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St-Remy-de-Provence

Memories tour/18 ~ Day 10

November 12, 2018 by Patricia Sands 7 Comments

Catching up on our tour! I think I may have published the last post twice so sorry about that. It’s been a crazy two weeks.

On Day 10, our first stop was the renowned and lively Wednesday market that winds through much of the old town in quaint St. Rémy-de-Provence. The exceptional selection of wares spill from stalls that fill narrow alleys and shady squares … every Provençal product your heart desires may be found here.  With a wide choice of bistros and cafés to stop for a break and plenty of street music to entertain, the morning passed quickly.

As the happy shoppers returned to the bus, after lunch, it was noted that several new suitcases had been purchased. Hmmm…

Then we had a short drive to the edge of town, stopping at the monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole, which was also an asylum when van Gogh admitted himself there in May 1889. He remained until May 1890 and painted some of his most important works during that time. There is a peace and serenity found here, inside, and also in the back garden as well as in the stunning Romanesque cloister. You can feel Vincent’s spirit here. It’s one of my favourite stops on our tour.

 

Then we hopped back on our coach and a half-hour later arrived at another special spot … Les Carrières des Lumières … for a spectacular multi-media presentation in an old quarry below the hilltop village of Les Baux de Provence. This year’s exhibit is based on Picasso and other Spanish artists. It’s a truly breathtaking experience.

Next was a photo op at the best place to capture the image of the medieval hilltop village of Les Baux, ruins and all.

And a surprise stop, thanks to our bus driver, at the Abbaye de Montmajour.

Now I need your help, ladies from the tour! My dinner photos have vanished! Please send me a few. Thanks!

Most of all today, we missed our co-leader Deborah Bine after her accident the day before.  Please visit co-leader and BFF, Deborah Bine’s Barefoot Blogger site to see how she is coming along. Remember too, she regularly posts all sorts of great articles on her travels and life in France. 

Want to join us in 2019? Contact travel expert extraordinaire, Nancy McGee, at Absolutely Southern France. She already has an “early bird” list filling up.  We’re excited!

 

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Filed Under: Blog, France, General Travel, Photo blogs, Uncategorized Tagged With: Absolutely Southern France, Barefoot Blogger, les carrieres des lumieres, market, Patricia Sands, south of France memories tour, St-Remy-de-Provence, St. Paul de Mausole

Lucky Friday the 13th!

April 13, 2018 by Patricia Sands 8 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

It’s Friday the 13th! Thought by some to bring bad luck, to me it’s always a date for good news because one of my sons was born on that date. Today, this Friday the 13th, brought me a different type of good news.

Drawing Lessons will be on sale in Australia beginning Monday. I  thought I would check my book stats on Amazon.com.au and I came across this lovely review. I hope you don’t mind me sharing this food for my writer’s soul.

I loved writing Drawing Lessons but I find it my most difficult novel to promote because of the sad beginning. I know I try to avoid it.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Simply gorgeous
ByBella  TOP 500 REVIEWER  on 2 February 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Wow. What an astonishingly touching story! I love how poetically this author writes. There was so much heart, so much beauty in this story. From the saddest situation imaginable grew something truly divine. So refreshing to read something that managed to paint such colourful images without being overly descriptive, and so wonderful to read something that blended all different kinds of people of all ages so beautifully. An absolute triumph from Patricia Sands.

If you have friends in Australia, please share this with them. Here’s the link in Amazon.com.au.

And the blurb:

The author of the Love in Provence series returns to the South of France with a poignant portrait of a woman who must learn how to create a new life for herself…

Sixty-two-year-old Arianna arrives in the South of France for a two-week artists’ workshop full of anticipation but burdened by guilt. Back home in Toronto, she has been living with the devastating diagnosis of her husband’s dementia and the heartbreak of watching the man she has loved for decades slip away before her eyes. What does her future hold without Ben? Before her is a blank canvas.

Encouraged by her family to take some time for herself, she has traveled to Arles to set up her easel in the same fields of poppies and sunflowers that inspired Van Gogh. Gradually, she rediscovers the inner artist she abandoned long ago. Drawing strength from the warm companionship and gentle wisdom of her fellow artists at the retreat—as well as the vitality of guest lecturer Jacques de Villeneuve, an artist and a cowboy—Arianna searches her heart for permission to embrace the life in front of her and, like the sunflowers, once again face the light.

Set in and around the intriguing town of Arles and down into the fascinating Camargue, the story also has the spirit of Vincent van Gogh woven into the pages.

Much of my research was conducted here in the peacefully beautiful setting of the monastery of St. Paul de Mausole, an easy walk outside St. Remy-de-Provence. Vincent admitted himself here in May 1889 for treatment. He found a certain degree of peace and acceptance from the health practitioners and his creativity flourished in between his psychotic episodes. Inspired by the light and beauty of the surrounding landscapes he built on his prodigious period in Arles (during the previous 18 months), producing some of his best work.

He remained for a year before leaving for Auvers-sur-Oise to live closer to his brother, Theo. Sadly, he died two months later.

It was here that I also observed visiting artists finding their own inspiration, surrounded by the aura of Vincent. Magic.

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, If it is France..., Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Arles, art, Australia, book review, Drawing Lessons, St-Remy-de-Provence, Vincent Van Gogh, womens fiction

Friday fantasies in France

April 10, 2015 by Patricia Sands 12 Comments

If it’s Friday, it must be France …

St-Remy-de-Provence
St-Remy-de-Provence

Now here’s a great combination: support a worthwhile cause and have a chance on winning a magical week in a lovely villa in St-Remy-de Provence, plus additional goodies, FREE … not including airfare.

pool rental-provence-03

My friend, Julie Mautner has all the details on her latest issue of The Provence Post.  Click right here for all the links to this very worthwhile fundraiser. If you love to know what’s going on in Provence and don’t subscribe to Julie’s site, you should!

Each 10GBP donation (about $15.00) buys you one chance to win and you can enter as often as you like. All proceeds go directly to Busoga Trust’s water and sanitation projects in Uganda.

I’m going to buy my tickets right now. Good luck to you ~ bonne chance!

If you have a minute to relax right now, sit back and enjoy a visit to the beautiful hilltop village of Eze. Click right here for a photo essay of mine posted on the LLM website and it just might fuel some more of your travel fantasies.

Picture yourself strolling through this ancient archway …

1.DSC00381-768x1024

I’m deep in my writing den working on book #3 of the Love In Provence series,  but I always have time to indulge in fantasies about France. Just 15 more days before lift off for our summer stay over there. I’ll take you all along with me right here on the blog and also on Instagram. Will you keep me company? I hope so!

Bon weekend, tout le monde! As Ellen says, “Be kind to one another!”

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, France, General Travel, If it is France..., News, Social issues, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Bosuga Trust, Eze, Julie Mautner, LLm Lifestyle, Love In Provence, Photo Essay, St-Remy-de-Provence, The Provence Post

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