Des Parents Chez Nous (Part 1)

Discipline is something that can be applied to many areas of life. Diet and exercises are probably what come to mind when the word discipline is mentioned in the same sentence as life, but for me I think the area of my life that perhaps needs the most discipline is travelling. I find that everything related to travel in my life falls into either a completely disciplined practice or completely lacks discipline. Starting in mid October we had almost a continuous visit from first my in-laws and then my parents; hence the month turned into an on and off travelling extravaganza. The traveling itself ranged in discipline from our usual extreme, do as much as you can, to at times only seeing one thing per day! (I know what a crazy idea, how could we be related to such people?) But discipline is also an aspect when it comes to things related to travel like taking photographs. I have become more disciplined with my picture taking over the past year, both in terms of quantity and quality of image, but I still seem to be lacking the discipline it takes to edit out the bad ones and then write about them. That is why you are receiving this blog now and not three weeks ago after the pictures are taken. For those of you who are tsk, tsking me right now I must add that three weeks is actually miraculous, considering it took me over six years to finally put all my wedding photos into a scrapbook. Well better late than never.

I think that partnered with discipline on the list of virtues is patience. Yes having house gets for a month does require a bit of patience, but when they cook for you and do your dishes it is does not require a lot. What did require some patience and imagination was going back to some of the sites we had already seen around Provence a number of times. With Keith’s parents we went again to Pont du Gard, Avignon, Gordes and Rousillon. For myself, I was quite content to simply take more pictures while the in-laws saw the site, but Keith as always likes to discover new things and took the opportunity to go off the beaten track a bit more.

The ruins of the chateau at Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

 We stayed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which in October is really off the beaten path. The town itself is quite small, and was particularly sleepy during the day, but the restaurants were still full up at night. We had some lovely meals, a bit of bad French service to give Keith’s parents something to talk about when they returned to Canada, and amazing wines. In fact one of the best parts of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was the host of our B&B, Danièle RAULET-REYNAUD. Not only was she the first woman in France to earn the designation of Sommelier, but she is now part of the Femme Vignes Rhone, a group of women involved in wine making in the area. The basement of her home has been turned into a tasting area and her willingness to share her knowledge of wines and the region was amazing.

Daniele's cellar.

We used Chateauneuf-du-Pape as a jumping off point to see much of western Provence and some of the Luberon. We started with Pont du Gard. 

The museum is amazingly well done and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time I visited. We also were able to catch somethings that we had missed the first time through, like a great newsreel clip of Tour de France cyclists from the 1940s crossing the bridge. In addition to that Keith and I walked part of the aqueduct past the bridge that has fallen into complete ruin. It really is amazing that you can still see it after two millennia.

After this we continued on to Avignon, where Celia and Kelly went to see the Palais des Papes, while we wondered the streets. 

Celia on the ramparts of the Palais des Papes.

Celia dancing on the bridge, while Kelly stands looking cool, as usual.

The next day we wondered the market that threads through the centre of L'Isle sur la Sorgue. The central part of the old town where the market takes place is totally encircled by water. Stores have small bridges across the canal so that customers can access the “front door”. The market snaked through the narrow streets with no apparent organization and extended beyond the island. We were able to pick up some souvenirs, look at antique curiosities, and watched a sculptor working on the lawn of city hall.

We continued on with our road trip to Fontaine de Vaucluse. The attraction of this town is its spring which is hidden in a narrow valley between precipitous mountain cliffs. The source of the water is still a bit of a mystery, as the spring is so deep. We were able to look down on the pool that feeds the river that runs through the town, but I guess in spring time the water rises a good ten meters and flows over the place where we were standing. The town that sprung up around the Fontaine has been around since Roman times, and you can see where they diverted the river and constructed yet another aqueduct. In addition to this, there is a waterwheel which was used to make paper. Some of the accompanying mechanics are still present to give you an idea of how this process worked. The town clearly survives on its tourisme, but it really is one of the greenest places I have seen in France. I can see why people come here to appreciate the calm and natural beauty.

We finished our day with a drink in the lovely hilltop town of Gordes and then went off to enjoy the sunset on the red cliffs of Rousillon.

The highlight of the trip was Vaison la Romaine. This town not only has one of the most extensive Roman archaeological  sites in France, but it also has a unique medieval town and fortress. You are able to walk among the ruins of what were once opulent Roman houses and can see store fronts and roads that people would have travelled along daily. A large theatre is cut into the hillside and the one bridge that spans the river between the medieval and Roman parts of the town has been rebuilt multiple times using the same Roman design because of its efficiency. In September of 1992, Vaison la Romaine was victim to an extreme flash flood that decimated the Roman part of the town. This was one such instance when the Roman bridge was rebuilt to connect the two halves of the town. The medieval town is topped with a crumbling fortress and a condemned church that is just barely hanging onto the rocks of the cliffside.  To explain the history and charms of the entire town we had one audioguide which kept us occupied for a good three hours, once we figured out how to switch Keith’s from German to English.

