Aniane - a village between vineyards and wilderness

What is it about a place, that makes you want to stay?

Passing through villages, towns and different countries. Crossing forests and mountains, following rivers into the sea. Planting your feet in the desert.

What is it, that speaks to you?

Whenever I am travelling, I have two very opposite reactions to places I come by. Either, I enjoy watching the place pass by from a train window, very happy not to have to live there or even set my foot on the ground. Or I arrive and I want to live in the place forever.

Meanwhile forever lasts around two weeks up to one month. Maybe it stretches to one year, if I had to leave the place earlier than I wanted to and spend the following months romanticising my memories.

Why dose reactions?

Sometimes it is obvious. Beauty, nice people, good atmosphere, company or memories.
But other times I have no Idea what makes me love a place or feel trapped.

And it changes.

I am not sure if I will ever be able to know exactly why I could imagine living in one place and try to avoid another one at any cost. Meanwhile there are a few tangible things I appreciate around me.

Water, Nature and a good bakery. Everything else is a bonus.

On my bikepacking trip, I cross many villages, one cuter than the next one. France is a very beautiful country, more even than I already suspected it to be.

In one we stayed a whole week: Aniane.

When we arrived, I felt like staying forever.

Cutest little streets.

A lot of cats, wandering around, not really caring about us.

Caffe's where you can do people-watching, and drink coffee of course, or a glass of cold rosé.

The best bakery on the whole trip, so far.
Beautiful croissants and pain-au-chocolat.

Bridges.

Water.

Wine fields and close by mountains.

Later I get to know, that there is a bit of an artist community around. No wonder. Looking at the landscape I understand why you would want to put on a straw hat, sit in the field or under a big tree. While painting the view in front of you for hours. And maybe have a picknique on a white blanket with a bottle of local wine in between.

I am not painting, just imagining. Drinking a lot of coffee and wandering around. The guys from the bar they already know us.
But then it is time to say goodbye and keep going. There is still an endless amount of cute villages to cross and discover in front of us.

Bye bye Aniane, until next time, maybe.

Thank you all to stop by, if you want to share your thoughts, I am happy to hear them:) Have a good week!

All photos and words are mine, written and taken by me in Aniane south of France.