Hello, friends! I’m just back from my longest vacation ever - two weeks camping in France. Truth be told, I am a bit embarrassed to describe it because having so much time away was itself quite a luxury. Add to that the views, the food and the company, and I can hardly believe that this is my life.

It actually felt like an alternative reality. Maybe it was? I completely lost touch with my normal responsibilities as a mother (the kids were with my ex) and with my work.

So, how did I like the classic Dutch camping trip? Was it relaxing? Definitely. Inspiring? Sure. Romantic? Yup. Perfect? Well, no ;) But pretty close. Here are the highlights from my first lazy summer camping trip.

Spontaneous Camping

My boyfriend Floris is a fan of spontaneous camping: traveling road trip style with a general idea of where one will go, but no reservations or itinerary. This seems to be a popular approach with the Dutch, many of whom travel in camper vans throughout France (or Italy or Denmark) in the summer. As an organized/plan-ahead type, such uncertainty is a stretch, but one I wanted to experience. Here’s what I found:

Cons

• You spend lots of time on the vacation actually choosing what to do. That’s not relaxing for me.

• Desired nearby experiences, such as a tour of Versaille, may be sold out by the time you decide.

• It’s easy to imagine you can do more or travel farther than you actually can, which leads to disappointment.

• Concern about logistics may make it difficult to enjoy the present moment.

Pros

• You can follow the good weather, avoiding rainy days in the tent or stormy coastlines.

• It’s easy to accept spontaneous invitations to stay with friends.

• You can simply move on if you aren’t enjoying a location or stay longer in a favorite place.

• There’s an open-ending feeling that makes each day exciting.

So, bottom line? I would do this kind of camping again. However, I hope that next time I will be less antsy about future plans and more present in the moment, which allows for staying longer at favorite locations. I was definitely disappointed a number of times in ways that would have been avoided via a planned vacation, so I don’t see myself only wanting to travel in this way. Since my personality naturally fits with a planned vacation, embracing spontaneity is an “other” experience that invites stretching and growth. You know I love that kind of thing!

Country days

Over the course of two weeks, we stayed at five different campsites and in two different homes. Our longest stays were at campgrounds in the hills nearby Lyon. This region had the best weather during our vacation. The views were amazing!

Yzeron - a village atop the hills, 34 km outside of Lyon. It was a short walk from our campsite to the boulangerie for morning pastries and the hills in the surrounding area were lovely to explore on foot.

Monts de la Madeleine - here we found another campground in the hills, but this time nestled in a vibrant mossy green forest. We explored the picturesque village of Renaison nearby and the antique shop in Les Noes. It dipped down to 44F at night, so I was glad I had packed my coat and hat!

City days

We also made excursions to famous (and not so famous) French cities during our trip. I took note of the differences in architecture and captured inspirational images for design and color which I will share with you in another post. For now, a quick tour of our city days.

Lyon - the third largest city in France, just southern enough to offer warmer weather. Lyon architecture was festooned with lacy flourishes. The streets were busy and a bit dirty, but the food was excellent!

Orleans - sits below Paris. Joan of Arc famously saved the city from English siege in 1429, and she is memorialized just about everywhere you look. I loved the style of this city and would definitely return, but I didn’t get many photos. I guess I was too busy having fun! We finally had some warm weather to splash around in.

Meung Sur Loire - is a small city with a modest castle. Centuries ago the area was swampland, until a series of canals were installed which drain in the Loire. They flow throughout the city and under the houses! We camped in nearby Châteauneuf along the Loire river, which boasted amazing sunsets.

Food

I would be remiss if I did not say a few words about the food I enjoyed on our trip. Everyone raves about the bread, cheese and wine in France, and my boyfriend Floris is no exception. I am more of a chocolate person, and I did have the best chocolate raspberry cake of my life in Meung Sur Loire (but no photo, sorry!). The bread was delicious. We ate it with cheese almost every day. A French friend took us to a casual restaurant along the Loire where we dug into the best cheese plater and white wine. And the wine part is big news, friends, because I learned to enjoy it for the first time in my life on this trip.

Thank you, France. Thank you, Floris.

And speaking of Floris, I found out that he has an eccentric passion for finding the natural foods store in each city we visit and perusing the goods like a kid in a candy shop. I was often surprised by what he purchased, but I enjoyed the benefits later on.

Did I cook a single meal on this trip? Nope. And it was heaven. I did happily wash the dishes ;)

so about Floris - - -

I know I kind of dropped this on you without an explanation. All of the sudden I have a new boyfriend and we’re going on vacations and - look! - there he is. Actually, he’s also been behind the scenes holding up the last few quits as well, did you notice?

Well, since you are asking, here’s the scoop. I met Floris on a dating app called Bumble, the first one I tried. I guess I know what I like because after talking to a few men, Floris is the first one I wanted to meet in real life. We hit it off from the start and have been spending a lot of time together these last three months. He’s Dutch, teaches art and lives in my town. We first connected over our artwork and style. He enjoys photographing me, hence the pictures of yours truly turning up on the blog as of late. It’s all fresh and new and fun, so I am going to enjoy that out loud, okay? Thanks ;)

I’ll keep you a little posted.