Pictures HERE.
10:00pm: at the B&B in Marseille after a hectic day to say the least. I apologize in advance for typos in this post because I am hastily writing. I will get to that. We set off from Menerbes around 8 and actually had a pretty stress-free drive to Marseille, France’s 2nd biggest city.
We could not find a gas station close to the Hertz office so we will end up paying extra for the gas, but neither of us had the energy to go drive to a gas station that may or may not have even taken our card. We then took a taxi to the B&B which was not far but somehow cost 20 euros. No matter. Our lovely B&B Owner Christophe was waiting for us. We checked in and left our luggage and set out.
We explored the area by the port and bought tickets for a boat ride tomorrow morning to the Calanques, fjord-like formations off the coast. We wandered through the Rick Steves walking tour. We could not find the African spice market and later realized maybe it was because of Ramadan. We went up to the Panier district, which is the older and apparently hipper part of town. I bought a little handmade statue that is typical of the area and something I had wanted to get. We had lunch at La Panier Gourmand in one of the squares - they served sandwiches on panisse, which is fried chickpea fritters, and it was delicious.
After lunch we came back to the B&B for a rest and then around 3 set out for the main sight in Marseille, the Notre Dame church. We took bus 60 from the water and it swept us rather uphill in about 15 minutes. The church is actually pretty small but quite beautiful, with amazing views. We took the bus back down but to the other side of the port and wandered a bit, had a drink, etc.
Around 6:30pm we sat on a bench to kill a little time before dinner and I do not know why but I engaged my data on my international phone and checked my email. That is when I saw our flight back on Sunday had been canceled due to a national air strike. We were rebooked for Monday, which was basically unacceptable to us both. Having lost all appetite, we rushed back to the B&B to call Iberia. The only other option was to fly out tomorrow.
So we will lose our last day and the boat tickets we had bought, which were not cheap and which we were really excited about. I also called Christophe, who came over and let us pay, gave us a little souvenir of soap, a ticket for a free night if we ever return, and booked us a taxi for tomorrow. It was about 8pm by this point and we still needed dinner so we went back to the port and went to Le Souk, where we had intended to go anyway. It is a Moroccan restaurant and had been recomended in a few places. I had chicken tagine and Matt the couscous. We had a view over the port and of the high up church and it was generally lovely. And with that, the trip is unfortunately and abruptly cut a bit short.
Saved the most walking for last I guess: 26,063 steps and 10.37 miles.
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Friday, May 25, 2018
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 15 - Aix-en-Provence
Pictures HERE. Not too many today.
9:30pm: back at the airbnb after a fairly uneventful day. At least the weather was beautiful finally! We grabbed some pastries at the bakery in town (not before the lady gave me change in all one and two cent coins....) and set off for about an hour to Aix-en-Provence. It took us on the major roadway (equal to interstate) and we actually hit some decent traffic to get to the center of the town.
Anyway, we parked in the huge Rotonde garage in the center, which was perfectly located for some of the market action. Since Aix is a bigger city, it’s outdoor market is sprawled in different parts of the city, in a couple squares, on a main street, etc. We grabbed a coffee at a cafe and then followed Rick Steves’s walking tour while checking out some of the market. I also picked up a couple of huge Macarons from a recommended store. There is really a ton of crap sold at these markets. Definitely bigger than the other Provencal towns we have seen, it has little to actually see except the church, which has a number of architectural styles all in one. I bought some strawberries from a grower and we got some lunch.
I didn’t have anything specific else on the itinerary so we decided to take a more scenic/country route back to home base. We didn’t seem to pass anything that looked too interesting. If I had planned better we would have ditched the car in Aix, stayed there a night, then went on to Marseille. Oh well! We made it nack to the airbnb and started packing up a little, then wandered the town a little, then went back to Le 5 for dinner. Since the weather was nice, we could eat on their beautiful terrace overlooking the vineyards, cherry trees, olive trees, and countryside. I had the seasonal risotto with asparagus and mushrooms and we split creme brulee.
Tomorrow it is off to our last stop, Marseille.
Today’s totals - still managed to get some decent walking in: 16,874 steps and 6.71 miles.
9:30pm: back at the airbnb after a fairly uneventful day. At least the weather was beautiful finally! We grabbed some pastries at the bakery in town (not before the lady gave me change in all one and two cent coins....) and set off for about an hour to Aix-en-Provence. It took us on the major roadway (equal to interstate) and we actually hit some decent traffic to get to the center of the town.
Anyway, we parked in the huge Rotonde garage in the center, which was perfectly located for some of the market action. Since Aix is a bigger city, it’s outdoor market is sprawled in different parts of the city, in a couple squares, on a main street, etc. We grabbed a coffee at a cafe and then followed Rick Steves’s walking tour while checking out some of the market. I also picked up a couple of huge Macarons from a recommended store. There is really a ton of crap sold at these markets. Definitely bigger than the other Provencal towns we have seen, it has little to actually see except the church, which has a number of architectural styles all in one. I bought some strawberries from a grower and we got some lunch.
