Weeks 33-35: Living in Provence (Winter in Provence – Enjoying the Great Outdoors)
Our family has definitely been more physically active since we embarked on this big adventure. Although Kelly played softball and basketball last year and we had done a couple of long walking vacations, we were otherwise stereotypical couch potatoes… especially in the wintertime. My major physical exercise each day involved walking up a steep city block from the parking garage to my downtown office building.
Now here we are with 14 months off from work… a great opportunity to make a lifestyle change and become more physically active. We started walking in England and really haven’t stopped. We’ve found that this area of Provence is very much a walker’s paradise—well-marked trails everywhere and truly amazing scenery. Charley and I have increased the frequency and intensity of our walks together, and we think we often see the very best of Provence from the walking trail—the hidden countryside that people who pass through by car never see. For the most part, the winter weather has been very conducive to walking—clear, sunny days with temperatures sometimes in the upper 50’s. When the sun is high, we can hike without our jackets even at this time of year. Our hiking days together are very special times for Charley and me.
Last week we had one of our most unusual hikes so far—to the Gorges de Véroncle, a truly unique natural and historical area that can only be reached on foot. The gorges are located in the area between the pretty villages of Joucas and Murs, and we had a beautiful view of the famous village of Gordes off to the west before heading down into the gorges.
We’ve recently started walking to Bonnieux once or twice a week, normally to have lunch at the village café, Le Terrail. Sometimes we meet Kelly at her school at noon and enjoy lunch together at the café. For 12 euro each, we have a great meal with an entrée (first course), a main course like steak, lamb or veal, dessert and coffee. We like being “regulars” at the café. (On our café days we usually have a very light dinner!) A couple of times I’ve driven Kelly back to school after a lunch at home, left the car in the school parking lot, walked back here, and then walked back to meet her at the end of her day. We drive the car back home. If I walk quickly, I can make the trip in 30 minutes, and it helps that we now know several shortcuts. It’s a strenuous walk to the village… uphill almost the whole way!
A big highlight of our winter in Provence has been Kelly’s discovery of skiing. She went on a weeklong “classe de neige” with her school in January, and we just returned this afternoon from a long weekend of skiing in the Val d’Allos. We are only three hours from the southern French Alps, so we wanted to take advantage of this unique opportunity during Kelly’s winter break from school. Tomorrow morning we leave on another mini-trip… this time to Barcelona, Spain for four days. Charley calls this “our vacation from our vacation.” It all seems rather decadent, I’m sure!
Our blog update today is a family effort and focuses on some of our outdoor experiences in Provence this winter:
· My Trip Skiing in the French Alps (and Learning to Ski in French) – by Kelly
· Four Days in the French Alps – by Kathy
· Hiking in the Gorges de Véroncle – by Charley
