Mille Bourne revisited

We have skipped a couple days blogging but will be sure to go back and fill in. We are now in Aix-en-Provence.  Aix is a city of about 120,000 in south eastern France.  It's a combination between Key West (party all night), Daytona (college students) and Palm Springs (every expensive store I have ever seen).  It was fabulous to travel on the TGV from Paris and arrive in Aix 3.5 hours later - driving would have taken us 8 + hours assuming we could find our way.  We have a wonderful studio/flat on the 4th floor of a building right in the center of town.  Did I tell you there is no elevator?  74 steps up each time we come up.  I've counted.
Anyway it's a great place with everything we need.  For those who have been around here we are on a street called Cour Mirabeau.  It's tree lined and has fountains and is beautiful.  The bands have been playing all weekend in the square (the high school drum corp was less than appreciated when they went on for hours, but the gospel singers and jazz bands were spectacular.

Today we decided to brave the roads and the French signs and go out of town.  I am a country girl at heart and I really needed to get out of the city, away from tourists and smoke!  Everyone smokes here - it's gross.
We took off with sort of google map directions and a good map and only got lost once.  The "interstate" highway is an autoroute and has few exits.  It is also very fast.  Too bad we were in a little VW.  We made our way to L'Isles Sur-de-la Sorgue - a small village with a huge Sunday market.  We scored some gifts and some great fresh veggies.

Olives

 

Garlic

We then hit the road exploring the small (!!) windy roads leading into the Luberon area.  This is a National Park but has small villages.  Because it is a protected area there has been little commercial development and it still seems like small French villages.  We had lunch in Goult at La Carollin a lovely restaurant run by a woman from Belgium.  Here is my dessert -  I can't believe I took a picture of sorbet.

 This little village has a windmill.  Moulin in French means windmill (get it...the Moulin Rouge)

Oh yeah Tom has to tell you about the title - Mille Bourne.

Did you ever play this game when you were young?  Well, it's not too far from the truth except we haven't had any accidents or flat tires, yet.  But it sure reminds us of the game.  Imagine driving through a beautiful countryside and not knowing what any of the signs say?  Just a few signs that tell you which way to a town.  It's an adventure.  And, that's what we like about it.