Hi! We are Lisa & Douglas traveling and enjoying life one day at a time cause it's a Big Amazing World!
Austin peeps should not be complaining about all of the new toll roads. France has a toll road every 10 miles. We paid $ 60 to drive through the highest mountain in Europe via the Mont Blanc Tunnel which goes thru the Alps connecting France to Italy. [Ed. Douglas’s ramblings, ‘time is the only real…
View MoreIf France is the gastronomical capital of the world, then Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France. It is also the third largest city in France. It is known as ground zero of French Nouvelle cuisine invented in the 60’s by Paul Bocuse- one of the greatest chefs in the world. Nouvelle cuisine was the…
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Lavender is the universal symbol of Provence and our pilgrimage tour continues in search of blooming lavender. We decided to do a sneak peak of the fields in early June and were disappointed. The lavender was NOT blooming yet! The Abbaye de Senanque is said to be the # 1 photo op on the route…
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Our time in beautiful Aix en Provence is moving too quickly. Bourgeois-bohemian chic is how Aix is often described. The honey colored buildings, beautiful architecture, amazing art museums, and vibrant markets are images that will stay with us forever…plus seeing a Virgin Mary statue on the corner of so many buildings. [Ed. Plus wall to…
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The French take their food seriously! Meals are treated like a theatrical production served with proper wine for the food/season and numerous courses. It is not uncommon to spend 3-4 hours eating a leisurely dinner. If you want to really piss off someone who is French- try interrupting them in the middle of a meal/repas…it…
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Cezanne changed forever the way we think and see. He painted his mountain, Mont Sainte-Victoire, located outside of Aix en Provence, sixty times. A painting of it was the last painting he was working on when he died. He is probably best known for his series of Bathers paintings and still-lifes or the Card Players (he…
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Marseille is an amazing city. You can call it Marseille or Marseilles, but always call it amazing. In the 4th century BC, it was one of the major trading ports in the world and has been France’s primary port since the late 1400’s. There was a time when Marseille had the worst reputation of any…
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The year 1978 brought the Talking Heads’ album “More Songs About Buildings and Food.” This blog post is about more stories of city-harbors, beaches, art and food. St. Tropez is part of the French Riviera and has been immortalized in film and books– Brigitte Bardot, beach clubs, seafood, yachts and money (although of late, we…
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Sometimes you travel to a place because you read something about it, and sometimes you travel to a place because someone you met told you about it, and sometimes you travel to a place because you are damn lost. Alas, being ‘damned lost’ is getting harder and harder these days with road signs, tourist information…
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Our journey continues to another pilgrimage site in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the ‘Saint Marys of the Sea’, which is a small fishing village located on the French Mediterranean coast. Once every year, it transforms into a cult centre, as people come here in the belief that Mary Magdalene and her closest friends and family came to France….
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Last night we had another amazing meal at a Michelin star restaurant in Provence. Honey roasted duck breast with slivered apple wine glaze and miniature garlic potatoes with fresh organic seasoned broccoli. Actually, Douglas made this lunch for me yesterday! He is a really good chef. We are on a road-trip to the Camargue- land…
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On Sunday we decided to take a road trip to the village of L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue, about 1.25 hours north of Aix, which has a huge outdoor market and antique fair. The village is surrounded by canals with moss covered waterwheels that once fueled its silk, wool, and paper mills. The guide books call it the ‘…
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We are finally settled in Aix in Provence at our Airbnb villa for the next few weeks. No more 1 night stands! Douglas calls hopping from one city to another ‘1 night stands’ and it is taxing on the body & psyche. The days are long and the nights short. Folks eat dinner between…
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“How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex?” – Julie Child Bread is life…of course, so is wine, cheese, a good piece of meat, some fresh greens, et al. In America, we seem to be at war with bread. It is that carrier of carbohydrates that converts to sugar and…
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From watching cooking shows on the television, to reading travel articles in the newspaper, to walking into the local Asian or Mexican bakery or grocery, there is always something to learn. Food is central to all cultures, it brings families together, brings friends and lovers together– food is a medium of expression best shared with…
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