Wandering Weirs

8 am departure for a tour of the medieval walled village of St Paul (du Vence)- adopted home of Roger Moore, sadly he didn’t join us for coffee.

Every once in a  while you get a real surprise that is completely unexpected. This little walled village was just such a surprise for me. It was a little note in the itinerary and compared to the other “big” attractions I really hadn’t given it much thought. When we arrived here though I was completely in love with this charming , gorgeous, quaint……..need I go on, you get the idea.  A photographers delight, absolutely beautiful. It is built high on a hill surrounded by the beautiful vineyards and lavender fields of Provence. Built with a very thick impressive fortification  you enter the town through an arched gateway, complete with an  old defensive canon set into the wall- no cars in here- as you wander the narrow cobblestone streets and amidst the houses which are  hundreds of  years old. There are beautiful small galleries, patisseries, and grocery stores with their fresh produce in baskets on the pathways. There is a charming little cemetery and church and beautiful gift shops selling all manner of local specialties. I took around 3oo photos here in this one village!  Many famous artists have been drawn to this village for the beauty of the countryside  in the last few hundred years, including many of the very big impressionists, and there are Chagall sculptures in the street. This little village is apparently a modern draw card for the rich and famous when they come to Cannes for the film festival.  I can completely see why. We  leave  St Paul, walking out past the petonche park , at 11 am and drive north through the fields of Provence. Short stop for lunch at a services then on to Avignon for an afternoon stroll. We visit the Palace of the Popes and see the  famous bridge  (or half bridge really….) then reboard the bus and drive to Lyon. In our last trip Avignon was one of my very favourite  cities. Sadly, after the beauty of St Paul and the growth of the city, or maybe combined with the growth of my experiences it just didn’t live up to my memories. Still, a lot changes in 15 years huh?  Heavy traffic  on the outskirts of Lyon and finally we arrive at the hotel. Dinner booked for 8 pm. Long day of driving today.