Last year I participated in the biggest blog hop I’ve ever come across with over 400 participants and it was such a success that I’m doing it again. It’s called Grow Your Blog and it’s open to all genres of blog, from all over the world, simply to get to know each other, support and follow each other’s blogs. Regular readers of my blog, you too may find some interesting new blogs to follow.
If you are visiting for the first time, hello and welcome. Here’s a little bit about me to start you off. I live in the south of France with my husband JF and our two boys, where I run a vacation rental called “Lou Messugo” (hence the blog’s name). My name is Phoebe (not Lou!) and I’m a British and Australian passport holder though I don’t really « come » from anywhere in particular. I’ve been an expat since birth and have lived all around the world. JF is French and our children are tri-cultural and bilingual. This muticulturalism is an important and vital part of our family and naturally influences my interests and choices in life. If you’d like to know more about me click through to my About Me section here…
In this blog I write about my passions – I write mainly about France, particularly the region I live in, the food and French culture in general. You’ll find posts on language, holiday traditions, education and family as well as expat issues. But anyone who knows me will testify to the fact that my over-riding passion in life is travel and over the last year I have broadened out to include more writings on travel further afield in France and Europe too.
My posts are usually photo-led as this is another of my interests/hobbies. I strive to take good photos though I’m very much an amateur and always still learning. I hope I inspire you with the beauty that is around me. The photos here, selected to offer an example of the different catagories I write about, are all taken from previous posts I’ve written – by double clicking on them you can go through to the original.
Why did I start writing a blog ? There are two reasons. Firstly I saw it as a way of providing my gîte guests information about the area they were holidaying in. I didn’t really think anyone else would read it. And secondly I have always thought I should write a travel book about my adventures but somehow I’ve never even tried. Blogging, writing short snippets, rather than the pressure of one big book has come more naturally and over the nearly 3 years I’ve been writing I’ve found I just love the whole bloggersphere-thing. I love the contact with other bloggers and the friendships I’ve made with readers and writers, some of whom I’ve now met in the flesh. There’s no greater reward than someone contacting me out of the blue to thank me for a certain piece of information that they found through my blog or being nominated for an award by a fellow blogger.
As for the future, I hope to continue growing this blog to an even wider readership and build on the relationships I’ve already made. I hope to keep finding interesting and inspiring things to write about, to entertain my readers and improve my writing skills along the way. So if any of this has piqued your interest I’d love you to subscribe, that way you won’t miss out on any of my posts. (You’ll find the subscription button at the top of the page). But there’s no compulsion, don’t worry if you don’t want to, just pop by from time to time to see what’s up or follow me on another form of social media (links to all of which can be found in the About Me section and by clicking on the buttons at the top of the page). I hope to hear from many new readers and absolutely love comments which I endeavour to reply to each time.
Over to you…what do you think ?
Hi Phoebe and greetings from Canada! I am belatedly paying GYB visits and will try to follow you via Bloglovin. I love reading about France as it was my first home (actually not far from Nancy, a little town called Grostenquin) as a Canadian military brat 🙂
Hi, ive hopped over from gyb party. I love those photos of town buildings. I find them really inspirational, id love to paint or stitch a picture like that.
Thank you Kim, and welcome to my little part of the blogosphere 😮
Thank you for your kind words Beth.
Thank you Catherine for helping me in my battle NOT to be called Lou….it seems no matter how many times I say it, some people will insist….:o
Hi Wendy, pleased to have you here (though my name isn’t Lou!!)
How wonderful that your daughter is living such an international experience and that you’ve visited her too. I hope you get back to the south of France again one day.
Thanks Jeanne, I look forward to seeing you here again.
Laura, even only spreaking English you can travel the world…luckily for us English-speakers, it’s the language of travel, so if you dream of travelling, just do it! Don’t let language hold you back! Come and see the lavender fields!
Great, I love having French readers, bienvenue Karin!
Thank you MA, you too!
I don’t participate in Wordless Wednesday so I wonder where you’ve seen me before? Glad to have you around in any case 🙂
Thanks for your lovely words Cathi, please do pop back regularly.
Great Susan, welcome, I hope you enjoy finding out more about France.
