Carolyn: Paris in four days doesn’t allow for much sauntering nor lingering over a coffee in an outdoor café, but we covered most of the big sights, and the four younger people have a sense of the city and of what they’d like to return to see.
They climbed the 284 worn steps up the Arc de Triomphe on a tight circular interior stone staircase and the 720 steps of the outside staircase up the leg of the Eiffel Tower to the 2nd level. I guess that I admire them for being able to climb these steps, but the elevator at both sites worked well. I did have to go up the remaining 46 steps to reach the top of the Arc.
FYI, the second deck of the Eiffel Tower is 377 ft. and the top observation room of the Tower is 899 ft (and reached only by elevator). For comparison, the observation deck of the Space Needle is 520 ft. Three of them climbed to the top of Sacre Coeur in the Montmartre area while Judy and I explored a nearby much older church, and Tim and Steve made it up the 400 steps at Notre Dame while we women shopped. The two men also went to the Place de la Concorde because it is part of the route of the Tour de France – right at the end.
Judy, Cathy and I started out on Thursday to visit some of the smaller clothing and gift shops in the Marais area where we were staying, but most didn’t open until 11 am, so we headed for a nearby department store, BHV, on the rue de Rivoli. It is a huge store, but doesn’t carry shoes which is one of the items Judy was looking for. (Judy was successful in her shoe shopping later in the day at a separate shoe store.) We also wanted some signs and sort of by accident went all the way down to the basement level where we found an amazing array of hardware items. I actually managed to ask in French for directions to the “signetization department” tucked up against a far wall. Included was a display of standard French signs that one sees everywhere like “no stopping in front of the garage”, but of course in French, so we all picked out several.
We watched with amusement some of the scam artists operating throughout the city. On our way up the long steps to Sacre Coeur we had to discourage a bunch of super pushy men why wanted to tie "friendship bracelets" on our wrists. In Montmartre within one block, four men had separate little tables set up doing that old shell game – the kind that used to be done with walnut shells and you had to guess under which one was the little token. We’d also read about a scam in which someone spots a ring on the street, picks it up and approaches a tourist, asking if it is his or hers. When the tourist says no, the man points out the good quality of the ring and offers to sell it to the tourist. Steve and Tim were approached twice with this one near the Place de la Concorde…
I had not been to the Pompidou Museum on past trips and was eager to go. It also is in the Marais area. You may have seen pictures of it with its exterior escalator which takes one to the sixth floor and more great views of the city. Not only is the escalator on the outside of the building, but so are all the pipes and heating ducts on this “exoskeletal” building. The building’s design goes well with the modern art collection. While there were a number of abstract paintings, we also saw Picasso, Chagall, Rouault, Matisse, Cezanne, Van Gogh, etc. And as I think about viewing all these great paintings at the D’Orsay, the Louvre and the Pompidou, I wonder again at the rigid restrictions here at home when it comes to cameras and art. These priceless paintings in Paris are photographed hundreds of times a day, mostly without flash, but even when flash is used, the guards rarely admonish anyone.
The other place I'd not been to previously was Sacre Coeur. I can still see an old postcard that my dad sent from Paris, probably early in 1945. The postcard was one of this basilica, and I've always wanted to visit it. We didn't spend much time in Montmartre, except to see Sacre Coeur and grab a quick crepe, but it did give us a sense of the area.
We found a small restaurant, Camile, not far from our apartment on our last evening. The food and the experience were both good and the waitress and waiter very attentive. Other nights we brought food in, primarily because the restaurants are incredibly expensive but also because we didn't want to make time for a long dinner. Our neighborhood was great for food stores and for those having food “pour emporter” – to carry out. After our Thursday dinner, we headed for the metro and the Arc de Triomphe from which we could see the illuminated Eiffel Tower which Judy described earlier. With some frenzied packing when we got home, we were all in bed by midnight, or was it 12:30??? Anyway it was late, and we needed to be up and ready for a shuttle to Charles de Gaulle airport on Friday morning. The van was late, but the driver did a great job getting through the crowded streets of Paris on a Friday morning. And now we’re home and trying to stay awake...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Heading Home Now (Judy)
Last night after dinner we took a short subway ride to the Arc de Triumphe again we took the windy staircase (about 280 steps) to the top in order to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. It was a beautiful sight and a very nice way to end the trip.
We arranged for a shuttle a couple of days ago. It should be here in 30 minutes (7:30 AM). Our flight home is direct and scheduled to land in Seattle at 11:30 AM.
I see there's a little wine left in the bottle.... Steve promised that if there was any wine left this morning, that he's drink it with breakfast; he'd better get on it! :-)
Must run now. See you at home!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Paris! Days 1 and 2 - Cathy's preliminary notes
14th – Monday
We pulled away from our apartment in Beaucaire by 8:16 a.m.
Parking the Citroen mini van up on the curb between two gas pumps so we could oh-so-quickly pull our large and small suitcases, tote bags and shoulder bags out of the van and across the busy street during breaks in traffic.
Cathy, Mom & Judy meeting Bruno outside the apartment. Bruno helped us to pull in the piles of luggage, etc in through two sets of entrance doors and then up the stairs or in the elevator. The elevator is truly the size of a spacious coffin. One person plus some luggage, or maybe two people.
A quick jaunt to the Louvre where each bought a 4-day museum/monument. We only had an hour or so before the Louvre closed, so we spread out and met back, of all places, Starbucks. Four of us saw the Mona Lisa. She was smaller than I expected. I think my favorite picture from the museum will be the picture I took of all the people taking pictures of the Mona Lisa, with cameras and cell phones.
We walked back home and went shopping for dinner. We found fruits, vegetables and other groceries a block or two from the apartment.
Lovely hard rain outside the apartment as we ate our dinner “at home” in the apartment’s stylish dining room. We opened the tall windows to watch cyclists and pedestrians run for cover and to hear the rain come down.
15th – Tuesday
Late start. First shot at the shower with the ENORMOUS shower head. Breakfast in the
apartment.
