Carcassonne

We are on our way to Carcassonne, we drove through Lezignan-Corbieres an area that produces noteable wine in the Lanuedoc region. The villages along the trip were so quaint, we saw the grape harvest in full swing. You had to be carefull because tractors and trucks were bringing their grapes back to the vineyard for pressing and time is money.

The walled medievel city of Carcassonne, in the distance you see the Basillique St Nazaire. It was here that many cathars took refuge during the Inquisition. Atilla, the Hun, also visited here and legend has it that he hid much of his fortune here within this walled city; the treasures were rumored to be from the Temples of Solomon.

Here is a close-up of one of the Gargoyles protecting the Basillique, I'd run too if I came face to face with one of these little characters. We enjoyed our day here and had lunch at one of the restaurants, lamb and local wine which was very delicious. During our meal we met a couple from Melbourne, Austrailia and compared travel notes.

This is a view of the entry point to the citadel, it was very impressive but has become very commercialized with all the shops selling touristy stuff. We then carried on to the beaches of the Languedoc region, Le Cap d'Agde. The sand was very powdery and golden in color, the water was clear and refreshing; both Don and I went for a swim. It was a very full day as it was a 3 hr drive to Carcassonne, tomorrow we will spend our time closer to our area and try a few more wines!

Au Revior ~ Don & Barb

Monday - September 15, 2008

Roman Ruin Day

Today we went west of Aix and saw many spectacular sites. The first place we stopped was the Pont du Gard a 2000 year old marvel that the Romans built. It stand 160 ft tall and was the largest aquaduct they ever built.

We then went to Nimes and saw the Ampitheater that was built in the 1st century and was host to gladiator matches. Today it hosts bullfights.

When you sit in the stands you can let your imagination run wild, thinking of the history within these walls. In Nimes we had a picnic lunch in the Charles De Gaul park, the weather was great. We then ventured on to Arles and saw the Roman ruines there as well as saw Vincent Van Gogh's home.

We have been having a great holiday, something new to discover each day! Tomorrow we are planning an earlier start as we are driving to Carcassonne.

Au revior, Barb & Don

Sunday ~ September 14, 2008

We took it slower today, started our day by going to the market in Aix and was very impressed with the stalls. The fish mongers were quite entertaining! We picked up a steam hot baquette for our evening meal, because it is Sunday everything shuts down by 1:30.

One of the fish monger stands.

It was off to Marseille to check out their centre ville as it was a Greek settlement from 7BC and was known as the gateway to the west for centuries. It was a glorious day to walkaround the harbour, we had fresh fish for lunch at one of the restaurants with a waiter that was extremely efficient! There were about 30 tables and he was the only waiter!

Harbour of Marseille

Following our walk through Marseille we ventured onward to Cassis, what a charming little port!

Later on we thought we would take one of the lesser traveled roads to Mount Victoire by our place, let me tell you that was an experience! The road was very narrow and the oncoming traffic figured they needed to be driving in the middle of the road, leaving cliff for us! All I can say it's a good thing my bladder was empty before this road trip because it would have happened going around one of those curves!!!

Au revior, Barb & Don

Chateaunef du Pape

Here is the old chateau that the pope of Avignon had built, so the finest wine could be produced for their own personal consumption. Much of this chateau was destroyed during the Wars of Religion of the latter 1500's.

Here is a picture of Don with his prized purchase, in the background is a spectacular view of the countryside.

This is a picture of Notre-Dame des Doms, the smaller church beside the Palais des Papes.

The picture below is of the Palais des Papes, during the 1300's the papal court was in Avignon and remained there until 1377.

We also walked across the Pont d'Avignon and hummed along to sur la pont d'avignon! I got very windy at that point in the trip, and I thought I would get blown in the water! After our time in Avignon we went to Gordes and walked around the 16th century medieval city, here we experienced rain! It was a little slippery on those cobblestone streets.

We then ventured back to Palette for a leisurely evening and a steaming hot bowl of bouillabaisse with the seafood coming from Sete.

Au revoir,

Barb & Don

Today we ventured out to the area around Avignon and Chateauneuf du Pape. The country side is spectacular, with some of the harvest starting you can still see grapes hanging from the vines. The grape harvest for the region was officially started on September 7, 2008 and decreed in Avignon by a government official.

This picture here shows one of the side streets in Chateauneuf du Pape. It is a very quaint town with many wine caves wanting you to come and taste their product. If you stopped at every one you would never be able to get into your vehicle and drive away; they give very health pours!

This is the wine cave of Earl Boiron and where Don purchased a bottle of the best! Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 Reserve

September 12, 2008 ~ Our trip to Monaco

We had a great day today, drove to Monaco and toured around the town.

Here is the Casino, that many a movie made famous; most note worthy being James Bond

This is the park accross from the casino, it was very warm here today 31 C. We walked up to the palace and toured around the area; then made our way back to Palette.

