Deep Provence - Chateneuf de Pape

Here we are in our new location - Villes sur Auzon - near Mount Ventoux. Lovely new studio apartment. English owner lives next door and an Australian couple arrived same day as us and will also be staying for a month. Going for drinks at owner's house tonight.

Since we arrived the Mistral has been blowing. It is very sunny, but very windy indeed. Good thing I'm fat or I'd be blown away by now!! Still we visited Avignon yesterday and Villeneuve de Avignon. The first is impressive and better if you enter the city from the North to get the whole landscape of it. It is a walled city and it was very important as it was for a time the Papal city, the only other after Rome. The Chateaux des Papes is quite impressive, although much destroyed by both wars and less than careful use by the army in the 20th century. Still, worth a visit. Villeneuve is across the river and more of a village, but very pretty indeed. It also has an old Fort (ruins really) and an old convent. The river Rhone that runs between the two is very beautiful too.

Today we visited Chateneuf de Pape. For the wine lovers amongst you - eat your heart out.... Lovely little village, surrounded by vineyards and lots and lots of places to try the wines. Shame it was 10 in the morning and Alan drives. Still we tried and bought a bottle of Chateneuf for the hell of it... Good stuff.

Went on to Orange then and visited the old amphitheatre. Good atmosphere in the town and interesting history. Good start for this new leg of the trip and looking forward to whatever is in store. Will let you know.

hubby does Monaco circuit - almost

Second attempt at this posting. It is our last day in Roquebrune, so, quiet day tiding up as the weather was overcast this morning, just to turn into a boiling hot afternoon.

Went to Menton on the border with Italy yesterday, so we have covered the whole of the South coast. Took the coastal road on the way back so Alan could do the Monte Carlo circuit and to avoid the very high up motorway that we took on the way in and almost caused him to have a panic attack. Got lost in the underground tunnels in Monte Carlo and finished on the other side of the town, missing the circuit on the way. Shame.

Still had a brilliant trip back using the coastal road and going through the various resorts along the way including Nice, which was really good as we had forgotten how nice it actually is. Much nicer than Cannes that was too posh for us. The only thing that is not nice is how built up the coast is now around Cannes, Nice, Monte Carlo. The hills are alive with horrible developments not at all in keep with the region. Still would like to do the coastal road again out of season to better appreciate the landscape.

Over to deep Provence tomorrow. 6th leg of the trip and 2 1/2 months to go.

yesterday St. Tropez, today Antibes, what else can I say?

Another day, another hot spot. We went to Antibes and Cannes today. Antibes quite different from what I expected. I thought it was a small, quiet village and it is quite a busy town. Cap D'Antibes however, is small and so very posh. In fact, you don't see much of it as it is all hidden behind massive gates and garden walls. Amazing mansions and very little beach really.

Antibes old town was very pretty and prices pretty good. The market was lovely and very colourful. The best I have seen so far. Beaches again very limited, but this is true of most of this coast, which is quite rocky.

Cannes was another world. The town is really big and busy. It reminded me a lot of Rio with the traffic,the people, etc. All very posh and quite pretentious too. It has a couple of long beaches but they were heaving. Posh shops galore too. We only stopped for a couple of hours, but won't be going back. I prefer St. Tropez and Antibes.

Weather still boiling. It will be a quiet day on the beach tomorrow. The heat takes a lot out of you when you are wondering round towns.

Ah, bought the most expensive figs ever in Antibes market. 4 figs for 5 euros 20.... Couldn't believe it. Cest la vie. Won't be doing that in a hurry again.

Vini, vidi, vinci ... St Tropez

Well, went to St. Tropez today expecting to find it the pits. From reading the Rough guide and some comments left in the apartment, I thought it would be awful.

What a nice surprise. It is still quaint, much smaller than I expected and quite friendly really. Prices were more expensive, but am sure that it would have cost a lot more if it was a similar setting in Italy for example. I remember well the cost of a couple of espressos in St. Mark's Square.

