Road to Hermitage

There was nothing scheduled today, so we could all rest and recover from jet lag somewhat. We decided to see the sights, starting with this view from the hills above Hermitage. These hills are planted in vineyards--the grape vines are trained straight up, on stakes. The Romans originally planted vineyards here, and the hills are too steep for machines, so the land must be cultivated by horses and mules, even today. In the distance is the Rhone River.

We then went to the town of Romans, famous as a place where shoes are made. http://www.ville-romans.com/ 

It was beautiful.


I love the narrow streets, and the light/shadow patterns they create.


They were having a farmers' market.


On the edge of town are fields of sunflowers.


Cathedral of St Barnard.


  I would return to Romans later to paint.

In the evening, we went out to see the views from the vineyards. As I said, this is an artists' paradise.
 
I'll try linking to Flickr for more photos