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Bandol must be crazy with Parisians and tourists in the summer, but in late October it's downright sleepy.  Hungry after a morning of wine tasting and hiking the…

It was late October in the south of France and it turned out to be a really great time to visit.  We found no crowds, but did find many shopkeepers and restaurants eager to sell us their wares and taste their food which is always fantastic in France.

The last stop before Barcelona on our anniversary cruise from Istanbul was the port of Toulon in the Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur region of southern France.  Our friends had done some research on the wines of Provence so we fortunately got to tag along for a decadent day of wine and food tasting with some sightseeing thrown in.

When artist lampwork beads catch my eye and I've got some cash I buy them.  I don't always have an idea of what I'll be doing with them, but I enjoy picking them up and admiring their beauty just as they are.

That was the case with…