After finally regaining possession of the missing bag, we headed off to Saint-Remy de Provence, in the region of Provence. The weather isn't looking too good, and before long we run into our first bit of rain.

Freeway travel doesn't make for a very interesting drive, but it does get you
to where you want to go to in a hurry. After an hour or so we leave the
freeway for the slower, but more interesting, regional roads through
Provence to the village we are staying at. the drive as absolutely
delightful. We passed through numerous small villages, each with their
own charm and character, signs pointed left and right to various sights,
tall bare trees formed an avenue to drive through. This is what we have
come for, it finally feels like we are beginning our tour.

Saint-Remy is everything we expected it to be. We first heard of this village
watching a TV show called "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations".
We were so taken with the charm and lifestyle of the place that we
thought "We have to go there". And we haven't been dissapointed.

A couple of facts which make the place a little more interesting:

- Vincent Van Gogh interned in a monastery/asylum here for a time

- Nostrodamus was born here in 1503

Becauseof the Van Gogh connection the town is littered with art galleries
selling all manner of paintings, sculptures etc. Gastronomically, we are
going to be spoilt for choice. Al a carte restaurants, brasseries,
Tabacs/bars, cafes. They're all here. Julie has spotted a chocolatiers
shop, so we went in to sample what "real" chocolate tastes like - OMG!!
we'll never eat Cadburys Dairy Milk again!! The tastes were sensational.

Tomorrow we are going to head off and explore the region. Not looking for
anything in particular. Probably go into Avignon for a look, then
perhaps do a run down to the coast to Marseille. Although Marseille is a
huge city, so we may avoid doing that.

03/12/2011 - Avignon
Today we head off to explore Avignon. What a delightful place to visit. It seems like all the charms and character of France have been rolled into a single package and called it
"Avignon". Situated on a broad river, the city consists of an "Old"
section which serves as the central location, around which the city has
developed. Initially we tried to navigate our way to see the palais-des-papes
, or the Palace of the Popes. This however, turned into a frustrating
exercise as we attempted to wend our way through narrow twisty streets,
one way this way, one way that way (Julies knuckles are white with
frustration). We finally found our way onto a main boulevard which
seemed to circle around the city, and eventually into a parking station,
as luck would have it, right next to where we wanted to be (only took
an hour (c'est la vie). The Palace is impressive indeed. Its a huge
block of stone and concrete, its size commensurate with its importance (
check out the golden Christ).

After the Popes Palace we took in Le Pont Saint Benezet , the Musee Du Petit Palais.
After that we just wandered the streets, sitting down for a coffee,
watching the world go by, and taking it all in. The Xmas markets were
also open, giving the city a festive feel.

Avignon is a wonderful city, full of romance, history, and culture. It has the
feel of a place you would like to come back to and explore more fully.

We headed back to Saint-Remy, taking in the back roads and some of the myriad of villages dotted all across the area. L'isle sur la Sorgue, Cavaillon, and Plan d'Orgon.
Then back to Saint-Remy for a glass of red or two, before we head back
to the hotel to decide on which direction to head off in tomorrow..

All up, a most satisfying day of sightseeing and exploration. One of many to follow we hope.