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Patricia Sands

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Avignon

‘Tis the luscious lavender season

July 4, 2015 by Patricia Sands 22 Comments

IMG_6002If it’s Friday, it must be France …

“Lavender is the soul of Provence” ~ Jean Giono, author of The Man Who Planted Trees (A quick 4000 word short story you will enjoy.)

It’s that time of year again in France! Lavender season is at its peak. I was never an avid fan of the scent until my husband and I drove up through the lavender fields a number of years ago so … no surprise here … I could take photos. When we opened the car door and stepped out, we were enveloped in a calming fragrance that was both intense and delicate. I wish I could add that to these photos, but I hope somehow the magic of it comes through.

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Small growers and private gardens create patchwork quilt views through the countryside.

IMG_4968 Some landowners grow lavender simply for their own pleasure.

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Where there is lavender, there will be bees. Delicious honey is one of the many offshoots of lavender production. Try it with goat cheese or in a salade de chèvre chaud. Yum!

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Explore the back roads and stop in to buy from local producers.

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The Cistercian monks of the 12th century Abbaye de Sénanque continue the ancient tradition in an isolated valley near Gordes. It’s a “must” stop on the lavender trail.

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Visit early in the morning to avoid tour buses and find the best light for your photos.This photo was taken early in the season, about two weeks before the peak of glorious color.

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And other times, the fields seem to go as far as the eye can see. It’s almost hypnotizing.

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A visit to the Musée de la Lavande in the hameau de Coustellet, near Avignon, is advised and guided tours are available in seven languages. Learn the difference between lavender and lavandin and the way they are grown and used. Discover the natural benefits of the essential oil produced and be sure to inspect the collection of stills dating back to the 16th century.

Of course, if you aren’t in the neighbourhood at this time of year,  local markets will always have plenty of lavender products to tempt you year round.

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Are you a lavender fan? Do you grow it in your garden? To see more information about the plant’s history, what to do with it and where to find it in France, including maps, click here.

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Filed Under: Blog, France, General Travel, If it is France..., Photo blogs, Writing Tagged With: Abbaye de Sénanque, Avignon, bees, Coustellet, Jean Giorno, lavandin, lavender, lavender honey, Love In Provence, Musée de la Lavande, Patricia Sands, Provence, Salade de Chèvre Chaud

July 1st ~ Happy Canada Day

July 1, 2015 by Patricia Sands 9 Comments

 

 

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How are you celebrating Canada Day? It’s a bit chilly in Toronto today. A sweater is probably a good idea if you’re going to have a barbecue and watch fireworks this evening. I know, eh? Where’s summer?

I’ve just returned from three weeks in the beautiful south of France and I have to say the weather there was perfect. Apparently, I just missed the heat wave that appears to be setting in this week throughout that country. I’ll write more about that trip in my Friday post.

But today it’s all about Canada. In spite of my obvious love affair with France, I want to be clear that it does not preclude my pride in  being Canadian. As I’ve done in the past, I want to share a link to one of the best videos about our country that I’ve seen … and the credit for it belongs to our neighbours to the south.

Please click right here, sit back and enjoy as Tom Brokaw explains Canada to Americans.

This time last year, I celebrated Canada Day at a cooking class in Avignon with the great group of ladies on our south of France tour with the Womens Travel Network. What a good time that was! We may do it again, so be sure to contact Debbie Ross if you think you would like to join us!

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Filed Under: Blog, News, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Americans, Avignon, Canada, Canada Day, Debbie Ross, July 1st, Love In Provence, Patricia Sands, south of France tour, Tom Brokaw, Womens Travel Network

Breathe in. Breathe out.

July 11, 2014 by Patricia Sands 11 Comments

Bonjour and hi there!

It’s great to be back on the blog! How’s your summer going? IMG_5911

The past 8 weeks have flown by for me. You know how I love to travel … but now it’s time to slow down, get caught up and just breathe for a while  …

It’s also time to get home and hug the grandkids, although I got to hug two of them here in Vienna for a few days and that was very special!

 

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

Well, it is Friday … but it’s Vienna for three more days  … (also a lovely place to be … )

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Vienna
Vienna

… and I’m on my way home from five weeks in France. During that time I was fortunate to co-lead two women’s tours of the south of France that were based upon the locations in The Promise of Provence.

What a pleasure to travel with two groups of interesting, enthusiastic women, along with my friends, author and marketing expert Susan Sommers and Womens Travel Network owner, Debbie Ross! It was magnifique!

Here’s a taste of where we were and what we did.

As you can see, we caught the sunflowers and lavender in bloom! (If the slideshow isn’t appearing right here, you might have to wait just a minute for it to load.)

  • Roussillon
  • Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénanque
  • South of France sunflowers
  • Author Ted Jones ~ Womens Travel Network tour
  • Gordes ~ Womens Travel Network tour
  • Arles ~ Womens Travel Network tour
  • Luberon ~ WTN tour based on The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
  • Nice ~ WTN tour based on The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
  • Avignon - Le Jardin de la Tour cooking class
  • Le Palais Lascaris, Nice, France
  • St. Remy de Provence market
  • Le Jardin de la Tour cooking class
  • Le Palais des Papes, Avignon
  • Fragonard parfumerie, Grasse
  • Antibes ~ WTN tour based on The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
  • Womens Travel Network tour of the south of France 2014
  • Womens Travel Network tour based on The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
  • Nice, France ~ Womens Travel Network tour based on The Promise of Provence by Patricia Sands
  • Fragonard parfumerie, Grasse
  • Canada Day - Le Jardin de la Tour cooking class, Avignon
  • Plage Beau Rivage ~ Nice, France ~ PSandsPhotos
  • Place Massena, Nice, France ~ PSandsPhotos
  • Daily market, Nice, France ~ PSandsPhotos
  • Nice, France ~ PSandsPhotos
  • Eze Village ~ PSandsPhotos ~Womens Travel Network south of France tour 2014
  • Fleures de courgettes ~ PSandsPhotos
  • Bell tower of Provence ~ PSandsPhotos
  • Monaco ~ Womens Travel Network tour 2014 ~PSandsPhotos

Merci mille fois to each and every one of you on the tours for helping to make our adventures so memorable!