I guess I should get used to it, but the history here continues to surprise and intrigue me.  More to come I promise from our weeks of travelling around with parents.

Des weekends d’automne

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at home! Yesterday we gave in to a bit of nostalgia, remembering that this was usually the weekend we would do our big apple picking trip and then can for the next two to three weeks. No canning here and no turkey either, as it wouldn’t be close to fitting in our oven/grill/microwave. Instead we will be having a roast, making an apple crumble, skyping with multiple people and I will be updating the blog.  

 

Over the past couple of weekends we have been enjoying autumn in Marseille. This has included some wonderful walks in the Calanques, as well as visiting the Foire de Marseille. The Foire is a huge trade show. It has literally everything. From farmers selling their products, to food booths, to home renovations set ups that include entire mock ups of kitchens. There was a whole section full of ridiculous patio furniture, pools, and lawn ornaments, which was really quite amusing. Right next to this section was basically a car lot full of cars you can drive without a driver’s license. Yes, that’s right. You just have to be over 18 and you can get on the road with one of these. They are governed at 80 km/h, so you can’t go on the highway, but really traffic is crazy enough here, why would you allow someone who doesn’t know the rules of the road to drive?

In addition to this, we also explored multiple pavilions from different countries. The Canadian one was a riot. Just look at the menu from the restaurant. Bison and caribou? I’ve never even eaten caribou. Can we feed the stereotypes any more than that?

My friends from school arrived at the Foire a bit before us and dragged us to a booth where you could pick an oyster to see if it had a pearl in it. Then you could get the pearl for free if you paid for the setting. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that lucky, but Keith picked an oyster with a pearl and now I have a lovely necklace. Considering I can’t remember the last time I got was bought jewellery, I was quite happy with the outcome! For his hard work Keith got an Italian ice cream.

Some of the technology on display was impressive: sewing machines that did needle point, personal helicopters, and this guy who was walking around taking pictures. We got our picture taken and only found out after that the photo will be posting for one week on a huge building in the Vieux Port as part of the celebration of Marseille being the culture capital of Europe for 2013. In this mood, we decided to go see a 3D movie about what other changes they will be making to the Vieux Port for this upcoming celebration. Like most French projects, this one includes big plans but little has actually been started in terms of actual renovations. We waited in line for about ten minutes only to watch a 3D movie that told us exactly what was in the brochure we read in line. Once again the lack of French efficiency boggles my mind. My tax dollars are not going to the project, they are going to a movie about the project that will probably never be realized. Errr. 

Laure and I before the movie

 Our neighbours also had a booth at the Foire and we were able to drop by and see the screen printed speakers they were selling. Their booth was hoping as people here really seem to love the art-deco style of decorating.   

This weekend we decided to take advantage of our car and head out of the city to further explore Provence. Our destination was Saint Rémy de Provence and Glanum. Glanum is a archaeological site that was first a Gaul settlement, then taken over by the Hellenists, and then the Romans. The site itself was fabulous with a mixture of ancient ruins and rebuilt sections. The settlement was started and grew because of a spring that not only provided water, but was a sacred site of worship for the various cultures which inhabited Glanum. The signs throughout the site provided excellent information with colour coded diagrams about how the settlement changed throughout the different periods and how former buildings were incorporated into newer buildings.

It is amazing to think that all of this was hidden under the ground for so many centuries, and it makes me really wonder how many other such keys to the past are simply under our feet.

After exploring the ruins, we wondered around the small town of St. Remy de Provence. This town is clearly a tourist hot spot during the summer, but was quiet and closed now that it is October.  Some of its claims to fame include being the birthplace of Nostradamus, many highly acknowledge restaurants and the asylum in which Van Gogh stayed in and had one of his most prolific painting periods is also just outside the city. 

Instead of checking out these highlights we opted to go back to nearby Les Baux de Provence, so that we could explore its medieval castle. Yes I think we are addicted to castles and this was probably a crazy idea considering that the mistral was blowing so hard that at times we could not hear our audio-guides. The castle is unique because of its positioning, but also because after the wars of religion the castle was ordered to be dismantled by royal proclamation. Hence, all that is left is what was built right into the rock on the top of the cliff side town. Climbing to the top was quite an adventure, aside from the winds blowing, the steps are so warn and irregular that half the time I was using my arms on the railings to pull me up, not trusting my feet. The views down to the oliviers and vineyards below are astounding, and from this perspective it looks like nothing has changed for centuries.

Keith’n Aimée, Cathar Castles, and Carcassonne

The last swim of the summer.

 Yesterday provided me with some clear signs that summer has passed. It was cold because of a crazy mistral wind and it was the first day I had worn jeans in months. Sigh... hard to believe we were just swimming in the Mediterranean last Saturday. The impact of fall’s arrival has made a stronger dent than usual into my psyche because after a lovely week of adventures and late night conversations our good friends Keith and Aimee left to return to Canada. Having visitors makes me feel like I am on holiday, even though I worked three days the week they were here. And now with them gone, it seems like we must get down to the business of work and routine.

