Since the middle ages is not really my greatest area of interest in art history, I don't have any strong visual imprints on my brain to describe everything we saw. Though I did find the jewelry particularly beautiful, and my husband enjoyed the armor and battle weapons. But my favorite piece, was Jesus on an Ass (my title) carved in wood. The way the artist represented his holy halo reminded me more of those goofy kids who stick straw in their hair to be funny. All in all, it was a good way to enjoy something more of Paris, and something new to us.
Time to say goodbye to Paris! We gathered our bags and grabbed a taxi to the Gare de Lyon where we were to take the TGV to Avginon.
My husband gets really excited at train stations. I mean, really excited. My friends say this is a "guy thing"...the way we women get excited about shops. We are both excited to be travelling south and my husband is even more excited about the TGV. It doesn't matter that this is our third time travelling by TGV, as he points out how the train is built to split apart, as he marvels at the track design, as he rants about our lackluster american rail system...I'm glad he's happy. We both share excitement over the fact that he managed to score first class tickets through prems!
Two and a half hours later...we arrive in Avignon. We picked up our little Renaut at Europa Car and headed off to Domain Le Vallon in Aubignan.
I discovered Le Vallon three years ago while planning our honeymoon. Our first stay here was so enchanting (really, I can't think of a better word!) that we made a vow at the end of our HM to try and return there every year. So far, so good. This is our third stay in three years.
What makes this place so special??? Hmmmm. Where do I begin? The setting is beautiful- surrounded by five hectares of private land in the countryside. The house is beautiful and beautifully decorated. Our hosts, Fred and Michelle Vogt are wonderful and have always made us feel like we are guests in their home. We look forward to seeing them again each year. I really have trouble finding the right words to describe what we feel in our hearts. I could go on for days about how much we love this place...
As we drive down the small country road and even before we enter the grounds of Le Vallon, true vacation bliss starts to set in.
This year, we are very lucky to be staying in the apartment. When we arrived last year to greet Fred and Michelle, we found Fred in the still unfinished apartment, dripping with sweat, nails in his teeth...as he helped out with the construction. We were amazed when it was finished two days later, ready for the arrival of his brother and his family. The finished apartment is truly spectacular...
Fred and Michelle greeted us with open arms and warm hearts and proudly showed us the newest addition to Le Vallon...a sitting room for the guests. In keeping with the rest of the house, it is just perfect.
After catching up with Fred and Michelle about their lives, we settled in and moved out to the pool for a picnic dinner. No need to leave here tonight or go anywhere else, this is all we need. We laid out a spread of cheese, ham, pate, bread, tomatoes, fruit, my macarons stockpiled from this morning, some local wine and breathed in the Provencal air that we desperately crave all year long. Aza, their dog, kept us company and set her soulful eyes to DH. We supped, we sipped, we shared (with Aza) and embraced. We watched the sun set. And again, it was time to find our way to bed.
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