Our trip to the Cotes du Rhone

So keeping this blog updated is not going so well - sorry!

Two weekends ago we rented a car and headed out of Marseille for 3 days. We went up to the Cotes du Rhone valley, for a weekend of wine tasting and exploring medieval towns. Of course the kids are not used to being in a car anymore, so after only 30 minutes we were getting the "Are we there yet" and "I have to potty" complaints! So what should have been an hour and a half drive took over two with some stops along the way...

Driving into the country we were happy to see some fall colors and leaves on the ground, something we don't have in Marseille. We stopped at the first vineyard that caught our eye...the kids were happy to get out and run around. We were allowed to walk thru the vines and eat some of the grapes, since they were done harvesting for the year. While we visiting many wineries over the weekend, this was our favorite. Why? They had a box of toys in the tasting room! We could actually relax and enjoy our tasting while the kids played. The owner then proceeded to tell us they are selling the winery and moving to California (her husband is American). Bummer - the wine was wonderful! We bought a few bottles and moved on.

We stayed in a great little B&B in the middle of nowhere - just down the hill from a medieval town. We were the only guests, and had fantastic breakfasts of croissants with homemade jams. The girls had a great time exploring all the nooks and crannies of the old town up the hill, climbing 600 year old stairs. Both nights we ate four course meals, and bribed the girls with ice cream to keep them happy during the 3 hour feasts! They'll do anything for ice cream....

We drove to the top of Mt. Ventoux, which is the tallest mountain in Provence at over 6,000 ft. It was a clear day and we could see Mont Blanc in the Alps!

We returned home with a trunk full of wine, happy kids, and memories of a great weekend!