I didn’t have anything specific else on the itinerary so we decided to take a more scenic/country route back to home base. We didn’t seem to pass anything that looked too interesting. If I had planned better we would have ditched the car in Aix, stayed there a night, then went on to Marseille. Oh well! We made it nack to the airbnb and started packing up a little, then wandered the town a little, then went back to Le 5 for dinner. Since the weather was nice, we could eat on their beautiful terrace overlooking the vineyards, cherry trees, olive trees, and countryside. I had the seasonal risotto with asparagus and mushrooms and we split creme brulee.
Tomorrow it is off to our last stop, Marseille.
Today’s totals - still managed to get some decent walking in: 16,874 steps and 6.71 miles.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 14 - Roussillon, Apt, Lourmarin, etc. 5/23/18
Pictures HERE.
5:30pm: at the airbnb for a rest, partly because we finished the plan for today and partly because the skies opened again a while ago. The good news is that in the morning, skies were relatively blue, so we set out to go back to Roussillon and try to walk the ocre trail. The town was nice and quiet in the morning, and I was finally able to find a couple nice magnets. We were also having trouble finding somewhere to get breakfast and the lady sellig magnets told us where the town bakery was - naturally it was in the one place we hadn’t looked and right off the main square. We had amazing pastries filled with nutella and then set out for the ocre trail, which is a converted quarry. The walk/hike takes about a half hour (we did the short route) and the fact that it had rained may have helped the path not be so dusty and dirty. I am really glad we returned and gave it another shot. The town was more enjoyable early in the morning and the walk in the ocre was so beautiful.
At about 10:30 we set out for Apt, a little bit of a bigger town, which was cute enough to walk around for an hour but not much else. I bought some local strawberries and cherries that are really delicious. I don’t think I have mentioned it yet but there are cherry trees everywhere here and they are in season.
We then set off for Lourmarin, which is an adorable little town - in fact if I were to ever come back here I might stay in or near that town. The road to get there was pretty, hilly, and winding. We had lunch at Cafe de la Fontaine. I ordered the pork special of the day, which ended up to be an enourmous delicious pork chop served with delicious fries. We then wandered the town a bit and I bought a couple pieces of beautiful local family-made pottery that I did not need at all. It was pretty warm by this point and we had some delicious ice cream before walking over to the Chateau of the town, which was pretty cool.
After Lourmarin, we set off to head back towarrds home base. We passed through Bonnieuux, which seemed pretty unexciting, and intended to stop in Lacoste. It looked pretty small and steep and probably cute but after a couple minutes outside the car, it started raining and we decided to make the 10-minute drive back to Menerbes. The market here is tomorrow so accessing the town is a bit tough, but we found a good spot near the airbnb and will not be leaving for dinner tonight. Our restaurant options are dwindling!!
9:30pm: Back at the airbnb after dinner at Chez David, which is a pizzeria - we both needed a little change and as I have already mentioned, the options in town are not endless. Luckily, by the time we went to dinner, the skies had totally cleared up. I had a pizza with various vegetables and buffalo mozzarella - interestingly, the cheese was put on after it was cooked?? Anyway, it tasted good. We then walked around town, saw the sunset, and came back and had some fruit and chocolate for dessert.
Today’s totals: 20,950 steps and 8.33 miles.
5:30pm: at the airbnb for a rest, partly because we finished the plan for today and partly because the skies opened again a while ago. The good news is that in the morning, skies were relatively blue, so we set out to go back to Roussillon and try to walk the ocre trail. The town was nice and quiet in the morning, and I was finally able to find a couple nice magnets. We were also having trouble finding somewhere to get breakfast and the lady sellig magnets told us where the town bakery was - naturally it was in the one place we hadn’t looked and right off the main square. We had amazing pastries filled with nutella and then set out for the ocre trail, which is a converted quarry. The walk/hike takes about a half hour (we did the short route) and the fact that it had rained may have helped the path not be so dusty and dirty. I am really glad we returned and gave it another shot. The town was more enjoyable early in the morning and the walk in the ocre was so beautiful.
At about 10:30 we set out for Apt, a little bit of a bigger town, which was cute enough to walk around for an hour but not much else. I bought some local strawberries and cherries that are really delicious. I don’t think I have mentioned it yet but there are cherry trees everywhere here and they are in season.
We then set off for Lourmarin, which is an adorable little town - in fact if I were to ever come back here I might stay in or near that town. The road to get there was pretty, hilly, and winding. We had lunch at Cafe de la Fontaine. I ordered the pork special of the day, which ended up to be an enourmous delicious pork chop served with delicious fries. We then wandered the town a bit and I bought a couple pieces of beautiful local family-made pottery that I did not need at all. It was pretty warm by this point and we had some delicious ice cream before walking over to the Chateau of the town, which was pretty cool.