Metro ride to Champs-Elysees, where we surfaced and walked to the L’Arc de Triumphe. In order to get to the arch, we needed to walk under the huge round-about via tunnel. Twelve streets run into the round-about. It is quite a thing to watch the cars from the top of the arch as they all try to enter and exit; the motorcycles making their way like hummingbirds through the rest of the traffic.
Steve, Judy, Tim & I (Cathy) all took the stairs to the top of the arch (per Rick Steves, it is 284 steps). The view was stunning. Many significant monuments and buildings were laid out before us like a huge 3-D map; La Tour Eiffel, Sacre Cour, Notre Dame, the Louvre.
Then the metro to a stop near the Eiffel Tour.
Bless my buttons, but that Eiffel Tour is a biggie. Because there are so many tourists – wait, let me stop here for a minute. I’d just like to say how lovely it has been traveling in the month of September. The weather has been hot during the trip, but not too hot. The few cold days we’ve had (mostly Paris) have not been too cold and the rain, well, it has rained at night after we’re in for the evening. AND, better yet, the crowds are not really crowds. We’ve been to so many fantastic places so far and it is scary to think of just how crowded it would have been had we been traveling in August. Blech.
Four of us walked the 685 stairs to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tour. After walking up the stairs to the top of the Arc of Triumphe, some of us (a.k.a. Cathy) really felt the last set of stairs on the tower.
Again, the view was amazing. Looking back on the Arc de Triumphe, it looked so much smaller then it felt as we stood at the top of it.
There were workmen harnessed and tethered to the side of the Tour as they appeared to be scraping and painting different areas. Talk about a job. Again I say, jeepers.
Ohhhh, I enjoyed seeing the pigeons inside the enclosed eating areas on the 1st and 2nd levels of the Eiffel Tour. They were quite at home pecking away at crumbs on the floor or standing around on a table top.
We had lunch at the Brasserie de la Tour Eiffel.
Off to the metro and the Musee D’Orsy to view artwork by the likes of Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne. What a lovely museum. A great mix of new and old. The museum looks so modern, but it was created from an old train station.
Appetizers and aparatifs back in the apartment, followed by take out Chinese food for dinner. Probably one of the healthiest meals so far but definitely not a favorite.
We pulled away from our apartment in Beaucaire by 8:16 a.m.
Parking the Citroen mini van up on the curb between two gas pumps so we could oh-so-quickly pull our large and small suitcases, tote bags and shoulder bags out of the van and across the busy street during breaks in traffic.
Cathy, Mom & Judy meeting Bruno outside the apartment. Bruno helped us to pull in the piles of luggage, etc in through two sets of entrance doors and then up the stairs or in the elevator. The elevator is truly the size of a spacious coffin. One person plus some luggage, or maybe two people.
A quick jaunt to the Louvre where each bought a 4-day museum/monument. We only had an hour or so before the Louvre closed, so we spread out and met back, of all places, Starbucks. Four of us saw the Mona Lisa. She was smaller than I expected. I think my favorite picture from the museum will be the picture I took of all the people taking pictures of the Mona Lisa, with cameras and cell phones.
We walked back home and went shopping for dinner. We found fruits, vegetables and other groceries a block or two from the apartment.
Lovely hard rain outside the apartment as we ate our dinner “at home” in the apartment’s stylish dining room. We opened the tall windows to watch cyclists and pedestrians run for cover and to hear the rain come down.
15th – Tuesday
Late start. First shot at the shower with the ENORMOUS shower head. Breakfast in the
apartment.Metro ride to Champs-Elysees, where we surfaced and walked to the L’Arc de Triumphe. In order to get to the arch, we needed to walk under the huge round-about via tunnel. Twelve streets run into the round-about. It is quite a thing to watch the cars from the top of the arch as they all try to enter and exit; the motorcycles making their way like hummingbirds through the rest of the traffic.
Steve, Judy, Tim & I (Cathy) all took the stairs to the top of the arch (per Rick Steves, it is 284 steps). The view was stunning. Many significant monuments and buildings were laid out before us like a huge 3-D map; La Tour Eiffel, Sacre Cour, Notre Dame, the Louvre.
Then the metro to a stop near the Eiffel Tour.
Bless my buttons, but that Eiffel Tour is a biggie. Because there are so many tourists – wait, let me stop here for a minute. I’d just like to say how lovely it has been traveling in the month of September. The weather has been hot during the trip, but not too hot. The few cold days we’ve had (mostly Paris) have not been too cold and the rain, well, it has rained at night after we’re in for the evening. AND, better yet, the crowds are not really crowds. We’ve been to so many fantastic places so far and it is scary to think of just how crowded it would have been had we been traveling in August. Blech.
Four of us walked the 685 stairs to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tour. After walking up the stairs to the top of the Arc of Triumphe, some of us (a.k.a. Cathy) really felt the last set of stairs on the tower.
Again, the view was amazing. Looking back on the Arc de Triumphe, it looked so much smaller then it felt as we stood at the top of it.
There were workmen harnessed and tethered to the side of the Tour as they appeared to be scraping and painting different areas. Talk about a job. Again I say, jeepers.
Ohhhh, I enjoyed seeing the pigeons inside the enclosed eating areas on the 1st and 2nd levels of the Eiffel Tour. They were quite at home pecking away at crumbs on the floor or standing around on a table top.
We had lunch at the Brasserie de la Tour Eiffel.
Off to the metro and the Musee D’Orsy to view artwork by the likes of Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne. What a lovely museum. A great mix of new and old. The museum looks so modern, but it was created from an old train station.
Appetizers and aparatifs back in the apartment, followed by take out Chinese food for dinner. Probably one of the healthiest meals so far but definitely not a favorite.
Beaune (heart of Burgundy)
12 & 13 September – Saturday and Sunday
Carolyn: We needed to get an early start out of Beaucaire (Provence), having agreed to meet friends for lunch in Beaune in the heart of burgundy country. Dorothee Dillion and her parents, Philippe and Yolande , are driving a long distance from Belgium to see us for a too-brief visit. Dorothee / Do stayed with me for 3 months several years ago as a Rotary exchange student, and Steve and I (separately) have since stayed at their home in Habay. Once we finally found the entrance to the autoroute (thanks to CB1), we took the A6 all the way to Beaune and the Hostelliere du Bretonniere where I had stayed in 2000.
