Week 5: Balades to Ansouis...Lourmarin...The Camargue

New French word to share: Balade (noun)-a ramble, wander, amble, jaunt.  You get it.... Later I'll come up with a word that expands balade as it is coupled with easels and a picnic (ideally).  We have been doing a lot of this in discovered or recommended beautiful villages and/ports all over Provence. And yet, we have BARELY scratched the surface and feel the weeks sifting by too quickly. Okay, right, live in the moment.


Ansouis came recommended by Jean-Luigi who sold us our FIAT Panda, as a lovely old village, barely 20 mins NE of Rognes. So while the teens slept in last Saturday am, Frank air lifted me to the summit of this village and then returned to his spot below, to paint, looking up at the village. I was quickly smitten with alleyways, stone paths, ceramic signs, pergolas covered over in grapes, hops, wisteria, cafes, dogs, plants, views, ancient cathedrals, all that charm in reach.

Frank and the FIAT...Look up to Ansouis above...Can you see me waving from the tippity top, next to the  cathedral???

From the top of Ansouis where the 360 view was more of this!

When he is finished with the Ansouis painting, I will post. Equally as charming, and even more of a destination for visitors/tourists is Lourmarin, with a castle and tons of shops/galleries/markets and a massive cafe culture.  We ambled, jaunted and browsed the Saturday "brocante" some antiques, some junk. Frank and I painted together but Frank returned a bunch of times to catch the light just the way he wanted it....

Lourmarin, Provence. 10x20" oil painting by Frank Bruckmann


We took a balade to the Camargue region of Provence, to the seaside town of Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, including a visit to St. Gilles, a canal port where we'd been 18 years ago (me: preggers with Arlo who btw turned 18 this week!) to pick up our bateau de plaisance (barge). I was flooded with memories as we walked along the port... 

....and pretty sure that this little barge hadn't budged since then....
(no, we didn't rent THAT barge)
The Camargue is mostly known for it's cream colored roaming wild horses and the pink flamingos that visit on their migratory path...we visited at the Parc Ornithologique where I admit at times I have felt like this ruffled up lady with her head down in the muck....




We found a "great" place (because Jorgie liked the 70s-80s disco music) for lunch in Stes Maries, where in years past my bro and nephews and I had clambered up onto a cathedral roof/terrace and gazed over the Mediterranean.  This trip we witnessed the Camargue cowboys herd bulls down Main Street and into the bull ring...
The day ended with a visit to the fortified walled city of Aigues-Mortes... saw the massive tons of salt piles lining the flats, looked up to the fort's ramparts (closed), got scolded for not paying enough attention to Hazel who was sniffing and planning to lick licorice in a barrel (well...it was placed right at the height of her mouth!!!)  then hit the road to catch the sunset on a beach near a town called Grau- du-Roi. Lots of sunset seekers were parked and also sneaking dogs onto the beach to catch the last glimpse of the day....

what is that thing about owners resembling their pets????

Swimming, Painting, Eating....Warning

The Calanques of Cassis are limestone fjords for swimming and boating.  Last weekend we drove to Cassis at the end of the day and found a parking spot near the Calanque where you can bring your dog, and hiked up and down and up and down to find a very cool swimming beach with very salty buoyant water. Even Frank swam.

Les Calanques 

Near Cassis near sundown

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JumpingJorgie:  into the warm salty water

photos by Jorgie

Sitting across from the nexus of our village, Frank painted a postcard size painting of the road to Lambesc, to the right of his easel in the photo, and moved up to this larger canvas.

Frank painting the main road in Rognes

This car is in our backyard, over the property line. Perfect for a photo shoot. Baguette, dog and kid only add to it....

Arlo, Baguette, Car, Dog.....photo credit, Jorgie.

We eat every day and some meals don't require photos....but this morning we ate a fried egg over the leftover onion tart I made the other day with tomatoes that are REAL tomatoes and, omg, the Provencal melon...but, to clarify, these are the tomatoes and melons of my youth, the ones we'd eat from the local farm near my Grandparents' home in Glen Mills, PA. Just biting into these delights and the local nectarines zipped me back in time to hot summer afternoons at Grandma's, with my brothers, eating pounds of incredibly juicy and REALLY fresh produce that I thought I'd never taste again......until now......so I am so appreciative of this small but really satisfying revelation....

