Photo Journal: Cote d'Azure

leaving the Rivieria, this is Ventimiglia, Italy.

This is looking onto Monte Carlo, Monaco

The Old Nice Market, held daily in Old Nice

What a gent

View of Nice from Castel Hill

*For more info about Nice check out this fellow blogger and her invaluable website!

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15 of April 2009

Avignon – Day 2

Today I rented a bike from my youth hostel. I rode along the Island, around farms, and then crossed the bridge heading away from Avignon to Villeneuve lez Avignon. It was beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and not many people. There was a big tower and then a sort of fortified city or castel. I went way up on a hill that had commanding views of Avignon and the Rhone. Olive groves and houses covered in ivy dressed with green shutters made up this lovely place.





The weather really turned today, it got super windy and cold with even some rain! I tried to have a picnic but it was too cold. Later I went back to the Palace d'Papas and went to the top and looked down on the square. So many different ages of people playing and enjoying the day. Teens and university students playing football, breakdancing, and what not. Climbing back up to the park, I viewed rowers on the Rhone. A Slow day. I am ready to head to Nice although I checked the forecast and it's rain! I hope that weather.com is wrong because I had ambitious plans of getting a tan!

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Photo Journal: France

Outside a market in Avignon

Pont Saint Benèzet

Spanish Bullfight in Arles

Cafe Central on Rue Cler, Paris

I'm pretty sure everyone know what this is...

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My Tour de France

With the Tour de France underway, I felt it quite fitting to recall my far too brief Tour de-I want to go back-France. I wish and probably should have done the route and stages that the cyclist do but I had other places to see and people to visit.

I started my relationship with France in Paris, sometimes considered Europe's capitol. I think this is a bit of an overstatement but much deserved. One will never run out of cafes, museums, bridges, and awe in Paris. I stayed near Rue Cler in the Hotel Emperuer I believe my mom and I managed to stay there under 100 euros a night over Easter weekend. The room was small but had a nice view, convenient metros close at hand, and walking distance(somewhat ambitious) to the Eiffel Tower. Rue Cler is a delightful street with markets and picturesque cafes. I had the most incredible meal at Cafè Central. The service was friendly to my surprise and had 'spend your whole sunday afternoon people watching' atmosphere. I ordered brunch and my mom had the eggs benedict, both stunning presentation and almost too much for my novice & american palette. My overall experience of Paris was too quick and a definite return in the future. So only a bite for you readers!

After Paris I took the train to Arles. I was so fortunate to actually go to one of the bi-annual Spanish Bullfights! The ticket was 30 euros, which hurt since i am pretty cheap, but well worth it. I probably wont ever go to another bull fight in my life. I've seen and have mixed feelings about the whole experience even today...I'm not sure what was more disturbing, the 6 bulls being slaughtered for "entertainment" or the fact that the ampitheatre was packed with all of France cheering and jeering...I need to return to Arles as well because the town was in rare form. I felt like I was at a tacky Mexican carnival, it did not seem french let alone Van Gogh's temporary home one bit! I spent under 24 hours there unfortunately.

I went to Avignon and fell in love! What a beautiful town and tres francios, or might I say tres provencal (I don't know how to do that broken c symbol...somebody??)! I stayed at a hostel slash campground somewhat on the outskirts of town but not too bad. There wasn't anything negative I can say about Avignon, GO! I was surprised to find out that the Pope lived there for 70 years making it the "Vatican," I had no idea. The crumbling bridge (Pont Saint Benèzèt) with its famous nursery rhymes adds character to this already charming town. I spent three days here and it's a great location to visit provencal villages nearby. I rented a bike and road around the countryside the whole time thinking, "I'm riding a bike...IN FRANCE!!!" It was all perfect. I had a delightful petit dejouner in the Place Crillon. One of my favorite parts of France is le petit dejouner, it's fun to say, tastey, and tres chic...just a side note.

