Fall a la française.

~ In the south of France you don't especially get the impression that it is indeed the Fall season. After spending several years in Eugene, I was accustomed to falling leaves that would cast cloud-sized shadows on the ground during their slow descent. People armed with rakes and black plastic bags were regularly seen curbside, as were leaf piles the size of haystacks. In Nîmes, however, it was the steady wash of blue sky that showed no movement, except for the scarf-whipping frenzy of "Le Mistral" (wind from the North) that barreled down the mouth of the Rhone. Most leaves lethargicaly clung on until a December wind scattered them through the streets of the Christmas markets. Bizarre!

Le Pont-du-Gard...



An aquaduct, a very old aquaduct, a Roman aquaduct. This may mean absolutely nothing to you, but it was the symbol of my department (like a state) in the south of France. I was waiting for the damn thing to light up, only to learn that they provide that spectacle exclusively during the summer months for tourists. I would have liked to have seen an illuminated 2,000 year-old Roman aquaduct, but I would not have traded it for this view, unencumbered by tourists blasting american hip-hop on the riverbank.

Avignon, cookies and beer...



Not the most spectacular photo ever taken, technically speaking, but charged with fantastic memories. You just can't beat a cookie break in the park. Add to that a 30cl can of Kronenbourg before noon, while people cast sidelong glances in your direction. But when you do all that with a friend, it is pretty much unforgettable. As was our packed cake-lunch. As was that first day hanging out with Carina, a Portuguese girl that became my best friend during my time over there.