When I think back to our visit to Provence, about this time last year, I think of the warm summer glow in the Les Alpilles mountain ranges that inspired Vincent Van Gogh; the sound of the cicadas which intensified as the day’s warmth waxed and wained; and the lively and harried markets with the blended smells of lavender, chocolate, cheeses and the season’s fruits.

I think of the company of my dear friend from Paris and her charming family as we feasted on local culinary delights, with the rambling gardens of our villa as the backdrop. I think of the many carousel rides Lily and I took – so many rides. And I think of all the amazing sights we experienced: the ancient arena where we saw a bull fight; the medieval mountain top village we climbed to; the icy cold waters of the Gardon River running under the Roman-era aqueduct; and the Shakespeare-inspired theatre performance whose stage setting was the actual relics of the ancient Roman village Glanum. Amazing interactions with history.

When I look back at all our photos from that one week in Provence, with our villa in St Remy de Provence as our base, I can’t believe we experienced all these amazing things. What a sensory delight.

Here is the travel article I wrote about our time in Provence, which was recently published in The West Australian newspaper: https://sevenwesttravelclub.com.au/stories/a-family-friendly-holiday-in-provence

Our villa in St Remy de Provence – Mas Alpilles Soleil, hosted by Linda and Robert Genot-Sandrinot.

Bundles of lavender at the Isle Sur la Morgue

No bloodshed at this “friendly” form of bull fighting at the ancient arena in Arles

My bestie from our high school days, Annick.

Carousel ride in St Remy de Provence. We took a ride every day.

Waiting for our dinner at Bistrot de Marie in St Remy De Provence, for my birthday.