PAELLA NIGHT

 On our last night in Saignon this trip, it was the 12th of July. France annually celebrates Bastille Day on the 14th, but this year the French team had a real shot in the World Cup and the final was on the 14th. So the towns and villages moved the celebration to the Saturday before. Saignon has a paella dinner, served in their municipal parking lot. With wonderful paella, cheap, plentiful and delicious Rose wine, beer and pastis. After the feast, and it was a feast, there was a pair of DJs and dancing under the stars. It was almost too much fun, What a way to leave Saignon!

 Laura, a former waitress at Maison Solveig who has moved on to a better job. She came back for this.

 Our little party of four at the table. Mary got ahold of my camera a lot that night.

 Austin, Mary, Frederic and Betty

 Our first of many dances.

 A quick tango with Laura.

 Happy spectators.

 The Twist never left.

 A bit later after Mary pushed a few buttons on the camera.

 Dancing is hard work......but fun,

 Doing the chicken dance. I shot enough French Canadian weddings in Vermont to even know the steps.

Mary and Frederic.

Janie and Mary, Saignon

This was on a foggy morning after the 4th of July party (see below). Mary had promised to show us her wedding dress. She appeared out of the fog in it. I don't think that she wore Crocs at her wedding.

We were in Saignon for the fourth of July this year. Our friend Mary Chaix and her husband Frederic, invited us to a 4th of July party. Mary is from Chicago originally. Her brother is in Germany, working in computer IT. He is a retired Marine Colonel and still has access to the PX. He drove down to Saignon with a Volvo full of the best meat America can supply. We had steaks, ribs....oh the ribs..., hamburger, German beer. The meat was all cooked by Mary, a master chef, trained at Culinary Institut,e of America, on a Weber grill. How American was that?! And, as you can see by the top picture, there was a fireworks display over dessert.

Hollyhocks, Saignon

Exhibit goers, Arles

Taking a break, Arles

Tourists, Arles

These two looked to be deciding to either get their photographer partners moving or ditch them and run for the car.

Exhibit posters, Arles

Walkers, Arles

I got the impression that these were locals, out for a dog walk. Hard to be sure, as the French seem to bring their dogs everywhere.

Annual tiled rooves from above cliche shot, Arles

They are so hard to resist.