Day trip in Provence

On Sunday, we went on a trip around the provençal countryside.  Our first stop was in Île-sur-la-sorgue.  We walked around the market there for a few hours.  They seriously had everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to cheese and sausage to clothing and knick-knacks.  There was also an antique market that boasted such valuables as Budweiser glasses and and old Oklahoma license plate.  It was pretty awesome.  I was amazed at the colors and varieties of foods that were available.  From there we went to two small towns in the Lubéron valley, Roussillon and Gordes.

Olive selection at Île-sur-la-sorgue

Roussillon gets is name from the red color of the earth there.  There is much ferrous oxide left in the soil from millenia past.  But, the French (being oh so French as the are wont to do) have a more...dramatic theory concerning the soil.  Apparently a man's wife was having an affair, and he found out about it.  So, he killed his wife's lover and cooked him.  He served his wife her lover's heart for dinner and waited till she had eaten it to tell her what it was.  She was so distraught at the death of her lover and the thought of what she had just done that she threw herself out the window and down onto the hills and it was her blood that gave the earth it's red tint.
C'est une histoire très fraçais, non?

Me, at Roussillon

After that, we went to Gordes which has been declared one of the most beautiful places in France.  It is a small town built on a hill in the middle of the Lubéron.  It was essentially carved out of the mountain and is very secluded from the rest of the country.  The view was amazing. Ironically enough, there was no sun on Sunday, and the lack of natural light resulted in less than ideal photos.

Gordes, from afar

I started classes this week.  Thankfully, they are not as hard as I was expecting, so it looks like I will only have class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  (Aside to my friends in Europe this semester: expect a visit some weekend).  I am taking a history class, a poetry class, and a translation class.  Super excited!

In other news, there is currently a baby in the house.  Yvonne and Jean-Pierre's son and daughter-in-law went to the Lille-Marseille match in Marseille tonight and left their two-month-old daughter in here for the night.  Her name is Jeanne; she has a full head of think, dark brown hair and enormous black eyes. She is precious. Yvonne and Jean-Pierre are great with her.  She is their first grandchild and it is obvious that they just adore her.

Next weekend I am going to Paris with some other girls from the program, and the week after that I head to England to see all my friends in Nottingham! :)  The semester has just begun and I already feel as though it will not be long enough.