Provence in September

September in Provence is a travelogue in journal form with 80+ photos of a 4-week vacation in Provence. The vacation was composed and organized on-our-own rather than submitting to a packaged tour via bus or boat cruise. It is an account of the travel experiences of eight aging American baby boomers day tripping Provence with a side trip to Barcelona from a base in Aix-en-Provence (Aix). The base lodging is a rustic, third story apartment with no elevator in the heart of the historic district of Aix near the Place Richelme which hosts a daily al fresco farmers market. Aix, in a sunny and warm climate, itself possesses an abundance of attractions, caf life, shopping, a significant university population and a popular, central gathering place, the Cours Mirabeau. Within an hour plus drive from Aix lie Arles, Avignon, Nimes, St. Remy, Marseille, Cassis, Uzes and the Luberon villages of Fountain du Vaucluse, Gordes, Menerbes, Bonnieux, Apt and Loumarin. Within two hours are St. Tropez, Grasse, Cannes, Nice and Monaco. Barcelona is a five-hour cross country run on the autoroute.
The journal communicates the pleasures of traveling in southern France and details the recollections, color, some history and highlights of each of the Provencal towns visited. In Barcelona the Rambla and the Gothic Quarter sights and tapas are featured in some depth. Moreover, the journal describes the daily experiences and encounters of foreign travel that present one with out-of-one's comfort zone, experiences and refreshingly new perspectives and insight on custom and culture. The former relates to negotiating narrow, unfamiliar streets while the latter is expressed in testing one's language skills in the markets and restaurants. Lastly, the photos capture the essence of our travels.