Thursday, June 13, 2013

From Nice to the Luberon


We rented a car at the Nice Airport to return to Lyon instead of boarding our usual TGV high-speed train because of the highly publicized one day train strike in France on Thursday.

This form of transportation offered us the chance to meander about the beaches and hill country of the South of France as we slowly savored more of the Riviera and parts of Provence.

Excellent likeness of us on the Riviera

We opted to attempt to enter the Riviera town of Antibes to the West of Nice. We were quickly reminded of why we don't want to use a car as our main form of transportation in any European city of any size or touristic importance . . . snarled traffic and no place to park.

We decided to get back on the open road and slowly make our way up into the Luberon hill country via picturesque back roads.

It was delightful! 

Laurie was in her element on this
vineyard rich path in Lambesc 

These make GREAT souvenirs!

I worry that they will never make it out of Bron alive.

Lots of signs like this one for local
cheese, wine and honey producers

The peaceful, calming river in
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue 

Great place for a one hour snack break and a chance to stretch your legs once in Provence.

Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
is known for their antique shops

This cool park was refreshing

While driving through one small village, we saw a temperature sign claiming that it was 30ºC / 86ºF!

Again, REFRESHING!!!

Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
is both Scenic and Rural

Pétanque in the Heat

I bet that felt GOOD!

A Local Cicada based beer?

Laurie said this definitely felt good. I had a café and a Coke with my limone gelato since I was driving.

Nice Isle-sur-la-Sorgue back yard

Colorful Business

Equally Colorful Hotel

Isle-sur-la-Sorgue was a very nice place for our break indeed. Now it was on to our final destination of the day, Visan.

Huge Grape Picking Hands

You may not know it but they make a lot of excellent wines in France.

Almost as many as their incredible cheeses.

I love driving on
Provence's Super Highways

Arrival in our overnight town of
Visan

Our Hotel du Midi is
on this Avenue in Visan

Laurie in front of this gem of a hotel

After a nice dinner and a great bottle of red wine in this chateau-like hotel's restaurant, we decided to go for a short walk to see the sights of Visan.

A Vineyard about 200 meters
from the Hotel du Midi

Nice Sunset

Laurie admiring her future

Interesting wall building materials

"This home comes with a useful
one car garage . . . no, check that."

Hollyhocks are big here

Gardening is a passion in Provence

We then enjoyed a great night's sleep.

On Friday the plan was to continue our slow drive up to Lyon via more country roads.

There is no hurry in this French life that we live.

FALCONS UPDATE

We now have three possibilities for our championship rings with a chance to keep tinkering before we order. What do you think?

Option #1 

Option #2 

Option #3

I like Option #2 with a slight modification.

Move DIII to where it says FALCONS thus making NATIONAL bigger. The Hammer Time symbol is an awesome touch.

4 comments:

Olivier R said...

Enjoy the road back to Lyon today George!
Well you already know what i have to write now don't you?... L'Isle sur la Sorgue AND Visan are not in historical Provence. Both were parts of the old Comtat Venaissin, land directly under the administration of the Avignon or Roman Popes from 1274 to 1791.

George said...

Provence, like Camelot, Shangri-la and the Seven Cities of Gold does not really exist I have come to conclude.

Olivier R said...

Lol. One more reason, George... To discover the real one ( even if you have yet visited Marseille, Arles and aix) ... I will write you a special little guide!!

David said...

Agree that No. 2 is the best ring option. The Hammer Time logo would be great.