To Aubagne to look at a huge potery- Ravel. Took under an hour and was well worth it. In spite of articles to the contrary Aubagne turned out to be pleasant enough. There was a good fruit and veg market and lots of outdoor cafes which were well peopled as it was windy but warm. While we were there a drunk collapsed and was taken awy in an ambuance – it obviously has its wild side as has any large town – but at least it has some spiky bits. I’m not keen on totally sleepy villages which seem uninhabited.

Ravel – go there. Probably expensive but pottery raised to the level of art.. We bought a huge ali baba pot which we fixed to front seat headrest with …octopus clips and we bought various other smaller bits and pieces. The layout was a bit like aali baba cave – kept finding different and enticing cellar- like rooms .

Eventually emerged into the sun and headed up to Verages where I had been a few days ago. A lovely drive once we got off the motorway through vineyards and forests. Once there we bought traditional Provencal cups, jugs and pots. If we ever lived here would know exactly where to go. Not enough time on this visit to explore other potteries but will be back. Have never thought a cup is a cup – there are shapes and colours which ruin the drink for me. I cant drink tea from a purple cup or coffee from a black one. Details like that really matter to me and ~I get great pleasure from drinking/eating from the ‘right’ piece of pottery. Very middle class but you can pick up well enough designed stuff as cheaply as badly designed stuff.