Saignon

Typical night in Saignon, walking to dinner, encountering a dog carrying a shopping bag.

More of Mary and Frederic's super party, Saignon, July 2016

 This is the picture below with a palette knife filter applied.

Mary's monthly super-party

Lourmarin.

Trooper

The walk of triumph, Saignon

In Saignon, for us visitors, there are two prescribed walks. This is the walk of triumph, when you pull your suitcase as noisily as possible to your rental, announcing your arrival. The other, rarely recorded on is the walk of shame, when you have to leave. Wheels are muffled, stealth and skulking are involved, as you try to get your bags to your car as quickly and as quietly as possible.

Apt

Apt, after MMM

Apt

Apt

Bonnieux bike path

Saignon

For Pam at the Ponte Vedra Gym

They're all ready for you Pammy.

Poppy, Saignon

Our rental this year.

This is our rental car this year. We always ask for a car about the size of a VW Polo. Sixt, our rental agency, always upgrades us. This is a Mini Countryman. A big Mini if you will. It was very roomy inside and had a very nice diesel engine. My only complaint was the trunk (boot). Every car that we have rented over the last 5 years has had room in the back for our two large suitcases and two carry-ons. With no problem fitting them in and having them out of sight. The Mini's space was horribly shaped, so that only one large and one small bag would fit, with a lot of wasted space. Poor design.

A funny story about Minis. A woman at my gym bought a regular Mini and loved it. Loved the handling, the hip interior and the great gas mileage. She came in one day, looking stunned. She had taken it in for it's first large service and was handed a very large bill. Her remark was "When you buy it, it's a Mini; when you get it serviced, it's a BMW." For those who aren't car people, BMW makes the Mini.

St Saturnin

Chicken for Martina

Arles

Arles

Arles

Arles

Arles

Arles hydrantologist at work.

Arles

Arles

Part of the crowd at Les Rencontres D'Arles. They must have biked in.

Arles

This was one of the "photography" exhibits at the Rencontres D'Arles 2016 that we attended this year with our two favorite Germans. I consisted of eight projected videos of bottles being kicked or rolling on brick or cement, accompanied by a very loud soundtrack of said bottles rolling. The sound filled the whole building, so that you heard it even when you were viewing one of the 8 or 10 other exhibits. I hope Lucien Clergue looked down approvingly. We didn't.

Arles

Arles

Arles

Arles

This is a Frank Gehry building up in Arles, that will house exhibition halls and offices. When finished, it will be sheathed in reflective metal a la the Disney Center. Fun to see the skeleton before it is clothed.

Back home

A brief break from La Belle Provence to let you know that we're safely home and back at the beach. Still miss Saignon, but this is pretty good too.

Saignon

The road going across the center of the photo is our morning walk through the fields.

Saignon

Waiting to walk.

Concert audience, Saignon

We had a pop-up concert in Saignon and people gathered to hear a brass ensemble with singing. It was a joy and the audience loved it.

The shoppers.

Provence cliche #356

Our little morning walk in Saignon allowed me to see this wonderful cliche combo. Sunflowers, lavender, of course, divided by cherry trees, all in front of a creatively crumbling little mas (stone building).

Saignon

There are fields of sunflowers every year below the town. I have tried every year to take a new un-cliched picture of them....with little success. Maybe I should be bold like this fellow.

Saignon

Another pinhole picture in Saignon

Saignon

Saignon, heading for the food truck.

Saignon

Taxi and yellows, Saignon