Bonjour!

Ahhhhhh Bonjour mes amis!!! How have you been? It feels like I've been away for aaaaages! Very glad to be back here I have to say, I've been trying to find time all week to pop in and say hello but it just hasn't been happening. Have managed to carve out a little bit of breathing space now though, and am here with some photographs to share with you from my sunny trip away to France last week.

The memories from last week are still so very fresh in my mind, although they feel a little bit dream-like now I am home. This is the beautiful villa that we called "home" last week, it was a wonderful light, spacious and peaceful place for sure. Petah from Provence Temptations had sent me some pictures of the villa, but it was so much more beautiful in real life.

As you know, I adore taking in a homely landscape view, and I spent quite a bit of time leaning out of the wide open windows at the villa gazing out. It looked so beautiful and not too dissimilar from what I am used to. Cute rooftops and chimneys, old walls and lush trees, distant hills and wide skies.

That large mountainous looking heap in the distance is Mont Ventoux. It was oddly exciting to look out of the window and see a real, genuine mountain. Definitely not Yorkshire!

This was the view I woke up to each morning, the view from my bedroom window. It was incredibly peaceful, apart from a little noise from the local vineyard as truck loads of grapes were unloaded in a tumbling heap.

It's hard to describe the beauty of the light, it was just so very lovely. The mornings often started out quite hazy and misty with pale sunbeams shafting gently in through the trees, but as the day wore on, the sky cleared and the sunlight was bright and intense. The night sky was equally astonishing due to the complete absence of light pollution (the villa was in a very rural location, a small village surrounded by open countryside). The stars were extraordinarily bright and there were so many of them! Great swathes of them spattered across the sky, far, far more than we ever get to see here in town. Some nights I would wake unexpectedly, pad across the tiled floor and go to the open window just to breathe in the sent of the cool night air and feast my eyes upon the starry sky.

The week was a very busy one, with a full itinerary of places to go and things to see. We started each day together around this table enjoying a truly scrumptious breakfast. The ripest, juiciest peaches, warm flaky croissants, fresh rustic bread delivered from the local bakery each morning, spread with creamy farmhouse butter and fruity preserves. And lets not forget the coffee. Ohhhhh the coffee had me in raptures! A shot of rich espresso topped with lots of hot milk, I adored it. Me thinks I definitely need to be a super-good girl and write a letter to Father Christmas to beg for one of these. Pretty Please Mr C.

I took a heap load of photos last week, hundreds of them. I tried hard to capture the beauty of the landscape which day after day took my breath away. The landscape in Provence is just so rich and full and alive. Beautiful fields planted with row upon row of grape vines, cherry and apple orchards, lavender and olives. There is something so pleasing about gazing upon rows of planted stuff, whatever it may be, it made me feel so happy just being surrounded by it as we drove around.

The above olive tress happen to be very special indeed. They are situated just outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a place made famous after Van Gogh did many of his paintings here.

It was remarkable to stroll amongst these ancient trees, it felt exactly like stepping into one of Van Gogh's paintings. We were actually having a picnic here, just imagine that! Sitting eating a picnic lunch inside a famous painting! It blew my mind a little every time I thought about it.

I need to tell you about the picnics we had last week. Oh boy. Such a feast for the senses. Eating this type of food happens to be amongst my all time favourites (alongside Spanish tapas and Greek meze), and we often picnic this way as a family. It speaks to me of relaxation, good company and happiness. Crusty fresh bread. A selection of local cheeses (ooooo do you see the little round one wrapped up in vine leaves? It was smelly and delicious!), a little paté, some simple salad and the most beautiful, sweet sun ripened tomatoes.

A glass of chilled white wine accompanied this plate full (well actually I confess I may have had two or three plate fulls), and it was completely Yum. Yum-yum-yum.

The above scene was our view across a picnic lunch on another day, near to the incredibly beautiful village of Roussillon (more of that divine place to come). See how blue the sky is? I can tell you that spending a week in Provence in October is really exquisite in terms of the weather. Hot enough to laze around comfortably in a light summer dress and to feel pleasantly warmed through to ones bones without breaking a sweat.

Bread and tomatoes for lunch.

The tomatoes were utterly delicious. And so big and unreal looking!

More cheesy delights too, gosh I ate a lot of this stuff last week, couldn't get enough of it. A mixture of sheeps cheese, goats cheese and cows cheese, it was all quite strong, ripe and whiffy and not the type of cheese I usually eat (we mostly eat local cheddar and Wensleydale up here in Yorkshire), but I loved it. The whole Cheese Appreciation thing struck me as being a very French experience. I loved that when we ate out in restaurants, there was generally a course served in between the main meal  and the desert which consisted of a bowl of fresh green salad and a selection of cheeses. What fun! I am going to try this at home for sure, I'm think the Little People would enjoy it.

So.....I've talked a lot about landscape and weather conditions, views and fodder, but hey, what about the hooky time?? Well truthfully there wasn't a huge amount of time each day for dedicated crochet, but we did always carry it with us Just In Case. I think there is something extra special about crocheting in the Great Outdoors, it's as if the memories of the time and place, of the light and landscape get captured within the stitches. It was pure pleasure to sit in a sun warmed field after a delicious lunch, chatting and laughing with yarn and hook in hand.

I really, really enjoyed watching other people at work with my yarns, colours and designs. Once I got over my initial nervousness about the whole thing (oh dear, I really was soo nervous!), I realised that my project was bringing a lot of fun and enjoyment to everyone. It was the best feeling. The best.

