Today I got up pretty early and decided to head down to Apt for coffee. Apt as I have mentioned is a pretty big town about 10 minutes down the mountain from us. I must say that I have not been impressed by it, always traffic, always hot and a bit run down on the edges. Well once again I am proven wrong. Once you get out of your car and move to the center of town it is adorable. The buildings are pretty, the shady pedestrian streets, etc. I found a place, up to the bar for a coffee and pain-o and then went as fast as I could up the hill to get the group. We had been avoiding this town all week, only to find that it was in fact, very nice indeed.
We decided to come down for lunch, a walk and some shopping. Now of course we were heading down as the entire town was setting up for the yearly festival, parade, carnival rides, games, etc. Very 1950s looking set up, but the main road was shut down. Luckily I was able to find a sidewalk to drive onto and park (very French indeed).
After a short walk we found the rental manager's pick, Thym te Voila. This place is a gem! On a tiny courtyard, not heavily touristed as it is hard to find, but well worth it. Everyone agreed not to drink as that is all we have been doing, I did not however... So after I ordered a bottle of Champagne, the others well... they all fell in line with me. The food is "world fusion" which means not totally French, but with all local ingredients. I would highly recommend this place: CLICK LINK HERE FOR WEBSITE
OK so now a bit buzzed, we walk. The city is not big but it does have many curving alley like walking streets, a great church (many actually but one really nice one), and lots of shops. We started off at the Cathedral Sainte-Anne d'Apt. A gorgeous old church with a kid practicing the organ with his elderly teacher and my favorite part, a crypt way in the down in the belly. I actually was able to get Michael's mom to head down there which is a feat, she is very claustrophobic! This picture says it all, the walls were tights, the ceiling low, the stone was cold and dark.
,
After the crypt, I mean Cathedral, we walked the town, I bought some pottery for the house, which the area is known for. Marge and Bonnie bought napkins and linen, also anther Provencal find.
,
I have not mentioned this but I will say, the funniest thing I have found in this area is that no matter which town, village, city you are in they have the usual bikini clad girls on postcards that make no sense, but even more funny they have dogs on hammocks and kittens in lounge chairs. Makes no sense what so ever, and is actually more grotesque than cute... I had to take some photos of these two sets.
,
OK... so we dropped off Bonnie and Marge at the house so they could lay by the pool and come down from the champagne, Michael and I headed up to the town of Bonnieux. Another village over the hill from us about 6 miles. Very cute, we walked to the top of the hill to the cathedral on top to get a view. Weird but here in this part of France most smaller churches are locked up during the day, unlike the rest of France where you can get in any time of the day, there is usually someone there paid to keep it open for worship.
,
,
,
Oh, one last thing about this village. So Michael is the only one who did not drink at lunch, I had but hours earlier and just sips... I decided to turn up an alley to park the car and almost got the Volvo stuck in this arch way! It looked like it would fit... Imagine, Michael screaming, "Mirror-MIRROR!" as his mirror was about to touch one side of the wall, while mine was busy about to touch the other! I actually made it trough without touching either, a job well done, right?
