Les-Baux-en-Provence and Carrieres de Lumieres

I am totally smitten by the south of France.  It’s kind of like the southwest USA but entirely different:  Arid, rocky hills give way to lush green mountains anchored by flatlands of lavender and vineyards.  Simply, incredibly, beautiful.

And the people!  They are wonderful!  No one speaks English until I greet them with “Bonjour” followed by my explanation that I do not speak French, even as I speak my pathetic French.  I speak a little Italian, Spanish and Portuguese but I’ve always run from the complicated French language.  In fact, that’s something I hear all the time from French people:  it’s complicated.

But everywhere we go, French tourists and shopkeepers are quick to point the way, describe what we need to know and do their best to communicate in English to us.  While the language is not natural, the people are.  We could not be treated more warmly.

Our first road trip took us to Les-Baux-en-Provence on the recommendation of our friends, the Freshmans, who visited while on a  Viking cruise.  We were prepared for the beautiful light show (see Carrieres de Lumieres, below) but we were taken totally by surprise by the gorgeous approach to the hill-top town of Les-Baux-en-Provence.

We twisted through tight turns even as we climbed through sun-bleached rock formations.  Breathtaking both because it was beautiful and also because we were scared to death we would meet an on-coming car with no place to pull over to the side of the road to pass. It was a bit like Sedona but with white rocks towering over us on both sides of the road.  Beautiful homes were built right into the rocky hillsides often incorporating caves as part of their design.

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The road to Les-Baux-en-Provence.
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The road to Les-Baux-en-Provence.

When we reached the town, we waited nearly 15 minutes for a parking spot to open in the 15-car parking lot next to the village rather than hike up the rest of the mountain. The picture below shows where we bought our parking pass – $5 for the entire day – after much coaching from some lovely French tourists. After a few hours of fabuloso shopping and gelato, we went to leave the parking lot when there was a tap on our window. “Do you speak English?” Yes, we do. “Can we have your parking pass? We can’t figure out how to use the machines. We don’t have Euro coins and it won’t take our credit cards.” Yes, you can. Where are you from? “Tampa.” No way! They live about 10 minutes away from us in the States.

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The pay booth at the teeny tiny parking lot next to the delightful village. 5 euros for the entire day. Les Baux-de-Provence.

The tiny village sits at the base of an old, decaying castle in a medieval town updated in a Sausolito kind of way.  My friend Denise Brewster thought all the little villages would look this way.  She said this was a great place to start our trip because  it was such a stepping-back-in-time village.

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Les-Baux-en-Provence
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Les-Baux-en-Provence

You wander down twisty little streets that circle back on themselves then turn up or down the mountainside to be connected again by a flight of stairs.  Shops the size of tiny living rooms feature timbered and plastered ceilings and lightly stocked shelves.

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Les-Baux-en-Provence
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Les-Baux-en-Provence

Shops sell honey, tiles, hats, dresses, toys, postcards, candy, carved wood…just about anything you would find in an upscale tourist town.  See something you like?  Ask if they have more or a different size and the shopkeepers hurry out the door to a nearby warehouse to get you what you want.  We absolutely delighted in wandering through the little village imaging what life was like here 500 years ago.

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Sher Peterson selects a hat in Les-Baux-en-Provence
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Les-Baux-en-Provence

One of Denise’s best memories:  “We sat on a terrace overlooking the village, eating rabbit and black bull raised on a local farm  Barbara had a very nice pasta which was delicious.”  Oh, my good God, the French can cook!  We ate at Bautezar Restaurant where we relaxed with decent service and fabulous food.

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Bautezar Restaurant in Les-Baux-en-Provence

 

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Dining in Les-Baux-en-Provence

When we had exhausted all options in the tiny village, we headed for the sound and light show just down the hill.  “You cannot miss the Carrieres de Lumieres,” my friends the Freshmans advised,  “Great art is projected on the walls of an old limestone quarry.”

We purposely visited late in the day after the buses and hordes of tourists had left the mountain.  We parked in a spot right in front of the show, walked up to the ticket office and purchased tickets for 12 Euro each.

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Barbara at Carrieres de Lumieres
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Ticket office for Carrieres de Lumieres

We really needed restrooms after our very long lunch and way too much wine and we were directed down a hall to the left.  Down the hall to the left ended up being a very, very long walk of about 2,000 yards down sandy paths and up short ramps!  The bathrooms are immaculate but use the toilets before you arrive unless you’re ready for a very long walk.

The show, itself, was glorious!  Images of Chagall’s paintings drifted through the air, landing on a stone wall or the ceiling or the floor or down a corridor.  If you paused, the show landed on you and you became part of the festivities.  Here’s a little video by Joelle Luce to demonstrate what a previous show was like.  We didn’t see the Renaissance painters; we saw Chagall.

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Works by Chagall at Carrieres de Lumieres
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Works by Chagall at Carrieres de Lumieres

The show is projected on 5,000 square meters of limestone walls. The story of Russian born French Citizen Marc Chagall is told through 12 dream scenes of a summer night.  Music ranges from classical to Janis Joplin as the viewer slowly falls in love with the work of Chagall.