We did crochet at the villa too of course. The living area was comfy and spacious and we enjoyed many mornings and evenings sat here with a coffee/glass of wine, chatting, laughing and  creating. On the very first evening when I introduced my project, I turned the coffee table into a yarn palette so that I could rabbit on about my way of using  and choosing colours. I found I was able to verbalise a fair bit of what I do instinctively with colour, and I did really enjoy talking about it and discussing the use of colour in general. If you are interested in this sort of thing, I have written about it before here.

If you look back at the first picture in this post, the picture of the villa, you will see this amazing balcony that runs across the front. It was a beautiful place for us to sit and work, and I have such lovely memories from my time sat in this peaceful place.

By the way, I'm not deliberately keeping you in suspense about the project we worked on in Provence (honest!), I just need to take some more pictures first. All will be revealed very soon I promise.........

....it was great fun I have to say.

Would you like to come on a trip with me tomorrow? Yes? Great stuff, I'm going to take you to market! See you soon, don't be late...

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Comments

[Jill]

I have missed you! So glad you are back!

[Janette]

Hi Lucy, looks like you had a wonderful time in France. Your photos are gorgeous and revealing. I've never been to Provence but would love to go there now. Maybe you could run/host a similar week in England sometime in the future? My favourite place is St Ives in Cornwall as the light there is truly magnificent - and the quaint cobbled streets and fishermans cottages delectable. Hoping to start a crochet/knit and natter time here in Taunton soon.....

[chrystelle]

Hi Lucy !! Thank you for doing such a lovely blog full of colours,ideas and to share with us all your exciting adventures !!!
I have got a question for you and for everybody on here: i have started crochet just a few month ago and i love it but i have been suffering for a few days from shoulder and upper back pain,has anybody else been feeling that?? Maybe i went a bit mad wanting to finish something quickly or it is a bad posture?? Thanks for helping!! ;-)

[Jodie]

Can't wait to see the reveal of your 'mystery project'. Your work is amazing to look at, so cheerful and eye poppingly gorgeous.

[Candice]

So glad you are back. I too am addicted to your blog and really missed you x

[Julie B]

Welcome back- I have been checking your blog waiting to hear about your trip. Lovely photos. Looking forward to seeing and reading more about your trip.

[Tina]

Ooh, you lucky duck! Lovely, lovely pics, made me feel like I was right there, and oh those cheeses...mmmmm! Can't wait to see what you've been making with your trusty hook. :) xxx

[Kathy in Michigan USA]

After I read the itinerary for your crochet adventure in France, I knew you would need to recover & before you would have time to report on it. So glad to hear that it was a great success. Looking forward to hearing more. Are you planning to do another one?

[Carrie]

Oh I have missed you Lucy, but what a treat to find your lovely words and pictures, so glad you had a wonderful time, and cant wait for the next instalment! x

[Inge]

Welcome back!
Lovely photos!
The food looks delicous!

[Claudia]

But ... if you want to drink espresso let me send you a true Italian moka, with genuine Italian coffee that takes you straight to heaven! it gives me great pleasure, it would be a small way to thank you <3 you have instilled in me a real, great passion for crocheting and I want to thank you for this :D
a very big hug ;D
Claudia from Italy

[Claudia]

Welcome back, Lucy!it has been a wonderful journey, you transmit emotions in every word and every picture :D traveling is gorgeous, your enthusiasm for the giant tomatoes reminded me how happy I was to eat scones in Scotland ... sometimes we forget that what is normal for us can be special for those who don't live in our own place, and this is nice because it makes me more appreciative of what I have!
Now we are waiting for the French Project!
a big hug
Claudia from Italy

[Fleur Cotton]

Hiya Lucy, so glad to hear you had a lovely time and what smashing photos ... I can almost imagine being there! So looking forward to seeing the crochet project .. have missed your cheery posts while you've been away ..glad your back safely in the attic!

Fleur xx

[SOL]

I think you need to post the attic view next to the french bedroom view - how astonishing! Did you take the hills with you so you wouldn't be homesick?

This time of year is my favourite where we are (west of Toulouse), beautiful sunny days, log fires in the evening and a bit of crochet thrown in the mix.

I have the same Nespresso machine but I have just run out of capsules, dammit.

[Hommes Air Max Bw]

I loved this .

[carlafromspain]

This has been a week very busy for you and me, all nights visiting your attic to look for an entrance of your wonderfoul travel. Yupiiii! You're back!!!!!!!!!

[Nanita]

Oh yesss how great that you're back!! I can't wait to read all about your adventure, it must've been so much fun! :-) xxxx

[Funkymonkey]

Seeing the photograph of all that wool on the table made me laugh. France has been well and truly Attic 24ed!

Tracey

[Rose]

Oh Lucy, Provence is my dream, thanks for such a great description.

[Line]

I'm so glad to read and enjoy every detail of your time spent in Provence!
I'll be looking forward to the next installment.

[hahnsmum]

l truly am so envious... Well done.. You deserved the break... X X X
Best Wishes,
Hahnsmum.
New England,
NSW,
Australia.

[Carolyn]

Wonderful photos Lucy. You really have a knack for colour and composition but then that should be no surprise :) The first pic of the olive grove really took my breath away. No wonder Van Gogh was inspired. It looks like great inspiration for a crochet project. I'm glad to hear you sound so relaxed and restored.

[Alessandra]

Really beautiful Lucy!!!!
xxxx Alessandra

[Christina]

Drooling here in Virginia over the bread, cheese, those tomatoes, the yarn... Oh and your Van Gogh picnic! Wow!

[joan fallon]

i made your tiny flowers many times and am putting them on tee shirts, baby hats, and am now doing a few in all white to put on a navy/white layette set. thanks for the pattern posting.

I dream in color and your yarns are the color of my dreams...funny that i don't crochet in those colors..I guess i don't have your eye for mixing colors.