01 July 2017 // Florine van Rees //Rotterdam

//FRESNES

 

It is not the first time I have been taking pictures in de Val-de-Loire area in la douce France. The area is beautiful and makes you feel like you're going back in time. With the visit of the tiny village Auvers-sur-Oise we got to see where Vincent van Gogh lived the final weeks of his life, in a tiny room two levels up from a restaurant. That together with the grave next to this brother Theo - more op the hill and in the middle of the grain fields.

We got a Bed&Breakfast in a village nearby called Valmodois, where the rooms were beautifully decorated and just finished restauration. The owner is a photographer with a focus on colour, just like me - which made me feel like home in the French house.

Eventually, we rented a part of a farm in the middle of the campagne near Fresnes - one of these villages with a boulanger and bar in one, giving discount on yesterday's croissants. A lot of relaxing in the big beautiful garden, looking out on even more grain and asparagus fields. I went on treasure hunting at several flea markets in the area, a lovely way to get to meet the real inhabitants of thos very tiny villages and farms on the campagne.

The owner of the farm was a hunter and had 3 beagles that he took with him while hunting, he even had a warrior song that he showed us on his trumpet, played with special gloves. The chickens shared the garden with the dogs; they had to wait their turn though. The sundowners were amazing and gave us endless evenings in the garden.

  

 

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