Category Archives: Travel Journal
Celebs have arrived in Saint-Tropez!
We heard that two famous people were coming to Saint-Tropez for just one day so we returned to our first home in France to be their official paparazzi team. Then it’s on to “le shopping.” Au revoir! All of Saint-Tropez misses … Continue reading
Gorges du Verdon, a very grand canyon in France
Les Gorges du Verdon is France’s version of the Grand Canyon. There are a number of similarities. In both cases, a relatively small river has etched its way through several thousand feet of limestone, leaving a wide gorge with walls of … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged France, Gorges du Verdon, Isidore Blanc, Lac de Sainte-Croix, mountains, river, Rougon
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Nice is nice. Cannes can be too. Loving the Cote d’Azur…
Things are warming up on the French Riviera. We moved a bit east of Saint-Tropez to some of the other resort cities. Nice has a large, beautiful pedestrian plaza named Place Massena. It is, however, cut through with an electric … Continue reading
MAMAC, a very NICE modern art museum
New York has MoMA and Nice has MAMAC, Musée d’art moderne et d’art contemporain. Although it’s just plain azure at the moment, the facade often features brilliant light installations turning the entire entrance into a work of art. The French artist … Continue reading
Grasse, the city of flowers and perfumes
Grasse is another town in southern France with buildings washed in pastel orange and pink under roofs of terracotta tiles. Streets are narrow and winding. Mountains loom in the distance beyond the bell towers. It looks a bit like Menerbes or … Continue reading
Antibes, with Picasso and purple jellyfish
We visited Antibes, another beautiful old town on the Cote d’Azur. It was an important port and fortification during Greek and Roman days and later a home to bishops, but it was eventually seized by barbarians. Now it is seized only by … Continue reading
Villefranche-sur-Mer, a nice town near Nice
Just east of the very large city of Nice is the harbor and smaller town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, named “Free City on the Sea” when it was declared a free port in the 13th century by the Count of Provence. It … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged Auguste Maicon, Fort Mont Alban, fortress, France, Glenn Curtis, Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer
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The perfect little town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
We love the little town of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The name is almost bigger than the village! It has an old town center with narrow streets, lovely little shops, flowers, and statues. We are definitely in France. Many people here do speak English … Continue reading
Avignon, where popes once reigned
For 68 years during the 1300s, Avignon was the center of the Catholic world. Seven popes reigned from this Provencal location, nearly 600 miles from Rome…and they were French, not Italian. The Palais des Papes, papal palace, still stands as a glorious … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged Avignon, France, Palais des Papes, Pont Benezet, Pont d'Avignon
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Ménerbes and l’Isle-sur-le-Sorgue, truffles and treasures
Ménerbes is the small village nearest the spot where Peter Mayle (and his wife!) spent A Year in Provence. We read the book and wanted to see what the appeal was. It’s a beautiful old walled city high on a hill. This area … Continue reading
Posted in Travel Journal
Tagged antiques, church, France, l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Menerbes
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Finger Lakes to Lavender Fields 