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Let's get away

Escape to France from your living room

By vague vaguePublished 3 years ago 6 min read
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Let's get away
Photo by Léonard Cotte on Unsplash

In the UK, and across Europe, we are entering new lockdowns. Confined to our homes once more, this time with winter light and weather to accompany our house arrest, everything is feeling just a little bit bleak.

One way that I have personally managed to alleviate the gloom is pure, unadulterated escapism. Sure, I could watch another episode of Seinfeld while scrolling on my phone in the midst of perpetual brain fog. Or, I could watch a documentary on a glamorous, far-flung period of history and dream I’m there instead. Rolling out of bed to grab anything caffeinated within arm’s reach? Why not brew a strong coffee, grab a book and imagine you’re in a charming little coffee shop in the bustling streets of [New York/ Tokyo/ Venice/ any city of your choice] instead?

Trust me, I get it. Any kind of decision making can seem too much when we are being bombarded by the absolute nonsense that is 2020, especially if it involves creative thinking. And that’s why I have put together some short guides of curated “escapes” for Lockdown 2.0.

The first of these guides? Well, it would have to be, it could only be, the land of all things chic and jealousy-inducing – France.

The Land of Desire podcast by Diana Stegall

1) The Land of Desire

If you want to imagine you’re enjoying the sights and sounds of a country from the confines of your home, you’re going to first want to do your research. We want this to be believable after all, otherwise you won’t feel the full benefits. Armed with knowledge, your imagination will run wild, and what better way to get to know a country than delving into its past?

And boy, is French history jam packed! Joan of Arc? Eleanor of Aquitaine? The French Revolution? Take your pick!

I suggest starting your day with a delicious coffee, pastry of your choice, and whacking on an episode of The Land of Desire Podcast.

This fascinating podcast explores an array of stories from French history, all told with juicy gossip, insight into incredible characters and the witty, charming personality of the podcast’s host, Diana Stegall.

It’s gripping, funny and, with each episode lasting roughly 30 minutes, is the perfect easy-listening.

I recommend the three-part episode on the history of Notre Dame, or the two-part episode on Napoleon Bonaparte’s “tiniest campaign”.

By Jez Timms on Unsplash

2) Le déjeuner?

Has using those brain cells made you hungry? Time to whip up some French-inspired food.

France is of course known for its culinary delicacies, so you could really go to town here should you wish. As a vegan, my requirements sadly do not align very well with traditional French cooking, but have found these vegan takes on French classics from Vagabond Veggies to be absolutely delicious.

If you want to go full-in on the French lunch-time experience, why not incorporate a small glass of wine or beer into your meal?

By Cosmin Serban on Unsplash

3) Forget your troubles at the…museum

Is anything better for the soul than getting lost in a beautiful work of art, discovering new knowledge, or learning how others have lived before us? There is nothing like a grander vision of humanity to put things into perspective.

While you might not be able to visit a museum or gallery in person at the moment, the good news is that this does not stop you from being able to take advantage of the incredible, vast free resources that public institutions, both at home in the UK and abroad, have made available online.

With a little help from Google, you can enjoy masterpieces from your own home. So grab another coffee, put on a pretentious roll-neck and beret and get culture-vulturing!

~ ~ ~

The Palace of Versailles, located roughly 20km south-west of Paris, is one of the most famous architectural wonders of the world. Known for its opulence and as the centre of turbulent political history, it captures the imagination and is a must-see on many French tourists’ lists.

The Palace of Versailles has made several exhibitions available online for free, including a series on Science at Versailles, which is truly fascinating.

~ ~ ~

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is housed in a eleventh century former Benedictine abbey and its cloisters surround a peaceful garden of sculptures. The museum’s encyclopaedic collections offer a panoramic overview of the great civilizations and schools of artistic expression from antiquity to the present day.

You can enjoy several free online exhibitions from the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, including “Thirty masterpieces from the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts”, which includes audio introductions to the objects.

~ ~ ~

The town of Mougins is nestled in the hills of Cannes and looks out over forests and olive groves. In the balmy climes of Southern France, it has an impressive culinary history and in modern times attracted celebrities of the likes of Pablo Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent, Édith Piaf and Winston Churchill.

It is home to The Musée d'Art Classique de Mougins (MACM), which marries antiquities from Rome and Egypt with modern and contemporary art. Highlights from MACM’s collection are available to browse online, and you can even virtually walk through the Museum.

Behind the scenes: Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960)

4) Cinéma! Cinéma!

So, you've eaten some delicious food, filled your mind with artistic wonders of bygone eras and now you, frankly, want to relax and have some wine!

What better way to kick back than cosying up with a film? France is the birthplace of cinema. With more theatres per inhabitant in Paris than anywhere else in the world, and strong protections afforded to the film industry by the French government, it is an important string in France’s impressive cultural bow.

I love fantasising about living in Paris during the creation of the Nouvelle Vague period of post-war France. After the horrors of occupation in Word War II there was a bursting of creativity in Paris, as exemplified by the Left Bank intellectuals and artists. The key players in cinema at the time were part of a wider artistic and cultural shakeup that made Paris the intellectual capital of the world.

Imagine the likes of Jean Cocteau, Samuel Beckett, Juliette Gréco, Simone de Beauvoir, Brigitte Bardot, James Baldwin, Miles Davis, Albert Camus, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, Pablo Picasso and many more all living, working and partying in the same city. Incroyable!

So, why not sit back and enjoy one of the cinematic masterpieces of this time with a glass of Beaujolais?

I recommend Orphée (1950), directed by Jean Cocteau, which you can watch with a fantastic introduction by Mark Kermode by subscribing to BFI Player. This dream-like retelling of the Orpheus myth turns the lyre-playing singer of Greek legend into a famous left-bank poet in post-war Paris.

If that doesn’t take your fancy, the BFI Player has a fantastic selection of French films from all periods to choose from (plus, it’s a great organisation to support right now if you care about cinema!)

P.S. If you are interested in the history of post-war Paris, I can’t recommend the book Left Bank: Art, Passion and the Rebirth of Paris 1940 – 1950 by Agnès Poirier highly enough!

P.P.S And this documentary on the French New Wave is a delightful watch and available on YouTube.

Thank you for reading. I hope you've enjoyed this short guide of how to escape to France from your lockdown living room. If you have, please keep an eye out for more upcoming "escape" guides to be released soon!

VV

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About the Creator

vague vague

Writing on all things art, culture and history.

Pieces to get lost in.

Helping you to daydream.

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