**Updated - I sucked it up and uploaded pics!**

Out in the country here we are on dial-up with speeds that approach glacial so… methinks no pictures for you today. Instead straight to the commentary on the last few days. They’ve been good…

Day 4 To Nimes

Day 4 began our three day roadtrip centered around the Franz Ferdinand concert in Nimes. Nimes is a cool city (they all seems to be so far). One of its claims to fame is that it was the source of denim for a certain Levi Strauss. Indeed, he used the thick, durable cotton-based cloth, produced de Nimes (”de Nimes –> deNimes –> denim).

En route we stopped in the town of Arles. Its claim to fame is that it is the city in which Vincent van Gogh spent much time, created A LOT of fantastic art inspired by the area, and eventually went mad, cut off his own ear (after chasing off his good friend Gaugin with same said knife) and then killed himself (not in Arles). The Roman arena in this town is well preserved/ restored and inspiring to see.

Upon arrival in Nimes, we got through the congested traffic entering the old part of the city to arrive at our hotel, the comfy and clean Hotel Acanthe de Temple, a few short steps from the Arene de Nimes, site of our concert. Franz Ferdinand rocked; they were tight and the performance energetic and entertaining. Much the same can be said for the opening bands The Dodos, The Virgins and The Ting Tings. Both The Ting Tings and FF were known to us previously and neither disappointed. It was great fun, and thrilling to see a show in an ancient Roman arena. Stunning. The crowd was tons of fun and down to earth. There was smoke in the air, but unlike similar concerts in Canada, not pungent in aroma. A great day

Day 5

Though we all wanted to sleep in after the late night, we wanted to make the best of our time and sucked up the “early” morning, hitting the Maison de Villaret (a family run bakery founded in 1775) a little after 9 for great coffee and breakfast.

Next was a trip to the very charming (and busy) town of Uzes, in the Vaucluse region, for a visit to their morning market. We had a relaxing stroll past the stalls that displayed your typical Provence wares. We picked up some great “saucisson”, goat’s cheese and olives. The markets here are fabulous, similar to some of the farmers markets back home, but was they are usually surrounded by 1000 year old buildings, have a bit of a different feel! They are filled with true food artisans who have produced great treats for us!

Our next stop was the Pont de Gard, another ancient reminder of the Roman occupation of this area. It is an engineering marvel (as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site) that was used to divert water kilometers away from its source river. Pretty cool to enjoy lunch in its shadow. As it was one of our hottest days so far, it was a welcome suprise to see that people come to swim, as much as see the site. The rocky banks of the river are perfect for diving. Needless to say that after a quick change into our bathing suits in the bush we took advantage of the cool water!

Of course, all this activity stirred up a bit of a thirst so the next few stops were at a couple of Caves, which are basically wine shops for local winaries (and are everywhere in this region). Of course every vineyard produces their own product, so there is a lot to sample; 4 or more at each Cave. You tend to leave with a bottle or two each time! That reminds me - as I write this it is about lunch time. I wonder which bottle we’ll crack for lunch? Visiting the caves has been great fun so far; aside from the obvious, we are also enjoying this as a good opportunity to speak to the locals. It should be stated here that of the four of us, Jacqui and Glenn are certainly doing better with their spoken french. And of the two of us, Mich is the far better speaker.

Day 6

Yesterday was certainly the hottest day so far, reaching at one point, 43 degrees on the car thermometer. We spent it getting back home, with of course, a few stops. We visted the town of Isles-sur la Sorgue for another market. Our timing was good as things were just starting to wind down, helping us get a few deals on fruit! Yum.

Next was a trip to the stunning town of Gordes, a fortified city built on a steep hill overlooking the valley beyond. Our jaws all dropped as we rounded a corner in the car to see it for the first time. At one point, this village had become a “ghost time” until not so long ago it was discovered by the rich and famous who bought the place up and renovated. The residences here are now rather shwank.


Abbey Notre Dame de Senanque - outside of Gordes

In addition the Abbey outside of Gordes is stunning. It has been functioning for over 1000 years and is known for its lavender production. The place smelled great!

Montpellier was a nice surprise. We only stopped because Glenn and Jacqui needed to to visit the train station to retrieve an item left on the train from Barcelona. That didn’t go so well, but we did discover a vibrant historic downtown where we enjoyed a nice meal and great people watching.

Glenn got us all home after that. He’s been the chauffeur the whole time so far and doing a great job of it.

Today has been super relaxing so far, with a sleep in, some lazy coffee drinking and picture viewing. However, I just got the word that a trip to the river is now in order so it is time to pack the swimsuits and some lunch (and wine!).