BeNeFrance - A Detailed Journey from the North Sea to the Mediterranean
Oct 28th, 2010, 03:45 AM
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sheesh!! You visit a couple of coffeeshops, and you get a reputation. 
In Roger's defense, this was his first time travelling with a passport pouch, which he put in the hidden safe in his hotel room 3 days earlier, and completely forgot about. While the events where a bit stressful while they were happening, it's now turned into a great travel moment. Of all cities to be stuck in, Amsterdam was the perfect one for the three of us!
hetismij - Your name comes up in coversation between the three of us from time to time. We all had a great time at our GTG and hope to do so again this April 2011. Mark your calendar now for some day between the 13th-21st.
The adventure continues tonight, after work.
Robyn
In Roger's defense, this was his first time travelling with a passport pouch, which he put in the hidden safe in his hotel room 3 days earlier, and completely forgot about. While the events where a bit stressful while they were happening, it's now turned into a great travel moment. Of all cities to be stuck in, Amsterdam was the perfect one for the three of us!
hetismij - Your name comes up in coversation between the three of us from time to time. We all had a great time at our GTG and hope to do so again this April 2011. Mark your calendar now for some day between the 13th-21st.
The adventure continues tonight, after work.
Robyn
Oct 28th, 2010, 09:28 AM
#23
oh, Robyn, what a catastrophe.
i do hope it wasn't terminal.
your tale of woe reminds me of the time that we stopped off for a coffee on the french side of the pyrenees before driving across the border into Spain, which was the otehr side of a very long and precipitous pass up the mountain, and an equally long and scarey one on the way down.
where we got to the border and produced our passports - or in DH's case not, as he had left his in his jacket on the back of the chair in the cafe.
in silence we turned the car round and drove all the way back up the pass and all the way down again to the cafe, where we found DH's passport and jacket exactly where he had left them.
and in silence we drove all the way back to the border crossing. I think we only started talking to each other again the next day.
were there any recriminations on your parts? I think we have to know.
we have now taken to putting a notice saying "PASSPORTS" somewhere prominent on our last night, or secretting them in a pocket in our luggage if that looks safe.
i do hope it wasn't terminal.
your tale of woe reminds me of the time that we stopped off for a coffee on the french side of the pyrenees before driving across the border into Spain, which was the otehr side of a very long and precipitous pass up the mountain, and an equally long and scarey one on the way down.
where we got to the border and produced our passports - or in DH's case not, as he had left his in his jacket on the back of the chair in the cafe.
in silence we turned the car round and drove all the way back up the pass and all the way down again to the cafe, where we found DH's passport and jacket exactly where he had left them.
and in silence we drove all the way back to the border crossing. I think we only started talking to each other again the next day.
were there any recriminations on your parts? I think we have to know.
we have now taken to putting a notice saying "PASSPORTS" somewhere prominent on our last night, or secretting them in a pocket in our luggage if that looks safe.
Oct 28th, 2010, 04:31 PM
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<b>DAY 5 – Saturday: ANTWERP, BRUSSELS, AVIGNON, ST. REMY</b>
I guess the title says it all….
We had a wake-up call for 5:00 am. Amazingly, I slept pretty well last night. We put on our pants, socks and shoes, and shortly after saw the taxi pull up in front of the hotel to take us to Centraal Station. Since the trams don’t start running until 6:00, Osam arranged for a taxi to get us to the station on time.
We arrived early, which was good, because the 5:54 on track 13-A had been changed to the 5:45 on track 4. We looked like the mangiest trio, with our crumpled clothes, uncombed hair, and zombie-like faces as we boarded the train and settled into one of the “quiet” compartments. We were using the second day of our Eurail pass for train travel. We certainly weren’t anticipating all this extra travel on the pass, but it certainly did pay off (kind of).
We arrived back in <b>Antwerp</b> around 8:00 am, and quickly took the tram back to the hotel, where we only had enough time to grab our luggage from the room we never slept in, check out, then back to the train station via the tram. I got a bit nervous when we found ourselves sitting at a traffic light on the tram, with only 12 minutes to go.
I was so relieved when we finally boarded the 9:03 to Brussels, and we were back on schedule again. We did a quick change in <b>Brussels</b> to the Midi station, and then hopped on the 10:21 TGV headed towards Avignon. We had brunch on the train consisting of sandwiches (ugghh) and a bottle of wine.
We arrived at the <b>Avignon TGV</b> station at 14:39, and promptly stopped at the local newsstand to buy our Michelin maps (#339 Gard, Hérault & #340 Bouches-du-Rhône, Var). Roger had brought his Garmin GPS from home to use, but he couldn’t get it to work while we were on the train, so we bought the maps as back-ups. We picked up our rental car, a Ford C-Max, and we were on our way to St. Remy. Or were we? We somehow took a wrong turn and ended up on a dead-end dirt road to nowhere. Once we got turned around though, we found the drive to <b>St. Remy</b> to be very easy. The signage was very clear, and we really liked travelling down the roads with the round-abouts – no stopping at wasteful stop signs.
We arrived at the <b>Hotel Du Soleil</b>, and B.J. and I checked in to room #1. Roger was again conveniently down the hall from us. We were so happy to take a shower, put on clean underwear, comb our hair, and lay down for a nap. As tired as we were, though, we were even more hungrier. We had to go out in search of food… something other than a sandwich. Our last 3 meals have been sandwiches.
It was an easy walk from the hotel to the center of St. Remy. Since it was later in the day, most of the shops were already closed up, so there was an eerie abandoned feel to the town, as we did two loops around and through the medieval streets, checking restaurant menus, before we finally settled on <b>La Gousse d’Ail</b>. Roger ordered eggplant, B.J. had roast duck, and I had pasta, although the boys had to help me eat my meal. I think I was too tired and drained from the events of the last 24 hours to have an appetite, although my stomach was growling.
It was a beautiful, warm evening in Provence, so after dinner we took a slow stroll through town and around the block from our hotel. There were several signs along our route that showed various <b>van Gogh</b> paintings and the spot where the actual visualization occurred that inspired the painting. It was very interesting to make the comparisons. Some spots have drastically changed over time, while other spots have remained somewhat the same. Back at the hotel, we were so glad and exhausted when our heads finally hit the pillows.
http://www.la-goussedail.com/
Robyn
I guess the title says it all….
We had a wake-up call for 5:00 am. Amazingly, I slept pretty well last night. We put on our pants, socks and shoes, and shortly after saw the taxi pull up in front of the hotel to take us to Centraal Station. Since the trams don’t start running until 6:00, Osam arranged for a taxi to get us to the station on time.
We arrived early, which was good, because the 5:54 on track 13-A had been changed to the 5:45 on track 4. We looked like the mangiest trio, with our crumpled clothes, uncombed hair, and zombie-like faces as we boarded the train and settled into one of the “quiet” compartments. We were using the second day of our Eurail pass for train travel. We certainly weren’t anticipating all this extra travel on the pass, but it certainly did pay off (kind of).
We arrived back in <b>Antwerp</b> around 8:00 am, and quickly took the tram back to the hotel, where we only had enough time to grab our luggage from the room we never slept in, check out, then back to the train station via the tram. I got a bit nervous when we found ourselves sitting at a traffic light on the tram, with only 12 minutes to go.
I was so relieved when we finally boarded the 9:03 to Brussels, and we were back on schedule again. We did a quick change in <b>Brussels</b> to the Midi station, and then hopped on the 10:21 TGV headed towards Avignon. We had brunch on the train consisting of sandwiches (ugghh) and a bottle of wine.
