Hello friends!

What a summer it’s been so far. In my recent newsletter, I shared a little about my summer adventure but didn’t include many photos. So, I thought I’d share some of those today! It’s just a sampling of many I took during my three weeks in France. I hope you enjoy them!

First, a recap for those who don’t know the background. I used to live in France. I left in 2013 to live permanently in the U.S. but planned to maintain one “foot” in that country. It was and will always be a second home for me. I created my travel blog to have a “reason” each year to return. Except for two years during Covid, I’ve been able to go back annually for 3 weeks at a time. During that time, I take photos and videos for my blog, and some years I research for books I want to write. This year, I did all of the above.  (left to right: Menton, Uzès, and Uzès.)

Fountain in Lourmarin

St. Paul-de-Vence

One of my goals was to write a book called, My Favorite Provence. For the last several years, I planned to write this book, a travel guide, but I hadn’t done it yet. I made one trip to Provence in 2018 and with my current trip, I should have enough material to write my book. I plan for it to be my final travel guide, since I want to devote more time to writing fiction.

During my final week of the three, I invited several friends to join me for 8 days in Nice. What a wonderful city! It’s crammed full of fun in itself. But on every side, there are many places to see as well. So, I decided to write a novella that takes place there. I’ve begun the novella (but not yet the Provence book.)

Here are some highlights I’ll share with you.

After 5 days in Paris when I reconnected with old friends, I took a train to Avignon. A friend joined me and we began our journey. From Avignon, then went

Lourmarin

west to the lovely town of Uzès, stopping by the first-century Roman aqueduct, Le Pont du Gard, along the way. Uzès was a favorite for both of us, and for good reason. Not too big or too small, it has the charm of Provence without the overwhelm that some tourist towns attract. (Amazingly, I didn’t run into tourist overwhelm anywhere except St. Paul-de-Vence.)

From there, we went to Nimes, where there are more Roman ruins, again from the first century. It’s a lively mid-size town where denim is believed to have been invented! Following that visit and overnight, we continued on to the Luberon region (where the cute villages perch on hillsides), but chased down some lavender fields along the way.

Cassis

Following several picturesque villages and towns scattered across the Luberon Valley, we headed to Aix-en-Provence, famous for its wonderful open-air market (though these are common and well-known all over Provence.)

And on to the coast, to Cassis, Hyères, then finally to Nice for the final 8 days. (During those 8 days, a new group of friends arrived and we saw Monaco, Menton, Antibes, Eze Village, Villefranche, Grasse, and St. Paul-de-Vence. And a couple more too.)

Coming back, I had to get busy in reality. I’ve begun the Nice novella (you can trust me always to start with fiction, my favorite!) Got back into my French classes, and regrouped after my long absence. Soon I’ll start the Provence book.

You might think it sounds like I’m veering off of the Brenner Falls Series. But NO! I am not. I thought I’d take a “break” with a fun Nice novella, since I was there and it’s an enchanting city. After that, I’ll return to the Brenner Falls series where I have at least 3 more books in me. (And you can find the first 3 books as a box set at the link below.)

I hope your summer has been fun and relaxing so far. If you’re on the East Coast, you’ve endured a hot summer that seems never to end. Stay cool and patient! It will!

(It’s a great time to read more. If you’re looking for inspiration, drop in to visit my author store, where you can get books direct from me. https://payhip.com/KyleHunterBooks Treat yourself to a new book or box set!)

Happy Reading,

Kyle