Thursday, November 29, 2012

Brantome, France

... resuming France posts, a bit after the fact. This is from the September trip, still. No, we haven't gone again! We only wish :-)




Picking up from the last trip post, we had driven west across the Loire Valley from Paris, veered south to the Puy du Fou theme park. From there we came further south a fair stretch to the Perigord region. Our first stop, for just a few hours to break up the drive to Sarlat, was Brantome, a town of postcard loveliness, circumscribed entirely by a canal. It's just so pretty.






































 

















Oh, France. Sigh.

12 comments:

Tiffany Marie said...

Oh Laini, how incredibly beautiful and inspirational! What sites do you use to find deals on flights and hotels or do you use an agent? What place do you recommend first for parents wanting to introduce their son (6) to the big, magical world out there?

Btw, I love the glorious shots of turquoise and aqua in most of your overseas posts. Total turquoise porn. Makes me realize how seriously lacking America is in that respect.

Also, I've dreamed of going to Borneo since I was a little girl. I thought that the apes had some secret bursting with magic to share with me and somehow I would understand their silent language through telepathy. Ha!!...OK, so maybe I still believe it. :) Anyhow, I saw your post mentioning your desire to go as well. I want to go, too!

P.S. I've been following your site since DoSaB. Your little one is getting so big! She's beautiful and seems very happy and inquisitive. My son was cracking up at the pic of her wearing her glasses under her nose.

tone almhjell said...

Swoon, swoon, swoon.

Victoria Schwab said...

Magnifique.

What a stunning part of France!! And Clementine fits right in!

~V

Lisa Schroeder said...

How lovely! All of the pictures are wonderful, but the one with the dog in the window is the sweetest thing ever!!!

Connie Onnie said...

Um can I live there please? I will pretend I am Belle but instead of hating this provincial life I would love it!

Vijaya said...

Thanks for the feast. You are a wonderful photographer, Laini, as well as a brilliant writer. I've esp. enjoyed your travel posts.

Laini Taylor said...

Tiffany Marie, hi! First of all, I totally dream of Borneo too! I really really want to go there and see the orangutans and proboscis monkeys, and there's this massive bat exodus, I think it might be the biggest in the world? Or one of. It seems like another world. In fact, I spent a ton of time writing the opening sequence to my second book, Silksinger, set in Borneo from a faerie's perspective, but I ended up having to cut the whole thing, which was a big bummer.

As for travel deals, I'm not a great bargain hunter in general but I found great flights on kayak.com; I think it was a good time of year to go. September is sunny and beautiful in France, and flights are a LOT cheaper than summer. Also, my best friend went in July and it rained the WHOLE time.

For travel with a 6-yr-old somewhere magical, well, France does have a ton to do with kids, if you search it out. Another possibility to consider: Turkey. It may sound out there, but when Jim and I went 12 years ago or so, I kept thinking: this would be the best place to travel with kids! It feels like Arabian Nights, and there are so many incredible one-of-a-kind places. In Olimpos we slept in tree houses and walked through forest to the beach every day; in Cappadoccia we stayed in "fairy chimneys" these rock-cut houses that are the coolest thing EVER, and visited an underground city, many other cool sites. Istanbul is amazing, and the coast offers boat trips, lagoons, beaches. Really special. Also: it's relatively affordable! :-)

Kate said...

These pictures are amazing! I wish I could live there! The white buildings with touches of blue and red with the vines draped over them so nicely, and the stone bridge with the arches and dark mysterious water, reflective as glass. And the fun colored cafes! Sigh. Postcard perfect indeed!
I LOVE the one of Clementine looking out over the river toward the bridge, it really could be a postcard! It's SO picture perfect with her cute blue hat and and red dress and the fun way her feet a placed. :)
And I LOVE the lamp posts I know that's a silly thing to gawk over when everything else is so lovely as well, but I think the red is so fun and the flowers on them add the perfect touch. :)
(And great travel advice above, thanks!)

Anonymous said...

Francey France France, why you so far away from your beloved Thinnychoochoo? Love all of these photos, and never had heard of this town! More France posts please!!

roxanne s. sukhan said...

I love France. I was there from the middle of August to the end of September. Your daughter is adorable.

Amber said...

France! Isn't it your favorite?? Yes...*sigh*

:)

Zoe Donnelly said...

Beautiful France! I've always dreamed of going there and stay for good, if only it's that easy. I'm a constant visitor of your blog and I love all of your adventures. Keep posting and keep us inspired.

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