The Journey Begins

We’re leaving on Saturday for a 2-week trip to Provence.  We’re really excited about this trip for several reasons.  

For starters, in spite of the number of times we’ve been to France, this is the first time we’ve been to the south of France, home to Marseilles and Nice and those gorgeous photos of the lavender fields just outside of the monastery at Saint-Remy. The bad news is that the lavender fields don’t bloom until June and July.  But I hear the poppy fields bloom in April and May so we have our fingers crossed.  

Then about an hour from where we’ll be staying is Camarque where the famous white horses of Carmarque can be seen galloping through the shallow waters of the wetlands. The Camargue has been a regional park and nature reserve since 1970. In addition to the horses, one of the oldest breeds in the world, the Camarque is known for Carmarque cattle and the black bulls of the Carmarque which have been raised by the cowboys of the region for centuries. The Camargue region also includes a large UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, home to more than 400 species of birds. Each year, the region’s wetlands host thousands of migrating birds, most notably the more than 15,000 flamingos that pass through each spring and autumn.

Provence is also the home to Carrieres de Lumieres. When we were in Paris last April, we went to the recently-opened Atelier des Lumieres, that amazing multi-media show projecting images of famous paintings set to music. You might remember it if you followed last year’s blog. Well Carrieres de Lumieres was their first venue, built in an old quarry in Provence. The this year’s show is Van Gogh, Starry Night, accompanied by Japan Dreamed. We have tickets. We are ecstatic.

So check back in a couple of days to see if we’ve arrived and what we’re up to. And to make it even easier, enter your email address and you’ll be notified whenever something new is posted.

And then before you go, return to the top of this page and click on “Our House Exchange” (cell phones click on “menu” first) to read about how this exchange came about, and “Aix-en-Provence” will show you more about the little village we’re going to call home for 2 weeks. You can click on “Provence Journey” to get back to the main blog. Thanks for coming.