We arrived at the <b>Avignon TGV</b> station at 14:39, and promptly stopped at the local newsstand to buy our Michelin maps (#339 Gard, Hérault & #340 Bouches-du-Rhône, Var). Roger had brought his Garmin GPS from home to use, but he couldn’t get it to work while we were on the train, so we bought the maps as back-ups. We picked up our rental car, a Ford C-Max, and we were on our way to St. Remy. Or were we? We somehow took a wrong turn and ended up on a dead-end dirt road to nowhere. Once we got turned around though, we found the drive to <b>St. Remy</b> to be very easy. The signage was very clear, and we really liked travelling down the roads with the round-abouts – no stopping at wasteful stop signs.
We arrived at the <b>Hotel Du Soleil</b>, and B.J. and I checked in to room #1. Roger was again conveniently down the hall from us. We were so happy to take a shower, put on clean underwear, comb our hair, and lay down for a nap. As tired as we were, though, we were even more hungrier. We had to go out in search of food… something other than a sandwich. Our last 3 meals have been sandwiches.
It was an easy walk from the hotel to the center of St. Remy. Since it was later in the day, most of the shops were already closed up, so there was an eerie abandoned feel to the town, as we did two loops around and through the medieval streets, checking restaurant menus, before we finally settled on <b>La Gousse d’Ail</b>. Roger ordered eggplant, B.J. had roast duck, and I had pasta, although the boys had to help me eat my meal. I think I was too tired and drained from the events of the last 24 hours to have an appetite, although my stomach was growling.
It was a beautiful, warm evening in Provence, so after dinner we took a slow stroll through town and around the block from our hotel. There were several signs along our route that showed various <b>van Gogh</b> paintings and the spot where the actual visualization occurred that inspired the painting. It was very interesting to make the comparisons. Some spots have drastically changed over time, while other spots have remained somewhat the same. Back at the hotel, we were so glad and exhausted when our heads finally hit the pillows.
http://www.la-goussedail.com/
Robyn
Oct 31st, 2010, 05:01 AM
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<b>DAY 6 – Sunday: L’ISLE SUR LA SORGUE, GORDES, THE LUBERON</b>
B.J. & I were up early after a good night’s sleep. Roger slept in a bit; knocked out from the head cold medicine he bought at the pharmacy last night. Breakfast was not included in the room cost, and the price they were asking seemed awful high for the food they were offering, so we opted to wait to eat breakfast elsewhere.
By 9:00, and armed with our trusty Michelin map, we were on the road in our C-Max, heading to L’Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue, for the Sunday morning market. The drive along the <b>D-99</b> out of St. Remy was beautiful, with large sycamore trees lining the road, cypress trees dotting the landscape and the craggy hills of the <b>Alpilles</b> forming the horizon to the right.
The roads were crowded all around <b>L’Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue</b>, however we were lucky to find a parking spot not too far from the <b>Sunday Market</b>. Looking in all directions was a splendid explosion of colors, from the fabric vendors, to the vegetable/fruit vendors, to the spice and olive vendors, all hawking their wares, along with the typical clothing and handy-dandy tool vendors you find at most markets. After a bit of shopping, we stopped at a little café for some coffee/tea, and to do some people watching. We left the market loaded down with all kinds of fruit, cheese and nuts for breakfast, a new shirt for B.J. and a large bag of saffron for Roger.
We drove through <b>Fontaine de Vaucluse</b> and took the back way over to <b>La Village des Bories</b>, stopping at <b>La Foret</b> along the way for a quick hike and some wonderful scenic views. As soon as we turned off the D-2 we saw the huge parking lot for des Bories, so we parked our car in the near empty lot, and started walking towards the Village. However, partway down the road, we got a weird feeling about leaving the car in the isolated lot, so B.J. hiked back to retrieve the C-Max, while Roger and I meandered slowly on, passing a bories hut located right next to the road. So, of course, we had to go in and explore it, and ended up unexpectedly startling a young woman who was already in there checking it out. Pretty soon B.J. showed up, and we were on our way again. I’m glad he volunteered to go back for the car, because it was quite the distance to get to the other parking lot, which was located right next to the entrance.
We had a great time exploring La Village des Bories, climbing in and out of the stone huts, and admiring the unique construction technique that makes up this ancient abandoned town. We all agreed it must have been cold living in those huts during the winter. After an hour or so, we piled into the car, heading back down the long and narrow road, eventually coming upon the young startled woman from earlier in the day, walking back to her car at the main parking lot. She accepted the offer of a ride from us, and we learned that she was from Colorado, on a 7-day journey through Provence, while she was living in Paris for three months to learn French. Lucky her!
Our next stop on this picture perfect, blue sky, warm breeze day, was <b>Gordes</b>. Concerned about parking, we stopped at the first car lot (we could have parked closer) and hiked up to the town, which was built on top of a white rocky outcrop. Our first agenda was lunch. There were many restaurants to choose from, but we finally decided on the <b>Le Jardin, Café Illy-Restaurant</b>. We chose a seat on their outdoor terrace which overlooked the valley below, and ordered the special for the day. The entrée was chicken with roasted peppers and basil over pasta, and dessert was an incredibly delicious pistachio/walnut ice cream on a plate of raspberry sauce with dollops of whipped cream. YUM!
After lunch we spent some time just wandering the steep and windy streets of Gordes, at times traversing the calades, the cobblestoned steps which are built into the roads. We walked past the foreboding <b>Chateau de Gordes</b>, and stopped for a look in the 12th century <b>Roman church</b>, dedicated to St. Fermin and the town’s assorted tradesmen.
Most impressive, though, was the architecture, and how they built with what was available: a beige/white stone. The masons of Gordes carved out caves and rooms from the massive rock that the town is perched on, and used these square blocks to construct homes and buildings on and around the outcrop, with some structures just tumbling right out of the cliff side. At times you couldn’t tell where the rock stopped and the buildings began.
The views over the valley were stunning, especially on such a gorgeous autumn afternoon. We could see the rose hue of <b>Roussillon</b> in the distance, which was our next destination. The drive was quick and easy, but we arrived just as everything was shutting down for the day. We ended up just driving through town, stopping for a few photos of the lovely pastel-colored homes and courtyards.
The next town on our tour of the <b>Luberon</b> was <b>Goult</b>. We parked the car at a lot in town, and started walking uphill, in search of the <b>windmill</b>. The town, which was virtually empty, gave off an eerie medieval feel to it as we wandered the narrow streets and alleyways. Despite (what we thought was) our thorough search of the town, we could not locate the allusive windmill, so we decided to head back to the car. On our way, we passed the local community center, where we discovered most of the town folk enjoying the afternoon, engaging in competitions of <b>boules</b>. It was an unexpected pleasure to be temporary spectators to this local sporting event.
We were able to communicate in a combination of English, French, and hand gestures with one of the local folk as to the location of the windmill, and he instructed us to get our car and drive up the road we had just wandered from, and then take the left hand road at the top of the hill, a road we thought was a driveway. So off we went again, this time in the car, up the narrow street, and made a left into the “driveway”, which was an even narrower, steeper road, barely wide enough to accommodate our C-Max. Pretty soon, we were at the top of the hill, and there in front of us was a most magnificent old stone windmill, silhouetted by the deep blue Provence sky. We walked a bit of the trail around the windmill, before heading back down the hill and on to or our next destination. The day was quickly slipping away.
