Provence, France

With US friends, Lisa and Larry, visiting us this past week our travels took us to the South of France. Provence to be exact.

I have come to realize that Provence is a vast landscape. It is understandable why people return to this area again and again with the never ending sunshine, the quaint villages, the big blue waters of the Mediterranean with its spectacular rock formations plunging into the sea, fabulous beaches, and amazing art museums. For a late October visit, we were pleasantly surprised by the mild, warm weather.

With so much to see and do, it is a challenge deciding where to begin exploring, but our friends didn't, they chose Gorges du Verdon for our first adventure. Gorges du Verdon is the largest canyon in Europe, second only in the world to, you guessed it, America's Grand Canyon.

But before getting to the Gorges, we were drawn to a hillside medieval village and castle. Not finding this village in our tour books, made it all the more mysterious and interesting, we had to take a look. A small parking lot on the village edge, suggested that visitors walk the village. Trigance, a tiny hamlet built around the 11th century furnished magnificent view into the valley below, especially from the castle, turned hotel, perched high atop, overlooking the village. It had a charm all its own with friendly neighborhood dogs and cats roaming the narrow stone streets, old stone homes and walls, and a path that crisscrossed to the castle above.

Trigance, France

Trigance, France

Trigance, France - castle steps

Trigance, France - entrance to the castle

Trigance, France - Castle dining room

Getting to the Gorges du Verdon is a fusion of switchbacks, hairpin turns, oncoming traffic occasionally on our side of the road, and did I say curvy roads, along with breathtaking scenery.

With our first sight of the Gorges we were struck by the emerald green stream which stands out against the barren, rocky landscape of the Gorges. Both narrow and deep (2300 feet at its deepest) it is a rock climbers paradise no doubt. Hiking, bungee jumping, rafting, and canyoning are also popular activities. The stream eventually spills into the man made, Sainte-Croix Lake.

Gorges du Verdon, France

Gorges du Verdon, France

Gorges du Verdon, France

Gorges du Verdon, France

Exiting the western end of the canyon we came upon another quaint village, Aiguines. Along with a 17th century Renaissance-style castle, there were many artists workshops and an abundance of gift shops too. Clean, friendly, and with views of the emerald colored Sainte-Croix Lake, it was a pleasant stop.

Aiguines, France - Sainte-Croix Lake in the background

Aiguines, France 

Aiguines, France

Aiguines, France

The following day, Nice was our destination, but like so many times before in our travels, getting sidetracked by things we observe along the way is common, and this day was no different. Sometimes it's best not to listen to the GPS and just follow your nose. And we're thankful we did because the drive along the French Riviera from Saint Raphael to Nice was a stunner.

French Riviera, France

French Riviera, France

French Riviera, France

French Riviera, France

Cannes, France

The Marc Chagall Museum located in Nice, is dedicated to this famous Russian artist and I was glad Lisa suggested going there. I first came to know this artist by his stain-glass works several years ago, but I believe he is more well known for his paintings. Just 70 minutes from our home we can visit a work by Chagall at the Metz Cathedral. You can also find his work on the ceiling of the Paris Opera.

Metz Cathedral - Marc Chagall stain-glass

What surprised me the most about Nice, is the beach. It is covered by smooth stones, there is no sand. I don't know how this came to be, but it could be, not so comfy for sunbathing.

Nice, France

Nice, France

The architecture in Nice is quite exceptional and you can frequently see Italian influences. We walked the old town which I always love to do. It is a maze of narrow streets where you will find the locals relaxing in little outdoor cafes, laundry flapping in the sea breeze and many vendors selling their wares.

Nice, France

Nice, France 

Nice, France

Nice, France - old town

Nice, France - Place Masenna

Nice, France - Notre Dame

For our last day in Provence, we decided to visit the adorable town of Tourrettes-sur-Loup, also known as the City of Violets. Violets are a big business here with many sent to Grasse (the perfume capital), made into candy, and the cause for a celebration each March. There's even a Violet Museum with greenhouses adjoining the museum.

Not only are violets popular here, but nearly 30 artisans studios exist that include jewelry, pottery, original clothing, woodworkers, painters, sculptors, and fabric designers. At dusk, men and women were playing petanque (boules) in the town square, a nice way to end a day. I just loved this town and couldn't stop taking photographs. It is the quintessential Provence, everything you could imagine Provence to be, rolled into one.

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France

Tourrettes-sur-Loup, France

Just down the road from Tourrettes-sur-Loup is the Confiserie Florian where a multitude of marmalade, chocolates, soft and hard candies, and sugar-permeated fruits are made. The most unusual products sold here are the sugar coated rose petals, verbena leaves, and violets. We took the guided tour and discovered that much of the process was all done by hand. Individuals laying each rose petal, each verbena leaf on a tray and covering it with sugar, wow, a very labor intensive process resulting in a very expensive product.

Coating verbena leaves

We parted ways with our friends in Provence and rejoined them in Paris for several days visiting the Louvre, Montmarte, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, and riding the tour bus.

Here's some more photos at this link:

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjLBx68L