Traveling 3,000 miles through France
I had this idealized vision of life in France. Living near gorgeous chateaux, walking to get fresh croissants, using my intermediate French language skills with the locals to integrate into their impossibly cool and intellectual friend groups. Surprise, not all of this happened. We landed in Paris and had to drive to Italy to get some bureaucracy out of the way before starting our house hunting process. Traveling from north to southeast meant a lot of highway, fields, and way more tunnels than I expected near the Italian border.
Taking in the view outside Auxerre
The few stops we made were incredibly beautiful and worthwhile. Two hours from Paris we discovered Auxerre, where we all crashed for a few days to recover from our plane ride. Outside Grenoble I was stunned by the lush mountains and clear blue lakes. On the south coast we saw the setup for the Cannes film festival, drove along the boardwalk in Nice, and even tried to follow the formula one circuit in Monaco without getting too distracted by all the sights.
Flowers and architectural details added so much beauty to every building. The simplest pop of color, greenery, or stone made each area look completely unique. There was always something new to take in, and it was almost too much to absorb all at once.
French Alps near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Several months later, in the fall, we traveled back through France on our way to Portugal. The foliage was turning and it reminded me of a New England autumn. The snow covered mountain peaks in the French alps were an imposing and awe inspiring sight.
Southeastern France near Nice
The western coastal town of Hendaye was charming with its fishing port and waterfront walkways. You could even sit and watch the boats pass along the Spanish border, which was easily visible across the port.
Standing in Hendaye, France looking across the waterway to Spain
In late winter we visited the town of Nimes. With its imposing Roman amphitheater and romantically soft sunrise, this town managed to surprise me with its feeling of life even in the depths of winter.
Roman Arena of Nîmes
While we thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring France, ultimately we realized our hearts belonged somewhere else. I’m still working on my French language skills though just in case. You never know what the future holds.
Sunrise over Nîmes