Provence Overview

Driving around Provence makes you realize that, like the United States, France has a number of different climatologically zones. The southern part of France is close to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a lot warmer and more humid than Paris in the northwest.

Avignon, in the heart of Provence, was the home to the Pope in the 14th century. It’s surrounded by walls, ramparts and guard towers, built a century earlier, that protected the Pope and his court from 1309 to 1376 . Provence is home to numerous walled medieval villages perched on these mountaintops, with fortresses guarding long-dead residents from invading conquerors.

I had always pictured rural France as nothing but green farmland dotted with cows and sheep; you see that too in Provence. It’s a mountainous region, with geological changes occurring with increases in altitude. In some places there are white rocky outcrops and in others you’ll find bright red clay soil. Gorges and cliffs are everywhere as you drive through the region.

The altitude makes it a perfect environment for growing lavender and olives, the principal crops of the region. Tapinade, a spread made of pulverized olives, is a staple of the afternoon snack, along with wine, cheese and baguettes. I wish I had several weeks to spend in Provence rather than several days. But these have been glorious days, and I hope to return some day!

Some days you bite the bear, and other days…

After our first day of driving through Provence, we decided to explore some of the medieval French towns in the region. Early Monday morning Susan and I packed up another traditional picnic of wine, cheese and baguette and headed out for the Cotes du Rhone region of Provence. We headed north from Avignon through Chateauneuf de Pape and Sablet in our little red rental car.

The medieval village of Vaison la Romaine looked like a wonderful place to stop and picnic. But just as we were starting up the steep incline to the hilltop village, and entry gate swung shut and totally demolished the drivers window.

That was the end of that adventure. The only thing we could do was leave the pile of crumbled safety glass in Vaison la Romaine and drive the 40 kilometers back to Avignon.

The rental car company, National Citer, was very accommodating and provided us with a second car in about 5 minutes. I’ll have to file an insurance claim to be reimbursed to the 350 euros I was charged for the window. But, all things considered, it was a fairly painless exchange. And we can continue our driving adventure through Provence in our little black rental car.

Driving through Provence

A new kind of adventure began today, with a rental car and a GPS. I don’t know how we got around foreign countries with nothing but paper maps! I have nightmarish memories of driving around Mexico City for hours trying to find my way from the airport to my hotel, and trying to figure out how to get from village to village in rural England while driving on the “wrong” side of the road. GPS technology has really made traveling a lot easier.

Susan and I decided to go exploring in Provence today. We visited Musé e de Lavande (Museum of Lavender) in Gorde and learned about the different strains and why fine lavender only grows above 800 meters. The lavender harvest takes place in early summer, and of course I bought soap, hand lotion and a candle. I wish I could share the fragrance in this post.

We then wound our way through miles and miles of grape vineyards and wound up in the picturesque Provenç al village of Roussillon. We made a traditional French picnic of wine, cheese and baguette before heading back to Avignon. When we sidetracked several times to look at lovely vineyards and rustic old houses, our faithful GPS got us back on track so we were never lost!

Ban des Vandanges (Grape Harvest Festival)

Sometimes the very coolest moments in your life sneak up on you when you’re not expecting the extraordinary. And you can absolutely miss them if you’re not open to surprises.

Susan and I arrived in Avignon this afternoon. We toured the city for a bit on the city tram, and then came back to our hotel planning to unpack and rest, and do a little shopping before dinner.

I heard what sounded like a bell choir outside the window, and when I looked, a parade was beginning to march by the hotel! I ran downstairs and asked “qu’est que c’est?” or “what is it?”

“C’est le Ban des Vandanges,” the grape harvest festival. Apparently we had arrived just in time for the city’s largest celebration. We spent the evening eating Cotes du Rhones grapes, tasting wine, sampling local cuisine and listening to music.

If we hadn’t stopped what we were doing and listened to the bells, we would have missed a high point of the trip. Spontaneity is key to every marvelous adventure!

Dijon… more than just mustard

Today brought a few more things about the French city of Dijon to light. Of course there are stores that sell MUSTARD on almost every street in the central part of town, along with street-side stands with tiny jars that can be taken through airport security.

Dijon is also the capitol of Burgundy, and oversees some of the best wine country in Europe and the world. The city is also well known for its crème de cassis, or black currant liqueur. It hosts an International and Gastronomic Fair every year in autumn, and has numerous museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts. And Dijon is home of the main campus of the Université de Bourgogne, which means that in the evenings the streets of the center are filled with students eating, drinking and having fun.

