When you think about France what is the first city that pops into your mind? I bet it’s Paris or maybe Marseille or Bordeaux. When we visit a country we usually stay in the biggest cities or just travel down to the seaside where we spend days lying at the beach, letting go of all the worries with the crashing of the waves. Whilst I am travelling France I’m discovering different sides of the country and I find them all equally interesting and unique. Having stayed near the seaside in the west of France for a while I took the bus down to Narbonne and stayed with a French family in the countryside for a short period of time. The drive from the city to the countryside took my breath away, never had I expected such beauty at the side of the road. We came across a bridge and a tiny river - the place was so idyllic it could have been straight out of a fairytale. Luckily we went back there a couple of days later to have a picnic near the water - I was more than happy not to be missing this perfect photo opportunity. I also got to explore the rest of the village and I have to say, it really impressed me. Despite being a small village it offers a lot and it surprised me that there weren’t tourists as the village was certainly the perfect place to relax.
One day I climbed up all the way to the top of an old castle - or the remains of an old castle, I should add - and the view was simply breath-taking. You could see the wineries, the wild nature and the centre of the village and I stayed up there for a while, taking about a million pictures and then just enjoying what was in front of me. Staying in a small village for a while was a really interesting and new experience for me as I grew up in a city and never really stayed in the countryside for a longer period of time. And although I am a big city girl at heart I have to admit that living in the countryside has its perks, it is really quiet and peaceful and you are closer to nature than you’ll ever be in the city. When you are visiting a new country I know it is tempting to visit all the tourist hotspots and spend your time exploring the biggest cities and the most talked about sights - but sometimes it is worth venturing out and exploring another side of a country, you might never know the beauty it holds. So get creative, take the road less travelled by and write your own adventures.
