Frioul

Last summer ran away from us and, in all our activity, I neglected to put up any photos at all. And yet... many breathtaking places, one of which was the Frioul archipelago off the coast of Marseille, the most famous island being If with its chateau. But the day we went was too windy to dock at If and we went straight on to Ratonneau with its chalky landscape and bluesea calanques. As we had gone rather late in the day we did not have time to explore the whole island and so we plan to return this summer and make a day of it.

Leaving Marseille

Passing by the Chateau d'If

Fishermen along the quai in the Port de Marseille

Provence on our minds

Mentally we have crossed that line between remembering last year and preparing for this year's trip, the familiar landscape suddenly part of our everyday thoughts, and with our cold hesitant spring here in the northern climes, we have only to close our eyes to imagine the warmth of Provence in the spring, the flowering almond trees, the wisteria. Aided and abetted by a few photos from lucky  Rians-dwelling family who can lunch outside without jackets or scarves!

Say it ain't so

In Provence, exceptional unfortunately means rain, and for the past few days we have had our share of thunderstorms and downpours, not that it kept Robert off the road with his favorite means of transportation.

But of course there were the "usual" days. We spent last Sunday picnicing by the Ste-Victoire, then drove into Aix for coffee.

Le cours Mirabeau

Aix is quiet on sundays

Back to Rians, the quiet bonheur of Place St-Laurent

Rians rooftops

We aren't the only ones up on the terrasse watching the swallows at day's end
This is our neighbor Annie's (naughty) cat, he is not allowed up on the roof or the beams, but when has a cat ever taken no for an answer.

Market Day in St-Maximin la Sainte Baume

Rians - home sweet home again

Back on the street where we live, with our very own "private" parking space. We did our spring cleaning, unpacked and headed to the terrace with our bottle of white wine and a dish of olives...to watch the evening swallow show over the village.

Most of the village cats are pretty skittish, hugging the perimeters, but this guy just sat and posedImpressive bracing (they've been working on it for years), but all the old buildings are preserved

View of the Tour d'horloge from the back, on the way to the post office

Forcalquier

Over the weekend I was talking with a friend who will be visiting us this summer and whose daughter may be settling in Forcalquier, so I promised I would get some of my photos up.
Forcalquier is in the Haute Provence (once its capital, in fact, during the middle ages), a thriving town popular with publishers, booksellers, graphic designers, typographers, bookbinders, illuminators, calligraphers, etchers, papermakers.
We were there on a Monday when Forcalquier's enormous market is spread out through the town's streets.

On market days this melodramatic sculpture ends up plunked in the middle of everyday commerce

Elaborate wrought iron balconies are characteristic and lovely

The town is built on a steep slope, climbing to what was once the fortified site of a citadel, destroyed in the 16th century, and now occupied by a small, octagonal chapel crowned with stone angel musicians. There are also the carillon bells, played in concert every Sunday during the summer months.

360 panoramic view on top

In Forcalquier, also, the Couvent des Cordeliers which was built in the 13th century by the Franciscans (named cordeliers because of their rope belts). We could wander around the outside grounds but because of renovations (conceiveable ongoing since 1963...this is France after all) could not visit the interior.

very old, very pollarded trees