Just a pretty breakfast

Caption contest: What was I risking hiking down this way????

Our "Home" Town, Rognes.....

We chose well! This tiny village has already charmed us, and Frank has started what will be a very very productive phase. Although the narrow streets of Rognes barely accommodate two directions of traffic, this weekend enormous trucks are parked and popped open wide to create a carnival and weekend long “Fete Votive Rognes”. 

The bandstand blared with a French pop band doing covers of disco era music (lead singer looked like Barry Manilow with a very stiff wig and more make up than Tammy Faye Baker; back up singers in purple and pink satin.) All contrasted by the day time scene of cobbles, Cyprus trees, stone walls, fountains, outdoor cafes and pigeons. (see fountain photo in last blog entry!)

And this attraction, slide into a deflated water balloon, and then get blown and thrown into an inflated pool, pretend you are in a hamster ball....

Hilarious, and would NEVER be approved in the States.....

And....Frank and I married ourselves in front of my family and 2 friends, at the gorgeous Chapel St. Sixte in Egalyieres, Provence, 18 years ago....today we returned to show the kids...lovely.

Yesterday, Frank and Arlo resurfaced our gravel driveway to accommodate a BOULES court. It works. Just a bit chunky and clunky....

And after a quick dip to cool off, Frank went out to catch the afternoon light. Hazel and I met up with him on his way home.

"When Can I Paint?" asks Frank Bruckmann while Acclimating....

Sorting out all the stuff that needs to happen (car, phones, bank stuff) has stalled Frank's focus on getting out there to paint....naturally. He has slipped away a few times locally and yesterday a trip to the airport car rental place was rewarded with a drive to the coast of Marseille where the limestone rocks tumble into the turquoise Mediterranean! We found a tiny port in a jumble of curvy roller coaster-y narrow streets and soaked in the smells and breezes for a while...and Frank had packed our paints, so we both got out there and sketched for an hour. Lovely....

Back in our new village home, I shot some pics of the surroundings:

 

and the Pamplemousse corner store sells chanterelles:

Frank walking away from the house and towards his on-site studio with determination!

That day he snuck away for a few hours to practice French with those passing by and painted this lovely little "sketch"

100% Style, All the Way!

To the airport: 
The BRV (big red van) came with 2 overly considerate chauffeurs, Tim and Jaime, a fully stocked fridge and Riley came along as the cherry on top!

Piled into the BRV with the Kanes

Even Sushi!

At JFK posing with all our luggage (and Riley)

Across the Pond to Paris:  

Air France with personal touch screens and hours of movies, music, meditation exercises, real time flight screens; sleep masks, blankets and “refreshing wet towels” in flight. 

Touchdown at Orly, Paris.

“Comfort” Hotel in outskirts of Dijon: 
Let’s just say, the best part of the Chinese buffet (ugh) at the hotel, besides the location, was the gelato. Side note: Arlo and Frank conspired to have me unknowingly eat Kermit. And 2nd side note, not what I envisioned for my first meal in France. 

To the South of France: Le Renault Espace: roomy enough for our 4 bodies, 5 large suitcases, 4 carry-ons, dog crate and dog, but barely able to fit down village streets.

All along the autoroute: rest stops are stocked, pleasant and don’t sell dog food, but a ham sandwich sufficed. The cashier showed me pictures of her dog.

Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out!

Last days of scrambling around packing and being lured out for coffee, dog walks, dinner with friends who love Matt's cooking, a bon voyage garden party, a salty morning dip in the ocean, delightful family dinner at Rawa or just one game of darts....Frank's studio already closed, gardening tasks totally undone, dog just hoping for one more ball toss, Arlo off somewhere....

Who remembers the "Beach House" on Compo Beach in Westport? They closed the year Frank and I started dating.....one of the relics Jamie bestowed upon us is the scale we've been using to make sure all of our bags are within strict airline regulations.....it isn't the bulky things (like an old rusty scale with layers of cheese stickers) so much I love holding onto, but without them I'm afraid I will lose the attached memory. Just like Frank and I started out together then, we are moving off on another adventure together....next post from France (unless something interesting happens first)

It is happening! One year in FRANCE!

You may not have heard me screaming, but I just realized something....we have 4 valid passports, complete with stamps of approval for one year in France, a bunch of empty suitcases and airline tickets for end of August! THIS IS REAL! And, we are taking YOU! Kind of......

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