Our next stop was going to be Lacoste, but we lost sight of the road signs, so we decided to stop at <b>Oppeede La Vieux</b> instead, which wasn’t on our list of “hill villages” to visit, but turned out to be one of our favorite towns to explore. We parked in the car lot, which was located across the small valley from Oppeede, and which provided an excellent view of the mysteriously inviting ruins of this ancient Roman village. Oppeede La Vieux looked like it was a l-o-n-g way off, so the boys were a bit reluctant to make the hike across the valley and up the hill. But I was insistent, so off we went, following the easily marked trails. Along the way we stopped to enjoy one of the lookout points and the view behind us, of the village of Gordes clinging to the Vaucluse plateau, with Mont Ventoux in the background.
Before long we were entering the inhabited part of Oppeede La Vieux, where residents reclaimed the ancient abandoned ruins and converted them into modern dwellings. As we climbed higher, the ruins were less inhabited, until we came to the old Roman <b>Church of Notre Dame d’Alydon</b> and remnants of the old <b>castle</b> perched at the top of the hill, with its sheer vertical drop to the valley below. We had such a great time exploring the ruins, particularly the boys who engaged in a spirited discussion of ancient building techniques (just how the hell did they get their building supplies all the way up here?).
It was dusk by the time we made our way back to the car, for the drive to our hotel. As we approached St. Remy the sun was beginning to set, leaving a beautiful array of orange, red, yellow, and purple plastered across the sky, sort of like the colors of Roussillon. It had been a perfect day in Provence. The temperature was warm, particularly in the sun; the skies were blue; and there was an almost constant light breeze.
After a short respite at our hotel, we walked into town and bought a pizza-to-go from the restaurant at the end of the block, <b>Pizza Nostra</b>. We enjoyed the rest of the evening, relaxing in the hotel courtyard, eating our pizza, nibbling on our fruit and cheese from this morning’s market, and sharing a delicious bottle of wine we purchased in Gordes.
http://www.gordes-village.com/html/index.html
http://www.theluberon.com/index.htm
Robyn
B.J. & I were up early after a good night’s sleep. Roger slept in a bit; knocked out from the head cold medicine he bought at the pharmacy last night. Breakfast was not included in the room cost, and the price they were asking seemed awful high for the food they were offering, so we opted to wait to eat breakfast elsewhere.
By 9:00, and armed with our trusty Michelin map, we were on the road in our C-Max, heading to L’Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue, for the Sunday morning market. The drive along the <b>D-99</b> out of St. Remy was beautiful, with large sycamore trees lining the road, cypress trees dotting the landscape and the craggy hills of the <b>Alpilles</b> forming the horizon to the right.
The roads were crowded all around <b>L’Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue</b>, however we were lucky to find a parking spot not too far from the <b>Sunday Market</b>. Looking in all directions was a splendid explosion of colors, from the fabric vendors, to the vegetable/fruit vendors, to the spice and olive vendors, all hawking their wares, along with the typical clothing and handy-dandy tool vendors you find at most markets. After a bit of shopping, we stopped at a little café for some coffee/tea, and to do some people watching. We left the market loaded down with all kinds of fruit, cheese and nuts for breakfast, a new shirt for B.J. and a large bag of saffron for Roger.
We drove through <b>Fontaine de Vaucluse</b> and took the back way over to <b>La Village des Bories</b>, stopping at <b>La Foret</b> along the way for a quick hike and some wonderful scenic views. As soon as we turned off the D-2 we saw the huge parking lot for des Bories, so we parked our car in the near empty lot, and started walking towards the Village. However, partway down the road, we got a weird feeling about leaving the car in the isolated lot, so B.J. hiked back to retrieve the C-Max, while Roger and I meandered slowly on, passing a bories hut located right next to the road. So, of course, we had to go in and explore it, and ended up unexpectedly startling a young woman who was already in there checking it out. Pretty soon B.J. showed up, and we were on our way again. I’m glad he volunteered to go back for the car, because it was quite the distance to get to the other parking lot, which was located right next to the entrance.
We had a great time exploring La Village des Bories, climbing in and out of the stone huts, and admiring the unique construction technique that makes up this ancient abandoned town. We all agreed it must have been cold living in those huts during the winter. After an hour or so, we piled into the car, heading back down the long and narrow road, eventually coming upon the young startled woman from earlier in the day, walking back to her car at the main parking lot. She accepted the offer of a ride from us, and we learned that she was from Colorado, on a 7-day journey through Provence, while she was living in Paris for three months to learn French. Lucky her!
Our next stop on this picture perfect, blue sky, warm breeze day, was <b>Gordes</b>. Concerned about parking, we stopped at the first car lot (we could have parked closer) and hiked up to the town, which was built on top of a white rocky outcrop. Our first agenda was lunch. There were many restaurants to choose from, but we finally decided on the <b>Le Jardin, Café Illy-Restaurant</b>. We chose a seat on their outdoor terrace which overlooked the valley below, and ordered the special for the day. The entrée was chicken with roasted peppers and basil over pasta, and dessert was an incredibly delicious pistachio/walnut ice cream on a plate of raspberry sauce with dollops of whipped cream. YUM!
After lunch we spent some time just wandering the steep and windy streets of Gordes, at times traversing the calades, the cobblestoned steps which are built into the roads. We walked past the foreboding <b>Chateau de Gordes</b>, and stopped for a look in the 12th century <b>Roman church</b>, dedicated to St. Fermin and the town’s assorted tradesmen.
Most impressive, though, was the architecture, and how they built with what was available: a beige/white stone. The masons of Gordes carved out caves and rooms from the massive rock that the town is perched on, and used these square blocks to construct homes and buildings on and around the outcrop, with some structures just tumbling right out of the cliff side. At times you couldn’t tell where the rock stopped and the buildings began.
The views over the valley were stunning, especially on such a gorgeous autumn afternoon. We could see the rose hue of <b>Roussillon</b> in the distance, which was our next destination. The drive was quick and easy, but we arrived just as everything was shutting down for the day. We ended up just driving through town, stopping for a few photos of the lovely pastel-colored homes and courtyards.
The next town on our tour of the <b>Luberon</b> was <b>Goult</b>. We parked the car at a lot in town, and started walking uphill, in search of the <b>windmill</b>. The town, which was virtually empty, gave off an eerie medieval feel to it as we wandered the narrow streets and alleyways. Despite (what we thought was) our thorough search of the town, we could not locate the allusive windmill, so we decided to head back to the car. On our way, we passed the local community center, where we discovered most of the town folk enjoying the afternoon, engaging in competitions of <b>boules</b>. It was an unexpected pleasure to be temporary spectators to this local sporting event.
We were able to communicate in a combination of English, French, and hand gestures with one of the local folk as to the location of the windmill, and he instructed us to get our car and drive up the road we had just wandered from, and then take the left hand road at the top of the hill, a road we thought was a driveway. So off we went again, this time in the car, up the narrow street, and made a left into the “driveway”, which was an even narrower, steeper road, barely wide enough to accommodate our C-Max. Pretty soon, we were at the top of the hill, and there in front of us was a most magnificent old stone windmill, silhouetted by the deep blue Provence sky. We walked a bit of the trail around the windmill, before heading back down the hill and on to or our next destination. The day was quickly slipping away.