After Avignon I headed to the Cote d'Azure and stayed in Nice. Nice was nice but the weather was a bit wet and cold in mid April. I was determined to rent a chase lounge on the "beach" and drink Rose and pretend I was a young, rich, famous, big deal. I did....and was next to a large leathery man with a much too small euro speedo. I was freezing. I did day trips to Cannes, Antibes, and Monaco. Monaco was unreal and I was too beached to pretend I that I was remotely well off. I stayed at a "hotel" near the train station. I say "hotel" because I would actually consider it a hostel in fact I called it a hostel and the receptionist corrected me with an abrupt, "It's Hotel Belle Meuniere." My thoughts being,"Well I'm sharing a bathroom and bedroom with four people I've never met...it's a hostel." My mistake. Breakfast was included and kept me going till mid afternoon, when I needed Rosè anyway! I would stay their again, it's warm and charming as you enter through their bright yellow doors. If you need a break from the sun Nice has some incredible museums, the free and underrated Contemporary Art Museum is a gem! If you don't go for contemporary art at least go for the incredible panoramic view of Nice on the roof garden. There is also the Matisse and Chagall Museums which are next to each other and worthy of a peruse.

So only a brief slice of France, just enough to make me want to go back.

For more pictures visit my flickr

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Everyone needs some Rosè in their life

Well my ambition of blogging about my trip to Europe this spring was a flop but I suppose I can reflect on my experiences...right? I will. My experience traveling was amazing to say the least and to sum it up in one word.
Each place I visited I brought back a bit of the local culture to infiltrate my life back in the states. Currently I have been tres nicois and enjoying Rosè. I do as they do and have some midday perhaps at lunch, or before, or both! I never appriciated Rosè, I thought of it like lukewarm water, is it hot or cold, It needed to make up its mind and be either Red or White!
So what changed, the Rosè didn't, I did. I'm not even sure if I like Rosè or if I like where it takes me–back to the pebbles on the Cote d'Azure. It's not just the Rosè but all that goes along with it–enjoying each day and the beauty it holds. A bit corney sounding and I know someone else could sum it up better. But life isn't about being a "big deal" and having a job to boast about. It's not about your house and how big it is and what mid century designer furniture is exhibited inside. It's not even about going to the French Riviera and vacationing.
A job is job, a house is your home, and there's no vacation. There's holiday. As I was chatting about french life and culture over a bottle of Rosè with Sebastion and Robert I realized how I wasn't engaging in life. Even this experience of travel had become a task rather than a journey. Good thing I ended up in the Cote d'Azure earlier!
But drinking Rosè is culture and community. You get together after your mornings work is through and take in the beauty of the Med and talk and listen to your friends. If the day is too nice, and too beautiful, that comes first. We have one life. The Med is there. The sun is out. The work will get done. Enjoy.
Now as I'm back in the American West, looking for work (a bit hopeless) I will pause, take a break and pour a glass of Rosè.It's summer. The day is beautiful. There will be work. It's time to be and enjoy.

* Try Cinder Wines Rosè. It won first place in the Northwest

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Spanish Bullfights in France!

I leave in about 3 weeks. I am feeling restless, I just want to go! I have been enjoying the planning process. I wonder how much I will actually blog while I am over there...I want to so we'll see. France is what I have been putting most my time into as of late. I am looking forward to Paris but especially Provence and Cote d'Azure. I'm pretty excited, in Arles they have there own version of a bull fight but over Easter they do real Spanish bullfights with the whole gory shebang! It will be a quite entertaining I'm sure. I was considering buying my ticket for the fight ahead of time but I don't really understand anything because it's all in French. I think I'll wait...
So I am going to toot around Arles for a couple of days and then Avignon. I will use Avignon as a springboard to Pont du Guard. I have been pleased with the accommodations, they have been around $20 a night including breakfast and as far as Tripadvisor goes it sounds like people have been pleased. We shall see how they really are upon arrival. Well that's the update.

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Gilbert & Maggie

So I have nailed down the first 10 days of my trip. I will keep my plans fluid after. My mom is joining me for those first ten day so we want to be strategic and not waste a moment. I am pretty excited, only 5 weeks till take off!

We are staying in B&B's and small inns, no big deal american tourist hotels. Local, that's the way I like to roll. I am looking forward most to Bruges. I never thought Belgium would be the highlight of my European tour but it is definitely becoming just that. We will be staying at this cute B&B, the owners are Maggie and Gilbert. They aren't Belgian...they're Scottish. I know that's not very local, but i like it all the same. I am curious how they ended up residing in Belgium...what's their story? Maggie and I have already had witty exchanges back and forth via email and I am looking forward to meeting both her and Gilbert in person.

That is all until further notice : )

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