Lovely Rebecca, I hope you enjoy my blog!
I hope you get overseas one day Beth if that’s your dream. In the meantime happy travels in the US 🙂
Great Terri, I hope you enjoy your vicarious travels.
That’s a great idea Thearica, welcome, or “bienvenue”!
It seems we both enjoy each others regions whch is a good start to our blogging friendship. Welcome Maggie!
Merci Valerie, happy to have along for the ride.
Thanks Lisa 🙂
Ditto to you (ditto what I said to Catherine, that is)!!
Thank you Catherine, you’re very loyal!
Wow! I popped in via the GYB party. Your photos are so stunning – what an interesting life you have. I’ll be popping back to see where you’ve been and what you’re writing about.
Cheers!
I certainly did enjoy my visit to your blog. I am here from the GYB party. You take beautiful pictures.. no matter that you think of your self as an amateur. I hope to come back again soon and enjoy your travels and pictures.
Lou is not lou. Lou messugo is the name of phoebe’ s holiday apartment. A mistake easily made
Hi Lou – I’m pleased I happened upon your blog via GYB. I have briefly visited France and loved it. I will be coming back and reading more of your travels. Now a follower. cheers Wendy
Hi Phoebe, thanks for finding my blog and following me, I’ll also be following you.
I find travel blogs interesting as I love to travel and find out about other cultures.
My daughter has a French partner and he was born in Marseille, and although they have now been living in Amsterdam for 1 year, they lived in Martigues (near Marseille) for the 3 previous years, and Paris before that. I was lucky enough to visit them in both places!
Totally enjoyed stopping by your blog and will definitely book mark you and stop in again. I love France and will look forward to seeing more about where you live and what you are up to. Best to you and will look forward to getting to know you better
Hi, So happy I found you I love to travel. I only speak English so it is hard trave,l put DH and I still go he is better .I have always want to go to south of France to see the lavender fields.
I will be back and follow you. Hope you visit ,It is seems we like allot the same
Have a fun GROW YOUR BLOG.
Laura
I’m happy I came across your blog, I’m French,I love traveling and I love to read about others travel and life experience.
Thank you so much for the invitation to visit and to see your beautiful photographs. Enjoy the tour!
Hi Phoebe, I’m following you for sure. There is nothing I like better than reading about life in other cultures. I’m glad I found you!
Nice to meet you, although I might have been here before on a Wordless Wednesday, maybe? Love that your kids are tricultural. I love to learn about anything France. . . . so look forward to seeing more of you. Visiting via the GYB hop. Have a great week!
Oh France…I have never been there. I’ll live vicariously through you. Thanks for visiting my blog, I am following yours as well. GYB.
Wow! I want to live vicariously through you! What fun you have.
You have a great blog too, I couldn’t tear myself away from it. I’m sure I’ll be a regular visitor.
hi there. thank you for stopping by my blog. so fun to meet so many folks through the Grow Your Blog event. i love your shots. so fun. i will definitely check out more. we travel all over the US, yet to get overseas. so want to though. maybe one day soon??!? fingers crossed.
i hope you are well. take care. ( :
Hi! Visiting from the GYOB party and am very glad to have found you! As a person having a bad travel habit it is so nice to go vicariously with someone else! I am looking forward to reading more!
~Terri
I do not fly so may I tag along on your blog and see the world through your eyes.
Hi Phoebe, I love your blog and thanks for popping by to visit me at Colours in the Breizh. I’m not sure if I succeeded in signing up yesterday so I will do it again here now!
Phoebe, so glad that you stopped by Normandy Life yesterday as you partied with Miss V at the GYB party. Our blogs are very similar aren’t they as we both celebrate the region in which we live? I love your area of France and was actually in Nice last September with my sister Kathryn. We were there for the 15th Annual meeting of the Quimper Collectors Club and enjoyed our few days on the Cote very much.
Look forward to learning more about la vie quotidienne in Nice.
Ohh, I love your blog..I will follow for sure..Thank you for the visit to my little corner of the world 🙂
Ditto from me. (Ditto Catherine, that is.)
I always love your blogs. I think I have been with you from the very beginning. Good luck for the coming year
Thank you Tami, I’ll be sure to pop over to your blog too.
