Tag Archive: Travel


Just One More Croissant

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June 25, 2023

I’m home now. The fond memories of a recent trip still make me smile with gratitude. Happy Hours 24/7 for 3 weeks with my Nieto and Nieta. Obviously I am not yet done writing and posting (on FB and IG) about the trip, especially the last leg in Provence and in Paris. But that is not to say we didn’t enjoy Amsterdam, Brussels and Bruges. Each of the cities visited holds fond memories of the sights and experiences. Forever etched in our memories that even a croissant can easily evoke happy thoughts!

Our first croissant in Joordan, Amsterdam.

Those 3 weeks taught these young adults how to craft their travel itinerary, book walking tours, shop for online museum admissions, register for concerts and cluster/sequence our travel activities. I know this entailed some research including where to find accommodations and timing our train schedules. But way over this trip planning, the young adults learned how to use a laundromat, hand wash some items, press clothes and dealing with hotel front desks for a few demands. Google map has made navigating the areas a cinch, and Uber for transport and food deliveries made life much easier.

A Laundromat Experience

We didn’t scrimp on our meals. Enjoyed our Dutch, Belgian, Provençal and French meals. Even our beers! We spent on food whatever we saved on laundry expenses. I refused to pay €10 for each pair of pants that needed washing. The laundromat was our best friend, at only €6 for wash and €2 for a quick spin/drying per batch. In Provence, we used the hotel’s laundry services for only €15 each machine. Except in Amsterdam and Bruges, we skipped the €18 breakfasts and instead bought our breakfasts off supermarkets (fruits, salads and wraps) and boulangeries. Those fresh pears, peaches, strawberries and white asparagus gave me “highs” and started off my days. Nieto and Nieta ate more veggies (salads) too on this trip. Swell 💕

A new Instagram account (Jolli.belly)
chronicled our dining adventures.

We had a good run. We missed out on a few spots and activities for lack of time or because we didn’t want to exhaust ourselves crazy (we’re on holiday!) but we enjoyed good weather even if the temps rose in Provence. We only encountered 2 “mishaps” but nothing that can’t be remedied. We just ended up feeling very annoyed but a good meal quickly took care of that. There were many pleasant surprises and we are very thankful for all these blessings. We prayed before stepping out of our hotel or apartments and expressed our gratitude every so often. In my heart, I know a good habit was reinforced and our faiths were fortified. “Thank You, Lord” was and is our mantra. 🙏

Thank You, Lord 🙏

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/11/back-in-montmartre-paris/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/12/elsewhere-in-paris-2023/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/12/a-couple-more-musee-in-paris/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/09/galerie-dior-in-paris/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/08/dining-around-provence/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/07/vincent-in-st-remy-de-provence/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/05/van-gogh-in-arles/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/04/whats-in-senanque-abbey-and-gordes/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/04/a-day-excursion-to-menerbes-and-roussillon-provence/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/06/03/tarascon-on-a-whim/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/29/a-week-in-avignon/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/29/denim-from-nimes/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/29/brugge-vibes/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/27/oh-yeah-oye/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/24/oh-van-gogh-oh-magritte/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/20/going-loco-at-the-moco/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/18/a-heineken-experience/

https://lifeisacelebration.blog/2023/05/18/day-1-started-with-jordaan/

JUST CLICK ON ANY OF THE BLOG LINKS ABOVE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS AND TRIP DETAILS. Life is a celebration!

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Elsewhere In Paris (2023)

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June 12, 2023

Who grows tired of Paris? There’s always something else to discover, to explore, to enjoy in this city. I think it’s my 7th time around Paris but this is my 1st time stepping into Eglise Saint Sulpice. It’s the 2nd largest church in Paris next to the Notre Dame Cathedral, but I suspect it became more popular because of the Da Vinci Code, a bestseller by Dan Brown turned into a movie topbilled by Tom Hanks. You remember the book? Or the blockbuster movie? I’m not sure if they still run “Da Vinci Code” tours 20 years after, but it sure was a popular thing to do then. And quite naturally, the tours started with a visit here, notwithstanding that the film company was never allowed to film here. The movie’s starting scene was actually shot in a Hollywood studio. All because Dan Brown sparked controversy with his claims that the Church insists aren’t founded on history and the bible truth.

