Bonjour, en route to Paris Gare Lyon
“Paris is always a good idea ..” Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn, Julia Armond)
It is early morning and excitement fills the air as we prepare for our departure to Paris. Breakfast of gluten free toast topped with lavender honey from the region, fruit, xtra and go Vera, a protein shake, water.
 The four of us are packed, lightly and taking layers of clothes as it is expected to be about 4-5 degrees cooler in Paris. Anne says sunny and about 19 degrees is expected for today and tomorrow.
Bienvenue a bord! Allons y….. 
 On the train number 6204, to Paris depart Beziers at 628 am. Voiture 12, seats 115 and 116. Facing backward so we moved to 113 and 114 across the table at a seating arrangement for 4 people. Mom and Jim are across isle and close to us, also facing backward.  
Still dark out, we are up in the higher car, but can only see twinkly lights off in the distance. This morning the stars were so bright in the black sky.
Prochain Arret 640 schedule stop at Agde, then 656 at Sete. 722 Montpellier, 752 Nimes. 1050 Paris. I wonder if there are more stops between but not showing just yet? Time will tell.  
First class is classy. Well worth the extra 5-8 euros each. Quiet, velvet high back seats, big windows. We have a large folding table between us. Perfect for card playing :). Or in my case, for setting up iPad to write to you :). 
And as we were boarding, we passed a bar car on this train! Must try that out later :). 
Just departing Agde. The sky is starting to gently shift from black to very dark dark blue on the horizon. Promising to turn lighter as the moments, and hours pass. Perhaps it is from reflected light of the distant city…. It is beautiful. Sometimes I can make out silhouette shapes against light backgrounds… Palm and other forms of tree foliage.   
We have left the station at Sete and the sky is starting to lighten. The horizon is becoming more visible even if only the black silhouette. It seems like magic and more than a little special to be on this train this day, heading to Paris. Surreal!  
Golds and blues, violets and grey hues now join in the dark blue black of the distant sky. Can you see it where you are? We have the same sky, the same view, only miles and time separates us :). The moons fingernail like a wide topped coffee cup still hanging in the sky. Perhaps holding the dreams and desires of many, a bowl of hope. 
We are passing the beaches where we walked barefoot only yesterday. This is a place I said I would return to … Lol. I did not expect to be back this way so soon! I love this area. Both sides of the tracks and roadways are water. Hmmmmm
Prochain Arret: Montpellier Saint Roch. A much larger station and lots of coming and going. Morning has broken as we depart for the gare of Nimes.
The countryside at dawn on this fall day takes my breath away. Speechless . “Beautiful …. Wish you were here” .. line from the film French Kiss, with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline.
Mom, Steve and Jim are dosing on and off. Me, I am too excited and wish I could dance and sing aloud! Lol
And we are leaving and the train is now full. We share our table with another couple:). They speak French. How delightful! They are lovely and smart dressers, our age? I can never tell. Perhaps a generation older. Reading the paper as we begin the three hour ride to Paris! Direct, fast train … Woo hooo, here we go!  
I wonder if we had the last first class seats? The car we are in is full.  
And so we go ….. Little villages on little knolls, terra cotta tile roofs atop gold buildings tightly set together, church steeples near by and mostly surrounded at least partially by stone walls or fences. Then miles of fields, rock out cropping, dark green foliage and low brush, river ribbons gently providing lace and ties between the settlements. Fields well defined by row upon row of vineyard and other grains and grasses. Windmills gently turning. Stone cottages and tree lined streams.  
The train speeds up, taking us to Paris through all the geography between here and there. Evidence of the world turning, the sun begins its rise up from the horizon. Wow … The view from this train is spectacular.  
The sun so bright now in my window that I must squint to see, and I have removed all the extra layers of scarves and coats and shawls that seemed so necessary when we left the villa a few short hours ago. This sun is glorious.  
Twenty minutes before Paris stop. Farmland as far as the eye can see, cows, grain, farm equipment working the fields. Brilliant blue sky and cloudless. Little clusters of birds picking at the fields and seeds. Trees marking boarders just starting to change colour with the seasons. And then a tunnel blocking all views. Ten minutes to arrival.
Bonne journee!  

I love Paris in the springtime … I love Paris in the fall …
Excerpts from my Paris app:
  

*******the Louvre is much more than a museum—it represents a saga that started centuries ago, having been a fortress at the turn of the 13th century, and later a royal residence.

