Love is more than just the idea of being in love

Emmanuel Félix L
Aug 28, 2017 · 3 min read

France is like a synonym for romance, right? At least that is what we all have learn in those romantic movies that most of the times lead a golden couple to this magical country in Europe.

I was in France not too long ago and I saw it with my eyes. France is indeed a very romantic place for many reasons: public demonstrations of affection among couples of any age, rose wine in every restaurant table at day that is replaced by red wine at nights, museums and churches filled up with people holding hands, beautiful fountains here and there, perfectly carved and full of the most magical stories… France have them all.

But the love story I heard did not happen in fancy Paris, or was remotely related to any cliché story I had seen in movies before.

While visiting Chateau Bourdicotte, in Bordeaux, we ran into a small house that can be found at the middle of the vineyard of this beautiful place. It is an abandoned house that stands there, taking care of the workers when they need a break, and bids them farewell every evening after a whole day of work.

Its name? Let say that inspires one of the most famous wines from Chateau Bourdicotte: La Colline des Amoureux, and it is nothing but what its name says, a place full of love.

The workers at the chateau told us the story in parts. The origin of Amoureux would take us back several generations to understand its nature. Turns out that a farmer built this house for his wife because he wanted her to have a place to rest, eat, and spend some nights very close from the vineyard they were working together at.

The couple lived many happy years in this small house that went empty after the old couple left this world. Its memory was too dear for the neighbors of the region and even the owners of the vineyard did not have the heart to destroy it, so they used it as a tool house by day, meanwhile young lovers would make it a shelter by nights. Lovers would come from any direction to write their names inside of a heart for their relationship to last as long as the couple that used this house many years before.

While we visited we wrote our very own love wishes. However, it was when we were leaving when we realized the real love story that this place witnesses every day.

One of the workers of the vineyard was leaving holding hands with his wife. We did not notice they were together unless they were leaving. Then another one of the workers came to us and said: “Isn’t this beautiful? They leave every day holding hands”. I asked how long have they worked in this place.

-30 years. -Replied the man.

“They met in this very same place, outside Amoreux. They fell in love here, married and came back to work here. Some of their kids have even worked here”.

Reality could not have been more romantic then. This love story was beyond Disney or any other fairy tale, no doubt.

No matter how hot or cold a day might be, how windy or still, how dry or rainy, this couple comes here with every sunrise and go back home with every sunset. Their bad, boring, fighting, annoying days just have brought them closer… and that is what true love is about… isn’t it?

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Emmanuel Félix L

Written by

Mexican / journalist / dreamer / maker / Inside musician / lover / honest / true / sagittarian / human / animated / funny and stuff

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