Yearly Archives: 2013

Every family seems to have that one dish that stands out as special holiday ritual to prepare. A dish that often seems unappealing for those outside the tribe. Mothers often inherit them from mothers-in-laws – which results in a lot of the dishes having a decidedly 1950’s flair. All across the country these jello salads…

I thought it would be helpful to wrap-up our reports from the South of France with details on where we stayed and a summary for future reference. Rob and I planned this 15 day trip for the start of November in just a few days – a bit chaotic! We found a decently priced British…

After all the fun of exploring and blogging in France, I took it easy this weekend. Jet lag is no joke. On Friday night, Rob and I laid low with a pizza and tried to go to bed early. Woke up at 4:30 am or so and spent a few hours reading in bed. Later…

Our last day in France. Very bittersweet! Rob and I woke up early with plans for a three hour hike in the hills outside of Vence, but pouring rain had us reconsider. Despite the stormy weather, the village did seem to be bustling. So we bundled up and headed out. Garden roses, eggs, leeks, honey…

We woke up this morning to a rainy day in Vence. Not like Sunday’s romantic drizzle, this was real winter rain. A good day to relax and explore the little town. After breakfast, Rob and I walked around the city ramparts. This is the old city wash-house, built in 1811 for scrubbing clothes. Apparently, there…

This was our favorite day in France yet! A long post for a long, fun day.  Woke up this morning to rain outside the windows on one side of the apartment and a big rainbow on the other side. Vence (pronounced “vance”) is adorable and we love it already. It’s like Aix-en-Provence and Nice had…

This was an uneventful travel day – the best kind you could hope for.  Rob and I slept in this morning and then set out to explore Aix-en-Provence for the final time. It was a busy weekend market day for the city. Along the way, I spotted these “souffle aux amande” cookies and swung into…

Rob and I decided to go on a little adventure today. We woke up very early, bundled up against the frosty day and took the L140 Bouches-du-Rhone bus to Vauvenargues. Which all sounds complex, but is only 5 miles to the east of Aix-en-Provence. Our goal, to hike to the top of Mt. Sainte-Victorie (the…

Whew…this was a good day. No wonder I’m feeling so tired this evening.  Rob and I started out after breakfast to find Cezanne’s old stomping grounds in the hills behind our apartment. First stop, the “Painter’s Grounds” where he liked to sketch and paint Mt. Sainte Victorie. With the rosemary, lavender and oleander – this felt…

We are officially halfway through our trip – and I finally feel like I’m kind of getting the hang of it here in France. We started off with a different kind of adventure this bright and sunny Wednesday morning. Rob and I woke up early to walk across the old town and take the bus…