Saturday 8 April – Farewell Provence, thanks for the memories.

 Our last day in France, after a most enjoyable and memorable eighteen days.  We have been impressed by the friendliness and courtesy of the people of Provence and have been overwhelmed by the Greco-Roman history of the area.

An easy day today; a leisurely stroll down to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the huge, daily indoor market which is surely as much a meeting and dining place as a food market.  Every outlet was a feast for the eyes.  There were people everywhere and almost every second outlet had tables and chairs, or simply stools running along the counter, where people ate and sipped wine.  Oysters seem to be a particular hit, shucked before your eyes – it doesn’t get much fresher than that.  All of the eating places were crowded, with people sitting almost cheek to jowl, so we opted to make our food choices and eat at the outside tables, in the sun and fresh air.

We then went for a bit of a wander around the area, calling into the Church of Saint Sacrement, a relatively new church – constructed in the late 19^th/early 20^th centuries but, like many of the modern churches we have encountered, in neo-Byzantine style, including the very high domed ceiling.  Then back to our apartment, packing for the long train trip to Naples tomorrow and an early night. No blog tomorrow; we’ll be travelling from 9am to 8pm.