That’s great, thank you very much!
Do keep checking my blog Carrie as I post loads about France. Don’t forget I run a holiday rental too if you’re looking for accommodation in the south!
Excellent Pamela! I hope you enjoy your virtual travels.
I’m so glad you found some useful info here and I hope you get to the lemon festival, it’s really unique.
Thank you Dixie 🙂
Welcome to my blog Angela, I’m delighted to have a reader from Singapore.
Thant’s great Deborah, thanks for your kind words, I’m glad I’ve inspired you.
Thanks Shauna, I’m helping Vicki too this year! (With a differnet group from you obviously). 🙂
Stephanie, to me you are certainly not a “boring” American, I love having “exciting” American readers! Welcome!
Barbara, you can subscribe to my blog by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of the page, or follow a long on other social media, the buttons of which are also at the top of the page.
try Google or add her to your RSS reader, like Feedly
Fantastic images and you intrigue me. Found you through GYB. Following you now on Google
Wow! France is beautiful. It’s on my wishlist of places to visit! I think I’ll be checking back often to see your stunning images!
Phoebe: Thanks for stopping by my blog! I’m not going to be able to do the Grow your Blog party–unfortunately I have some last minute traveling for work and won’t be able to return visits. Thanks for checking. I really enjoyed taking a look at your blog, your pictures are gorgeous! I’m going to be visiting France this year too, so I was especially excited to see what you post 🙂
Thanks for the welcome and I love your blog! I am definitely a virtual traveler (my husband is doing all the traveling right now…for work!) so I am looking forward to reading more about your adventures.
Thanks for your lovely words Nicole. Getting started in blogging is the hardest bit I think. Keep at it if you enjoy it and I’m sure you’ll find your voice. We should definitely meet up, it would be fun.
Great to see you again at the party Wren. Please do come to Lou Messugo soon!
Thanks for visiting Sara, I enjoyed looking at your blog too and have followed back 🙂
Hello Phoebe
Great info here. I never knew about the Menton Lemon Festival.
Now I’m hoping at least to catch the display on the opening day as I leave beautiful Nice on the Sunday after an all too short weeks stay.
Many more useful tips for places to go I have gleaned from your Blog.
Once again – Love your photos.
Regards
Will
UK
couldn’t find a place to follow you
Lovely blog! A joy to visit!
Hi Phoebe, Welcome to Grow Your Blog party. Love traveling in Europe. Hope you’ll made some new friends and have new followers in the weeks to come. Big Hugs from Singapore
Oh, so much gorgeousness here! I’m not much of a traveler, but I swear you’ve inspired me already. I certainly look forward to visiting your blog on a regular basis.
Hi Phoebe, I’m one of Vicki’s helpers checking all the blog links as part of the Grow Your Blog hop. Your blog looks so interesting. I wish I were more of a traveler, because your photos are awesome. Have a great day.
What’s amazing me is how international the participants in this blog hop are. So far I’ve met people from all over the world! I’m just a boring American, although I live very close to the Grand Ole Opry!
Hi Phoebe,
I love reading your blog and all your photos! I’m very new to blogging and have only posted a handful of posts on my blog since I started it this past year. I’m still trying to find my ‘voice’ – can you say that for writing?! I started following you a couple of years ago because like you, I run a vacation rental (in Grasse) and I have found your blog really inspiring and helpful on so many levels! I’m Scottish with a French husband and a bilingual son, so I also really connect with all your posts about multicultural expat life in Southern France!
Anyway, thanks for your inspiring blog!
Perhaps I’ll meet you one these days, seeing as we’re almost neighbors!!
Nicole
Hi Phoebe – I met you through the GYB last year, so how happy was I to find you next to me this year – how lovely!! I have loved your blog and do definitely have it in mind to visit you at some stage!!
Wishing you a great GYB time this year
Wren x
Hi Phoebe,
My name is Sara and I’m visiting from the GYB party. I am Portuguese but I have been living abroad for almost 10 years. I also love traveling and I like reading blogs like yours, full of adventures and beautiful pictures. I just subscribed and I can’t wait to read and learn more about the wonderful places you have visited.
I also write mostly about traveling.
Enjoy the party!