Eglise Saint Sulpice in the Latin Quarter
On our way to Luxembourg Gardens, we stopped here for lunch. Our last lunch in Paris and on this trip. 🥲

Church visit done; lunch at Cafe Tournon. This being our last full day in Paris, we decided on a proper French lunch. I think we chose well and got lucky with a very accommodating crew. We likewise decided to separate so the young adults can meet up with friends while grandma goes to her favorite chapel. That means the hip Cafe Kitsune for the young ones and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal at Rue du Bac for Mamu.

Lunch at Cafe Tournon
Meet-ups with Childhood Friends

Every time I visit Paris, I always try to come here. But it was closed when I got there and would reopen at 2:30 pm yet. There was a good hour to waste. I did remember there was a nearby Bon Marché Store with a marvellous gourmet food section. Next block; just across the street. I remember some random food finds here which I brought home for friends and family. Like always, good food excites me as it did while I navigated around the shelves and food sections in Bon Marche’s gourmet area. Some pâté here, fresh strawberries and peaches there, big, fat white asparagus about to go off season, some maché and rocket for my salad, and an assortment of bread and pastries. A happy place! Before I knew it, it was past 2:30 pm so I promptly paid and headed back to the chapel. Before long, I was at the metro station and got off at Liege near Rue du Moscou. Looked around the apartment, packed my bags for next day’s departure, prepared some salad and ate while staring out the window. I can bring these memories home so I want to remember them well. La vie est belle!

Chapel of Miraculous Medal at Rue du Bac
We are only 3 but nieto deserves 2 servings.
View from our Apartment Window
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A Couple More Musée in Paris

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In our last few days in Paris, we hit 2 more museums. First off, Musée de l’Orangerie in the Jardin des Tuileries. Housed in an iconic edifice on the western section of the Tuileries garden, this was our chance to view Monet’s famous eight Water Lilies mural. Monet painted water lilies for well over 30 years till his death at 86. His lily pond in Giverny where he lived provided much inspiration resulting in over 300 artworks. Some in large format like the egg-shaped hall where a colossal mural greets you. For the first time since we landed in Europe, I wanted to shh shhh the crowds milling around the murals. It would have been nice to sit in the center of that hall to appreciate these huge works of Monet. Alas, it was noisy, and too crowded.

The 8 panels were Monet’s gift to the State, to be displayed based on his very specific conditions and design. Done just a few years before his death, but finally displayed only after he passed on. These panels are significant considering that Monet suffered from failing vision years before he died, so much so that he even had to label the colors of his paint tubes. He also painted other subjects, but still mostly from his gardens in Giverny. After all, the artist indulged in gardening as a favorite pastime and he loved painting outdoors.

By the time we moved to Musée d’Orsay, we were growing tired and frankly, overwhelmed. Too much stimulation from the first museum visit, the walks under the sun, crossing the Seine and struggling with the heat. It didn’t help that we were made to line up outside without shade even though our ticket specified a time for the visit. When we got in, we passed most everyone and decided to start on the upper floors first. Besides, the Van Gogh pieces were there.

