Lavendar Fields

My version of France is so different than what I have heard from others. I really expected to have a difficult time because I was from America. I wondered if someone might be mean because I didn't speak french. The last time I really spoke French was in Ms. Wozniki's class 8th grade, and then I took 4 years in High School, but it was Ms. Wozniki that had me singing beeftek, j'aime bien la beetek, les carrots, le pomme de terre and other things like fromage.

However, everyone was wonderful even in Paree! So, go. Go to France! Go now!! If not just for the Lavendar fields!

This picture is not so great. The lighting was just off, and we couldn't catch the amazing sky behing me, but look at that LAVENDER! If you take nothing from this post, take that. I am 30 min north of Arles, and the fields are all over as you drive along the Toll road to Arles!

The TRICK AND THE KEY is how to get off the toll road before Arles, to see the fields. You must start "off" the toll road, a ways back, and take the scenic route. If you find yourself locked on the toll road like us, where we missed the exit 2 hours back and would not have another chance until an hour later in Arles...I invite you to try your hand at the back doors to france like oowe did :-)

The Toll roads have rest stops. The rest stops you will notice have picnic areas, and if you drive to the back of them, they have gates into the real roads of France. The way you would have driven it many years ago.

We happened to find one with a key in it, opened it up, and went exploring. Later to speculate that it was not the residents entry but the maintenance access gates! Viola! You're in and experiencing France like it should be discovered! Breath taking views, small streets, houses made from stones they collected around their property, and the awe striking Lavendar Fields, like the one you see behind me. You can't help but feel your ancestral roots and start speaking all the french you know, n'est pas?

I know Curtis agrees with me! I shared some basic french sayings with my Gem husband, as my french was actually rapidly coming back to me. I kept it really simple, words like Oui, non, Je ne sais pas, c'est bon, bon bon, can can, je pas... you get the gist.

Well we were driving around Arles, a french speaking woman driving past motioned for us to roll our windows down. We did. She, in English asked, do you know where....and then spoke french, or maybe she spoke all french and those are the few words I knew... I watched Curt shake his head and say non in a french accent while giving the international sign langauge for I don't know. It was a totally normal conversation until--- I heard him continue, Non, a pu je vu de ca se ca pa vah la de dah ca c'est pas, and nod as if they had noth just spoke french to one another. (de ca se ca pa vah la de dah-- obviously not french, but (a pu je vu de ca se ca pa vah la de dah ca c'est pas--- was not french to curtis either) Just all jibberish in a french tone!!!! I DIED laughing. It's like he thought if he muttered some french sounds he would fool her into thinking he spoke her langauge. She nodded politely with a smile and went down the street!! See... nice people ;-)

Anyway, it really depends on what you want to do while you are in France with where you go and how long you spend there.

We were in Paris for the Air Show, and so we experienced the City for a few days.

Airbnb's are an absolute wonderful way to experience Paris. We stayed in a small hotel, and it was literally just as expensive, but we had way less space than friends of ours in their Airbnb. Ps. if you stay in a hotel, make sure you tell them if you have a 4 month old baby because due to their fire code standards they need to know.

The historical sites are fun to see on a biking or walking tour, and can all be done in a day if you are up for a good walk.

Three days allowed us to experience museums, food, night life, and subtle cultural scenes in Paris's quaint neighborhoods.

We rented a car and drove the rest of France. We stayed in small towns, walked through historic battle friends, went to bread and coffee shops along the way, visited castles and Artist sites, explored the churches and southern vineyards and Beaches, as well as walked through old roman structures. I'll post more about my absolute favorite things in each City, but as a quick over view, I say take a car or train and really explore the deep rich culture of France!