Aix en Provence

A leisurely start to the day with breakfast in the sun but it did start a bit earlier than planned. We at first thought that it might be bird frighteners (but the grape season is over) or clay pigeon shooting but no the shooting season had started. Thankfully, after the first day most shooters were back at work, or maybe we were just a bit too tired to hear them. Jim and Margot's hosts had mentioned there was a lovely 2 hour walk near their place but if we were going to do this we should make sure we talked alot (not 'quack quack') and wore bright colours. We didn't go on it. Aix en Provence is a quite a big town and during the week we managed to get lost in it quite a bit. Whenever we weren't sure how to get back to Puyricard we followed the signs to Aix - but they seemed to finish at the edge of the city and left us to our own devices to navigate narrow streets to the other side of town. We did however get quite proficient at finding two car parks (one called 'Carnot'). The market at Aix (and we went to a few during our week in France) was rather large selling a huge range of food (I have never seen so many types of mushrooms, salamis or cheeses) but when buying our picnic lunch we stuck to the good old known food like grapes, peaches, nectarines, bread and some lovely camembert. Also a huge array of flowers, particularly sunflowers - it must be the sunflower capital of France I think. As we drove through the countryside we saw many fields of sunflowers left in the fields - presumably to gather the seeds for next years crop.

As we wandered around the narrow streets we kept looking up at the statues and architecture (or I did - Harry was much more proficient at finding the patisseries and the chocolateries). Lots of little statues up high on every building. Each day either Haz or Jim had on an All Black or hurricane teeshirt - so we were noticed and had numerous discussions with rugby supporters - mainly Aussies - and some French.

Provence is home to many artists and in Aix we visited Cezannes birth place, in Vauvenarg Picasso's home and Van Gogh spent most of his time in Arle. Surprisingly though these three towns had few if any of their actual paintings in their museums so we didn't get to see any of their artwork. So, we visited the places that inspired them - (do Harry and Jim look inspired to take up a paintbrush?). The garden at Cezannes place was a welcome respite from the hot sun, after a long walk up the hill. Margot asked for directions to a park for lunch and received what appeared like quite simple ones - up the hill and turn right. We finally found a little park a few more corners away and enjoyed our first picnic in France together.

The car took us to Vauvenarg where Picasso lived, was inspired, and died. It is not open to the public as Picasso is entombed there and his daughter wants to keep it away from public which is fair enough but a bit disappointing. We did watch a local game of Petanque in the village and it was good to see all ages competing in what looked like a game running up to the final next week.
Jim and Margot then showed us there B and B - where a dog Jim nicknamed Tiger - strained at his rather large chain and barked loudly as we got out of the car. Both our places are very authentic France but quite different as we have an apartment with a lounge and kitchen (if there were other guests we would share but there weren't) and they have a smaller ensuite room. Their hosts are a family and excellent cooks and Jim and Margot had home made croissants for breakfast and 3 very entertaining meals there with other guests (of which I think Jim understood little of the conversation but Margot understood a little more). We had one meal with our hostess under the Acacia tree and she served a beautiful range of French food (tres bon). After all that travelling we fell into the pool and Harry and Jim challenged each other to game of 'foozball' - Harry will be getting up early in the mornings to practice for the next game!! Dinner was back in Aix at a French restaurant where we all understood what we were ordering and enjoyed the evening.

We're in Puyricard

It has been a big week for us both. I started my new job and Harry started his later in the week at a training organisation. Both our initial impressions are promising. My job is about a 45 minute bike ride from home, mainly on the flat. I work in a new division designed to improve customer service to commercial road users and in the first week I have managed to forecast budgets for the next 18 months. The building is on four floors and I’m on the top floor which gives a 360 degree panoramic view of Bristol (there are few tall buildings in Bristol and the view is only broken up by a couple of high council apartment blocks not far away). There is also an outdoor balcony where you can enjoy either the cold or the sun depending on the day. Just across the car park is the outdoor setting for the tv series ‘Casualty’ – apparently once a fortnight ambulances and people in uniform with guns and some patients all turn up for the filming (I may not be doing much work that day and just might have to watch my first Casualty ever sometime in the UK). We have flexitime for staff which means I can work slightly longer days and have a day off occasionally which I think I might just do.
Harry’s ride to work has halved – 20 minutes but most of the way is also along my route. He will train apprentices in light vehicle and panel and paint – as you can see right up Haz’s alley. He spent day one in the workshop observing some students going through automotive technician accreditation testing and day two had his first lunch out with the rest of the team (eggs and chips – yes that was lunch!!) at a ‘greasy spoon’ type cafe. Friday finished with him explaining in a broad kiwi accent who he was and why he was here and why he was so keen to work at the staff meeting of about 35 staff. The company seems to have quite a good reputation in the industry and now turns applicants away as classes are full.

