If you like observing the type of wildlife that doesn't involve alcohol consumed in dark bars, there's another reason to head for Europe in the cooler months--mating season (not for pink elephants or humans--that would be wrong--but for pink flamingos).

The best time to see flamingos according to experts is during their reproduction process. Oui, mating season! When is that? In the Camargue, it is recommended to see the flamingos during the winter months, any time between November and March. However, THE most ideal time to visit is actually in January and February according to the Parc Ornithologigue, (where we saw the flamingos) just 4 kilometers from the center of Saintes Maries. 10,000 flamingo couples gather around to do their thing.

The above quoted passage is part of a very interesting and comprehensive blog post called The Best Time to See Pink Flamingos in the Camargue, recommended reading on this fascinating part of the south of France.

It was rather spectacular to watch the flamingos in early November though. Here's a link to a short Camargue Pink Flamingo Video I made while we were there.

Everyone who's been to Europe laments the incredible percentage of monuments covered in scaffolding. With my tongue firmly in cheek I long ago uncovered the Office of Tourist Distractions which is responsible for such inconveniences.

Ok, so here's the bad news: The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is undergoing some restoration work. Some of the Cathedral is covered in scaffolding, including the 12th century Portico of Glory (picture) .

The good news is that if you're at least 12 years old and wear sturdy shoes you can don a hard hat and crawl around the scaffolding to see how the work is going. Yes, they've taken disappointed tourists complaints to heart and are offering a free Portico of Glory Tour.

Read more from Newsweek: In Spain, Tourists on the Scaffolding

The village of Lourmarin makes an excellent base from which to explore the Luberon region of Provence. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and sporting a castle with Renaissance additions--including a stone carved winding stairway that will amaze you--you can probably spend a week just exploring the local scene. There are enough restaurants within walking distance that you probably wouldn't have to go to the same one for dinner twice in a week.

I've selected a dozen pictures that should give you an idea of what to expect in the village of Lourmarin, see: Lourmarin Pictures.

Spices in Aix-en-Provence open air market picture © 2009 by James Martin, licensed to About.com