Greetings from Provence!

Hello there, it’s Mia this time. This post is coming to you from Avignon, a fortified city in the South of France where my mother and I are working on a new project. France has proven to be both delightful and depressing. Delightful in that, well, it’s France. Depressing in that as my waistline slowly gets bigger thanks to all of the bread, cheese and chocolate, my bank account is getting not-so-slowly smaller thanks to the weak dollar and the fact that I quit my well-paying, full-benefits 9-5 to take on this project.

But back to the delightful... My mother has been to France six times and has yet to arrive early enough to see Provence’s lavender fields. Braving foreign driving rules and signs, and the speed and impatience of the French when they take the wheel, we rented a car for the day to do just that. My initial impression of a lavender field was rather underwhelming, a peppering of purple amidst sage-colored tufts of grass. It wasn’t until we drove by and saw the field from a different angle that the plants suddenly organized themselves into row after row of what looked like giant, purple, Dr. Seuss-like earthworms. PICTURE A GORGEOUS FIELD OF LAVENDER LEADING TO A HUGE STONE ABBEY HERE (where the photo is supposed to be but isn't loading for some reason - check back soon.)

While I was charmed by sunny hilltop villages, I was most impressed by the Abbey at Senanque and totally seduced by a little shop in otherwise-drab Apt called the Bonbonierre, where I bought a confection that sinfully combines candied clementines, marzipan, honey and chocolate. PRETEND YOU CAN SEE THIS CANDY HERE - SORRY!

This trip is the first summer my mom’s enjoyed the lavender. It is, however, the sixth summer she’s enjoyed this candy (quell surprise…)

Comments

[Di]

Glad to hear from you! Was wondering what you girls were up to.

[Jeanne]

Hugs take lots and lots of pictures and post them..........
Love to you both
Jeanne

[sue]

Hi girls! Pleasantly surprised to see this here! Would love to see the lavender field (from the right angle!) Enjoy some decadence for me!! Hang in there with your project. It will be so worth it. Hugs to both of you!