We went on a Sunday picnic yesterday up in the hills between La Bouverie and Bagnols en Forêt (the beaches being far too crowded on Sundays). I love a nice picnic but here is where I have to admit that despite growing up in the country, I am not a nature girl. I like the IDEA of nature. I like LOOKING at (and photographing) things in nature. I enjoy the quiet nature of nature. But otherwise I'm not so good with actual nature. The bugs drive me crazy, for one thing: flies, ants, mosquitos, spiders -- they adore me but the feeling is not mutual. And If I were ever lost while hiking (a virtual impossibility since I'd be unlikely to be out "hiking" alone in nature anyway), I assume I'd end up as the following news headline: NATURE-CHALLENGED WOMAN DIES WHILE HAVING HYSTERICS AFTER LOSING HER WAY IN A PUBLIC PARK 50 YARDS FROM NEAREST MALL.
That being said, I do enjoy a day out in the country with my family. The French really know how to do a picnic, that's for sure. Le Garçon got to work on the cabane that he and his buddy had built back in early July when we were here (it was still standing and just needed a bit of redecorating), and Georges got into the act too; they had their father-and-son Swiss army knives and they put those fancy knives to good use, cutting ferns to use as walls and ceiling cover. We had lovely picnic fare: fresh, hot baguette; ham and sausages and cheese; crudités; fresh fruit. We skipped wine because Georges was driving and I was getting over a migraine. But... we stopped at a real source on the way up the mountain (that route D47 is a bit scary because other drivers don't necessarily stay on their side of the road, and anyone who has driven the coastal highways in California can no doubt relate to what I'm talking about). And then we stopped at a vineyard and bought some rosé and red wine to take home.
I do enjoy looking for things to photograph on those rare occasions I am out in nature. Here's what I found within 200 paces of our picnic site:
