It’s January 25, and we’re deep in winter. I don’t need any more photos to remind me of our seasonal deal, snow and ice. Saw the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty a couple of days ago. And Oh, how I need to unleash the Walter Mitty in me now, and let my mind zoom off to distant lands, warm, temperate, and colourful.
So here I am, travelling back to the summer of 2010, taking a road trip in Provence, France. A cure for cabin fever: I breath in the warm air, feast my eyes on colours and relive a most memorable family vacation.
We took a day trip from Avignon to Vaison la Romaine and Chateauneuf du Pape, passing through vineyards, stopping by markets.
A vineyard beside a 12th Century chapel in Vaison la Romaine:
A street market. The colours … what a contrast to our wintry white and grey:
I like the kid here. What was he looking at?
Or here, the yellow rose. Imagine opening your front door and be greeted by a cheerful, yellow rose:
And the fan here. Just looking at it can cure cabin fever. Let your inner Walter Mitty take you for a ride:
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Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads. CLICK HERE to see what others have posted.
ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY ARTI OF RIPPLE EFFECTS. DO NOT COPY OR REBLOG.
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Ripple Effects 
Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for hosting Sat. Snapshot, Melinda.
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Love them Arti, ah yes I am dreaming of France and Italy. . .
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Heather,
Armchair travelling it is… 😉
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What a wonderful escape! I am so drawn to those wonderful displays and colors at the Market!!
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Ellen,
Yes, those markets were quite something. Thanks for stopping by the pond. 😉
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Arti, thanks for posting these lovely pictures,
just what I need here in the Midwest of the USA. It’s bitter cold & and we had 6″ of the white stufff overnight and it’s still coming down.
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Yinling,
I heard that some of your temp. down in the U.S. are lower than those in Alaska. Don’t we all need a Walter Mitty break?
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Thanks for transporting me to beautiful places! And thanks for visiting my blog.
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laurelrainsnow,
Glad you’ve enjoyed the ride. 😉
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Oh! Those grapes and that pottery arranged like a multi-color grape cluster across the pavement! Glorious! Arm chair touring is just the thing for a cold afternoon!
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Susan,
You’re right. They do look like a bunch of multi-colour grape cluster. Glad you’ve enjoyed your armchair travelling. 😉
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Lovely bright and colourful pics!
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booketta,
I don’t know about your part of the world, I sure need some colours here. 😉
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I think the little boy is watching the musician’s toe tap to the rhythm of the song. And I especially love the yellow rose. That’s not only a reminder of Texas, but a reminder of my mother, who loved yellow and peach roses and grew them in front of the house.
We’re on a roller-coaster here. Yesterday it was all freezing rain, ice and cold, cold temperatures. Today it’s 50 again and sunny. But by Tuesday, we’re going to be even colder, down in the 20s. I keep telling my poor ficus not to worry, but it’s dropping leaves like crazy from being moved around so much. Ah, well. Eventually spring will come and it can make new leaves.
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Linda,
We’re enjoying some balmy weather this past week. Today it got to almost 52F (11C) But tomorrow we’ll dip down to -18C Roller coaster temp.? We’re so used to them. And yes, when I type in The Yellow Rose as a title for the pic, I immediately thought of the YR of Texas. How wonderful to be surrounded by roses all year (?)
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Not a rose blooming now. They go into dormancy for the most part and there are a couple of months where you hardly see one. But Valentine’s Day is the traditional time to prune them, and then, by mid-March, they’re starting to really shine again.
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What a great series of photos. Definitey a great Walter Mitty zoom away moment for me too. Not that I need to imagine warmth, but I often imagine France, it’s my go to place. We were there in the summer of 2010 as well! Perhaps we passed each other on the street, or went to the same place on the same day?
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Louise,
Oh this sounds like a movie … we could have stood side by side, looking at those colourful pots in the market… And if the Walter Mitty movie comes your way, do go see it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
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I definitely needed these happy sunshine-filled images today! Très beau!
