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The nature of recreational travel is that by the time you love a place, it is time to leave! This trip is intentionally slower than earlier ones (like me) and we have never stayed two weeks in a place before, like we just did in Lourmarin. So one minute we are relaxing with Loic and Evaline, our hosts, over a simple and delicious family meal (my favourite - the large platter of fresh asparagus with vinaigrette), and the next we are packed up and double kissing goodbye as we headed off across the countryside. The Lourmarin cottage was the perfect place to slow down, turn our bodies around and immerse ourselves in a poppy themed holiday!
We had a few hours to fill in between checkout there and the next 2pm checkin, so we plotted the slowest route we could find on back roads, via Salon de Provence, for our drive to Saint Remy. So while the rest of the world was going gaga over some wedding in the UK, we wended our way on the south side of the Luberon mountains, then turned north through the rugged and rocky mountain range, descending into St Remy on the plains to
Coffe stop in Roque D'Antheron
Have a good look at my souvenir poppy mug -that is the last time it was seen whole. Somebody dropped it when we were unpacking...:-( the north. Just beautiful - perfect weather, less adrenalin needed for driving on the right, wider roads and a few pleasant stops.
St Remy is not a big city but compared to Lourmarin, it is a metropolis and this will be a very different stay. Although we have looked at our location often enough on Google maps, we still missed the turn and did the ring route around the town centre twice before turning correctly into Chemin de Combette looking for the hidden lane in to the cul de sac. One more turn and there it was - our miniature two storey apartment with the mauve doors and shutters! Our struggle to gain access to the key on the lock box had a good outcome - our neighbour emerged and told us his name is Sami. He was determined to help us, and has no English at all. That forced us to dig out some French and he speaks slowly and loudly to help us! Eventually we were in and the place feels spacious and very well equipped after the cottage with its basic amenities. We have a laundry with a dryer, three bedrooms upstairs and very good wifi
at last! Every place has its down side, and this one is the shower - after the wonderful one in Lourmarin, this is European hand held over the bath without a shower curtain...
We unpacked and put our feet up for a while, but the evening was too pleasant not to venture out. We are located only 100 metres from the Place de la Republique, the centre of town, but you would never know we are so close. We ambled around the nearest corner of town and it promises to be good browsing. All sorts of eating places along the typical plane tree lined streets, boutiques, artisan shops and galleries. The days are getting longer and we enjoy the warm evenings, but after checking out a few menus for future reference we were done for the day.
This morning it was warm before we got up and the 25 degrees predicted would be the warmest weather we have experienced. It is Sunday again, and yet another holiday weekend for the French - no sign of Pentecost celebrations however! We are now in Van Gogh territory and have a plan to follow his trail. We had briefly visited the
Sami came out to help us break the code to get in.
He and his wife Gabi are now oir new best friends. gardens in 2007 of the St Remy St Paul asylum where VG stayed for a year, but had not been inside the building, so that was our outing today.
St Paul Mausoleum is still a hospital today with nearly 140 patients, but part of the old section is open to tourists. VG came to St Remy after the famous loss of part of his ear in a very dark period and admitted himself. I guess his painting was his therapy because his output was prolific in that year - some say nearly 150 paintings. It is a very calm place. We had the simple chapel to ourselves, so managed a little prayer. We wandered around the cloisters and the fields at the back with the olives and fruit trees that he painted, and finally climbed the stairs to see a room that was almost next to his actual one and that has been reconstructed to closely resemble his, with the same view. It is so small and simple, but just another of those places where there is some power in standing where people have stood. Peter will return and paint there over the next three weeks.
Peter had
a little drama trying to park our car in our allotted space - someone had parked there! That is the stuff of neighbourhood feuds! So while I was waiting at the cafe for lunch, he was trying to find another spot - which almost doesn’t exist! He managed, but uncharacteristically sent a little message to the naughty driver and put big rocks under the wheels!
It is the unplanned events that are fun! We saw a poster advertising a chorale in the church on our square, so went along at 6pm to find a very full house. It was Gabriel Faure's Requiem with organ, choir and soloists, a real treat. We just soaked up the music and I felt transported to a different world. Somehow being away from home a routines gives one permission to do different things.
We are sitting out on our little terrace with the faux grass opening on to the lane way, having some dinner. Peter went to check out where the elusive bakery is because we haven’t seen it yet. Sami must be keeping an eye on us, because he came out and when Peter tried to ask about it he said that
it is closed now. No, said Peter, I mean for tomorrow morning. They must think we are starving, because Sami went in and spoke to Gabi, his wife and the next minute she came to the window with a wrapped up bundle of bread and pitched it down to Peter on the street! Hilarious! So we are eating some for dinner and it has the deliciousness of a neighbourly gift.
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