Bing, Bang, Boom( with emphasis on the bang!)

Well, I made it to Aix En Provence by way of Saignon. Saignon is a lovely little town with a big, old medieval fort. The views from the fort would have been spectacular but it was overcast with occasional rain. Aix is really nothing special.

I will tell you more about both tomorrow. I hit the side of the hotel garage wall with the Mercedes rental. It scratched only the rear passenger door but I am really upset about it.

So tomorrow I am going to Avignon and I will fill you in on today's activities then
Talk to you tomorrow.
I am back and I have recovered from the accident. It really was only a scrape and I think most of it will be buffed out.
Anyway Aix was kind of a disappointment. My hotel was wonderful and it was right on the main drag. My window overlooked this wide tree line street- a combination of Commonwealth Ave and Newbury St.
Within the narrow streets were squares with different kinds of fountains. Other than this there was not much going on. There was a free concert of jazz music at the city hall (Hotel de Ville) and I listened to that for a while. I went to a big square full of restaurants and had dinner. The wind came up and it got chilly so I was glad to get back home.

Before getting to Aix, I happend on the village of Saignon. It was a beautiful little place. There was a huge fort at the top and the windibg streets were charming and well restored. I enjoyed this village more than most of the others.
Well here are some pictures and I will tell the Avignon story starting tomorrow. Til then.....

Scenes from Saignon

 

 

These pictures are from Aix en Provence

 

 

Another Day in the Medieval World

 Well, it has been another great day here in the Luberon. I did make it to Rousillon. It was worth the trip.  I made it there by 9:30.  I was the only car in the parking lot. When I got back to the parking lot at 11:15, people were waiting for spaces. It was unbelievable.

Rousillon was really beautiful. It's church, St. Michel, was simple but graceful. It was fun to watch the locals open up their shops and prepare their displays. Art galleries were everywhere and their were some fantastic art work. Alain Camera was one name I remember and I especially liked his floral pieces, really different.

From here I headed to Menerbe. Perched high on a hill it was a climb to reach but quiet and medieval as well. I bought some lunch here to take with me to my next stop, the Abbey St. Hillaire.  Rick Steeves says to use the bench in front of the Abbey for a picnic. The Abbey was beautiful and very old. It is currently operated by the Cisternians. It grounds were quiet and well kept. It was certainly peaceful. The bench, however, was in the direct sun.  I sat over to the side which did not offer much shade and began to eat my ham and cheese croissant. Rick failed to mention the bees. They were everywhere and very hungry. I hopped in the car and finished my lunch driving to Lacoste.

Lacoste was probably the best preserved of the medieval towns. It was also the steepest. I climbed to the top, cobblestone streets and all to see the chateau. The chateau was the home to the Marquis de Sade. It is now owned and being restored by Pierre Cardin, who lives in the village. There were few tourists here and it was nice to be able to walk around without crowds. It was a great experience.

My last stop was the Pont Julien. It is a Roman bridge that has been in use from Roman times until 2005. It was in great shape. The river that was under it is completely dry.

With the window open my open is more bearable. I did sleep well last night as it cooled down nicely. I am having dinner here again as it was great food and very peace here at night. Tomorrow I move to Aix en Provence (X).

 These are the orce hills at Rousillon which made it famous and below are more scenes from Rousillon

The next group of pictures is from Menerbes.

The next few are from the Abbey St. Hillaire

Pictures from Lacoste

 

 Marquis de Sade Chateau

 Pont Julien

Medival Times

I am now in the Luberon. This is the area famous for its lavender and red wine. The grapes are being harvested now and the lavender has past. The fields have been cut and the bales of hay are rolled. Today was a bit overcast with some rain. It was still at pretty drive.
I drove through the village, Saturin-a apt. It was very beautiful. It still had much of its medieval charm. It was very quiet and there were almost no people around. There are 2 views of each village, the one you see on approach and the one you see when you are inside. This village was great either way.
I tried to go to Rousillon which is supposed to be the big attraction. I could not find a parking space in any of its 5 parking lots. I decided to go to find my hotel and after the St. Tropez experience, retink my plan for tomorrow.
My hotel is charming. It is an old farm house converted to a hotel. Although my room is small and musty smelling (i bought an airfreshener and I am keeping the window open). Other than that it is perfect. I am having dinner here. It is quite a bit out of town and it is just easier. Hopefully, it will be good.
Anyway, that it it for now. I will post some pictures and add anything I can think of later.

By the way, dinner was outstanding. The woman that runs the place really does a nice job. She looks like Juliann.

Parting shot of Moustiers Ste. Marie

 A village on the hills

The pumpkin patch

Saturine a apt

 Saturine a apt

 Saturine again

 and again

 Roussillon- as close as I got

Entrance to my hotel, Mas de la Tour

The Long and Winding Road

Today was a great day. I made the complete circle around the "Grand Canyon" or Verdun Gorge. The road twisted and turned and it made the hairpin turn on Route 2 look like a lazy left. To add to this was the road being right on edege of cliffs and large drops. No picture can ever do justice tot he felling that i get when I drive so close to the edge. The Verdun River that runs through the gorge looked like a mere trickle.

The rock formations were much like the Southwest. The colors and the sounds created a peaceful atmosphere. Le Rive Droite was wilder and red. There were more people here rafting and hiking. Le Rive Gauche was drier and the vegetation had a burnt orage color to them. Even though it was the same river, the views were very different but just as dramatic.

Lunch today was exactly as lunch should b in France. I stopped at a pasterie in a very small town along the way. I bought 2 small quiche lorraine and a bottle of Perriere. I found a road leading into the woods and there was a picnic table and there I sat in a very peaceful and serene setting. Cet magnifique!

One little aside, I stopped and walked around the town of Trigance. It is a Rennaisance town with doors and windows and many buildings unchanged other than the occasional satellite dish.  I tried to avoid getting any of them in the pictures. Also, I did the best I could on the pictures without risking my life.

Anyway. It is time to head to  town for my dinner. Tonight will be a simple pizzza or the like. Until tomorrow.........

 Wild thistle

 

Trigance

Enough for Now!