After Lourmarin, we set off to head back towarrds home base. We passed through Bonnieuux, which seemed pretty unexciting, and intended to stop in Lacoste. It looked pretty small and steep and probably cute but after a couple minutes outside the car, it started raining and we decided to make the 10-minute drive back to Menerbes. The market here is tomorrow so accessing the town is a bit tough, but we found a good spot near the airbnb and will not be leaving for dinner tonight. Our restaurant options are dwindling!!
9:30pm: Back at the airbnb after dinner at Chez David, which is a pizzeria - we both needed a little change and as I have already mentioned, the options in town are not endless. Luckily, by the time we went to dinner, the skies had totally cleared up. I had a pizza with various vegetables and buffalo mozzarella - interestingly, the cheese was put on after it was cooked?? Anyway, it tasted good. We then walked around town, saw the sunset, and came back and had some fruit and chocolate for dessert.
Today’s totals: 20,950 steps and 8.33 miles.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 13 - Too Many Towns to List 5/22/18
Managed to finish uploading yesterday’s pictures - they are HERE. Today’s pictures are HERE (I think most, if not all, of them uploaded!).
6:30pm: at the airbnb taking a rest while it pours buckets again outside. We got an early start today to hit the famed market at Vaison-la-Romaine. It was a little over an hour drive and we made it there before 8:30am and it is a good thing we did because parking was problematic. The market is as big as Uzès if not bigger, but it is a little more easily navigable because it's in the newer part of town. There is also an awful lot of crap to be found - I was amused by the French ladies digging through piles of crap clothes for stuff costing 3 euros and less. I bought some olives and strawberries and we found a chocolate shop and bought, you guessed it, chocolate, as well as a couple pastries for today. It was one of the most beautiful shops I have ever seen. We would have done another picnic, but the weather was too iffy.
There are Roman ruins in the town but you could see a lot of it from the street and we decided against the 9 euros entry fee. We then drove around and through a bunch of little towns, starting in Segueret, which is quaint and stony and pretty, but without much to see or do. We next went to Gigondas, known mostly for wine-making. Matt did some tastings and we wandered the little town then had lunch at Carré Gourmand, a little place in town with a funny waiter. We both had the salad, which had ham, tapenade, a cheese scone, tomatoes, etc. on it, plus this weird pork and spinach pate thing that was completely gross.
We next went to Goult, which is closer to where we are staying and was about an hour away through pretty roads. Goult was boring and we were not there long. Finally, we went to Oppède-le-Vieux, another old stony sort of ruined place without much life. We got back to Menerbes and got a bread at the bakery and had a great afternoon snack before relaxing, and that’s when the heavens opened. We are not sure what we’ll do for dinner since there are only 4 restaurants in town, and one is closed, we ate in one last night, and one doesn’t have anything good sounding on the menu....
9:00pm: back at the airbnb doing some laundry in the crazy washing machine (but, yay, washing machine! I have never had a trip to Europe where I have basically avoided hand-washing clothes) after a delicious dinner at Le Galoubet. It is a few steps from the airbnb and we had no trouble getting seated, which was really nice in this rain. I had “Daube de boeuf” a traditional local beef stew and we split creme brûlée for dessert. Another great French meal! And Matt didn’t hit his head today!
Today’s somewhat lighter totals: 16,165 steps and 6.43 miles.
6:30pm: at the airbnb taking a rest while it pours buckets again outside. We got an early start today to hit the famed market at Vaison-la-Romaine. It was a little over an hour drive and we made it there before 8:30am and it is a good thing we did because parking was problematic. The market is as big as Uzès if not bigger, but it is a little more easily navigable because it's in the newer part of town. There is also an awful lot of crap to be found - I was amused by the French ladies digging through piles of crap clothes for stuff costing 3 euros and less. I bought some olives and strawberries and we found a chocolate shop and bought, you guessed it, chocolate, as well as a couple pastries for today. It was one of the most beautiful shops I have ever seen. We would have done another picnic, but the weather was too iffy.
There are Roman ruins in the town but you could see a lot of it from the street and we decided against the 9 euros entry fee. We then drove around and through a bunch of little towns, starting in Segueret, which is quaint and stony and pretty, but without much to see or do. We next went to Gigondas, known mostly for wine-making. Matt did some tastings and we wandered the little town then had lunch at Carré Gourmand, a little place in town with a funny waiter. We both had the salad, which had ham, tapenade, a cheese scone, tomatoes, etc. on it, plus this weird pork and spinach pate thing that was completely gross.
We next went to Goult, which is closer to where we are staying and was about an hour away through pretty roads. Goult was boring and we were not there long. Finally, we went to Oppède-le-Vieux, another old stony sort of ruined place without much life. We got back to Menerbes and got a bread at the bakery and had a great afternoon snack before relaxing, and that’s when the heavens opened. We are not sure what we’ll do for dinner since there are only 4 restaurants in town, and one is closed, we ate in one last night, and one doesn’t have anything good sounding on the menu....
9:00pm: back at the airbnb doing some laundry in the crazy washing machine (but, yay, washing machine! I have never had a trip to Europe where I have basically avoided hand-washing clothes) after a delicious dinner at Le Galoubet. It is a few steps from the airbnb and we had no trouble getting seated, which was really nice in this rain. I had “Daube de boeuf” a traditional local beef stew and we split creme brûlée for dessert. Another great French meal! And Matt didn’t hit his head today!
