Provence

We recently traveled to Provence and the Amalfi Coast with friends. We TGV'd to the beautiful walled city of Avignon from CdG. Here is a view from a cafe in Place de L'Horloge (so named because of the Hotel de Ville with its large animated clock tower) of the Opera and Carousel.


We stayed directly across from the Palais des Papes (the Popes fled the chaos of Rome in 1309) seen here from the terrace of our B&B.


We toured the Roman city of Nîmes during the very Spanish-style festival known as Féria with music, drinking and partying in the streets …

… and bullfights in the Roman amphitheater (Arènes de Nîmes).


Provence is so-named because it was a Roman Province. The Romans liked clean water and built long aqueducts to supply their cities. The spectacular Pont du Gard is one of the remnants of their carefully engineered water transport system.


Avignon is on the Rhône river in the southern Côtes du Rhône wine region. We took an all-day tour of the region and learned a lot about terroir. The vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (the popes promoted viticulture in the region), for example, grow in stones three feet deep ...

… and the wines taste it! Try the whites if you want an object lesson in minerality. That’s Mont Ventoux in the background.

More to come ....

Great pictures-you brought me back to one of my all time favorite vacations-merci beau coup.

What pictures! Thanks for taking the time to share them. Looking forward to the ones to come!!

Merci, Amy and PeteSam.

We toured the lovely hill towns of the Luberon including Gordes


and ochre-colored Roussillon


where we enjoyed a Provençal lunch.


We then headed for the Alpilles and the town of Les Baux whose long history includes Celts and Romans.


I was initially impressed, but after I noticed the tendency to “improve” the old settlement with resident and tourist-friendly shops, amenities and renovations, I started calling it Les Faux. To me, nearby Saint-Rémy was more honest about its upscale character. Nostradamus lived here.


I’ll conclude this chapter with a food photo taken at the wonderful Les Cinq Sens restaurant during our last dinner in Avignon.


More later from our next stop in Aix.

Looking forward to that, Josh


Keep having fun!

That Provençal lunch looks amazing!

Thanks for taking us on your journey!!

Aix-en-Provence is an upscale university town built initially by the Romans at the site of a hot springs. It has many beautiful fountains like this one at the hub of the town, La Rotonde, …


… and the Fontaine des Quatre-Dauphins.


It has a long cultural history being home to native Paul Cézanne and his friend Émile Zola (Google the Dreyfus affair), with whom he had a falling out later in life, as well as stays by van Gogh and Hemingway. There are many museums in Aix including the Musée Granet named after another Aix native artist François Marius Granet. This museum has only 8 minor works by Cézanne because a former director declared he would not allow any such works to sully the museum. The National Gallery in DC is a much better place to see Cézanne’s works. We viewed an exhibit by Alechinsky at the Musée Granet with audio commentary by the artist. For a Czech, he speaks like a true French intellectual. We also visited the museum and foundation of Victor Vasarely whose work is described as optical art or Op Art. Here is an example:


We enjoyed a Provençale dinner including such traditional dishes as cuisses de grenouilles at Chez Grand Mère complete with choice of after-dinner liqueur …

… like rhum vanilla on St. Barths. We all chose the delicious thyme liqueur bottle on the left but, if you like grappa, try the one on the right.

We TGV’d back to Paris for a day in the city with stops at Notre Dame, …


the Louvre with its own Apple store …


and Montmartre …


before flying to Naples where the story will continue in the Italy forum.

Fantastique!

Love your reports-more oh my God's as I revisited the wonderful sights in Paris.

Arrivederci and safe travels, Amy

What wonderful posts--I greatly enjoyed the photos and commentary. I kind of feel like I got to take the journey with you! Thank you.

Merci, encore, Amy.

A few more tidbits:

In Aix, you can rent these bikes for 3 euros per week!


In Paris, this toilette cleans itself automatically after each use and it’s free!

I remember the old hole-in-the-ground pissoir where you did your business semi-publicly.

Lastly, can anyone guess the meaning of these decorations found on bridges over the Seine?


Hint: It’s a new form of graffiti that I hadn't seen before.

OMG...what an awesome adventure you are on! your photo journey is priceless...merci for taking us along!

the "graffiti" is "locking your love to the fence" or similar. i saw it on one of our cinque terre hikes in 2008...i believe it was between corniglia and riomaggiore.

Vraiment, gc! Cinque Terre as well? I guess this is a European thing.

The locks and ribbons are the current fashion. Write your name and your lover's name on a padlock and attach it to a bridge. I stopped inside a nearby shop where I saw locks for sale and asked about it. In the US, do we still spray paint graffiti hearts with the names inside?

Those great photos brought back fond memories for me. Thanks for sharing.

Grey and tim: Thanks for your comments. I meant to post one more tidbit. This billboard in Aix tickled me.


Words to live by!

Fantastic photos! We are planning a trip to Provence for July 2011. Where were some of the places you stayed in Provence? Did you go through an agency, and if so, would you recommend them? Thanks again for posting the wonderful pics!

PeterG: We stayed at a B&B (http://www.alombredupalais.com/) in Avignon. As advertised, it was truly in the shadow of the Popes' Palace. It was probably the most unique place we stayed because of the proprietress, Sabine, and her personality. I would definitely recommend it. You will get great advice, and, if you choose to have her feed you one night, you will get a truly memorable meal. You may also get a very opinionated view of Provence. When she asked where we were going to stay next she said "Why you go to Aix, there's nothing in Aix!" There are lots more stories I could tell about her and her friend Michelle, who drove us to various sites.

I think if I had it to do over, I might take Sabine's advice and make one place, probably Avignon, my home base and do day trips elsewhere. You might also choose a villa in one of the quaint towns we visited but you would miss the delights of the walkable sights and easy access to fine restaurants that a city like Avignon has to offer. There's also a well-known theater festival in Avignon which I wish we got to see.

Amazing pictures. I'm convinced that 10 lifetimes are not enough to explore all the nooks and crannies in W. Europe. Seems like everywhere we went had something amazing or really interesting.

The street fair in Aix is really interesting.