For more photos and details, just click right here on the Womens Travel Network blog! I’ll even wait while you do!

2015 is going to bring more exciting trips from WTN so stay tuned. It would be great to have you join one!

While I was away, as well as participating in some super giveaways, here are a few other items that kept us busy:

*we completed the new website you are visiting now ~ thanks to the talented tech knowledge of  Barb Drozdowich, who is also an author, book blogger and author consultant . Check out her site too! We hope you like the new look here and look forward to your comments!

*I wrapped up my edits (hopefully …) for Promises To Keep and am waiting for the final return from my editor … we’re edging closer to publication, honest!

*Instagram got stuck on “waiting”, whatever that means, and I wasn’t able to keep posting photos each day … I whined about that! Now I have to figure out how to unstick it.

*Amy Cooper, who handles all sorts of necessary social media for me, kept me afloat and stayed on top of things in her usual brilliantly organized fashion ~ A BIG THANK YOU to her and to everyone who participated in our super successful Goodreads Giveaway, Summer Splash Blog Hop and Book Rhythm Kindle Giveaways. Congratulations to all the winners of excellent books and cool prizes! These are such fun and great opportunities to connect with you!

*I feel so fortunate every single day of my travels to be in such beautiful surroundings and to have the priceless friends and support helping make it all possible … without  me falling down the writer’s rabbit hole! Thank you!

Note-taking, photographing and researching for future writing projects is a big part of these trips. Now to begin planning for 2015 … new book, new travels, and who knows what else! What’s on your agenda?

For some reason there’s no “like” button here, which I always use when I visit blogs and to leave a comment you have to scroll back up to the top of the post and click on the “Leave A Comment” link. Sigh … there’s always something!

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., News Tagged With: Avignon, Barb Drozdowich, Debbie Ross, France, Luberon, Nice, Patricia Sands, photography, Provence, Susan Sommers, The Promise of Provence, Womens Travel Network

Sur le pont D’Avignon ….

July 21, 2012 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

I’ve been treating myself to a mini-break this week spending time with our adorable grandchildren, golfing, going out to dinner with friends and later today we are going to a family wedding.

My manuscript for novel #2 is with an editor and when I hear back from him, the fun begins! I love the editing and revising part of writing. The insightful and helpful comments and observations from my beta readers (who are such an important part of the whole process) will be carefully considered when I get back to work on the MS in a week or two. A HUGE shout-out to all of them! More about  this on Tuesday.

Now it’s time to go to France and today we are stopping in beautiful Avignon, situated in the southeastern Vaucluse region, just over 100 kilometres north of Marseille. (It’s also a town that has a part to play in my novel #2. Guess how much fun I had writing about that?)

Most Canadian schoolchildren, and apparently those in many other countries around the world, learn to sing “Sur Le Pont D’Avignon” as part of their introduction to the French language.

When we first visited this historic and well-preserved town, I was excited about seeing the famous bridge. I’m not sure why, but I really was! Obviously, I hadn’t read the guidebook and travel information too carefully because I was in for a surprise.

Entering through the gates of  the preserved walls that have protected the old town for centuries, we wandered the winding streets and treated ourselves to a Papaline or two, which taste way better than they look! The signature sweet of the area, they are actually chocolate filled with a special liqueur made of honey and 60 local herbs.

Then we toured the magnificent and ghostly Palais Des Papes, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic structures in Europe. Avignon is often referred to as the “City Of Popes” since the seat of the Catholic Church moved here from Rome between 1309 and 1377 during the Catholic schism. I’m sure some great mystery novels have been set in these buildings and surroundings! A sense of foreboding and danger filled the vast empty halls.

Our first view of the bridge, properly known as Pont Saint Bénezet, was from a park on top of a rocky outcropping. Mon Dieu … there seemed to be something missing.

Built between 1171 and 1185, the bridge spanned the Rhone River from Avignon to the left bank. Due to flooding, it suffered many collapses and after numerous repairs was finally put out of use in the 1600’s after a catastrophic flood. It stood abandoned for centuries as the river continued to erode the structure and now only 4 arches remain from the original 22.

The original version of the song was “Sous le pont d’Avignon” as there were cafés and dance halls under the arches on a small island the bridge crossed over. People would have danced there under the arches and not on top of the bridge.

In case you find yourself humming the song (trust me, once you start it’s hard to stop!), you can sing along here.

Have you visited Avignon or read any stories set in this town? Did you learn “Sur le pont d’Avignon” in school? Was there a childhood tune you learned that has stayed with you through the years?

 

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Filed Under: Blog, France, If it is France..., Photo blogs Tagged With: 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards - Finalist, Avignon, France, Indie Reader Discovery Awards Finalist 2012, living in the south of France, Patricia Sands, Sur Le Pont D'Avignon, The Bridge Club

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