French Kissing in Avignon and Other Tales of a Week in Provence by dln
Nov 9th, 2004, 09:22 AM
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din: Grizwalds...It was Chevy Chase..European vacation...got on the roundabout in London and as the sun set in the west they were still going round, and round...they also knocked over all the rocks at Stonehenge..the movie was stupid but like a lot of stupid movies, I found about three or four parts to really laugh at. The roundabout was one of them.
Nov 9th, 2004, 09:31 AM
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Gee, if I'd known you were that miserable at the Domaine, I would have come and rescued you and brought you to my house. No soundproofing problems here - my house is an 18th olive oil mill with really thick walls. I'm only fifteen minutes from Beaucaire. Actually the best moules frites are IN Beaucaire on the port at "Du Nord au Sud". Sorry you didn't find it.
Hope you visit improved...
Patricia
Hope you visit improved...
Patricia
Nov 9th, 2004, 09:37 AM
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About driving in France...if you want to invest in a premium membership at bonjourparis.com you can read a substantial article on the subject, written by my DH. I might be able to post it here eventually, but it's a bit long, driving in France being, shall we say, interesting.
Nov 9th, 2004, 09:56 AM
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If you want to read about the first part of this wonderful trip, check out "My Husband Won't Take Me Back to France Until I Get the Trip Report for this Trip Is Finished First!" Here's the link...
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34534735
Thank you, dln, for sharing such a wonderful trip.
-Sharon
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34534735
Thank you, dln, for sharing such a wonderful trip.
-Sharon
Nov 9th, 2004, 09:59 AM
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Too funny, crefloors! We eventually did the hang of roundabouts, well, sort of, but I was really happy that our rental car took diesel! I think it is as vacaluvr said: that you have to wipe the slate clear and start driving with a European mindset. Their road system and logic IS different than ours. Although I never thought that in this day and age we'd have found ourselves navigating by the sun (are we going east now? is the sun on top of the car? can you see where it is?) Next time we're packing a compass since we have this predisposition for driving down little back roads out in the middle of nowhere!
Patricia, you are so kind. Your home must look so pretty, and so cool in the summertime. I think you live in a beautiful area. We plan on going back because we fell in love with all the nearby towns, and the countryside was not so busy looking as it is around Aix. It was very relaxing.
I suppose we could have left the Domaine des Clos but we were only booked in for three nights and we'd probably have wasted too much time finding another place. We decided to make the best of it, leaving early in the morning and coming back late at nght, and that worked out well. It only goes to show, though, that what looks glorious on a website might not necessarily transfer through to real life. On the plus side, the breakfasts were nice though the sound effects in the morning weren't!
We drove to Arles and parked in a lot shaded by plane trees. Does anyone know how they grow? The pavement comes nearly up to their trunks, so how do they get enough water to survive, let alone thrive? (Is there a high water table, do you think?) We loved the plane trees. They create so much ambiance and lend such a beautiful feeling to the lay of the land. We loved driving down all the grand allees with the rows upon rows of plane trees.
But I digress. We had our Fodors Provence guidebook with us and set out to do the walking tour. It's an interesting place and we strolled around at a leisurely pace enjoying the afternoon. We walked down one small street and saw a plaque above one of the doorways, commemorating the fact that a doctor had once lived there, but was taken away by the Nazis in WWII, never to return. It was so sad and not a little chilling, thinking of someone obviously well-regarded and loved, disappearing forever.
Patricia, you are so kind. Your home must look so pretty, and so cool in the summertime. I think you live in a beautiful area. We plan on going back because we fell in love with all the nearby towns, and the countryside was not so busy looking as it is around Aix. It was very relaxing.
I suppose we could have left the Domaine des Clos but we were only booked in for three nights and we'd probably have wasted too much time finding another place. We decided to make the best of it, leaving early in the morning and coming back late at nght, and that worked out well. It only goes to show, though, that what looks glorious on a website might not necessarily transfer through to real life. On the plus side, the breakfasts were nice though the sound effects in the morning weren't!
We drove to Arles and parked in a lot shaded by plane trees. Does anyone know how they grow? The pavement comes nearly up to their trunks, so how do they get enough water to survive, let alone thrive? (Is there a high water table, do you think?) We loved the plane trees. They create so much ambiance and lend such a beautiful feeling to the lay of the land. We loved driving down all the grand allees with the rows upon rows of plane trees.
But I digress. We had our Fodors Provence guidebook with us and set out to do the walking tour. It's an interesting place and we strolled around at a leisurely pace enjoying the afternoon. We walked down one small street and saw a plaque above one of the doorways, commemorating the fact that a doctor had once lived there, but was taken away by the Nazis in WWII, never to return. It was so sad and not a little chilling, thinking of someone obviously well-regarded and loved, disappearing forever.
Nov 9th, 2004, 10:38 AM
#52
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We strolled around Arles looking and this and that, coming across a hotel on a square. Nothing surprising in that, except that one wall of the hotel contained the remnants of an old Roman structure. The hotel had simply built around it and into it! Took an obligatory photo, of course, but then again the entire trip was a camera-in, camera-out kind of expedition. France lends itself so well to the camera. I window shopped along the way and Rob breathed a sigh of relief that the pottery shop I'd set my sights on was closed for the afternoon lunch hour. I adore pottery. I have more pottery in my house than I could possibly have guests to eat off it; but that doesn't stop me wanting to add to the collection. Oh the colors of French pottery! They're so warm. No wonder meals take forever to eat; why eat and run when you are surrounded by beautiful tableware?
