Settling in

Life has really changed since our move to Aix. Aix is not as exciting as Paris but it is beginning to feel more like home. Our push to get involved has really payed off. We have lots of new french friends: mostly older friends (retirees) and younger friends (college students), not many between. This works for us. We’ve always had friends in a pretty broad age range.

Last weekend we headed down to Cassis for a nice Friday dinner and spent Satuday luxuriating in the beautiful cliffs and hills of St. Victoire. We’re intent on joining the local hiking scene. It is such a surprise to find out how popular hiking is here. Perfect for a couple of Boundary Waters fans: les voyaguers sont ici! This weekend we’re heading out for our first serious randonnée at St. Victoire.

Sunday found us in the pretty town of L’isle-sur-le-Sorgue walking through anitiquités and then on to Gordes. Gordes was amazing. The town is known for its bories: homes made entirely of stone, no mortar. What was most fantastic was that they still build their houses completely out of stone without mortar.

We’re starting to get excited about the ski season. Apparently there is a bus we can catch at the center of Aix that will take us to the local peaks (we’re talking the Alps here) for x-country or downhill. We cannot wait!!!