Last Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

I've been zigging and zagging around France these last couple of weeks and thought I'd share a few photos. All of these places I've been before, but each was so beautiful and a the trips were lovely way to end the summer travel season.

I went camping....yes camping. This is camping like I've never done before and I'll write more about it later. Suffice it to say that it wasn't the wild, private camping I'm used to, although we did have a tent! But take note of the roof of the house just over the hedge. Nope...no bear here! But the view of the Iles de Hyères made it well worth the lack of wildlife and privacy. And the sea was silky and warm.

The village of Cavalaire sur Mer is situated on the south side of the Presqu'îsle de St. Tropez and only 5 miles from the village of St. Tropez. Of course, a visit to the village is obligatory where we watched yacht after yacht, each larger and more glam than the other, make their way into port...to do whatever it is they do in St. Tropez. I guess to be gawked at...like I and these other poor sods were doing at the House of Chanel-St. Tropez.

A little touring in the Var region...which is absolutely beautiful by the way. So green and mountainous...not at all the terrain we have here near Aix en Provence.

We discovered the medieval village of Grimaud after following a few mountain roads that scared the bejeezuz out of me. For some reason I really like this photo.

This one not so much. Remind me not to wear that dress again! My hips look larger than the village of St. Tropez which you can see behind me from the ruins of Chateau Grimaud. Horizontal stripes...what was I thinking???

The camping trip was immediately followed by a quick trip to the Haute-Savoie region of France and a pop into Switzerland.

If you've never visited Yvoire, France which sits on the south end of Lac Lemond (Lake Geneva), put it on your list. It's enchanting.

As is the village of Annecy.

And now I'm settled back into the mansion in Aix en Provence and the month of visitors begins....starting tomorrow. There isn't much to do...except defrost my freezer. I'm doing this because my girls and I are going to NEED ice cubes....and because Keith, over at A Taste of Garlic, hasn't stopped razzing me about it's previous sorry state. Keith, we'll drink a cold one...or two... for you!

Stairs

Monday Memories..

Lately, I’ve been a little confused about who gets to live on the first floor of the apartments in Aix en Provence because I certainly have not met one of them! Everybody I know seems to live at the top of the building and in the old part of the city, I have yet to meet an elevator. To enter an apartment here in Aix, you generally go through some massive, ancient, beautiful door that opens directly from the street. The door may be delicately carved with fruits or flowers, it may be embellished with geometric designs, or it may be just strong and utilitarian, but in all cases, the doors feel like a door should. Just pushing open one of these heavy antiques causes me to feel a sort of tingling anticipation of the beauty that must surely await me on the other side. 

Then I enter into what looks like...a hellhole. Always! Every time I pass through on of these portals, I am sure I've made a serious mistake and I want to turn and run. Paint peeling off the ceiling, cracks in the walls and the tile, dirt on the floor, possibly a little graffiti thrown in for good measure, and complete and total darkness. I feel like a rat will run over my toes at any moment! It doesn't matter how beautiful the apartment is that awaits me, the entries seem to always look the same. That is, after I've located the light switch so I can actually see.