City Girl Moves to Tiny French Village, Quickly Becomes Lord of the Lonely Stables

KEY POINTS

•In 2021, Audrey Bruno moved from Berlin to a very small French village to escape urban chaos and be near family.
•Without a driver’s license and no public transport, she struggled with isolation, chores for a large property, and lack of food delivery.
•After two challenging years of rural life and language barriers, she relocated to Lyon, balancing city benefits with country proximity.

In 2021, Audrey Bruno, fresh off 6 chaotic New York years and 4 Berliner subway nightmares, decided moving to a French village with under 400 people would be "quaint." Spoiler: no food delivery apps like Uber Eats made hunger a multi-hour expedition. Without a driver’s license and with husband as sole chauffeur, single bike ride ended halfway up a hill. The rental came with a horse stable, garden, and barn—because nothing screams "country bliss" like subtle backbreaking daily chores. Cost-saving on driving lessons? Check. Lingual fencing with elderly locals over feral cat policies in limited French? Double-check. Two years later, sanity prevailed with a move to Lyon, a better mix of family, nature, and city conveniences that don’t require horseriding to get sesame oil.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Nothing like swapping a New York subway nightmare for a French village where hills and hungry hours ruin your day. Uber Eats who? French horse stables and zero independence sold separately.

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