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Did someone say “Chocolat”?

January 29, 2016 by Patricia Sands 22 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Val de Loire

This week I wrote a post  about chocolate in France for my friend Janine Marsh’s wonderful website The Good Life France.

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Click right here to see the post. Chocolate + France … two of my favourite topics. It was fun to write, as you can imagine. If you do go in and read it, please click on some of the links at the bottom of the article. It all helps!

If you follow me regularly, you’re probably already a subscriber to Janine’s amazing newsletter and ezine. There’s a link to the virtual magazine in the column here on my blog. ====================>

Or just click right here to see back issues of the magazine, too.

While I was doing research for that post, I spent some time revisiting the wonderful film Chocolat. Remember that?  I loved it so much, I own a copy. So we watched it again this week.

You also might want to read the novel by Joanne Harris and check out her other work including, Peaches for Monsieur le Curé.

This photo is one of my “shoot through the open window of the car as my husband zooms by shots” … otherwise I would be asking him to stop every two minutes … and he really is great about pulling over. But sometimes it is simply not possible. French roads often have no shoulders or there’s someone right on our tail. In spite of that it’s surprising how often the photo turns out!

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So, back to the movie. If, for some bizarre reason, you haven’t seen Chocolat, get on over to Netflix immediately. It’s a great story … and of course, there is Johnny Depp … but the setting ,,, ah oui … the setting … that’s what’s really delicious!

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It was filmed in the medieval village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy and on the Rue De l’Ancienne Poste in the charming commune of Beynac-et-Cazenac, in the heart of Périgord Noir. These photos of mine are from that latter general area.

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Beynac is found on the banks of the Dordogne River with a well-preserved 12thC castle, clinging to a steep cliff, once besieged by Richard the Lion Heart. Just ten kilometres from Sarlat, this village is distinctive with “lauze” stone slab-roofed houses and well worth a visit.

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Are you a chocophile? Dark, milk, white? All of them? What’s your pleasure? Be sure to have a supply nearby while you watch the movie.  Bon weekend!

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Photo blogs, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Chocolat, chocolate, chocophile, France, Janine Marsh, Joanne Harris, Johnny Depp, Patricia Sands, Perigord Nord, photography, The Good Life France

About Patricia Sands

Family, writing and travel are my passions ... okay, and chocolate ... and I'm seldom without a camera. I write women's fiction and keep in touch with readers by a monthly newsletter that also has giveaways and contests. Come and join us by signing up on the right. See you there!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margaret says

    January 29, 2016 at 3:19 am

    Gorgeous, evocative photos. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 9:04 am

      Thanks, Margaret! I’m glad you enjoyed them. It’s always fun to go back through albums to choose the right shot to post.

      Reply
  2. Darlene Foster says

    January 29, 2016 at 7:55 am

    Love, love that movie! Anything with Johnny Depp and chocolate has got to be good. Your photos are great as always.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 9:04 am

      Oui, d’accord! How is your Spanish winter going?

      Reply
      • Darlene Foster says

        February 6, 2016 at 5:23 pm

        We are having a very mild, sunny, enjoyable winter here on the Costa Blanca!

        Reply
        • Patricia Sands says

          February 7, 2016 at 1:14 pm

          Well, it’s 55F in south Florida today … not nice!

          Reply
  3. Jetgirl says

    January 29, 2016 at 8:37 am

    Beautiful post! I love that movie so much! I think I will re-watch it 🙂 I love your photos. I actually visited Flavigny-sur-Ozerain a couple years ago and it is a beautiful little village.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 9:15 am

      Thanks so much! I’ve put that village on my must-see list. We haven’t explored Burgundy and really must do that! Lucky you to have been there! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Miss Diane says

    January 29, 2016 at 8:52 am

    Périgord.., une des plus belles régions de France! On a repassé ce film récemment à la télé et ce fut un plaisir de le revoir. Merci pour ces belles photos et, by the way, we do the same when we drive in the country, Je demande à mon mari d’arrêter souvent pour des photos. À la prochaine!

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 9:08 am

      Oui, oui, oui! Tant de belles régions! Nous aimons les maris qui comprennent!

      Reply
  5. Patricia says

    January 29, 2016 at 12:11 pm

    Everything always looks so clean; no litter or trash on the ground. How do you manage to get such great shots with no people or cars or bicycles cluttering up the prettiness?

    France looks so lovely.

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 4:28 pm

      Patricia, I have to say that France is a very clean country. And trust me, there are often people, cars, and bicycles around. I just hang out with my finger on the shutter and wait for the right moment!

      I love that you love the photos! That’s the great fun of sharing. I love seeing your photos from the beautiful Baer House Inn and I am so in awe of the big change you took to become an Inn owner. I hope everyone who visits Vicksburg, visits you!

      Reply
  6. Sue Malizia says

    January 29, 2016 at 1:56 pm

    I always enjoy your posts Patricia, and your photos of the French village where Chocolat was filmed are beautiful…and the suggestion of rewatching it is just the thing I needed this cold, rainy day with me being home not feeling the best.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 4:22 pm

      Sue, that’s the perfect movie for you today. No question. It’s rainy in south Florida too and there are tornadoes swirling around! What’s that all about! We have colds in our house too, thanks to the weather. Happy viewing!

      Reply
  7. Martha Paley Francescato says

    January 29, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    Glad you mentioned “Chocolat”. It is one of my favorite movies, and I see it again and again. It is not only Johnny Depp, but also Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, Judi Dench, Leslie Caron, and all the others in this magnificent town! And I can listen to it in French or English. What a treat! I only wish I could eat some of the creations Vianne (Juliette) makes! Merci!!!

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      January 29, 2016 at 4:19 pm

      I’m glad Chocolat is one of your faves, Martha! Good memories! And you are so right … what a fabulous cast.

      Reply
  8. wordsfromanneli says

    January 29, 2016 at 5:27 pm

    Wonderful photos, Patricia.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      February 7, 2016 at 1:13 pm

      Thanks, Anneli. It’s hard to take a bad one with this subject matter!

      Reply
  9. J.D. Riso says

    February 8, 2016 at 1:48 am

    Your photos are superb. The one taken from the car turned out great. The blur of movement puts the focus on the castle.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      February 8, 2016 at 5:02 pm

      Thanks! You know I love to take photos and the ones from the car have become a fun challenge. I’m often amazed at how well they turn out … as long as there aren’t dead bugs on the car window! Most of the time I try to shoot out the side window that I can put down … sometimes … not often, I promise … I shoot across my husband, through his window and that can be quite hilarious. I like the blur in this one too.

      Reply
  10. Henrietta M Ross says

    February 12, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    Stunning photos. I might jump on a plane.

    Reply
    • Patricia Sands says

      February 12, 2016 at 9:35 pm

      Thanks! I hear you … photos from France have the same effect on me! 🙂

      Reply

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