"Small town, Big Heart"
As you know, my work takes me to some big cities, but I also manage to get out to the country sometimes. This past year in particular, I've had the chance to visit quite a few small towns and I've come to realize that I LOVE them!
Currently, I live in a very noisy metropolitan area with all of the accompanying traffic (god, the traffic), crowds, (the traffic), the expense and everything else that goes along with it(like traffic). Did I mention I've had my fill of the traffic?
An old friend visited me recently (who actually used to live here) and was flabbergasted about it. His mentioning it made me realize that I had simply gotten used to it. How did that happen? How much time had I wasted not noticing? It kept coming up in my mind. I began to think I might be ready for a slower pace in life(as I sat in slowly moving traffic...Ha, Ha, Ha).
No-really, I mean in the whole big picture, It can be very difficult to find a place of relative quiet. Those sweet little towns have it in spades! They're less expensive, too. For all that you get, the cost of living is much better in these wonderful, traditional, spirited towns than in the soullessly homogenized urban "suburbs" of Washington, DC and other more populous parts of Virginia. You might actually find a place with some cozy charm at a decent price! You want some soul with that? No problem! How about being a part of something special? Getting to know your neighbors and actually stopping to talk over the fence with them?
That's not all that's special about them, though... They also have shops!
There are so many of these gems if you look for them. Remember that old friend? He wanted to show me one that was dear to his heart and it quickly became one of my faves: Culpeper, Virginia!
It's an ideal place to get back to charming local shops without all the big box stores around. The quaint little stores really had it going on. I felt my shopping experience was so much more fun and relaxing. No mall scene, just real people(usually the owners themselves) selling their passion, selling what's in their heart. These folks got into the biz because they love the product they are selling--chocolates, wine, clothing, jewelry...Just to name a few. They know a lot about their products and they couldn't be happier to share their knowledge with you!
"The Frenchmans Corner", one of my favorite shops to visit right in the heart of town. Oh my Goodness! The moment I walked in, I witnessed a long line of beautiful antique display counters filled with the most gorgeous chocolates and candies I've ever seen. There must have been hundreds...each a work of art.
Marc, the proprietor, a very knowledgeable fellow with a darling French accent, explained all the different types of goodies, the origin and history of each(if I showed a particular interest), and offered samples along the way. Once I settled on a most delectable selection of chocolate truffles, he caringly tucked them into a beautiful box for me to take home and enjoy, tying it off with a fanciful ribbon. An absolute treat!
My next stop was "Taste". Aptly named, it was a tiny shop with gourmet olive oils and vinegars set up on long tables topped with rows upon rows of stainless steel vats offering every flavor under the sun. There were stacks of tiny plastic tumblers for tasting each
and every one. You can sample any or all!
Blood orange olive oil, Truffle olive oil, Dark chocolate balsamic(wow, imagine that over ice cream and berries!).
There was also a wall chockfull of unusual herbs, spices, and pastas to go along with all the oils and vinegars. I had a very difficult time deciding. Being vegetarian, I love to eat alot of green leafy salads, and today I was on the search to take those greens to the next level. Finally settling on a lavender balsamic vinegar, I told the shopkeeper and she poured it out of that vat into a smaller bottle, heat sealing the top for me. Very fun shopping experience and an absolute delight!
Starting to get thirsty, we stumbled onto a cute old purple house and were amazed to find it was a tiny tavern called "Far Gohn Brewery". They had fantastic tasty craft beers that you can try by the flight. The place was cozy, and dangling from the open rafters were hundreds of silver beer steins hanging in rows. You can purchase one which they'll engrave your name onto and keep for you with all of the others. When you pop in for a pint you can drink from your own stein. Such a cool idea and an excellent way for them to fundraise.
When we stepped back out into daylight, we discovered that we were in Culpeper for Third Thursday"(held, obviously, on the third Thursday of each month throughout the summer). They had blocked off the main road to make room for a street fair complete with an evening concert. Turned out we would have a front row seat to all of the festivities from the wrought iron balcony of our suite later that evening!
We picked our way through all of the preparations and ended up grabbing dinner at a quaint little mediterranean bistro called "It's About Thyme". We were sat at the most adorable table in the front bay window right at street level where we could soak in the town and all the people walking by as we happily filled our faces with pasta and wine. We might have been at a cafe' in Paris if we weren't just an hour out in the country. The atmosphere was absolutely charming. Plucking a beautiful rose from the vase on the table afterward, we joined the other lovers strolling down main street in the early evening light.
And then we came upon the "Love" sign. Probably ten feet tall and made of old vintage metal movie reels welded together in tribute to nearby "Mt Pony", a decommissioned Cold War era vault above the town that has been repurposed to safely store a vast array of original Hollywood films, it is literally a sculpture of the word "Love". I found out later that it's part of a campaign throughout rural Virginia to express the state motto: "Virginia is for lovers" and they pop up when you least expect them. Each is unique and it has become a passion of mine to seek out as many "Love" signs as possible! It is a fun quest with that special someone.
As we stood there and glanced at the "Love" sign, we couldn't help but feel the love ourselves and in a very memorable moment, I received a sweetly tender kiss that will always be in my heart. It was wonderful. The people passing by weren't at all bothered that this couple was lost in the moment and in each other on that street. They just smiled and gave us our space and continued on their way...they must have seen how special it was too:)
I don't know, maybe I'm just getting older, but I really do think I've always been a "small town" girl. I truly appreciate them, and one day maybe I'll have a little place with that special someone to spend my days with on a cute little street, in a special town...
With a great, big heart.
A girl can dream right?
