Cazaux is a small beach town in the southwest of France, just a half hour outside the famed wine region of Bordeaux. Earlier this year, I enjoyed a quiet winter with the locals just before their busiest time of year.

Oh, and here I am posing with my travel scarf but the glorious small-town French backdrop is stealing my thunder.

I love the off-season for the obvious reasons (lower prices and no crowds). But I also suggest that the next time you travel to a popular destination– whether it be a London, Venice, or Milan– that you spend a day or two exploring the small towns just outside these places. They’re truly authentic, oftentimes more accessible, and just as (if not more) beautiful.