a grey winters day in Saint Émilion

Saint Émilion village was in the grey, and I was in the black and blue

Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds MKIII
Lens: Canon EF 16-35 mm. f/4.0L IS

I´m that kind of person that takes comfort in known places, I´m at ease in surroundings I know and have experienced before. That´s just a fact, but I have learned to accept and appreciate it with great joy. That dosen´t keep me from exploring and visiting new places at all; I just enjoy coming back to the places I have come to like and have grown found of, to just experience them in another season, in a different light. I find that most places will offer me a completely different experience in changed circumstances, and still be somewhat familiar to me.

And so what would be more natural than to visit Saint Émilion once more on my way back north from Biarritz. I was here the first time in mid summer in the month of August, the high season. Everything looked very different here in the silent grey of winter, the streets were empty, the wine plants had lost their foliage, most restaurants and shops were closed, - but the magic of history and the passing of time were still to be felt in the narrow streets in this ancient village. Again I enjoyed revisiting an extraordinary place in Southern France, a place I have traveled in extensively since the early 80´s.

It can be a bit tough on you soul traveling alone, with no one to enjoy the great experiences and adventures with, but that´s just the way things have turned out to be for me. In many aspects I love it though, solitude will work wonders for you in some ways - I´m able to go in the direction I want, to go were I love to be and that´s what I like about it. And soon, so very very soon, I will be on the road full time for an extended period. This have been a great goal and wish of mine for some time now. So bring on some more adventures. Let the black and blue fade away and turn bright and shiny, and may I learn to embrace solitude traveling. Some say travel is at its best a solitary experience.

Making big changes in life is pretty scary, but regret is scarier. I have been rethinking my conception of happiness, and I´m humble to have this opportunity to travel and be able to leave the mundane everyday behind.












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