Al is starting to feel better yay ! Think it was a chest infection because it certainly hung around along time … but he would not see a doctor..naturally, a man thing! So off we go to Avignon, Provence.

We were fortunate to visit Avignon quite a few years ago but on that occasion only saw a very small part of this lovely town. So this time we stayed two nights and took the opportunity to explore in a little more depth. The campsite was a five minute walk across the bridge into the old town …and this was the view once outside the site.The Pont Saint -Benezet…and the remaining 4 arches.Always love a carousel 

It was great being able to really appreciate this place and at a very chilled pace.The Papa Palace( Popes Palace) construction started in 1335 and took less than 20 years to be completed under the leadership of 2 builder Popes ..Benedict x11 and his successor Clement V1.Al was not impressed at all with the African modern art selection on exhibit in the Papa Palace …while I wasn’t a massive fan of some of it, certain pieces I really liked …it certainly gave a different feel to place. His face 🤣 reminded us of the time at MOMA in Tasmania …. come on Al Pal this is much much better than walls and walls  of plaster casts of  lady bits in all their various forms…..a little disturbing really lol……the boys certainly looked  a bit  curious, Alpal still reckons he gets the odd nightmare haha.looking out to the Avignon Cathedral from the palace grounds.Never have coffee at this place if you are in the area … rudest extremely grumpy waiter … half a cup of cold coffee …( at 7 dollars a pop wanted a hot,full cup ) so I asked for more hot milk … with a grunt off he sulked and returned with a tiny pot and another bill.. for an extra tiny pot of milk !!!!good job the view was great. 

On the flip side do have lunch at this lovely place, la Caveau du Theatre .. friendliest waiters at this French restaurant, beautiful food and good wine …. mmm not sure if this is Al Pals serious model pic 🤣 but he was very happy. No come to think of it he was a bit miffed here as the smoke from outside was wafting inside to our table ……and we know from previous blogs how he loves smoking … not !Our next stop St Remy De Provence another place where we had a long lunch years ago …. this time we stayed a week in a great campsite Monplaisir, a leisurely 10 minute stroll into town. Piece de resistance … a memory of home … a Miele washing machine oooo la la Complete with beautiful heated pool, great library.. lovely little store with fresh fruit and veg ..all the condiments you could wish for ….great facilities and spotless … in our top 10 sites which we have made our home along the way. ooh must not forget this one we liked too …1 litre of what ever takes your fancy .. 3 Euros .20 plus a euro deposit for the bottle ( we tried all the colours ) 😳love this below … last month here would  have been heaving with us tourists but a lot of the restaurants are closed now for the season, except on Wednesday when the market is on and its buzzing.les Antiques .. on the road side just on  the outskirts …near the Glanum, a Roman site which we decided not to visit as we have lost count of the sites we have visited over the years. So no R and R’s for us this time . But we still see quite a few special churches and cathedrals 🤣Market Day in Saint Remy….never tire of market’s especially in France.Van Gough …a 1km walk of 21 panels intermittently placed displaying reproductions of his paintings and his inspiration behind each one…ending at the Sant Paul De Mausole asylum where he admitted himself in 1889 ..he produced 140 paintings while he was there .One of his paintings of the asylum gardens.

Cycling through the Alpilles Ranges and the Beaux medieval village of les Baux De Provence set on a rocky fortified site.. oozing with charm and hardly anybody around … we love being here in Provence out of season ……just magic.A happy face here before the usual groan at the sight of the hills ahead …. I think I’m getting better at not showing my pain ….joke I’m terrible …Al encourages me all the time, poor thing that makes me more grumpier …better that He just goes of ahead so I can curse alone 😊😊😊 silly thing is when I’m at the top all is wonderful again and loving every minute and Winnie the witch disappears and Miss butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth appears….Some churches are special and there were two of them here…in les Baux, the one below depicting a nativity.(actually not sure if one was still a church but different all the same)and this beautiful small one below Saint Vincent’s it had such a beautiful feeling.Roussillon and the Ochre TrailRousillon village is another one of Frances  many Beaux villages and it was just gorgeous…. a colourful array of buildings , apparently 17 shades of ocher ranging from pink to red. little more under welming was the Orchre trail… while the photos were in deed lovely, there were only a couple of stand out views the rest a red sandy trail that you had to pay for the privilege…it took 20 minutes to complete the long track.Billicart Salmon at a bargain 420 Euros a bottle ….no our shopping a couple of weeks ago was much better value.

After a wonderful week in Saint Remy it was time then to move on and make our way to Sanary Sur Mur just outside Toulon to spend a couple of nights before catching a ferry … the day started lovely, blue sky a balmy 27 degrees, birds singing and 2 happy campers on the road again …. petrol station debacle first … this time six very friendly French people helping out at the bowser because the French way of paying for gazole ( or petrol ) is just near impossible if you do not have a French credit card and most will not take cash …. Lucy ( remember Luicfier when she is in trouble ) got thrown in the dash half way through our journey in disgust …… if I had had a swear jar for all the expletives coming from Al’s mouth I could have bought my self a gorgeous new leather handbag. 🤣We pulled out Sally our other sat Nav gadget and gave her a try …… Lordy Lordy getting lost in Friday peak hour traffic in the middle of Marsellie is no fun trust me …with tempers soaring  sweet Sally was now Satan and she too was failing miserably……. but the worse was yet to come… a busy overpass turned a corner down into a narrow lane under a 2.6 bridge we had to go under ….. !!!!!! Brakes slammed on just in the Nic of time , because our  Pinot is 3.16 metres high !!!! No way Jose !! Warning lights on and both of us waving frantically, Al had to reverse up a hill and I mean reserve quite a long way with some very disgruntled drivers behind us ….. thank goodness for a lovely kind guy who stopped further up the road with his hazards flashing so no one could pass him but making way for us. Cannot begin to imagine the damage that would have been caused if Al had not reacted so quickly. …. guess what .. we realised after it was Friday the 13th … finally arrived in Sanary Sur Mer for a chilled couple of days … a large drink and no driving involved !!!!

A lovely day in Sanary Great lunchAmazing Gelato.. look at that flower and a terrific walk …

A leisurely 14 km journey down the road to Toulon ..an early 5.30 am start . All aboard … whoops that’s a train … we have a ferry to catch ….Corsica here we come !!

Lots of love to all xx