reader's challenge

I don't know if I actually have any readers, but if you're out there, this is your shot at glory. You have a chance to WIN a contest and a FABULOUS PROVENCAL PRIZE. I don't know what that is yet; probably lavender soap because that's the only souvenir I can find, but don't let that stop you from participating.

Here is the challenge. Above, I have posted a picture of an object found in this very house. What do you suppose it is? Leave your guess as a comment, below. A correct answer will win a Fabulous Prize. (full disclosure: I do not know what this object is. But I will find out).

uphill

Yesterday my housemate and I went hiking. I discovered something fascinating... in places other than Houston, hiking can involve hills. I knew this once, but the six or so years that we've lived in an incredibly flat landscape allowed me to forget. We've actually changed our vocabulary about the activity, taking the kids on "nature walks" rather than hikes, since I guess, unconsciously, traipsing across a flat coastal prairie at the slow pace demanded by short toddler legs just didn't feel like hiking.

Well, anyway, yesterday I HIKED! Up a hill. Then down again. It was kind of steep. Are you getting how novel this was? Not only the activity, but the scenery, which was mountainous. I must say, I totally get why people vacation in Provence. This place is really, really pretty. It's kind of absurd. We drove out to the trailhead, passing an aqueduct (!) and a series of quite picturesque stone house with pretty shutters. After hiking up then down the large hill, we decided to walk into town, to see where all the tourists parked near us were going. Yeah, duh. Because we just happened to be at the absolute prettiest place in all of Provence, Fontaine de Vaucluse. There is a spring there, set in a deep pocket of the mountain, which sends a beautiful, rushing stream through a valley, past more picturesque stone houses, a Romanesque church, a ruined Medieval castle. Because it's been such a rainy spring, I guess, the whole affair was practically bursting its banks. I took about 100 pictures because I've really never seen such a pretty place.

mosaic

I am quite triste to realize that my time here is half over. It's going by very quickly. My work is moving along, not as quickly, but at least it's moving. I went on an outing today, to see a man who makes incredibly beautiful mosaics. He lives in a village improbably far from anything else, on top of a mountain. Equally improbably, many other people live there. His house is at the top of the village, much like this one, and there were truly incredible views from there.

He is sort of an amateur archaeologist, though I think that unfairly denigrates his knowledge. He picks up stuff at Roman sites, mostly roof tiles, and mostly at sites that have already been excavated and abandoned by archaeologists, so I can't fault him for treasure hunting a little. He uses these found materials to make his mosaics. They are really fabulous, and I'm not the only person who thinks so. He was describing a project he did... it was a swimming pool for the family of Jules Verne, perhaps predictably with a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea theme. He says he never wants to make another picture of a fish.