Day 188: Exploration

Best Moments
1. Transportation strike day in Italy
2. Easy access to the Vatican
3. Seeing the School of Athens
4. Understanding that great works like the Sistine Chapel would be best viewed alone
5. Taking a cab through Rome
6. Shopping on the streets of Rome
7. Spending time with good company

Flickr Set of Images

Day 149: Decor

Today's pictures show some recent finds.  The first are my petunias.  They are such friendly flowers.  The second is the plant I bought in Indy at the IMA greenhouse.  I think it goes so perfectly with my planter from New Orleans.  The third is Kendra watching the chipmunks.  The fourth is my tomato plant.  I love tomato plants.  It is so fun to pick the tomatoes that are ready (and eat them).  The fifth is a basket that I got at the antique store in Zionsville (my favorite!).  The final is a picture of my mirror that I got for $10 at a garage sale.  It sounds like I need to take a break with shopping. 

Day 85: Morning Walk, Antique Markets, and Hilltop Towns

I started the morning by fixing breakfast for everyone.  The menu included eggs with brie, toast, prosciutto, a fruit salad, and yogurt.  I have found that I have to have a good breakfast in the morning, otherwise it feels like my day is not as productive.

I got ready a little faster than everyone else, so I went for a walk around our neighborhood.  I came across a pretty courtyard with statues.  The morning was so peaceful.  Avignon must wake up later.  I did see some people out.  One was a restaurant owner setting up his tables.  I also saw some clergy men outside the church.  


I was really excited for today because we were going to L'Isle Sur la Sorgue.  They are known for having one of the largest markets in France.  It was pretty large.  Most of it was on the main street, but you could see it winding down smaller sidestreets as well.  I bought some goods and enjoyed looking at all of the antiques.  Linda, Janey, and I stopped at a pizza place for lunch.  I ordered their Provencal pizza witch had tomatoes, olives, cheese, and pesto on it.  I ordered a 50cl glass of rose to go with it.  To my surprise, 50cl is a pretty big portion, maybe half a bottle?  I enjoyed what I could and took the rest with me.  Janey did a pretty little sketch of the scenery as we sat at lunch.


The next stop was Gordes.  It is an eye-catching hilltop town.  We wandered the streets a bit and I did some more shopping.  I bought quite a few pottery items like a butter dish, cooking utensil canister, and herbs of provence jar.  We all took a break at a cafe with an amazing view out of the town.  Several of my fellow travelers found the bartender to be cute (a bit too old for me).  One of them even talked about laying on the bar and getting a picture with him.  I won't say who though.  I love these ladies, who would guess that they aren't my age?


We stopped at a scenic spot to take some pictures.  Unfortunately we had to go up a steep slope to get back to the street.  We struggled to get the car to go forward and not roll back into another car.  Like a pro, Becky managed the situation and we were off to our last stop, Roussillion.


Sprinkles began to hit our windshield as we ventured further east.  We drove through the rouge colored town and saw the ochre.  It had been a tiring day though, so it was a simple drive-by and we were on our way back home.  There really is not enough time, but we try to make the most of it.