chateau de losse

Have you seen Ever After? The Chateau de Losse is in it. When I realized I was a 30 minute drive from a location in one of my favorite movies, I had to go.

Of course, this isn't the first time I've done something like this. I suppose it's really cheesy, but I adore seeing things "in real life" after seeing them in a film I love. It makes it feel real. And more often than not, the locations are so spectacular-- you understand why the producers decided to shoot on location rather than try to recreate a set.

The chateau was exactly that. It was grand yet rustic at the same time, and it felt like I'd stepped into a different era as I walked through the chateau's halls.

Perhaps my favorite thing about the chateau was the way it seemed to embody everything I'd imagined "southern France" to be. Maybe it's silly, but I'd had these daydreams of France where chateaus were plentiful but beautifully unique on their own. The stood tall, perhaps alongside rivers, and evoked a kind of antiquated nostalgia for a place you'd never been before.

terrasson-lavilledieu

Terrasson-Lavilledieu felt like freedom. After being in Coly for a few weeks, I'd begun to forget what cities were like: stores existed, there were designated parking spaces, there was a supermarket.

Looking back now, Terrasson was really small. It wasn't nearly dirty enough to be a real "city" and I think I'd refer to it more as a "countryside town." It had a beautiful river running through it, a church older than my great-grandparents, and some of the most relaxing views I've seen.

To be honest, I don't think Oanh and I did that much. We mostly walked around, took pictures, and ate ice cream-- but it was just what we needed at the time. We wanted to get out of the one-road town (3 kilometeres wide) and see something new. It wasn't very "adventurous" but it was gorgeous all the same.

*I should probably note, I'm about a month behind in my "travel posts." I left Coly about three weeks ago and in the mean time have been to Montauban, Paris, and I'm now in Denmark! I've always had trouble blogging while I'm traveling, but sometimes you just need to get off the computer and go!

sunset surfers

For my last night in Capbreton, I knew that I wanted to be near the ocean for the sunset. The little house we stayed in was a short walk from the beach so at 9pm I rushed over to the sand to just sit and relax (the sun sets around 10 over here). I didn't realize that there would be a small crowd of people there for the same exact thing. And I certainly didn't realize that people would still be out in the water surfing.

I sat, did nothing, and it was beautiful. I found a spot on a ledge pretty high up but loved the way my feet felt dangling. I loved that there were so many other people who had taken time out of their day to sit and watch the sunset surfers. And I admired the 20-30 people still out in the water, waiting for darkness before they gave in and went home. It didn't matter that it was getting later and later. Had they even eaten dinner?

This is what I want in life. I want to be with people who stop to enjoy something beautiful. I want a schedule that revolves around my passion, not the other way around. And I always want to feel my feet dangling- like I could fall at any moment but that's why it's worth it.*

*But I'd still like to eat dinner.

wooden shutters

At first I thought this was just a Capbreton thing, but one of the things I've come to adore about France is that most of the houses have beautiful, colorful wooden shutters. They're so elegant when they decorate large apartment buildings like this, but I also think they add a lot of charm when they "accent" simple homes like these.

(And, you'd probably think they aren't functional, but after staying in a few houses I've seen that they have insulated windows inside and the shutters are more like outdoor shades).

Coming to France, I knew there'd be a lot to fall in love with: baguettes, the language, tiny picturesque towns. Now, I'm more than happy to add fromage blanc à la vanille, endless sunflower fields, and wooden shutters to the list.

stick shift

I might (occasionally) stall when I stop on a hill...

I might never go higher than 4th gear...

and I might even say a prayer every time I get into the driver's seat

But hell if I haven't learned to drive a stick shift!

(It really is a stick shift I'm driving, see?)