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he most recognized symbol of Paris is the Tour Eiffel, but the ultimate traveler’s prize is the Louvre. This is the world’s greatest art museum—and the largest, with 675,000 square feet of works from almost every civilization on earth. The three most popular pieces here are, of course, the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. Beyond these must-sees, your best bet is to focus on whatever interests you the most—and don’t despair about getting lost, for you’re bound to stumble on something memorable. Pick up an excellent color-coded map at the information desk.

The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property.

Bear in mind that the Louvre is much more than a museum—it represents a saga that started centuries ago, having been a fortress at the turn of the 13th century, and later a royal residence. It was not until the 16th century, under François I, that today’s Louvre began to take shape, and through the years Henry IV, Louis XIII, Louis XV, Napoléon I, and Napoléon III all contributed to its construction. Napoléon Bonaparte’s military campaigns at the turn of the 19th century brought a new influx of holdings, as his soldiers carried off treasures from each invaded country. During World War II the most precious artworks were hidden, while the remainder was looted. Most of the stolen pieces were recovered, though, after the liberation of Paris. No large-scale changes were made until François Mitterrand was elected president in 1981, when he kicked off the Grand Louvre project to expand and modernize the museum.

Mitterrand commissioned I.M. Pei’s Pyramide, the giant glass pyramid surrounded by three smaller pyramids that opened in 1989 over the new entrance in the Cour Napoléon. In 2012, the Louvre’s newest architectural wonder opened—the 30,000-square-foot Arts of Islam wing. Built into the Cour Visconti in the Denon wing and topped with an undulating golden roof evoking a veil blowing in the wind, the two-level galleries house one of the world’s largest collections of art from all corners of the Islamic world.

 
**********The Eiffel Tower is to Paris what the Statue of Liberty is to New York and what Big Ben is London: the ultimate civic emblem. French engineer Gustave Eiffel—already famous for building viaducts and bridges—spent two years working to erect this monument for the World Exhibition of 1889.

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ecause its colossal bulk exudes a feeling of mighty permanence, you may have trouble believing that it nearly became 7,000 tons of scrap metal (the 1,063-foot tour contains 12,000 pieces of metal and 2,500,000 rivets) when its concession expired in 1909. At first many Parisians hated the structure, agreeing with designer William Morris, who, explaining why he had been spending so much time at the tower, said “Why on earth have I come here? Because it’s the only place I can’t see it from.” Only its potential use as a radio antenna saved the day (it still bristles with a forest of radio and television transmitters). Gradually, though, the Tour Eiffel became part of the Parisian landscape, entering the hearts and souls of Parisians and visitors alike. Today it is most breathtaking at night, when every girder is highlighted in a sparkling display originally conceived to celebrate the turn of the millennium. The glittering light show was so popular that the 20,000 lights were reinstalled for permanent use in 2003. The tower does its electric shimmy for five minutes every hour on the hour until 1 am.

The glittering light show was so popular that the 20,000 lights were reinstalled for permanent use in 2003.

You can stride up the stairs as far as the third floor, but if you want to go to the top you’ll have to take the elevator. (Be sure to take a close look at the fantastic ironwork.) Although the view of the flat sweep of Paris at 1,000 feet may not beat the one from the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper, the setting makes it considerably more romantic—especially if you come in the late evening, after the crowds have dispersed. Beat the crushing lines by reserving your ticket online. You can also book a guided tour.

