Un méli mélo

The past week here has been filled with noisy, thunderous rainstorms that seem to come out of nowhere. Sudden downpours so heavy it was difficult to see across the yard.

One of the rainiest days fell on a Sunday which meant it was not a day to go visit a fun outdoor market. Everything in this part of France is closed usually by 12:300 on Sunday so....the long afternoon stretches out before you! No new movies to see (we've seen all of the good ones) so I am sorry not to have much to show you which is more recent.

Sometime earlier though we went over to Villeneuve lez Avignon, a city across the Rhone from Avignon which some of you know. It is a very pretty town so come and look around. Some shots of the cloister...I love the soft color of the stone and that fresh little patch of grass.

I like the studs in this doorway and the beautiful arch around it. See the smaller door within the larger?

and this combination of stone and wood.

These green shutters with the inner "mini-shutter" appealed to me for their color and design. This is a hotel and has an interior garden.

Speaking of color, we came around the corner to see this fellow painting a window frame. Don't you love how the clothes he is wearing somehow make a perfect palette with the paint he is using?

We walked up along the small streets past the square Jean Jaures here

up to this gate which opens into the large park of the Chartreuse Pontificale du Val-de-Bénédiction.

The mâchicoulis you can see in the gateway above is part of the Fort St. André on the hillside here. You can see the entire fortress from the Rocher in Avignon next to the Palais des Papes. We did not go any further up since the day we were there was getting very hot.

JC and I also took the autoroute over to Aix-en-Provence where I studied for a year long ago. Côté Sud magazine (I love this gorgeous publication) puts on a home and garden show there every year and this was the first time we were able to go see it.
Aix is such a wonderful city and everyone really looks so great. The home and garden show was set up in Parc Jourdan. I used to walk through this park every day on my way to class at the Faculté de lettres. Very attractive white tents were set up throughout...it looked more like a resort than a trade show!

This is the display for Marius Fabre...this is all Marseille olive oil soap, the only kind I use for felting. Don't you love the beautiful "jelly rolls" of soap drying on the rack?!

I did not see one sloppily dressed person there. It was a bit like being at a runway show. I tried to photograph people but only got a good shot of this woman when we were in line.

I saw white, orange, lime green and navy linen shift dresses (similar to these) and beautifully cut linen shirts and blouses. Denim things in all variations, many put together with lace, silk and chiffon (see the photo above) Denim mini skirts, shirt dresses and sundresses too.

Big linen sun hats and narrower fedora style straw hats (I got one at the local supermarket)...Maya is wearing it here...

Aix was a feast for a fashion lover's eyes as were the shop windows in town.

A friend of JC's builds wood houses (something quite unique and new in France). He took us to see some he has built near Orange. I love how they look and how they really compliment beautifully the Provençal stone Mas.

These chickens were clucking about as we toured!

Then on Saturday June 13th it was time to celebrate JC's birthday....yum, his favorite cake and gift bearer!

A positive note is that on these stormy days we often get a very beautiful sunset.