wanderlust wednesday

Château de Hautefort, France. Photo by tom-sabin on Flickr. The castle featured in Ever After. 

It has been a few weeks since I featured a Wanderlust Wednesday post. I have, however, been wanderlusting quite mightily as of late and thought it would be appropriate to share some of that with you this morning. I had to borrow someone else's trip photos for this collection. Normally I pull from my own travels, but I have not been to this place yet, which is why I am sharing it. This place is very dear to my heart because it is, quite simply, the trip of my dreams.

I feel like this is a bit of a redundant comment on this blog at this point, but I love Ever After. One of the sweetest, loveliest, purest wishes of my heart is to travel to the French countryside and visit every single chateau and orchard and river that was featured in that film. Just typing this out has given me goosebumps, although my office is also freezing, so it could be that. 

As Prince Henry might say, "What is it that touches you so?" 

I honestly couldn't say. I'd like to keep it simple and just say, Ever After is the reason I cry when love is true. At age 10, it unlocked the little romantic in me and led me to a future of sentiment, glitter, pretty dresses, and my boy band phase. There's an innocence about it, both nostalgic and refreshing. The opening music alone takes me back to that version of myself, and it's something I can neither fully describe nor share with anyone else. It's just perfect.

I'm embarrassed to say that I once messaged Drew Barrymore's makeup artist from the movie about their time there, and she actually replied, which has only solidified my desire to walk in their footsteps! 

Wow! What a wonderful idea for a trip. You will have a great time. I do want to suggest you go to some places Drew, Barbara & I went on weekends though. We went to a town called Rocamadour. It's a medieval village built into a mountain side. Beautiful and great food and shopping. We drove there so it must not have been too far. 
We also canoed down the Dordogne river. We would stop occasionally and Drew would read to us poetry by Lord Byron from a small book she brought. Such a magical day. 
Perhaps you can call Flower Films. They may be able to find out where we shot the lake scene. Or the film commission in France. Wish I could be more help on that. Regardless, you will have an amazing adventure! :)

So I will definitely be buying poetry by Lord Byron (why is Drew such a ridiculously lovable hippy?) and trying to invent boat shoes to recreate the "Looks like rain!" river scene. Sigh.

All of that to say, I am in a constant daze at the very thought of making this trip happen. I hope that it will someday. I would love to fly to Dordogne and lose myself in one of my favorite fairytales of all time, while enjoying gorgeous countryside and lush chateaus and French history, both real and make believe. It would be a beautiful thing. 

Wait! It's tradition. He always waves at the gate.
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For anyone who can quote Thomas More is well worth the effort. 
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I had a horse like you once...
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Now hand me that key, or I swear on his grave I will slit you from navel to nose.
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And we, princess, are supposed to live happily ever after. 
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And, while Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever after...
the point, gentlemen, is that they lived.
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