And it is Saturday and we are in Puyricard not far from Marseilles. We caught a bus in Bristol from the long term car park to the airport and then another from the airport gate to the plane (it wasn’t really that far but I suppose it meant everyone could be herded in the same direction without anyone wandering off). In Marseilles we were expecting quite a long wait for Jim and Margot to pick us up as they were at the All Black vs Italy game. But just as we were off the plane and contemplating a coffee they text us to say they were not far away. It was so good to see them. Jim and Margot enjoyed the game and said that all the French newspapers had a headline news ‘Catastrophe’ with France losing to Argentina. Sandra our hostess and the waitress at the restaurant we had dinner at certainly looked sad, dejectedly waved hands and saying ‘catastrophe’ so I think we got the picture. Jim had mastered the left hand drive, six gear car and Margot had the navigating down to a T so even though a bit jet lagged they got us to our B and B without too much trouble. First impressions of the south of France - well if I could describe Ireland as Green and England as Grey then France would have to be Brown. The buildings are a light brown colour and the ground is either ploughed or not seen much rain for a while and of course some of the trees are beginning to take on their autumn tones and rather than change colour just seem to look as though they are dying.

We drove down a very overgrown lane, with a truck depot at one end and really wondered if we had arrived at the right place – long grass, shutters at the windows, but with a look at the nice swimming pool we sat down under the acacia tree (where breakfast is tomorrow) to wait for our hostess Sandra to arrive which she did shortly to serve us juice under the same tree and take us to our rooms. We waved goodbye to Jim and Margot (who are staying at Jouques about 30 minutes drive from here).

Sandra recommended a pizzeria in Puyricard (about 1 km away) for dinner saying the other restaurant was not that good. We took along our phrase book and once again thought ‘we must learn a language’. The waitress laughed as we looked into our phrase books to interpret the menu and shook her head when we described the pizza as ‘gentil’ (the phrase book says this means nice but I now think it refers to a gentle woman rather than a pizza) and finally learnt from a German that ‘bon’ means good in relation to food. The waitress was suitably impressed when after dinner we could say ‘tres bon’ – thanks to the phrase book rather than the German. We have since learnt that tres bon petit de jouneur means ‘very good breakfast’ – our French is coming along quite well with a bit of help from our hostess and Margot (a long way to go though I think). Throughout the week we are surprised about the Italian influence in France, though perhaps shouldn't be due to the closeness in proximity. Every little town has at least one pizzeria and most restaurants serve pizza - but surprisingly there is no garlic bread - maybe because the French are really the best at baking fresh bread. As we walked back to Le Caisere (our home for the week) we saw another lovely sunset along the road – vivid red colours and not a cloud in the sky.

Oxford and Avebury

We met Michelle and Zane off the train from London and drove around a bit and finally found a little church that we could park beside and have morning tea (it was Michelle’s breakfast). The woman doing the flowers in the church stopped to chat and told us that in the 1800’s the church had been moved stone by stone from the centre of the town to its current site.

Last night we had asked for directions to the river where we could punt and so walked there and got directions about how to use this long pole to steer and move the boat. We had a great time, us girls sitting in the boat while Harry and Zane had a go at being helmsmen. It rocked a bit but I didn’t take the stories seriously about falling in until we saw a ‘not very young gentlemen’ sitting rather dejectedly in a punt and very wet. When I asked him if he fell in he replied not particularly good humouredly ‘twice actually’. Anyway, we got back all dry through the skill of the men (though Harry nearly lots his head from a low lying branch and Zane got the pole stuck in the mud which made the boat rock a bit).

We went for a walk around Christ college – Michelle pointed out that we were more fascinated by the fact Harry Potter was filmed here rather than the history of the 17th century building. While we wandered round Zane set the scene by telling us a bit about the last book as we knew we wouldn’t read it (I think Michelle tried to block her ears at some time). The eating hall was where the sorting hat worked out what house Harry Potter and friends would join and was also the setting for the Alice in wonderland stories by CS Lewis. The grounds were immaculate, a man with a hat on told us where to go and not to stand on the lawns, all felt very artificial and a bit stark and just like Cambridge no students to be seen (though we had seen heaps of bikes in the town). Michelle thought there would be one university, but there are heaps of colleges some that the public could wander through for a charge and some that were closed.