Next, we went in search of Rodin. I earlier intended to bring them to Musée Rodin but there wasn’t enough time. Wow, Musée d’ Orsay is really huge. Some actually prefer it to the Louvre and I don’t blame them. I do like Orsay too especially since it has a really nice cafe inside and the ex-train station building is kind of a romantic setting for this museum. Not to forget, it also has a lot of nooks and quiet corners with stone benches where one can sit it out and rest! We called it a day after 2 hours. Guess we didn’t do justice to these museum visits. But our energy levels are really low now, having been “on the go” the last 3 weeks. I haven’t really counted but I suspect we’ve done at least 15 museums on this trip. The major art galleries should be around 7 or 8. Wow. We need to sit it out in the park now or head back to our apartment for a quick pre-sleep sleep. Or maybe we should hit the bar to celebrate 🥂 🤣

The Cafe inside the museum. Look at that huge clock, often a feature of train terminals.
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Back in Montmartre, Paris

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June 11, 2023

My first time in Montmartre was unplanned. I was in a conference in London in 2003 and a friend invited me to stay with her while exhausting the remaining lease on her daughter’s flat in Paris. I said yes, and so did another friend who trained in from Zurich. The 3 of us spent dinner nights between Montmartre and Saint Germain des Pres and had an immensely wonderful time. In 2017, I brought my nieta here but only for a night. It was a chilly night so the artists left the square in Place Du Tertre earlier. The “painters’ neighborhood” was without painters that night it threatened to snow. So here we are, back again, with all the sunshine we need on this spring-soon transforming into summer Paris day.

Last time we had a meal in La Bonne Franquette.
This time at Le Consulat.
Coffee and Dessert at La Maison Rose or the
Pink House in Montmartre.
The “painters’ neighborhood” in Place Du Tertre.

Montmartre has many cafes and bistros. If you’ve been watching Amelie and Emily in Paris, the winding streets and hilly paths here would seem familiar to you. Le Consulat and La Bonne Franquette are both hangouts of many artists centuries ago, like Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, Picasso, to name a few. Some have even set up studios here. And actually lived here, like Van Gogh and Dalí. In one corner, you’d find Espace Dalí where you’d find 300 of his works from a private collection of Beniamino Levi. Levi was one of Salvador Dali’s art collectors and art dealers. He intended to make popular then Dali’s sculptures and engravings aside from his paintings. This gallery is worth a visit if you’re a Dalí fan.

Espace Dali in Montmartre
From Le Consulat where we had lunch, it was a short walk to the Pink House in one direction and the Espace Dali in the opposite direction.

So next time you visit SACRE COEUR Basilica, take a few more steps towards Place Du Tertre (if you’re a Filipino, it’s easy to remember this place that bears a name that sounds like one ex-Prez) to find centuries-old bistros frequented by many artists, poets and novelists. The coffee scene in the Saint Germain des Pres may be great but Montmartre has a number of good cafes too. And for tourists, the souvenir shops here may be more reasonably-priced, methinks.

Montmartre teeming with locals and tourists!
Off Abbesses Metro Station.
(I prefer getting off at Anvers)
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Galerie Dior in Paris

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June 9, 2023

I love Dior but I wouldn’t have included this in our travel itinerary. My 2 young travel buddies are both into visual arts, fashion and merchandising. We had a list of art galleries and museums on our itinerary along with visits to selected stores. I must confess I am not familiar with many of the new brands. But Dior, I know. I remember buying my first Dior skirt out of my first paycheck many moons ago. A set of suitcases and a Dior skirt totally wiped out my first pay check. And from my first Christmas bonus, I bought myself a Dior purse. And another skirt. And then began my loyalty to Diorissimo, that perfume line with a floral (lily of the valley) scent. So yes, I’m a Dior loyalist. But still, this was their idea, not mine.

The Dior Galerie was impressive. Well-curated and creatively set up to tell the Dior story.
It may not be my idea but I’m glad these 2
dragged me here.

Christian Dior died in 1957 but his house lived on, ably led by a line of creative directors many of whom have since set up their own haute couture house. Think YSL (he was only 21 when he took over the helm upon CD’s death), Gianfranco Ferré, who designed that famous and classic Lady Dior bag, among others. Yet 75 years after his first show, this art museum was set up in the same prestigious address amidst the uncertainties brought on by the pandemic (2022). To this day, the Dior brand still evokes elegance, luxury, superior quality and above all, sensuality — just core femininity.

