Provence in September: Day Tripping On Our Own

September in Provence is a travelogue in journal form with eighty plus photos of a four-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-ones 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 ones language skills in the markets and restaurants. Lastly, the photos capture the essence of our travels.