This is a story about a group of people. Some know each other, some don´t. They all come together for a week in a house in the south of France to read, tan, swim in the ocean and party. It’s a story about magic, about friendship, love and the good life under the sun. With Sanne, Laura, Daniel, Emma, Maxwell, Minta, Carole – photographed by Sophie Hemels.
“None of us knew what would happen there. None of us could have known because weeks like this almost never happen. Not in our wildest dreams.
It all started in the middle of the night, Carole and I were waiting in a sketchy outskirt of Paris for Laura and Daniel, who had started driving from Amsterdam a few hours earlier.
The moment the car came into view, an old barrel, I could feel it. Little did I know that the light, bubbly feeling in my belly was nothing compared to the majestic feelings I would encounter later that week. But it all started already when we were waiting for them to pick us up in Paris. Four young people, ready for adventure, embracing each other and heading south.
It would take us nearly 10 more hours to arrive, many coffees breaks included and picking up Minta in Bordeaux.
As we arrived, just having picked up some groceries to survive the first day, we sat down in the high, wild grass with some cheese and wine, too tired to clean anything for the rest of the day. After an hour or so, the four of us slightly intoxicated by the wine, we heard the second car arriving and the rest of our party crowd, three more people that I hadn’t met before, arrived. With Sanne, Emma & Maxwell we were now complete.
Over the week we had many talks, cooked a dinner that was the worst I ever had, we took naps and went to the beach. We dressed up, danced to all sorts of music and read books in the grass. We cleaned the house, went fishing, played games and watched movies. We drank wine, danced on the table, hold each other tight and dressed up again. We made desserts, lit candles, told stories. Watched the lighting, mowed the grass, played hide and seek and slept in the same bed. We took pictures, played more games and swam in the ocean. But most of all, in the in-between moments of it all, we fell deeply, warmly in love with each other.
As we sat at the dinner table one night, all dressed in long dresses and bow-ties, the high grass tickling my legs and bees flying around us, Maxwell made a speech that set the internal firework off. He lit a bomb full of love and I think in that moment everyone connected on a level that we don’t do often these days. Someone wanted to film it and Maxwell said: “No, you can’t film this”. And so I won’t write about it any more than this.
This is just a glimpse into our week surrounded by nature, filled with love. This diary shows a week where I met soulmates.
Dear Daniel, Minta, Maxwell, Carole, Emma, Sanne & Laura,
This is for you. Nothing but love.”
-Sophie Hemels
