At some point in the last three years, the goal of this website changed. It started as a ‘let’s make a site about our favourite places in France’ website, to an ‘OK let’s make the best possible site about France’ website. How and when it changed is a bit of a mystery, but I am an obsessive kind of person so I guess that’s part of it.
This is quite a big shift in goal and now has grown to involve us both travelling around exploring quite often (Mrs B is off to Biarritz shortly, and I’m heading east shortly after – tough work, huh). It also means that when we do have a holiday or weekend away we inevitably stay in France!
Family responsibilities and poverty mean we can’t actually spend our entire lives playing at being Jack Kerouac, so here’s the deal – if you know about somewhere in France (or even better lots of places) in France we will pay you to write about it for us.
Now don’t get over-excited, see that mention of poverty above, well that tells you that you aren’t about to become enormously rich. Sorry.
However if you have a spare hour or two and think your local area (or places you have visited and know reasonably well) should be brought to the public attention, please see writing about europe for more information.
You will also get that happy warm feeling of knowing that hundreds of people might visit (or not) the place because of what you have written (the site currently gets over 4 million page views a year so some of them are sure to be visiting the place you know).
So, pens to the ready, and we look forward to hearing from you…
Hello i live on the Charente/ Dordogne border near Aubeterre-sur-dronne. I noticed that you have no acticles on Saint Aulaye, Parcoul, Echourgnac and Coutras. I know these places VERY well and willing to write up about them for you? They are all great places to visit especially Echourgnac which is a local secret with its nuns and cheese!
Thanks, Sarah.
Hi sarah, thanks for the offer – I sent you an email. I’m sure we all want to learn the secret of nuns and cheese!
Oh, blow, Sarah has beaten me to it.! I read your item and thought I could do this, easy peasy. But then MY (note, its personal) part of the Drone Double area is so beautifully quiet that I appreciate it being relatively visitor free. On the other hand the local economy really needs a boost.
As I look out on the forest I shall feel guilty that I have not shared my secret with everyone who loves nature, quiet roads, great fishing, beautiful country side………..the gateway to Aquitanine forever in my heart!
Hi Florence, I haven’t heard back from Sarah so i’m not sure if she’s busy scribbling away or has decided that we don’t pay enough…maybe I’ll be in touch soon!
… meanwhile you’ve both got me thinking, perhaps I should get over your way myself – it’s only a couple of hours from here and it does sound like I’m missing out on something!
ps do you get a lot of cyclists round your way?
Now you really want me to break the secret, dont you? Whenever I’m out in my car ‘they’seem to have taken control of the road!
(For give my mis-spelling of Aquitaine please, early morning fingers to blame).
Hello, I’ve come across your blog just recently and have found some really useful info there, so thanks. I’m interested in writing articles – I’ve been living in the Aveyron for two years, so not too far away from you and I know you have written at least one general piece yourself on the Aveyron, so maybe you’d prefer to cover it yourself. Anyway, let me know if you’re interested. Back in my old UK life, I published a lot of articles as a social researcher and I’m now looking to get going with writing here, so was interested in your post about elance.com.
PS Did you do any cycling in the Aveyron? My husband says it’s great (but then he likes hills..)
Hi Jane,
Aveyron is one of those places that is too far for a day trip but too close to ‘go away to’ so I’ve been occasioanally but not a lot, and it’s always on the list for more attention.
We occasionally still do it, but it mostly proves tricky paying people directly for articles, because if we don’t pay much we look mean, but if we pay a lot – well, it costs a lot, and if we are paying a lot it’s better for us to go through sites like elance / constantcontent (because then we can get proper invoices and the cost is a tax deductible expense) – so we pay more upfront but end up paying the same or less and getting pretty long, good quality articles.
But we are certainly an article or two and a place or two short in Aveyron so any suggestions are welcome.
Never have cycled in the Aveyron, but will do one day…