Haute Couture!
Timeless elegance.

Christian Dior was born into a wealthy family. Their former home in Normandy has since been converted into a Dior Museum. Long after its founder has gone, the fashion house has ventured beyond luxury clothes and now into jewelry, watches, fragrances, bags, makeup, body care, skin care, etc. Of interest is how some of its brands have survived through the years like the Dior fragrances for men and women. Classic brand equity. Unbeatable in this day and age. (Trivia: The perfume line “Eau de Savage” retained Johnny Depp as model/brand endorser amidst all the controversy surrounding the actor. While other brands have cancelled him, Dior stuck with Depp and that daring, albeit risky move, turned out to be a major play that saw Sauvage sales skyrocket. Consequently, Depp’s contract was renewed.)

Coffee and The at the House Cafe.

The House of Dior has nurtured a loyal clientele and retained its reputable brand of luxury and elegance. You get the same brand of class and restrained beauty and grace as you get seated to a table and served a pot of tea or a cup of coffee and bruschetta in the Galerie cafe. Christian Dior has a rich history and his house and galerie succeeded in telling and retelling its story. If one can’t wangle an invitation to the house’s fashion shows, your best bet is to buy a ticket online to get admitted to its galerie. Being here is akin to attending a semi- permanent fashion design show. Though it opened only a year ago, it has attracted much interest from the ladies (only saw a few men in line) across generations. So artfully curated!

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Dining Around Provence

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June 8, 2023

We could have covered more in Provençe in 10 days. In 2003 and 2004, I managed to include Le Baux, Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles. All very beautiful destinations. The kids wanted to go to Nice and Cannes (French Riviera) too but we decided to just cover Luberon and the Van Gogh trails. No regrets. The rest can wait for another trip. But there were highlights to this Provençal trip. Before we left the area for the City of Lights (Paris), we talked about what thrilled, surprised and pleased them most. Guess what — they loved all the food, ice cream/sorbet and even the grocery purchases in Provence. We even made sure my Instagram account (jolli.belly) chronicled all our food and snacking adventures!

Le Cheval Blanc in front of the Arenes de Nimes.
La Dolcezza (Nimes) is one of our 2 fav gelaterias.
Restaurante Mercadante in Nimes

Since we stayed longer in Avignon, we had more meals here. And more ice cream / sorbet where Regal Glacé with its 74 flavours won hands down. Twice a day we’d troop to this gelateria after lunch at any of the bistrot along Hotel de Ville (City Hall) area. First off, we tried La Grande Brasserie Le Cintra nearer the walls. Salad, entrecôte and pasta composed our first lunch in this walled city. The next day, we hopped on a train to Tarascon and found a tiny, family-run cafe/bistrot and enjoyed the best chicken burger, dorade and a big chunk of steak. On our way back to the train station, we stopped by an oyster stall — happiness in a shell!

La Grande Brasserie Le Cintra
Le Bistrot des Anges de Tarascon

Around the Hotel de Ville area, there’s a row of restaurants just past the carousel. We tried the Restaurant Le Venaissin (the paella and Magret de canard were 👍), La Civette Avignon (try the Boeuf Charolais — that French breed of cattle), and Le Citron Vert (I should have tried their Moules Frites than the very dry and grilled entrecôte and sauce-smothered dorade). “Jolli.belly” on Instagram has snapshots of the food we ordered. Had to load/post them photos right away lest we forget where we ate. Naturally, we failed to do this each time and yes, promptly forgot the Resto name.

Paella and Magret de Canard at Le Venaissin
Steak Charolais, risotto and fillet mignon at
La Civette Avignon
What we stuffed into our mouths in Provence!
(Check out jolli.belly on Instagram)

The trips to Carrefour and the desserts at Regal Glacé or that other gelateria in front of Palais de Papes have become rituals during our stay. So with “a proper lunch” in a brasserie or Bistrot, and a salad and wrap/ sandwich off the Carrefour shelves for dinner in our hotel room. Trips to the Boulangerie or Patisserie for our croissants and pain au chocolat and ahem, let’s not forget the occasional crème brulee. On a Saturday Market Day in Avignon, we had a home cooked lunch of pasta and pizza at Mama Rossa who gladly wrapped our leftovers to take back to our hotel. The portions were so generous that I had them for dinner and breakfast the next day!

