The front entrance to the palace	The palace gardens	Beautiful cherry trees in bloom
The mosque at the palace	Interesting statue at the palace	We met up with friends for dinner at an Italian restaurant
Wednesday, April 4.  We went to Heidelberg and spent the afternoon walking up and down the Hauptstrasse. We mostly ate and drank our way around, having lunch at one restaurant, hot chocolate and coffee at an outdoor cafe, the dessert at another restaurant and finally a beer at another outdoor cafe.
Jennifer & Carol enjoying drinks at a restaurant on the Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg	The Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg	The Heidelberg castle
The Old Bridge in Heidelberg	Carol thoroughly enjoying a kase brotchen (cheese bread) Yummy!	Carol & Sarah at the highest bridge in the world - the Millau Viaduct
Friday, April 6.  Jennifer, Yolanda, Sarah & I packed up Yolanda's van, stopped at Esso to get breakfast and then proceeded toward France. I think it took us nearly 14 hours to get to Millau because we got lost. The reason was because we had to take a detour, but we somehow missed the end of the detour sign. But we made it to a nice hotel called Les Raspes. Saturday, April 7.  After a good breakfast, we backtracked a few miles and stopped at Viaduc de Millau - the highest bridge in the world. It wasn't bad at all crossing it because you couldn't see straight down. After taking lots of pictures of the bridge, we drove to Nimes. Did you know this is where denim was first discovered? Anyway, we saw all kinds of sights, had lunch at an outdoor cafe, which took a lot longer than we anticipated. So we were late getting to Pernes - our home base for the week. Yolanda made all the arrangements with Val, an American woman who lives in Pernes and rents a wonderful 3 story house complete with a private courtyard. Val was nice enough to make dinner reservations for us prior to our arrival. We arrived at 6:45pm and dinner was at 8pm. Luckily the restaurant was 3 minutes walking distance from the house. We had a 4 course meal and spent 3 hours there eating.
Yolanda, Carol & Jennifer in Nimes	The Arena in Nimes	We had lunch at this cafe in Nimes
Maison Carree temple in Nimes	This was our home base. We rented a house here for the week.	This is the house we rented - the light colored one on the left
This was the courtyard of the house we rented. Very cute!	We had a wonderful dinner in Pernes Les Fontaines at Au Fil du Temps. Sarah had Quail.	Carol had the Sea Bass and it was delicious!
Sunday, April 8.  The next morning we found that Val had left us fresh strawberries so we had them for breakfast. We drove to L'isle sur la Sorgue which has a market on Sunday's. This was Easter Sunday so it was quite crowded. Sarah bought a beautiful woven basket and a wooden lizard. Jennifer bought soaps and a tablecloth. We had lunch, which was quite good, even the whole fish that Yolanda ordered was tasty even though it looked nasty. We left L'isle sur la Sorgue and drove to Fontaine de Vancluse. The town is known for the spring where the source of the Sorgue river starts. It is also the 5th largest spring in the world.
A market in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue	A very old water wheel in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue	Yolanda had fish for lunch. Yuck!
The spring in Fontaine de Vancluse	The quaint village of 600 in Fontaine de Vancluse	The Sorgue river in Fontaine de Vancluse
After we left Fontaine de Vancluse we went back to Pernes. We relaxed in the courtyard for awhile before getting dressed for dinner. Val made reservations for us at another restaurant in the nearby town of Velleron. The restaurant is located inside Hotel Hostellerie la Grangette and the hotel grounds and interior was just gorgeous. The food was delicious and the scallops was the best we ever ate! They melted in your mouth practically. Our tummy's were happy.
Hostellerie la Grangette	Sarah ordered a salad	Carol, Jennifer & Yolanda ordered the scallops for appetizer
Sarah's dessert - carmalized pear with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce	Carol's dessert - chocolate ice cream on top of a brownie like cake	Sarah & Carol at Pont du Gard
Monday, April 9.  Another day of sightseeing. We decided that having a picnic lunch would be nice so we loaded up the picnic basket that Val provided for us, stopped at the bakery to pick up fresh bread for the cheese and got pastries for breakfast. We ate the pastries on the way to Pont du Gard. It was built in the 1st century and was part of an extensive aquaduct network to carry water to villages. After we left Pont du Gard, we drove to Uzes, a small town of about 8,000 people. Settled in the 5th century. Old places! We had our picnic on the grounds of the cathedral. After our relaxed and delicious lunch we drove to Arles where we took in a bullfight. I don't think we'll ever go to another one. I'm glad I got to experience it, but don't need to do it again. Poor bulls! At least the meat is sold to local restaurants.
Pont du Gard Viaduct	Sarah, Jennifer & Yolanda enjoying a picnic on the cathedral grounds	A bullfight in Arles
The matadors are very colorful	The Senaque Abbey - home of Cistercian monks where they grow lavender and tend honey bees	The market in Gordes
Tuesday, April 10.  The day started with shopping in Pernes. We got bread and pastries at the bakery, cheese at the Frommagerie (cheese shop) and fruits at the farmer's market. All of it went into our picnic basket for lunch later in the day. Our first destination was Gordes, a village on top of a mountain. It was quite an amazing site from a distance and within the village itself. Everything was so old! Centuries old. We went through the market in town, bought an assortment of olives and oh were they delicious! You can't get olives like that in the US. We took lots of pictures of the streets and buildings and then drove to the Village of the Bories. Bories are huts made of stone. Most of them have one room but some of them have several which were the common areas.
