European Heat Wave!
Nothing is air-conditioned.
It's HOT.
Everyone is suffering.
The woman in the tourist office had her bare feet deep in a bucket of cold water under her desk.
Two fans at full blast.
Everyone is complaining about the heat.
So - we hopped on a train to Provence.
Figured we could find a place with a pool - and - some good chilled rosé wine.
The Mediterranean is just below us.
2 hours south.
Italy - just east.
Languedoc, just west.
I picked grapes in Languedoc in 1975.
Last year, we went back and visited the village where I worked.
Not all that much had changed.
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| Trish - picking grapes in 1975. Corbières. |
Sure enough, I found a tiny stone house in a garden in Provence. With a POOL.
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| Our tiny house in Carpentras, Provence. |
In Carpentras, near Mont Ventoux, where they grow some excellent wines.
We found salad makings and wine.
The small supermarket had an incredible selection of Provence rosé wines - an entire wall.
The villages are lovely.
Pink stone, churches, flowers.
Vineyards and olive orchards.
Mineral baths and wineries.
A bit like the Tuscan hill towns.
But - Provence style.
Huge fields of yellow sunflowers.
No wonder Van Gogh painted them.
We could explore.
But - mostly - we plan to stay IN the water.
Perfect summer living.
Isn't that what the south of France is for?
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| In the pool. With the essentials. |