Cathy: This is how I wish to remember Saturday: Chardonnay, Kir, vin blanc, vin rouge, 2 bottles of Champagne and finally a last taste of rose before bed. 34 glasses on the dejuner (lunch) table, every one of which had been used for a different beverage.
How did anyone find anything before GPS (a.k.a Car Bitches)?
We found our B&B relatively easily enough. We did pull into the wrong driveway first, but with Steve’s excellent driving skills we were back on the road in a heartbeat and to the B&B in another minute or two.
Our friends from Belgium, Philippe, Yolande & Do, were there at the B&B when we arrived. Philippe, bless his soul, had a bottle of Chardonnay waiting for us. They were so kind to make a 5-hour drive to come and spend time with us on our vacation.
After our greeting and Chardonnay, we headed out to find lunch inside the walls of Beaune. Beaune is in the Burgundy region and well known for its wine production. Every third store is either a wine merchant or a store for wine ‘stuff.’
The eight of us had lunch in one of the nicer establishments we’ve eaten in so far. I had mentioned to Philippe that I wanted to try Kir, so that is what we all started with. The Kir was lovely, sweet and fruity. I think for the most part, we are all trying to try and order food that is representative of French cuisine. This means stepping out a little and ordering a few things with the idea that most of it sounds good and the items included in the description that are not immediately recognizable would also be pleasing.
On to the Hospice. Beautiful, shiny tile roofs and other cool rooms and stuff that someone else will need to detail here…)
The Dillions were staying at a B&B outside of town and which was serving dinner, so they headed for their lodging about 7 p.m. Pizza for dinner from Le Petite Bon Heure (virtually across the street from the B&B) was an easy decision. Our three pizza choices consisted of (1) Jambon (ham) (2) Anduille (sausage and mustard from nearby Dijon) and the piece de resistance (3) Escargot (snail). We had an illegal pizza pic-nique in Mom’s room. (We got kicked out of the dining area at the B&B after they saw we had three pizzas – much more of a dining commitment for us then they realized).
13th – Sunday
The winery we stopped at is very small and their harvest only occurs for three days each year. Apparently, we stopped by on one of those three days. They were kind enough to allow us in the cellar where we tasted four different reds, all from 2007.
Little Chloe was in the cellar with us. Chloe is about seven years old me thinks and was bedazzled in her tiara. She didn’t smile at us much, but she stuck it out.
When we arrived, we had interrupted the women as they were preparing the noon meal for their harvesters. As we left the cellar, we walked back through the basement area that had 3 or 4 tables that would comfortably seat about 6 people each. I caught a glimpse of 3 large platters with cherry tomatoes, mozzerella and basil. Jeepers, I’d think about pulling a couple of shifts out in the fields if I knew that folks ate that well.
On to the large chateau. We parked and walked to the chateau, or at least we thought we had. We walked to some beautiful building where a group of young people were combing through grapes that had just been picked, but dumping them on a short conveyor belt and possibly cutting stems to make smaller bunches and to look for obvious bad grapes (or whatever, I really have no idea, but that is certainly what it looked like to me).
One of us rang a large bell (as a sign advised us to do) and we were quickly advised that the chateau is the bigger, more chateau-like building a little further on. So, the drivers moved the cars while the rest of us walked the walled driveway between the two buildings as vans full of harvesters were being taken(I’m assuming) to different locations for their lunch. Some young man yelled something at me in French. I’m sure he was exclaiming how much he liked my hat…
Once we were at the ‘real’ chateau, we were told that it would be best not to buy admission for a tour since the press room was closed. There had a been a party the day before and there were folks breaking down all the sound and light equipment, not to mention carting away all the sweet little trees that had been ringing the inner court yard.
We wandered the gift shop area and then wandered outside. We managed to get a minor tour for free in that we were able to walk into the courtyard without any restriction due to all the activity of the people carting away the party equipment. (Ha, take THAT you joy-stealers, restricting our entrance due to your friggin’ huge party that we weren’t invited to).
Carolyn: We needed to get an early start out of Beaucaire (Provence), having agreed to meet friends for lunch in Beaune in the heart of burgundy country. Dorothee Dillion and her parents, Philippe and Yolande , are driving a long distance from Belgium to see us for a too-brief visit. Dorothee / Do stayed with me for 3 months several years ago as a Rotary exchange student, and Steve and I (separately) have since stayed at their home in Habay. Once we finally found the entrance to the autoroute (thanks to CB1), we took the A6 all the way to Beaune and the Hostelliere du Bretonniere where I had stayed in 2000.
Cathy: This is how I wish to remember Saturday: Chardonnay, Kir, vin blanc, vin rouge, 2 bottles of Champagne and finally a last taste of rose before bed. 34 glasses on the dejuner (lunch) table, every one of which had been used for a different beverage.
How did anyone find anything before GPS (a.k.a Car Bitches)?
We found our B&B relatively easily enough. We did pull into the wrong driveway first, but with Steve’s excellent driving skills we were back on the road in a heartbeat and to the B&B in another minute or two.
Our friends from Belgium, Philippe, Yolande & Do, were there at the B&B when we arrived. Philippe, bless his soul, had a bottle of Chardonnay waiting for us. They were so kind to make a 5-hour drive to come and spend time with us on our vacation.
After our greeting and Chardonnay, we headed out to find lunch inside the walls of Beaune. Beaune is in the Burgundy region and well known for its wine production. Every third store is either a wine merchant or a store for wine ‘stuff.’
The eight of us had lunch in one of the nicer establishments we’ve eaten in so far. I had mentioned to Philippe that I wanted to try Kir, so that is what we all started with. The Kir was lovely, sweet and fruity. I think for the most part, we are all trying to try and order food that is representative of French cuisine. This means stepping out a little and ordering a few things with the idea that most of it sounds good and the items included in the description that are not immediately recognizable would also be pleasing.