We had another picnic in the same churchyard before dropping Michelle and Zane off at the train station (not a minute too early) as the traffic was held up with a demonstration against ‘animal testing’. It felt good that they would remain on the same island and that we would see them again soon. Haz and I then decided we would go home rather than staying away another night away and took the long route. We drove through horse racing country where Dick Francis and John Francombe must have sat I am sure getting inspiration for their next horse racing 'who dunnit' and saw many fields brown and spotted with hay bales. We stumbled across Avebury. 6000 years ago the inhabitants moved sassern rock (only harder natural material is diamond) to Avebury about 2-3 kilometres away where they built a huge ‘circle of stones’ – it has got some monolithic and celtic spiritual meaning as well as signifying when the seasons start. The town was inside this circle and surrounded by a ditch. Absolutely fascinating - it was free to go in and look, open all the time and just as fascinating as Stonehenge if not more. The sheep grazed around the stones and were obviously used to humans as they more interested in eating than running away. Had dinner at the local pub - yum - and looked down the 86 foot deep village well (which the pub had been built around) and then headed for home.

Stratford on Avon

Today we visited Anne Hathaways cottage and learnt heaps of things – like she was married to William Shakespeare. I didn’t know that!! Their children didn’t seem to make their mark in the literary field so the genes must have gone astray somewhere. The cottage is set in a magnificent but small garden which had mostly recovered from the floods (the waters reached the steps of the cottage). We took photos of the willow hut that apparently used to be used by those who were grieving and sad - apparently in Shakespeare’s romantic comedy the Twelfth Night, Viola imagines composing songs ‘ of contemptible love’ in a willow cabin. There were also the ‘century old’ bird frighteners made of feathers and potatoes on string.

Inside the house we had a guided tour and we learnt...That a ‘square meal’ comes from the shape of the wooden plate people used to eat from– if it was full at lunch time that was it for most of the day – and you always used the same one because you were allowed to lick it clean. That a ‘board’ comes from the table where people sat – the important person had a chair (chairman), the lesser people had a ‘bench’ to sit on and the others the ‘floor’ – hence all our committee words used today. The ‘board’ had two sides – one for meetings and eating – the other for preparing food and if you were a lucky one sleeping. That a ‘stop gap’ comes from the bread ovens – to keep the heat and moisture in they would stop the gap with a huge piece of elm tree while the bread cooked. If anyone tries to sell us elm for firewood I now know I should refuse as the ‘stop gap’ in Anne’s cottage was over 300 years old and only a little bit burnt.That a ‘rule of thumb’ comes from the width of stick (no thicker than your thumb please) that a man could beat his wife if she let the fire go out – I think I’d say do it yourself next time. That ‘Curfew’ comes from the requirement to ‘cool your fire – but not put it out’ which you had to do every evening so that the thatched roof wouldn't catch fire. Thatched rooves are banned in cities due to the fire hazard and apparently Anne’s would cost about £70,000 to redo every 30 years or so. Anyway, after that little lot of sayings we went to Mary Ardens house (granddaughter of Anne and William) and Haz bought a book on idioms so you might get a few more in the blogs as we go through them. After strolling around Stratford on Avon (the town is one where you just can’t go fast as there is too much to look at) – glancing at Shakespeares birthplace (incidentally he was only 18 when he married the 26 year old Anne in 1582 and became a dad 6 months later!). After that we drove around the English countryside - the hedge rows had been trimmed (I did wonder if the floods had anything to do with it but don’t think so) so we could see some of the English countryside as we drove along. We visited the Car museum (Rover and Jaguar big in this country) and you might be surprised to hear that I quite enjoyed looking at the museum as well. They had little snippets of information alongside all the engine information which caught my fancy like: When cars were first introduced woman drivers were told to take a mirror so they could do their face and occasionally use it to look to see what was happening behind them (they soon put mirrors on cars and probably suggested woman didn’t do their face while driving). In the 1960’s there were nearly 7000 people killed on the roads each year (the highest though was in 1940 something when 9000 died during the blackouts – not surprising really no lights on cars and no lit roads). Thirty seven years after the car was first introduced in England they had their first million – quite surprising when the cost of a car was about £450 (3 times the average wage of an engineer).The mini was invented as a response to the Suez Canal oil crisis in the early 60’s and the first traffic light was put in place in the 1930’s and also the first ‘stop’ sign. I knew Harry would take far longer to go around the museum so I enjoyed sitting in a couple of old cars (always wanted to do that and drive around the country holding onto my hat so it isn’t blown away) and then scooted into the cinema. There I watched a 1950’s movie about how Austin had set up a parts factory in south Wales and only employed welsh miners who could no longer work in the mines as they had lung disease (they had pneumo something). It was quite impressive and quite funny when we watched the oldest ex-miner light up a pipe with so much smoke that it hid his face. Then came a silent movie on how to build a Rover motor bike from scratch – the test drive showed two men riding along a road passing a well dressed woman cycling and covering her in a cloud of dust and then riding through quite deep puddles only to come off. Anyway, for a non-car enthusiast but someone about to work in the transport field once again quite interesting little snippets of information. Now from a car enthusiast perspective. Haz enjoyed the history of the british motor industry along with some prototypes that he hadn’t seen before like 2 Rover turbine cars, possible future Mini developments from the 1960’s and 70’s, a novel concept car from Rover in 1958 that eventually led to the Range Rover and a one-off Rover SD1 Station Wagon (this is a 5 door liftback sedan - the English invented the concept of the modern hatchback!!). Who would have believed we had been to the same museum – but this often happens to us and at least the English know how to make a museum interesting for most people.

