Some might say that spending a week in rural France in January is a goofy thing to do. In fact, I have a friend who has a home there and works at getting to warmer, sunnier place doing the winter months.
But I went and it was fun. Cold. A bit gray. But fun.
Why? My husband and I participated in a “Retreat for Two” getaway at the home of Charlotte and Niall Benvie in the Moran area of France. This is not too far from Lyon. We got there by taking a train from Paris to Le Creusot and we drove an hour to reach the cute cottage home of this Creative Outdoor Photographer and his Passionate About Cooking wife. Their home included a cleverly disguised crate for the family pet, Bruno.
They offer week long retreats tailored to individual interests.
Link to Retreats for Two. Food and Photography Retreats.
My interest was photography, of course.
Niall and I spent some time exploring the area around their home with our cameras. This included visiting Vézelay, a cute town with a notable cathedral that attracts more than a million visitors a year.
But they weren’t there when we were there. It was pretty deserted. Perfect for capturing holiday decorations and the inside of the church.
In Luzy we worked on night time photography figuring out that this is a great time to convert to black and white.
And Bourbon Lancy was a great village to visit. We were able to photograph elements of the medieval world.
There were elements of the country side that intrigued me including these groups of mistletoe. Here’s a link that explains how Mistletoe grows.
I would enjoy going back and photographing more elements of the countryside. I saw lots that intrigued me for a possible return visit.
The area is a great one for birders. Many people who join Niall come for that but I have also learned of folks who work on iPhone photography and lighting. I particularly had fun learning how to do a “Chocolate Bar” format for combining images for printing in a grid.
I had specific software issues to work on and continuing to master the technical elements of my camera. Rain days were welcomed for inside projects. That’s the thing about photography. There’s always more to learn, projects to do and fun to be had. It’s all about the journey, not the destination.
Jack enjoyed going to markets and cooking with Charlotte. Here are a couple of shots of what they made. Each meal they prepared was a feast. He came home with a stack of recipes and the resolve to try to repeat the culinary treasures.