Our next stop was going to be Lacoste, but we lost sight of the road signs, so we decided to stop at <b>Oppeede La Vieux</b> instead, which wasn’t on our list of “hill villages” to visit, but turned out to be one of our favorite towns to explore. We parked in the car lot, which was located across the small valley from Oppeede, and which provided an excellent view of the mysteriously inviting ruins of this ancient Roman village. Oppeede La Vieux looked like it was a l-o-n-g way off, so the boys were a bit reluctant to make the hike across the valley and up the hill. But I was insistent, so off we went, following the easily marked trails. Along the way we stopped to enjoy one of the lookout points and the view behind us, of the village of Gordes clinging to the Vaucluse plateau, with Mont Ventoux in the background.
Before long we were entering the inhabited part of Oppeede La Vieux, where residents reclaimed the ancient abandoned ruins and converted them into modern dwellings. As we climbed higher, the ruins were less inhabited, until we came to the old Roman <b>Church of Notre Dame d’Alydon</b> and remnants of the old <b>castle</b> perched at the top of the hill, with its sheer vertical drop to the valley below. We had such a great time exploring the ruins, particularly the boys who engaged in a spirited discussion of ancient building techniques (just how the hell did they get their building supplies all the way up here?).
It was dusk by the time we made our way back to the car, for the drive to our hotel. As we approached St. Remy the sun was beginning to set, leaving a beautiful array of orange, red, yellow, and purple plastered across the sky, sort of like the colors of Roussillon. It had been a perfect day in Provence. The temperature was warm, particularly in the sun; the skies were blue; and there was an almost constant light breeze.
After a short respite at our hotel, we walked into town and bought a pizza-to-go from the restaurant at the end of the block, <b>Pizza Nostra</b>. We enjoyed the rest of the evening, relaxing in the hotel courtyard, eating our pizza, nibbling on our fruit and cheese from this morning’s market, and sharing a delicious bottle of wine we purchased in Gordes.
http://www.gordes-village.com/html/index.html
http://www.theluberon.com/index.htm
Robyn
Oct 31st, 2010, 05:42 AM
#27
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,541
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Enjoying your report Robyn!
You asked about photo sharing sites online...
I like Photobucket.com because it's free, easy to use, people don't have to be 'friends' or members to see your photos and you can link to your photos from other sites as well.
I also use Panoramio.com. Again it's free and if you add the latitude and longitude your pics might get selected and displayed on Google Earth.
(They have a tool to let you do this easily)
For a hack photographer like me it was quite a thrill to find some of my pics on Google earth! ;^)
Rob
PS regarding the non functioning Garmin... did forgetful Roger neglect to download European maps?
LOL
You asked about photo sharing sites online...
I like Photobucket.com because it's free, easy to use, people don't have to be 'friends' or members to see your photos and you can link to your photos from other sites as well.
I also use Panoramio.com. Again it's free and if you add the latitude and longitude your pics might get selected and displayed on Google Earth.
(They have a tool to let you do this easily)
For a hack photographer like me it was quite a thrill to find some of my pics on Google earth! ;^)
Rob
PS regarding the non functioning Garmin... did forgetful Roger neglect to download European maps?
LOL
Nov 1st, 2010, 03:46 AM
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
kerouac - We found October to be a wonderful time to travel. The weather wasn't too hot, and there really weren't any crowds to speak of. We did have a little bit of "funky" weather (stay tuned), but that just added to the uniqueness of our trip. My main problem with October travel has been coming home and sliding right into the winter holidays, which doesn't give me any time to write my trip report!
Rob - Thanks for the links to the photo sharing sites. I'm going to get B.J. to figure out the picture thing so I can keep writing my report. Maybe by the time I get it done we'll have pictures to add!
Regarding the Garmin, Roger purchased the European maps package and had downloaded them, and had tested it before we left. I'm not quite sure what went wrong, and since I'm technically challenged all I heard was, "blah, blah, blah" while he was discussing it with B.J. I was content just using our old fashioned maps.
annhig - Thanks for sharing your passport story. I'll be sure to pass it on to Roger. Since it was his screw-up, he paid for the hotel room in Amsterdam. Other than that, we all approached it as an adventure - no hard feelings at all. If he hadn't been forgetful, we wouldn't have such a great story to tell - "bragging" about getting stranded in Amsterdam. Needless to say, each time we changed hotels, we were sure to ask him if he had his passport. Believe me, he wasn't going to forget it again.
Please say tuned for more to come...
Robyn
Rob - Thanks for the links to the photo sharing sites. I'm going to get B.J. to figure out the picture thing so I can keep writing my report. Maybe by the time I get it done we'll have pictures to add!
Regarding the Garmin, Roger purchased the European maps package and had downloaded them, and had tested it before we left. I'm not quite sure what went wrong, and since I'm technically challenged all I heard was, "blah, blah, blah" while he was discussing it with B.J. I was content just using our old fashioned maps.
annhig - Thanks for sharing your passport story. I'll be sure to pass it on to Roger. Since it was his screw-up, he paid for the hotel room in Amsterdam. Other than that, we all approached it as an adventure - no hard feelings at all. If he hadn't been forgetful, we wouldn't have such a great story to tell - "bragging" about getting stranded in Amsterdam. Needless to say, each time we changed hotels, we were sure to ask him if he had his passport. Believe me, he wasn't going to forget it again.
Please say tuned for more to come...
Robyn
Nov 3rd, 2010, 05:31 AM
#29
arts - i love your description of your journey through Provence. It's an area I keep promising myself that we will do, but other things keep cropping up.
I'm glad that Roger didn't suffer too much approbation. you clearly don't bear a grudge for as long as i do; DH has never been allowed to forget about forgetting that passport!
keep it coming!
I'm glad that Roger didn't suffer too much approbation. you clearly don't bear a grudge for as long as i do; DH has never been allowed to forget about forgetting that passport!
keep it coming!
Nov 7th, 2010, 03:53 AM
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My apologies for the delay in posting the next segment of my trip report. It's been a rough week. My sister-friend's mom passed away (she was 95!), I came down with a nasty cold, and my washer died. Oh well, c'est la vie!
Next up.. paying homage to the Roman plumbers.
Robyn
Next up.. paying homage to the Roman plumbers.
Robyn
Nov 7th, 2010, 05:11 AM
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<b>DAY 7 – Monday: NIMES, PONT DU GARD, UZES</b>
After a good night’s sleep for all, we were on the road again by 8:45 am., on our quest to pay homage to the ancient plumbers. Roger’s cold was passing, thanks to the kick-ass French Actifed he’d been taking. Our first stop was the local <b>wasseri</b> in St. Remy, where we dropped off our laundry to be cleaned.
We then drove west on the D-99 through Tarascon and Beaucaire to <b>Nimes</b>, where we found a convenient car park near the Arenas. We purchased the combination <b>Nimes & Les Baux pass</b> (€14,60), and opted for the audio tour through the <b>Arenas</b>. The tour was over informative and quite lengthy, so it was nice to be able to jump to the next segment when you had ingested enough information. It was cool to be able to roam through the corridors, and climb to the top row of seating for a great view of the city. It was amazing how sound the structure still is, after 2000 years of near constant use! In fact, on the arena floor they were setting up for a bullfight that evening (private event, closed to the public), so it was interesting to see how the structure of rails and boards fit perfectly together to create the actual bull ring (this is a no-kill bullring).
The winds were beginning to pick up as we walked through the streets of the old city center. On the <b>Place aux Herbes</b> we were happy to find a café that had indoor seating available, and omelette’s on the menu. Roger & I ordered the recognizable cheese, ham & potato omelette, while B.J. felt more daring, and ordered an unknown-item omelette (unknown to us because it was written in French), which turned out to be cheese and cucumbers, an odd combination. The omelettes were barely edible, as the inside was uncooked and runny (Hello!! Salmonella!) Thank heavens a salad was served along with the eggs.
