On the drive from Montpellier to Grenoble, we passed through some stunning countryside. The snow capped mountains are peaking out through the clouds in the distance. Our first stop for the day was in Nimes and we saw a colliseum built about 2000 years ago by the Romans. Currently it is used as a bullring and we arrived just in time to see a large weekend festival setting up.
Our next stop was in Orange. I had some little memory that Orange was a worthwhile town to see in the Provence region. I had thought it had something to do with perfumeries, but no, it is because it is another sight with ancient Roman structures. This town's biggest is a huge amphitheater and an arch. Pretty town.
But what really got us going, "WOW" was driving by another nice village and then all of a sudden seeing these massive nuclear stacks, pretty much in the centre of the town. Kind of scary to grow up in such close proximity. Another strange kind of propaganda: one of the stacks had a giant painting of a child playing with water painted on the side of it. I thought is was an oddity and worth mentioning.
Then we headed to La Plaine in Crest to visit a farm that produces and distributes peony flowers by mail order or direct purchase. Peonies are called pivoines in french. The place was called Maison Riviere de Pivoine, I believe. It was a place I read about last year and was determined to visit. Cassio was very patient, driving to all these places in one day, but boy, was I happy to see so many varieties and, more than that, to SMELL them. They are such lovely flowers and they had so many beautiful scents. There were fields of them. Gorgeous day!
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