provence, je t'aime

i'm missing provence today.  this sketch is of the hotel window at "the mistral" in st. remy.  oleander blossoms pool-side and the sound of cigales in the plane trees...wistful sigh.  i made my own french day of sorts today, starting by reading gordon bitney's "provence, je t'aime" from cover to cover...morning coffee at a sunny sidewalk table, food cart lunch involving truffle oil and sharing lingering table conversation with strangers, art galleries, small town connections, reading in the "town square" by the "fountain" best i could, afternoon "glace", and trip to the salon topped off by a dinner of chilled fennel soup, wild greens, and gruyere cheese and carmelized onion tart savored with a glass of '09 white wine from france.  double wistful sigh.  it's true, provence, je t'aime...