The best weekend of my summer!

My weekend in Lacoste has been filled with truly spectacular and unique experiences.  Friday was a campus-wide field trip to Glanum and St. Remy.  Glanum sets the stage for an ancient Greco-Roman city.  Framed by a grayscale of steep mountains, the beautiful ruins were once consumed by thick mudslides.  Until its excavation in the 1920s, it acted as a time capsule for that period, preserving artifacts and even a sewer system from so long ago.  St. Remy was a lively little town with a more modern vibe than any of the villages around Lacoste.  There were hip boutiques, an eclectic street market, and bustling cafes and boulangeries.  My parents even tipped me off about a bakery they had heard about a few days prior from Anthony Bourdain’s television show.  There was no hesitation on my end to try out the saccharine marzipan he recommended to viewers. 

            Just on the outskirts of St. Remy was the 2^nd iconic destination of our daylong excursion.  Maison de Sante St-Paul became the mental hospital to Vincent van Gogh in the last years of his life.  He voluntarily entered himself into rehab in order to find structure during his extremely fragile mental state. This decision was made briefly after he sliced a portion of his ear lobe off to send to his prostitute lover.  Some of his most famous artwork was composed while in this institution, and we were able to see a few of the exact scenes he depicted in his paintings.  The composition of Starry Night was taken from bits and pieces of the area, and I enjoyed treasure hunting for the locations that I felt acted as the muse for details of the piece.  From the hilltops overlooking Glanum, I noticed a monumental steeple and decided in my mind that it was this exact church Van Gogh chose to reflect in Starry Night.  I also set my mind on a single cluster of Cypress trees from the dozens around the asylum that I feel certain were reflected in the painting. 

          The weekend has been topped off with the Lacoste village festival.  The bottom of our town has been filled with people from all over the area wanting dinner, drinks, and dancing.  The three-night event has been comprised of Reggae bands, DJs, and a Sunday night music theme of rock-n-roll.  SCAD-Lacoste students, including myself, have been taking full advantage of this amusing event.  For a few hours, we were able to reminisce the culture we left back in the States.  There were screaming strobe lights, fog machines, and the perfect play list of familiar English songs united with French favorites.  All sense of embarrassment was thrown out of the window as the music began to blare.  This type of social celebration is a rare occurrence; and I couldn’t help but take full advantage of the late night music fest. On Friday night, the Wolf Pack was the first on the dance floor and the last to leave.  I still have the beats blaring in my head hours later, and tonight’s completion of the Fete Votive will be a bittersweet ending to the best weekend of the summer.

~Peace & Cupcakes~ 

Glanum

Mallorie and I on the hill overlooking the ruins.

Had to try some marzipan recommended by Anthony Bourdain on No Reservation - Provence.  

Delicious chocolate just down the street.  My favorite was the coffee-barley flavored chocolates.  Absolutely delicious!

Perhaps these trees were inspiration for aspects of Starry Night?

Starry Night.  Notice the trees in the foreground.  They just might be!

Garden in the middle of the asylum.  

Van Gogh's bedroom at the insane asylum. 

View from his bedroom window.  

Lavender field behind the asylum. 

Sunflower garden at Van Gogh's insane asylum.

Lacoste Village Festival

Chateau in the evening.  Perfect way to end an amazing night!