On my first painting trip to Europe, I joined a group and traveled to a tiny village named Goudargues in Provence. The small stream was channeled into a miniature San Antonio like river walk through the center of town. Huge, pruned Plane trees shaded the cafe tables that bordered the water. We were the only tourists in town and stayed at a very small hotel. The hall light switches reminded me of something from a WWII era movie. They would only light for a few seconds as you passed down the corridor and then, you would press the round button for the next section. One day we stopped at a neighboring hill town called Cornillion which afforded a wonderful vista of the entire valley. While others sought out a shady spot to sketch, Jane Jones (our instructor) and I could not pass up the opportunity to paint this scene. I tried to imagine living in a fairy tale like setting such as this,,,imagined living in the small farm house below with its orchards and gardens. How peaceful, and how special to have a life centered around the small village. The twin steeples of the church dominated the town center and will always remind me of Goudargues. One day I might be able to go once again "From My House to Goudargues".