Mama Rossa’s Pizza at the Saturday Market in Avignon
That bowl of Bolognese was hardly touched and saw its way back to our hotel room for an eat-in dinner.
Soft-serve, gelato or sorbet in a cup or cone,
granitas to cool off!

So, yeah. Food is always a big part of our travels. And we never hesitate to repeat or head back to a fav restaurant and order the same stuff. My 2 young travel buddies love their meat while grandma prefers seafood. They eventually got hooked on salads (for dinners) which are quite filling — think salad nicoise and some other Mediterranean salad with pasta shells and big chunks of grilled chicken, or with couscous or quinoa. Somehow, we managed a “balanced diet” with delightful purchases of fresh white asparagus, peaches, strawberries, etc. as in-between snacks. 😊 Eases the guilt off the sugar spikes from the ice cream and crème brûlée.

Crème Brûlée
Guilty Pleasures
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Vincent in St. Remy de Provence

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June 7, 2023

It was the last stop for the day. My recollection of my 2003 visit here was driving through Roman and Greek ruins which are the iconic landmarks of this ancient town. Think Julius Caesar. But we didn’t come here for these archaeological sites. Nor did we visit because it’s the birthplace of Nostradamus. We came for Van Gogh. That genius of a man had himself admitted in Saint-Paul de Mausole’s psychiatric institution as he sensed his mental health deteriorating despite the hospital treatment he was getting in Arles. Arles and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence are nearby towns not too far from Avignon and Vincent stayed in the monastery cum psychiatric clinic here for a good one year.

The Greek and Roman ruins of St. Rémy de Provence. This is the image in my mind from my 2003 visit.
Saint Paul de Mausole along Van Gogh Avenue

While he only stayed a year here, his 150 or so paintings are among the popular pieces spread and displayed in prominent museums all over the art world. His lonely and desolate rooms were painted on canvas — the bed, the chair, the window, the landscapes and blooms viewed from the window. Since he stayed a year, his works captured the seasonal changes including the mistral as well as the dry spells brought in by the Provençal summers. The farms, the peasants, the flowers and trees — all these were reflected on the 150 inspired works of art. Walking around Van Gogh Avenue, there would be repros of Vincent’s artworks against a backdrop of the actual scenes. One can say Van Gogh simply never stopped painting. Whether art was his therapy or not, it certainly occupied his mind 24/7.

The monastery garden and courtyard provide enough inspiration. Very beautifully laid out. Amidst arcades, fountains and beds of flowers, one feels compelled to sit for a few moments and space out. The gardens behind the monastery can be viewed from Van Gogh’s room and studio, so it is easy to imagine how the blooms change with the seasons. More so how the landscapes changed as viewed day or night. A pity we were a couple of weeks early till the lavenders fully bloom. That must be a pretty sight. The flowers were just starting to sprout when we visited but we can already sense a faint smell of the soothing buds.

The monastery courtyard.
In summer, this field is littered with lavenders!

Our driver guide gave us enough time to linger. We made a second pass of the artist’s quarters and the back gardens before settling down in the courtyard. Seeing my nieta open her sketchbook and watercolours, I gingerly turned back towards the museum shop. Heaved a sigh of relief that the weather cooperated so we can enjoy the sunlight rather than the forecast of showers and gray skies. While loitering around gardens, I spotted a young man with an easel seemingly looking for a quiet corner. His search ended with a good spot amidst the arcaded passageways between columns but a perfect view of the courtyard bathed in sunlight. Bless these artists for cheering us up with their creations!

