En Français

I always wanted to not only use this portfolio as a way to display my work, but also an avenue to discuss events in life and act as a diary entry. As travelling is something that really keeps me afloat, it only makes sense to bring some of that here. 

I hope to give some tips whilst highlighting some great times I've had and if you enjoy reading, even better.

So, this little post is about a sweet trip to the South of France, more specifically, Saint Jean-De-Luz. This seaside tourist hotspot, known for King Louis XIV's marriage to Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, was my home for five days. 

Thankfully going with my partner, who's French, I didn't need to bring out the GCSE textbooks as much as any other tourist might, but it was quite lovely to immerse myself in a different way of life, and yes I mean afternoon naps. The town itself is a lovely spot with a long beach, plenty of independent stores and some great gelato picks. 

It is a truly lovely place and sometimes being dejected from reality by not speaking the native tongue is a blessing; there's a degree of anxiety that is lost because you can't opt in to people's conversations like I usually would out of sheer nosiness. This area of France sits just above the border with Spain, so drive down the road and you'll likely pass the border without realising; we made a fair few trips up the mountain of Larrun. I went hiking?! My legs have never been up a mountain, at least not using themselves. However, the effort, reaching the top, it all does feel somewhat special. It was the only cloudy day we really had on the trip, and the sweat dripping down my back... I'm grateful that's the day we chose to hike. There's some fantastic views and I'd do it again, perhaps shifting somewhere else in the world. We are making baby steps. I've done one hike, I'm not about to climb Kilimanjaro. 

This is my second visit to France, and I'm certain a visit I'll do again. So, to end our little chat here, I'll throw together some do's and don'ts based on my experience.

DO:

- Pack anti-mosquito sprays. I never get bit to the point I started to think my blood was poison, but this trip told me... Oh, never mind, anything's a snack.

- Learn some French. This is the best time to practice even just ordering in a restaurant.

- Enjoy the sea. That Atlantic Ocean was actually quite warm, not full of raw sewage and ice cold (I don't think it had the former in anyway - perhaps good to live in ignorance).

DON'T:

- Don't think you'll be fine without your Nivea. Definitely wear sun lotion. It may be cloudy, it may actually be cold, but UV doesn't work based on a chill. 

- Eat lunch on a park bench. A couple proceeded to suggest we're greedy and tell us about the dangers of additives in Fanta. Thankfully, my French is not quite good enough to have known, so I nodded and patiently gigged until they left, only realising after they were calling me a greedy gobble gannet. 

And that's all from me on this one. A stunning part of the world, as are many places, and not one you'd likely think up booking your next trip. That's it from me on this holiday trip, but I've got more in the bag.