Hi, I'm Kylie
Hi I’m Kylie….expat, writer, history geek and lover of all things South West France. I made the move back in 2016 and live in the beautiful Charente with my hubby Richard and my Border Collie Lottie.
With a view of the sunflowers in the summer and the bare trees in the winter it’s quite literally a little slice of heaven.
Why South West France?
Well it’s a relatively undiscovered gem, compared to the more commercialised Paris or Provence.
Plus there is an insane amount of history here from the early Gallic settlers in the second century BC to the Nazi occupation in the Second World War. Where I live in Chez le Coq our house is within the walls of what was once a fortified castle owned by Baron Le Coq dating back to the 1500s. And did you know that this region was a stronghold for the Knights Templar?
The Weather...
And then of course there’s the weather. Well don’t get me started on how many hours of sunshine we get each year. With pretty much guaranteed summers, enough history to keep even the biggest history buff happy, wine, food and countryside, you’d be hard pressed not to find an area in South West France to fall in love with.
Within a couple of hours drive I have sun, sea and sand one way and mountains, vineyards and valleys the other. Life in rural France is a social whirlwind of parties, events and apéritifs.
There is a joie de vivre to life here that's intoxicating.
So I hope you’ll allow me to play virtual host and give you a behind-the-scenes look into my wonderful rural world in the middle of the French countryside.
What to expect...
Here on the website I share a behind-the-scenes look at adapting to life in rural France, renovating a property, the best places to visit in South West France, the legends, myths and stories of the region, and of course the food and drink. I interview other expats living the French dream and fill your virtual lives with a little bit of French fabulousness each week.
Join me as I live my French Dream and subscribe to the Life in Rural France Newsletter Today!
Want to know more?
These Are a Few of My Favourite Things….
Abbaholic
I’m a complete and utter Abbaholic. I can’t think of an ABBA song I don’t love. I particularly enjoy belting out numbers like Waterloo and Super Trouper in the woods walking Lottie, my border Collie. And sometimes I get caught mid-song.
Musicals
I love Musicals particularly the old musicals from Rodgers and Hammerstein. My all time favourite is the Sound of Music and I recently visited Salzburg and did the official Sound of Music Tour. It was a dream come true.
Classically Trained
I’m a classically trained musician playing violin and piano. I studied at the Royal College of Music and dreamt of becoming a concert pianist until I got the travel bug. I still have a baby grand in my office here in France and often tinkle the ivories looking out over the French countryside.
Wedding Planner.
In a previous life I was a Wedding and Event Planner so I love planning parties on our property here in France. Some of our most recent were my 50th, an ABBA karaoke, and another that somehow became known as Dickiefest (hubby’s nickname is Dickie). Both went down in Chez Le Coq history as being epic.
Join me as I live my French Dream and subscribe to the Life in Rural France Newsletter Today!
Life in Rural France