Today’s somewhat lighter totals: 16,165 steps and 6.43 miles.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 12 - Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Gordes, Roussillon, Menerbes, etc. 5/21/18
The internet connection at the airbnb here in Menerbes seems somewhat weak so pictures may be slow...
9:00pm: at our airbnb in Menerbes, a sleepy rocky little hilltop town in the Luberon region of Provence, where we will be for 4 nights. The airbnb is a cool little stone townhouse type of home right in the middle of town.
This morning, we set out from St. Remy around 9 and made it to a little town calle Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which apparently has a huge market but is otherwise a little sleepy. The church is supposed to be nice but it was closed, I think because of the Pentecost holiday stuff that has been going on all over the place here. There was also some kind of big biker convention leaving the main square, which is always interesting. The town is cute, winding around the Sorgue river with cute cafes and waterwheels. There was a bizarre Italian food and crafts fair going on as well.
Next, we went to Gordes, a small town perched on a hill. Google Maps took us some insane way around three hairpin turns and narrow streets, basically for no reason. We ultimately parked at the hospital and wandered around town, which was busy and felt touristy. Coming out of a shop that was down a few stairs with a low overhead, Matt conked his head again though thankfully not too badly. We will not be going into any more shops down stairs!! As an aside, the magnet scene in Provence has been seriously disappointing so far - everything I have seen has been imported from China.
We then had crepes for lunch at a cafe with a cute little terrace and then made our way to the next stop, Roussillon, which is known for ocre. The recommended parking lot was full so we parked a few minutes downhill. We started wandering around town a bit and were going to do a highly recommended walk through the ocre, and then it started to rain. Matt suggested going to a cafe to grab a drink and that was a great idea because a few minutes later it started DUMPIING, and I mean a legit thunder-and-lightning sideways-raining storm. We stayed at the cafe for a while and once it lightened up a little, we booked it down the few minutes’ walk to the car.
It was about a 20 minute drive to our stop, the little hilltop town of Menerbes. The house is on a narrow street in the center of town so we drove down a bit and found what looked like a parking spot (we will find out tomorrow morning if the car is still there, I guess!). We let ourselves in with the lockbox and took a bit of a rest. There is a washer here so we put on some laundry. I then went to the bakery a few steps away and got a couple cookies as a snack. We hung up the laundry (no dryer) and wandered town a bit. I had marked off one restaurant in town and we made a reservation for dinner. Thank goodness I speak some French! I am pretty sure we saw the whole town more or less in about an hour.
At 7 we went to Le 5 for dinner and were seated in the cave, literally downstairs in a cave. I had a slow-cooked beef and we had some rose wine, naturally, and it was delicious. I am not sure what we ate for dessert, but it was like a meringue cloud floating in some kind of cream with caramel and almonds and it was all very delicious. France is definitely not disappointing in the food department!
Tomorrow it will be an early day to see one of the region’s most famed markets, if the weather holds up......
Today’s totals: 19,527 steps and 7.8 miles.
9:00pm: at our airbnb in Menerbes, a sleepy rocky little hilltop town in the Luberon region of Provence, where we will be for 4 nights. The airbnb is a cool little stone townhouse type of home right in the middle of town.
This morning, we set out from St. Remy around 9 and made it to a little town calle Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which apparently has a huge market but is otherwise a little sleepy. The church is supposed to be nice but it was closed, I think because of the Pentecost holiday stuff that has been going on all over the place here. There was also some kind of big biker convention leaving the main square, which is always interesting. The town is cute, winding around the Sorgue river with cute cafes and waterwheels. There was a bizarre Italian food and crafts fair going on as well.
Next, we went to Gordes, a small town perched on a hill. Google Maps took us some insane way around three hairpin turns and narrow streets, basically for no reason. We ultimately parked at the hospital and wandered around town, which was busy and felt touristy. Coming out of a shop that was down a few stairs with a low overhead, Matt conked his head again though thankfully not too badly. We will not be going into any more shops down stairs!! As an aside, the magnet scene in Provence has been seriously disappointing so far - everything I have seen has been imported from China.
We then had crepes for lunch at a cafe with a cute little terrace and then made our way to the next stop, Roussillon, which is known for ocre. The recommended parking lot was full so we parked a few minutes downhill. We started wandering around town a bit and were going to do a highly recommended walk through the ocre, and then it started to rain. Matt suggested going to a cafe to grab a drink and that was a great idea because a few minutes later it started DUMPIING, and I mean a legit thunder-and-lightning sideways-raining storm. We stayed at the cafe for a while and once it lightened up a little, we booked it down the few minutes’ walk to the car.
