Le Provence

Tom and I went with my sister/hubby to Spain and Southern France last week. It was amazing and even though Barcelona was cool, and we saw lots of great things--including the coast, going to Les Baux de Provence was by far the coolest experience.

We got there early with lots of time to visit the Chateau and see all the history. I highly recommend going to see this 'town built on a rock'. It's surrounded by Olive groves and beautiful skylines...and we were so lucky to have a hot sunny day to see the sights.

The streets in this town are super narrow and jam packed with character. And because it was March, there were hardly any tourists there (which is rare and we heard in the summer it's just swarming with people) so seeing it in the spring and basically feeling like we had the place to ourselves was amazing. Honestly, it wouldn't have been half as nice had it been packed with people. We stayed for a night in Le Prince Noir, one of two small hotels found in the village (only 20 people live up in the village and 3 families pretty much own the whole town). As described by the all powerful wikipedia, it is "set atop a rocky outcrop crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south. Its names refers to its site — in Provençal, a baou is a rocky spur." Our hotel, like most of the town was built on the rock face, so we had some of the landscape right in our room (see below)---it was fantastic. Here's some pictures to give you a feel for it. Definitely gave me a new appreciation for France. Oh and it didn't help that I shoved my face with baguettes and croissants the whole time, that made me love it too :)

The view from the roof of our hotel

The hallway in our suite, yes that is rock face.

A typical street in Les Baux

Visitors.

My sister and brother-in-law have come to Oxford just for a short visit before heading off elsewhere in the UK, and then eventually meeting us in Spain next week (so excited!!). We had about half a day to show them around Oxford and it got me thinking about the best places to see in Oxford. In MY HUMBLE OPINION, by the way. So here's my list, if anyone out there wants to start a tourism extravaganza in Oxford (for which by the way, you would make a killing).

1. Oxford University -- 2 -3 Colleges MAX! Oxford is made up of 39 different colleges, and really once you have seen a few, you have seen them all.
a. Christ Church (the biggest one)--Harry Potter/Alice in Wonderland fans, this is your
stop.
b. Exeter College (back Garden has the best view of Oxford, and the best view of the
Radcliffe Camera.
c. Merton, or Magdalen, or for something different, Keble College.

2. The Radcliffe Camera (see above)
3. The Covered Market (so cool!) - Best places: Pieminister, Mr. Moo's milkshakes, and Ben's Cookies, and the so amazing cake shop!
4. The Sheldonian Theatre
5. Cowley Road (see the ethnic side of Oxford) - The Kazbar (a Spanish/North African Tapas restaurant)
6. Head of the River Pub (great place, right on the river)
8. Jamie's Italian (just because it's one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants!)

Those are a few of the best places to visit in Oxford - especially if you only have half a day.

Necropolis

During our time in Scotland, we had a day where we took the students to the Museum of Religious Life & Art and the Necropolis. It was really fasinating to see the history of religion and go to the cemetary. One thing that struck me at the Necropolis was the cool epitaphs that were there...Here's a few pics of them with the writing below (because it's hard to read in the picture).

"Shall man's mighty mind that has mysteries unsealed,

the secrets of God's mighty temple revealed?

Can that mind become matter--a cold clayey sod?

No it shall reign evermore with eternity's God."

"With Christ which is far better"

"Though lost to sight to memory dear,

the faithful friend will drop a tear"

"Be ye also ready" (Powerful on a grave stone!)

"She rests from her labours

and her works do follow"

There were more interesting ones, but I will leave it there for now.