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I am having strange visions as of late. I see myself on a bicycle with a wicker basket strapped to the front (filled with wine, cheese and baguette) riding merrily through the French countryside, passing fields of lavender.

Maybe I will find a cute French boy with a scarf to share my picnic with (shhhh, don’t tell my husband 😉 ) I might have to substitute my brother in law for the French boy (we will see about the scarf). Just like in the movies, right?

I told my dad about the vision that I have been having of lavender in France. He said that I was crazy. They said the same thing abut Picasso, right? Now, they build whole museums for him…

My sources have told me that the beginning of July in Provence is the height of the season for  lavender in France. Baguettes and wine, here I come! Off to Provence to find a bicycle and fulfill my lavender sniffing fantasies.

I am honing in on the area around Sault, France as the focus of my bicycle riding fervor. This area is filled with picturesque little French villages and fields of lavender; a post card perfect photo opportunity around every corner.  Lavender in France, here I come!

Other possibilities on the list for French escape:

Avignon and Pont Du Gard:

Avignon just looks like an adorable city with a great palace to visit and the Pont Du Gard is an ancient Roman Aqueduct nearby.  I have heard that the best way to see the Pont Du Gard is to go swimming in the river beneath it, so I am hoping that the weather will be warm enough to accommodate this.

Carcassonne:

A walled medieval city and something to see that has been on my wish list for a while.  I would love to arrive later in the afternoon (as recommended to beat tourist crowds), enjoy a nice dinner and take a walk around the castle after dark, when it is lit up like a beacon  and very dramatic looking.

Milau Viaduct:

This is the tallest bridge in the world.  It was built to help with traffic flow issues between Paris and Spain, and it is VERY cool looking.  This is enough of a reason to add it to the to do list.  The drive from the Viaduct to Carcasonne through the Black Mountains has also been recommended as particularly scenic, which is an added bonus.

St. Paul de Vence and Eze:

Just outside of Nice (where we will be flying into and picking the car up from), these hill towns are right up our alley for a stop for lunch with great views of the Mediterranean.

Roman Ruins:

Provence, France it dotted with Roman Ruins, scattered throughout its towns.  Maybe we will make a stop at the Roman theater in Orange, or the Roman arena in Arles.  Nimes, France contains an impressive Roman temple as well as what might be one of the most well preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world (it is in such good shape, they regularly hold concerts and events there.)  Vaison la Romaine, in the Cote Du Rhone wine region, also has a number of Roman ruins.  The Romans really built their buildings to last, and the south of France is filled with them.

Any other suggestions for things I HAVE to see in the south of France?