We (all 4 of us and the dog) had a week long road trip of meandering and finding cheap accommodations thru air b+b: in mobile homes, on an American horse ranch, sharing a tiny studio with bunk beds on the Atlantic coast and a top floor of an apartment building near the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. We saw some great stuff but back at home everyone was grateful to retreat into the privacy of their own rooms...
Shout out to Paige Celestin, our American in France who invited us to experience the Festival de la Soupe in Florac, France, which fell during the kids' school holiday. Her cousin Nicole runs Camping Chantemerle in Bedoués and we rented an impeccable "motor home" cabin for the weekend. It is right on the gorgeous Tarn River, which (supposedly) has the cleanest water and air in all of France. We plan to return in the early summer because we didn't get a chance to swim, kayak, canoe or go canyoning. Frank spent his mornings all bundled up capturing the tiniest bit of light that was granted him on the river and bridge...see the sweet piece above....
We twisted and turned through the Tarn region which is ridiculously gorgeous...houses built right up to vast stone walls, mossy waterfalls, all of which seem to spring up out of nowhere.
Like us, many were glamping to go to Florac for the festival. The whole village cooks soup and serves it up on decommissioned wood burning stoves plopped on the sidewalk. Others make pottery soup bowls on a string and you each buy one, wear it around your neck and go from pot to pot. The village decorates with painted soup pots hanging everywhere and there are pop up kitchens and bars and bands and pocket musicians playing the hurdy gurdy, a strange as hell "caravan of curiosities" by 2 fab goth-ish sisters with stuffed ferrets, things in jars that used to be living...and many spectacles.
We liked exploring Barcelona....vibrant and cheerful and steeped in history...great to learn about the Catalans and traditions and political situation...we stayed in the Sagrada Familia barrio right around the corner from the ever changing cathedral by Gaudi...It has been in the process of being built for over 100 years (please fact check) and they aren't finished yet, note the cranes.... What a legacy Gaudi left behind....plans for completion well beyond his years. Think about that....
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| Painting the bridge at Chantemerle, Bedoués, France. |
Shout out to Paige Celestin, our American in France who invited us to experience the Festival de la Soupe in Florac, France, which fell during the kids' school holiday. Her cousin Nicole runs Camping Chantemerle in Bedoués and we rented an impeccable "motor home" cabin for the weekend. It is right on the gorgeous Tarn River, which (supposedly) has the cleanest water and air in all of France. We plan to return in the early summer because we didn't get a chance to swim, kayak, canoe or go canyoning. Frank spent his mornings all bundled up capturing the tiniest bit of light that was granted him on the river and bridge...see the sweet piece above....We twisted and turned through the Tarn region which is ridiculously gorgeous...houses built right up to vast stone walls, mossy waterfalls, all of which seem to spring up out of nowhere.
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| School vacation Road Trip....The Blue Route...Rognes-Florac-Tauteval ranch-Barcelona-Zaragoza-Biarritz |
Frank and Jorgie painted on the Tarn while we walked and collected chestnuts to roast later at the ranch..
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| Incredible open pastures up above Florac and Bedoues |
Making our way towards Barcelona, I planned a night on an American Horse Ranch. No one like the idea, but I persevered. Nick the French Cowboy, his GIGANTIC guard dog Bucky (who was muzzled) greeted us with Yvette, the lovely Aussie intern. They fed us a dinner of stew and sangria while Nick told us about his years as a young cowboy in Wyoming/Montana, all the rodeos, mechanical bulls ridden and trophies earned, the proof of which was up on the dusty shelves all around the saloon. Please note the snow in the Pyrenees beyond the horses....There is Bucky, on guard and dwarfing the ranch house.
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| Paint Horses on the Ranch |
We drove thru the coastal towns of Collioure and Bayuls sur Mer but it was rainy and miserably chilly so no dawdling as we crossed into Spain, where they're no customs or anything. I see that as a FREE PASS to have forgotten our passports! (missed opportunity there)
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| Unicorn gargoyle in Barcelona... |
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| Yup, she WANTED to be drawn by some other artist.... |
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| Walking home after all day roaming in Barcelona |
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| The Sagrada Familia, by Gaudi. Barcelona |
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| Painting from the balcony of our Barcelona apartment |
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| an illuminating PSA from Barcelona The Basque Country looked absolutely gorgeous for driving thru, but we arrived towards dusk and missed much of the landscape. However, before we lost the light, we stopped to fill the gas tank and the kids junk food tank, we saw a herd RUNNING towards us (Jorgie). They followed her every move (smelled the Pringles). By the end, there were about 80 heads snorting and sniffing and curiously entertaining us.  We drove westward to Zaragoza for Halloween which we all spent indoors because we (maybe just me) were cranky and it was rainy, so not much to report about Zaragoza though Frank felt it was a great town, reminded him of Madrid, 30 years ago. Pamplona was next, and it was All Souls Day. Everyone was off from work and in the bars and restaurants near the bull fighting arena. I loved the scale of Pamplona's plazas we lingered in a cafe for lunch and then headed to Biarritz (back in France) on the coast where they were still celebrating Halloween. The kids and I headed to the public garden where they decorated with a Wild West (American!) theme. See the ol' county jailhouse below??
You have been a very patient traveler on our blog! Hope it's been enlightening.... |
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| A rainy night while glamping...Hair by Arlo |
Loose the beard and I'm, uh....well, think you're kind of cute, Frank;)
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