winter in Seattle: July 2016

Sunday 31 July 2016

M is for Mt Ventoux: another 30 year memory

Fred and I so enjoy watching the Tour de France each year and Mt Ventoux in Province is one of the outstanding challenges that face the cyclists, it is known as the Beast of Province.

It is windy, bald, bleak and coming back after 30 years it is still a remarkable giant of a mountain at 1912m and I am in awe of anyone running or cycling up its steep switchbacks.
Even sitting in the car tired me out.

Summit in sight on Mt Ventoux.

M is Manosque: the home of L'Occitane

L'Occitane, Manosque. Boutique, factory and museum and garden.

This wonderful brand has become a firm favourite. I first came across the shea butter range, especially the hand cream, when Shawni and I flew across to Australia some years back and L'Occitane was the business class hand-out.

So I went searching for where I could find the story of this French company, seeing that I was in Province. And find it I did, it was our first destination this morning. A museum telling the story of the 40 years, a huge factory. Learning that the face cream I like - Immortelle, the bright yellow everlasting flower, is a crop from Corsica; my almond cream, the almond trees come from around Manosque on the Valensole Plateau.

Subtle pleasure indeed and a bag full of purchases.

Shopping and loving the L'Occitane success story.

F is for Fields of Lavender: Haute Province

We have packed up and left the Alpes-Maritime and the wish for the road trip today was to see fields of lavender.

The harvesting starts from mid-July but the season ends late August, so off we went, firstly to the famed Valensole Plateau, at 500m in the Haute Province, where the fields are legendary.

But harvesting had happened, we saw the rounded but very green remains of the shrubs. We did see some very young bushes though but the effect is not the same.

Breathing lightly through disappointment we moved on.

As it happens and when least expected, en route to Mont Ventoux, the lavender was still in full bloom around Sault!

Beautiful.
Iconic.
Haute Province.
Happy.

Friday 29 July 2016

P is for Plage: finding spots to swim along the Cote d'Azur

First attempt...

Peak season, summer heat, loads of people, traffic and we headed out to be part of the beach scene,
even given that I was nervous, as this is a list that does not fit well with me! It all went just fine, not too much agro between driver and navigator....

First off we tried the sandy beaches just beyond Cannes, quick swim and we moved on.

I remembered reading that the rocky alcoves, with stairs, are usually quieter and we drove towards St Raphael and found our next stop - even with pebbles it was a great swim.

Things looking up....

Beach number 3, 150 steps down, was just beautiful, water a gorgeous colour and so warm in the late afternoon. Hands down the pebble beaches are my favourite, even if they are hard on my feet. A special memory and a good way to close off this leg of our holiday.

A beautiful alcove along the Cote d'Azur

Lunch with a view!

We stopped awhile for lunch at the roadside La Cabane, en route to St Raphael, with this magnificent view, and laughed at the goings on at Chez Monique - 3 women running (literally) the kitchen, bar and front of house with lots of theatrics, plates of Steak Tartare flying out of the kitchen.... We kept to our usual, goats cheese salad and a pitcher of wine and were in awe of the locals eating their mounds of raw steak.

Thursday 28 July 2016

F is for Fragrant: wild lavender and thyme in Province

Wild lavender along our path.

Gentle violet colours, echoes of the shutters in the villages we have been visiting.

Even though we are at the height of summer here in the south east of France, there was still a profusion of wildflowers along our hiking path today.

A little gem surviving the dry, hot summer.

Fred takes real pleasure in photographing flowers so this was an unexpected treat for him.

What I loved the most was the fragrant wild lavender and thyme - herbes de province waiting for the picking!

The lavender bushes got smaller and smaller as we climbed. Once we crested to the dry plateau, they were miniatures of themselves and certainly look nothing like the cultivated fields of lavender. But their fragrance is heady.

The yellow route marker, peeping through the wildflowers on the mountain.

R is for Randonnee Panaromique: a hike in the Moyen Pays of Province

The joy of being on a path, hiking the Circuit de Vieriou.

Another country and another opportunity to be on a path!

We chose a hike in the Moyen Pays of Province today. The route is rated average, climbing and then descending 480m from the village of Coursegoule. We spent about 4 hours on the paths with switchbacks taking us up onto the Crete du Cheiron, along the crest and then back down via the Bastide de Vieriou to the village.

A fabulous morning; clear, crisp fresh mountain air to walk in with endless vistas. Very special.

Our destination, the Crete du Cherion, from the village of Coursegoule.
The beautiful terraces no longer used for lavender but for grazing crops.

The Chapelle St-Michel, XI century and almost untouched all these years.
Our destination looming in the background

The village of Coursegoule from the Col de Coursegoule, our highpoint at 1424m along the hike.

Magnificent views across the Moyen Pays as well as across to the Alps.

Switchbacks. Not easy walking, rocky, boulders and lots of loose stones.

Wednesday 27 July 2016

H is for Hilltop Villages: medieval charm in Province

Greolieres, Haute Province

We escaped the heat and crowds of the Cote d'Azur today and headed for the mountains, following in the footsteps of Napoleon (well so the guide book said).

The hilltop villages are remarkable, reflecting the charm of days gone by and a testament to the history in this part of France. We had a fine day on the road.