After brunch we continued our walking tour, stopping at <b>Cathedrale Notre Dame & Saint Castor</b> for a look around the 11th century Roman church. We proceeded down the <b>rue des Marchands</b>, pausing to admire the architecture at #15 (Middle Ages) and #17 (Renaissance), then weaved our way around to the <b>Place du Marche</b>, adorned with the symbolic palm tree and crocodile fountain.
From there we walked to the <b>Maison de Cairre</b>, which was in the middle of a restoration process. The left side, and part of the front, was covered in scaffolding, but the back and right side had been completed, and looked marvelous as it was glistening white in the sun. We went inside the building, which was covered by the Nimes/Les Baux pass, but had just missed the start of the film which is part of the tour. So we decided to come back later, if time allowed.
Since this was “Honor the Plumbers Day”, of which B.J. is one, we had to visit the <b>Castellum</b>, which was the ancient Roman distribution source for the water that flowed from the town of Uzes, through the Pont du Gard, for feeding the wells in Nimes. Afterwards, we hiked up the nicely manicured paths of </b>Mount Cavalier</b>, to the <b>Tour Magne</b> (c. 15 B.C., covered by pass) where we ascended the tower for an amazing, but very windy, view of Nimes and the surrounding countryside. There was a very informative exhibition mounted in the Tour Magne which explained the original layout and fortification walls of the ancient city.
We descended the tower, and Mount Cavalier by way of the <b>Jardin de la Fontaine</b>, the 18th century formal gardens that were constructed on the sight of the original spring which brought the original settlers to the area. We had a wonderful time meandering through the gardens, admiring the tropical and colorful plants, the hidden coves and winding stairways, the bubbling bodies of water, the statuary, and the ruins of the <b>Temple of Diana</b>. It was another beautiful day in the south of France. The temperature was warm, and the sky was a deep blue, not a cloud to be found, but the wind was constantly blowing. Could this be the Mistral Winds which we had read about?
It was mid afternoon, and time for us to leave Nimes, so we scurried back to the car, glad to escape the blowing winds. Our ultimate homage to the plumbers would be a visit to the <b>Pont du Gard</b>. Unfortunately, we got turned around leaving Nimes and ended up on the A-9 towards Barcelona, a destination I’ve always wanted to visit, but not on this trip. This error meant we wouldn’t have enough time for the museum at the Pont du Gard, but luckily the park itself was open until dusk.
The three of us were blown away when we first laid eyes on this magnificent structure. It truly is a remarkable fete of engineering. The water flowing on the aqueduct had to be carried 50 km from Uzes, at an altitude of 72 meters, through forested, hilly terrain, to Nimes, at an altitude of 60 meters. That’s a long way for such a short pitch (12 meters over 50 km), the result being a mean gradient of 25-34 cm/km (about 0.03%). I know, I know… lots of numbers. But think about how difficult it was to calculate and build this amazing aqueduct… while using Roman numerals?! :-?
We climbed the hill on the right bank for a good view of the Pont du Gard, and then crossed the bridge to the left bank, where we hiked up another hill for an incredible view! The breeze from the constant wind blowing was now beginning to cool, and B.J. and Roger’s knees were burning from all the walking and climbing we had done today. Plus, I had a blister on my left foot from a tiny speck of stone that got stuck in my shoe during yesterday’s walk, so the ball of my foot was stinging with every other step I took. We were happy explorers, but sore and windswept, as we made our way back to our car.
Our plan was to have dinner in <b>Uzes</b>, but by the time we arrived around 18:30, the town was pretty much shut down. There were hardly any stores open, let alone restaurants. We hobbled around the old city, admiring the tile work on the palace roof, and the artfully carved massive wooden doors adorning several dwellings. The sun was setting against the stone buildings, leaving a yellow hue which looked like they were on fire. It was a beautiful sight, but our eyes kept drying from the blowing wind.
We retreated to the warmth and comfort of our car, our trusty C-Max, and then proceeded back to our hotel in St. Remy. We stopped along the way, in <b>Beaucaire</b>, at a <b>McDonald’s</b> for dinner. Okay, before anybody squawks, it was a <i>different</i> kind of dining experience. We had the option of ordering a bottle of beer (1664) with our value-combo meal, instead of a soda! Now that’s something you will probably NEVER see in the US.
We were back at the <b>Hotel du Soleil</b> by 21:00, where the three of us spent the rest of the evening sitting in our room, drinking Roger’s bottle of Gordes wine, eating pistachios, cheese and grapes, and listening to the howling winds blowing outside.
http://www.ot-nimes.fr/
http://www.arenes-nimes.com/en/nimes/
http://www.pontdugard.fr/index.php?langue=GB
After a good night’s sleep for all, we were on the road again by 8:45 am., on our quest to pay homage to the ancient plumbers. Roger’s cold was passing, thanks to the kick-ass French Actifed he’d been taking. Our first stop was the local <b>wasseri</b> in St. Remy, where we dropped off our laundry to be cleaned.
We then drove west on the D-99 through Tarascon and Beaucaire to <b>Nimes</b>, where we found a convenient car park near the Arenas. We purchased the combination <b>Nimes & Les Baux pass</b> (€14,60), and opted for the audio tour through the <b>Arenas</b>. The tour was over informative and quite lengthy, so it was nice to be able to jump to the next segment when you had ingested enough information. It was cool to be able to roam through the corridors, and climb to the top row of seating for a great view of the city. It was amazing how sound the structure still is, after 2000 years of near constant use! In fact, on the arena floor they were setting up for a bullfight that evening (private event, closed to the public), so it was interesting to see how the structure of rails and boards fit perfectly together to create the actual bull ring (this is a no-kill bullring).
The winds were beginning to pick up as we walked through the streets of the old city center. On the <b>Place aux Herbes</b> we were happy to find a café that had indoor seating available, and omelette’s on the menu. Roger & I ordered the recognizable cheese, ham & potato omelette, while B.J. felt more daring, and ordered an unknown-item omelette (unknown to us because it was written in French), which turned out to be cheese and cucumbers, an odd combination. The omelettes were barely edible, as the inside was uncooked and runny (Hello!! Salmonella!) Thank heavens a salad was served along with the eggs.
After brunch we continued our walking tour, stopping at <b>Cathedrale Notre Dame & Saint Castor</b> for a look around the 11th century Roman church. We proceeded down the <b>rue des Marchands</b>, pausing to admire the architecture at #15 (Middle Ages) and #17 (Renaissance), then weaved our way around to the <b>Place du Marche</b>, adorned with the symbolic palm tree and crocodile fountain.
From there we walked to the <b>Maison de Cairre</b>, which was in the middle of a restoration process. The left side, and part of the front, was covered in scaffolding, but the back and right side had been completed, and looked marvelous as it was glistening white in the sun. We went inside the building, which was covered by the Nimes/Les Baux pass, but had just missed the start of the film which is part of the tour. So we decided to come back later, if time allowed.
Since this was “Honor the Plumbers Day”, of which B.J. is one, we had to visit the <b>Castellum</b>, which was the ancient Roman distribution source for the water that flowed from the town of Uzes, through the Pont du Gard, for feeding the wells in Nimes. Afterwards, we hiked up the nicely manicured paths of </b>Mount Cavalier</b>, to the <b>Tour Magne</b> (c. 15 B.C., covered by pass) where we ascended the tower for an amazing, but very windy, view of Nimes and the surrounding countryside. There was a very informative exhibition mounted in the Tour Magne which explained the original layout and fortification walls of the ancient city.
