About Us

So, here goes:

Simon, long-suffering husband of 4 years. Taught himself French because I wouldn’t. Works punishing hours at the hospital then studies, runs, plays all the instruments (mostly guitar and piano) and then learns languages to relax.

Jude is the poor first child enduring all his parents rookie errors. Loves books above all else, but bounces off walls the rest of the time. It's an interesting mix.

Gabriel, also known as Loubilou-la-Libellule, does not look anything like a dragonfly. He has reached the hilarious/infuriating stage of toddlerhood. But is mostly hilarious. 

Mathilde, angel baby doted on by all the family. She laughs and sucks her thumb and looks adorable. 

And then there’s me. I moved to England from Paris in 2008 for a year, and then kind of stuck around. Raving Anglophile when I moved here, now I am more of an Amused Anglophile. I taught history and languages at university, in secondary schools and privately. I started a PhD in history and quit shortly after Patapon was born, but I still like to write, so this here blog was born.

I share about the trials and amusements of balancing two cultures, being a fake historian and the adventures of Patapon. Also, I love to cook, knit and calligraphy (it’s a verb now) and that probably shows a bit. I am currently teaching myself to sew and embroider (because I aim to be an accomplished lady of the nineteenth century – though I can’t vouch for the “certain something in [my] air and manner of walking”, you’ll have to ask Simon. Plus I can’t play the piano.)

The title of this blog is technically a quote, because, “once, I was a scholar” and because I am quite literally, a piece of the continent on these shores. The fact that the rest of the quote actually refers to the inter-connectedness of all human beings is open to all your wildest philosophical analyses.