On to the Hospice. Beautiful, shiny tile roofs and other cool rooms and stuff that someone else will need to detail here…)
The Dillions were staying at a B&B outside of town and which was serving dinner, so they headed for their lodging about 7 p.m. Pizza for dinner from Le Petite Bon Heure (virtually across the street from the B&B) was an easy decision. Our three pizza choices consisted of (1) Jambon (ham) (2) Anduille (sausage and mustard from nearby Dijon) and the piece de resistance (3) Escargot (snail). We had an illegal pizza pic-nique in Mom’s room. (We got kicked out of the dining area at the B&B after they saw we had three pizzas – much more of a dining commitment for us then they realized).
13th – Sunday
The winery we stopped at is very small and their harvest only occurs for three days each year. Apparently, we stopped by on one of those three days. They were kind enough to allow us in the cellar where we tasted four different reds, all from 2007.
Little Chloe was in the cellar with us. Chloe is about seven years old me thinks and was bedazzled in her tiara. She didn’t smile at us much, but she stuck it out.
When we arrived, we had interrupted the women as they were preparing the noon meal for their harvesters. As we left the cellar, we walked back through the basement area that had 3 or 4 tables that would comfortably seat about 6 people each. I caught a glimpse of 3 large platters with cherry tomatoes, mozzerella and basil. Jeepers, I’d think about pulling a couple of shifts out in the fields if I knew that folks ate that well.
On to the large chateau. We parked and walked to the chateau, or at least we thought we had. We walked to some beautiful building where a group of young people were combing through grapes that had just been picked, but dumping them on a short conveyor belt and possibly cutting stems to make smaller bunches and to look for obvious bad grapes (or whatever, I really have no idea, but that is certainly what it looked like to me).
One of us rang a large bell (as a sign advised us to do) and we were quickly advised that the chateau is the bigger, more chateau-like building a little further on. So, the drivers moved the cars while the rest of us walked the walled driveway between the two buildings as vans full of harvesters were being taken(I’m assuming) to different locations for their lunch. Some young man yelled something at me in French. I’m sure he was exclaiming how much he liked my hat…
Once we were at the ‘real’ chateau, we were told that it would be best not to buy admission for a tour since the press room was closed. There had a been a party the day before and there were folks breaking down all the sound and light equipment, not to mention carting away all the sweet little trees that had been ringing the inner court yard.
We wandered the gift shop area and then wandered outside. We managed to get a minor tour for free in that we were able to walk into the courtyard without any restriction due to all the activity of the people carting away the party equipment. (Ha, take THAT you joy-stealers, restricting our entrance due to your friggin’ huge party that we weren’t invited to).
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sorry for our absence (Steve)
We had no internet access for 3 days in Beaune (the heart of Burgundy), but we're back online now that we're in Paris. We'll probably post again tonight. For now, off to Le Tour Eiffel!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Avignon and The COOOL Wine Cave!
Okay, we just finished a take out pasta dinner in our apartment and need to think about packing up very soon! The 5 of us just finished 2 bottles of local wine and are now attempting to update this blog by committee.
Before I forget, here's a link to the very amazing, "Bitch'n", "Awwwwsooom" (must be said in a high, pitched voice) winery that we discovered thanks to CB (Car Bitch - GPS) 1 . http://www.caves-sarragan.com/vins-anglais.htm More on this in a bit.
The day was spent in Avignon exploring the history. The Palace of the 9 Popes started when Pope Clement moved the Papacy from Rome to France in 1305. It was the head of the Catholic church until about 1417. In a nutshell, it was an impressive bunch of gigantic empty rooms with lots of stairs! It was in pretty good condition considering it's 700 years old, endured a huge fire and housed the French military during the French Revolution.
Some of you may remember the song "Sur le pont, d'Avignon". We walked out on and enjoyed the river views from the bridge and have had the song running through our heads for most of the day. This is the bridge that only goes half way across the Rhone river because the other half
was destroyed bit by bit by the many floods and one of many sieges. (The dams added in recent years now protect Avignon from flooding).
Another stop in Avignon was at the Musee Angladon which was made up of a private collection including Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne, Modigliani.
Back to the wine caves. We left Avignon at about 5:30 and since we really haven't explored the Provence region wineries much we set out to find something! Steve set CB1 to find wineries. We headed for the closest one on the list. This turned out to be a wine store selling wines of the cooperative. It's not what we were after but we did like their Rose enough to buy two bottles. As we were leaving, we noted a woman carrying her plastic jug in for a wine refill! Back to the car we go to see what else was on the CB's list. We decided to follow her lead once again. What fun! It
lead us down amazingly narrow, twisty, tree-lined roads past apple and pear orchards, dead sunflower fields, green houses and up, up, a white stone walled hill. We all start to comment how wonderful this is, but there's no way there's a winery here! Yet, Steve assures us (according to the GPS) its 400 meters away...
VOILA! Suddenly there's a parking lot and a directional arrow to the winery cave! We walk about about 100 meters down a white, rock chip pathway and through about 15 meter high openings in the rock walls. And then we walk into a huge, dark, cold, cavern.... it felt very much like being in an Indiana Jone's movie set. We round a corner and there's a beautifully lite, wooden bar! The woman greeted us warmly but pointed out very clearly (speaking French) that they are closing in 15 minutes. We quickly sampled 2 red wines, purchased 2 bottles of the
Merlot (pronounced by the French as "mare-low") and made our way back out of the quarry -very proud of ourselves for this wonderful find! Remember to go back to the web site link.
Well, it seems that the rest of this "blogging committee" has left me to on my own as they are starting to organize themselves so we are ready to leave for Beaune at 8:00 in the morning and I really should follow their lead!
Kiss, Kiss, Kiss, (as they do in Provence)
Judy
Before I forget, here's a link to the very amazing, "Bitch'n", "Awwwwsooom" (must be said in a high, pitched voice) winery that we discovered thanks to CB (Car Bitch - GPS) 1 . http://www.caves-sarragan.com/vins-anglais.htm More on this in a bit.
The day was spent in Avignon exploring the history. The Palace of the 9 Popes started when Pope Clement moved the Papacy from Rome to France in 1305. It was the head of the Catholic church until about 1417. In a nutshell, it was an impressive bunch of gigantic empty rooms with lots of stairs! It was in pretty good condition considering it's 700 years old, endured a huge fire and housed the French military during the French Revolution.
