To our family friend Christophe, ‘Happy Birthday to you!’ ‘Happy 10th Birthday to Sebastian too!’ After our friend’s wedding on Saturday afternoon, we joined Christophe and Beatrice for their family celebration! Christophe turned 50, their son turned 10 over the weekend, and they joined the parties together and rented out the Montels town hall where…
Saint Stephen’s collegiate Church in Capestang, Languedoc-Rousillon France, was built in the 14th century but never completed. Gothic architecture has the feel of a cathedral, with a large open ceiling, and beautiful stain glass windows. The Collegiate Church of St. Etienne, started in the 13th century has remains of an older church thought from the…
“Everyone should have a blog. It is the most DEMOCRATIC thing.” Jessica Cutler Three reasons you should never blog: Money, Notoriety, and Traffic. Money: If you are lucky, you can generate enough cash with Google ads to pay for your hosting and a few office supplies. Of course, there are indirect ways of making money, when clients…
After 7 months on the road, we settle in to our new village routines. The kids have been through there own version of our family adventure, and although they loved most of it, they did find adjusting to life on the road more unsettling than we initially wanted to share. But I promised myself,…
Lucky in the Languedoc of France Home and Garden Channel This was the TV promotions blurb about our family’s TV debut on House HUnters International. I cannot believe it was in 2012, but as the world turns, it looks like we will be doing another TV show about our move from Capestang France to…
When I use the term ‘International Family’ referring to ourselves, I think of our family travelling and living out of a bag, our world is our residence. For the Striar family the definition is even more defined, a true international family, not only travelling for a year around Europe with their 3 children, but also…
#1 Lucerne Milk Canadian milk is so good and super fresh. I have a strange habit of dipping my Lays potato chips in my milk. I miss the habit, all though my waistline does not. #2 Packaged Gravy Mix Open a package, throw it in boiling water and stir for lump free gravy. Oh how…
Canal du Midi after the Planes? Sitting on an iron bench next to the Canal du Midi, I imagine myself talking to my great grand children about when we came to Capestang back in 2011. I’ll tell them how the Platane trees once domed tall above head as we walked down this very path. It…
Third Culture Kids (TCK) refers to children integrating aspects of their first culture and their new culture, creating a unique “third culture”. Kate from Flight of the Wines Poured shared with me some of her experiences as a Third Culture Kid now all grown up living in southern France. I had never even heard the term…
After 4 1/2 years in southern France, it is a monumental moment when you qualify for a loan. Loans are extremely hard to get. In France the banks do not look at your equity, your bank account balance, assets, or anything of that sort. They only look at your weekly income, the paycheque. You can…