Volcanic fir, Bonnieux bike path, West

The Joking and The Kitchies, Les Lumieres

Proving once more that every possible name for a band has been used.

Mustachioed monolith Coustellet

Shadow play, Saignon

Janie says that this proves that I'm a pinhead.

Filmmakers, Apt

These guys had appropriated a small square and were filming large squashes. Most people smiled quietly and walked by.

Mannequins, Apt

I'd laugh too.

Shadows, Apt

Andrew's bounty, Saignon

We were finishing a walk and saw Andrew, the chef/owner of Le Petit Cafe, near his garden. He had just harvested  fruits and veggies for his meals that night. He gave us tomatoes that were so good and basil and those two figs. We got some fresh mozzarella and I made an Insalata Caprese that was out of this world. Thank you again Andrew.

Bad picture, great salad, L'Estrade, St. Saturnin

Here is my forbidden fruit. Anne-Laurance, the chef at L'Estrade, makes a great grapefruit and crayfish salade. I take two heart meds that are neutralized by grapefruit. I love grapefruit and I love crayfish, sigh.
Janie loves this meal.

Iron works, Apt

This is the roof of an iron works. Fun

Janie and friend, Apt bike path, East.

Every year on our walks we run into a lost dog that adopts us briefly. This guy hung around for about two miles and then adopted a girl running the other way.

The goddess of victory and some snails, Apt

Blue and red, Apt

Bad hydrant, Apt

Sometimes they just pick their friends badly.

Me and the girls, Apt

Caged model, Apt

Street cleaner, Apt

Just a neat little trucklet.

A disappearing profession.

You don't see shoe repair shops as much as you used to. Growing up I remember getting loafers resoled numerous times.

Restaurant sign.

I have seen these signs all over the U.S. and in almost any country that calls them restaurants. Very simple and effective. A classic shape.

Graffiti with a note.

 Sort of a typical piece of graffiti until I looked more closely.

The message translates as My wife, I love you.

Lonely Hydrant, Apt

Took his shirt off to relax.

Lavender and yellow, Apt

This is a restaurant that we didn't make it to. N. African food and highly recommended by our friend Gary.

Creepy family, Apt

Nobody looks happy.

Broken nesting chicken

This was on display in the street in front of a shop. Caught my eye.

Street corner, Apt

The light in Apt is very interesting in September.

Shadow and plant, Saignon

My new friend, Apt

Store window

This was big. I don't know where you'd put it.

Chez Nous, Apt

We went to this restaurant in Apt one night with our friend Gary Brown. He had heard good things about it. We had a lovely time. Janie thought the service was a bit impersonal (most restaurants in the area have lively, fun staff), I didn't notice that part but the duck breast that I had was the best that I have ever had in France. The only better ones I have ever had were ones my father shot and that was probably just better duck. Recommended. This was their lunchtime menu.

Le Royals

 This is a very nice restaurant in the middle of Apt. My favorite is the salmon with Bearnaise sauce. The salmon is wonderfully cooked, crisp on the outside, melting on the inside. Sitting outdoors on a nice day you can see the town go by.

Le Petit Cafe, Saignon

 This is one of many lunches at Le Petit Cafe. There are nice tables inside, but on a nice day it is a treat to sit outside in a gentle breeze and enjoy the passing tourists.

 I favored the Salade Composee. Look at the variety. Melon, goat cheese, tapenade, croutons, fresh anchovies/sardines, ripe tomatoes from Andrew's garden, eggplant,sun-dried tomatoes that tasted both dried and fresh, roasted red pepper, radishes, two varieties of dried meats (charcuterie),cornichons, arugula (roquette) salade with black olives and a wonderful light vinaigrette. Little spots of olive oil and a fresh pesto. Every bite was an adventure. Wow. I should also point out that this dish is never exactly the same. I had it another day and there was smoked salmon and caperberries in it also.

Janie chose the Salade Vegetarienne with super foods. Walnuts, pine nuts, avocado,shaved parmesan, beets (beetroot), sun dried tomatoes,caper berries, arugula, dried apricots, pesto and chickpeas. Wonderful. This salade too changes a little daily, as whatever is fresh appears.

Needless to say, Le Petit Cafe is highly recommended to anyone visiting Saignon.

Perfect garden, Saignon

In the Spring this garden was covered in new plants, just starting to produce. On the right are the tomato plants and a couple of rows of the pumpkins that they grow in Provence. They are large squash, meant for eating. The flesh is bright orange/red and delicious. At farmers markets one can buy a piece of one to suit the size of the meal. They also grow the halloween pumpkins we all know and love. The rows on the left had just been tilled and the earth was very fine. Most of the fields here are heavier with some clay. I think that this field has been lovingly worked on for a very long time.

Lavender field, Saignon

This is a well-kept lavender field next to the perfect garden, above. This Spring we missed the bloom in this field by two or three days.

Window and shadows, Saignon

Scenes from our afternoon walks, Saignon

 Garden flowers

 The ever present hollyhocks. Wish they grew well in Florida.

 Corn! Looked ready to me, past to Janie.

 Planter, Saignon

 Looking out from our post walk panache at Chez Christine.

Checking her pedometer, our front door, Rue Cilly

Saignon sign.

The Rocher de Bellevue is the huge rock that looms over the northwest end of Saignon. From it you can see the whole valley. Rucher du Rimaillon is a beekeeper who sells his local honey. We have never found him (or her) open. The Chambres d'Hotes are rooms right on the square by the fountain that one can rent by the day or month. By the look them they seem attractive and well kept.

Omelette, Chez Christine, Saignon

One of the sure things in the world is lunch Chez Christine. This is a ham and cheese omelet so light and fluffy that it just melted. The tomatoes are perfectly ripe and obviously from a farm and the greens are dressed in that particular French work of art, a light vinaigrette, that each restaurant does differently.

Graffiti under a bridge, Apt bike path, West

 Is there a bridge anywhere in the world that doesn't have graffiti all over it's underside?

 Nioc, nioc.....hmmmmmm....sounds like Curly of the Three Stooges is still with us:-)