Voyages around France: juin 2012

2012/06/28

Purple fields of lavender.....

I arrived in France last August just after most of the lavender had been harvested so I knew I would have to wait until this year to get a look at those fields of purple. Since we have moved from the Apt-Villars area we're not as close to where alot of lavender is grown but early in the evening yesterday we made a quick trip to Apt so Alicia could get fitted for new glasses. We did see a few small fields of purple but most are in the higher elevations which we just didn't have time to visit....hopefully this weekend we'll be able to do that.

Small lavender field near Villars

Even more colorful in the shade

We did stop at a couple of those small fields to get some photos and also so I could get my first real scent of lavender in the air. Alicia picked just a few in the first field which gave the car a nice fragrance during our ride home. The second field we stopped at had a small wired fence around it and when I placed my hand on it I received a surprising but mild jolt of electricity. I guess they didn't want anyone picking their lavender. :-)

2012/06/22

I think summer has arrived here....

After mostly mild weather the outdoor thermostat has been turned up a bit around here. Lots of sun the last few days with yesterday topping over 90 degrees and the humidity creeping up as well. The evenings here seem to cool off nicely though and usually a nice breeze to make it even better.

Time flies and its been about 3 weeks since we visited the cherry festival in the little village of Venasque. The streets were full of people walking and browsing the many booths that vendors had set up throughout the town. Many of the locals were dressed in clothes from the past and we were also treated to some musical performances as well. Oh yes....lots and lots of cherries too... :-)

Kiara and Naomie came along with us and they particularly enjoyed "fishing" for cherries in the fountain near the center of town.

Balloons for the kids with a high tech music making machine on the left.

I didn't see any big chunks of cheese but how about these big chunks of spiced bread?

Told you there were LOTS and LOTS of cherries.

"Fishing" for cherries in the village fountain...they made me quit when I caught my limit.

A concert in the center of town.

This late model ice cream truck was extremely popular throughout the day.

When he wasn't making balloons for the kids this guy was cranking out the music and singing some old French songs.

Artwork everywhere.

Need some painted rock tablets?

2012/06/13

A moving experience.....

Like most people I have discovered, again, just how fun packing up and moving can be. We had always planned on moving at some point to be closer to Alicia's work and last week we made that move. We now live right in the town of Vedene which is what would be considered a suburb of Avignon. Many items are still unpacked and we're still trying to get situated in our new surroundings.

There are not nearly as many wide open places for Rudy to walk and run freely so for now I have him on a leash when we leave the house. There is a hill above town that has some of those open spaces which we have visited a couple of times so far that he can explore without that restrictive leash. From the hill you can look down on the large city of Avignon to the west and on the east side you can see many smaller towns including Mont Ventoux in the distance.

Of course I will miss the vineyard and the views that our former "rural" home gave us but now I can walk to the store and other small shops that are only a block or two away from our front door. Parking is definitely at a premium with very narrow streets and equally narrow sidewalks. It has been quite a change but we're adapting slowly each day.

A couple of weeks ago we visited the village of Venasque which sits high on a hill surrounded by steep cliffs on 3 sides. Listed as one of the most beautiful villages of France it also boasts a 13th century church which greets you right when you enter the town. Of course it has those classic narrow streets with some nice shops and restaurants along the way. Not an overly tourist type of village but it does gets its fair share of visitors. We happened to be there on a Saturday which was very quiet, but we discovered that a cherry festival was being held the very next day so we decided to return again on Sunday.

This region produces a large amount of grapes and olives but cherries has to be high on that list as well. I know I have consumed my fair share of cherries in that last 2 weeks...actually, MUCH more than my fair share... :-)

I have posted some of the photos from the Saturday trip and will post some photos of the Sunday cherry festival in my next entry.

An old school for garcons (boys)

Cyclists taking a break and quenching their thirst at the fountain in the center of the village. Cyclists from around the world come to this region to test their skills and endurance. In some years it is also where a stage of the Tour de France is held.