In the South of France

I don't usually take group tours when I'm travelling, but when I do, it's because I want to go to some seriously pretty towns for less money that I would otherwise have spent if I had done it solo (oh, the woes of travel and money! Every traveller wishes that they could have an infinite bank account.)

But on occasion, being on one of these group tours can be pretty interesting, when they take you to really sweet little towns that you never knew existed.

Have you heard of a place called Moustiers-Sainte-Marie? I hadn't either until my tour group took me there. It's a really little place, a tiny little village tucked away on the edge of a limestone cliff and at the entrance to the Gorges du Verdon. With a population of only 700 people (seven hundred!!!), it seems like everyone wandering their streets in summer must be tourists.

The buildings in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie are painted in shades of warm, terracotta colours, with shutters that stand out against the colour of the walls. It's all very quaint and quintessentially French, as one might expect from a little village in the cliffs. The bushes and plants are alive in summer, and with clear blue skies, nothing could be more perfect.

What I liked about this picture-perfect little village is how, despite the buildings and cobblestone that seem caught in time, little details like metal foldaway chairs provide a gorgeous modern contrast to the old.

While in a place as picturesque as this, what else is there to do other than indulge in some seriously good eats? This basil and cheese sandwich that I had was absolutely to die for - perfectly grilled bread and yummy yummy basil! How is it that something so simple can taste so good? Whatever it is, I'm stealing the secret recipe!

I also had some lavender ice cream, which I decided to get because it was such a gorgeous shade of pretty pastel purple. I wouldn't really recommend it though. Lavender is amazing as a scent and I love dropping a few drops on my pillow before bed, but as a food it comes across a little too strongly for my liking. As far as lavender ice cream goes, I'll pass the next round.

Still though, food and blue skies in the middle of a cliffside French summer? Sign me up!

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie opens right up to the spectacular Gorges du Verdon, which has water the most mesmerising shade of bright turquoise. The most incredible bit? All this is real! Water this colour actually exists! The water attributes its colour to glacial melt as well as the suspension of mineral rock flour sediment.

I would have loved to be one of those happy people in boats paddling around the canyon!

Look closely at this picture - do you see a guy cliff jumping?! If only I'd been able to join him!

Standing on a bridge in the middle of the Gorges du Verdon is breathtaking - just being surrounded by bright turquoise water on either side. Turquoise!!! This blue-green colour is absolutely my favourite colour ever, so can you imagine how excited I was? Just like a little girl who couldn't keep still!

The contrast of summer dry grass to the turquoise water is so pretty, too :)

Tell me - will you be visiting Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and the Gorges du Verdon?

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Lavender Summer

Did you know that the L'Occitane has museums in the middle of France's lavender fields? Yup, you read that right. Museums! For a skincare company! There's an endless display of L'Occitane related things - from the founding of the company to incredibly pretty seasonal packaging.

I guess it's no surprise that L'Occitane has a museum in this part of France, given how obsessed the French seem to be with everything related to lavender especially this time of year.

It's easy to see why and how the lavender obsession starts (although any real French person will never admit that they're properly obsessed over anything, that's being far too passionate). The fields burst into vibrant purple, so colourful it almost doesn't look real. Interestingly though, the characteristic calming scent of lavender doesn't get released until you crush the flowers, so even though the fields are filled with lavender they don't scent the air!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of myself in the field of flowers. Look how it's all the same colour as my hair!

This region of France is crazy scenic. I mean, this view! Look at this view! A warm summer's day, with clouds lazily drifting in the sky... It gives the effect of making everything look incredibly timeless, as if these fields and buildings have been here forever and will be here for a very long time to come.

It's impressive how every row of lavender is perfectly in line - just endless rows of perfectly carved, straight bushes of lavender. The only thing that wasn't perfect about this scene were the many bees and other bugs among the flowers - I kept thinking that I was going to get stung by a bee! Luckily for me nothing of the sort happened in the slightest.

So I continued dancing among the flowers.

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Lazy days in the South of France

In the South of France, there is a very small, very picturesque little city called Aix-En-Provence. The climate is warm and Mediterranean, the locals are genial and friendly, and everything looks like it was taken straight out of a story about luxury holidays.

Surprisingly, Aix is known as a student town, with students at many universities making up the majority of its population. How any of them get any work done in a city like this I don't know! (I'd be one of those kids who would just sit out in the sun all day.

The streets of Aix are filled with tourists in summer. (It is the South of France, after all.) Many have glowing tans and slight sunburns, dressed in big sun hats and cool, short-sleeved cotton shirts. They fit right in with the sun-orange walls of the Aix streets.

I love that everything in Aix looks like it's been there for the longest time! (Which, to be fair, it probably has.) I love the old-school shutter windows, the beautiful rails on the balconies, and the terracotta colour of the buildings.

On a hot summer day, who can resist a cold ice-cream? ♥♥

I love how in Aix there's just so much lavender everywhere in summer! They're right there in massive bundles, absolutely tonnes of lavender bushels, buds, scented sachets, soaps and oils and perfumes and creams... It seems like there's nothing that can't have a bit of lavender added to it! And because it's right in the middle of lavender country, the flowers are surprisingly cheap too. Well... As cheap as luxury lavender can be, anyway!

