Thursday, October 5, 2017

Come along with me~


























We landed in Marseille(Marignane) airport Sept 6th..blue skies etc..rented a car..next time we will do what we did in 2008..Achat-Rachat..

We spent ap. one week in The Alpilles area..

One week in the Lubéron area..

and one week in Les Alpes Maritimes area..

add on 2 days in Aix..to bring us closer to the airport for our return.

We drove to our place to stay for the first week..

St-Rémy..which I love.I will get to it later:)I think I have too much to say about St-Rémy~♥

So many pics..so little time..GARDENS...catching up..with everything..

St-Rémy is loaded with plane trees..charm..a carousel♥ ..terraces to eat..shops..a market and super friendly wonderful people..there always seems to be an air of fete here..

We settled in..and as I mentioned Jacques had made lists of market days..
the first one we went to was in ..

Eyragues..

It's a small town..cute as a button..w/ a small market..we bought un poulet rotisserie:) for dinner and a few other culinary delights like the best olives ever ..they are IN.. markets.

The town was so friendly..Jacques was filming..a gentleman came out of the Mairie and started talking to Jacques as friendly as can be..M.Le Maire..the mayor.
What's not to love about a town w/ bunting?♥

And look how they sold their plants there..I loved that!
I asked if I could take a photo and he said:"Avec le patron?":)
So cute!

So the whole trip if a person or shop or whatever was involved I ASKED to take a pic..twice I did not:(
I could have cried.

One was a pottery seller..a woman..the pottery was EVERYWHERE..I snapped a quick pic and she flipped:( 
She asked me to delete the pic..and I did..

the second was happy older accordeon player I spotted from far away..he looked so happy..NOT..

so I suggest you ask..

you will see Occitane pics on future posts..stores..etc..I asked..
I don't know how people take pics everywhere..:(

Market sellers are to be applauded..we saw many at many markets..the same people..the same things..

happy..hard working..

on Isle- Sur -La -Sorgue..we ate by the water..and for 3 hrs an older gentleman meticulously packed his van almost alphabetically..that means w/ great care.

So..I'll keep showing you bits and bobs of places we went to..

when we left here..

we drove to Maillane~♥Sam told me about Maillane.♥

It was the Frédéric Mistral festival..we went twice:) 
Maillane is small and quiet and oh so lovely...

It is fall here..starting..
things are parched dry..we had rain last night..but honestly..everything is so brown and not pretty..
Provence arde the same..we saw gardens that were sad..and smaller gardens that were happy..

But..the amber and gold and reds..are starting...

I love this collection..the 4 seasons of Brambly Hedge..Autumn..is above..

I made mini rose muffins when we came home..and they were oh so pretty but oh so blah..so.. no recipe:)




The sunflowers I planted got eaten alive as soon as they sprouted..out front..

let nature do things♥
Out back..not planted by me.And yet they grew..



Fall busi..y..ness in the garden:)

So this is my journal..you know that..so my posts will come more quickly as I go through my pics and document Provence~
I have only done this cute town..have so many more to go:)

45 comments:

  1. Looks and sounds like a fairy tale Monique. Can't wait to see more. Love the teacups too. My sunflowers were pitiful this year. Did you see them growing in France?

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    1. Nothing..no sunflowers..no lavender of course..and honestly hardly any grapes on the millions of miles of grapevines..in 2008..we saw so many grapes..I guess les vendanges were done..
      and I was told the sunflowers had been cut already..

      However..olives hanging from branches and poms..and APPLES..
      and wine;)

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  2. It all takes so much time to organize, edit, post. But I am patient. Take it slow as you have much at home that needs your attention after being away. I know!
    This is my week to give attention to the garden. It is clean and ready for fall planting. I picked up some asters and Dusty Miller today. I will plant in the morning. I find that I must do it piece by piece rather than buy in abundance and think I will get it all done. I take an area and concentrate just on it. ;-)
    Your sunflowers made me think of all the volunteers that just appeared in my garden this year, more so than ever. I love it when the birds or the wind bring in surprises!

