THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE

Cezanne's studio 

From Aix-en-Provence, France it was a long, narrow, winding road up into the hills, and I was happy not to be driving. Cezanne bought the property in 1901 for 2000 francs and built a narrow house between two olive trees he would not cut down. The house really consists of one very high-ceiling room. A large 30-pane-window faces north with three regular windows on the south wall. Many of the articles he used as models for his paintings are in the room. We were told they even keep the apples fresh all the time. A tall ladder was in one corner, so he could climb up on it and see how light reflected from above on his subject.  

Cezanne only sold 12 paintings during his lifetime. He and his two sisters were illegitimate.  However, he was rich as his father was a successful banker and businessman. His father had a big home in town and apparently took good care of his son financially. His mom died in 1899 and it was very traumatic for Cezanne. He was eccentric and really didn’t care about selling his work. 

  After touring the home and listening to a docent in the home we wandered around the grounds. It was quiet and peaceful in the hills. It was an interesting visit mid afternoon.

                       

ST. PAUL DE VENCE

St. Paul de Vence is a quaint village in France.  The walled town still has its 16th century ramparts almost intact making the village pedestrian friendly as vehicles cannot   maneuver around them and cannot enter the village.  Situated atop the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean coast, it was discovered by artists, who were probably attracted to the village’s quality of life, in the 1920s.

It was a slight climb up and down from the parking area to the city entrance. The walled city is shaped like a ship’s hull. The views from the ramparts of the ocean and the terrain below were fantastic. We chose to walk the ramparts to the end of the point where there is a small cemetery where Chagall is buried. After finding his gravestone---all the graves are above ground since they sit on solid rock---we walked down the narrow alleys window shopping and looking for an inviting restaurant for lunch.

We finally selected a quaint restaurant that was busy but not hectic. The lasagna was very tasty. A couple of other people followed us and chose crepes. We eventually walked back to our starting point and found our way back to the parking lot. It was a delightful stop. As we toured the French countryside we always stopped in unique little villages for lunch.