Provence: Reunited in Paradise with cousins et pain au chocolat

Aix en Provence!

Sooo good to be reunited with family after a year apart! We had a countdown of days. And, I get to be reunited with Mary and Tina via one of the best markets in the world - at Aix! What a way to face reentry stress - by returning to the Freemans and the uber-civilized, thoughtful French, after a very rude, near-brutal set of interactions with the Chinese. Even the grouchy, critically opinionated moments with the French put a smile on my face.

Aix market is underneath the Judiciary

Two brides walking down the narrow alleyways of Aix. Gay marriage is supported in France?

I love these French machines! Especially the French doggie pooper vacuum - note on right side of machine.

A sparkling day in Cassis

Yes, looks like Disney but saved our ass from a walk that would have driven our kids into the ground. Gotta say, though, it's very un-French of Cassis to have a disney train to accomodate anyone, much less tourists.

Beloved cousins who were much much much missed.

Click HERE for video of Cassis harbor, framed by quaint painted Provencale houses.

Boat ride from Cassis along the coast to the Calanques -- soaring cliffs hugging the coast

Calanques

Sliver of a window through a calanque. Click HERE for video of les calanques.

Only in la France

Medieval warriors at a fortress high on a cliff

Who'd want to torture these cutie patooties?

Dylan always obliges

The dark side of Darth Max

Catapult bringing out the Genghis in Ken

Our guide, unfortunately only spoke French, after we'd already paid for the tickets. Griffin's blog: I really hated that guide. He only spoke French and it was burning hot.

Our chateau about 15 minutes from Aix, nestled in at base of a climbable cliff and a protected forest, with the scar on nature paradise of a quarry and industrial zone nearby. But, we lived in a bubble, able to forget the nearby industry. The chateau was decorated in Chinese antiques, making us feel right at home after getting off the boat from Asia. The kids would play medieval sword fighters around the chateau. Click HERE for a video.

An ancient chapel, next to the home. There was also a charming caretaker and wife on site along with a warren of rabbits, ready to be lapin a l'orange for dinner.

Inside the chapel

Chapel statuary

Isle sur la Sorgue is an island town surrounded by a moat-like river called River Sorgue, which is clear, crisp and filled with fish. After the polluted rivers of Asia, used to wash dead and live bodies, it was downright civilized to see untouched clean water bubble down waterfalls.

Center of the alleyed Isle sur la Sorgue, famous for its antiques

Griffin's blog: We are secret agents.

We loved the cafe lifestyle, seeming so indulgent after the industrious Asian lifestyle

Griffin's Blog: Me and Theo. I really like Theo.

The waterwheels of Isle sur la Sorgue

Sitting for leisurely reading with our kids and Theo. We realized we'd hit a new phase of parenthood when we not only could sit with our kids to read at a cafe, but Theo said "I just LOVE antiquing!" We brought the right cousin with us to Isle sur la Sorgue.

Soccer happened every night, on the perfect soccer field next to our chateau

Alice taught the boys a lesson, about "kicking like a girl"

These guys were neck and neck each game

Isaac's soccer skills left most in the dust! Click HERE for cuz soccer video.

Bruce, our avid documentarian, turning his eagle eye on the soccer action

Scary medieval Aunt Jenny

Girl hair power!

Jules and Jenny worked diligently on Alice's hair

The do

The cousins hiking to a dam, nearby Aix

The Bibemus quarry is outside Aix, and it is where Paul Klee did some of his best paintings, but la France decided it wasn't in the mood to open the quarry that day. So we hiked to the dam instead.

I am a teenager, hear me roar

The king of the cousins

The dam

Dam

Dam blue water

Another family hike, this time to the ochre hills outside Roussillon, where they excavate the ochre pigments for the phenomenally rich Roussillon and Provencal painted homes

The ENTIRE family hiked

Abraham was DYING to see Max after over a year apart. But, his way of getting to know each other, and how they'd both grown, was via a competitive comparison of each others' heights. Who wins the growing game?

Who do you think won? Abraham will insist it's he, despite evidence to the contrary. Max knew he won but had to double check with

The cousins hike up ochre climbs

A necessary end to a hike

How you get two 5 year olds through a European vacation.

Roussillon bell tower

Roussillon ochre red paint, excavated from nearby hills

All of Roussillon is covered in glowing ochre paint

Dylan walks with such character

Roussillon clock

Roussillon cemetary

Roussillon walkway, with ochre grout

Picturesque Gordes, with steep inclines up to the hilltop medieval village

The nicest person we met in Gordes. It was so overtouristed that the restaurant owners where we ate HATED us and our kids, in that stereotypical disgusted French manner. Almost funny, like watching a cartoon of French complaining about us, to our face.

Les Bories, right next to Gordes. It's an ancient hamlet made of dry stone piled on top of each other

Bories village

My fave picture of the brothers, reunited again

And, the pigs

Strawberries for sale, on the side of the road

Alice climbing our local rope course that was challenging for age 5 up to 43! It was amazing since it was in the shade, in a desert-like heat, and it provided fun for hours for all the family. Griffin still talks about how he wants to return to France "so I can go to the ropes course"

After a year in Asia, growing his Confucian goatee, Ken shaves it off in preparation for a return to the grind. His goatee was imbued with symbolism for Ken - maybe freedom from "the man" and youth. Ken's shaving the bottom of his head and regrowing the top of his head was emotional and surprisingly powerful for all of us. I didn't want him to do either.

Half done

All done! Click HERE for a video of Ken shaving his goatee.