First stop of the day.Domaine de L’arjolle for some wine tasting at 1130 am. A few purchases and a giggle or two. A nice glow for most of the day. We have a case or two of hand selected wines to select from this vacation.
Beziers train station to get tickets to Paris and Nice. Gare SNCF. Billets to Paris from Beziers, x 4. Depart 6 hr 28 min and arrive 1050 am. Next day return from Paris depart 1807 and arrive Beziers 2233 hours. Anne has graciously and generously offered to take us and pick us up. The stress of driving to meet the deadline was immediately relieved. Thanks Anne!  
Also Pamela purchased billet from Beziers to Nice for 30 October. Thinking it was a short trip …. well, I arrive at 1700 hours in Nice. I will then get to Goldstar hotel and meet the other gals there. Jane, Laura and Sandee.  
TODAY continued: We drove through some very scenic countryside.
Series of nine locks connecting Mediterranean to Atlantic Ocean around Bordeaux. Beziers. Built in 1600s. Canal midi. Is unesco world heritage site. Picturesque. Plane trees lining canal. We stopped to watch a boat come through.  
Driving along tree lined canal through tiny villages. Spectacular
Palm tree groves also along side of road! Cyclists and walkers along side, ducks swimming 
A lot of changing landscapes without going too far. Different microclimates. Now like Alberta farmland …. Flat, cows, farmland, fields and machinery. Closer to the sea, windmills.  
Trois Dingues Beach walk, waded in the water. Selected sea shells. Sandy beach and warm sand, cool sea water. We will come back here! 23 degrees! Ar 3 pm local time 
Sete: two Panoramic lookout spots. 25 degrees. We can see forever! Butterflies and beauty. A school class doing a project… Fun to listen to French. Then another. Panoramique st Clair. lots of great photos!
Seignurie de Peyrat, winery near our place near Roujan. Her name is Cecile and she is lovely. She set up a table in the courtyard of this magnificent old estate, wine glasses, cheeses and breads. The feast began with several wine selections. Whites, rose and then reds. WOW! then a delightful walk through the chapel and on the grounds, through the garden. SEVERAL purchases of yet more wine! And we purchased all the remaining gifts to take home … glass wine stoppers each personally placed in cotton cloth bags cinched with string. Very cool gifts! Or maybe we will keep them all? ha ha – I think we must have bought the last twenty they had!! LOL. Who has that many wine bottles open at once??? Have to give the stoppers away as gifts to deserving friends!!! Are you one?? Speak fast ………..
Still to do, program the GPS in the rental car so I can get us around while Anne is cruising.

Places to visit
Minerve.. Small historical old city, Plus Beau Village, unesco. In gorge up on hilltop. Pretty, takes few hours to walk around it. Takes 1 1/2 hours to get there
Plage before Sete, return to beach 🙂 Trois Dingues
Carcassone, maybe on same day as Minerve if leave early. See castle, not city centre. Walk through castle, fee. Drive to Cite ( not centreville)
Narbonne. Bigger centre, historic. Has canal running through middle of it. Park at Les Halles parking lot and then will be right by canal and shops and city centre from one parking lot.
Montpellier, big square in centre, lots of shopping. Park at Comedie parking lot and will be right in centre square.
Nimes, historic. 1 and 1/2 hour away. Could do Nimes and Montpellier in same day.
Arles. Could do Nimes and Arles same day! Pont du Gard. north of Nimes. Bridge and Nimes same day. :). old roman aqueduct.  
Avignon. hour and half away. pretty much a whole day by itself. Little train may be available to take you around city. May not be still operating this time of year?  

Chere blog readers, te remercie de …… being with me on this magical journey in south of France.

October 8 already, where does the time go?
Nine hours ahead of my family and friends back home. I am telling you all that the future is beautiful in the south of France!! Anyone who thinks this would make a great holiday would be so right.
The benefits include unpacking once, although I have not yet finished unpacking 🙂 lol. Also local lavender flavored honey on gluten free toast. Lemon meringues from local bakery. White wine, red wine and rose in abundance. The flavours, the scents, the vistas, the gorgeous sunshine …. greenery as far as the eye can see and beyond into the imagination.
I am sitting at the table with a view of that lovely table, greenery hanging about and sweet rolling hills although almost flat like a wide valley bottom. Trees of shimmering grey / green next to almost bright yellow green and dark green leaves. Aloe plants as big as a car (a Europe car, lol), prickly pear cactus in bloom! and Palm trees in the yard. I can hardly believe it. Next to the leaves on the now bear vines as they begin, every day to change a little more color welcoming in the new autumn season.  
Cool evenings bring on the change in leaves on some of the trees. Last night out for dinner I wore light lilac silk top that I picked up in Europe last trip …. and wore over white slim jeans, with a white scarf around my neck. so when I say cool evenings, well, it is all relative!  
Speaking of relative, I am here with my mom and her friend Jim, my partner and Anne is our hostess. Tomorrow Mom, Jim, Steve and I all head off on a local train for a few days to explore Paris – city of lights. After that Anne leaves for 11 days on a cruise (I had once booked but then cancelled so I could stay here and house sit the villa:))
I feel like I have the most magical life, the most wonderful friends and family …. and most gracious opportunities. Enchanted is a word that comes to mind.  
amities, 
Pamela of France
ps. for dinner last night I had salmon with local vegetables. The salmon was covered with carrot and curcumin so bright in color it was almost surreal. And the flavours ……… of everything so much more flavour when I sit in the region where the local select the best ingredients and serve with pride and interest, attention to every detail. Food is an art form. While here, I shall become an art lover!!!  
   
