5/45.- Provence: Fountain and Plane Trees

The village square in many Provençal villages sports a fountain and plane trees, which provide freshness and shadow on hot days.  The squares are lined with shops and little cafés, where thirsty travellers (as well as the locals) can spend part of the day sipping pastis, an aniseed-based liquor drunk with a splash of fresh water that turns the golden liquid into a milkish-white-yellow beverage.  A popular sport in the South of France is pétanque, played with heavy metal bowls.

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