Christmas mini trips: final destination
Posted in france, mini trips, nature, pia's photos December 24th, 2007 by piablog

bed3.jpg

I know it’s a little early, but I have something special for you this Christmas. Get your woollens on and wrap your mittens around a bowl of chocolat chaud. Then close your eyes and open them with the understanding you are about to be whisked away to a magical land. Enter…
door1.jpg

forestchaux11.jpg

In the depths of this misty forest there is one special thing we must do first before we explore our surroundings. If you look closely…

forestclose.jpg

you will see a sign leading the way…

wishingtree.jpg

mind your step…

heart1.jpg

as this is not a place to be reckoned with. At the end of the path and in the centre of the forest you will find a rather magnificent oak. It is called The Wishing Tree.

wishingoak.jpg

It speaks all languages and is linked to the winged geniuses and infernal powers that will make your wish come true. In a small box near the tree you will find a little pencil and piece of paper. Write your wish on the paper – do not whisper it to a soul – and then fold it up and place it into a crevice in the trunk of this ancient oak.

wish.jpg

Take a deep breath of the crisp clean air before you carefully find your way back out of the forest and wander on past some of the local dwellings…

mistyhouse2.jpg

house1.jpg

As the misty morning air lifts and the sun shines bright, you will notice some interesting ancient architecture in the surrounding villages. There are butterfly prints on the building facades…

dole21.jpg

You will find telephone booths made of wood…

mouchard.jpg

And grave stones that have stood for hundreds of years…

grave.jpg

There are 17th century houses covered in ancient vines…

arc1.jpg

and modern wooden huts nestled by a mountain river.

cascades2.jpg

cascades1.jpg

You will wonder where you are and find yourself answering in riddle, in a poetic voice something that goes a little something like this…

With baby asleep in their arms they stroll along La Loue and listen to this tiny
breath amongst the breeze rustling through the trees. This tiny breath that dances
with the cascading water over moss and river rocks.
In this set of mountain villages where Switzerland meets France, magic is present.

Welcome to the place where my heart has wandered this year. Welcome to the Valley of Love…

val2.jpg

I will be writing a more thorough guide of Le Val D’Amour including places you will find some gorgeous French antiques as well as recipes from the region in the new year, but for now enjoy your surroundings and have a wonderful holiday. I hope you liked your gift and I will be back in a couple of days with my first week’s final post and a truck load of exciting posts for the coming year. I will leave you with one more image, this one is courtesy of Petrina Tinslay and her gorgeous photo-card this year says it all (in Italian)…

petrina2.jpg


« « « Leave a comment » » »

6 Comments

  1. Kathryn says

    Oh my – this entire post took my breath away. Thank you!

    December 24th, 2007 | #

  2. Cherry Coloured » {blog} pia jane bijkerk says

    […] photographs, as she travels from Amsterdam to Paris to the magical, frosted forests and villages of Le Val D’Amour (a valley where Switzerland meets […]

    December 28th, 2007 | #

  3. nyla says

    WOW, thanks for sharing. Magical!!

    December 28th, 2007 | #

  4. Theresa-Garden Antqs says

    I found you through Stash Studios. Just breathtakingly beautiful!!

    December 30th, 2007 | #

  5. Cheryl says

    Well, hello Pia! Thanks for stopping by and now I’ve solved how you found me. Small world, isn’t it? I’ve had you on my Google Reader for a while and find that your blog is one of the ones I look forward to among hundreds. Thanks so much for sharing the loveliness. Looking forward to more in the new year.

    December 31st, 2007 | #

  6. » the wishing tree says

    […] romantic notion and i was sure to stop, and make a wish….check out the entire enchanting post here…and be sure to stop and make a wish […]

    November 25th, 2008 | #


RSS feed for these comments. | TrackBack URI