And this is our last day in Provence with our friends. Time flies by but every minute of it is worth so much!
This morning, after our delicious breakfast croissants purchased by Dave (these deserved the top shelf on our rating!), and the daily scrambled eggs prepared by Janis, we set off for the city of Beaumes-de-Venise. Such a mouth-watering name, isn't it?
 |
| our route with plane trees on either side |
We first strolled through the Tuesday market of that little town, buying local cheeses and olives, and also shrimp (not local!). The sun was shining through the typical and majestic French plane trees while the vendors at their stalls were so friendly and generous to let us taste their produce, the sound of the Church bell was music to my ears and the Mairie looked so wonderfully French ;-) !
 |
| Hôtel de Ville |
 |
| cheese vendor |
Our next stop was the "Vignerons de Balma Venetia"; a very welcoming-looking place, with lots of wines to taste.
 |
| Paulette at the wine co-op |
"Bonjour madame, nous aimerions goûter du vin...nous sommes 7!"
You could see on the lady's face that she was a little unforthcoming …."7 people!!! and maybe they don't even know anything about wine!" but she soon realized that Daniel knew what he was talking about, so did Lynn and she could express herself in French. Daniel never hesitates to ask for one more wine to taste (I would never dare to do that)!
After one hour and a half, we left the winery with our supply of wine, ready to go home.
 |
| leaves setting on old vines |
After a relaxing break at home, we went for a drive on a tour suggested by the Michelin guide, through the beautiful landscape of Provence. There are not many flowers yet, except for the marvellous white cherry trees, we learned that the almond trees bloom in February and that the apricot and pear trees will bloom a little later. Tiny leaves are slowly appearing on the vines in the vinyards and the olive trees look very promising!
 |
| Chapelle de Notre-Dame d'Aubune |
 |
| Castle of Le Barroux |
 |
| Paulette overlooking the town below the castle |
We saw an old Church and visited the remains of a castle Le Barroux, which is being restored, but it's a slow work. It was destroyed during the French revolution, and then occupied by the German soldiers who burnt it down in 1944. Today it is used for exhibitions, lectures and even weddings (but you have to dress up very warmly!).
We have just had our "apéritif" on the terrace outside, enjoying a warm sun, but we've just gone inside as the sun is setting.
What will I remember about our trip….
- the beautiful landscapes, the vineyards, the olive trees, the blue sky and the sun….
- the warm welcome we received
- Lynn's extremely positive mind - "life is an adventure" - don't get upset if things don't turn out exactly as you had thought, it will be ok. At the end of the day, she always has a happy smile thinking about the wonderful time we had.
- Dave's sense of humour and his interest in seeing and learning about everything we see
- Nancy's good mood and easy-going disposition
- Janis's cooking, openness and kindness
- Clark's humour and delightful company, and his outstanding work as a sommelier
We have been spoiled by all of them and are very thankful for the gift of this stay in Provence!
We hope you will continue enjoying your vacation as much as you have this first week! Thanks for everything!
No comments:
Post a Comment