At Châteauneuf-du-Pape

I went to meet American friends, who work in Tunis but have their house in Die - a lovely village in the Drôme, by the Alps. We had planned to have lunch together half way between. So I suggested Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 
This used to be the summer retreat of the Popes when they were at Avignon. 
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is renown for its outstanding Côtes-du-Rhône red wine. So, of course we went for wine tasting. And what a great (and expensive) wine it is!
But we also took time to explore the old village. This uphill narrow street is rather typical of Provence. It leads to the old church. I framed it to show the name of the street and also the sign on the wall. The street is called "Frédéric Mistral'. He was a famous poet & writer, who wrote and promoted the provençal language. He eventually received a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1904. The sign stands for what Châteauneuf-du-Pape is known for. "millésime' is the French word for vintage, whereas 'bulles' refers to bubbles, a reminder of Champagne. (There is a wine shop there).
Soon after, we found a delightful restaurant called 'Le Pistou', which is the provençal word for basilic. For 14 euros, their full menu was a treat - as only you can have in France! :)