Ah, our local little art school put together a trip to Provence for anyone wanting to go for a week in October and paint. I immediately signed up ... and have just now returned. Ten of us plus two organizers who live in our neighboring town. The place they picked: Vaison-la-Romaine (once Vasio Vocontiorum) in the Vaucluse department of Provence with a river running through it, the Ouvèze. We turned out to be a happy lot: everything was "so beautiful, so congenial, so delicious," as I wrote someone. We enjoyed a good share of white (preferred over red) Cotes du Rhone. And we spent good hours at our painting, sketching, or just sitting and taking in the sunlight in this particularly lovely part of France. (Vaison is not a large town--only some six- or seven-thousand people.)
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| From the Roman site of "La Villasse" |
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| Another view of "La Villasse" |
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| View of the Upper Town (the medieval quarter) and the 12th century Count's Castle . |
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| From the Puymin site (with ruins of Roman villas) looking across to the medieval castle. Note the olive trees. |
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| 1st century Roman bridge over the Ouvèze River, dividing the ancient (as well as the modern) city from the medieval one. |
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| Looking into the medieval quarter with its bell tower and castle ruins |
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| A street in the medieval quarter |
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| 11th century cathedral Notre-Dame de Nazareth |
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| The old (the cathedral) being held up by the even older. |
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| House in the newer section of town |
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| Vaison-la-Romaine's weekly outdoor market, held every Tuesday. |
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| At the market |
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| The lace stall |
Next posting: photos around neighboring villages
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