But it was lunchtime so there was no pottery to be bought. We went to the local Monoprix and bought ourselves a Croque Monsieur and juice and headed over to a park that sat along the edge of the river. We watched the men play their games of boules as we ate and planned the next stop for our day.
There were public toilets in the park and we decided to avail ourselves of the facilities before going back to the car. No sit down toilet but rather the hole in the floor with the footplates to either side (photo coming later in report, courtesy of Rob who documents much more than the flora and fauna). No toilet paper either, so I stood there rifling through my pocketbook looking for a reasonable substitute. I was obviously in there too long after locking the door. The stall was equipped with an automatic jet spray, which went off. I nearly jumped out of my skin as my ankles were assaulted with sharp pulses of water coming from all directions. And then I started laughing and probably would have peed my pants, had that not defeated the whole purpose of being in there.
But it was lunchtime so there was no pottery to be bought. We went to the local Monoprix and bought ourselves a Croque Monsieur and juice and headed over to a park that sat along the edge of the river. We watched the men play their games of boules as we ate and planned the next stop for our day.
There were public toilets in the park and we decided to avail ourselves of the facilities before going back to the car. No sit down toilet but rather the hole in the floor with the footplates to either side (photo coming later in report, courtesy of Rob who documents much more than the flora and fauna). No toilet paper either, so I stood there rifling through my pocketbook looking for a reasonable substitute. I was obviously in there too long after locking the door. The stall was equipped with an automatic jet spray, which went off. I nearly jumped out of my skin as my ankles were assaulted with sharp pulses of water coming from all directions. And then I started laughing and probably would have peed my pants, had that not defeated the whole purpose of being in there.
Nov 9th, 2004, 10:59 AM
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dln
Re: The Roudabouts
We actually were amazed at the efficiency of the roundabouts on our first trip to France two years ago. We managed to drive all over Provence and really developed a good system. With me driving and my wife Lynn navigating, I would pay attention to the traffic and she would tell me where to turn off. I told her, "just watch for the correct sign and say three o'clock,nine o'clock, twelve o'clock" or whatever corresponded to our direction. This worked great until one time when I kept saying "where do I turn, where do I turn?" And she yelled back, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!!!"
Wow, sorry about your hotel disappointment. After such a long day, I can appreciate how frustrating it must have been to have your expectations dampened.
We are returning in March and so far have only have plane tickets. Patricia - do you remember volunteering to open early for us? Maybe we should take you up on your offer if it still stands.(you can email me at [email protected])
Did we get to the French kiss part yet?
JoeG
Re: The Roudabouts
We actually were amazed at the efficiency of the roundabouts on our first trip to France two years ago. We managed to drive all over Provence and really developed a good system. With me driving and my wife Lynn navigating, I would pay attention to the traffic and she would tell me where to turn off. I told her, "just watch for the correct sign and say three o'clock,nine o'clock, twelve o'clock" or whatever corresponded to our direction. This worked great until one time when I kept saying "where do I turn, where do I turn?" And she yelled back, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!!!"
Wow, sorry about your hotel disappointment. After such a long day, I can appreciate how frustrating it must have been to have your expectations dampened.
We are returning in March and so far have only have plane tickets. Patricia - do you remember volunteering to open early for us? Maybe we should take you up on your offer if it still stands.(you can email me at [email protected])
Did we get to the French kiss part yet?
JoeG
Nov 9th, 2004, 12:34 PM
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Unfortunately, Joe, we haven't gotten to the French kissing part.
But I'm enjoying the Provence trip report so much that I decided to find the previously written Paris report. My oh my, that Prelude to Provence contains this little morsel: "If I wear French lipstick, what does it do for my kisses?"
Day 4, wherefore art thou?
But I'm enjoying the Provence trip report so much that I decided to find the previously written Paris report. My oh my, that Prelude to Provence contains this little morsel: "If I wear French lipstick, what does it do for my kisses?"
Day 4, wherefore art thou?
Nov 9th, 2004, 12:55 PM
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I'm enjoying your report but like the rest of us , I am eagerly anticipating the " French Kiss" chapter.
I was in Avignon a few weeks ago, but since I was traveling with a woman friend I didn't get the opportunity to document if the new tube of lipstick I'd purchased in Paris had any kind of supercharged powers.
Now, if I'd been traveling with my husband, I would have been inspired to conduct scientific kissing experiments.
I was in Avignon a few weeks ago, but since I was traveling with a woman friend I didn't get the opportunity to document if the new tube of lipstick I'd purchased in Paris had any kind of supercharged powers.
Now, if I'd been traveling with my husband, I would have been inspired to conduct scientific kissing experiments.
Nov 9th, 2004, 12:59 PM
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Your descriptions are so funny,dln - I'm really enjoying your report. Too bad about the B&B, though. At least your report will keep us Fodorites from booking there! As for driving in France, what I do now (months before going) is STUDY my Michelin maps as if I were going to have final exams on the geography of France. The names of towns are what matters - to heck with the route numbers! Fortunately, I'm retired and have the time to do this!
Nov 9th, 2004, 01:20 PM
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I can't wait to see the toilet pictures!!!!!! My first thought was..oh no!!! are you demonstrating?!!! I always carry the small packets of Kleenex in my purse for lifes little emergencies. Thank the ever lovin' Lord up above, I did NOT have the privledge of running across one of "those" toilets.
Nov 9th, 2004, 03:05 PM
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Oh dln, to see that toilet spraying your feet and the hopping around and looking for tissues!
It is much funnier when it happens to someone else
Pooh, that the pottery shop was closed! How did you get over the disappointment?
It is much funnier when it happens to someone else
Pooh, that the pottery shop was closed! How did you get over the disappointment?
