs, hens, llamas, rabbits, turkeys – have been accumulated here.
Moving abroad is tricky at the best of times. With kids of 14, 11 and 4 at the time it became even more of a challenge. But with persistence, a positive attitude and, let’s face it, no alternative, we’ve made a success of it. It’s been far from easy though. Many people harbour notions of an idyllic rural French ex-pat lifestyle, sipping wine and watching sunsets. That rarely exists. Reality is French bureaucracy, exploding composting loos, leaking roofs, viciously cold winters without central heating, living off savings, self-doubt, frustration and depression.
I began my blog in July 2009. With its honest view of what it takes to get established abroad, my blog, Blog in France, has encouraged and educated current and would-be ex-pat families, as well as entertained everybody, or at least I hope it has. The overall tone is optimistic and light-hearted and variety is the key. I’ve picked what I think to be a nice selection from the first couple of years’ worth of entries, which I’ve arranged by months. So from January to December, you can see what living in rural Creuse is like for an Anglo-Irish family who took the plunge and have never looked back. (OK, maybe just the odd glance!)
Enjoy!
(Less)

Tags

family, france, amusing, variety, expat life, life in france, living in france, blog entries, french experiences

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Reviews

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Review by: Wordygirl on March 06, 2012 :
Very straightforward and engaging account of trying to make a new life. I especially appreciated the integration of photos. a nice use of ebooks. Thank you for making it freee!
(review of free book)

Review by: Leo Leibovici on Jan. 26, 2012 :
Really entertaing and informative. Made me very envious of the families bravery in commiting to such a change of life style.
Thoughly recomended. An easy read.
(review of free book)

Review by: Clarice Troy on Dec. 08, 2011 :
I love reading about the experience of other people in far away countries. This family is tough as nails and brilliant. The ups and downs of their lives in France kept me clicking the next page button on my ereader. Bravo!
(review of free book)

Review by: Chris Creusecarp on Dec. 08, 2011 :
This is a very entertaining selection of blog posts about living in France. There's a mixture of articles about everyday life for an ex-pat family, also French history and traditions, and local events. Nice photos and lots of humour.
(review of free book)

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