   

Today’s Agenda: day3 in south of France

A drive toward Montpellier and a bit north of that to the Unesco town of St.- Guilhem – Le -desert – (village), stop at Pont du diable, this bridge is a UNESCO heritage site and then stop at Mas de Daumas Gassac, winery close to Aniane, village.  
One of “Les plus beaux villages” and unesco world heritage site.
Diner a la Maison Conti in Pezanas. We had reservations for 730 pm, it was full and they had to turn other people away. We got home around 1030. Lovely wine, conversation, exquisite flavourful French fare. It was lovely and we are all stuffed!  
Tomorrow three wineries, Mougeres (once was an Abbey), Mas Belles Caux, and Sugnurie de Peyrat (we had their wine tonight with dinner at the restaurant- fantastic! ). We will see a beach and then view the beautiful seaside town of Sete.
After that, heading to Beziers to pick up train tickets for four of us to go to Paris on 9 October and then returning the following evening to Roujan, and http://www.lesmontels.com villa. Anne leaves the next day to catch cruise for 9-10 days …. I also need a ticket to Nice for the morning of 30 October …. As I will be heading to spend two days there and an Azamara cruise to follow and then home :). 
Also we will also see a beach and the town of Sete.  
Our time is full so far. We need to learn the routine and how to get around this area, as once Anne leaves, we are on our own. We have eaten the rich food, and drank some fantastic wines. The views are so beautiful. Ancient, lush, green and covered in vineyards with leaves about to change colour with the season. Dotted on any horizon are small villages with light gold buildings with terra cotta rooftops.  
It is quiet now, time to sleep and dream of another day.  
The sky is so black and it is so quiet here … A million trillion stars above us .. Takes my breath away.  
Good night, Bon soir
Love Pamela of France

day two: today is Wednesday and you all are on Wednesday too, but still in the wee hours of the day at your end. We are just heading in to afternoon. Had a scrumptious breakfast, fresh fruit and veggies, gluten free toast and peanut butter … Anne had gone out this morning to get very fresh croissants for the other guests. French cheeses …. wow! And black cherry preserve jam, a new purchase from yesterday.
Today we are going to a winery and a few other towns I think. Last night we looked at our trip to Paris for this weekend, and decided to head in to Beziers tomorrow to get first class train tickets, to find parking and see the sights. Friday morning we are off to fabulous Paris for two days, one night only.
I have been to Paris before, as has Jim. Steve and Shirley will be new to the city of lights. We would like to do some walking along the Seine, maybe a hop on bus for city sight viewing and evening illuminations tour. Then Saturday we will walk and head home after supper time on the later train back to Beziers and then drive back to the villa. It is our one fantastic big trip while here. Anne won’t join us this time, and she leaves in a few days for a great cruise with another of our friends, Barb, out of Rome. They will be gone 9 days so we will make the villa and surrounding area our home and check out the sea, the towns, the vistas, the wineries and relax close by.  
I have an interest in going to Aix de Provence, Marseilles, Avignon, Nimes, Sete. Maybe Carcasonne, Arles (where the river cruises depart from), perhaps Toulouse …. and if very ambitious Milan Italy and tip over into Spain on the other side. We shall see what kind of driving we feel like doing.  
Three weeks is a nice long time, however it will fly by fast I think. I long to see the countryside and names of cities known only through stories, movies and songs of my past. Perhaps also I was French in another life?
I last spoke much french in 1976 when I was at the Olympic games in Montreal Quebec. I was with the Armed Forces and was there assisting with distribution of the results of the games throughout the CBC central hub. Before faxes and cell phones, we had photocopiers and young french youth to run them around and up stairs and elevators to distribute to the world’s press. I was the only person on my team that could speak french to our youth …. so I was immersed in speaking on a daily basis. I am sure it will all come back to me 🙂
I received my securities license yesterday by email (I took the training in September for two weeks before leaving Victoria) so when I get home again in November I can begin work on casual on call. I will of course, continue to be a travel consultant with Expedia CruiseShipCenters in Victoria as well. I enjoy my work and really enjoy travel with the Womens Travel Club.
In January we are confirmed to go to India for a month to see the north and south of that exotic country. Many women have committed to join in the travel and it promises to be the trip of life time. Want to join us??
For now, I am preparing to head into town. Bottles of water, some fruit and goodies to nibble on the way. Anne is driving so we can partake in the wine tastings. Yummmmm
Have a wonderful day, Bon jour
Pamela, of France! 