We descended the tower, and Mount Cavalier by way of the <b>Jardin de la Fontaine</b>, the 18th century formal gardens that were constructed on the sight of the original spring which brought the original settlers to the area. We had a wonderful time meandering through the gardens, admiring the tropical and colorful plants, the hidden coves and winding stairways, the bubbling bodies of water, the statuary, and the ruins of the <b>Temple of Diana</b>. It was another beautiful day in the south of France. The temperature was warm, and the sky was a deep blue, not a cloud to be found, but the wind was constantly blowing. Could this be the Mistral Winds which we had read about?
It was mid afternoon, and time for us to leave Nimes, so we scurried back to the car, glad to escape the blowing winds. Our ultimate homage to the plumbers would be a visit to the <b>Pont du Gard</b>. Unfortunately, we got turned around leaving Nimes and ended up on the A-9 towards Barcelona, a destination I’ve always wanted to visit, but not on this trip. This error meant we wouldn’t have enough time for the museum at the Pont du Gard, but luckily the park itself was open until dusk.
The three of us were blown away when we first laid eyes on this magnificent structure. It truly is a remarkable fete of engineering. The water flowing on the aqueduct had to be carried 50 km from Uzes, at an altitude of 72 meters, through forested, hilly terrain, to Nimes, at an altitude of 60 meters. That’s a long way for such a short pitch (12 meters over 50 km), the result being a mean gradient of 25-34 cm/km (about 0.03%). I know, I know… lots of numbers. But think about how difficult it was to calculate and build this amazing aqueduct… while using Roman numerals?! :-?
We climbed the hill on the right bank for a good view of the Pont du Gard, and then crossed the bridge to the left bank, where we hiked up another hill for an incredible view! The breeze from the constant wind blowing was now beginning to cool, and B.J. and Roger’s knees were burning from all the walking and climbing we had done today. Plus, I had a blister on my left foot from a tiny speck of stone that got stuck in my shoe during yesterday’s walk, so the ball of my foot was stinging with every other step I took. We were happy explorers, but sore and windswept, as we made our way back to our car.
Our plan was to have dinner in <b>Uzes</b>, but by the time we arrived around 18:30, the town was pretty much shut down. There were hardly any stores open, let alone restaurants. We hobbled around the old city, admiring the tile work on the palace roof, and the artfully carved massive wooden doors adorning several dwellings. The sun was setting against the stone buildings, leaving a yellow hue which looked like they were on fire. It was a beautiful sight, but our eyes kept drying from the blowing wind.
We retreated to the warmth and comfort of our car, our trusty C-Max, and then proceeded back to our hotel in St. Remy. We stopped along the way, in <b>Beaucaire</b>, at a <b>McDonald’s</b> for dinner. Okay, before anybody squawks, it was a <i>different</i> kind of dining experience. We had the option of ordering a bottle of beer (1664) with our value-combo meal, instead of a soda! Now that’s something you will probably NEVER see in the US.
We were back at the <b>Hotel du Soleil</b> by 21:00, where the three of us spent the rest of the evening sitting in our room, drinking Roger’s bottle of Gordes wine, eating pistachios, cheese and grapes, and listening to the howling winds blowing outside.
http://www.ot-nimes.fr/
http://www.arenes-nimes.com/en/nimes/
http://www.pontdugard.fr/index.php?langue=GB
Nov 7th, 2010, 07:54 AM
#32
I'm glad you enjoyed the Pont du Gard. It is certainly one of the most remarkable sites in France, and even though it is claimed that "nothing that really exists" is depicted on the euro banknotes, just take a look at the back of the 5-euro note.
If you ever get a chance to return during the summer, it is a joy to go swimming in the Gardon while looking up at the Pont du Gard.
If you ever get a chance to return during the summer, it is a joy to go swimming in the Gardon while looking up at the Pont du Gard.
Nov 8th, 2010, 11:32 AM
#34
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 29,617
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had a van Gogh "moment" in Arles while sitting outside having coffee. The bar up the street looked so familiar but I couldn't figure out why until I realized it was from a vG's night painting of that bar. It gave me goosebumps.
I "got" his colors from that experience.
Enjoying your report a lot, thanks!
I "got" his colors from that experience.
Enjoying your report a lot, thanks!
Nov 11th, 2010, 03:52 AM
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<b>DAY 8 – Tuesday: LES BAUX, MILLAU VIADUCT</b>
It was confirmed this morning by the hotel concierge, “Yes, those are the <b>Mistral Winds</b> blowing.” This is a phenomenon that occurs when the cold wind from the Alps collide with the warm winds from the Mediterranean. When we asked the concierge how long the winds would last, he replied, “When they say 2 days, that means 3 to 5. When they say 3 days, that means 5 to 7.”
Luckily the winds die down overnight, so it was clear and calm in the morning, when the boys drove over to the wasserei to pick up our laundry, only to find out it wouldn’t be done until noon.
So we decided to spend the morning exploring <b>Les Baux</b>, which was conveniently located a few kilometers south of our hotel. By the time we made the short trip over the Alpilles, it was around 10:00, and the winds had begun to kick up again. We parked the car, and bundled in our winter coats and hats, we walked the winding streets through the town, up the hill to the chateau, or what was left of it. We used our Nimes/Les Baux pass to gain entrance, and started to explore the spectacular remains of an ancient citadel carved from the massive bauxite rock it sits upon.
Of particular interest was the amazing display of life-size, working <b>medieval war machines</b>, including a catapult, couillard, belier, and trebuchet. A little background here: We actually had a working 8-foot trebuchet in our yard for a summer, made by our friend, Justin. It was great for launching soccer balls and pumpkins, and served as a model for five mini-portable trebuchets that my husband built for our same friend, which were used to launch flower petals at his wedding. So you can see why the fascination with the war machines. Unfortunately, the wind was now blowing so hard, I couldn’t keep my eyes moist enough to see, so I retreated to the little chapel on the grounds, the <b>Chapelle St. Blaise</b>, while the boys spent some time analyzing every weapon on display.
We continued our exploration of the chateau ruins, at times feeling like we were going to be blown right off the top of the mountain into the valley below. We occasionally found respite from the winds when we were walking through the several rooms and passageways carved into the rock. There was signage along the paths which showed an artist’s depiction of what the chateau looked like before it was demolished by Louis XIII in the 17th century. It was all very fascinating, but hard to really appreciate when your face was literally being sandblasted. The years of Mistral Winds blowing through Lex Baux were very evident from the amount of pock marks found in the bauxite buildings. We stopped at the gift store on our way out, where the clerk said the average sustained wind speed today was recorded at 100 km/hr, with gusts up to 130!!!
We exited the chateau and took a little side street which led to the <b>local cemetery</b>, where we spent some time wandering around, looking at the tombstones and graves. We realized we were hungry, so we found a little café right in the middle of town, <b>Le Jardin des Delices</b>, where we all ordered mushroom and cheese omelettes with a salad. It was very delicious, and gave us a chance to catch our breath and warm up.
