Museum Mondays and France

Spain, the Miniseries part 8

When planning the trip, I forgot that many museums aren’t open on Monday. This included Bilboa’s Guggenheim. We definitely wanted to see the museum, but when we couldn't it was okay for three reasons: 1) The main attraction of this museum is the building itself, and while the inside was closed, the outside was there ready for us to see. It really is stunning and I’m so glad we went. 2) Because the museum was closed the town was so much easier to drive through and park in, and the area around the building was very empty. It made everything more enjoyable. 3) Because we weren’t going to the museum, we had time to do something else with our day. So instead, we went to France!

I have been to France several times and have always enjoyed it. But driving over the border on this trip for a quick, bonus visit made me realize how much I truly do love it. And, in a sense, I miss it. I love the language, I love the culture, I even love the Parisians. I was pleased about how much of the language I still remember, and how quickly my mind switches to saying things in French. (It was actually hard in Spain not to default to French during difficult communication times!)

So yeah, I loved being en France again. I don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, but the sun seemed to shine brighter on the French side of the border. I felt at home and I wanted to just keep driving in further.

I have heard people from all over the world rave about Spain. Many people I know talk about how fabulous the Spanish culture and lifestyle are. I get it. I really do. I like the small meals, the siesta schedules, the outlook on life, the colorful music. I feel even more strongly about all that after this past trip. But those couple of hours spent exploring the French coast and St Jean de Luz made me understand how much I adore France. The French culture resonates with me more.