Baby Alps

We've settled into a natural rhythm of alternating one day of sightseeing with a day of lazing by the pool at our house in the tiny village of Mausanne-Les-Alpilles.  The village is nestled in a valley below the mountain range of "Les Alpilles,"  which means little Alps or petite Alps.  Diego and I, for lack of a more sophisticated expression, thought this was kinda neat.  To be so close to the Alps, but not.

This region is the most important in all of France for olive and almond production, which grow on the lower slopes of the Alpilles.  Much of the region has been devoted to national park, agriculture, or historic preservation.

Van Gogh lived in this valley, where he was inspired to paint most of his major works, including "Starry Night."  For a time he lived for a time with Cezanne in Arles, and then in Saint Remy, where he hospitalized himself after severing part of his ear.  Both towns are 15 minutes from our sweet village of Maussane.  

The village has a post office, a small grocer, a poissonnerie, and handful of restaurants.  That's all.  Oh, and of course a disproportionate number of boulangeries for its size.  Our two families had fun testing all of them (a must), based on the quality of their croissants and pain au chocolat.  The final vote:   the middle one, right Bonta Family?

The house, itself, is a renovated 17th-century farmhouse located right on the edge of the village. It's amazing and perfect.

I love the Dr. Seuss trees in the backyard. And the pj's and cowboy boots!

Water balloons!

Soccer in town square with local kids.