In keeping with my goal to see the natural beauty of each country, I spent most of my time in France avoiding the Parisian, cosmopolitan side of the country, and indulging in the slow pace and quiet rhythms of life you only find in the little villages spread throughout the French countryside.
This portion of my trip, from Ireland all the way through to Germany is what I like to call “freestyle” travel. Aside from the two housesits I had scheduled, I didn’t have a plan for where to go or what to do. I scheduled my next stops about a week in advance and with my leased car, I could be free to drive wherever I wanted. In the not-so-distant past, this lack of planning and research would have given me constant anxiety about missing out on the ‘best part’ of one country or another. But one thing I know now that I didn’t before is this: if I concede the argument inside my head and just accept the fact that I won’t always find the best, most amazing, life-changing things to see or do in a given place, then I can relax and just be present for what’s in front of me. And in doing this, I wander across things I would never have found in a guidebook or on someone’s travel blog. I’m not always great at figuring out the best spots to stay or eat or visit, so I just go to the ones that I find interesting, and I’m often pleasantly surprised and (in truth) occasionally bored or disappointed, but never regretful of the freedom I have to be completely and totally self-determined each day.
So, with three weeks in France and another two weeks after that to reflect on my time there, I am still at a loss for the right words. I’ve been starting and stopping and agonizing over this post for weeks. I think I accidentally left my writing mojo in Ireland, along with a pair of socks I really liked. So I’m switching up the format this time around to let the pictures speak for me (with a bit of commentary). This is also where I apologize for my lack of photography skills (and equipment…a lot is riding on the camera in my poor little Nexus phone). But, since it’s officially summer now, I figure we can all go straight for the dessert and skip the heavy main course.
These pictures are like a time capsule for me, something to remember the freedom, the quiet countryside, and for you, I hope they are a window into a beautiful place.
À la prochaine,
Sarah
Bonjour, Bordeaux.
Not an architecture buff, but I can still appreciate a pretty building, and a tree-lined boulevard.
City walking tour guide, who was shaking like a leaf…I think from the chilly, rainy day, which made his thick accent pretty tough to decipher.
Place de la Bourse – Bordeaux
A city that knows what it’s about, and that thing is, of course, wine.
A centuries-old wine cellar with artifacts from the French wine trade dating back to the 1600s.
My first proper multi-course French meal – at a restaurant with maybe the best restaurant name ever – Le Chien de Pavlov.
My housesitting charge, Huggy. A transcontinental cat who, like most spoiled cats, was mostly oblivious to her charmed existence and interested primarily in the contents of her food dish and the quality of the lap available to curl up on. We became friends.
Life in sleepy little Néré – quiet, slow, idyllic fields, and lots of sunshine.
The church at the center of the village.
When the village bakery is closed for one of the many French holidays, the people must still have their daily baguettes. Enter this genius invention – a baguette vending machine.
VE Day celebration in the town square. Surprisingly moving as they read the names of the people lost from the village during WWII.
Tour of the Royal Chateau de Cognac, with my first sips of cognac.
Vats of cognac – in Cognac.
Some very ‘well aged’ cognac, at the risk of offending anyone of my readers born in or before 1960…
Kayaking the Charentes river, from Cognac.
Moments of complete peace and happiness – a little dirt lane and a deserted meadow of wildflowers.
Never made it to the Arc de Triomphe, but I found a much older one – the Arc de Germanicus in Saintes.
This tree was all over the place, and I never figured out what it is or why it grows like this. I’ll take reader comments if anyone can enlighten me. Reminded me of something out of a Dr. Seuss book.
Beautiful church in Saintes.
The Roman Amphitheatre in Saintes.
Standing in the arena…
The view from the “Door of Life” where the victorious emerged. In the distance, opposite, you can see the “Door of Death” where those unlucky souls were dragged out.
Walking where there was once sandal prints of gladiators and the tracks of exotic beasts. Now it’s mostly Nikes and pigeon tracks.
Day trip to the Atlantic Coast – Ile D’Oleron – which reminded me very much of Lake Michigan and made me a little homesick.
It’s worth mentioning that Gayle, the lady who controls my Google Maps, and I have developed a close relationship these past few months. I’ve learned that she has a sense of humor, or perhaps she just gets annoyed giving the same boring directions to everyone. She took me down some VERY creative paths which could only be called roads if you’re feeling very generous. Sometimes I had to wonder….Gayle, is this like a team-building activity where you and I get lost together and then have to figure out how to get out of an impossibly crazy situation?
Gayle, my Airbnb is most definitely not “on the left.” Unless we’ve activated the squirrel setting on Maps.
Well, this is a beautiful wall Gayle, thank you for making me stop to look at it. But no, I can’t take the next right. We need to come up with an option that doesn’t involve a monster truck and a ramp.
Moving onto the Perigord Noir region of France, my first visit was to the medieval castle of Beynac.
Overlooking the Dordogne River and the castle’s church.
This dog hangs outside his owner’s shop in Beynac and soaks up the love of passersby trekking up and down the steep hill to the castle.
The entrance to the castle. Makes me want to learn to joust and speak Occitan. Almost.
Kayaking the beautiful, lazy Dordogne River.
Beynac castle on the hill and the town below.
A view of the opposing castle of Castelnaud from the Dordogne.
English-held Castelnaud was often at war with Beynac across the river, which was held by the French in medieval times. These trebuchets were used to lob stuff at each other’s walls.
This castle was filled with horrifying-looking medieval weapons.
And also this.
You can see why these castles are set on top of the highest hills. The view is unparalleled.
Unfortunately, photos aren’t allowed inside the Lascaux cave (replica) and the very real Font-de-Gaume cave (this is me outside Font-de-Gaume), which have prehistoric drawings of animals. There is something really surreal about standing two feet from a painting done in 17,000 BC.
This is the Gouffre de Proumeyssac, an incredible underground cavern filled with enormous crystallized columns, which was slightly let down by the hordes of tourists and the cheesy light show. Once place I really wished I could have seen it by myself or with a very small group.
Riding day trip outside of Les Eyzies. Spent most of it fighting with my mount, Solstice, who in all fairness, can’t walk through a field like this without at least trying to stop every few steps to get at the luscious grass.
The group of people on the ride invited me to come along with them rock climbing. I came to watch, but was pretty quickly talked into climbing a small wall. Made it to the top, where I re-learned the lesson that coming down is ALWAYS the hardest part. Photo credit: Anna Ott-Hauville
The gardens of Eyrignac (an Occitan word meaning ‘where the water flows’ – very poetic). I knew this place would be something special on the drive in, which takes you through an enchanted-looking forest.
Could this place be any more like a movie set?
They employ a LOT of gardeners.
Gardeners who apparently have a sense of humor. Or artistry. Or both.
I got to pretend I was in The Secret Garden.
What I wouldn’t give to live in a place like this…
This is another place I would have loved to have had all to myself. Sometimes I’m not good at sharing…
Some of the most beautiful poppies I saw in France, which has a lot of beautiful poppy fields.
My last stop in France, a quick day trip to Lyon, with an e-bike tour through the city. This church on top of the hill was absolutely stunning.
The view over Lyon and a nice way to say goodbye to France, or rather, à bientôt
