Champagne vineyards near Epernay, France

Champagne vineyards near Epernay, France, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

These are the champagne vineyards approximately 100 feet to the right of where I'm sat right now just north of the town of Epernay which plays host to the HQ of some of the major champagne houses.

Vineyards seem to have been a bit of a theme of my stay in France. I'm just about to post a pastel of the one I looked at every morning to Four Go Painting in Provence - see http://paintingprovence.blogspot.com/
shortly.

Today I'm off to Calais via Boulogne and then it's the Eurotunnel train at 6pm and back through Kent to London

Sunflower

Sunflower, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

Yesterday, while taking my satnav divert away from the Autoroute de Soleil - while the whole of France hit the road as the schools finished for the summer - I saw a number of delights travelling along the D roads.

First came the endless vineyards of the Rhone valley as I travelled up the D7 and D8.

Then the fields of sunflowers started. Huge fields completely filled with sunflowers in full bloom. I don't think I've ever seen them looking so fresh. It was like the impact of trees in fresh leaf after a long winter.

Later I had to get back on the autoroute again and discovered that if you love looking at sunflowers the fields south of Bourg-en-Bresse are full of them. Field after massive field of sunflowers - they were simply stunning - but no photos as I was driving!

The next photo is likely to be of the Cote d'Or where I'm going for lunch at Gevrey Chambertin.

Dentelles de Montmirail - sunset

Dentelles de Montmirail - sunset, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

I started with a sunrise over Mont Ventoux - http://makingamark.blogspot.com/2011/06/sunrise-over-mont-ventoux.html - so I thought I'd make the photo posted on my last morning in Provence a sunset.

This is the sunset I enjoyed while sat eating my dinner at Le Mas de Vignes on Thursday night. The view is of the Dentelles de Montmirail. That's "Dentelles" as in lace not teeth!

You can find more images from Provence in two sets on Flickr of my photos uploaded to date - see http://www.flickr.com/photos/makingamark/sets/72157626821204323/ and my sketches - see http://www.flickr.com/photos/makingamark/sets/72157627095818732/ .

However there's a lot more to be uploaded when I get home!

Pantiles and roof stones in Provence

Pantiles and roof stones in Provence, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

In Provence you frequently see very large stones (small rocks) sitting on top of the clay pantiles.

These help to weight the roof down. You have to experience the very fierce winds which can blow here to know why this seems a very sensible idea.

These particular pantiles are the ones I see on a neighbouring roof when I open my window every morning

Van Gogh and St Paul de Mausole

The Monastery of St Paul de Mausole - Van Gogh's asylum, a photo by makingamark2 on Flickr.

This is the monastery hospital where Vincent Van Gogh sought asylum after he became ill in Arles after he spent six weeks with Gauguin in the Yellow House.

At the rear is a garden where sunflowers and lavender are grown.

I only went to St Remy de Provence in the end. Last time I went to Arles and did not have enough time for St Remy. This time I drove across the Crau Plain and across the Alpilles - which made a lot more sense to me of the paintings he painted while in Provence.


Via Flickr:
ThIs is the rear of the monastery south of St Remy de Provence which gave asylum to Van Gogh after he became I'll in Arles. He stayed for a year and painted a number of famous paintings while he was here