We tootled off in our little yellow car and had a lovely little picnic on the side of a road beside a thatched cottage and drove towards Wootton (where Jan used to live), Woodstock (where she used to shop and play bridge) and have ended up in Oxford staying in a quite an expensive hotel for the night as accommodation is a bit booked up for the weekend. We had Chinese for tea and wandered the streets of Oxford with the thousands of students returning to study. Oxford has basically banned cars from the centre of the city by making it almost impossible to find a park which effectively creates a mall in the centre of town.

Tewkesbury

I left my first job in England yesterday (I'm not counting the job where I did nothing for a day) – it had been a positive experience with team spirited people wanting to achieve. I took in a morning tea but instead of everyone stopping and having a chat you just leave the food in a central place and people help themselves - I get the impression most people don't know why the food is there but it is all gone by the end of the day. At the suggestion of my boss some of us went out for lunch to a little pub along the way and they gave me a lovely bunch of flowers which survived the ride home in Harry's back pack. It was a longish ride home since we had decided to explore the cycle paths to get to my new work which is further away – probably about an hour’s bike ride each way. I start on Monday and Harry starts his new job as a tutor for S and B trade training (motor mechanics) on Thursday – so it is back into the permanent role for both of us. We are really quite surprised how relatively easy it has been to get jobs both temporary and permanent. Before we start our new jobs we decided we needed another break. We have arranged to meet Michelle and Zane in Oxford on Saturday so decided we would explore the Cotswolds (Harry tells me ‘Cots’ are the little stone huts that sheep shelter in and ‘wolds’ are rolling hills) before getting there. So, we are sitting here in our bed and breakfast in Stratford on Avon with some really good memories of the day. I suggested that we bought the computer along to write the blog each night otherwise we tend to forget things over more than one day. Haz bought a lock and spent ages securing it to the car – but it is safe and no one can steal it in a ‘snatch and grab’ they would have to take the whole car. We stopped in Tewkesbury – the centre of the devastating floods a couple of months ago. The roads, showed little evidence of the floods except for a muddy look and lots of sandbags lying around.

The abbey just missed the floods though the doors had been sandbagged, but many houses looked flood damaged and many shops were closed. The town is beginning to surface again but it will take a long time before people feel as though they are back to normal. The shops that were open were quaint – and I managed to find some really expensive clothes for good prices in some sales. I saw a wall hanging in one of the shops that amused me ‘I no longer skinny dip but I chunky dunk’.

We picnicked by the river and I opened the little box of goodies that Michael, Becks, Sharon and Az had sent me. Choccy bars, sweets, a neat little book on England, socks for Haz, a photo frame and a newspaper article about Reuben and postcards with news from home. It was such a lovely treat to get it and I am saving up the choccy bars for special occasions. We managed to take the wrong road and ended up in a little road where a bridge crossed the Avon. It was a quaint bridge with canal boats on the river and beside it was a notice that showed a 3.5 mile circular walk so we decided to take our first walk across the English countryside.

There we saw little wooden platforms which you could hire to fish (they were all numbered and we saw at least 63) – the fisherman told us you could catch perch and carp and a few other breeds that we can’t remember. We passed caravan parks and boat parks and came across an area where the floods had taken their toll. The path was lined by water on one side and electric fence on the other – I wasn’t sure if it was to keep the humans out as there was no sign of animals (perhaps the fields were still recovering from the floods) - it is also haymaking season and every second field has numerous hay bales sitting in them. We walked through Eckington a little village where people take pride in their gardens and every second home has a name.

My literary streak is coming out in me as I started to get excited in knowing I would be visiting places where Anne Hathaway and Shakespeare were born, played and later drank and ate while Harry can’t think of anything except how he hated reading Shakespeare at college (I did too incidentally but prefer to forget that bit!!). We will visit their homes tomorrow but we wandered around the town tonight – the church where Shakespeare is buried inside (it was closed), the river, canal boats going through the lock and statues of Hamlet (he was a very nice looking young man) and Lady McBeth. The Tudor inns and houses are plentiful and we kept crossing the road to go into another one to look at the drooping ceilings, stories and photos. A lovely little town that we will explore tomorrow..