On 14^th February 2020 this blog will be 10 years old. A lot of words have flowed sous le pont since then in almost 700 posts. And the number of life in France blogs has proliferated since 2010. However, there are a handful that I keep going back to for their entertainment value, and because the personalities of their “owners” shine through their writing. So I thought it was time I gave them a shout-out.

Before I do that, I wanted to make room for a little personal trumpet-blowing. This was something I was brought up and educated not to do, but I’m going to do it anyway. It’s gratifying to see that Life on La Lune has been awarded a place on several top 10/top 25 listings of blogs about France. Notably:

• Feedspot
• Complete France (who publish Living France, French Property News and FRANCE Magazine)
• Centre International d’Antibes language school

There are others, including one that curiously describes Life on La Lune as an “online community”. Grateful as I am for the accolade, I didn’t think you could have a community of one.

Here is my list of favourite blogs. I hasten to point out that these are personal blogs written by individuals. I’m not including online expat communities/forums or news or travel websites.

The usual procedure is to ask bloggers to list their favourites in turn, but I’m not going to do that, unless they want to. We bloggers all have our schedules and ways of working, so feeling obliged to fit in with someone else’s agenda can be tiresome.

In no particular order:

The French Village Diaries

Jacqui Brown lives with her family in a small village in Poitou-Charentes. She grows much of their food, works as a part-time librarian in a local library and gets deeply involved in her local community, where she is well liked. Jacqui blogs about all this and reviews books set in, or about, France. Incidentally, she is the only one of these bloggers I have had the pleasure of meeting in person.

France Says

A Canadian by birth, Mel has lived in France for more than 25 years and is married to a Frenchman. She is thus uniquely qualified to cast the spotlight on the foibles of French life, which she does with a forensic, but affectionate, wit. Always worth a read, since she has the ability to present familiar topics in a new light.

**Mel and her husband have now moved to Switzerland, but she continues to write entertaining and insightful posts about her new life over the border.**

A New Life in Lille

Graham and his partner live in Lille but are in the process of renovating a building in a Dordogne village, in which they plan to open a cheese and wine bar. I enjoy Graham’s wry reflections on French language, culture and bureaucracy, above which he sails with admirable tranquillity. I look forward to future instalments as they move towards their goal.

** Update: Graham and his partner have now opened their cheese and wine bar, and Graham doesn’t plan to update the blog. I have removed the link, in case it no longer works by the time readers see this. **

Midi Hideaways

Andreas is based in the Languedoc, and his blog aims to introduce readers to the diversity of that region. He posts about places to visit, events and food and restaurants. His posts are accompanied by copious and captivating photos, and he is clearly a bon viveur after my own heart! I like the warmth and enthusiasm with which he writes about the area.

Blog in France

Steph is my longest-standing blogging pal, although we have never met. She and her family moved to a dilapidated farmhouse in Creuse, which they renovated. Among other things, they run carp fishing holidays centred on their three lakes. Steph’s children have all been through French schools, so she is well qualified to write about the ups and downs of family life in France. Her continual curiosity about French life is infectious.

So go and take a look. Follow them if you like what you see. Leave comments on their posts if you have something to say. We bloggers always like that, since it makes us feel we aren’t just talking to ourselves.

If you’re a life in France blogger and your blog isn’t mentioned above, don’t be offended. It’s very difficult to choose, and I had to draw the line somewhere. Five seemed the optimum number.

You might also like:

Ma Vie Française interviews

The seven ages of blogging (about France)

A change of name

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