Six Provincial Lives!

SIX PROVINICAL LIVES : MONDAY 9 MAY – FOX AMPHOUX near AUPS, PROVENCE, FRANCE

This morning we woke to the faint chirping of the birds outside and the light banging of strips of bamboo that hung outside the living room door to act as a fly deterrent.  I could peak through the shutters to see that it was a glorious spring day.  I couldn’t lie in bed too much longer, the first day of our provincial life had begun.  We were buried deep in the Provincial countryside.  Amazingly, the landscape reminded us exactly of the landscape in Australia, very similar to outback Australia actually.  The soil is very dry clay with many bare patches showing through the vegetation especially on the hilltops.  It was all very dry.  I had imagined a totally different landscape, one of rows and rows of lavender and vineyards.

First things first, we needed some breakfast.  Jack, Madi and I walked the 50m to our little corner shop and bar but unfortunately there were no croissants which we desired.  The lady told us to go to the Boulangerie nearby so we went back to get the car and I experienced my first driving experience on the opposite side, only about a kilometre round trip mind you.  The boulangerie was a little shop on the roadside built in front of a house.  As we opened the door, the little bell rang to alert the shopkeeper.  The smell was very welcoming, warm bread and pastries freshly cooked.  We asked for six chocolate croissants in French and I surprised myself (afterwards) that I had counted in my head in French as she was putting the six in the bag.

Looking left out of our house

Restaurant up the road

Back at the house, I sent Corky the 50 metres to the corner shop to buy some juice and then we set ourselves out in the sun around the pool and enjoyed our breakfast.  Sure enough, it didn’t last long, the kids were eager to drag all the equipment out of the garage to use; pool equipment, table tennis, balls, totem tennis, bikes etc.  While Corky set up umbrellas and the BBQ, Madi sunbaked and Sophie & Harry got ready for a swim, Jack and I took a bike each for a ride up around the corner to see what was beyond our little haven.  A couple of hundred metres in the distance, we could see a field with sheep and goats so we headed over there.  The spring lambs were as intrigued by us as we were by them.

Back at the house again, we lazed around the pool, the kids did some homework and we enjoyed relaxing in the fresh country air.  Nowhere to go, nothing to do, it is a glorious life.

Between 12-3pm France stops to eat!  At 3pm precisely we were in the town of Salernes and ready to do our Intermarche food shopping.  I love that if we wanted to, we can push an empty trolley in and come out with a box of cereal, pigs knuckles, a bottle of alcohol and a TV …. which of course we didn’t but hey, it’s there if we want to!  It is quite a fun experience as we all pick up things and analyse the packaging to make sure it is what we want.  I almost go into a lactose intolerant state when I come across the miles of cheeses on display and I just love that we could buy a 350g wheel of creamy camembert for only 1.68 Euros but what I really love is that I can buy a bottle of champagne for 1.84 Euros, cheaper than soft drink.  I just had to buy it to try it.  We also picked up a 12-pack of beer for 6.55 Euros.  The French definitely have their priorities sorted.  Pigs knuckles can wait thanks!

Once our car was stocked, we quickly returned to the haven of our rural provincial abode and shut our pale blue gates for an afternoon of serenity.  It was nice to be somewhere quiet and easy-living after the fast pace of Paris.  We have 4 weeks ahead of us to explore the surrounding areas but for now we were enjoying downtime after hotel rooms and continual travelling.

I went for an evening walk along the winding road that led from our house to seemingly nowhere, though I do know it is to somewhere because I have seen many signs previously pointing in that direction to other towns.  The sun was setting beautifully over the hills in the distance as I walked past a grand old house nestled amongst the fields with a dirt tree-lined driveway that led up to it.  Up ahead was a field of sheep and goats feeding on the long grass.  I would have loved to have taken a photo of these animals and the landscape because it was such a wonderful sight however often a photo doesn’t do justice because you can never capture the sounds and smells as well.  These definitely completed this perfect scene I was walking past.  Interspersed amongst the many sheep and lambs were goats that wore bells around their necks.  The bells weren’t the light tinkling sounds but the lovely deep clanging bell sound together with the occasional baa and chomping of grass.  Sheep and goats don’t normally entertain me however these ones were just another part of this beautiful provincial day in the Var.

