By Jemma: It’s all about the ants. I’ve never forgotten the advice from one of my earliest writing teachers. You can go on a glorious picnic – the food, conversation, and the weather all perfection – but you have no story until the ants arrive. They invade your blanket and …

This guest post is by Susana Iwase Hanson, the founder of Provence Living.net.  Susana is multi-talented and tri-lingual. She lives with her family in the Var in the beautiful, rural village of Cotignac (read more about her interesting backstory here). But after living on many continents, big city living is …

By Phoebe Thomas A while ago I was asked by the magazine “Living France” to write about my garden in the Riviera. At the time I couldn’t publish what I wrote here on the blog as the idea was that people would buy the print magazine, but all this time …

The Old School Expat The word expat has always made me feel uncomfortable. It conjures up in my mind an old-fashioned view of a person. Someone who takes tea with the best china in their adopted country and then proceeds to whine about their surroundings. I am no doubt generalising, …

By Vaucluse Dreamer: By the start of November, our little place was in a state of chaos in readiness for the work to start. The rooms were piled high with relocated furniture & building supplies and Andy had laid new Travertine floors throughout the 2 main spaces upstairs that would …

By Barefoot Blogger: After living in France for five (5) years and struggling to learn French, it was time. Deborah realized that being able to communicate in the language was critical during her 10-week hospital stay and the recuperation phase. There are many to take French classes but why not beautiful Aix-en-Provence …

By Barefoot Blogger: French Healthcare Information One of the most asked questions for this American expat in France is about healthcare. “What do you do about healthcare when moving to France?” The simple reply is “travellers insurance.” The answer you really want to know is “don’t worry about it.” I couldn’t …

The following is an excerpt from my second book “.” My wife Val and I live part of the year in Provence. Our friends Xavier and Marie-France are kind of our cultural guides, making sure we have local experiences that foreigners often miss. Sometimes they are fun and sometimes… French …

By Vaucluse Dreamer: Firstly I have to start with an apology – the last few months have been rather chaotic with one thing and another and I find that this really is the first time I’ve been able to sit and write about our little half-life in France for quite …

House Search in the Alpilles Not everyone would have the vision and know how to transform a tiny 17th-century farm building into a bright, inviting pied-à-terre. The house was in poor condition, its last renovation dated from the 1970s as evidenced by the orange and brown colour palette. However, it …