Heading out of Grasse this morning we start our journey back to the US. We both have mixed feelings about the return, but it’s time to go home. The trip was long, but felt just the right length. On the day we tired of the cold wet weather (in Pezenas), like magic, it changed and spring was in the air. Jackets shed we headed out with a new attitude. Spring in Provence is pretty special and we feel were we’re here on it’s very first day. There is no lavender yet but that’s a bloom worth coming back for. Grasse is the scent capitol of the world with a good portion of the potions coming from the area. It’s probably my imagination but every where you go it smells like flowers. The plants know that spring is coming and have started blooming even before the rain stopped, Grasse in full bloom.

I had a negative view of the area before coming to France. I thought it would be a French Rivera experience full of noticeable wealth and bling. It is rather a series of towns with beautiful villas, pools, and landscaping sewn on the sides of steep hillsides like a patchwork quilt. The entrances are small openings covered in overgrown plantings that suggest the elegance beyond the driveway. The homes are taking advantage of the views that stretch to the Mediteranian. There is a more laid back attitude with friendly people in Provence than in the rest of the country. Definitely not as I had envisioned.

There is always a sigh of relief when we get the rental car back in one piece. I guess that is not always the case. The first thing the rental agent said when we pulled in is ”did you wreck our vehicle?” I asked how many out of ten come in damaged and he put the number at one or two. There are three agents that go over the vehicle like border crossing police, looking for shoddy body work, or other poorly disquised damage. When they said I was free to go I thought they may be taking their Hertz uniforms a bit seriously. The driving in France was just a little easier than Italy and Spain, but still challenging with very tiny roads, motorcycles passing in both directions (at the same time), and GPS directions that can be off the major roads on a regular basis. Make sure the insurance is in place. Close to the airport we filled gas in a very busy station where our €21 purchase turned into a $123.00 credit card charge, probably not an exchange rate issue. Be careful, sometimes the pocket that is picked is not actually from your pocket.