Some of you may remember the song "Sur le pont, d'Avignon". We walked out on and enjoyed the river views from the bridge and have had the song running through our heads for most of the day. This is the bridge that only goes half way across the Rhone river because the other half
was destroyed bit by bit by the many floods and one of many sieges. (The dams added in recent years now protect Avignon from flooding).Another stop in Avignon was at the Musee Angladon which was made up of a private collection including Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne, Modigliani.
Back to the wine caves. We left Avignon at about 5:30 and since we really haven't explored the Provence region wineries much we set out to find something! Steve set CB1 to find wineries. We headed for the closest one on the list. This turned out to be a wine store selling wines of the cooperative. It's not what we were after but we did like their Rose enough to buy two bottles. As we were leaving, we noted a woman carrying her plastic jug in for a wine refill! Back to the car we go to see what else was on the CB's list. We decided to follow her lead once again. What fun! It
lead us down amazingly narrow, twisty, tree-lined roads past apple and pear orchards, dead sunflower fields, green houses and up, up, a white stone walled hill. We all start to comment how wonderful this is, but there's no way there's a winery here! Yet, Steve assures us (according to the GPS) its 400 meters away...VOILA! Suddenly there's a parking lot and a directional arrow to the winery cave! We walk about about 100 meters down a white, rock chip pathway and through about 15 meter high openings in the rock walls. And then we walk into a huge, dark, cold, cavern.... it felt very much like being in an Indiana Jone's movie set. We round a corner and there's a beautifully lite, wooden bar! The woman greeted us warmly but pointed out very clearly (speaking French) that they are closing in 15 minutes. We quickly sampled 2 red wines, purchased 2 bottles of the
Merlot (pronounced by the French as "mare-low") and made our way back out of the quarry -very proud of ourselves for this wonderful find! Remember to go back to the web site link.Well, it seems that the rest of this "blogging committee" has left me to on my own as they are starting to organize themselves so we are ready to leave for Beaune at 8:00 in the morning and I really should follow their lead!
Kiss, Kiss, Kiss, (as they do in Provence)
Judy
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Arles & Camargue Park
Wednesday, September 9th (written Thursday evening…) The big news for the day is that the water was hot and lights were on in the hallway and the garage when we arrived home. We started our day by heading across the Rhone to Arles for the Wednesday morning market. The market was blocks long, with the majority of vendors selling clothing and household goods. We found some great souvenirs at good prices and also really inexpensive fruits and vegetables. The provençal fabrics are so colorful! And packets of lavender are everywhere. The market was packed, with probably 35% of the women – and men, as well – of North African descent.
Our next stop was the Roman arena built in the first century AD. Although at the moment it is undergoing some restoration and cleaning, it is still in use and can seat as many as 20,000. Climbing to the top of one of the medieval towers gives a view over the city and, directly below, a little square which is recognizable from one of Van Gogh’s paintings. And we lingered over lunch under an umbrella in the Place du Forum which inspired “Café at Night” also by Van Gogh. Although his presence is everywhere, there are no Van Gogh paintings to be found in the city.
In 2000 I was in Arles for four nights – and found it to be charming. I was looking forward to seeing it again and wanted my children to experience it as I did. While I enjoyed our visit this year, it is hard to find that same charm when there for only a few hours. Yet, it still was more time than the average bus tour would allow.
Instead of driving directly back to Beaucaire, we headed south to the Camargue, the vast delta area of the Rhone river where it meets the Mediterranean. It is an important wetland and nature preserve, known for flamingos, black bulls and sturdy white horses. Just outside of the preserve we saw a huge salt recovery operation, apparently the source of almost all French salt. Seeing wildlife, however, was not easy to do. For the best views one has to get out of the car and walk into the preserve, but our schedule only allowed us a few brief sightings of bulls and horses from the car, and we spotted lots of flamingos just off shore. I believe the wildlife is outnumbered by the mosquitoes which don’t seem to have that familiar buzz sound, but have a very effective bite.
Our next stop was the Roman arena built in the first century AD. Although at the moment it is undergoing some restoration and cleaning, it is still in use and can seat as many as 20,000. Climbing to the top of one of the medieval towers gives a view over the city and, directly below, a little square which is recognizable from one of Van Gogh’s paintings. And we lingered over lunch under an umbrella in the Place du Forum which inspired “Café at Night” also by Van Gogh. Although his presence is everywhere, there are no Van Gogh paintings to be found in the city.
In 2000 I was in Arles for four nights – and found it to be charming. I was looking forward to seeing it again and wanted my children to experience it as I did. While I enjoyed our visit this year, it is hard to find that same charm when there for only a few hours. Yet, it still was more time than the average bus tour would allow.
Instead of driving directly back to Beaucaire, we headed south to the Camargue, the vast delta area of the Rhone river where it meets the Mediterranean. It is an important wetland and nature preserve, known for flamingos, black bulls and sturdy white horses. Just outside of the preserve we saw a huge salt recovery operation, apparently the source of almost all French salt. Seeing wildlife, however, was not easy to do. For the best views one has to get out of the car and walk into the preserve, but our schedule only allowed us a few brief sightings of bulls and horses from the car, and we spotted lots of flamingos just off shore. I believe the wildlife is outnumbered by the mosquitoes which don’t seem to have that familiar buzz sound, but have a very effective bite.
Thursday - Mt Ventoux & Chateauneuf de Pape
Thursday evening, Sept 10 Big day for the men…. We drove about an hour and a half to the village of Bedoin at the foot of Mont Ventoux.
This little town was on the Tour de France route on the 19th day of this year’s Tour, and it is where Steve and Tim had reserved bicycles to ride to the top of the mountain.
It is a grueling ride, only about 22 kilometers or 13 miles, but the elevation difference is substantial at 5,312 feet, with an altitude of 6273 ft. at the top from 951 ft. in Bedoin.