I wanted to take home one of these bushels for myself! But I couldn't figure out a way to put it in my luggage...

Aix isn't very big, so everything is walkable. The centre of the city is really small, with some old fountains and cafes at every corner. Cafes, ice-cream, sun and summer? Perfect!

I love places that have herbs displayed like this!! I love how having goods displayed in baskets makes everything look so much more rustic, old-school, and welcoming. I can't get enough of those handwritten chalk pen signs! It took every ounce of self-restraint not to take something home, even if I didn't exactly know what I'd be doing with them just yet.

Hordes and hordes of tourists!

There's nothing quite like letting yourself wander around the hundreds of narrow and irregular streets that seem to lead to the most enchanting little places, like cafes at the end of a lane or beautiful ivy-covered walls that look like something out of a storybook.

The main street in Aix is Cours Mirabeau, and it's been called the most beautiful street in France by some. Well, I don't know about the most beautiful street, but it's definitely right up there! The street is lined with trees on either side, and what I like best about it is how small it is - even though it is a main street, it doesn't feel too busy.

Just like the south of France should be, anyway.

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Around old Lyon

In the 1er arrondisement of Lyon, the Bartholdi Fountain stands in the Place des Terreaux near City Hall, a sculpture that features Marienne, the personification of France, commandeering a chariot with four galloping horses controlling the four great rivers of France.

Fun fact: the sculptor of this Bartholdi Fountain is the same guy who created the Statue of Liberty in New York!

One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to walk around and, quite literally, get lost in the maze of streets in a new city. On one of these lose-myself occasions, I found myself in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon - the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. I love seeing the beautiful colour of the sandstone walls along the length of the hallways!

Life's simple pleasures: a book, beautiful architecture, a fine day.

The Musée des Beaux-Arts is housed in a former Benedictine convent. The central courtyard features a number of statues in a beautiful area where many can be spotted enjoying a good book or simply basking in the sun.

I decided to go back to the Fourvière to check out the basilica by daylight. The first thing that strikes you at the Fourvière is just how incredibly ornate it all is - so much going on, a ton of intricate carvings and so much that decorates every single corner of the basilica. And that's just from the outside!

The inside of the basilica is filled with gold-plating everywhere, beautifully painted ceilings, and an incredible amount of ornament. You'd think that a building like this should be a few hundred years old, but it was actually only completed in 1884 - that's less than 150 years ago! The design draws from Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, which is why the building is as ornate as it is.

Just look at the amount of work that must have gone into that level of design, and having to paint that on a ceiling, too! Trying to paint that on a ceiling must have meant that painters had to work almost lying down while completing this piece of art.

The Fourvière is also home to the Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc (The Children's Choir of Saint-Marc), the same choir that was involved in the French film Les Choristes. 

Around the basilica are a number of beautiful religious sculptures, such as this one of a four winged angel. I never knew that angels were depicted as having four wings, but the unusualness of this sculpture certainly piques one's interest.

As with the rest of the city, the winged lion of Lyon is ever-present, here resting on the outside of the Fourvière keeping a watchful eye.

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Only Lyon

With beautiful ancient architecture, amazingly kind and helpful people, and so much to do, Lyon easily counts itself among some of my favourite cities. The symbol of Lyon is the lion, something which the city proudly displays with its sculpture, "Only Lyon". Placed sûr les berges du Rhône, or on the banks of the Rhône river, it is a wonderful sight to see sunlight hitting the Rhône and the sculpture at the closing of day.

After the hustle and bustle of busy Paris, Lyon was a welcome respite with its far more laid-back attitude and lazy evening streets.

I arrived in Lyon and was met by my amazing Couchsurfing host, Olga, who was from Poland but had lived in Lyon for ten years. She showed me around the city and took me to some of the most amazing places, from the walkways along riverbanks to the spectacular Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière which sits atop a hill overlooking the whole city.

The view from the Fourvière is incredible by night! The church is all lit up, casting shadows on the many intricate details and decorations on the church, and from the back of the church you can look down and see the many thousands of lights dotting the city of Lyon. It's an beautiful sight, and it made the crazy climb up to the Fourvière while it was dark totally worth it!

In the daytime, it's really pretty to sit by the steps by the Rhône, near to where the Only Lyon sculpture is. There's not really a better way to spend an afternoon than by the riverbank, watching the world go by with a very typically French croissant or flûte of bread in your hand!

One of the coolest things I saw was an old boat that had become converted into a little pub, named Ayers Rock. It sits by the banks of the Rhône, and people can actually go onto the boat and have a meal there. How cute is that?! I would love to have my very own boat-restaurant (a girl can dream!)

I came to the 2me arrondisement, which is on Presqu'île, or "almost an island". The reason for this is that the 2me arrondisement sits in between the rivers Rhône and Saône near where they join together, and this forms a little almost-island in between the two rivers! It's all very cute and French.

Sitting down at a little cafe on the Place des Jacobins, I had some of the best salad ever. I've never had a seafood salad quite as amazing as this - perfectly fresh cold prawns and smoked salad atop of a bed of greens. So yummy, and so, good. So. So. Good.

By the time I was done with my salad, I was more than ready to take on even more of Lyon and explore even more of the city!

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