Afterwards we continued our meander through town, stopping for a quick look in the <b>Penitents’ Chapel</b> (c. 17th century), and then across the courtyard, <b>St. Vincent’s Chapel</b> (c.12th century). Since we were walking through winding, medieval streets surrounded by ancient buildings, we were somewhat sheltered from the wind
We eventually made our way back to our car, and took the scenic route back to St. Remy, which snaked through the mountains and limestone quarries which helped to build Les Baux and the surroundings. We went straight to the wasserei to pick up our clothes, but had to wait another 15 minutes for them to open up after lunch, at 14:00. We finally retrieved our clean clothes, and we were off again, this time on a most anticipated journey across the <b>Millau Viaduct</b>.
We took the high-speed, limited access roads around Arles and Montpellier, all the while passing electronic road signs warning drivers of the high winds. We occasionally saw things blowing across the road, and surmised it might have been garbage, small plants, or tiny cars. It was quite the experience, propelling down the highway while the wind kept bouncing us back and forth. But our trusty C-Max held his own against the mighty Mistral Winds.
About two hours into the trip, as we were cruising down the A-75 autoroute, we started getting excited when we saw the signs, “Millau 30 km”, then, “Millau 20 km”. By the time we got to “Millau 10 km” we were all buzzing with glee. This was really going to happen. We were going to cross this modern engineering marvel of a bridge, nearly 900 feet in the air!!! Since we started planning our trip to the south of France, this is one of the sights that was most anticipated. Who would have thought, 5-10 years ago, when we had been following the construction of the Millau Viaduct, that we would actually NOW be crossing over the bridge?
The winds were still blowing, although not near as fierce this far west, and the sky was blue with high wispy clouds. Roger was driving, B.J. was in the front seat with camera ready, and I was straddling the middle of the back seat as we approached the 3 km sign. We were like three kids in a candy store, giddy with joy. The road gently curved to the right, and suddenly, there in front of us, were the seven most magnificent sails floating above the Tarn Valley. It was spectacular; driving off the edge of the earth, onto a magnificent floating vessel in the sky. “WOW! Amazing! Did you see that? Holy sh*t! Look at the size of those masts! Oh my God! That was great!!!”
It didn’t take long to cross the 1 ½ mile bridge, where we promptly exited the autoroute to the <b>Millau Viaduct Visitor’s Center</b>. We checked out the displays in their museum, including one of the conveyors used to push the bridge decks out onto the pylons. The conveyor usually operates as a demonstration, but unfortunately, today it was non-functional. We then hiked the path to the top of the hill, to the look-out point, for a great view of the bridge and the town of Millau nestled in the valley below.
Back in our C-Max, we re-entered the autoroute for another kilometer, paid the Euro 6,00 toll for crossing the bridge, and then exited again, this time towards the town of <b>Millau</b>. We descended into the valley, eventually driving through Millau the town, and across the Tarn River, to the <b>Millau Viaduct Information Center</b>, which is sponsored by Eiffage, the engineering firm for the Viaduct. We toured through the free info center, watching the film, and taking in even more information about the bridge than we knew before. Since the Info Center is located under the bridge, by one of the pylons, we got to see it from a completely different perspective. Afterwards we drove around on some of the back roads that run under the bridge, taking time to get out of the car to admire the construction and take lots of pictures of concrete.
Dusk was coming on quickly, as were our hunger pangs. We drove back into the town of Millau and found a restaurant, where we sat and enjoyed a relaxing dinner while we waited for the sun to set, and the lights to come on and illuminate the bridge. We made our way back up to the A75 autoroute, paid our toll, and drove across the bridge again. It looked really cool all lit up, but wasn’t nearly the same kind of rush as doing it during the daylight.
By 22:30 we were pulling into our hotel in St. Remy, the Winds still blowing. It was a long day and a long drive to Millau, but well worth the effort and trip. The three of us had fulfilled a dream today. We were exhausted and elated at the same time, spending most of the drive “home” reliving our day's experiences.
http://www.chateau-baux-provence.com/en/baux/
http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/english/index.html
It was confirmed this morning by the hotel concierge, “Yes, those are the <b>Mistral Winds</b> blowing.” This is a phenomenon that occurs when the cold wind from the Alps collide with the warm winds from the Mediterranean. When we asked the concierge how long the winds would last, he replied, “When they say 2 days, that means 3 to 5. When they say 3 days, that means 5 to 7.”
Luckily the winds die down overnight, so it was clear and calm in the morning, when the boys drove over to the wasserei to pick up our laundry, only to find out it wouldn’t be done until noon.
So we decided to spend the morning exploring <b>Les Baux</b>, which was conveniently located a few kilometers south of our hotel. By the time we made the short trip over the Alpilles, it was around 10:00, and the winds had begun to kick up again. We parked the car, and bundled in our winter coats and hats, we walked the winding streets through the town, up the hill to the chateau, or what was left of it. We used our Nimes/Les Baux pass to gain entrance, and started to explore the spectacular remains of an ancient citadel carved from the massive bauxite rock it sits upon.
Of particular interest was the amazing display of life-size, working <b>medieval war machines</b>, including a catapult, couillard, belier, and trebuchet. A little background here: We actually had a working 8-foot trebuchet in our yard for a summer, made by our friend, Justin. It was great for launching soccer balls and pumpkins, and served as a model for five mini-portable trebuchets that my husband built for our same friend, which were used to launch flower petals at his wedding. So you can see why the fascination with the war machines. Unfortunately, the wind was now blowing so hard, I couldn’t keep my eyes moist enough to see, so I retreated to the little chapel on the grounds, the <b>Chapelle St. Blaise</b>, while the boys spent some time analyzing every weapon on display.
We continued our exploration of the chateau ruins, at times feeling like we were going to be blown right off the top of the mountain into the valley below. We occasionally found respite from the winds when we were walking through the several rooms and passageways carved into the rock. There was signage along the paths which showed an artist’s depiction of what the chateau looked like before it was demolished by Louis XIII in the 17th century. It was all very fascinating, but hard to really appreciate when your face was literally being sandblasted. The years of Mistral Winds blowing through Lex Baux were very evident from the amount of pock marks found in the bauxite buildings. We stopped at the gift store on our way out, where the clerk said the average sustained wind speed today was recorded at 100 km/hr, with gusts up to 130!!!
We exited the chateau and took a little side street which led to the <b>local cemetery</b>, where we spent some time wandering around, looking at the tombstones and graves. We realized we were hungry, so we found a little café right in the middle of town, <b>Le Jardin des Delices</b>, where we all ordered mushroom and cheese omelettes with a salad. It was very delicious, and gave us a chance to catch our breath and warm up.
Afterwards we continued our meander through town, stopping for a quick look in the <b>Penitents’ Chapel</b> (c. 17th century), and then across the courtyard, <b>St. Vincent’s Chapel</b> (c.12th century). Since we were walking through winding, medieval streets surrounded by ancient buildings, we were somewhat sheltered from the wind
We eventually made our way back to our car, and took the scenic route back to St. Remy, which snaked through the mountains and limestone quarries which helped to build Les Baux and the surroundings. We went straight to the wasserei to pick up our clothes, but had to wait another 15 minutes for them to open up after lunch, at 14:00. We finally retrieved our clean clothes, and we were off again, this time on a most anticipated journey across the <b>Millau Viaduct</b>.
We took the high-speed, limited access roads around Arles and Montpellier, all the while passing electronic road signs warning drivers of the high winds. We occasionally saw things blowing across the road, and surmised it might have been garbage, small plants, or tiny cars. It was quite the experience, propelling down the highway while the wind kept bouncing us back and forth. But our trusty C-Max held his own against the mighty Mistral Winds.