The beginning of the ride is through forest, but near the top is almost bare rock, which can be almost blinding in the sunlight. There were lots of riders on the road and lots of anxious companions waiting at the summit. All very dramatic. The roadway on the way up has numerous signs of encouragement painted on it, left over from the Tour de France in July.The men zipped down the other side after they recovered with water and food to the village of Sault (pronounced like “soo” – rhymes with “moo”) where we picked them up and took them back to Bedoin to return the cycles.
We then headed for Orange to see the Roman ruins – car windows open – the men were a bit sweaty…. but arrived just after the gates closed, so we had to settle for peering through the fence.
We ended the day with dinner in the beautiful village of Chateauneuf du Pape, drinking the house wine for dinner and pretending that we were getting a great red…..
Overall impressions (Cathy)
We FINALLY have hot water today. We didn't when we left, but we did when we got home. Mom & Judy have been the first to shower in the apartment we've been in since Saturday. Geez. I washed my hair with cold water this morning as I stood naked in the shower stall, bent over for about 7 minutes to just get the cold water on my head and feet. Again, geez.
I took about 90 pictures today. A lot of fun shadow pictures towards the end of the day. We stopped at a some salt plains this morning (shore of the Mediterrainian, by the mouth of the Rhone River - Camarague Park). We've eaten dinner at 'home' for the past three nights. This morning, we purchased fruits, vegitables and bread at the market in Arles. We also bought ourselves (and others) some souveniers today as well.
There are so many beautiful sights to see. The architecture is so ancient and long lasting compared to home. Today, I saw one wood-sided building and it seemed so out of place here.
We are off to bed. Tim and Steve are renting bikes in the morning to ride the climb up Mt Ventoux - one of the famous climbs from the Tour de France. The important question to me is how can we be sure the guys won't stink before they get back in the car for a few hours... :)
We're having a lovely time. The last few days, we've spent more time in the areas we've visited, so it doesn't seem like such a rush.
I took about 90 pictures today. A lot of fun shadow pictures towards the end of the day. We stopped at a some salt plains this morning (shore of the Mediterrainian, by the mouth of the Rhone River - Camarague Park). We've eaten dinner at 'home' for the past three nights. This morning, we purchased fruits, vegitables and bread at the market in Arles. We also bought ourselves (and others) some souveniers today as well.
There are so many beautiful sights to see. The architecture is so ancient and long lasting compared to home. Today, I saw one wood-sided building and it seemed so out of place here.We are off to bed. Tim and Steve are renting bikes in the morning to ride the climb up Mt Ventoux - one of the famous climbs from the Tour de France. The important question to me is how can we be sure the guys won't stink before they get back in the car for a few hours... :)
We're having a lovely time. The last few days, we've spent more time in the areas we've visited, so it doesn't seem like such a rush.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Late Tuesday update (Carolyn)
Late Tuesday evening. This is the second night running when we’ve stopped at the “super-marche” in Tarascon, across the Rhone, searching for dinner. Tonight we actually cooked – and both nights we’ve eaten outside on the terrace next to our apartment. We’d also stopped at a winery this afternoon, a winery that produces syrah and merlot wines, plus some whites and dessert wines, but most importantly makes some wines in the early Roman tradition. Young people in Roman dress harvest the grapes by hand, and crush them by stomping on them. The flavorings added to the Roman wines are quite different, as is the whole process. Tim bought one called Mulsum which has honey and “a certain number of plants and spices” added. Their website is http://www.tourelles.com/
Today we spent most of the afternoon at Les Baux, a spot to which I’ve always wanted to return, having first seen it in 1961 when I was working in France. More about this later. On my way to bed for an early start tomorrow at the Wednesday market in Arles.
Uzes and Pont du Gard (Carolyn)
Tuesday evening and still no hot water. The word now is that the building’s electric meter is broken. Did I mention that our landlord has given us the keys to another apt. about 7 blocks away so that we can shower. I’m managing pretty well with cold spit-baths.
Yesterday, the 7th, was especially nice. We headed northwest about 25 miles to Uzes, important from the 5th century to the late 1700’s. Now, an attractive village with narrow streets and the center of which is closed to cars. The cathedral has reportedly “the most beautiful organ in France”, which indeed was beautiful and delicate, with “wings” on either side to close during Lent. Basically we were in Uzes killing time until we could visit our real goal, Pont du Gard which doesn’t open ‘til noon on Mondays in the fall. The P.du G. is part of a Roman aquaduct which spanned a canyon on a massive bridge as it transported water from the source to the city of Nimes.
Tipped off by Pat Lantz that the museum was a must, we spent close to an hour there. The explanations about how the aqueduct was constructed, with life-size dioramas showing the cutting and moving of the stone blocks, were excellent. And at the end, we learned that even with all the careful planning, the aqueduct engineers spent the next 20 years correcting their
mistakes. This all was a great setup for actually seeing the aqueduct with the late afternoon sun shining on this gold colored magnificent three-tired structure. We’ll add a photo…. And do we have photos! Three digital cameras all clicking on the same scenes! Steve is in charge of downloading them to his laptop.
Yesterday, the 7th, was especially nice. We headed northwest about 25 miles to Uzes, important from the 5th century to the late 1700’s. Now, an attractive village with narrow streets and the center of which is closed to cars. The cathedral has reportedly “the most beautiful organ in France”, which indeed was beautiful and delicate, with “wings” on either side to close during Lent. Basically we were in Uzes killing time until we could visit our real goal, Pont du Gard which doesn’t open ‘til noon on Mondays in the fall. The P.du G. is part of a Roman aquaduct which spanned a canyon on a massive bridge as it transported water from the source to the city of Nimes.