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The works of Chagall at Carrieres de Lumieres
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The works of Chagall at Carrieres de Lumieres

Here is  more information on the Chagall show.  Here is more information on visiting Les Carrieres de Lumieres.

It is impossible to aptly describe the experience.  Let’s just say I left transformed.

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Carrieres de Lumieres

 

The Pottery Road – Seagrove, North Carolina

There’s a mountain of creativity going on in the sand hills of North Carolina.    You get an inkling that something’s up when signs start popping up along Highway 220 pointing you towards Seagrove and the Pottery Road on Route 705.

The Pottery Road - Route 705, NC
The Pottery Road – Route 705, NC

At first all you see are farms and rolling hills cut out of the towering pine woods.  Road signs keep assuring you that you’re on the Pottery Road but you don’t see massive tourist signs or strip malls anchored by McDonalds. Instead, you see old North Carolina with sparse main streets featuring a dozen small shops or a quaint log cabin tucked into a forest with a pottery sign sprouting out of a tree out front.  Each shop holds an artist’s treasure.  Pottery.

Levi Mahan Pottery, Seagrove, NC
Levi Mahan Pottery, Seagrove, NC

This is art you hold in your hand.  You feel the heft of the very clay you stand upon. You examine the vessel’s craftsmanship while admiring the glaze, the design, the impressions that make this one piece the art you must take home.

Dean & Martin Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Dean & Martin Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery

“I could put this in my den,” I think, but then I ask, “Wouldn’t this look amazing if I add a pot of flowers and put it in my dining room?” Then as I spot another beauty, I tuck the first piece under my arm and reach out for a brilliant blue vase, perfect for my bedroom.

With about 100 potteries to choose from, a visitor can get confused fast. So make your first stop at the Seagrove Creations.  This gallery is located in the heart of the pottery road and features collections from dozens of local potters.  You can easily compare artists’ styles and prices in a bright and attractive setting.  While contemplating purchases, you can even enjoy a coffee and muffin the the gallery’s snack bar.

Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery, 354 Little River Rd., Seagrove.
Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Tom Gray Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Tom Gray Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Potts Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Potts Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Dover Pottery at at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Dover Pottery at at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Caldwell-Hohl artworks at Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Caldwell-Hohl artworks at Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Latham's Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Latham’s Pottery at Seagrove Creations Pottery Gallery
Seagrove Creations Pottery also sells attractive jewelry and similar collectibles.
Seagrove Creations Pottery also sells attractive jewelry and similar collectibles.
Coffee Shop at Seagrove Creations Pottery
Coffee Shop at Seagrove Creations Pottery – a pretty place to relax after all the shopping.

You’ll see the Official Visitor Guide at every little stop you make along the Pottery Highway.  Pick one up because it features an easy-to-follow map and a few details of the many sights along the highway.  The brochure says Seagrove is, “the largest community of potters with the longest continued history of pottery making in the United States.”

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2016 Offiical Visitor Guide
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Map located inside the visitor guide.
North Carolina Pottery Center
The North Carolina Pottery Center celebrates the pottery making industry of the area. A working potter was on site the day we visited. Admission is $2.50.
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The entrance to the North Carolina Pottery Center. Hundreds of pottery pieces are arranged on floor to ceiling shelves, showing both the history and the art of pottery.

Now it’s time to head down the Pottery Highway and tuck into the individual artist’s studios.  But first stop in at the old time Seagrove Hardware store where you can still buy nails by the pound.

Seagrove Hardware, 128 East Main Street
Seagrove Hardware, 128 East Main Street

Keep a sharp eye out and you’ll see potters at work in studios, garages, and behind potters sheds.  This potter was working with heat and a wheel to make his art.  We didn’t even have to get out of the car to see him at work.

Potter at work in Seagrove, NC
Potter at work in Seagrove, NC

Don’t you love this romantic little pottery?  Visit Levi Mahan‘s website to see some of his extraordinary work.

Levi Mahan Pottery, Seagrove, NC
Levi Mahan Pottery, Seagrove, NC

Pottery ranges from the sophisticated art of Levi Mahan (above) to the folk art of Crystal King (below).  Pottery from the Seagrove area is collected by locals as well as the White House, the Smithsonian and fine arts museums.  Pottery ranges from a few dollars to thousands of dollars.  There really is something for everyone.

Crystal King Pottery
North Carolina Pottery Center

All the shopping made us hungry.  We asked locals for recommendations and all agreed – try the Westmoore Family Restaurant.  Located 7 miles outside of Seagrove, the drive was easy as traffic is light along the Pottery Highway.  The drive was well worth it as we were treated to North Carolina fried white fish – delicious!

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Westmoore Family Restaurant, 2172 NC-705, Seagrove, NC 27341
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Just $7.49 for a full fish dinner complete with hushpuppies.
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Fried white fish, baked potato, sweet/sour cole slaw and hush puppies.

Shopped out and full, we went looking for the perfect summer peaches of North Carolina….and found beauties in West End.  The perfect ending to a peach of a day!

Peaches - West End, NC
Peaches – West End, NC