Les Baux de Province

Do you realize that Jesus was actually born in Province. Really?  Some Provincals  believe that. Which makes it easier to understand that one of the Baux kings was part of the coterie of three kings who visited the baby Jesus. Yes, the Baux trace their lineage waaay back. They were a fighting family who at one time controlled all of Province.
Today you can visit what remains of their castle more than a thousand feet up a craggy, windswept mountain. It's a difficult climb and a treacherous descent, but once there you can view all the old siege  armaments.

Opera Garnier, Paris

Dix euros pour voir l'interior.

Vaison la Romaine

Here is the pretty village of Vaison la Romaine.
As an aside, when you order Coq au Vin, the menu tells you what wine the chicken was cooked in, then you can order that wine to drink with the meal.

Vaison la Romaine

Went to the countryside to escape the oppressive heat in the city.  Vaison la Romaine is up in the mountains, so definitely cooler than the 97-99 degrees in the city.

Of course, I live in the Cotes de Rhone valley, so countryside means lots of vineyards and wine tasting. Step outside of Avignon, or any village in the area, and you see acres and miles of vines, in every direction. Pretty little villages surrounded by vineyards. How bad could that be? Bonjour, Provence. Many local artisans  to fill the galleries with jewelry, paintings, pottery.

Here are memories of one tasting. They will pour anything and all free. The spigots on the wall are for locals to fill up their own containers. Check out the prices..that is per BOTTLE..we pay more per glass.

Cooking class

Le Menu:
Les apertives
Carpaccio of duck breast with vanilla and huile des olives
Fennel with orange vinaigrette
Salade de tomate
Anchoade

Bouillabaisse
Pain et rouille

Molten chocolate cake with ginger syrup and strawberry sauce

 Candied fruits from Les Halles

St. Remi fieri

So much fun! A sleepy little town becomes a hub of festivity. Everybody's come for a party. I can't even eat lunch because all the tables at all the restaurants ate reserved. They know how to live!  The French will use any excuse to have a good meal and a bottle of wine.

All of the main roads are closed to traffic and the goats from the surrounding farms are paraded through town as they are herded into the mountains to graze for the summer.  Then everybody parties all day. There's a great antique market that would be so tempting if I lived here. Party on, France!

Glanum

It may look like rubble to us, but archaeologists  have reconstructed a Roman village settled in the 6th and 7th centuries, B.C.  which apparently housed 6000 people. Before the Romans, the village was inhabited by the Gauls and the Celts.

Getting here entailed a 3 km uphill hike in 97degree weather.