We have had a dream to keep bees for some time now. Ever since we moved to France all those years ago, it was always our intention to one day have our own bees. But the time has never been right, until now. A few months back I got a message from a friend: “Are … Continue reading To bee or not to bee, that is the question.
Author: Nikki McArthur
I'm a busy British mother of 5, living the dream in rural South West France since 2004. Writing books and a blog on family life in France.
This is my house. I have taken shots of it from across the lake many times and yet they all look different. It is one of my favourite views, looking across the lake with the watermill, sky and landscape reflected in the water. Moulin d'en Bas, Escanecrabe, France 2020 It hasn’t always looked like this. … Continue reading Reflections past and present
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I like driving in my car, it’s not quite a Jaguar! Actually, it’s a Hyundai Ioniq hybrid and we bought it last year. Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid I am normally at home a lot, I work from home most of the time and so life in lockdown is not so different, or is it… I could … Continue reading Lockdown France – Driving, or lack of it.
They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, What have we got Toulouse: A family moving to France (A mother in France Book 1), please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com! … Continue reading Help me win Book Cover of the Month
On the 12th March 2020, President Emmanuelle Macron announced to the nation that from the end of the following day (Friday 13th March), schools in France would be closed to help reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. This news was met with a mixture of joy for many of the children and either relief or … Continue reading Lockdown France – Schools out!
Week 7 in the big McArthur brother house So, we have been "locked up" now for approaching two months. My husband Gary and I, our four sons (aged 30, 26, 18 and 15), our daughter, our son’s partner and a family friend... Nine of us, seven males with an average age of 30. What have … Continue reading Lockdown France – Food glorious Food
The 1st May is a bank holiday in France, although this year will be different as we are all in confinement. It's labour day or Fête du Travail and of all the bank holidays, this is the one that is most respected. In our early years here, my husband would usually continue working on a … Continue reading May day traditions and memories of a generous neighbour
I took a drive for the first time in over a month of lockdown. I drove 10 minutes down the road to the tabac to pick up some tobacco for a friend who’s living with us. I know it doesn’t seem like an essential, but it’s essential to him. I filled out the form we … Continue reading Lockdown France – Venturing out
The rumours had been flying. President Macron was to make a speech to the nation on Thursday 12th March, 8pm. Earlier that day we’d been talking to our second eldest son, who lives in Montpellier 3 ½ hours from our home in the countryside SW of Toulouse. It was his 26th Birthday and he was … Continue reading Lockdown France – This is not a Drill!