It is the end of the first full day in France. It was a beautiful day. We slept in, due to crazy change in time, nine hours later here. We had a leisurely casual breakfast and got logged in to electronic devices.
Off for the day to explore Pezanas. I loved that little town and look forward to more of the same. Old doors, old structures and buildings, shutters on windows, red flowers in bloom in flower boxes. It is perfectly France, and just what I wanted to experience while I am on this vacation.  Chocolate covered orange peels, yum.
Gluten free baguette, toasted and topped with olive tapenade. Rose wines from the region. Sparkling wine, like prosecco with a splash of Cassis. Fantastic flavourful local market veggie cooked to perfection.  
Everyone is pitching in with kitchen tasks. It is lovely to spend this time together, family and friends. I wish all my family and friends were here. Maybe next time :). 
Time for sleep. My iPad has not yet adjusted to the time so it is afternoon where you are and I am heading to bed. Good night.
Bon nuit, 
Pamela, of France

Day one in France
We all awakened late and rose to the beauty of this place. I hope we are now on French thyme. Lol
Then a lazy hour around morning rituals and some breakfast pickings. Out for a drive in early afternoon to Pezanas. A local town, midevil, after we drove through Roujan. 
 Roujan is about 2 km from the villa and would make a nice walk one day, through the wine country. 
I enjoyed a session with Anne driving and teaching about the local road signs which indicate who has the right of way on narrow one way bridges and roads. We passed terra cotta red roofs, olives hanging in the trees, freshly picked grape vines in row upon row, and roads lined with Plane trees. The trees are tall, majestic, old and have greenery on tops only, preparing to change colour with cool evening air. Even the leaves on grape vines are starting to change. It will be a beautiful season of fall to be in this area.
Hot hot in the sun as we head out, 31 degrees says the car, 24 later on in the day. Sunny shirt sleeve weather. Quite comfortable actually.
We walked through Pezanas for a few lovely hours, entranced by the history, old wood doors nestled over time in stone arched doorways. And adorned with knockers of every conceivable description. Little hardy sprouts of greenery peeking up under neath over time. On top of the doorways, sometime, sculpted in stone a story of perhaps what family lived there once upon a time.  
Cobblestone streets, walkways in narrow alleys, archways and town squares where markets and meeting places have happened over hundreds of years. What magic! Little shops selling local wares, wines, chocolates (Laine, I found dark chocolate surrounding orange peels …. OMG I will have to go back and buy you more. We tasted them in the car coming home :). )
We found Patisserie shops with meringues made with pistachios and lemon. Wow. And my all time favourite place on earth so far …. An olive shop! Large bins and taste testing! La lucques are bright green and similar to ones I tasted and fell in love with in Italy at the Agritourismo. And then Green olives in basil, and other green olives gently spiced and with a spicy pepper. All with pits. Not overpowering flavours here … But definitely flavourful!  
We walked for a few hours. Then off to the grocery store for wine replenishment, limoncello from Italy in its pure form…. OMG I have missed that flavourful drink!  
And so we are now consuming some French version of prosecco mixed with a splash of Cassis as a pre dinner beverage while Anne and Steve are creating a feast in the kitchen. We found gluten free baguette and breads to enjoy with black cherry preserves and green and black tapenade.  
Back to the villa and feeling already like a month here will make it feel like home. I love my room, the vistas from every where, the sounds of distance life in the valley, the olive trees hanging with fruit … I love the smell, sounds and view … I love the table tops and stone floors, I love the Tuscany colours of reds, rusts, golds and earth tones. I can hear the voices of my loved ones near me and my friend who made this all possible.  
Sharing the love. Sharing the friendships and gifts we are lucky enough to have for ourselves. I am so content and relaxed already.
Day one. Happy birthday to my lovely daughter on this special day. Although apart, I am always with you …. Today, tomorrow and always.  
Exquisitely your pen pal, 
Bon soir, 
Pamela of France