Another overcast and drizzly, sometimes rainy, day! C'est la vie! I went back to Riez for the market. What was a sleepy little town a few days ago was a bustling hive of activity today! The squares and streets were lined with stalls selling everything from clothes and jewellery to plants and fruits and veggies. One stall had paella while another had chickens turning on the rotisserie! Truly one stop shopping!! I picked up some fruit and veggies (lovely white asparagus from Cavaillon) to do me for the next few days. There are truffle markets here from November until March! Imagine the wheeling and dealing and money exchanged there!!
Riez considers itself the centre of lavender country so there are several shops that sell lavender honey and other lavender products. A lovely clerk helped me find what I was looking for and we had an actual conversation - EN FRANCAIS - about the weather, where I live, teaching etc.!! She said my French was good (did she want to make a sale or what?!) but with an English accent!! Hopefully I sound as exotic attempting French as the French do speaking English!!
Farther north to a place called Digne les Bains (thermal baths in the area). It is a CITY!! I parked the car (lots of free and easily accessible parking in all these villages and towns) and walked to the market there. Even more colour and selection despite the weather. I strolled along the main street and picked up a few things I haven't been able to find in the smaller communities.
My next task was to find the train station. There is a rail line (Chemins de Fer de Provence) that runs a train from Digne to Nice with stops in some of the little villages along the way. I hope to do that later this week. One place, Entrevaux, has a marvelous citadel perched on the very top of a high, narrow pinnacle and you can only reach it by climbing a winding path through a series of gateways. There are towers, ramparts and a drawbridge! It is one for the grade 4 Medieval Unit!
I had hoped to be able to do a day in Nice via this train but the schedule is not conducive to day trips and the station is not conducive to leaving my car overnight!! The ROAD is not conducive to driving the hour trip back to the chateau when the final train gets in at 8:40 p.m. On to Plan B - whatever that is!
It started to rain heavily so, rather than explore some other villages in the rain, I headed back to the chateau. I got a bit lost though and found myself enroute to Grenoble?!! Wouldn't THAT have been fun!! I have discovered that, when all else fails, follow the sign that says "touts les directions"!!