Once I had walked as far as I thought was reasonable, I turned around and headed back.  I could only hear the goat bells and the occasional cicada in the grass.  Up ahead as the trees formed an arch over the road, above that I could see the hilltop town of Fox Amphoux.  Its terracotta houses and tiled roofs were sticking out of the surrounding trees and all basking in the last rays of sunshine as it perched on the hilltop.  We have nicknamed this hilltop town ‘Fox Heights’ because we are also staying in Fox Amphoux but down below on the flats.

View of Fox Amphoux

A BBQ for dinner, profiteroles for dessert and our day was complete.

TUESDAY 10 MAY – FOX AMPHOUX near AUPS, PROVENCE, FRANCE

We decided to venture out of our pale blue gates today but first Corky & Jack rode their bikes to the boulangerie for a couple of baguettes for our picnic lunch.  We decided to go to Lac De Saint Croix, a large crystal blue lake which is about 20 minutes drive away. This whole area we were going into is the Verdon, a natural regional park which gets its name from a river which has cut a spectacular passage through the rocky masses of the Prealps.  We wound up through the hills which formed one edge of The Gorges du Verdon (Grand Canyon of France).  The lake of Sainte-Croix is a 2208ha expanse of incredible turquoise water.  We found a perfect spot to have our picnic and for the kids to paddle on the edge of the lake, it was still a bit cold to go in properly. Unfortunately the ‘beach’ was all pebbles, so very uncomfortable to lie on, but we managed.  The view from our spot was amazing, across the turquoise water and up to the incredible backdrop of the bare mountains. 

Lac De St Croix

We finally packed up and drove further around the lake coming across a bridge that gave us an incredible view down into the canyon where canoers were enjoying a paddle around.  Only 7km from the lake was a town called Moustiers St. Croix, we were told this would be worth seeing and it definitely was.  Ca vaut le voyage.  It’s worth the trip.  The town has been listed as one of France’s most beautiful towns and has been built on the side of searing cliff faces.  The road into the centre of the town wound precariously around the lower cliff taking you up into the centre of the town which seemed to have been built around a bridge that also seemed to precariously cling to either sides of a narrow gorge as a torrent of water from the mountains stormed below it.  To look over the edge into the raging river gave you a sense of vertigo.  We clung to the railing and admired the view.  The town seemed to climb up and around this central bridge and up above on a precipice of rock sticking out, the town church sat overlooking the town and the surrounding countryside.  But even further above that, strung between two cliff edges at the highest points, was a star that was hung on a 225m chain, this star was so high and seemed to shine down on the village.  The star is called Cadeno de Moustie.  It was put there by a knight of the local Blacas family and comes from his coat of arms.  The original star was stolen in the Wars of Religion and it wasn’t replaced until 1957.

There were so many little restaurants and shops in every nook and cranny but you had a permanent feeling that you were teetering continuously on the edge of the cliffs.  Not a good town for someone affected with vertigo or needing a sense of open space but certainly a town for those who love the beauty it offers and sense of the beautiful Provincial life.  I loved it and we decided we would definitely return for lunch one day.

Back home, we brought out the cheese and crackers and I decided it was time to try the 1.84 Euro champagne.  It was fab!  A lovely light rose champagne that perfectly suited the lovely balmy evening by the pool.  Gee, I might even stretch myself and get a case next time!  I am still amazed that I can buy, what I feel is a perfectly fine bottle of Champagne, for less than Corky’s bottle of coke.  This lifestyle could work for me, cheese and champagne for a collective total of 3.52 Euros.

