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Judy Ryan French Travel Blog

A Concert At Comps

One evening, we attended a choral concert performed by a local choir, Choeur Odeyssee, in a small Romanesque church which sits a hill in a little village called Comps. The Catholic church is only used for concerts now.  

Courtyard of Chateau in Gignon, France.

Trip to Grignon

The last day of the workshop the group chose to take a trip to Grignon, a town with a chateau that looks like a mini-Versailles. It was the home of a daughter who received a series of letters from her mother (Madame de  Sevigne). The letters are poetic and witty and were later published in volumes of books. They are famous because the style brought letter writing into a proper art form. The town and chateau are both beautiful and charming. Through the years, many artists have visited Grignon and it has inspired many beautiful paintings, drawings and watercolors of the chateau and the grounds. It is worth a visit.

Arts 2000 Art Store in Montelimar

Our Local Art Shop

There is a wonderful shop in Montelimar called “Arts 2000” where supplies can be bought for the workshops and last minute items are available for workshop participants. The people who work there have been very helpful in assisting  me in looking for certain supplies and paints. There is the added bonus that the supplies are cheaper in France than in the U.S.

Judy Ryan Instructional Blog

Painting the Lavender

There is a wonderful lavender field behind the B&B where the workshop will be staying. I plan to take my workshop here. This is my set up. It is a nice place in the shade.

First French Meal

My friend, Jane, who owns the B & B, took me to a wonderful tiny French restaurant, Chez Mon Jules, in a town in the mountains called Vesc. She said that all her friends were raving about the food and she wanted to try it.