Our day at the seaside

By Wednesday my cold had taken its hold and I decided to stay back where I did nothing more strenuous than moving the deck chair into the shade and turning the pages of my book. Harry, Margot and Jim took off to the seaside at Sanary-sur-Mer. So Harry has written the following:

We wandered through the village where another market was in full swing and had a picnic lunch in a shady spot near the waterfront. We had been told that there could be a considerable queue for the boat trip and so while Jim stood first in line and read his book Margot and I went for a stroll around the shops but bought nothing as they were closed for lunch. This is a daily occurrence and you often find that even the petrol shops and banks are closed. On returning to Jim we found him and about 30 others were waiting for tickets. When we could board, being the outdoor kiwis we are, we raced the open top deck to get a good view of the coastline (even so it was difficult to get photos without heads in them). The boat crew provided some commentary as we sailed along, but it wasn't alot of help to me as it was in French. Anyway, quite a picturesque and rugged coastline - quite spectacular as they jutted vertically out of the sea - and they offered the perfect opportunity for those game enough to test their rock climbing skills. Doghead rock was aptly named as you can see (I reckon it had the face of a boxer). There were only a few little beaches that you could swim in and many of these were only accessible by sea. We noticed a few sunbathing on rocks (some with clothes and some without) with no chance of having a swim. It was amusing to see that many other cruise boats arrived at the nudist rock at the same time as we did - we wondered if this was co-incidence or planned.





On the way home, we made a short detour to the airport at Marseilles where I picked up a rental car for us. Margot and I wandered around rental car companies asking for Class A cars at a reasonable price and after four offers of Prestige cars as they had no small cars available (I needed two gold credit cards to take up the offer) we were offered a Toyota Yaris Diesel (brand new) which had 4000 kms on the clock - how could I refuse!! I drove back to Puyricard with a smile on my face and didn't mind if I got lost cos it was a rare opportunity to drive a Toyota in the European Union.

Arle and Les Baux

Margot had read that Arles had some roman ruins worth seeing namely an amphitheatre and a colosseum. These were about 2000 years old they think which was pretty impressive I thought as I sat at the amphitheatre wishing there was a MacBeth or Romeo and Juliet to watch (oops wrong country!!). Anyway, the amphitheatre had been patched up in places but some of the pillars were still standing (I think there were over 100 in its hey day) and you could wander around and touch the carved stone work that were now heaped in no particular order on the ground. It never ceases to amaze me how the carvings are quite different in the countries we visit - I keep comparing them to the Maori artwork at home. In England there are lots of 'religious carvings' and flowers but most of them are very intricate and detailed designs. The ones we saw at the amphitheatre and other parts of France appeared to bigger and bolder.

We then went across the road to the colosseum which I did not really enjoy looking through when I realised that bull fights were still held there - the most recent only last week. I did say in one of our earlier blogs that I think I romanticised history just a bit much and reality has begun to set in. Anyway, enough said - and a couple of pictures.



The other thing we have noticed is the French love of 'cicadas' (we have heard very few and wonder whether it is too hot or they are actually rare in this country). There are so many ornaments, pictures, fridge magnets (Margot bought one), cuddly toys that when squeezed sound like them we think they must be almost as rare as the kiwi. We have also noticed the absence of bird life around where we are staying. There is the occasional duck (though the wise ones have taken off due to the season), some swans on lakes and a few birds that look like swallows and swifts but we would have thought with so many trees and seeds that there would be far more. I keep thinking about all the hard work that conservationists are doing in NZ to bring back our native birds by planting native trees and how New Zealanders are enjoying the re emergence of bird life.

We felt a bit flat after visiting Arle and Margot suggested a detour to Le Baux - a village full of little boutiques, icecream shops, cafes and houses and at the top the ruins of the original fortified town and castle. We climbed the hill where we wandered around for a long time enjoying the view and the automated commentary. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Avignon

After we breakfasted under the tree with hot bread, jams, fruit and yoghurt (our hostess drives to the bakery every morning to buy our breakfast) we made our way along the tree lined roads to Avignon. Driving to Avignon was like driving through Aussie (some parts green but always a hint of dust and drought) and I was expecting to see kangaroos hopping along rather than deer that the signs warned us of. Avignon has to be on our ‘favourite city’ list probably because we were relaxed had a few things to look at without much travelling and it was our first visit on this trip to a historic place in France. It is a city nearly completely surrounded by a high stone wall and inside it is the le Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes) where we wiled away the hours listening to automated recordings of the lives of the popes while wandering around beautiful stone works, chapels and admiring the view from the top. It had not been 'renovated' like other buildings we have seen and so felt authentic (late 1300's) and there was just enough tapestries and paintings on the walls to take you back to the times of when the popes lived there. (You could picture men clothed in long robes walking through the courtyard with their hands clasped in front or up in prayer). The two popes Benedict XII and his successor Clement VI built this palace of 15,000 m2 (enough for a few people to live in) and we wandered through about 20 rooms where the popes would have slept, eaten, prayed and socialised. The photos show the magnificent view of the city and the Rhône river from the top of the palace, the fireplace that the cooks used and some of the lovely stone work including the gold statue of Mary as she watches over the city. I love admiring the architecture of places like this but it is sobering to think who built and financed such a magnificent building - I assume the poor working classes.

That was exhausting work and we shouted ourselves a late, long and leisurely lunch at a nearby cafe. There Caramello found a friend 'Trev the Traveller' and we have many photos with the two of them - about time he had a friend - but Trev will soon go back to NZ with tales of the rugby world cup.

After lunch there were lots of options and we went for the train trip around Avignon. We were expecting a long commentary about buildings we passed but instead there was a very short French comment and an even shorter English one which we had trouble understanding because of the accent. We really are going to have to learn French!! The train trip took us on the same path that Jim took us earlier when we were trying to find a car park and so although most of it wasn't new it was interesting to see we had found the main sites of the walled city. We had another train trip the next day in Arle which took us through some narrow lanes and where the train was held up due to a truck delivering some furniture. The traffic behind the train got longer and longer, and although the driver immediately behind us was relaxed and smiling the next driver was tooting his horn as though that would achieve something!! I had to laugh as I have just finished a novel set in Paris where the main character arrived in Paris to the tooting of horns by impatient drivers.

Then came the Saint Bénezet Bridge. This bridge was built around about the same time of the palace and was a main route across the river. It had over 100 arches in it and spanned not only the river but huge flood plains. After being rebuilt a number of times during the floods and then the wars it now stands just a few arches long - sort of like the 'bridge to nowhere'. A great spot for pondering about the city and its history and lovely views on a clear, still and warm day.






To finish our time in Avignon we marched to the top of the hill in step to Margot singing a French song. We picnicked back at our place rather late with few eating utensils (as can be evidenced by Jim, Margot and Haz desperate to eat the last of their crème brulee resorting to the fingers). I had a sponge cake which was far easier to eat with a fork.

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.