Cassis

Cassis is located about 50 kms from Aix, on the coast. It is a most spectacular location and epitomises the Mediterranean seaside village. We loved everything about it - the cliffs, the clear clean blue ocean, the impressive boats in the harbour, the salty beach smell, the fish swimming so close you could reach out and grab them, and the aromas from the restaurants lined along the harbour. A "must have" is the moules et frites, a delicious bowl of mussels with a sauce of saffron, fennel, cardamon, star anise, garlic and cream served with chips. This is to be accompanied by a large beer. Pure heaven!

Don't believe us - put this spot on your bucket list and see for yourself !

Markets

Going to the morning food markets is a highlight of our daily routine and certainly gives our senses an outing. Along with the great variety of seasonal produce, there is often a busker to add to the bustling atmosphere. There is colour in both character and goods.

While it can get very busy, there is plenty of room to move, time to procrastinate and many opportunities for us to practice our French. September is the season for mushrooms. We were amazed at the number and variety - many of them looking like something out of Doctor Who!

It is difficult to capture the experience, but we have taken some photos in an attempt to share our impressions (see right).

Pilgrimage to Mont Sainte-Victoirre

Here are some photos of our mountain climbing expedition yesterday!

Mont Sainte-Victoirre is a symbol of Provence and a major landmark of the Aix area. It reaches an altitude of 1011 metres.

At its peak, there is a 17th century priory (a place of pilgrimage) and the cross of Provence, from where there is a magnificent panoramic view of Provence's mountains and the rolling plains of the Aix area.

The mountain was also made famous via eleven oil paintings and seventeen watercolors by Paul Cézanne.

In the middle ages when Christianity made its appearance, the mountain was sanctified to hunt the demons of paganism. This was our pilgrimage to mitigate against our demons, the French food and wine!

Cathedrale D'Images Australia

We recently visited Les Baux de Provence, a small village which is a popular tourist stopover because of its history, spectacular architecture and panoramic hilltop (bastide) location. Our intention was to visit an Australian exhibition by French artists (Jean Charbonneau and Dong Wei), that our friends Ann and Jack had recommended.

We were not prepared for the grandeur of the exhibition, nor the emotion it evoked. We have never seen anything quite like it. Staged in an old quarry in the side of a stone hill (with ceiling), giant images were projected on the many walls and the floor at the same time. The exhibition was in the dark and lit only by the illumination from the images.

For example, there were several pictures of our 'weird' ant hills on all the walls so you felt as if you were in a forest of them and on the floor, there were images of ants scampering about. At the same time, evocative Aussie music was playing. It was so beautiful, and a bit surreal. Australia looked fantastic.
Given Australia hardly rates a mention in French press, it was a boost to see Australia presented in such a predominant and well received way.

A Special Treat - Hotel Particulier

It's not what you know, but who you know!! Recently we were in a unique position of being invited to view one of the very grand homes in Aix en Provence. The fellow we rent our apartment from very generously invited us to walk through the grand historic home (a friend of a friend sort of thing). It was luxuriously furnished inside and it had a large formal garden - very rare for a private home in central Aix. It was spectacular. The home was so unassuming from the front. One could be forgiven for thinking it was just a group of apartments. Armed with this knowledge we have realised there are many of these grand homes which we have been walking past each day, none the wiser!! .

From the experience we have learnt to look for the indicators of a grand mansion. In France, these grand historic homes are referred to as "a hôtel particulier"; an urban "private house" of a grand style, which when built were often free standing.

This home, called Hotel D'Olivary, was built in the 17th Century in the Mazairin Quartier of Aix en Provence, outside of the original city rampants (at the time a rural area). Now it is in the centre of town. We were made aware of the enormous upkeep required for such a property. Apparently 6 of the 7 children who were in line to inherit the property did not want the financial burden of owning and maintaining such an asset.

Since our visit, we have discovered that photographs of the home are in many well respected publications. We have attached a couple of our own images to share with you !!

Settling in: Aix en Provence

We have now settled into Aix en Provence, having been here for just over two weeks. It is an attractive, vibrant centre famous for its fountains and sculptures, with narrow streets to wander through. A university town, the population has many young gorgeous things, with a hip atmosphere combined with compelling Roman history. Lots of bars and restaurants with great shopping, there is always somewhere new to explore. It has a strong association with the artist Paul Cezanne, and boasts its appeal to many past and present artists because of the southern provincial light and its fascinating subject matter.

Our apartment has a very convenient location; we are only one street away from the Cours Mirabeau (the main street). We are on the second floor and only have two flights of stairs! Bill has his daily trip to the boulangerie (baker), while Tonia is delighted there is an English book cafe in our street called the "Book in Bar".

The "big" markets, where all manner of goodies are sold such as antiques, clothes, pottery and jewellery, are held three times a week and are only 400 metres away, whilst the daily market (for fresh food including fruit and vegetables, cheese, poultry, seafood and spices) is also located close by.

Tonia has been doing a bit of cooking and has had some great successes (coq-au-vin pictured). Of course, the pleasure (and sense of achievement) is from shopping at the markets, buying very fresh produce and cooking that day. Why is it that Tonia can't cook an omelette to save herself at home, but here she has produced restaurant quality results? It must be true what they say – the fresher the ingredients, the better cook one becomes.

Bill has a delightful French language tutor named Juliette. They meet daily and as Bill is keen to impress, his French is progressing well!

Aix itself has a great regional location and allows us to visit many surrounding towns/villages with ease. Some of the towns we have already been to include: St Remy de Provence, Bonnieux, Gordes, Arles, Nice, Forcalquier, and L'isle sur la Sorgue. All beautiful in their own way.