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    1. I know..one step or two at a time!
      Have all my garlic and tulips to plant ad nothing is put to sleep yet..just the pots emptied..not sure why I get concerned it all gets done!
      My pics..I will do one town at a time lol..:)I love surprises too..tomorrow morning Jacques's mom's ketchup..❤️

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  3. Hi Monique....
    Sounds enchanting....beautiful markets....can't wait to see more.....and your paintings!💕
    What are your Thanksgiving plans?
    Have you seen the Littles yet?
    Enjoy your evening...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)



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    1. TG is at M's house like last yr..but Alain is getting the hunting place in order..so he will be missing..she is doing fondues like last yr..Caro will bring apps and I am making brown bag apple pies..
      I have seen Max..and Oli..Oli came over yesterday..and Max picked us up at the airport..Sat And Sunday will see them all..football games and TG..what about you?
      Omg Linda..that is exactly what Provence is..enchanting..

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  4. So delightful! I feel like I've been back there too! Thanks for sharing all this charm and beauty Monique!

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    1. Chris will you be returning soon?
      We hope too..that's the effect it had on us!

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  5. So beautiful Monique !! I love all these pictures. What lovely place :)

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    1. I found all the towns beautifully and pridefully maintained..so clean!!Nothig amiss..

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  6. Mon I was also told not to take a picture but we were in Santorini...so I did't and then the lady felt bad and allowed me too!📸

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    1. My lady did not feel bad lol..just me..and the accordeonist eithere..everyone else..mais oui..allez-y madame!

      And it's funny because her pottery/shiny/ceramic pieces were everywhere and sold by many..:(

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  7. What a lovely trip Monique. People are funny, eh? But thanks for snapping the ones you did! I am so enjoying them!

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    1. Thanks Abbe! Yes..I totally get people pics..I HATEHAVINGMYPICTURETAKEN...but stuff?:)

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  8. The town is so charming. I would never have known to ask before taking photos. A good tip for travelers. Those olives look good. The markets must have made you hungry. Those plants look like they were grown in sol blocks. It is a device to use when starting seeds-http://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/seed-starting-supplies/soil-block-makers/hand-held-20-soil-blocker-9528.html. Something to think about for next year? Can't wait to see your next blog of France trip.

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    1. I hope to get many posted..but again don't feel like you have to comment:) It's my online journal for posterity..one day my girls may want to read..you canput so much more with words and pics..and I would never bore them w/ a walk through all the computer pics..Not crazy about that;)

      Like cell phone pics and someone shows you more than 5;)
      I will check the planting method out..they looked pristine:)Thanks for noticing..my plant lover would!!

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  9. Did you eat at Lolo's cave in Saint-Rémy? He is quite a character. Read about him in Dwell: https://francetaste.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/spring-and-school-in-france/
    Good for you for asking to take photos. People really don't like it. I think the snapping has gone overboard and people are sick of it.
    Next time, you must visit farther west; it's a bit wilder and less touristy. Look up Carcassonne. It's even prettier in person.

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    1. We will look it up!Thanks! Time ran out..:)So much to see!!So much to love!

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  10. Oh Monique, you have made a magical place seem even more so. Your eye for beauty combined with your painters touch is remarkable. I immediately felt at home when I saw your photo of the ancient plane trees on the road (the D9?) to and from Saint-Remy. What a memorable picture. I have something similar tucked away in mind as my "go-to, happy place." Every time I think of it I dream I'm going home. Thank you for the tip on taking photos. The French are more formal than we are and your tip for asking before snapping is excellent. So, so glad you both had a wonderful time. I look forward to more posts and pictures.
    Fondly,
    Sam

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    1. Dear Sam;
      I have already started writing in my next post and you are mentioned at the top!:)
      Maillane is featured next..it's so funny how..one day..yrs ago..I said to Jacques:"Next time..IF ever we go back..I think we might like St-Rémy"..and it was because of one of your blog posts and many many yrs ago soemone had mentioned St-Rémy and St -Paul-De-Vance..and it stuck..so Jacques read the posts of yours I showed him..and that's why we went:)One of the importanta reasons why we picked st-Rémy and I cannot ever thank you enough.:)
      Both of you:)

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  11. Lovely, lovely! Bet your trip is one to remember....I will be in the same area at the end of March. I can hardly wait to see more photos so I know what I need to see!

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    1. You need to see a lot!St-Rémy,Aix,Gordes,Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue,Les Baux,Cannes,St-Paul De Vence,Tourrettes-Sur-Loup,etc!!