It was about a 20 minute drive to our stop, the little hilltop town of Menerbes. The house is on a narrow street in the center of town so we drove down a bit and found what looked like a parking spot (we will find out tomorrow morning if the car is still there, I guess!). We let ourselves in with the lockbox and took a bit of a rest. There is a washer here so we put on some laundry. I then went to the bakery a few steps away and got a couple cookies as a snack. We hung up the laundry (no dryer) and wandered town a bit. I had marked off one restaurant in town and we made a reservation for dinner. Thank goodness I speak some French! I am pretty sure we saw the whole town more or less in about an hour.
At 7 we went to Le 5 for dinner and were seated in the cave, literally downstairs in a cave. I had a slow-cooked beef and we had some rose wine, naturally, and it was delicious. I am not sure what we ate for dessert, but it was like a meringue cloud floating in some kind of cream with caramel and almonds and it was all very delicious. France is definitely not disappointing in the food department!
Tomorrow it will be an early day to see one of the region’s most famed markets, if the weather holds up......
Today’s totals: 19,527 steps and 7.8 miles.
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 11 - Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, etc. 5/20/18
All of today's pictures are here!
9:00pm: at the b&b sipping some Moscato wine we bought yesterday at the uzes market after another long day. After a great night's sleep, we set out for Avignon, an important city because popes lived there for about a hundred years.
We wandered the market and town and visited the famous bridge, then visited the pope's palace. It is huge and imposing and you can tell it used to be gorgeous inside but a lot of it was damaged and now most of the rooms are austere and empty. There was a rose display going on with over thirty varieties of roses - you could even vote for your favorite. For lunch after visiting the palace, we went back to the market and got a rotisserie chicken and since potatoes and ate it with plastic forks because why not? It was also only 11.50€ for the whole thing.
Then we set off to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a little town most famous in Provence for red wine. Did a few tastings but not before Matt conked his head on a low overhead leaving the first winery (he's ok! We think?). After the wine tastings, came back to St. Remy and hit a cookie shop to buy more goodies (I think all I have bought on this trip is chocolate, basically) and then abck to the b&b for a rest before going to dinner.
I sure do appreciate that places here open at 7 more or less. We liked the menu of Bistro Decouverte. This is the sercond night in a row where the place had no written menu but the dishes of the day on a blackboard that they bring to you. I love it so much. I had a cherry tomato tarte tatin that was amazing and then good old steak and potatoes, done the amazing French way. Then we walked back to the b&b to enjoy the wine and relax before packing up.
Tomorrow it's off to our next stop in Provence, a little town off the tourist track in the Luberon part of the region!
Today's totals: 18,404 steps and 7.32 miles
9:00pm: at the b&b sipping some Moscato wine we bought yesterday at the uzes market after another long day. After a great night's sleep, we set out for Avignon, an important city because popes lived there for about a hundred years.
We wandered the market and town and visited the famous bridge, then visited the pope's palace. It is huge and imposing and you can tell it used to be gorgeous inside but a lot of it was damaged and now most of the rooms are austere and empty. There was a rose display going on with over thirty varieties of roses - you could even vote for your favorite. For lunch after visiting the palace, we went back to the market and got a rotisserie chicken and since potatoes and ate it with plastic forks because why not? It was also only 11.50€ for the whole thing.
Then we set off to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a little town most famous in Provence for red wine. Did a few tastings but not before Matt conked his head on a low overhead leaving the first winery (he's ok! We think?). After the wine tastings, came back to St. Remy and hit a cookie shop to buy more goodies (I think all I have bought on this trip is chocolate, basically) and then abck to the b&b for a rest before going to dinner.
I sure do appreciate that places here open at 7 more or less. We liked the menu of Bistro Decouverte. This is the sercond night in a row where the place had no written menu but the dishes of the day on a blackboard that they bring to you. I love it so much. I had a cherry tomato tarte tatin that was amazing and then good old steak and potatoes, done the amazing French way. Then we walked back to the b&b to enjoy the wine and relax before packing up.
Tomorrow it's off to our next stop in Provence, a little town off the tourist track in the Luberon part of the region!
Today's totals: 18,404 steps and 7.32 miles
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 10 - Uzes, Pont du Gard, etc. 5/19/18
All of today’s pictures and a couple of videos are here! Also make sure you look at the videos from yesterday from the Carrieres de Lumieres, which finally uploaded!
9:45pm: Back at the b&b after a day that wasn’t quite as long or strenuous as the prior ones. Went to breakfast right at 8:00 so we could eat and then make our way to Uzes, technically just outside the Provence region, for the market. It was busy but luckily we found a lot just outside the old center. We wandered in to the cute little town and immediately the craziness begins. The stalls line almost every street of the old town selling basically everything - any kind of food you can think of, but also clothing, books housewares, crafty things, etc. The scene is hard to describe properly. We spent some time perusing and making our way through the crowds. One particularly lively man let us taste his wines and we bought a bottle. We also decided to put a picnic together and picked up some salami, cheese, tomatoes, cherries, bread, olives, and tapenade, and a little knife of course. It was everything I thought and hoped the Provencal markets would be, if not more.