Wandering through the city, my friend Susan and I found wonderful cheese, delicious crepes and very affordable burgundy. We headed over to Jardin Darcy, the Darcy Gardens created in 1880 by engineer Henry Darcy. We had planned to rest and “people-watch.” Instead we were treated to unexpected entertainment by a group of local buskers walking on stilts, juggling and waving large cloths.

We also followed a bit of the Owl Trail through the city. For centuries the owl has been a symbol of good luck in Dijon, and a small stone owl is carved into an outside corner of the cathedral. Passers-by touch the owl with the left hand for good health. Over the years the sculpture has become worn by so many touches, and is barely recognizeable as an owl! I’ve asked in the tourism office and I’ve searched the web, but I can’t find any information about the origins of the symbol and how the owl came to be Dijon’s “mascot.”

Does anyone know anything about this?

Please Pass the Grey Poupon!

I’ve always been curious about the French city of Dijon, ever since I first saw a commercial for Grey Poupon. I tried it and immediately fell in love with Dijon mustard.

A friend recently told me that REAL Dijon mustard from Dijon, France is SO MUCH better than what we get in the United States.

I have to admit that I had my doubts… until this afternoon. After a TGV train ride from Paris, my friend Susan and I strolled over to Moutarde Maille and sampled some of the various mustards.

White wine, tarragon, black currants, green pepper corns. Each has a distinct flavor and a wonderful bite that I’ve never experienced with the version of Grey Poupon we get at home. Needless to say, there are SEVERAL jars in my suitcase, including a couple for the friend who advised me about real Dijon mustard!

After the mustard tasting (and buying) we walked through the touristy area around the Cathedral square, tried some crepes, visited some shops and drank some wine. Susan promises that there is much more to Dijon than mustard and tourists. We’ll find out tomorrow…

Jeanne in Monet's Garden

It seems that all of the paintings of the famous gardens in Giverney were created in the spring or early summer. Hues of pink, pale blue and lavender practically jump off the canvas and entice us to visit this lovely garden.

So it was quite a treat to see Giverny in late summer, when autumn hues of red, yellow and orange begin to overtake nature's palette. The number of tourists drops off and ther gardens are quite serene.

And every now and then, you run across a bit of landscape that looks like it has been undisturbed since the garden's creation at the end of thre 19th century!

Bienvenue à Paris!

Hurricane Irene pounded the east coast of the United States this past weekend, but my friend Susan and I made it out through Chicago and have arrived in Paris!

There was a minor mix up at the Hotel Minerve when we arrived. I had booked and paid for a double room with two beds, but got a tiny room with one bed. It took about a half-hour, but we finally convinced the manager to put a rollaway bed in the room, thus giving us a second bed.

We spent the early afternoon walking around Isle de la Cite and the area near Notre Dame de Paris. A brief visit inside the cathedral revealed only thousands of tourists, but no services or music.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped for wine and cheese to eat on the balcony of our tiny room. We found a wonderfully sharp brie and a lovely Cote de Rhone… and these pink monstrosities at a bakery near the Maubert-Mutualité Metro Stop. Anyone have any idea what these are???

Je vais voyager en France

I've been planning a trip to France with my friend Susan for about a year. We've done all the advance legwork, making hotel reservations, booking seats on the bullet trains, getting museum passes. We have a fabulous trip planned!

Wouldn't you know it, Hurricane Irene is scheduled to hit the east coast of the US on the EXACT DAY we are scheduled to fly out through Washington DC :-{

It took 5 tries over about 6 hours, but I did manage to get our flights re-routed through Chicago. However, we leave one day later. It could be worse with all the disruptions in air traffic going through the east coast hubs. And it gives me an extra day to do laundry and pack.

If all goes according to (the new) schedule, I should be drinking fabulous wine and eating wonderful French cheese in 48 hours!!

Fun Facts

It takes 7 seconds for food to pass from mouth to stomach. A human hair can hold 3kg. The length of a penis is 3 x the length of the thumb. The femur is as hard as concrete. A woman's heart beats faster then a man's. Women blink 2 x as much as men. We use 300 muscles just to keep our balance when we stand. A woman has read this entire post. The man is still looking at his thumb!

NPR journalists denounce former executive's 'tea party' remarks - latimes.com

NPR journalists denounce former executive's 'tea party' remarks - latimes.com

Prayers for Christchurch, New Zealand

On February 22, 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, causing massive damage to the city's Centre including the magnicent cathedral. The destruction and deathtoll is still being measured. People can make a donation to the Canterbury Earthquake Appeal via Red Cross online.