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  12. Dreamy...I'm so happy you all made this trip! It's getting harder for us..resistance...My favorite on this post? The watercolor! And it is my favorite of all of your watercolors that I've seen so far! So delicate, so pleasant, so capturing the essence! Yes, I spent a week in St. Remy. But where I erred was that I did not rent a car.
    Wow! Those golden sunflowers! Les tournesols!!! I love Brambly Hedge, so many details, so sweet...

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    1. The car..well I can thank Jacques...I have no sense of direction..I follow signs well and tell him..Rita..sooooooo many roundabouts..for one outing I think he had 12..he is very good.
      Thank you for the comment on my watercolor..every day when we came home..I sat and painted.
      I met an artist..who said he was able to raise 3 children on his work..he told me it is better to paint 15 minutes every day than one hour on a weekend..I loved that he told me that.
      I forget which town...Jacques will know..
      This sunflowers were planted here by my chickens I think😌😌Did you visit Vincent' mausolée?

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    2. PS Rita..I signed up for an online art class before I left..Fancy Lassies..I just started the intro video and she is also showing how to make a watercolor book..your style..meaning with the Waxed thread!

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  13. What a charming little town! I love LOVED all the little villages we visited when we were in France a few years back. All were so charming. If we had been on our own we would have explored more, but alas, we were not. I love your delightful little water colours. So very pretty. I love the advice you got from that artist (in above comment) I need to take that on board! You have such a delicate and beautiful style. LOVE LOVE LOVE the Brambley Hedge Cup. So sweet and I hate it when I make a great effort to bake something and it is all blah. So annoying! Happy weekend and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you! xoxo

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    1. Thank you Marie!Yes all the little towns are so full of heart and art..and CLEAN..as whistles..

      I am guessing England and the Cotswolds are jaw dropping too:) Totally different ..but jaw dropping..have you been?

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  14. Such LOVELY photos, Monique, and look at all that glorious blue sky in your photos! I spy you in the door window of the Hotel de Ville :) Sounds like you had an enchanting time in an enchanting place. I wonder why some of the people were so negative about having photos taken but very good advice to ask first. C'est domage :( The flowers are so beautiful in Provence as they were in Vail. So much attention to flowers - love it! VERY dry here as well. Almost no rain all of September. Grass is brown everywhere unless you have a sprinkler system. Not here. Rain we are getting today is too little too late.

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    1. Yes like in Vail..attention to evey beautiful detail.you annot help but be enchanted by it all..it's simply beautiful..

      It's like your heart skips a beat w/ every pretty sight.
      I am glad we went.
      It made me appreciate seeing the world again.
      But I love home too..

      speaking of rain..we went to see our boys play football..pouring rain..I lasted till half time of Oli and Noah's game and waied the rest out in the car,,42-0 they won..
      It was damp and miserable..home w/ a coffee..and a macaron;)

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  15. Wonderful stories and photos M. Looking forward to more. And, Happy ThanksGiving!

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  16. I've been saving this post till I had the time to just sit with it and love it -- and I do. The photos, the stories, they are all so happy, so friendly (except for the no-pictures case). I don't know if I'll ever make it there and so I'm so thrilled to see it through your eyes!

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    1. I'd love it for you if you got there..there is nothing that would not please yu..and as I mentioned..it seems like the cyclists capital of the world..and agile ..and all shapes and sizes..and all ages..the ones we saw on the steep escarpments were like steel:)

      OMG those slow uphills too..it hurt just watching them;)

      I was so embarrassed re the pics:(

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  17. Dearest Monique,
    So happy for your time in La Provence!
    Last year at exactly the same time we were there for attending a wedding and had such a great time. Too short...
    Sending you hugs and looking forward to you next story!
    Mariette

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  18. Love yr chaise sketch!!! So casual, so easy

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  19. Welcome home! I look forward to seeing your visual diary here. Lovely of you to ask about photos. Wonder why the pottery lady didn't want her wares EXPOSED? Oh well, the image will remain with you in your imagination, along with the attitudes.

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  20. Amazing! We loved St-Remy too... Those olives are beautiful! Can't wait to see/hear more.... xo

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  21. I think you could write a book about this trip! Beautiful...

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  22. Lovely, lovely! Bet your trip is one to remember....I will be in the same area at the end of March. I can hardly wait to see more photos so I know what I need to see!

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