After a couple hours, we made it back to the car and stopped in a little town called Vers Pont Du Gard where we stopped at a little cafe and had a glass of wine. Mine was so sweet I could barely drink it. We then made it to the Pont du Gard right after noon. Parking was easy in the lot and we got our tickets and then headed to the other side of the river to picnic. The sight is a stunning huge three-level Roman aqueduct in particlarly good condition. We found a shady spot and enjoyed the delicious and cheap lunch. After roaming around a little more, we left and went to Chateau Romanin, a winery our waitress last night recommended. Right as we were driving through the property to the tasting room the skies opened and it started pouring. We went inside and tasted the wines and saw the cave and ought a bottle of rose for later.
After the winery, it was a short hop back to the b&b for a quick rest before dinner. Since the weather was still precarious, we decided to stay close and went to Cafe de la Place, right around the corner. I had some kind of ravioli gratin - I am still not sure what I had exactly, but it was full of veggies and tasted quite good, and I guess that is all that really matters! We wandered around town for a few minutes and then came back and drank the rose and had some of the chocolate I bought last night. Did I mention I bought more chocolate last night? Not that that would surprise anyone!
Today’s lighter walking totals: 15,127 steps and 6 miles.
9:45pm: Back at the b&b after a day that wasn’t quite as long or strenuous as the prior ones. Went to breakfast right at 8:00 so we could eat and then make our way to Uzes, technically just outside the Provence region, for the market. It was busy but luckily we found a lot just outside the old center. We wandered in to the cute little town and immediately the craziness begins. The stalls line almost every street of the old town selling basically everything - any kind of food you can think of, but also clothing, books housewares, crafty things, etc. The scene is hard to describe properly. We spent some time perusing and making our way through the crowds. One particularly lively man let us taste his wines and we bought a bottle. We also decided to put a picnic together and picked up some salami, cheese, tomatoes, cherries, bread, olives, and tapenade, and a little knife of course. It was everything I thought and hoped the Provencal markets would be, if not more.
After a couple hours, we made it back to the car and stopped in a little town called Vers Pont Du Gard where we stopped at a little cafe and had a glass of wine. Mine was so sweet I could barely drink it. We then made it to the Pont du Gard right after noon. Parking was easy in the lot and we got our tickets and then headed to the other side of the river to picnic. The sight is a stunning huge three-level Roman aqueduct in particlarly good condition. We found a shady spot and enjoyed the delicious and cheap lunch. After roaming around a little more, we left and went to Chateau Romanin, a winery our waitress last night recommended. Right as we were driving through the property to the tasting room the skies opened and it started pouring. We went inside and tasted the wines and saw the cave and ought a bottle of rose for later.
After the winery, it was a short hop back to the b&b for a quick rest before dinner. Since the weather was still precarious, we decided to stay close and went to Cafe de la Place, right around the corner. I had some kind of ravioli gratin - I am still not sure what I had exactly, but it was full of veggies and tasted quite good, and I guess that is all that really matters! We wandered around town for a few minutes and then came back and drank the rose and had some of the chocolate I bought last night. Did I mention I bought more chocolate last night? Not that that would surprise anyone!
Today’s lighter walking totals: 15,127 steps and 6 miles.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Catalonia & Provence Day 9 - Arles, Les Baux, and more! 5/18/18
Lots of pictures and some videos from the awesome Carrieres de Lumieres (when they upload) are here!!
9:30pm: back at the B&B after an early dinner and long day. The plan was originally to go to Uzes and a Roman aqueduct today and have a bit of a shorter day, but at breakfast the B&B owner said the Saturday market in Uzes is one of the best, so we decided to switch up itineraries. Breakfast was a fine selection of s couple baked goods, OJ, coffee, etc.
Then we set off for Arles and after an easy drive, arrived shortly after 9 and parked in the main garage. We walked around the quaint town and saw Roman sights like an arena, amphitheatre, and baths. At around noon we were in a little less touristy neighborhood and wanted lunch and stumbled upon a place advertising homemade bread and sandwiches for 6 euros. It is a tiny place with one guy making bread on a griddle and he has 3 sandwich options. We each had the one with pork, cheese, fried potato sticks, etc. They were amazing and the guy who was behind the counter making everything was hilarious, making pig sounds to tell us the sandwich had pork in it. He was super nice and also knew everyone else coming into the shop. What a find! Unfortunately we cannot find the name of the place but it was on Rue de Porcelet. Across the street, there was a beautiful produce market and I bought a basket of delicious local strawberries.
We then set off for Les Baux, a touristy medieval town on a hill that reminds me of many I have been to before. We parked on the side of the road and walked up throgh the town to the amazing castle ruins at the top, then wandered back down through town, got some sorbet, and drove down the hill to the incredible Carrieres de Lumieres, an old quarry where they project light and music shows. We saw the main show about Picasso and Spanish painters, then one about pop culture. What an experience!
On the way back to St. Remy we stopped at Calanquet, a local olive producer, and bought some tins of oil special to this region. Came back to the B&B for a quick break and then set out for dinner at La Cuisine des Anges, in the center of town. We had an appetizer of cheese fondue and I had a main course special of the day of seasonal artichokes with bacon and sausage and veggies, and then we split a molten cake for dessert. Another delicious meal and I do appreciate that the French eat at 7-7:30!
