Une belle et heureuse année 2011

Cheers to a new year full of promise and potential. Our New Year ’s Day was brought in with a good sleep in and a glorious walk in the sunshine along the sparkling blue Mediterranean. Really does it get any better than that?

I have been on a bit of a Christmas vacation from blogging and have a lot to catch you all up on. This one might be a bit heavy on the picture front as I have had the opportunity take some excellent pictures over the past couple of days.

Having guests for the vacation was great. We ate, sang along as we watched Glee (I think Keith may now be a convert) and we ate way way way too much. The weather unfortunately was not that cooperative for our guests. It was cold and wet most of the time and this did not make for very good sightseeing weather, but we braved the winds and rain to do a couple of day trips. Thank goodness for Phil and Julie’s gift of Canada mits. We really did need them. It actually snowed here the evening of the 25^th, so we did have a white Christmas. Funny how things work out.

The storm that was passing through on Christmas Eve and Day left debris and remnants of its furry a good twenty-five metres up the beach and made our Boxing Day walk chilling as the wind continued to beat the waves over the breakwater.  

We spent the next day visiting the Vieux Port and Notre Dame de la Garde. This time I actually took some pictures of the inside of the church which is just as stunning as the views outside of it. Notice the ship mobile on the right of the picture. These are hung throughout the interior of the church demonstrating its importance to sailors and its role as a beacon to those coming into port. Notre Dame de la Garde has actually become one of my main points of orientation in the city. It is so prominent in the landscape that it provides an excellent sense of direction as you are coming into the city or wandering the streets.  It is quite amazing how elevated it really is. There are two ranges of hills between us and the church and we can still clearly see it from our balcony, especially at night when it is all lit up.

On Tuesday we rented a car and went off to do some exploring. We started at Avignon because the city is really full of amazing sites. We let Aid and Elise go off to see the Palais des Papes and dance on the pont while we wondered the cobble stone streets and looked down alleys. I must say since I have started taking photography more seriously my walking pace has changed. As many of you know Keith and I tend to keep up a pretty brisk pace, but put a camera in my hand and that all changes. When I am looking for a good picture, I continually am stopping and slowing my stride as I try to take in everything that is around me. In reality photography has made me look at things from a completely different perspective. Now that I have slowed down to take in the landscapes that surround me, I have to figure out the trick to taking picture of people who seem to constantly be moving. Do I have to get more bossy with my subjects or simply quicker with my trigger finger? So much is yet to be learned. I love it.

After a bit of a warm up in a café, we continued on our way to Les Baux. This valley is hidden in the hills south east of Avignon. On the one side of the valley floor are houses and gardens carved into the rock face, on the other side of the valley up a steep winding road is a medieval town and chateau/fortress. The town is only accessible on foot and is full of cobbled streets that wind, dip, and curve against the hillside. The views are spectacular and each corner provides the possibility of new curiosities in architecture, as buildings cling to the cliff side. We spent most of our time simply wondering around and getting lost. This is one of those rare places that really takes you back in time regardless of the other tourists that surround you, and shops at every turn. The atmosphere is simply irresistible. It is a fantastic site that deserves more time. We unfortunately ran out of sunlight. We plan on returning to see the Chateau where in the spring and summer months you can fire a trebuchet! You can’t image how excited Keith was when he found that out. I would also like to spend a bit of time at one of the outdoor cafés which have terraces right on the side of the cliff.  

Stay tuned as there is more to come about our adventures with Elise and Aid.