Love & cheers,
Sparkle :)
p.s ...Kudos to my friend..Thanks for sharing :)
As you know, my work takes me to some big cities, but I also manage to get out to the country sometimes. This past year in particular, I've had the chance to visit quite a few small towns and I've come to realize that I LOVE them!
Currently, I live in a very noisy metropolitan area with all of the accompanying traffic (god, the traffic), crowds, (the traffic), the expense and everything else that goes along with it(like traffic). Did I mention I've had my fill of the traffic?
An old friend visited me recently (who actually used to live here) and was flabbergasted about it. His mentioning it made me realize that I had simply gotten used to it. How did that happen? How much time had I wasted not noticing? It kept coming up in my mind. I began to think I might be ready for a slower pace in life(as I sat in slowly moving traffic...Ha, Ha, Ha).
No-really, I mean in the whole big picture, It can be very difficult to find a place of relative quiet. Those sweet little towns have it in spades! They're less expensive, too. For all that you get, the cost of living is much better in these wonderful, traditional, spirited towns than in the soullessly homogenized urban "suburbs" of Washington, DC and other more populous parts of Virginia. You might actually find a place with some cozy charm at a decent price! You want some soul with that? No problem! How about being a part of something special? Getting to know your neighbors and actually stopping to talk over the fence with them?
That's not all that's special about them, though... They also have shops!
There are so many of these gems if you look for them. Remember that old friend? He wanted to show me one that was dear to his heart and it quickly became one of my faves: Culpeper, Virginia!
It's an ideal place to get back to charming local shops without all the big box stores around. The quaint little stores really had it going on. I felt my shopping experience was so much more fun and relaxing. No mall scene, just real people(usually the owners themselves) selling their passion, selling what's in their heart. These folks got into the biz because they love the product they are selling--chocolates, wine, clothing, jewelry...Just to name a few. They know a lot about their products and they couldn't be happier to share their knowledge with you!
"The Frenchmans Corner", one of my favorite shops to visit right in the heart of town. Oh my Goodness! The moment I walked in, I witnessed a long line of beautiful antique display counters filled with the most gorgeous chocolates and candies I've ever seen. There must have been hundreds...each a work of art.
Marc, the proprietor, a very knowledgeable fellow with a darling French accent, explained all the different types of goodies, the origin and history of each(if I showed a particular interest), and offered samples along the way. Once I settled on a most delectable selection of chocolate truffles, he caringly tucked them into a beautiful box for me to take home and enjoy, tying it off with a fanciful ribbon. An absolute treat!
My next stop was "Taste". Aptly named, it was a tiny shop with gourmet olive oils and vinegars set up on long tables topped with rows upon rows of stainless steel vats offering every flavor under the sun. There were stacks of tiny plastic tumblers for tasting each
and every one. You can sample any or all!
Blood orange olive oil, Truffle olive oil, Dark chocolate balsamic(wow, imagine that over ice cream and berries!).
There was also a wall chockfull of unusual herbs, spices, and pastas to go along with all the oils and vinegars. I had a very difficult time deciding. Being vegetarian, I love to eat alot of green leafy salads, and today I was on the search to take those greens to the next level. Finally settling on a lavender balsamic vinegar, I told the shopkeeper and she poured it out of that vat into a smaller bottle, heat sealing the top for me. Very fun shopping experience and an absolute delight!
Starting to get thirsty, we stumbled onto a cute old purple house and were amazed to find it was a tiny tavern called "Far Gohn Brewery". They had fantastic tasty craft beers that you can try by the flight. The place was cozy, and dangling from the open rafters were hundreds of silver beer steins hanging in rows. You can purchase one which they'll engrave your name onto and keep for you with all of the others. When you pop in for a pint you can drink from your own stein. Such a cool idea and an excellent way for them to fundraise.
When we stepped back out into daylight, we discovered that we were in Culpeper for Third Thursday"(held, obviously, on the third Thursday of each month throughout the summer). They had blocked off the main road to make room for a street fair complete with an evening concert. Turned out we would have a front row seat to all of the festivities from the wrought iron balcony of our suite later that evening!
We picked our way through all of the preparations and ended up grabbing dinner at a quaint little mediterranean bistro called "It's About Thyme". We were sat at the most adorable table in the front bay window right at street level where we could soak in the town and all the people walking by as we happily filled our faces with pasta and wine. We might have been at a cafe' in Paris if we weren't just an hour out in the country. The atmosphere was absolutely charming. Plucking a beautiful rose from the vase on the table afterward, we joined the other lovers strolling down main street in the early evening light.
And then we came upon the "Love" sign. Probably ten feet tall and made of old vintage metal movie reels welded together in tribute to nearby "Mt Pony", a decommissioned Cold War era vault above the town that has been repurposed to safely store a vast array of original Hollywood films, it is literally a sculpture of the word "Love". I found out later that it's part of a campaign throughout rural Virginia to express the state motto: "Virginia is for lovers" and they pop up when you least expect them. Each is unique and it has become a passion of mine to seek out as many "Love" signs as possible! It is a fun quest with that special someone.
As we stood there and glanced at the "Love" sign, we couldn't help but feel the love ourselves and in a very memorable moment, I received a sweetly tender kiss that will always be in my heart. It was wonderful. The people passing by weren't at all bothered that this couple was lost in the moment and in each other on that street. They just smiled and gave us our space and continued on their way...they must have seen how special it was too:)
I don't know, maybe I'm just getting older, but I really do think I've always been a "small town" girl. I truly appreciate them, and one day maybe I'll have a little place with that special someone to spend my days with on a cute little street, in a special town...
With a great, big heart.
A girl can dream right?
Love & cheers,
Sparkle :)
p.s ...Kudos to my friend..Thanks for sharing :)