About two hours into the trip, as we were cruising down the A-75 autoroute, we started getting excited when we saw the signs, “Millau 30 km”, then, “Millau 20 km”. By the time we got to “Millau 10 km” we were all buzzing with glee. This was really going to happen. We were going to cross this modern engineering marvel of a bridge, nearly 900 feet in the air!!! Since we started planning our trip to the south of France, this is one of the sights that was most anticipated. Who would have thought, 5-10 years ago, when we had been following the construction of the Millau Viaduct, that we would actually NOW be crossing over the bridge?
The winds were still blowing, although not near as fierce this far west, and the sky was blue with high wispy clouds. Roger was driving, B.J. was in the front seat with camera ready, and I was straddling the middle of the back seat as we approached the 3 km sign. We were like three kids in a candy store, giddy with joy. The road gently curved to the right, and suddenly, there in front of us, were the seven most magnificent sails floating above the Tarn Valley. It was spectacular; driving off the edge of the earth, onto a magnificent floating vessel in the sky. “WOW! Amazing! Did you see that? Holy sh*t! Look at the size of those masts! Oh my God! That was great!!!”
It didn’t take long to cross the 1 ½ mile bridge, where we promptly exited the autoroute to the <b>Millau Viaduct Visitor’s Center</b>. We checked out the displays in their museum, including one of the conveyors used to push the bridge decks out onto the pylons. The conveyor usually operates as a demonstration, but unfortunately, today it was non-functional. We then hiked the path to the top of the hill, to the look-out point, for a great view of the bridge and the town of Millau nestled in the valley below.
Back in our C-Max, we re-entered the autoroute for another kilometer, paid the Euro 6,00 toll for crossing the bridge, and then exited again, this time towards the town of <b>Millau</b>. We descended into the valley, eventually driving through Millau the town, and across the Tarn River, to the <b>Millau Viaduct Information Center</b>, which is sponsored by Eiffage, the engineering firm for the Viaduct. We toured through the free info center, watching the film, and taking in even more information about the bridge than we knew before. Since the Info Center is located under the bridge, by one of the pylons, we got to see it from a completely different perspective. Afterwards we drove around on some of the back roads that run under the bridge, taking time to get out of the car to admire the construction and take lots of pictures of concrete.
Dusk was coming on quickly, as were our hunger pangs. We drove back into the town of Millau and found a restaurant, where we sat and enjoyed a relaxing dinner while we waited for the sun to set, and the lights to come on and illuminate the bridge. We made our way back up to the A75 autoroute, paid our toll, and drove across the bridge again. It looked really cool all lit up, but wasn’t nearly the same kind of rush as doing it during the daylight.
By 22:30 we were pulling into our hotel in St. Remy, the Winds still blowing. It was a long day and a long drive to Millau, but well worth the effort and trip. The three of us had fulfilled a dream today. We were exhausted and elated at the same time, spending most of the drive “home” reliving our day's experiences.
http://www.chateau-baux-provence.com/en/baux/
http://www.leviaducdemillau.com/english/index.html
Nov 11th, 2010, 06:27 AM
#36
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Robyn, it was a good start to my day to see your trip report this morning. The GTG with hetismij and the three of you certainly added to the fun of Amsterdam for Ron and me.
We've been to many of the places you visited in Provence and I'm reliving them again through your well written report. The Millau Viaduct is also on our list as a must see, hopefully next year. I'm looking forward to the rest of your travel stories, it's a terrific read!! Deborah
We've been to many of the places you visited in Provence and I'm reliving them again through your well written report. The Millau Viaduct is also on our list as a must see, hopefully next year. I'm looking forward to the rest of your travel stories, it's a terrific read!! Deborah
Nov 11th, 2010, 01:20 PM
#38
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am enjoying your trip report.
We were in France last October. Spent 2 weeks in Provence visiting many of the places you saw and then drove to Sarlat for a week. Maybe we passed you on a road! We didn't experience the Mistral, but had perfect weather for our entire trip. Which was a wonderful time of experiences and memories for us.
By the way we too were blown away by The Pont de Gard but didn't get to drive the Millau Viaduct. You certainly did some big drives.
We were in France last October. Spent 2 weeks in Provence visiting many of the places you saw and then drove to Sarlat for a week. Maybe we passed you on a road! We didn't experience the Mistral, but had perfect weather for our entire trip. Which was a wonderful time of experiences and memories for us.
By the way we too were blown away by The Pont de Gard but didn't get to drive the Millau Viaduct. You certainly did some big drives.
Nov 11th, 2010, 04:09 PM
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DeborahAnn - It was so nice to hear from you, and I'm glad you're enjoying my report. The three of us had a great time at our GTG with you, Ron & Barbara. I think it's kind of cool how people from different walks of life, who don't even know each other, can get together for an enjoyable afternoon, all in the name of travel. It was a pleasure to meet the three of you. We had a good time on the rest of our trip, particularly the south of France, despite the winds. When you go back to Provence, you really should take a ride across the Millau Viaduct. It's a beautiful bridge.
kerouac - Thanks for continuing to read along. Isn't the viaduct just amazing? I thought the heighth of the road deck would be an issue for me, but I was surprised how safe I felt, even with the wind blowing. The bridge has those curved plexiglass side rails that help control the winds, but still allows you to see the valley below. Very clever design. I also thought it was an interesting experience to have vistied the Pont du Gard and the Millau Viaduct on consecutive days, and observe the different building techniques over the span of 2000 years. By the way, you'd be hard pressed to get me swimming anywhere, but it would be nice to canoe/kayak on the Gardon, if there's enough water.
TDudette - Thanks for sharing your van Gogh moment. I kind of know what you mean by "getting" his colors, after spending April in Holland among the tulip fields. You can feel his inspiration (goosebumps).
Leely2 - Those howling winds you experienced must have been the Mistral Winds. For the most part we also had sunny days, with blue skies, and that darned constant blowing wind.
The weekend is coming, and so is the next installment. Thanks, everyone, for reading along...
Robyn
kerouac - Thanks for continuing to read along. Isn't the viaduct just amazing? I thought the heighth of the road deck would be an issue for me, but I was surprised how safe I felt, even with the wind blowing. The bridge has those curved plexiglass side rails that help control the winds, but still allows you to see the valley below. Very clever design. I also thought it was an interesting experience to have vistied the Pont du Gard and the Millau Viaduct on consecutive days, and observe the different building techniques over the span of 2000 years. By the way, you'd be hard pressed to get me swimming anywhere, but it would be nice to canoe/kayak on the Gardon, if there's enough water.
TDudette - Thanks for sharing your van Gogh moment. I kind of know what you mean by "getting" his colors, after spending April in Holland among the tulip fields. You can feel his inspiration (goosebumps).
Leely2 - Those howling winds you experienced must have been the Mistral Winds. For the most part we also had sunny days, with blue skies, and that darned constant blowing wind.
The weekend is coming, and so is the next installment. Thanks, everyone, for reading along...
Robyn
Nov 11th, 2010, 04:29 PM
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi ausssie_10 - Thanks for your reply. Apparently, it was beautiful and warm in Provence until the three of us arrived. The Mistral Winds started the next day, on Sunday the 11th, and peaked on Tuesday-Thursday. There was some kind of freak snowstorm in Germany and Switzerland which caused the cold air to stir up the winds. Of course, it had to happen when we were there! Oh well. We just chalk it up to another interesting experience (translate: story to tell).
Robyn
Robyn
