Languedoc-Roussillon, France

JT and Ella getting ready to board the plane!

We were all very excited to take our first trip to the south of France, to an area known as the Languedoc-Roussillon region, famous for it's vineyards and rustic landscape, in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains.  All started off well, until we were about the land in France and JT started to burn up with fever.  His fever of 103+ was not going down after a few days and after a visit by the local village doctor, and a visit to the local hospital, JT was put on antibiotics for strep throat.  It took another couple of days for his fever to go down and for him to slowly get his appetite back, and so we spent the first week in the little mountain village of St. Ferriol.  It was a blessing just having time together and seeing the ways the Lord was blessing our time, even through trials.  Below are some pictures of St. Ferriol and the gite we stayed in.

The village of St. Ferriol

A view from the village

The foothills of the Pyrenees Mts

Our gite

JT and Ella collecting fresh bread in the morning

Ella enjoying some sun outside the gite

After the first week, JT was better and we had a few days to travel around and see the countryside.  Our first trip was to the Gorge of Galamus, to hike to an ancient hermitage in the rocks.

Vineyards along the drive to the gorge

arriving at the trail to the gorge

Our hike out to the ancient hermitage in the rock

The river at the bottom of the gorge

On our next day out we ventured to the Mediterranean to a town called Coullioure.  Picasso and Matisse among other artists used to come to this town to paint it's landscapes in the beautiful light.

The drive to Collioure

Coullioure

JT and Ella decided to take a dip in the Mediterranean (post strep!)

We also decided to visit Rennes-Les-Bains and take a swim in the thermal hot springs.

Chateaux Arques, which we passed on the road

JT found some ancient Roman baths heated by thermal hot springs and took a swim

Then we all took a swim in the outdoor pool, heated by the thermal hot springs

On our last outing (before Ella came down with strep) we visited a most impressive Cathar castle ruin called Chateaux de Peyrepertuse.

Chateaux Peyrepertuse

JT and Ella hiking the trail up to the caste ruin

From the top we could see the Mediterranean in the distance

Another Cathar castle ruin, Chateaux de Queribus

Soon after this day trip, Ella came down with a fever and stomach pains (all symptoms similar to JT's) and she was soon on antibiotics for strep as well.  The last few days of our trip we stayed put and let Ella rest.  On this trip we learned many things.  In our moments of trial through JT and Ella's sickness (and Ella's car sickness), we saw God's provision and support (getting both of them the medicine they needed, when we were in a very remote area where people did not speak English), we saw God's support through the prayers of loved ones, God's guidance through many times our GPS failed and we found ourselves lost but soon found, God's amazing, vast and varied, beautiful creation, and the blessing of family and time together.  It was a trip with trials and blessings, much like life, and one we won't soon forget.

A little Cathar castle fun as JT and Ella were "gite bound" the last few days of the trip :)