Tipped off by Pat Lantz that the museum was a must, we spent close to an hour there. The explanations about how the aqueduct was constructed, with life-size dioramas showing the cutting and moving of the stone blocks, were excellent. And at the end, we learned that even with all the careful planning, the aqueduct engineers spent the next 20 years correcting their
mistakes. This all was a great setup for actually seeing the aqueduct with the late afternoon sun shining on this gold colored magnificent three-tired structure. We’ll add a photo…. And do we have photos! Three digital cameras all clicking on the same scenes! Steve is in charge of downloading them to his laptop.Beaucaire (in Provence - by Carolyn
“Beaucaire prides itself on being at the crossroads, ‘entre le roseau and l'olivier’ - between the reeds of Camargue and the olives of Provence. Its location has made it an important settlement since Roman times and the site of many a bloody conflict. Dominated by the ruins of a magnificent castle high on a rock and bounded by the Rhône on one side and the Canal Du Rhône à Sete on another, the town used to be a magnet for traders from all over Europe, who came for its renowned annual fair. Today, it remains largely untouched by time and below the tourist radar, a chance to enjoy a genuine taste of French provincial life”. So, this is where we are for a week. For those familiar with Provence, we’re on the west side of the Rhone, only about 7 miles from Arles to the south on the east side of the Rhone. Avignon is to the north. 
We’re in a three bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment in a massive stone building about 200 years old. There is a narrow street between us and the dike which is designed to keep Rhone flood waters out of this city of 14,000. We’re on the second floor which is really like the third because the ceilings are so high and we can see over the dike and glimpse the Rhone. The apartment owner’s
mother-in-law is across the hall. It is Tuesday morning and we’re still without hot water and the hallways and “garage” are still without lights. It seems that the building owner hasn’t paid the electric bill…… : ). Ahhhh, France…..
Our apartment owner, Barney, has been here for a couple of days and invited us to an aperitif with his wife and mother-in-law on Monday evening. Madeline, the wife, told us about a time several years ago when the Rhone was at flood stage, the huge iron gates at the entrances to the town were closed, and they watched the water rise to within two feet from the top of the dike. Very scary!
We’re in a three bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment in a massive stone building about 200 years old. There is a narrow street between us and the dike which is designed to keep Rhone flood waters out of this city of 14,000. We’re on the second floor which is really like the third because the ceilings are so high and we can see over the dike and glimpse the Rhone. The apartment owner’s
mother-in-law is across the hall. It is Tuesday morning and we’re still without hot water and the hallways and “garage” are still without lights. It seems that the building owner hasn’t paid the electric bill…… : ). Ahhhh, France…..Our apartment owner, Barney, has been here for a couple of days and invited us to an aperitif with his wife and mother-in-law on Monday evening. Madeline, the wife, told us about a time several years ago when the Rhone was at flood stage, the huge iron gates at the entrances to the town were closed, and they watched the water rise to within two feet from the top of the dike. Very scary!
The weather? Gorgeous! At times a bit hot, but not humid. Sunshine every day. A couple days were super windy, but not the last two. Cool nights, days in the 80’s.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Hill Villages of Provence (Carolyn)
While I’ve been to France a number of times, I’ve never really visited the “hill villages” of Provence. On Friday the 4th, we headed (late morning) for Biot, about 3 k from our B&B run by Frank and Isabel. We spotted the parking lot sign, but it was so far from the village itself that we went on up, not noticing the bus that takes tourists from parking to village. BIG MISTAKE….. Kudos to Steve for excellent driving on those steep streets, barely wide enough for one car and really challenging when you come face to face with a truck. He did get a little bit annoyed at the muffled gasps from his passengers, though. Got out of town without a scratch and didn’t turn back. It is noted for its glass artisans, but so is Tacoma, so until a future trip we won’t see them. One great memory from this trip will be the visit to the Leger Museum, located on the outskirts of Biot. The exterior of this stunning building is covered with gigantic Leger murals. Photos are there from earlier blogs.
We got our hill village fix at the next stop, Gourdon, and where, now experienced, we headed for the car park. Lots of galleries and artisans; great outdoor sculptures; a 14th century castle and a fine Nicoise salad for lunch. You’ve already seen some of the photos from Gourdon. And our third hill town, with a multi-story parking garage, was St. Paul de Vence, with 16th century town walls and now sadly described by the Blue Guide as having succumbed to exploitation.
This morning, Sunday, we visited the conveniently open market in the square in front of the Hotel de Ville (city hall). Conveniently because we had no food with us….. I’m able to ask a fair number of questions of the vendors; the problem lies in trying to understand the answer. We bought some excellent and pricey cheese, bread, cereal, tomatoes and fruit. It will get us thru the day. We’ve been invited for appetizers at the apartment of the mother-in-law of the owner of our apartment. I think they’re trying to soothe our concerns about no hot water. The owner, Barney, lives in Brooklyn, but is in Beaucaire for a couple of days. They’ve already given us the key to another apt. where we can go to shower until the repairman arrives tomorrow. Better than moving someplace else, although it is about a half mile walk. More later…..
Carolyn
Antibes (Riviera) to Beaucaire (Provence) - Cathy
What were the highlights for today?
Was it waking up after a veritable sleepless night (for all of us but one - Judy)? Was it when I tried to open the sliding door on the side of the van when Steve had the gas cap open? Could it have been the heart stopping, we-are-driving-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff-of-a-gorge-nick-named-the-Grand-Canyon-on-a-one-and-a-half-lane-road? Could it have been the Brie sandwiches we had for lunch whilst looking across the great divide of the gorge? Maybe it was watching the bungee jumper drop from the highest bridge in all of Europe, only to find out after he had dropped from the bridge that he is wheelchair bound and cannot walk on his own?
I must say I was partial to the view of the fresh water lake, a stunning azure blue. But then again, there was the long, long drive from the gorge to Beaucaire by the route chosen by Car Bitch One. (No, not any of us ladies, but the GPS unit that Steve brought along.) The others may have preferred the seemingly endless fields of sunflowers and lavendar (no accounting for taste seeing as how the sunflowers are all dried up and dead, standing like zombie flowers, all facing the same direction just waiting for Michael Jackson to give them a reason to lift their heads and dance once again, or the lavendarless lavendar bushes.)
Ah, but it was great fun when we decided to hear what Car Bitch Two had to say about our route. CB1 is from the US and CB2 is from the French car (kudos to Judy for learning to communicate with CB2). CB1 & CB2 did not agree on our route. One (1) was intent on the quickest route while Two was planning the most straight-forward. At times, they would simply talk over one another while at other times, they would purposely (it seemed) contradict one another. CB1, "At 450 meters, enter the roundabout, take the 2nd exit." CB2, "In 500 meters, enter the roundabout and turn right." 450 to 500 meters later, CB1, "Take the 2nd right" and CB2, "Turn right."