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Alison,
Well, looks like you don’t need to go on any Walter Mitty rides, you’re right there in Scotland! 😉
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I love that so many SS-er’s have gone travelling in their photos today. France is a magic place and you’ve been to some places I haven’t, so lovely to see them – thank you 🙂
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Brona,
Yes, actually I selected these photos after I’d seen what others had posted. Just want to join in the virtual tour group. Thanks for stopping by. 😉
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Such lovely and sunny photos! I have not been to Vaison la Romaine in a long time but remember it fondly. It certainly is a good trip to remember when it is cold and snowy outdoors. Here it has been cold at time, but not too bad and we are still waiting for some snow. That photo of grapes is so vivid – I’d love to taste it! Actually I was also thinking about Italy – we went to Messina, Sicily, a couple of years ago and I was looking at my photos – I have not made a post on it yet, but will, someday.
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VB,
Thanks for your comment… I went back to correct. Of course, it’s ‘la’ and not ‘de’. I wish I could have gone back and stayed a while longer. When we were there, I was hoping there would still be lavender fields blooming, but no, we were one month too late. The lavender was in full bloom in July. You see that chapel in the first photo? That’s where my son played a Chopin Ballade in a concert organized by his music study abroad program a few years back when he was a teenager. We went back there in 2010 so he could show me the places he went to. I love Provence. Hope to go back some day. And I look forward to reading your Italy post. 😉
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Nice to go somewhere warm and sunny even if it’s only in photos. I am counting the days until I can see flowers outside my door once again. I couldn’t post a snowy picture either this week and went back to July for something pleasant.
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Leslie,
I was inspired to do this after I went to see what others had posted. We sure need to be taken away, albeit just virtually, far away from our white, grey, and cold.
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What a lovely post. My husband had a red 2CV when we met, and we did drive round France in it a few times. I also went a bit drooly over the lovely fabric.
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Ginny,
That sounds fun. I must admit, we didn’t drive ourselves. We had a guide, she drove us in her car. But I’d like to try that next time… drive around on our own.
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This is a much needed post, my friend! It’s snowing here today and very cold. I want to hunker down but have company so we will go to the movies and perhaps shop a bit, but I’d be just as content with a cuppa, a good book and maybe a good video. I don’t think the winter will ever end.
So, I am MOST grateful that you took us to this warm and wonderful spot. The South of France is a spot on my bucket list. Part of me feels compelled to finish up places I’ve “started” but oh — the colors! Those linens and dishes in the markets. Heavy, happy sigh!
Bundle up, my friend. Caught Dallas Buyers Club and Nebraska — today’s film still to be decided. Philomena left. Cram, cram, cram!
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Jeanie,
Don’t forget… Downton E4 coming up. That should warm us up a bit. And yes, Provence is a place I’d like to visit again and again. But as things go at this stage, don’t know when I’ll be able to do that. So, I cherish these visual memories. Glad you can feel the warming effect too. 😉
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All that color! Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos! I’ve got cabin fever bad. I’ve got a cold and the weather outside is once again extra dangerous (currently -26C with a -39C wind chill!). I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to get the weather gods to relent and give us an early spring!
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Stefanie,
I totally empathize with you. We all need to escape this prolonged cold. I really shouldn’t complain since these few weeks are not as bad as what you’re getting south of us, but definitely, a little colour and virtual/armchair travelling is no harm. 😉
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Such wonderful colours! Our winter has been blessedly mild this year, but it’s still mostly monochrome. I get tired of the endless greys and long for vivid colours. Thank you for sharing and giving us a taste of the summer sun!
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litlove,
Stay tuned… I’ve more coming in the next Saturday Snapshot. 😉
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Judging from the explosion of colors in this post, you are clearly tired of snow and cold! Hope the virtual vacation did you good 🙂
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nikkipolani,
We are actually quite fortunate in that your countrymen and women have to endure much colder weather than we up here above the 49th. But still, I need those Walter Mitty moments. More coming on Feb. 1 Sat. Snapshot. 😉
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