They say music can evoke emotions within us, bring about memories from our past and transport us to a different location. Well, a typical drive turned into just that when I stumbled upon a radio station playing beautiful French music. I instantly forgot I was sitting in traffic, and felt like Ariane Moffatt was driving me through the scenic streets of Montreal. Mathieu Mathieu then brought me to an outside restaurant in Provence with tarnished wrought iron chairs that dripped with history, and we enjoyed a perfect summer day laughing over great wine and an abundance of fresh fruits and cheeses. I grabbed my bike and off I was to the countryside with Dobacarocol, where we picked beautiful poppies and roses.
Before I knew it I was brought back to youthful dreams of traveling France. There was something that I found, and still find, so effortlessly beautiful and natural about the country. I look at photographs and see a rich history, imagining all the things that those famous landmarks have seen and gone through. Even before I went to pastry school, while sitting in my French classes, I longed to be creating delectable macaroons and heavenly sweets in a vintage Parisian pâtisserie. It is a pure art to bake in France, to blend flavors upon flavors into simple little treats that are appreciated every afternoon alongside a decadent coffee. After indulging in a daily mid-day treat, I picture picking vibrant vegetables from the family garden, used to create an heirloom supper….which of course is spent into the endless hours of summer with the finest French wine.
That’s the other thing…it’s not only the premier location to indulge in the finest sweet and savory dishes, but it’s the French lifestyle that draws me. Being Portuguese it’s only instinctual I’m a lover of all things European and our universal mantra “life is meant to be enjoyed.” If we choose to go for a walk to savor an espresso after each meal or take a long drive to a new city, so be it, but what makes France stand out on its own is its romanticism. I can’t deny I’m a hopeless romantic, fairing a good flowly dress in the sweetest blush tones, indulging in beautiful fresh-cut flowers and feminine scents that make me feel luxurious. French vintage touches linger in my bed room from dainty flower paintings, an antique vanity fit for any mademoiselle, and a photo of a romantic couple beneath the Tour Eiffel. Parisienne women evoke love through their lady like elegance, which only heightens the beauty of the city itself. It may be cliché but I can just picture walking the enchanting streets of Paris, only to be swept off my feet to a field of lavender farther than the eye can see. It’s not the slightest bit realistic, something only found in the greatest romance novels, but I always had a thing for letting my imagination run wild…
Of all the places that I have traveled to, there isn’t one I long more to immerse myself in its culture. As for now I’ll savor these beautiful photographs and continue dreaming of France…
{diana}
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