But who could deny the excitement we felt when the apartment manager told us that there is no hot water, but hopefully it would be fixed sometime on Monday (today is Saturday). And no lights in the cave (almost literally) of a car park, no lights in the dark stone hallways, no light in the bathroom... all in all a great first impression. (Everything looked much better in the morning.) Or was the best part the waiter that sighed loudly on two different occassions while we decided which restaurant looked best. More likely, it was the lovely waitress that did not sigh (at least not in our presence) and took great care of us. There is so much to choose from, I'm not sure where to start.
Off to the market now! Cath
Was it waking up after a veritable sleepless night (for all of us but one - Judy)? Was it when I tried to open the sliding door on the side of the van when Steve had the gas cap open? Could it have been the heart stopping, we-are-driving-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff-of-a-gorge-nick-named-the-Grand-Canyon-on-a-one-and-a-half-lane-road? Could it have been the Brie sandwiches we had for lunch whilst looking across the great divide of the gorge? Maybe it was watching the bungee jumper drop from the highest bridge in all of Europe, only to find out after he had dropped from the bridge that he is wheelchair bound and cannot walk on his own?
I must say I was partial to the view of the fresh water lake, a stunning azure blue. But then again, there was the long, long drive from the gorge to Beaucaire by the route chosen by Car Bitch One. (No, not any of us ladies, but the GPS unit that Steve brought along.) The others may have preferred the seemingly endless fields of sunflowers and lavendar (no accounting for taste seeing as how the sunflowers are all dried up and dead, standing like zombie flowers, all facing the same direction just waiting for Michael Jackson to give them a reason to lift their heads and dance once again, or the lavendarless lavendar bushes.)
Ah, but it was great fun when we decided to hear what Car Bitch Two had to say about our route. CB1 is from the US and CB2 is from the French car (kudos to Judy for learning to communicate with CB2). CB1 & CB2 did not agree on our route. One (1) was intent on the quickest route while Two was planning the most straight-forward. At times, they would simply talk over one another while at other times, they would purposely (it seemed) contradict one another. CB1, "At 450 meters, enter the roundabout, take the 2nd exit." CB2, "In 500 meters, enter the roundabout and turn right." 450 to 500 meters later, CB1, "Take the 2nd right" and CB2, "Turn right."
But who could deny the excitement we felt when the apartment manager told us that there is no hot water, but hopefully it would be fixed sometime on Monday (today is Saturday). And no lights in the cave (almost literally) of a car park, no lights in the dark stone hallways, no light in the bathroom... all in all a great first impression. (Everything looked much better in the morning.) Or was the best part the waiter that sighed loudly on two different occassions while we decided which restaurant looked best. More likely, it was the lovely waitress that did not sigh (at least not in our presence) and took great care of us. There is so much to choose from, I'm not sure where to start.
Off to the market now! Cath
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Antibes and The Mediterranean
Carolyn, Cathy and Tim arrived in Antibes on the third at around noon and hit the running! After a short stop at the B&B to drop of their luggage, we went out in search of lunch.
We found a place in in old Antibes and sat at a table on the sidewalk. After visiting with the restaurateur (he spoke some English) we learned that he has a daughter and son-in-law in Bellingham!
We then took a stroll at the "port", a very upscale marina FILLED with million dollar (or more) yachts. We heard that Bill Gates moors his boat here.
We explored Fort Carre (used from 1388-1888) for a little while and then walked down to the beach where we waded in the Mediterranean, skipped rocks, watched the children play and snuck peak at the topless sun bathers. ;) .
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Judy and Steve arrive in Antibes (French Riviera)
Judy and Steve arrived last night. No problems with the flight, rental car, GPS, finding the B&B etc. Still hot at 8:00 pm!
Getting into the B&B was a bit of an adventure... it's behind a high wall and locked gate along a gravel road, just a few blocks from the beach and a huge tourist area - marineland, carnival, go-carts, mini-golf, etc, etc. But the GPS led us right to the gate and after ringing the huge bell on a chain, the gate was opened by Frank, the happy proprieter and chef.
After checking in we went back out in search of dinner. (We arrived during the dinner served by the B&B, but apparently it would not be appropriate to join once the meal had started.) By now we had been up for something like 34 hours with 27 hours traveling from home and just 2-3 hours dozing on the plane and in the CDG airport. And all the restaurants were closing! (I thought they eat late in France.)
Luckily we found the BK Beach Klubber, a pole-dancing, strip-tease bar along the shore. The skin show must happen at another time, because we and the other two couples present had only our own converstaion for entertainment, and had our choice of incredible tables just a few feet from the ocean. An awesome dinner and we were headed home for a shower and much-needed sleep.
Off to the airport to pick up Carolyn, Cathy and Tim soon. (For the uninitiated, Carolyn is Steve's mother, Cathy is his sister and Tim is Cathy's husband.)
Getting into the B&B was a bit of an adventure... it's behind a high wall and locked gate along a gravel road, just a few blocks from the beach and a huge tourist area - marineland, carnival, go-carts, mini-golf, etc, etc. But the GPS led us right to the gate and after ringing the huge bell on a chain, the gate was opened by Frank, the happy proprieter and chef.
After checking in we went back out in search of dinner. (We arrived during the dinner served by the B&B, but apparently it would not be appropriate to join once the meal had started.) By now we had been up for something like 34 hours with 27 hours traveling from home and just 2-3 hours dozing on the plane and in the CDG airport. And all the restaurants were closing! (I thought they eat late in France.)
Luckily we found the BK Beach Klubber, a pole-dancing, strip-tease bar along the shore. The skin show must happen at another time, because we and the other two couples present had only our own converstaion for entertainment, and had our choice of incredible tables just a few feet from the ocean. An awesome dinner and we were headed home for a shower and much-needed sleep.
Off to the airport to pick up Carolyn, Cathy and Tim soon. (For the uninitiated, Carolyn is Steve's mother, Cathy is his sister and Tim is Cathy's husband.)
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
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