château vaux-le-vicomte

French nostalgia gets to me sometimes. I'd like to say, “I get it, your ancestors created enviable restaurants, furniture, clothes, paintings, films, literature, buildings, and more… but you're not inherently cultured because of it. You do not have the liberté to look down on the origins of others nor a valid excuse for resisting innovation and alternative thought. Please refrain from reinforcing a stereotype of snobbery, okay?" But then I take a deep breath, get off my own high horse, and visit Châteaux Vaux-le-Vicomte...

And I get it. Such a gorgeous castle! From the architecture to the fabrics, it's my favorite thus far. And the gardens, oh, the gardens. Thank God for Le Nôtre and the acres of beauty he left us. What an extraordinary Saturday afternoon we had at Châteaux Vaux-le-Vicomte because of it... which brings me back to my original thoughts on French nostalgia. Appreciating the past can be so much more positive a force than that of discriminatory remarks. In fact, "nostalgizing helps people relate their past experiences to their present lives in order to make greater meaning of it all," (Huffington Post). French or not, we can better inform our future by keeping history alive and reveling in its aestheticism; a constructive joie de vivre, if you will. There are few things more worthwhile.