Gourdin, Alpes-Maritime, Province

Stone on stone.

D is for Decade: a theme emerges for my new decade

Joy of cold water on a hot day

I was clear about the theme for my last decade, 'dolce far niente'. After a holiday in Italy, this wonderful phrase about the sweetness of doing nothing felt so right given that I had retired from corporate life and was loving my freedom to be different in the world.

Now that my new decade has started I have been looking for a phrase that works for how I am feeling; I want to be lighter in the world, to simplify how I live and consume, to unclutter my spaces, to take pleasure in the detail, to enjoy a walk, to be in meaningful relationship with family and friends, to take care of Fred and me...

So today, touring the back roads of Haute Province we stopped for late morning coffee and a treat. The pastry came in a paper bag with the phrase: 'plaisirs subtils'.

My theme is set: subtle pleasures, just love it!

Plaisirs subtils! En route through Haute Province

Bell tower, Greolieres

So my subtle pleasures today:

Interesting art at Tourettes sur Loup
An old man at his table outside his house, waiting for dinner, taking in the early evening view
A good cafe au lait and pastry
Popping into a boucherie and being advised to buy the 'maison' or house speciality - caillette, for our picnic tomorrow
Watching boulle in the square
The freshness of a Salade Nicoise, 'la vrais!'
Flowers on a bicycle
Delicious cold water from a fountain in Greolieres, both to drink and to dunk my scarf in to keep cool
The detail of a bell on a medieval church
The surprise of a rock arch
....gratitude.

Rock arch on the road to Gourdon, Haute Province

Tuesday 26 July 2016

T is for Trompe L'Oeil: dodging taxes in Valbonne

Walking the sun drenched streets of Valbonne.

We were hiding from the heat at one of the many bars in Valbonne when I started to read the brochure from the Tourist Information Office. End of leisurely expresso and beer and I was off chasing down the shutters in Trompe L'Oeil with a bemused Fred ready to take the photos.

The brochure tells the story that this 'pictorial technique replaces the real window condemned to avoid the payment of the tax on doors and windows.' Man's ingenuity, it certainly made my afternoon.

Spot the Trompe L'Oeil shutters of Valbonne.

F is for Fragonard: a parfumerie in Grasse

Heady fragrances and learning all about the making of perfume, Fragonard, Grasse

My first awareness of Fragonard came with a gift from Michelle for my birthday a years back, it was their signature perfume - Belle de Nuit.

I remember wondering why I had never heard of the brand. Today I found out why, they have a strategy of only retailing in France and do not white label. They are certainly a key parfumerie here in Grasse, in the Haute Province. The flowers of Grasse have made the town the centre of perfume making in France for a couple of centuries. Apparently Chanel buys up almost all the production of jasmine for their signature Chanel No 5 as the 'terroir' here makes for a heady and unique jasmine!

We joined a tour of the factory this morning and enjoyed learning about the processes behind perfume. The retail experience was as much fun, another opportunity for a birthday present, I think Fred's patience is starting to wear thin with all the requests for yet another gift...

Monday 25 July 2016

T is for Texture: the patina of age

We head for the hardware store with much haste as soon as there is any sign of ageing in our homes.

Yet here in France, it is this very purposeful 'neglected' state that creates a unique charm and beauty.

N is for Nice: swimming in the Mediterranean Sea

Nice putting on her best face.

A sweltering summer afternoon in Nice, a perfect excuse to head to the Med for a swim after our morning of wool shopping.

We booked ourselves into one of the private beaches, found a shady spot and settled in, swimming, people watching and following all the sporting activities out to sea.

Afternoon ' a la plage', Nice.
That's me, far right, wondering how I was going to navigate the pebbles!

Nice seems resilient post the terror attack of the 14th July. But the two faces that we saw today are not easy to reconcile, the lightness of tourists along the lovely pedestrianised streets or the swimming and sunbathing crowds along the beaches versus the mementoes reflecting the outpouring of grief along the Promenade des Anglais.

Fred feeling the impact of the horror of the attack in Nice.

Serene view of palms and the iconic Le Negresco along the Promenade des Anglais.

K is for Knitting: shopping at la Droguerie in Nice

La Droguerie, a quite magnificent shopping experience in Nice.

The pleasure of looking through the knitting catalogues, finding patterns that inspire me to knit, choosing the colour palette, finding the perfect little buttons, made for a shopping experience to treasure.

Knitters from all over the world descend on this famous French knitting store and potter for hours, I was so excited to venture in and even managed to get Fred involved in choosing colours from the skeins of glorious wool and he did the button selection.

We left with two knitting projects for Baby Hadfield, I could have kept going but the Med was calling.

Sunday 24 July 2016

V is for Vines: a transformer in the vineyards

Ancient town walls and perfect vineyards.

The chateaux of Saint-Emilion with their manicured vineyards.

A transformer!

The vineyards we have been seeing are precision shaped. Immaculate except for the rambling roses along the verges, placed as early warning system for diseases.

Bruce was explaining the mechanisation behind these perfectly manicured vineyards when this giant of a tractor came into view.

Otherworldly, droll, and straight from the movies, I expected it to rise up, take arms, hold us to ransom and conquer the road we were on.