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Van Gogh in Arles

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June 5, 2023

A dream come true for Nieta y Nieto. For their abuela too. Prepped ourselves good with an afternoon visit of Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, read up on countless books and articles on this genius, and checked out his many artworks both popular and not so. There were many of the latter too. After all, Van Gogh was such a prolific painter (over 2,000! — nearly half of which painted in Provence in his short life’s last 2 years) that countless works didn’t earn as much distinction as those made into posters, postcards and other merch. Being big fans of Vincent, we made sure we didn’t miss the Van Gogh Tour as a day trip from our Provençal base in Avignon. The driver guide we had for this adventure was named after the artist. His namesake, another Vincent. He wasn’t the best driver and the 3 of us had vertigo spells as Vincent weaved through the traffic and hardly stepped on the brakes. We leaned left, right, forward just like Van Gogh’s sunflowers caught in a mistral. But he was a good guide, and obviously loves the place of his birth, Provence. In Arles, he brought us first to the garden park where Van Gogh painted many landscapes. The “lighting” and bright colors he was searching for, he found in the south of France. The trees have grown since over a century ago, and the layout must have changed. But the sheer thought that we are treading on the same soil and may have stood on the same spot as the great artist is mind-blowing. The apos were thrilled!

Espace Van Gogh

A marker stands by the park’s frontage. A loving dedication to a most venerated visitor-resident who moved from Paris to this Provençal town. He may have been “chasing the softer light” in Provence but I suspect what he found as well was something to “quiet” his soul and pacify his troubled mind. Away from the city chaos, Vincent painted away madly in Arles, as he did in St. Remy de Provence while in asylum and finally in his last residence in Auvers-sur-Oise. The exhibit we viewed — “Final Moments in Auvers” — at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam prepared viewers to the artist’s mind’s turmoil as he moved from Arles to St. Remy to Auvers. In today’s world, science may have tagged him as bipolar or suffering from ADHD. Who knows? What’s known for sure is that he painted a lot in a very short period of his artistic life. Darn, he painted madly in his short life. Dead at 37, he left behind many sketches, etchings, paintings of landscapes, nature, still lifes, peasants, and quite a pile of self-portraits. In all this, he proclaimed: “Art is to console those who are broken by life.” Poignant message. Pierces the soul.

Street Scene in Arles?
A Roman Arena in Arles

Who can say what he found in Arles while he lived there? Stayed 15 months, created over 300 masterpieces. Just like Picasso, Arles ignited his passion and provided him innumerable objects of inspiration. He loved painting nature, and painted it in bold, dramatic hues. He may have exaggerated the “force” of the howling wind from the Mediterranean, brightened up several notches the starlights and the moon and the sun, deepened the blue hues of the sky. My apologies — I’m rambling. No art expert here. Just a regular fan’s musings. Indulge me. 😊

Espace Van Gogh

For sure, he found time to indulge himself. The Cafe de Van Gogh is marked as a tourist trap but how can you dismiss nor ignore this place? He painted Cafe Terrace at Night with this inspiration. The starry night background started a series and it is reported that Van Gogh has developed a stargazing habit which may have been prompted by some religious attachment. He proceeded to paint more star-filled skies after this, the most epic of which is “Starry Night”. At the same time, his stay in Arles was marked by an ear-slicing incident that brought him to a hospital just before Christmas. He had a serious altercation with Gauguin who lived with him in Arles briefly in a two-storey yellow house immortalised in a painting. Sadly, this incident marked the start of the artist’s deteriorating mental health. It won’t be long after this hospital stint that Vincent volunteered to be admitted in an asylum in St. Remy de Provence. Amidst all this turmoil, he created many works of art. The hospital courtyard is now called “Espace Van Gogh” and is included in every typical Van Gogh Tour around Arles.

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Van Gogh

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What’s in Senanque Abbey and Gordes?

