My French Adventure
I’m back from my travels to France! Was it amazing? Yes. Should you go? Absolutely.
It’s not too often that a person can run off to a country for a month and explore and also work. So when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped at the chance and didn’t look back.
We spent a total of five weeks in France, and explored three different regions, each being very unique and beautiful in its own way.
Here’s a quick little breakdown of our 2024 adventure in France.
Week One - Paris
There is definitely a reason why Paris is the most traveled to city in the world. It is incredibly beautiful, and the food can’t be beat!
It was Paris Fashion Week that inspired me to go for late February into early March. This was my first Paris Fashion Week, and I was so curious how it would be. I had many questions about how it worked and I really went into it with the mindset of an observer, and a beginner.. and that I was.
I had heard that Paris Fashion Week was a scene but truly I had no idea how much! Hundreds of photographers, fashion bloggers, media, celebrities.. it’s a total circus, but rather fun to witness.
After a few shows, and some coaching and guidance from a seasoned pro, I was able to jump in and become part of the scene. It was a great experience for testing my ability to be adaptable and to shoot quick.
If you are considering visiting Paris Fashion Week, my top tips would be: Pack a warm jacket, an umbrella, sign up for the PFW location alerts on X (formerly Twitter, they post every morning before the shows), and focus on capturing the street fashion versus waiting around for the celebrities.
If you’re wondering if I would go back, the answer is yes! Not only was I able to take photos of some really cool street fashion, I was able to connect with other photographers from around the world.
Favourite Moment: Visiting the Eiffel Tower with SJ
Favourite Meal/Restaurant: Kuccini
Week Two: Provence
Another amazing thing about France (and Europe in general), is being able to travel quickly and rather inexpensively to cross a country. We traveled from Paris to Aix en Provence in two quick hours by high speed train from Paris for around $75 Euro per person. The trains weren’t anything fancy, but the chairs are comfortable and the view of the French countryside are exceptional.
The purpose of heading down to the south of France was to visit my sister, Justine and her family in Puyloubier. This was such a special visit because it had been over a year since I had seen them all last, and it’s very rare to get the opportunity to visit.
The visit consisted of walking through fields of grapevines, a day trip to Aix en Provence for shopping and lunch, a hike up their local mountain, and playing lots of matching games with my nieces in their home. It was very special.
Provence is a region jammed full of grapevines, and is know for their Rosé which I have since grown very fond of. While there we brought home some fresh olive oil from the region, along with a couple bottles of wine.
Favourite Moment: Relaxing and visiting on the patio enjoying the view of the grapevines
Favourite Meal/Restaurant: Risotto made by my Brother In Law, Brad
Week Three to Five: Biarritz
Biarritz is a beautiful little town on the Basque coast of France (the west coast). It is very close to the border of Spain, and the city of San Sebastián was even visible from the town. It is a popular tourist, vacation and surfing spot. It has a laid back feel, and spectacular architecture and landscapes.
We spent most of our time working in our apartment overlooking the ocean, and going for walks along the sea wall. It left us with a lot of time to simply decompress and dream.
While there, I had also reached out to a popular social media influencer and digital creator about doing a shoot, check her out here! Also below are some photos I took while exploring the town.
Favourite Moment: Looking out of the apartment every morning watching the surfers catching waves
Favourite Meal: Pizza at Joie Pizza
