North Carolina is the new Paris: the new romantic destination
Until charlotte we travel to discover in first person the capital of North Carolina, which could well turn Nicholas Sparks ambassador, because this prolific author was born and lives there. Charlotte is the second financial center in the United States, after New York, and the third city in the country that has grown the most in the last five years. They call her the "Queen City" because it owes its name to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , wife of King George III founder of the city.
From there we traveled by car to State Devotion , on the shores of mitchell river , one of the most beautiful places one can find. See the actors in action Onna Chaplin and John Houston evoking the forties in this set is the closest thing to traveling back in time. We have arrived at the shooting of the movie The longest journey (opens on May 8 in Spain) where we meet our host, Nicholas Sparks himself. “This is a unique place, incredible, you have to go see the lake devotion , there we have shot the scene where Luke (played by Scott Eastwood) and Sophia (Britt Robertson) have their first date. There is no place like it in North Carolina. No one had rolled here before, it is a hidden treasure . The most beautiful place on the planet.”
Devotion Lake
As a group we went up to the enigmatic retreat to meet with one of those places that pierce the eye for its beauty. The lake, on top of a mountain, has a dam and a waterfall. In sight its waters are lost in the horizon due to its size while on its banks rows of robust trees guard a forest. closed to the public Devotion Lake belongs to the R.J. family. Reynolds , tobacco magnates, since 1934.
Back in Charlotte, still enveloped by the bucolic feeling experienced, I remember the scene in the Sparks movie Noahs diary where Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams kiss, the first time they the author put the beauty of North Carolina on the map . “I placed that story in NewBern where I live with my family”, says the writer with the southern elegance that characterizes him. I can't help but ask him about one of my favorite movies based on his work. Stormy nights . “Now there is even a tour of the Inn de Rodanthe ”, He explains to me. I make a mental note and the next day I rent a car to visit this vacation home in Hatteras Island a few steps from Rodanthe beach where Richard Gere fell madly in love with Diane Lane.
Rodanthe Inn
But many other locations North Carolina provided context for Sparks in his books, such as the cities of Southport and Wilmington where it develops A place of refuge , the one in Hampton where it happens When I find you either wrightsville protagonist of The last song . “The sunsets, the coast, the mountains reflect the feelings of my characters. North Carolina is a unique place where the closer you get to the coast the smaller the cities . The pace of life here is much slower and that has influenced me when writing. I write stories where people have time to connect.”
The sentiments Sparks' novels evoke are universal but deepen to the rhythm of the North Carolina wilderness, where the narrative is brought to life in the gallant personalities of the people of the South.
It's hard to say goodbye to Charlotte and to do it in a big way I go to Mert's Heart & Soul , the name says: all heart and soul in the restaurant that best represents southern cuisine in the city . Let me finish by reminding you of the Prawn Po Boy Sandwich, Salmon Patties and Soul Rolls - simply delicious.
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On the way to Rodanthe through North Carolina