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June 4, 2023

We are at least 2 weeks early. Those lavender fields when abloom make postcard-perfect sceneries. Yeah, I’ve seen the postcards, the posters, the photos. I’ve even watched the video clips! But we’re too early. Abbaye Notre Dame de Senanque drew out cash from our pockets as we enjoyed their shops but no luck with those lavender fields. Just the same, this 12th century abbey near Gordes, is still a functioning abbey run by Cistercian monks who hold spiritual retreats and pray 7 times a day. We prayed that next visit we make, the field of lavender would bloom so profusely for us.

What we dream of vs reality

But Gordes was truly a surprise. Apos each love Ménerbes and Roussillon but their grandma favours Gordes more. We even chanced upon a wedding in the local church at the time we visited. As Italians proclaim “La dolce vita”, the Frenchies say “La vie est belle”. Life is beautiful indeed. And the locals here in Gordes exude that relaxed way a la Provençal!

Named one of the most beautiful villages in the Luberon area — alongside Ménerbes and that red city Roussillon — it is quite an experience weaving through its narrow, cobblestoned streets while spotting a Renaissance castle, some fountains, a flight of stairs to get from one level to another, emerging onto tiny plazas and a spotting of impressive maison or mansions and chateaus here and there.

Oh, Provence! Have I actually romanticised you or are you really such a beautiful province of France? Between the Rhone and the Mediterranean, I “hear” and sense your cultural identity speaking much louder in the countryside than in the big cities. Luberon Valley is truly a gem and we can just imagine how even lovelier you must be in July when those fields of lavender are abloom in all its splendour. For now, we’d settle for poppies, the fragrant jasmine flowers, some other spring blooms and the occasional sunflowers. The young lavenders, we smell you as you start to sprout, and that’s enough for now.

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A Day Excursion To Menerbes and Roussillon, Provence

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Our day excursion to Luberon covered 4 hilltop villages. Just when I dropped my trainers, and donned my wedge espadrilles, our day tour included many uphill climbs on uneven paths. Not the best decision. In Ménerbes, we walked around winding roads in this rocky outcrop named after the Roman goddess Minerva. Home to only 1,000 inhabitants, this village retained its exceptional old world charm with its architecture and character.

La Vie Est Belle. Life is Beautiful.
Ménerbes is a walled village atop a hill in Luberon.

La vie est belle. Life is beautiful. Many of the windows of these stone houses look out to a panorama of green meadows and pastures. Driving along the winding roads can be a chore, more so the parking, because of the narrow and steep inclines. We spotted the huge stone building acquired by Picasso and given as a gift to one of his (many) mistresses Dora Maar, who is an artist herself, but more popular as Picasso’s muse in many of his weeping lady paintings. She died at a very old age and was reportedly so invested in the Provençal lifestyle when still alive. After her death, the property transferred ownership and is now used as a retreat house for artists, poets and novelists.

These houses can do with some scrubbing but I’m not sure if the charm rests on its worn-out look.
In Menerbes, we saw the huge building Picasso gifted his mistress, Dora Maar.

Roussillon is just as sparsely populated but as the guide promised, it is so different from Ménerbes. It sits atop one of the largest ochre deposits in the world and these deposits give the village its natural reddish brown appeal much like how Colorado in USA is. Unfortunately, my nieto suffered a vertigo spell here so after viewing the cliff side views, we sat it out by the pharmacie waiting for the meds to run its course. Besides, the heat was really getting to us. Tropical babes that we are, it was just so hard to walk uphill with the sun shining fiercely and sweating profusely as the walks generated heat against this onset of summer temps.

The ochre cliffs of Roussillon
Roussillon Pharmacie

Tourism is alive in the Luberon area. There were many groups who came in vans good for 8 pax. No big buses , perhaps because of the narrow roads in the area. It’s always a good idea to visit Provence. Though Provence has been a part of France for well over 400 years, it has retained its cultural identity much like the Catalans and the Basques in Spain have. Same, Same but different. And I wouldn’t even venture to clearly define the dividing line here. La vie est belle . 😊 Smile!

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