The town center



The beach at Hyeres



Our picnic lunch

Thursday ~ September 11, 2008

Our day in Hyeres... we had a very relaxing day today, I think we were still a little tired from our drive yesterday. We went to Hyeres and toured around the old city where we saw an ampitheater that was built during Julius Ceasar's reign. We then went to the salt fields where they harvest sea salt that is sold throughout the world, it is known as the best sea salt. We then set up on one of the local beaches and had a picnic lunch of Nicoise Salad and wine, I will send a few pictures of our lunch via Picassa.

Tonight we are having a treat, lapin in mustard sauce (rabbit)!

Au revoir buggs bunny is calling!

Barb & Don

Wednesday ~ September 10, 2008

Today we drove back to Auxerre as our car was fixed and ready for us to pick it up. The best part was that there were no additional costs that we had to absorb. It was an early morning for us...we were on the road by 3:30 am as it was a 5 hr drive each way. We were back in Palette by 4 pm and very tired, but happy to have our vehicle back.

We have our day planned for tomorrow, and our picnic lunch is packed! We are off further east along the Mediterranean toward Heyers, St. Tropez & Frejus. If we have time we will stop at St. Raphael. Our plan is to tour the areas east of our home base this week and next week it's to the west and north of us; we do have a plan :)

Hope all is well with you, Barb & Don

The town of Aubagne, a little fuzzy but Don was driving 130 km/hr



The Mediterranean Sea by La Ciotat



Don having a swim, we found the water less salty
than Mexico.


Now it was my turn...

Sunday ~ September 7, 2008

Provence

The fountain on your left is in the center of town in Aix en Provence.

On your right is a walking by our apartment with a little stream. Don plans on jogging along this trail

We had a great day today, we went for a 3.5 hr walk; if anything this trip is getting me in better shape! The weather is beautiful and the countryside is everything you see in magazines and on tv.

Au revoir,

Don & Barb

September 6, 2008 ~ Saturday

Greetings from the blankets!

I am typing this post in advance as we are driving to Aix en Provence; and have we had an adventure so far!

Let me begin…we started the morning perfectly with our driver arriving on time and he got us to the Renault agency. We then signed all the necessary documents and loaded up our Renault Megane, as we left we got a little confused and it took us an additional 10 minutes to find a gas station. Once that was completed we were on our way heading for our destination; 2 hours into our trip the car started jerking and warning light came on the dash – naturally everything is in French even the car manual so it did not help us a lot. We pulled over and called the 24 hr Renault roadside assistance; they promptly sent a mechanic. To make a long story short he said the engine was done (remember this is a brand new car) and he towed us to Auxerre where we spoke to the Renault hotline again. Because it was a weekend they could not do much about it but they provided us with an interim rental car for our use until they could fix our vehicle and if it cannot be repaired provide us with a replacement vehicle. If they can repair it we have to go back up to Auxerre and if they cannot then they bring a vehicle to us.

2 hrs later we were back on the road, this time with a Toyota Auris. We were happily on our way when Don noticed a sign that said the A7 highway to Marseilles was closed and we had to go through Geneva; we could not believe our luck. We got looking at the map and could not believe the distance we would have to travel so we just bit it and have forged on via A7. We have found an all traffic station and it said there were several accidents on the A7 but was moving.

Well we finally arrived at Palette (the village outside of Aix en Provence where we are stying) the time is 9:30 pm, concidering we left at 0800 hrs that was one damn long day!

We have unpacked and are sipping a glass of wine on the balcony, the temperature is 24C and the smell of fresh lavender is wafting up from the gardens below. I think I have found paradise!

Will keep you posted, as we have unlimited internet!

Barb

Saturday ~ September 6, 2008

Au Revoir Paris!

Well it is time for us leave this beautiful city, we have enjoyed our week here. We were able to take in all the major sites which has left us with many wonderful memories. We found the people warm and appreciated us trying to speak french (at least me, Don did just fine). Paris is very clean with daily garbage pick-up and street cleaners working every day.

We used the Rick Steves' Paris book while we were here and would recommend it for anyone coming to Paris.

We look forward to our next adventure in the south of France.

Barb & Don

Dinner in Paris

Here we are out for dinner at Les Fables de la Fontaine. This restaurant is located on Rue Saint Dominique in our neighbourhood. The owner of this establishment is Michel Constant, a well known chef in Paris. He owns 6 other restaurants in the area, we were fortunate to get to eat here. We spoke with a couple that told us this restaurant has a 2-3 week wait list.

We started with Rose Champagne and entrees of Tuna Tartare and Crab & Avocado in a Beetroot Coulee. Our main courses were Cod with pigs feet (Don's) and I had Scorpion fish with octopus & mushrooms - our wine was a Bourdeaux red. We ended the meal with a goat cheese and black cherry marmalade.