I feel like now is an appropriate time to comment on how truly lovely the French people have been so far, with the exception of the waitress at lunch yesterday. They do seem to appreciate a little effort in terms of the language but have been a joy to talk to so far!
Today’s totals were more than expected: 20,495 steps and 8.05 miles.
9:30pm: back at the B&B after an early dinner and long day. The plan was originally to go to Uzes and a Roman aqueduct today and have a bit of a shorter day, but at breakfast the B&B owner said the Saturday market in Uzes is one of the best, so we decided to switch up itineraries. Breakfast was a fine selection of s couple baked goods, OJ, coffee, etc.
Then we set off for Arles and after an easy drive, arrived shortly after 9 and parked in the main garage. We walked around the quaint town and saw Roman sights like an arena, amphitheatre, and baths. At around noon we were in a little less touristy neighborhood and wanted lunch and stumbled upon a place advertising homemade bread and sandwiches for 6 euros. It is a tiny place with one guy making bread on a griddle and he has 3 sandwich options. We each had the one with pork, cheese, fried potato sticks, etc. They were amazing and the guy who was behind the counter making everything was hilarious, making pig sounds to tell us the sandwich had pork in it. He was super nice and also knew everyone else coming into the shop. What a find! Unfortunately we cannot find the name of the place but it was on Rue de Porcelet. Across the street, there was a beautiful produce market and I bought a basket of delicious local strawberries.
We then set off for Les Baux, a touristy medieval town on a hill that reminds me of many I have been to before. We parked on the side of the road and walked up throgh the town to the amazing castle ruins at the top, then wandered back down through town, got some sorbet, and drove down the hill to the incredible Carrieres de Lumieres, an old quarry where they project light and music shows. We saw the main show about Picasso and Spanish painters, then one about pop culture. What an experience!
On the way back to St. Remy we stopped at Calanquet, a local olive producer, and bought some tins of oil special to this region. Came back to the B&B for a quick break and then set out for dinner at La Cuisine des Anges, in the center of town. We had an appetizer of cheese fondue and I had a main course special of the day of seasonal artichokes with bacon and sausage and veggies, and then we split a molten cake for dessert. Another delicious meal and I do appreciate that the French eat at 7-7:30!
I feel like now is an appropriate time to comment on how truly lovely the French people have been so far, with the exception of the waitress at lunch yesterday. They do seem to appreciate a little effort in terms of the language but have been a joy to talk to so far!
Today’s totals were more than expected: 20,495 steps and 8.05 miles.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Catalonia & Provence - Day 8 - Nimes, St. Remy, a train ride, and more! 5/17/18
All of today’s pictures are here!
10:00pm: at the B&B in St. Remy-de-Provence, France after another long day. Left the hotel in Girona a little before 8 then had to trek over out of the old town to get a taxi to the station. We then caught the 9:06 train from Girona to Nimes, France. The first stop across the border was Perpignan and in our coach something was going on with four police officers wanting to see someone’s documents - yikes!
Anyway, we arrived in Nimes right on time around noon and found the Hertz rental office. Everything went smoothly there and we are tootling around Provence in a Toyota hybrid crossover! Luuckily the car was parked in a garage and she gave us a ticket to get out of the parking so we could put our bags in the car then see the town for a while - that was super convenient, especially considering we then found out that the city had a festival starting today. Unortunately that meant that the main arena - a very well-preserved Roman amphitheatre - was closed for bull fights. It also meant parking around the city was more difficult than usual. We found lunch on a busy little square - it was nothing special but it was a plate of chicken or steak with fries, veggies, etc. for about 11 euros. The waitress was a bit rude and corrected my French grammar. Like, really? Way to live up to stereotypes. I have a feeling I will be calling to as much French as I can possibly remember!
Anyway after lunch we wandered a bit and saw a few of the sights in the town, including another well-preserved building, an ancient Roman house, as well as a 1st-century temple and a fountain garden. We ended up leaving town a little after 3:00pm, earlier than intended. Turned the data on on my internatioanl hopne and luckily had no problems with the navigation to the B&B in St. Remy, our base for 4 days. We arrived at about 4:15 and naturally the owners were not here because I had told them we would arrive at 6-7pm. So we found a parking spot around the corner and wandered town for about an hour. It is pretty cute and classy. At about 5:30 we returned and met our lovely hosts. The B&B is really their home with two guest rooms, a pretty little garden, some parking spots, and that is about it. But it is also a two minute or so walk into town. After checking in, we made a dinner reservation and took a quick break before having dinner at highly-recommended L’Aile ou la Cuisse. We both had a chicken dish which looked lile a little game hen but was a baby chicken of some kind. It came with incredible mashed potatoes and we indoctrinated ourselves into the local rose wine. For dessert, you go up to the window and pick what you want and they serve it. I chose a cake/biscuit of some kind in two layers filled with a chocolate cream. To say it was incredible is an understatement. The waiter was also lovely and shook our hands on the way out.
