Exploring Angoulême: A Street Art Adventure in France

Hello!!! I’ve had some time to settle back in, and am ready to share my trip to France! Knowing it was a short trip with an end just two weeks out, I felt so relaxed! For the first time in over 2 years, I had a home to come back to and was excited to be going on a real vacation, not an endless wondering (although I loved every minute of that as well!). Additionally, I had somewhat of a plan. I was going to a yoga retreat with my amazing friend Nickyy who I met at my first retreat in Cambodia back in 2016. I also attended her retreat in Italy in 2018, both, life changing events for me! Here’s my favorite pic of us in Italy.

I took the redeye from Greenville, SC, where my lovely sis-in-law, Gail let me leave my car at her home and drove me to the airport. I had quick stop in Philly, and then on to Paris. When I arrived at Charles de ‘Gaulle, I had about 5 hours before my train to Angoulême, and I was wiped out. I usually sleep on the plane, but was sitting next to to a restless young man and ended up watching 3 movies instead. I don’t know why, but the movies I choose on a plane always make me cry! I swear, they mis-label comedies!!

After a long line at border control, I found a quiet spot and dozed off sitting up at a table in the back of a restaurant at the airport train station for a couple of hours. When I had a bit of energy back, I made my way out to the platform to check out the trains. It is actually a really cool station architecturally, and after taking a few photos, I sat on a bench to just watch people come and go. The man next to me started chatting me up and I learned he is an amazing stained glass artist from New York, who is coming to teach a course this summer at Penland School of Crafts, just outside of Asheville. We instantly connected and talked until it was time to head to the train. When we did, he asked where I was sitting, and so crazy, we had seats right next to each other on a huge train! We were meant to meet!

We chatted the whole way on the train about art, France, and other fun stuff, until he got off one stop before me to meetup with his partner who’s also an artist. He visits him frequently as he’s getting things in order to move to France so they can be together! Such a sweet story! I can’t wait to meet him for dinner in N. Carolina and learn how things have progressed.

When I made it to Angoulême, I had a mile walk to my AirBnb (mostly uphill, of course, with some good winding stairs in the building at the end…), in the perfect location right in the middle of town. On the way, I passed several murals, and as the excitement built, I forgot how tired I was. I settled in, took a shower, and went out for a walk and some dinner. I kept finding more art, and suddenly it was almost 10 PM…yikes…I forced myself to sit down for dinner out on the sidewalk at a lovely Indian restaurant next to my apartment. After food and wine, I hit the wall. Almost 48 hours after leaving home, I crashed down on the bed and slept!

For the next two days, I walked, and walked, and ate good French food, and walked! I found all the cool murals, statues, great views, and even paid a visit to the Musée du Papier on the Charente River, that had a great show of animals made of paper! The museum was the former LaCroix Paper Mill and the Joseph Bardou “Le Nil” paper mill, before closing in 1972.

Angoulême was beautiful and relaxing, a great way to unwind and settle my mind from all the work on my new home, the long flight, etc., before the retreat. Best of all, I found an outdoor sound therapy park where I played all the instruments for the people sitting around! It was so much fun and calmed my nervous system fully! Here’s the photo dump….enjoy :-)!

And that’s a wrap on Angoulême – The Street Art Capital of France! Next up the train to Chalais where I will be picked up and taken to The French Retreat in Yviers!

Hugs and Love,

Michelle