Bill's brother John also visited us at the end of his UK holiday and we took the opportunity to show him some of the surrounding attractions such as the Pont du Gard, near Nimes.

The journey to each of these towns is always an experience in itself, as we often make unscheduled stops at the odd vineyard or come across an unexpected small village via the 'scenic' route - all the time appreciating the innovative driving style of the French!

Driving in France

In any given situation, there are formal and informal rules that one needs to observe for survival. Driving in France is no different and after a month's experience, we have observed a number of consistent driving behaviours that make up the informal rules that must be observed. For one's personal safety and sanity, we recommend them to anyone thinking of driving here.

1. There is no necessity to pay heed to the white lines down the middle of the road.
2. Speed limits are only to be observed if it suits you.
3. When overtaking traffic, it is important to ensure that a blind corner is approaching - causing any on-coming traffic to swerve or violently brake is obligatory. When combined with Rule 1, you are beginning to master one of the critical skills of French driving.
4. Irrespective of their width, roads are designed to accommodate vehicle flow in both directions. It is much more exciting if the combined width of the passing vehicles is less than the road. Do not attempt to accommodate (by moving over) approaching vehicles.
5. Park anywhere you want - inconvenience to other users of the road, or pedestrians, is not only irrelevant, but compulsory.
6. Stopping temporarily anywhere you want is mandatory (temporarily could mean anything up to 15-20 minutes). You may need to withdraw money from an ATM, pick up the dry-cleaning, purchase a baguette (or some groceries) on the way home, admire a pretty French thing walking by, or talk to an acquaintance. If you are a considerate driver (mostly to avoid a car behind crashing into you), you will engage your hazard lights. You will be totally unaware that you may be conveniencing others as it is totally irrelevant!
7. Cutting corners on a steeply descending and winding mountain road is essential; especially if you can cause any on-coming traffic to leave the road, or brake violently, to which you must be totally oblivious ! (Refer to Rules 1 & 4 above).
8. A red light for a pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing does not really indicate that the pedestrian should not cross. All road users need excitement ! A green light for a pedestrian does not really indicate that you should stop to allow a pedestrian to cross. All road users need excitement !
9. You have a horn - use it repeatedly !!
10. Mobile phone calls should be made when driving any vehicle at any speed, under any conditions. Better drivers combine this rule with rules 1-9.

Please also note that when driving in France, tolerance is an essential criteria, consideration is not !

Bonne chance !!

Tanaha and Travis visit Dordogne

Tanaha and Travis joined us after their Paris excursion during the first part of their European trip. The rural charm and beauty of the Dordogne region wowed them from the moment they arrived. Full of enthusiasm at the commencement of their holiday, Tanaha and Travis energised us to continue to explore Domme and its surrounds with great gusto!
The Cenac markets put on tantalising show that won Travis over and he was determined to give everything the region had to offer a go (even swapping beer for red wine). Alas, this ended in tummy woes which slowed his pace somewhat, confining his exploration to that of the bathroom.

Sadly, Sarlat did not see Travis, but Tanaha managed a shopping spree where the discovery of a vintage 'Channel' scarf managed to temporarily lift her spirits briefly while away from sick Travis.

But like all good men, he was not down for long. The next morning at sparrows, we had the most amazing time above the Dordogne, compliments of air balloon transport. It was truly breathtaking and an experience we will never forget.

Once more, we enjoyed scintilating and witty conversations as we did our best to boost the French economy, providing the most treasured times.

So thanks guys - having both daughters and their partners visit us really was the icing on our gateau!

Bree and Stuart visit Dordogne

A highlight of our trip has been having Bree / Stuart, and Tanaha / Travis visit us. With everyone's hectic schedules this was a major feat. While it would have been great to have both couples visit at the same time, it was also wonderful to devote time to each daughter and her partner.

Bree and Stuart visited at the end of their three week European holiday. For them, Domme's slower pace was a good way to relax before heading home to face the demands of work.

Together, we marvelled at the wonderful produce and spectacle of the Sarlat markets. In particular, the pomme de terre et cepes (potatoes, mushrooms pan fried in duck fat and garlic), and the freshest, sweetest strawberrys, were most memorable. Cultural persuits were not ignored; we visited the International Pre-History Interpretative Centre, followed by a visit to the Sorcerer's Cave, where Paleolithic 19,000 year old rock etchings by man of man have been discovered.

A picnic dinner at the Chateau Marqueyssac Gardens with thousands of candles and live music was a fairytale-like evening, and the drive to Cohors with Bill's "Sebastien Loeb" driving (necessary to keep up with the French and the Dordogne terrain) certainly got our adrenalin pumping.

But the best times were the wonderful conversations creatively nourished by the ambience and offerings of the Dordogne.

The most beautiful village in France.

From Blaye we drove east to Domme, about a three hour drive on the motorways, which from our previous experience, was very efficient. We did not count on the holiday traffic and so experienced our first French traffic jam - and that was something to behold! Bill, new to 'Navman' technology, also had difficulty trusting Karen so we took a picturesque detour via Bergerac.... but that is another story!

Domme is a small medieval village in the heart of the southern Dordogne. The countryside is green, fertile and very hilly, with the Dordogne River flowing past the village. The historic town has been described as the most beautiful village in France and we would have to agree. There were visiting tourists everywhere (not us of course, as we were 'living' in the village!) and the population swelled considerably during daylight hours. It is astounding how many French people are on the move - including caravaners and campers!

Our cottage was wonderful; just as the description indicated (see on the right). We had a view to die for over the Dordogne valley from the front door, being located on the western rampart of the bastide.

This part of France is so beautifully seductive; a feast for the senses; and should be on everyone's French itinerary at least once.