We then came back to the B&B and it was still light out so we took some pastries we had bought earlier and ate a second dessert in the B&B’s garden.
Today’s totals: 19,354 steps and 7.7 miles - I expect it will decrease from now on.
10:00pm: at the B&B in St. Remy-de-Provence, France after another long day. Left the hotel in Girona a little before 8 then had to trek over out of the old town to get a taxi to the station. We then caught the 9:06 train from Girona to Nimes, France. The first stop across the border was Perpignan and in our coach something was going on with four police officers wanting to see someone’s documents - yikes!
Anyway, we arrived in Nimes right on time around noon and found the Hertz rental office. Everything went smoothly there and we are tootling around Provence in a Toyota hybrid crossover! Luuckily the car was parked in a garage and she gave us a ticket to get out of the parking so we could put our bags in the car then see the town for a while - that was super convenient, especially considering we then found out that the city had a festival starting today. Unortunately that meant that the main arena - a very well-preserved Roman amphitheatre - was closed for bull fights. It also meant parking around the city was more difficult than usual. We found lunch on a busy little square - it was nothing special but it was a plate of chicken or steak with fries, veggies, etc. for about 11 euros. The waitress was a bit rude and corrected my French grammar. Like, really? Way to live up to stereotypes. I have a feeling I will be calling to as much French as I can possibly remember!
Anyway after lunch we wandered a bit and saw a few of the sights in the town, including another well-preserved building, an ancient Roman house, as well as a 1st-century temple and a fountain garden. We ended up leaving town a little after 3:00pm, earlier than intended. Turned the data on on my internatioanl hopne and luckily had no problems with the navigation to the B&B in St. Remy, our base for 4 days. We arrived at about 4:15 and naturally the owners were not here because I had told them we would arrive at 6-7pm. So we found a parking spot around the corner and wandered town for about an hour. It is pretty cute and classy. At about 5:30 we returned and met our lovely hosts. The B&B is really their home with two guest rooms, a pretty little garden, some parking spots, and that is about it. But it is also a two minute or so walk into town. After checking in, we made a dinner reservation and took a quick break before having dinner at highly-recommended L’Aile ou la Cuisse. We both had a chicken dish which looked lile a little game hen but was a baby chicken of some kind. It came with incredible mashed potatoes and we indoctrinated ourselves into the local rose wine. For dessert, you go up to the window and pick what you want and they serve it. I chose a cake/biscuit of some kind in two layers filled with a chocolate cream. To say it was incredible is an understatement. The waiter was also lovely and shook our hands on the way out.
We then came back to the B&B and it was still light out so we took some pastries we had bought earlier and ate a second dessert in the B&B’s garden.
Today’s totals: 19,354 steps and 7.7 miles - I expect it will decrease from now on.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Future Trips
I've only been back in the US for 2 months, but I've already dreamed up several future trips that I hope, one day, to be able to take.
I admit I don't like her, but I also admit I watch her show sometimes - but the idea for the next trip I want to take is a trip through the Mayan Ruins in Mexico. And I got it from Rachael Ray's show "Tasty Travels." She took a trip from Cancun down the shore, including to Tulum. I started looking. Flights from LAX to Cancun are about $350, renting a car for a week is about $150, and nice hotels are under $100 a night. Took a Frommer's book out of the library about Mexico and they had a 2-week itinerary that could easily be split up into 2 trips or shortened to one week. So i think that's what I'll do next - it'd be affordable and doable in a week and somewhere new.
As for Europe, well, I want to see it all of course, but I've got 3 particular trips in mind.
The big question is of course, when would I ever have time to take more long trips, and of course I won't have the money for quite some time. But a girl can dream!
I admit I don't like her, but I also admit I watch her show sometimes - but the idea for the next trip I want to take is a trip through the Mayan Ruins in Mexico. And I got it from Rachael Ray's show "Tasty Travels." She took a trip from Cancun down the shore, including to Tulum. I started looking. Flights from LAX to Cancun are about $350, renting a car for a week is about $150, and nice hotels are under $100 a night. Took a Frommer's book out of the library about Mexico and they had a 2-week itinerary that could easily be split up into 2 trips or shortened to one week. So i think that's what I'll do next - it'd be affordable and doable in a week and somewhere new.
As for Europe, well, I want to see it all of course, but I've got 3 particular trips in mind.
- Start in Paris for a few days, see the French Riviera for a few days, the Italian Riviera including Cinque Terre for a few days, and the hill towns of Tuscany for a few days. I figure I'd need 2-3 weeks to do it all justice.
- 2-3 weeks exploring Portugal and Spain more in-depth, I'd like to go back to Lisbon and check out the Barrio Alto and Chiado neighborhoods a little better, and I'd like to see the Algarve and Faro areas
- 2 or so weeks exploring Scandinavia more in-depth, particularly Sweden.
The big question is of course, when would I ever have time to take more long trips, and of course I won't have the money for quite some time. But a girl can dream!
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