Provence

 We left the beautiful Burgundy wine country and headed toward Provence.  On the way we made a stop at Orange to see the Roman ampitheatre there.

 We then went to visit the hilltop villages in the Luberon area.  They are cute with skinny roads.  I was driving with lots of help - from those inside the car and outside the car.

The villages are lovely to look at.  The countryside is rugged which lends itself to the look of the villages.

 

 We stayed in the village of Ansuis, which is one of the smaller hilltop villages in a bed and breakfast there.  We had to park outside the wall and walk up to our room.  It wasn't far but it was a climb.  This picture is the bathroom in my room.

 We also went to a small market in one of the villages.  The fabrics are one big reason I wanted to go to Provence.  And I did buy some.

 We left Ansuis to go to Arles.  There is also an ampitheatre there

 and also a cafe that Van Gogh did a painting of.  We did eat one evening at that restaurant.

We also ate in our room for dinner one evening.

We also went to the Mediterranean and stuck our feet in the water.

And we went to the Pont du Gard.  That is an impressive Roman aqueduct.

There was also the larger market in Arles.  Amazing all the people, smells, and things for sale.

Thanks for stopping by.

Burgundy, France Wine Country

We left Switzerland and crossed the border into France.  The place we crossed the border is the area of France that some of my ancestors lived after they left Switzerland because of persecution for their religious beliefs. 

We stayed in a little village called Gevrey-Chambertin.  We chose it because I have a son that buys wine from there.  It is very small and charming. The vineyards come right up to the walls around the town.

 had dinner in the town at Chez Guy.  It was very nice.  The wine steward took time and talked about the wines they had - all local.  He took us in the Cave and of course we bought one.

with Grandma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more wine country

The girls taking pictures of the Romani Conti vineyards in the rain.

We visited a church in Tournus.

 And a hospice in Beaune.

 

Our last stop was a chateau called Cormatin.

the kitchen garden

The girls in a maze.  They videoed themselves walking through it.

  I can not walk far, so I have a walker.  If we stop to walk on a travelling day, the girls have to keep rearranging the trunk as the walker goes under everything.  I'm really glad I have it though.  It's a big help.

Wildenstein. Switzerland

This was my home for six months almost 40 years ago. It is one of the most beautiful spots I've bee to and it was good to see the family.
The man outside standing by his schnapps machine is David the father

The Drive through Alsace and Colmar - All in France

 We picked up our French rental car in Strasbourg and headed for the wine route in Alsace.  It passes through beautiful vineyards with hills in the background and castles sitting atop many of them.  We stopped at one Haute Koenigsburg and let the girls tour that one.  Billie and I had toured this castle more than once, so we just let them do the climb.  

What is most fun for me is driving through all the small villages.  They are very scenic, old and flowery.  In our car, at one point, we discovered we had a GPS.  She is our navvy.  We discovered her when we were lost.  Now if we get lost any more, she just leads us right back on track.  She talks English with a French accent.

The villages are full of flowers, cafes, and people.  Very cute. 

We see many storks sitting on nests on top of buildings.

 We are staying at a Bed & Breakfast in Colmar called Chez Leslie.  It is run by an American woman and she is very hospitable.  It was good to come home after a day of walking and put my feet up in her back yard.