We only travelled three days outside of Marseille with Keith and Aimee but our magical surroundings made it feel like we were travelling centuries back in time. We started in Montpellier, which is a city devoted to an urban planned dream. Both the old and the new parts of the city are devoted to pedestrian traffic with tram lines providing connections between the different areas. Our friend Thieric showed us around his adopted city. The calm and beauty of the ancient buildings and green spaces along the canal makes Montpellier one of the most liveable cities I have ever visited. I guess it is horrible to get around by car, but really there seems so little need for that. We had a fantastic lunch and simply got lost wondering the streets and looking at the architecture.

We continued on that day west to Carcassonne. This UNESCO World Heritage site really does merit is renown. And after settling in at our B&B we crossed the river from the “town” to “la cité”  as the sun set. The walled medieval city is impressive by daylight, but at dusk with the lights of town below somewhat obscured and a silence encompassing the hill, it is easy to imagine yourself back in the 12^th or 13^th century.  

We walked the almost deserted streets looking for a restaurant with only the glow of open cafes and restaurants lighting our way. Aimee and I took a million pictures, while Keith and Keith imagined how you could storm the city, sustain a siege, or build more practical defences.  We finally settled on a quaint out of the way restaurant which served the regional speciality, cassoulet. This hardy stew of sausage, beans, and duck has a uniquely refreshing taste for something with so much sustenance that only people who do manual labour all day should eat. 

The next day we gathered with the crowds of other tourists into the different shops and the keep museum. As we got ourselves oriented within the twisting streets of the city, we explored the cathedral and were lucky enough to catch a short performance of Russian vocalists. There is nothing more splendid than harmonies filling the naves and echoing off the stone of ancient churches.

The keep museum provided some interesting commentary on how Carcassonne was actually restored beginning in the 18^th century. The difficulties of restoring a structure back to its original purpose when the use of the structure has changed multiple times over a millennia are daunting. Today they are using x-ray type imaging to determine what parts of the building were built when and what has been changed over time. Really a fantastic study. Along the dry moat between the inner and outer outside walls it is also possible to view the remaining imprints of where houses were built after the border with Spain moved south and Carcassonne as a military outpost was no longer of strategic importance.

We also went to the torture museum, which was totally not worth the 8 euros, but did have some interesting facts about the Cathars who lived in the area and were persecuted by the inquisition. In fact, although Catharism was successfully dealt with by the inquisition, the number of references to Catharism in signage and historical summaries shows how the region valued this type of independent identity and thinking.

We also spent some time exploring the walls of the city. We started with a guided tour by a man who clearly learned English after two or three other languages and attempted to role play people from different centuries in Carcassonne, but got lost in using the wrong tense and not indicating clearly when he was playing a role and when he was actually stating his own opinion or a fact. Regardless he was able to lead us to the spot where we could access the ramparts of the inner wall and tour around half of the medieval city from above.

After getting our fill of interesting shops, cobblestone streets, ice cream/sorbet, and views of the plains and distant Pyrenees, we topped off our castle day with another wonderful meal. Keith and I both tried the chicken gizzard salad which was surprisingly delicious despite its ominous name. Then it was off to bed and much deserved rest after a sightseeing packed day.

Considering how well Keith and Aimée kept up with us in Carcassonne we decided to really push them to their touristing limit. Those of you who have travelled with us know that we like to see EVERYTHING , and we go pretty much non-stop when we are on vacation. Well as we got more interested in the Cathars and their run from the inquisition, we decided to go to some of the last strong holds of the Cathars as the Inquisition was burning and pillaging their lands and villages. Now when I say strong holds, I mean strong holds. These breathtaking fortresses were amazing to photograph, but I think our excitement for extreme tourism pushed Keith and Aimée to the point of vertigo at stages. Not only did we drive some pretty crazy roads to get to some of these castles, but then we made them climb the narrow paths to the top. In the end it was all worth it but there were definitely some nail biting moments.

The first castle, Puilarens, had a 16% grade hills leading up to the parking lot. Our car handled it wonderfully and I am thankful we paid that extra bit for a more powerful engine. From the parking lot it was a twenty minute hike of switchbacks to reach the actual castle. You will notice, Keith and I did not come prepared with alternate footwear. We have been wearing our birkenstocks to the bone this summer. 

Perched on top of these high ridges, these fortresses were also the line of defence along the Spanish border. There is no way and army could have moved in France without being spotted from these heights. The second castle we visited Peyrepertuse is actually composed on three different levels of fortress, each one a bit higher than the next. If you look closely behind Keith to the right you can see the blue of the Mediterranean in the distance!

In addition to the glorious views from the castle, you can see in the photograph below the castle of Queribus across the valley from Peyrepertuse giving both the ability to pass on signals. It all felt very Lord of the Rings like, and although I wouldn’t have wanted to live in these isolated and I’m sure very cold castles, my imagination was captured by the vistas below us and the mystery of what life might have been like here centuries ago.