gorge du verdon

Provence is managing to do the impossible and be even more beautiful in real life than in photos. This is the Verdon Gorge - a place where we lay on the beach, paddle on boats and swam in the impossibly green water. It was so spectacular - we were all agog. The kids enjoyed swimming and paddling, and we just enjoyed soaking up the beauty.

This is the beach where we popped some towels on the sand, and lay back and soaked up some beautiful provencal sunshine. Oh my.

This is the gorge. Such an incredible colour. The cliffs were just breathtaking. Two families hired a paddle boat each and explored this glorious area. Nine euros for an hour of bliss.

One thing we've all commented on is that not only is Provence so much more gorgeous than we'd expected, but so much cheaper. Our lunch today was purchased at the local markets: tapenade, ham, beefsteak tomatoes and my favourite butter with fleur de sel flakes. I keep buying "one more thing" to pop into my suitcase. Luckily I've only bought four pairs of shoes so far so I have a fair bit of space...