Onto the second area we stayed in~ Vaucluse~

Our Airbnb at the second location..had a dream garden.

The owners built their home 16 yrs ago..

..and Rémy,the husband..devoted a lot of blood sweat and tears to this gorgeous garden.

The olive trees are over 100 yrs old..
the gardens..and home..are maintained to a "T".

My father..for some reason..nicknamed me the Immaculate Conception..(until I turned 17)..

This home was that.


We stayed in an annex..a small apartment adj. to their home.

It was built for her aging parents.

2 Airbnbs we stayed in..we were in annexes built for aging parents.

It is completely natural..and there is no question about doing so it seems in France..in the countryside.

Completely natural they said.

I fully understand the kindness as I have witnessed it first hand..

but completely natural?


But once the parents die:( What to do w/ that space?They asked themselves..

So some  rent them out as Airbnbs.


As I said ..gardens..home and annex..spotless.SPOTLESS.

It let us explore the area..w/out having to leave from St-Rémy.
Although in retrospect..all can be done from St-Rémy up to here..

We had a heck of a time finding our Airbnb though..it's not our town..it's a small town..the GPS was great but the streets were extremely narrow and uphill and downhill..

again..experienced drivers in conditions like these..it may be a breeze..but we are not..the turns are not 90 degrees..more like 70..
a neighbor was so nice..she walked us up and showed us where.
Imagine my contentment in finding that garden.

And lovely hosts.

So sweet..pleasant..kind..they had us over for wine and appetizers..delicious.
Hard working..

Poms literally dripping from a tree:)

If you are looking for a life of luxury and being catered to..Airbnbs are not for you.

But I prefer them to hotels...well the usual hotels we stay at;)

Of course I prefer a private home;)


RE Airbnbs..not specifying any  but having just stayed in a few..

One thing I do not get is the cleaning fee ..because I usually leave anywhere we go in the same manner we found it in..exactly..or better.So it should be built into the price per week.

If I had an Airbnb.

But worse ..a sheet fee? Why pay for sheets?We're not taking them home lol.And not cheap..enough to buy a new set of sheets.

I would question that next time..

Just suggesting to you..
It was our first experience.

I want one..up above♥

And look..no grass? Just raking..No weeds it seemed and no perennials.
I wanted to come home..rip out my cottage gardens and opt for these.

Our first market there was the Saturday..in Apt.

LOL Pebble Beach and Marthas Vineyard.

We really look French Canadian don't we?:)

I am the French dresser..

See his happy face?

We had a waitress that was out of a movie♥

She was maybe 20..charming..askew..scattered..

yet it did not matter.

You would not believe the service..some got grumpy..we reveled.

It's a holiday!

The Apt market is lovely..and busy.But ISLS..? BUSIER.

I did buy some powdered ochres there and loved my shopkeeper..even more the French woman in her 80's now living in Australia because of her daughter and grandchildren..who bought the same ochres I did and a travel set for an artist friend of hers.
You would have never believed she was in her 80's..not because she has been cosmetically enhanced..but her joie de vivre and sheer brilliance.

If you think the above is busy..as I mentioned above...

Isle-Sur-La Sorgue?

I didn't even get a pic..would have needed a ladder..

On the homefront..

my calendars have arrived:)

I love tabletop day by day..Mary E..

But on the wall in my craft room..I love my Susan..and now that I have met her..even more♥.


In the kitchen...

I made these:)Cute enough or what?♥

Don't rely on the cooking directions..after the first 30 mins mine 

were NEAR done..I left them in the oven w/ the garlic..and yes..that's a good thing..put the garlic on top after..

Hasselbacks are always pretty..minis?
Trop cute..

Nickel as they say on French cooking shows♥

So..the markets, in Provence..♥And the baking has begun.

I am elated to write that although Jacques never comes to local brocante/tag sales ..he actually scopes them out for us and I get to see so many!
It's the life..the color..the variety..the joie de vivre..the care..attention and devotion that I adore.
And I guess he does too.
This is St-Rémy..♥

It is just right..
Just right gorgeous.

I admit to LOVING the Aix-En-Provence one too;)

But getting back to markets..and St-Rémy..

After EVERY market..almost..that we went to..and we went to many..the towns are town proud..♥ and the streets are washed to within an inch of their lives.
When vendors leave..they leave gracefully and respectfully..not a thing is amiss..but then the town steps in and completely Hoovers ..and car washes the streets to utter perfection.

After every market we had lunch on a terrasse..me who never eats out:) Well this made up for all the years lol..
lunch.. ate out..

dinner ..I nibbled olives at home;)

Homefront..in QC..  we start our Christmas Cakes early..

I rely on this one..it is different..it's Pierrette's recipe..a girl from work..I loved her baking..I loved her home..oh her home..you would not believe it....and she was always nice w/me...to me..very colorful..married to a physician in our small town..and she lost him a few years ago..:(
I must write to her this Christmas and tell her I made it again..

Her recipe makes enough for a 3 tier wedding cake..I half it and it makes 2 6 inch I think springform pans..
her recipe can be a tad confusing..it could be just me..yet it works every year:)
Still..I'll let you peruse your own Christmas Cake recipe as everyone's tastes are different.
The morning I made it..we had no electricity..the winds were howling..
so we went out in search of all my ings apart from te staples I always have on hand..
you need mixed fruit(I used dates,cranberries pineapple ,apricots  ..chopped and dry of course)..mixed peel..currants,golden raisins,sliced almonds,those cherries..  etc..as you can see in perusing recipes..they are all different.
I may try Mary Berry's next year.
Brandy.. pineapple juice....etc..
Personally..I HATE fruit cake..lol.Hohoho.
These are for Jacques.

We were also out looking for a new FAKE Christmas tree.

So we have had a few kinds over 45 yrs..

Real..not real..ugly..Charlie Brownish..Gaudy..and not.

I loved the real ones but there was no HOHOHO in putting it up..
or taking it out.
For the last 13 yrs..I have loved our pre-lit full and tall and actually magazine worthy tree,fake albeit..fake.

But it's huge..
the lights don't work anymore..
it weighs a ton even in sections..
and so the Hohoho had gone up and left.
I saw it coming..
We came home w/ a new pre-lit fake tree.

Apparently skinny is more in ..? 

I'll let you know in December if the hohoho is back.
I LOVED that tree.

I LOVE those tiny topiary olive trees too..you can never find one here.
I have one..but it is a bush ..I am very fond of it..but it is getting big..it used to fit on the ledge of my window..now it's a corner of the sunroom;)


I just keep rethinking Provence..;)


PS..
Jeanie  ..the author of the blog The Marmalade Gypsy..

suggested a book to me..

Lisette's List..
I am halfway through..and have sent Nancy an email suggesting she read it..and told Penny who just came back from Provence that this is a good read..
Thank you Jeanie..
It is bringing back so many memories..some things don't change..and some of  my friend Nancy's favorite artists are mentioned..Chagall in particular.