August in Provence. It is hot and crowded. The line of cars inching their way along, hoping to snatch an open parking spot for the most popular markets is foreboding and the sea of people that fills the streets of those otherwise picturesque villages steals any of your remaining enthusiasm for the outing. Reservations for lunch or dinner are impossible, a disappointment mitigated only slightly by the knowledge that the wait staff would be too cranky to bear anyway. And the lines of buses parked outside the famous sites are enough to deter even the most tenacious tourist. The lavender fields are likely to be barren. Even the sunflowers are looking downward. You might think that I am okay about postponing our usual August trip to Provence. Urgh! I am pining for a glass of rosé on one of Café Gaby’s tiny tables, sun pouring in, warming my back and my spirit. I don’t mind waiting in line, navigating through crowds, eating in, or dealing with cranky people. Sigh! Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine So when a dear friend (and TMT reader) called to tell me about an exhibition of mostly French turn-of-the-century artists at the Portland Museum of Art, I was psyched. Show me [...]