We were excited to leave this Roman city and head out for a day of being in the countryside. We were lured to Arles in part because of its nearness to the national park which abuts the Mediterranean and is known for pink flamingos, white horses and black bulls. The Camargue is a National Park that lies just south, between…
Category: An Epic Adventure
September 3: Everything is ancient
We left Avignon by mid morning with several stops planned on our drive towards Arles. Just over the Rhone are two places on the must see list: La Chartreuse, a Carthusian Monastery, and the L’Abbaye Saint-Andre Gardens, behind the walls of the Fort. Both are located in Villanueve-lez-Avignon, which by itself is a charming hillside village with views across the…
September 2: Avignon
After two wonderful weeks at La Bastide dans Le Luberon, the beautiful and very French country house of Tim and Danielle, it was time to get back on the road and continue my journey. For the next 4 days Kimberly is with me (yay!), so I can share my explorations and adventures with a friend. First stop, Avignon. One cannot…
September 1: In search of lavender
Along with the calendar the weather shifted today. Still sunny, but a chilly morning and a pleasant 75 by midday, but very windy. A nice change from the very hot days of the past 10 days. We set off to the northwest to what the books call The Lavender Trail, which we knew was already past cutting, but worth a…
August 31: Aix-en-Provence
Apparently it does rain occasionally in the south of France, and this was one of the days that it did. After many very hot (high 80’s/low 90’s) days, it was a relief to have a drop in temperture and some cloud cover. (Not something you hear this SoCal girl ever say, right?) Anyway, it gave us a chance to head…
August 30: Cassis
It’s impossible to come to Provence and not visit Cassis. At least that’s what the guide books say. And after looking at some of the beautiful photos and reading the description of this old fishing port, I could understand why the 90 km drive south was worth the effort. Knowing it was a tourist destination and that parking could be…
August 28 & 29: To market to market
Of all the local markets, we’d been advised that the one not to miss was the one on Monday in Forcalquier. And we were also told to arrive before 10AM, as this particular town draws crowds. So, despite the protestations from Paul, we were all up and out early (for us), and arrived in the town center by just after…
August 26 & 27: Exploring, and an Arrival
On Friday morning I headed out north, back into the Alps de Haute Provence region, to first visit a small village that I had passed by on a previous drive, and then to head to a morning market. The route is one which essentially takes you over a section of the Luberon mountain range, so the roads are curvy and…
August 24 & 25: Some visitors and Lourmarin
The weather was a bit weird on Monday — some actual clouds in the what had been nothing but endless blue. It was still quite warm, but a brief rain shower did come by in the late afternoon, only to leave the scent of rain and a beautiful evening sky. I chose not to venture out; took care of some…
August 22 & 23: Around Provence
The long, slow days of summer have been slipping by without very much activity or sightseeing on my part. Knowing that I will be back to that mode of travel soon enough I believe my mind, body and spirit are simply saying that it’s time to sit still. So I am. Except for the morning runs and afternoon lap swimming…