Let’s get personal…

 

Today is our last day in France, tomorrow we’ll be in Italy.  My parents are both deceased now however my mother always had this fascination with France.  She thought is was an exotic, romantic place.  My father had no interest in going to Europe so she never saw it.  

My middle name was given to me to honor my mother’s twin sister Lorraine.  However my mother spelled my name; LaRayne because she said; “that’s how the French spell it.”  

I always had this vision of my sisters and I taking my mother to Paris.  She would have loved to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and all of the flowers in France. However she died way too soon.  Another good reason to follow your dreams now.

Gorges du Verdon

 

We rented a car and drove to the Gorges du Verdon which is France’s equivalent to the Grand Canyon.  There are rivers & lakes with beautiful turquoise waters.  You can drive through the gorges but it’s not for the faint of heart!  There are hairpin turns with 2,300 foot drop offs but your reward is the extraordinary views!!

Nudity

 

We would go to the beach and Alan would say; I can’t believe the French go to the beach, take their clothes off and no one cares?  I would say; maybe they come to the US and say, Americans are so conservative regarding the human body??

Lavender

 

Provence is known for it’s lavender, they make it into perfumes and oils.  BTW, there are flowers everywhere, they take great pride in growing beautiful flowering trees, gardens and window boxes.  When you go for a walk the different smells are lovely.

The best views come from the highest climb

 

On the map it looked like a short trail, it didn’t mention it was straight up!

We’re going to miss these trails when we leave on Friday!

The French ~ The Americans

 Personally I think French is the most beautiful language in the world.  Americans are lucky in that we can travel many places and English is spoken.  I would say about 70% of the people here speak some English.. in fact many speak 3 or 4 languages.  💟  One more thing about the French, I think they are better at “living in the moment”.  Lunch, wine, coffee is meant to be savored, not rushed through.  Some people think Americans are “wound a little too tight”.  To not offend any Americans, maybe we are just over achievers?

Moon over the Mediterranean

 Collect moments not things..

A sad day

 Motorcyclists here like to race on the main highway that runs along the Mediterranean coast.  The road zigzags along the rocky cliffs.  The locals don’t appreciate this because it’s dangerous and they are loud.  Alan and I were walking along a busy road and a young girl lost control and flew into the guard rails, she flipped into the air and finally landed on the road.  Her motorcycle somehow stay upright and it headed straight for Alan & I.  I stepped back and Alan dove forward, the motorcycle crashed between us.  The police arrived as well as an ambulance.  We were the only ones who saw this happen so they took our statements and attended to Alan’s scraped hands.  The young girl however was severely injured and in very bad shape.  It’s been hard to get over this.

Golf

 We played a round of golf at a course they call the “Old Course” because it was constructed in 1891.  (Alan was in heaven!).  One of us played well (not me).  It was a fun day!

The Mediterranean Sea

 

Alan wanted some alone time so I took my camera for a walk by the sea.

There are 2 things the French do really, really well…

 

Food & Wine.  We stopped at a seaside restaurant and I had the best chicken caesar salad I have ever had, in my entire life!  It was art on a plate… add a baguette (I could live on the baguettes here they are so good) and a lovely glass of white wine (I have not met a glass of wine here I haven’t liked)……and aaaaaahhhhhhhh!

Travel

 Don’t be the person to busy to travel when you are young and to tired to travel when you are old.

The French

 

There are many times I have heard people from the US say things like; aren’t the French “less friendly” than other Europeans?  This is the 5th time I have traveled to France and I have never felt that way.  I think the French are kind and friendly but they are “less tolerant” of Americans that come here and say things like; Why don’t all of the French speak English? Or; Why do the French use the wrong electrical outlets?  Etc..  When I travel I try to be very respectful of other countries and cultures.  I try to learn about them before I go and try to blend in.  No matter where I go I believe; The more we are different, the more we are the same. 

Cannes, France

 

We went to Cannes and strolled along the harbor.  Cannes is the playground for the rich and famous.  It’s filled with luxury hotels, great restaurants and silky beached.  Every year it hosts the world famous Cannes Film Festival.  There are more huge yachts streaming in and out of the harbor than pick-up trucks at a Trump convention.  BTW the famous Onassis (& Jackie Kennedy) yacht is near Cannes and can now be rented.  It’s 100 meters long and has a crew of 34.  The cost to rent it is only $90,000. per DAY.

Always travel with people you love

 

Worth the wait..

I can’t believe I have been here for a whole week and this is my first chocolate croissant, it was worth the wait!

Where we live..

Our home is the gold colored building on the lower right, this is taken from one of the walking paths. BTW; this place is unbelievably beautiful. Because it's on a sea and not an ocean the water is calmer and it's a more vibrant blue. It's in the low 80's every day. It's considered a moderate climate so the low in January is about 50 degrees and the summers are in the low 80's with low huminity. I could live here...

Hiking

Our home is steps away from the Massif de L'Esterel, a national park and one of the best hiking areas in Provence. There are hundreds of miles of beautiful trails for hiking, mountian biking and horseback riding with incredible mountian views of the Mediterranean. We hiked for 3 hours and I'm sure we'll be here several more times before we leave for Italy on July 2nd.

Why do I travel?

I travel to experience as much of life and the world as I can squeeze out of every unforgetable minute. I travel to grow. To keep my perspective on the world and myself. To have fun. To escape my insular world and discover everything I can about people, their culture, and the places where they live. 

 I consider myself a “citizen of the world.”

The Mediterranean - La vie est Bella!

We met a lovely couple from Italy in our neighborhood; Pinuccia and GiGi. They invited us on their boat so we spent the afternoon sipping white wine and swimming in the Medierranean. La vie est bella!

Theoule-Sur-Mer, France

Covid numbers are finally reducing in Europe and people are coming out to enjoy travel again. We made it to Theoule-Sur-Mer, France, which is a small village between Cannes and St-Tropez on the Mediterranean Sea. We have a lovely little cottage on the side of a mountian with this pretty view.  After a good nights sleep we are ready set out on foot and explore!