Plan B

(Eleanore's off tonight...fair warning)

There are many ways to find yourself in Plan B.

You're forced into it.

You choose it.

Or sometimes, it falls into your lap. 

Our Plan A was to build our dream house at the west end of Donner Lake

and live there happily ever after.

Plan B was to sell our home and start traveling.

We are loving Plan B.

(SF Airport March 4)

For two weeks we've been planning a getaway while Jeff's parents were here.

The french actually have a name for these getaways...

"Séjour en amoureux"

Plan A was to hike in les Dentelles,

mountains north of here in the wine region of Gigondas.

Maybe Jeff would even ride up Mt. Ventoux

It rained. So Plan B was to go to Aix-en-Provence.

We stayed in a swanky place called Hotel Cezanne.

Our room was orange.

The light fixtures threw shadows of ripped paper.

They served house pasta all night long.

The lobby was full of art and zebra striped lounge chairs.

We got to Aix and we almost left, planning our escape back to the countryside. 

It was noisy, dirty, big, anonymous. It was city. 

But thankfully, we made ourselves stay.

We just missed organic market day...

But we went to a film festival.

And we made it to some sidestreet galleries...

and to the Granet museum,

a great painter whose art (not pictured above) is highlighted in

many of the museum's halls.

One painting was dated 1849. The year he died.

Exposed for all to see were the perspective lines he drew plotting out pillars, flooring, people, etc. His Plan A was to finish painting over those lines.

Plan B got in the way.

But I have to say,

this painting helped me understand the technical side of art

more than anything I've ever seen.

But the real reason we stayed...

and the reason Plan B was so delicious

was the food.

Hiking in the mountains is adventurous, sure; but so is eating really good food.

One dessert was a ball of chocolate we pried open to find a whispy powder and some variation of poprocks that exploded in our mouths along with a ball of vanilla ice cream. We had amazing wine. Ate in amazing spaces. I never ordered off the menu. I just said I was a vegetarian and the chef obliged happily and magically. YUM.

Plan A was to have our departing breakfast in the hotel... but we decided whatever Plan B was, it was going to be more exciting than that.

It was...

Plan A was to leave Aix for Gordes, a glorious hillside village we'd been to before...when Eleanore was just the size of a peanut in my belly. 

We have really wonderful memories of that place...

But we couldn't find a place to sleep that had enough SOUL!

One hotel after another.

We pull in,

I get out,

I ask to see the room,

Jeff turns the car around for the getaway,

I say, Merci, and turn toward the door, saying,

"Je vais parler avec mon marie."

(Let me go chat with my hubby about this)

I run out into the rain, laughing.

 Jeff peels out.

Plan B: Keep driving.

Our wine seller is Jean Michel. He is our Plan B wine seller.

Plan A was nice enough, but Jeff wanted to check out another option so we wandered into Le Caviste wine shop one day and Jean Michel handed us a loaner decanter with our wine and that was that.

Jean Michel has become a friend

and gave us names of wineries we should visit on our getaway.

The first winery (Plan A) was a soul-less, stucco, cold shell. We rang the buzzer and were met by a woman reeking of stale smoke. She was cranky that we rang at all.

And she was phlegmy. 

It was all we could do to pay for a bottle of wine fast enough to get out of there.

No photo taken.

The second winery (Plan B) was the antithesis!

 We were met by Monsieur Richaud, a silver-haired man with steel blue eyes, rough hands, 9 1/2 fingers, and a smile that said, "stay, drink, talk, and drink some more." He and his employees were all gathered around the bar, having just come from bottling their newest table wine. No one really spoke much of the same language, but we managed to wonder how he came to own and wear a Kjus jacket and found he was a lover of skiing, along with being one of the foremost organic, sustainable, old-world technique wine makers in France.  

We stayed long past the time posted for closing.

...Still looking for just the right lodging...

(at 7:30PM)

We decided to drive to Vaison la Romaine

Plan A was to check out the Beffroi Hotel...

and on our way up to the old village,

we picked up two beleagered travelers and their big bags and took them to their hotel.

While Jeff was helping them with their bags, I walked down the tight cobbled street to see what I could see.

It still surprises even me.

I stopped and knocked a locked door...locked with iron gates shut.

Plan B opened the door.

The personification of TWINKLE.

This man wore his reading glasses on the top of his head, a clean apron, a smile that looked a lot like Mr. Richaud's.

He had a "come in, tell me a story" kind of smile.

I waved at Jeff down the street.

He though I'd gotten lost and was giving me 5 minutes to show myself.  

In we went to the most soulful place I have slept in in a while!

Books, art, books, art, books and art.

And a room with this view...

I had no idea  how much I love rooftop views...especially when the rain stops!

He was an engineer, she the owner of an art gallery.

Turns out this little private "find" is quite famous in the guide books.

Didn't have a clue.

I gave my first set of Mary Beth earrings to her.

She picked the ones with the birds. I knew she would.

Jeff loved the desk...art, computer, coffee...

Off to the Roman Ruins...

And then to Gignodas for a hike in les Dentelles--NO RAIN!

Plan A was to get there earlier...but this guy was pointing to Plan B on his shirt.

Jeff was trying at every turn to see Mt Ventoux

but it was still hidden in the clouds.

I kept my eyes on the slippery trail unless asked to look into the lens.

It was hard not to admire the composition and color of the landscape.

Plan A was to finish the afternoon and the getaway with lunch at a beautiful restaurant we saw when we parked our car for the hike.

It was reserved for a party.

Plan B was a bright, happy, friendly place around the corner

 with impeccable food and great hosts.

Plan A was to order chocolate cake with creme anglaise and lemon cake with lemon curd.

Plan B was to have ice cream only.

We chose Plan C. All of the above.

A big thank you to Mary Ann and Dick

who played with Eleanore and Frances while we were gone...

and met us in Avignon today with our babies!

 

And while we were gone, two more babies entered this 

big beautiful world:

Brian and Heather's baby boy

And Jessica and Chris's baby boy!

Wishing you and them many rides on the merry-go-round,
whether it's Plan A, Plan B--
or Plan C!