We have enjoyed our time in Paris and today we are planning on walking around the Montmartre area. It is raining today with temperatures of 19C.

Tomorrow we leave for Aix en Provence and warmer temperatures. We have a car booked to take us to the airport where we pick up our car, a Renault Megane, thankfully it has a GPS!

Will keep you posted. Not sure what our internet connections will be like for the next 2 weeks in Le Tholonet.

Au rivoir,

Don & Barb

Versailles

Another day in Paris ~ September 4, 2008

Don with the God of the Grape ~ Baccus

St Suplice Church

We just got back from a morning of touring Versailles. I can see why there was a révolution, the decadance was very evident. You could hear Marie say "Let them eat cake"

Take care all, and will send more posts soon.

Aux rivoir

Don & Barb

September 3, 2008

Had a great day at the Louvre; in fact spent the whole day there. We are back in our apartment and exhausted. We plan to re-fortify ourselves with a nice glass of Chateau-neuf-du-Pape then it is off on another walk. Have checked my pedometer and we are averaging between 15 - 21 km per day, we have to walk off all the food and wine!

Bonsoir,

Barb & Don

September 2, 2008

September 2, 2008 ~ Museum Day


Well we took full advantage of our museum passes today…

We went to the Museé D’Orsay and saw Cabanel’s Birth of Venus, Millet’s Gleaners, Whistler’s Mother, Degas’s In a Café, Monet’s Japanese Bridge and Water Garden and my favorite Van Gogh.

Our second stop was the Conciergerie – the palace of Justice and a prison. This is where Marie Antoinette and King Louis spent their last days during the French Revolution

Then it was off to the Sainte Chapelle and saw the church that was built in the 1242 to house the Crown of Thorns that Louis IX acquired from the emperors of Constantinople.

Keeping with the religious theme we ended the day at Notre Dame Cathedral.

September 1, 2008

We had a great day today, wandering around our neighbourhood. We also went to the Orangerie and saw painting by Monet, Renior, Cezanne. Did well grocery shopping today and had a fabulous dinner tonight...Tomato & Mozzarella salad and Pasta with a tomato & basil sauce with mussels & prawns and of course french bread.

I will post some pictures for you to see. We picked up museum discount cards and begin touring tomorrow. We intend to get to Musee D'Orsay, Louvre, Versailles...

August 31

We had a great day, did the on off bus tour which gave us a good orientation to the fabulous city. We then wandered down to Blvd St Germaine and checked out St Supice Church \ DaVinci Code Church. We then sat at an open air cafe and had wine, cheese and bread, tres chic.

We ended the day by sitting in the Champs du Mars Parc and watched the Eiffel Tower light up.

Good night all, and I would like to wish Jocylene a happy birthday

Barb

Paris Pictures - Day 1

Don at the Eiffel Tower

Here are some pictures we took today... this one is 1/2 block from our apartment.

August 29 - 30, 2008

August 29 – 30, 2008

Flight to Paris

I was pretty excited this morning, wide awake at 4:11 am! Do you think we needed a holiday?

Both Don & I have discovered NWA cannot hold a candle to Air Canada or Alaska Airlines. Customer Service is not their priority. It started with the Video on Demand service at my seat did not work, when I mentioned it they said we will try to reset it. Then there was no choice in meal, it was chicken or chicken which was not warm. When it was time for beveridge service I asked for a cup of tea, never got it. Do I hardly sound like I’m whining??? I could be thankful that I didn’t book our flights with Zoom Air!

Well I take back my whining...when the flight attendant saw my VOD was not working she brought me a bottle of French Champagne for the trouble.

We arrived 1 hr early and have settled into our apartment, it is small but clean and neat. We walk out our front door and we see the Eiffel Tower. We have done some shopping; bought some cheeses, bread, vegetables and fruit.

Now it's time for a little nap, this was advice Chris gave us before we left.

Take care all,
Barb & Don

August 28

We are in Seattle tonight, we leave for the airport at 6 am. SEATAC Hilton is sure nice. Looking at the Paris forcast, we will see highs of 29 C tomorrow.

TTFN
Don & Barb

Itinerary

Itinerary ~ Don & Barb

Aug 30 – Sept 6
67 Ave de la Bourdonnais Paris, France

Sept 7 - 20
Apt B – 201 Avenue Paul Robard, Palette, Le Tholonet, (by Aix en Provence)

Sept 20 -22
Hotel les Ursulines
Autun, France

Sept 22- 25
Hotel Anne D’Anjou
Saumur, France

Sept 25 – 26
Caens, France & return to Paris




Email address: blanchette80@gmail.com

The beginings...

This trip has been on our radar since 2004 and has now become a reality. We spent a lot of time pouring over web sites and travel books carefully preparing for our trip of a lifetime. By January 2008 we had all our flights and accommodations booked, there was no turning back!

As you see by the picture we have been busy practicing the art of wine tasting!