Visiting More Villages

We got up at the crack of early — 4:30 am, and I had not slept a single minute — to take Sheri and Brenda (aka the Sustahs) to the Gare in Avignon so they could train to Paris and catch their afternoon flight.

After farewell hugs and kisses, Kim and I set about trying to fill the car with petrol, a more difficult task than one might think, especially driving in the dark in an unknown place, with an unknown language. After three attempts, Voila! Success.

Off to Ste. Remy, which was about 30 minutes away from Avignon. It was so early, nothing was open (not even the McDonald’s), as the French having different working habits, so we didn’t linger long.

Returning to our lovely villa, about two hours away, we stopped by the lone Patisserie in Malemort-du-Comtat for a delicious melt-in-your-mouth croissant and a small pizza for breakfast at home, and a loaf of bread for a later dinner.

After a nap, we decided to hit the road again and traveled to Roussillon, a small protected village sitting upon the hilltop that once was home to a large caste. The views were spectacular, and the rich ochre colors of the hillsides reminded me of the red clay in Georgia, only streaked with golds and yellows. This area is the richest deposit of ore in France and served as supply for weaponry in World War II.

Once we walked the town, oohed and ah’d over the views, we left and made our way to Menerbes, made famous by Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. It was an upscale village, beautifully maintained, high-end shops and restaurants, and those incredible 360 views of a valley lined with vineyards and surrounded by mountains.

Last night we roasted vegetables and chicken, all sprinkled with excellent olive oil and herbs de provence. We had our Alexa (yes we brought it) play Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, drank lots of bubbly, lit lots of candles and danced and sang and talked and laughed. We had so much fun that we forgot to eat, but that’s okay, now we have lunch for today.

This is our last day at the villa and it’s been perfect. The garden is breathtaking and today the breeze is rustling the trees. We have several great places to sit, relax, read and nap. It’s going to be sad to leave.

Here’s a look at Roussillon. Just a note: Those views are spectacular, but getting to see them in both Roussillon and Menerbes required steep uphill walks, which is good to help burn off the bread and cheese we’ve been consuming.