Remembering Provence

You don’t have to go to Provence to love Provence. (Though it helps and if we can ever travel again, I highly recommend it.) Provence is a magical accumulation of lavender and sunflower, ocean and mountain and valley. Lazy days by the pool or walking through a village market, tasting olives and figs and sheep’s milk cheese. Of course, there is the rosé wine! It’s fabulous, and for some reason always tastes better there than here. The following paintings in one way or another capture the Provence of my memory. “Morning in Arles” is about that mid-morning sunshine. The day will be warm, releasing fragrances of rosemary and thyme in the afternoon, but around 10 am, still drinking a cappuccino and enjoying breakfast, the air is light and wonderful. “Lunch in Paradou” is quite specific. Bistrot du de Paradou. Literally – it’s a spot on the side of the road, and to be sure, it’s one of my favorite spots in the world. It is not fancy. It is not fussy. But you sit under old shade trees and experience the relief of travel and the deliciousness of real Provencal cooking. “The Sea. The Sea.” comes from another part of Provence. This is the view of the Mediterranean – far off in the distance – from a mountain top near Nice. The final three paintings reflect “feeling landscapes” from Saint Remy. It is, simply put, a lovely village. In the summer it bursts with color and scents, and too many tourists, but the village is irresistible.