Touring Provence

Braise and Smokey playing in the yard.

I spent Saturday night at the Espinasse house looking after Braise and Smokey while the rest of the family went out for the evening. This gave me some quiet relaxing time to myself,  and a chance to catch up with some long overdue correspondance. 

The next morning as JM tended to his "cave", Kristi took me for a tour of Villedieu, one of her favorite towns in the area.  The picturesque "centre ville", with its café, fountain and outdoor tables, made it the perfect spot to enjoy a midday drink after exploring the sometimes steep, cobbled streets of the village.



The centre ville of Villedieu.

Colorful homes in the town.

A welcome entrance to a cosy little home.

When we returned to the farm, the girls from my apartment had arrived to take me to a restaurant in the mountaintop village of Séguret, where we had luncheon reservations.

The approach to Séguret was daunting, with its steep inclines and single lane roads creeping to the top of the mountain.  The view was as breathtaking as the ride, as vineyards spread out neatly below us. Pencil thin cypress trees punctuating a clear blue sky could be seen in the distance as they clustered around the clay roofed village houses.

Séguret, with its stone and clay roofed houses.

At the restaurant, the courses arrived and the wine flowed,  each  accompanied by the admiring noises of anticipated delight. The display was a tantalizing feast for the eyes as well as the palate.  We could have sat there well into the evening meal service but there were sights to see and calories to lose

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Zayra, me, Elizabeth, Caroline and Sara.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Parker.



Figs stuffed with paté de foie gras, crispy prosciutto and arborio rice with apricots.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Parker

Following lunch, we walked along the narrow streets of the old stone village, visiting galleries displaying paintings and sculptures created by local talent. The clock on the church tower reminded us that our day's journey was not complete.

We hurried on to our final destination,  Vaison-La-Romain. This ancient town boasts the ruins of the 12th century Chateau Comtal sitting on a hill high above the city. It also houses a bridge constructed by the romans which remains in use to this day.



Le Chateau Comtal



Zayra and myself on the street in Vaison-La-Romain.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Parker.

We explored the city until sunset, when we gave in to temptation by stopping at a local creperie for a snack and to quench our thirst with several bottles of Breton cidre.

Night had fallen, along with the temperatures by the time we made our way back to the car.  Our weekend had been a welcome break from the hard work of the previous five days.  We all wondered if we were ready to return to the fields for another six.