Gordes - a mountain village	Another view of Gordes	Bories - buildings made of dry stone. Built in the 13th century or there abouts
After we left the Bories, we drove to Rousillion, another town on top of a mountain but instead of just white stone, the buildings are all built with Ocre rock, which is a very colorful rock, mostly red. It is the town law that any building must be built with ocre to preserve the look of the town. We had our picnic lunch by the church. After lunch we searched for and found what Rick Steves describes as the most scenic square in Provence. I have to disagree with him. Granted, it was cute but not the most scenic.
The small streets of Rousillion. Notice the staircase to the right of the clock tower. Very scary!	The houses of Rousillion	The St. Michel church in Rousillion
The Ocre cliffs of Rousillion	The most photographed square in Provence. Only one side is pictured.	Carol standing by a car smaller than the Smart car
We made our way back to Pernes. We stopped at the cemetery. The graves are above ground and several family members can occupy one grave. There are lots of pictures or other reminders of who is in the grave. It was interesting walking around because you could see pictures of the dead and what their occupation was or their hobbies. We dropped off our purchases in the house and then walked around Pernes. Pernes is a 13th century town that is surrounded by fortified walls. Scattered throughout town are 32 18th century fountains. We didn't find them all.
Cemetery in Pernes	Fortified wall in Pernes	A bakery in Pernes
Pastry shop in Pernes	One of the 32 old fountains in Pernes	Fresh parmesan cheese at a Market in St. Remy
Wednesday, April 11.  We started our day again at the bakery picking up fresh bread for our picnic lunch. Our first destination today was St. Remy because today is the major market day there. The market was crowded and full of life. We bought fresh cheese and pasta to take home for dinner. We walked the old streets, found the home Nostradamus was born and the asylum that Vincent Van Gogh was hospitalized at and painted his famous Starry Night and Self Portrait.
St. Remy market. Very colorful.	The is was the home where Nostradamus was born	A "duck" car
The fresh pasta that we bought at the St. Remy market	Our baked fresh pasta	Enjoying dinner in our private courtyard in Pernes
After we left St. Remy, we drove to Glanum, where Roman ruins are located and dated from 7 B.C. Old!!! We had our picnic lunch here. Yolanda & Jennifer were tired so they stayed behind while Sarah & I explored the Roman ruins.
The Roman ruins of Glanum	The mountains surrounding Glanum	Columns still standing even after centuries past
Thursday, April 12.  We stopped at our favorite bakery to get pastries for breakfast and then drove to the coastal town of Cassis, which was a fishing port in the 16th century. There are still small fishing boats in the harbor, but mostly yachts and charter boats to take tourists out to see the calanques, which are white cliffs along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The stone was used to build the base of the Statue of Liberty and other famous structures. We got soaking wet on our boat ride, especially Carol. As a matter of fact, once we got back in the van, she undressed and put all her clothes in front of the heater. By the time we got to Aix-en-Provence, they were dry.
A pastry shaped like a boat and a mug of hot chocolate. Perfect for warming up after getting soaking wet!	The boat that took us on the Mediterranean Sea to see the Calanques.	Cassis harbor
The En Vau inlet surrounded by the Calanques	Calanques	Sarah's lunch - omelet with potatoes and fries
Carol had a Nicoise salad	The roundabout in Aix-en-Provence	A hotel in Aix
Carol in the Alpilles	The Le Pont Saint-Benezet bridge	The walkway on the Le Pont Saint-Benezet bridge
Friday, April 13.  Today Jennifer & Yolanda decided not to do any sightseeing, but they dropped us off in Avignon. Sarah & I spent half a day here even though it rained on and off. We walked on the Pont St. Benezet bridge, toured the Palace of the Popes where we had to leave our cameras behind since no photography was allowed. After our self guided tour, we went to the main square in town and found an outdoor cafe where we had lunch. It was covered so we didn't get wet. We each ordered a beer and the waiter actually asked us if we wanted small or large. We ordered a large and to our surprise, the beer was in Oktoberfest sized mugs! We split a pizza and had chocolate mousse for dessert. By the time we finished lunch and was heading to the meeting place where Yolanda planned to pick us up, it was raining hard. Timing was perfect as she pulled up when we got to the spot. We went back to Pernes, relaxed a bit and then met up with Val. We drove to Cotes du Rhone wine region and stopped at Cave de Costabelle. Val speaks fluent French so we didn't have to do anything but taste the wine. Each of us ordered a couple bottles and brought back to the US with us.
The impressive Place du Palais (Palace of the Popes)	Sarah in the square next to the Place du Palais	This woman is putting wine into jugs. This is the way the local French people get their wine...by the jug!
Jennifer, Yolanda, Val, Carol & Sarah after wine tasting at Cave de Costabelle	Sights we saw on the way back to Germany	Yellow fields
Saturday, April 14. We left France and arrived back to Yolanda's home in Germany. I think it only took us 7 or 8 hours. The next day Yolanda took us to the airport, we said our good-byes and hopped back on the plane for home in the USA!
The toll stops were a mess in France	Leaving on a jet plane from Germany back to the US!