Nos Cartes Postales de Carpentras!

#OurPostcardsfromCarpentras

We are settled in at our new accommodation for the balance of our stay in France.

We are located in a sizeable village "Sarrians" which has many villages, towns and Provençal cities all within an easy driving distance from ten minutes to an hour away.

And oh did I mention that "Mont Ventoux" (the Windy Mountain) is always lurking around every corner, it is clearly visible from our bathroom window and Monsieur Honey has a strong, crazy desire to go to the top!

It has an elevation of 1,912 meters/ 6,273 feet at it's summit and is the largest mountain in Provence.

He has a personal DVD recording in his memory vault of the "Tour de France" cyclists climbing the mountain and the amazing views,

You'll have to come back to see if this happens! Any bets?

If you haven't figured out what kind of travellers we are yet ... we like to do a mix of touristy things but are more relaxed about it; as in there are very few must see sites that are on our list!

We don't have a laid out/ chocked full planned out itinerary but still manage to see many historical sites, beautiful gardens plus lots of off the beaten path places.

We like to wander, see what surprises lie around the next corner or behind that gate, meeting new people and of course enjoy some good food and wine. 

And ... we love the café scene, sipping a coffee in the morning or a cold glass of rosé in the afternoon watching the goings on around us!

Saturday we checked out Carpentras the nearest city to us ... only nine kilometres away.

Here we had just one of our kind of days.

Surprise sculpture in the museum garden was our first discovery as we walked into the town center.

The tourist office is located in the former "Dominican Convent" ... where there was an exhibition about the railroad history in Carpentras. 

With a map of the town in hand we were ready for our day of adventure.

                                                  

        

The town has many fountains ... 

The Hotel-Dieu (former Hospital) constructed in the mid seventeen hundreds. 

The facade is dominated by these ornamental pots. 

                      

Some entertainment on the Church steps.

She was singing and having her photos taken!

The Roman Arch ... Arc de Triomphe 

The Post Office ... stunning architecture built between 1909 and 1911, architect Léopold Busquet.

The Campanile / Bell Tower ...

The glassed in shopping street ...

                      

A "Café" break in front of the "Fountain of the Angel" overlooking the Hotel de Ville. 

This fountain was originally built in 1731, destroyed in 1904 and reconstructed in 2004.

It was a great spot for some people watching as many weddings were taking place at the Town Hall.

This looks like a good place for lunch ... what no outside Café / terrace on the street?

Beautiful interior courtyard ... a table for two please! 

Note the place did fill up ... I'm just careful about taking photos with people in them.

Perfect garden setting with views of the bell tower ...

                            

Another tasty lunch was enjoyed!

And that's how we spent our day in Carpentras ... 

                  

A Sunday SightSeeing in Séguret!

#Seguret#Provence#FormulaOne#Sarrians#BeautifulVillage

Sunday morning in Provence we did a quick pickup at the grocery store and the local Farmers' market in Sarrians.

Tomorrow is yet another holiday in France, it is Pentacost weekend.

Today is also a "Formula One" race day in Monaco no less, and Monsieur Honey wants to watch the race on television at two o'clock this afternoon. More about this later.

We had time to visit and explore a local village before lunch ... off we went in the countryside to "Séguret".

Séguret is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. 

It is a pretty little village, but not a favourite of mine. 

As with many of the designated villages some lose their charm because they become tourist traps with crowds spoiling the beauty.

It is still early in the tourist season but there were many, many people visiting Séguret.

The village itself does not have a lot of commerce two or three restaurants,  a typical shop with Provençal pottery, etc. that doubled as a "mini" tourist information centre (i.e. It had a couple of brochures and a map of the village & one showing the surrounding vineyards of the Côtes du Rhone).

You will also find a couple other shops ... selling santons, pottery and a postcard shop.

"Santons" are described as "little saints" that are hand crafted, painted terracotta nativity scene figurines used in Provençal crèches. 

I like to discover my own "Beautiful Villages" and create my own special moments and memories.

Séguret is perched on the hillside with the Cévennes hills in the horizon and long views of vineyards below.

Séguret is very old, ancient to be exact being inhabited since prehistoric times.

We walked the narrow cobblestoned lanes in the footsteps of the previous inhabitants.

Look at these "Bear Claws" ... Acanthus ready to bloom in May!

My plants back home in my Canadian garden are probably just peeking through the earth, hoping for the recent warm temperatures to stick around ... so they can grow strong and tall to give me a beautiful show of flowers in July!

Monsieur Honey on the Table d'Orientation checking out the rest of the country around Séguret.

 

Views over village below ... we think this is Sablet, which peaked our interest as we drove by.

Narrow cobble stone lanes ... rue des Poternes.

                                                                         

                                  

    Un papillon ...

               

"Hey Monsieur wait for me!"

The gate with iron studded double wooden doors...

                                

We enjoyed our stroll through Séguret and it was soon time to head back to our little place in Provence in time for Monsieur to catch his man hopefully win the Grand Prix.

 

Let me say it would have been okay with me to go to Monaco to watch the Grand Prix "live" however Monsieur  Honey says you see much more of the race on the television ... that is if you are able to see the race/ if it is televised. 

All was promising as the race started but then it was scrambled ... we should have gone to Monaco my sweet Monsieur!

P.S. He did get to watch the highlights later in the evening on the iPad "Film On" app. 

Maybe the fact that he couldn't watch the race live on television was a sign that his man was not going to win today!

Two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different! 

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder!

A Garden and Wall Art Day in Céret!

Take a stroll along the beautifully landscaped walkways and enjoy some "sculpture art" in Céret's "Jardin des arts".

                                             

This puppy thinks this a great "pièce d'art".

 

                                                                  

And if you are looking or not you will discover new art where you least expect it! 

This is "free" art ... no admission fee required!