Waterviews In France

Cruising the Rhone and the Soane in the South of France was a wonderful experience. Going through the locks was exciting every time.  Growing up on Long Island and living on the East Coast, water is essential to my well being.  It calms my soul and helps me to think and be creative.  I'm home now. It's nice to look back and relive  some of my favorite views from the boat.

More Photos From France

Every time I visit a new town or even just turn a corner, there is another view that makes me love France even more.  I would love to spend a month here, or more, but then there's Bailey.  Oh well.

Petanque in the park

Tugboat

More tomorrow.

Vincent and Arles

After an entire day of travel, we arrived at our river boat.  The Rhone in the south of France is our "highway".  We spent today in Arles, where Vincent Van Gogh lived in the Yellow House, painted many paintings and was hospitalized for mental issues. Most of the locations that were part of his life here were destroyed during WW II, but his presence in this city is huge.

One of the stories that our guide recounted that stuck with me was his initial rejection as an artist.  He studied at an art school in Brussels and was told he had no talent  and that he should give up painting. His brother, Theo, had faith in him.  Vincent had no money, so Theo bankrolled him with a monthly stipend and then bought paintings from him and his friend Paul Gaugin. 

 I find the buildings in France to be so charming and picturesque, I envision lots and lots of quilts of the buildings and the doorways and the windows with their shutters and flowers and greenery.  Van Gogh did not paint any of  the buildings.  The focus of his paintings were the people and the landscape. 

And of course, a beautiful lunch

I'll save my texttile purchases for tomorrow!

Budapest

I am still processing my visit to Jewish Town in Prague. Yes, that's what they call it. I visited 5 synagogues and will share photos and my thoughts in another post. While admiring all of the amazing buildings in Prague and Budapest, there is always the underlying history that accompanies the landscapes. These cities have very complicated histories and some of it has to do with the Jewish story.

For now, I'll just share my photos of Budapest. Some were taken during the day and others at night during a lovely, but damp river cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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