Provence - A Few Words ... |
“Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next week, next year, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train.”
Elizabeth David
Well, I prefer the car, but the rest I can go along with. It was our second Provence visit in the summer of 2013, the first one had been back in 1997. The fascination of this mediterranean region with it's East side bordering Italy and the South facing the Mediterranean Sea has stayed the same:
A radiating nature, charming people of great kindness, the light of the Cote d'Azur coast line, ancient ruins, poppy and lavender fields, villages caught in time warps - for their best, markets, delicious cuisine and a tranquil, relaxed lifestyle! Life has it's own pace in Provence ...
The amazing city-state of Monaco - not being part of France and the Provence, but being a must for Provence visitors - supplements the experience.
No matter where you stay - the Provence offers a broad magnitude of locations worth a visit. Some are shown in the map. |
The 2013 trip brought us to La Ciotat, not too far from Marseille. La Ciotat is one of the many harbour towns with long beaches, Calanques (steep-sided bays), parks and shopping opportunities. Back in time it was the setting of the first motion pictures produced by the Lumiére brothers in 1895, who had their summer residence in the town. They called their invention "Cinématographe". In 1904 La Ciotat saw the first color photographs based on the "Autochrome Lumière" process produced by the brothers. Also Pétanque - the famous French boule game - was invented in La Ciotat in 1910. The small island "Île Verte" with many Calanques is located in the Mediterranean sea just "in front" of La Ciotat and can be visited by boat trips starting in the harbor. La Ciotat is also the perfect starting point for a trip via the "Route des Crêtes" or "Corniche des Crêtes" - a picturesque road along the sea leading to Cassis over the coastal hills with magnificient outlooks.
Map showing the six departéments within the region "Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur" |
"Is it any better in Heaven, my friend Ford, Than you found it in Provence?"
William Carlos Williams from: TheWedge,'To Ford Madox Ford in Heaven'
Nothing to add ...