I’ll add that Europe is comprised of a vast network of farm steads, hamlets, villages, towns and cities, all tightly interlinked by road, rail, airports and even water networks. The capital cities are huge, but the vast majority of people don’t live there. Towns, and even villages often attract wealthy people, artists, and can be very cosmopolitan. There are cultural events, restaurants, movies, and all manner of modern conveniences. Sarlat has probably more restaurants per square mile than Paris and is so (literally) breathtakingly beautiful, with its medieval houses, market square and little streets you will never, ever forget it. The houses are built with the local yellow sandstone and glow in the sunshine. It will make you smile. The countryside is dotted with chateaux atop hills that punctuate the landscape like a fairytale. Troglodyte dwellings litter the valleys, demonstrating the resourcefulness of our earliest ancestors. And then there is the French way of life, the mentor to all bon viveurs. A relaxed, convivial, moderate but resplendent existence that owes so much to centuries of refinement and enjoyment of the good things in life.
You miss out on travel, you miss out on life. Seeing is believing.
