Saintes-Maries de la Mer

Hemingway used to come here. Picasso too. Vincent Van Gogh painted it, and Tori Amos wrote a song about it. Obviously, I'm not the first to be charmed by this little beach town on the French Mediterranean. 

We visited Saintes-Maries de la Mer with our friends and fellow family-travelers The Pilbeams. That's Roonagh Pilbeam in the water with Owen and Ella. For the week that the Pilbeams were with us in France I was blissfully free of planning duties. Ian had it all in hand. I was in charge of goat cheese. So when we got to Saintes-Maries (named for the three Maries who found Jesus - or rather the lack of Jesus - in his tomb) I was completely surprised. It's so very Spanish! So VERY Spanish. Being the girl that I am, I zeroed in on the fashion, and Oh What Fashion was to be had!! Where else, I ask you, could you buy your little darling a classic Provence dress (or at least a dress made with cheap Provence fabric) AND a Flamenco costume, all in the same street! Not to mention the shoes! I won't lie. I wanted them, but they didn't come in my size. Probably because the shoe people are wiser than I, and realize that size Mid-Fourties Lady spotted shoes wouldn't be nearly as cute as size Tiny Little Girl. Ah well. Bob says he'll make me a pair with a Sharpie when we get back home.