The family recently took a trip to France. We spent most of the time in Provence in the Luberon region, nesting in a villa in the quaint town of Roussillon.

One thing you notice in France is how good it smells! The agriculture here includes melons, herbs, olives, wine, and lavender.

My son took the photos of the lavender fields.

Everywhere you go are flowers and olive trees.

The ochre tinted buildings have colorful doors and shutters.

Roussillon is known for its ochre. You can even tour a mine—not at all rigorous.

The iron rich soil along with limestone and plenty of silica stimulates the growth of many different plants including orchids, chestnuts, pines, heather, and the herbs found in Herbs de Provence.

It’s also got plenty of cute shops and art stores.

No photos allowed at the art stores but the region is also known for fabrics.

Nearby, the beautiful town of Gordes is made of sedimentary rocks and perched on a mountain.

One day, we took a trip to Calenques of Cassis. Click on this link and see the cliff we walked along to get to a beach. No thanks Google maps, for not warning us of the steepness. We lived. No one fell off. I’m not sure how. Somehow this route to Port Pin was not as easy as it’s rumored to be.

This was our reward when we reached our destination. Fortunately, we found a safer path back to our car.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a pretty town filled with canals and a lively market. Getting there involved a lot of twists and turns. Some of us (not me, I was a tagalong) rented cars and navigated the massif. Somehow, this area is advertised as good for cycling. I’m not sure about the bicyclists but we in our cars only screamed a few times as we squeezed through the narrow roads, far less than when we drove in Italy.

I wished I had my water testing equipment. I could show the people of Iowa what water can be—so clear and filled with fish.

This says Pierre and Marie Curie Chemin. I thought “chemin” meant lab but really, it’s a street. When in France, try to bring someone along who speaks French. The locals aren’t dying to practice their English, although I found the French merchants very good at upselling.

The merchants are very liberal with samples.

Nougat is made from sugar, honey, and nuts.

Before you know it, you’ll have sampled your way into many euros worth of nougat.

Southern France also has plenty of castles for exploring many built for by the Cathars as they tried, ultimately in vain, to keep religious Crusaders  from exterminating them. One of their many beliefs was equality between men and women—very unpopular with the pope! Lesson here—watch out for those religious authoritarians! They’re mean.

 Here are some photos from Carcassonne, some of which is now a lively marketplace.

Now I’m back to the land of corn and soybeans. I wish we had some lavender fields or at least better smells. Flowers are where it’s at. Barnswallow Flowers, I’m talking about you!