Visit to Provence, France---Part Deaux!!!!

One of our little day trips out of Aix en Provence was to Lourmarin.  What a picturesque (a much over-used word and still not adequate) village.  My travel companion, Tyra and I found a shady spot for a bite of lunch. You might recognize a famous writer, British expatriate Peter Mayle lives in Lourmarin. One of his books is A Year in Provence.

This is their delicious version of Caesar Salad with Chicken....Yummy!

Tyra ordered a meat and cheese plate......So delicious!

Everywhere you turned there were cute little boutiques. 

Our guide arranged for us to visit a local home. The charming owner, has a linen and lace shop that you can see in the background of this picture.  It was attached to her home and was opened by appointment only.

A picture of her beautiful "jardine" where her grandchildren swing and play.

A little side yard with lots of pretty birdhouses.

Here's a shot of her garden wash-up and tool storage. 

Then we were treated to a visit inside.  Her home's been featured in a French home & garden magazine!  It's elegant yet simple...and of course, beautiful!

A shot of the living room......so French....with muted tones of cream, green and pink.  Check out the stone stairs in the background. 

And here's the homeowner, showing her large stash of beautiful cooking pots.

Check out this cool kitchen.  I would DIE for that stove.  The backsplash, the sink and the counters are local stone.  Notice how she uses lace and embroidered pieces in all sorts of places?

Another shot of the kitchen...................

Out by the lace shop is an old-fashion lace making machine.

 The shop was tiny, but filled with all sorts of goodies.  An interesting fact we learned:  Most collectors of antique lace and linens do not look specifically for their initials embroidered on the fabric.  They think nothing of collecting fabrics with other initials.  :)

 More goodies...........

 A beautiful display out in the garden near the entrance to the shop.

And since it was October, the French also decorate with pumpkins and gourds.  This is a shot of her herb garden....Can't you just SMELL the Herbs of Provence? 

The tranquil backyard, with a hot tub and pool.  Can't you just imagine sitting out there with a glass of wine, staring up in the the clear French sky!  No big city lights for 40 miles to block the view of the stars!  Ahhhh....Heaven!

Check back for more of my Colorful French Adventures! 

Bon Jour!!!!

France....Here I Come!

Blogging is such a COOL thing!  You "meet" so many nice people and see so many cool and clever things.  But my blogging has taken me even one step farther in the realm of COOL THINGS.  Hold on to your hats ladies....I'm going on my first trip to France.  With..... The fun ladies at the Red Shed in Grapevine. http://redshedantiques.blogspot.com/   You see...when I blogged about Grapevine, TX a few weeks ago, I had made the short trip from Houston to Dallas to meet some of my fellow traveling buddies and learn more about the trip.

Check their fantastic blog out....they put on these trips several times and year and even though I haven't gone yet....I know it will be the trip of a lifetime. 

 We will be visiting all sorts of fun flea markets, antique stores, have a cooking class, visit a chateau, a trip to the Cote D' Azure and much, much more. 

The weather in Aix en Provence in October promises to be some of the best weather they have.  Highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's with lots of sunshine.  I'm envisioning we will be strolling down streets just like this one.  I can't WAIT!!!! 

 We will see hillside views just like this!

 We won't be seeing any fields of lavender because that season is in the early summer.  However, I'm sure there will be plenty of "lavender things" to see.  

 Provence has at its southern edge the famed Cote d’Azur with its wonderful coastline along the Mediterranean Sea.  Generally Provence is consider the area east of the Rhone River with the Alps being the eastern border.  Provence enjoys a southern sun that shines 320 days yearly, giving the region blue skies and mild temperatures year round.  And as a Southern girl, living in Houston with the temperature still hovering in the mid-90's, cool and sunshiney weather sounds like Heaven!

 After 7 days in wonderful Aix en Provence, the Red Shed portion of the trip will end, but my traveling companion, Tyra and I, will continue on to Paris.  We simply COULD NOT be that close to Paris and skip it....so we opted to add a few more days on our itinerary.  LIFE'S SHORT----LIVE A LITTLE!

The few short days will only whet my appetite for more of Paris....but, hey....it's a start. A boulangerie/bakery is one of the first things I want to find.  We will need strength for our busy and fun-filled Paris excursions.

 And of course, we'll have some coffee, giggles and people watch while we plot out our day.

 Montmarte is, of course, on the list.

And then perhaps a crepe, or I've been told to be sure to get a Jambon Sandwich (?)....

And it wouldn't be a "girly trip" without some serious window shopping! 

Where would YOU suggest we go????  All suggestions are much appreciated.  And of course, I'll be blogging when I return home.  On the previous trip "The Red Shed" took they blogged along the way, so be sure and check out their blog! http://redshedantiques.blogspot.com/

Wish me luck!!!

Beautiful French Photo Give Away

Daryl, over at Vermont Cottage (http://vtcottageliving.blogspot.com/) is having a 50th post giveaway. Please pop over to her cute blog and look at the sweet photos she's giving away. They are from a recent trip to France and if you are a Francophile you will definitely LOVE them. If you are like me....WINE might be one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of France.

Or....perhaps the Eiffel Tower and others points of interest............

And who can forget the wonderful croissants.......

All this dreaming about France is making me want to go...how about you? I've never been there but it's on my LONG list of places to see. Bon Jour!