WEDNESDAY 11 MAY – FOX AMPHOUX near AUPS, PROVENCE, FRANCE

Late morning we headed into Aups to get some baguettes for lunch, check our emails because we don’t have access in the villa and to see the weekly Aups market.  I have been very excited about visiting the markets throughout provincial France and we were on our way.  Surprisingly we managed to get a park quite easily and then we wandered down through the narrow winding street looking at the various shops until we got to the market place.  Amazingly the night before it was quite deserted, with a few people at the nearby café/bar enjoying a drink, some old people sitting on a park bench and some kids playing in the square.  This morning however, it was a hive of activity with many stalls set up under the shade of the huge plane trees that sheltered the square.  Before we had a wander through the markets, we went to the street-side bar where we knew we could get internet access (with a beer) and we checked our emails.  Other people were gathering around enjoying a drink or some lunch, several with their cute little dogs on their laps.  It was such a village atmosphere.  Once satisfied with receiving and sending our communication to the outside world, we wandered down through the markets which were unfortunately starting to pack up (1pm).  Never mind, they are on each week and I am sure we will be back.  We did however get to glance at a few stalls and it seemed the main objects for sale were hats, clothes, fruit and vegetables and of course the cheese and meat stalls.  This one I loved the most, looking at and smelling all the various cheeses, goat (chevre) and sheep, from the various regions.  The sight of them temporarily satisfied me as much as if I were consuming them.

Town of Aups

Receiving our daily bread!

Walking down the street of Aups

Back home Corky cooked some kebabs on the BBQ, the kids had a swim and I continued reading Peter Mayle’s ‘Bon Appetit!’ which was on the bookshelf in the villa when we arrived.  It is about Peter’s gastronomic travels through France, highly appropriate I thought.

This afternoon we decided to head over to Draguignan which is the capital of the Var Region to try to sort out our lack of internet problem.  We didn’t have internet access at the villa so we either had to go to the bar in Aups to get access (after buying a drink and only getting 30 minutes worth) or we had to try and get a SIM card.  Draguignan is about 40 minutes from where we are staying and towards the Cote D’Azur.  We couldn’t get the SIM card organised but we had a nice drive there and saw a bit of the large town.

THURSDAY 12 MAY – FOX AMPHOUX near AUPS, PROVENCE, FRANCE

Back into Aups this morning to sort out some more computer business and to pick up some baguettes and then back to the villa for lunch.  Off for another drive to discover more of Provence this afternoon.  Only 11km from our villa is a glorious town called Cotignac, set just below steep tufa cliff faces and down into the valley.  We fell immediately in love with this town and decided to ‘ditch’ our local town of Aups (12km from us) in favour of this becoming our ‘new local town’ – closer at 11km away.  In former times, these tufa cliffs were hollowed out for wine cellars, stables and homes and you can go up to explore them if you like but it looked too precarious for 4 young children so we gave it a miss.  We wandered the narrow laneways waiting for the shops to re-open after their ‘lunch’ and stopped in the town centre for an ice-cream (yummy white hot chocolate drink for me).  The shops were fabulous with gorgeous French items and everyone was so friendly and welcoming.  We will definitely be back often. 

Village of Cotignac

Cliffs of Cotignac

Main square (rectangle) of Cotignac

On the way back to our villa we went via another lovely town called Entrecasteaux which is a small village with a huge Chateau overlooking it – another place we will come back to explore further but for now the sun was setting and it was time to get home for dinner.

Chateau in Entrecasteaux

Houses in Entrecasteaux

FRIDAY 13 MAY – FOX AMPHOUX near COTIGNAC, PROVENCE, FRANCE

We headed left out of our villa today for the first time.  We were off to Quinson for a look around and a picnic lunch today.  Quinson is only about 15 minutes away and just over the border into the Department des Alpes de Haute-Provence.  There is a lovely lake that feeds from the mountains and plenty of boats and canoes to hire.  We found a nice spot to have our picnic, swans included.

Bridge over river in Quinson

We headed back into Aups to get some food for dinner but dropped into the Tourist Office first.  We needed to research the fast train (TGV) to Disneyland Paris where we are going in a couple of weeks since we didn’t have the time when we were in Paris last week.  In the market square there was a fete so the kids had a go on the few of the rides and won a few prizes on the games.  Back at home we all had a big cook-up in the kitchen together for dinner.