Once upon a time, a little white dog named Folly joined my husband and me in his idea of paradise: France. Here pups are pampered and welcomed at cafes with water bowls and dog biscuits.
We humans liked it too. Who wouldn’t? Imagine days filled with discovering a magical country filled with fresh baguettes and deep dark coffee, 365 types of fresh cheese at outdoor markets, wines—both famous and from our neighbor down the road. We spent lazy days biking river paths or to the Tour de France (a 45-minute ride took us to the corner where it was due to pass. Whoosh …did you see them? Then we biked home.)
We learned (often garbled) a language that flows like honey, discovered a culture filled with art and history, and met other expat Americans, Brits, Dutch, New Zealanders, and French friends and neighbors.
How did it happen? I'd been a professional writer for years prior to our adventure. We were doing a trial stay of five months which extended to five years and a 150-year old home in France's Loire Valley. Planning it successfully took more than a year's research on living abroad.
Once we did it, I hated to waste the two-foot-high pile of file folders packed with information that could serve as a short-cut for others in planning their own long-term adventure. Thus, it became The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away from Home. Other books followed, including The Grown-Up's Guide to Living in France and then Gone with the Wine, the tale of our adventures.
France was a great hub for travel throughout Europe…and beyond. I’m back in the states but continue to plan other adventures. And, if there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s that travelers love sharing stories, tips, and insights on destinations. This blog is for travelers wherever you may go, Francophiles (of course!) expats, and armchair dreamers. So it will cover travel, destinations, impressions, and whatever whimsy strikes. It’s a big world out there.
He's precious. Did his bark acquire a French accent?
Nice site. Aww. Little Folly.