dripping with passion

from verdon gorge, we drove through the lush fields of provence. and decided we simply must return some day when the lavender and sunflowers are in full bloom. we saw miles upon miles upon miles  of lavender and sunflower fields - it was seriously mind-blowing. we also cruised past vineyards, drove through beech tree tunnels, and saw acre after acre of pear orchards. that part of the earth is so incredibly fertile and luxuriant! we slept overnight in another tiny village, and the next morning headed to our final road trip destination: pont du gard. this three-tier, amazingly well-preserved roman aqueduct was built around 20 bc! wow. this was one thing in the south of france that ian really wanted to see, and i was just along for the ride ... until i got there and was pretty blown away. we got to the site early enough to be the only people on the pebbly beach on one side of the aqueduct and we had a great time just admiring the magnificent structure and wading in the water...

when i saw a friend's pictures of verdon gorge, i was sure i had to go there. and it totally lived up to my high expectations of grandeur. we drove inland from villefranche into the parc naturel régional des préalpes d'azur. the "pre-alps" mountains, just minutes away from the coast, are stunning ... our drive provided some truly spectacular scenery. we stayed overnight in a super random and tiny french village, where there happened to be a medieval fair going on...! in the morning we drove past verdon gorge to spend a bit of time exploring the darling  town of moustiers-sainte-marie, set right into the waterfall-bedazzled mountainside. then we drove back to the gorge and rented a little motorboat to cruise up the outrageously coloured water. (we were thrilled that there was a good alternative to the pedal boats - that would have been a bit tricky with two wiggly boys along for the ride!) i don't think i'll ever get over that verdon gorge water!! ^^ ^^...

for our second round of day trips from villefranche, we visited the villa ephrussi de rothschild at saint-jean-cap-ferrat in the morning, and the medieval village of eze - perched on a tall hill overlooking the ocean - in the afternoon. both of these places are stunning ! there's so much god-made and man-made beauty in this world. i'm so glad we got to enjoy this little french riviera corner of our gorgeous earth together as a family.   the rothschild villa is surrounded by nine gardens, each with a distinct theme, and also by amazing views - across the bay to villefranche and also further down the coast to the east.   in the french garden, situated just in front of the spectacular pink house, there are fountains that dance to classical music. it's honestly pretty magical. after we took turns exploring the interior of the villa, moses started dancing to the fountain music and we got some hilarious footage of him boogying down.   the architecture and decorat...