Happy Summer From France:
Okay, it’s still spring, but summer has arrived here in the south of France. We were cruising along in the 72 – 78 degree ranch with nice sunny skies and maybe one or two days that hit 80 degrees. Then yesterday (Sunday) it leaped up to 93 degrees and today was in the mid-90s. We don’t know what happened to the days in the 80s. So, with no air conditioning, we’re happy to have a fan or two and a swimming pool. No surprise that the house does not have air conditioning. Not having air conditioning and not having a garbage disposal and a clothes dryer is typical, though we do have a clothes dryer.
Today is Monday (June 9), which is a French holiday. I’d like to tell you what holiday it is, but I haven’t been really able to make that determination. Anyway, the kids were home from school. They go back to school for tomorrow, Wednesdayand Thursday and then have Friday off as one of the grades is having testing. And, while the last day of school is officiallyJuly 5th, this Friday was going to be the last day for Sophia and Keaka, because nothing really happens at school from here on out and the teachers told them to just enjoy France. So, this Thursday is their last day of school.
Speaking of school or no school, the kids had only two hours of classes last Thursday (there are a million reasons why), so they didn’t go to school. Instead, I grabbed them both and went on a hike to Montagne Sainte-Victorie. The mountain overlooks Aix-en Provence and you see a good part of it from our home, though the mountain is about a 30-minute drive away. Take a look at the attached photos and you’ll see this famous mountain. No photo explanations needed.
Montagne Sainte-Victorie has been painted by any number of artists, but most notably by Paul Cezanne.
Anyway, after my run today at about 3:00 pm (it was in the mid-90s, but the humidity was not bad at all and there was about 50% shade on my almost daily two-mile route), Sophia and I hit the pool. We decided to splurge, so Marlene went out to get a six-pack of nice cold Corona beer. Anyway, the grocery stores were closed (holiday) and the rare gas station 7/11 type store was also closed. There simply was no way to find Corona beer. She came back empty-handed. Given that yesterday was Sunday, it’s been two days since anything much has been open. It’s just the way it is.
Of course, La Poste (the post office) was closed the last two days. On days it is open, it is not unlikely that you’d go by the post office at 11:20 am or 3:40 pm and find it closed. La Poste is a bit different than the U.S. Postal Service. La Poste sells a limited supply of cell phones and also has a banking wing, most notably with an ATM machine at the post office. We’re just happy to get in, purchase a few stamps that will get an envelope to the United States, and be on our way.
More traveling again – this time back to Cassis and to Carpentras for the first time – coming soon.
The Wilsons
