France

With only one day left in the Minervois wine region of France, where else can we go? Based on Monsieur’s recommendation, we choose Lagrasse. First, we putz around in the morning, drinking coffee, reading our Kindles, blowing our noses, waiting for Monsieur to come and return our damage deposit. (We haven’t done any damage). Then,…

Today’s destination is Carcassonne, about a 35-minute drive from our personal paradise. A completely walled city in the Aude department, Carcassonne is one of those places that has changed hands many times, since the Romans planted stakes in 100 BC. After some driving around through the newer part of the city looking for parking, we…

Today’s destination is Minerve, a tiny historic town in the heart of wine country known for the massacre inflicted by Simon de Montfort during the 1210 crusades against the Cathars. It takes some time and switchbacks to wind slowly up the valley. Eventually, we see the big blue “P” for parking and pull into a…

Fully fortified with a morning’s worth of strong coffee, we make our way to Valras-Plage, but not until after the daily pounce from neighbors who are here to tell us, yet again, that we can’t park HERE. (There seems to be no clear system of what’s acceptable for the placement of hapless tourist rental cars.)…

Nobody has ever heard of this place, including us. But now we are here in the Languedoc and happy to be. A short hop from Orly Airport to Toulouse and we are united with Jim and Jane, who have been sick in Portugal and are ready for a rest. A short negotiation at the Hertz…

The Village des Bories is a cluster of dry stone huts originally used for agricultural purposes, now converted into a museum of rural habitat and classified as a historical monument in 1977. These constructions, some of which date back to the Bronze Age. Ménerbes became known as a haven for artists and writers. Notable residents included…

Avignon is famous for its 14th-century Palace of the Popes, the Pont d’Avignon (or Pont Saint-Bénézet) made famous by a folk song, its annual Festival d’Avignon arts festival, and its historical medieval walls and charming streets. Click on any photo below for full screen slideshow. Use keyboard or on screen arrows, on iPad SWIPE .…

Cotignac became famous due to the fact that it’s situated at the foot of a huge rock with cave dwellings and because miracles have said to be taken place here in the past. Many people still go on pilgrimage to this medieval village. The surroundings are beautiful. Cotignac became famous due to the fact that it’s situated at…

Referred to as the Grand Canyon of France, this Amazing mountain gorge is both stunningly beautiful and a recreational haven waterway. We stop for lunch in the charming little town of Moustiers Sainte Marie. Click on any photo below for full screen slideshow. Use keyboard or on screen arrows, on iPad SWIPE . Use spacebar…

Up at 9 for coffee and the weather is beautiful. Word has it there is a market in Flayosc, so we go — Mike, Liz, Patty M, Jim and Jane G. There is no market. But we find street-side paella and buy enough for lunch for all.

We stop in Draguignan for groceries to make sure we have something to eat at the villa. Major hubbub with French people darting this way and that. They know what to do in a French supermarket, and we do not. We are at the villa by 5:20. The guardian gives us a whirlwind tour. It’s…

Checkout time is noon and we wake up late. Just enough time for breakfast — this time on the Patio of Yellow Umbrellas. Charlie and Jane want to tour the old town, so Patty, Mike and Liz drive the corniche below the Esterel. We stop at a monument to the World War II landing of…