It is still very French, very South of France and even a bit frayed at the edges, which I didn't expect it to be.

Of course, there are very posh yachts, makes you drool, even though I am not that into boats, and a few posers. I expected more... Didn't find it intimidating at all. Maybe cheap tourism is making inroads in all the exclusive places in the world, or, the VIPs are just good at hiding during the day and avoiding the peasants like us.

Really enjoyed it and would recommend a visit.
Au revoir...

Phew, don't mention Gorges of Verdun

Phew, wow, gosh.... Just returned from a very beautiful but very stressful day out. We were warned about the heights at the Gorges of Verdun, but looked so beautiful on the pictures that Alan decided to be brave. Chose the supposed to be less hair raising road and after a couple of minutes Alan said he couldn't go on and we duly turned back and went on to see Moustiers Ste Marie, which is a really beautiful village with a very striking chapel right above it, on the top of the amazing cliffs over the village. See the photos in Facebook.

We were feeling very smug and carried on to Riez, the purpose of which was to see the lavender fields that cover the surrounding area. Was really looking forward to it and then, very disappointed as they cut the lavender in mid July and there was nothing left. You could see the rows on the ground and from photos I have seeing, it is just magical when they are in bloom.

Anyway, decided to carry and return a different way, avoiding the gorge and the scary roads (using the main road which on the map looked very straight indeed). Well, we just found ourselves on top of the Alps, with amazing views and even more amazing hairpin bends for miles and miles and miles. Husband couldn't even speak. I joke you not, it took us two hours to get back down and we were both exhausted by then. I'm no good with heights, but knowing that my driver was having kittens, did not make for a stress free trip. The photos (mostly through the windscreen) are pretty good though. Enjoy....

Ah, forgot to say that we went to Cassis on the coast just before Marseille and it was beautiful. Very, very crowded, but in typical French style, still very peaceful. No music blaring, no kids screaming and the boat trip round the "calanques" was just lovely. Photos also in Facebook.

Tomorrow definitely a relaxing day at the beach. Don't think Alan can cope with another road for a day or so. And, he wants tho do the Monte Carlo circuit...

panoramas, smells and internet

Well, here I am. Was so excited that would have Internet in the flat, only to find out that the system in France is really crap. I wonder how they survive. How they operate their businesses... THe system is totally erratic. It works every 5 minutes or so and this goes for the phone too. We can call for free from here and I was hoping to keep in touch with my mum and dad in Brasil, but system just goes off without any warning. Very odd.

Am reading loads of books on people that have moved to France and the experience seems to be the same, no matter what. The indications are that the French are not that inbto new technology. This might explain the poor connections. Worst than 3rd world countries.

We went to Grasse, the perfum capital??? Was very diasppointed. Reading on it indicated that you'd know you got there just by the sweet smells in the air. Well, I wouldn't call dog and horse poo, sweet smelling... Maybe it is like Venice, I absolute adore it and never experienced the smells that people talk about. Maybe I just got to Grasse at the wrong time. The old town is compact but run down, dirty, graffiti and all that, and the rest, is just a massive sprawl....
The old town was the set for the film Parfum, which was quite an odd, but good film. Actually I must see it again.

Anyway, I can now say that I have been there and it was worth going through it as it is on the way to Gourdon. Now, that is an amazing place and hurray, I have had a really good meal for a really reasonable price. Anywhere else in the world and you'd pay double for the views. Had a really great time.

The landscape here is really odd. Goes from very dry and barren to very lush, especially in the mountains. I am finding it very built up as well. The old and beautiful is still there, but the outskirts,like any big place is run down and dirty as you approach most of the big places - Cannes, etc.

We are having a rest today. The driving is beautiful but tasking on hubby, with all the twist and turns of the roads. We are hoping to brave part fo the way to the Gorge of Verdun, but everything we read about it, warns about vertigo driving. Not for the faint hearted, Alan or I , for that matter.

Relaxed day, home cooking. Fed up of restaurant food and, weather permitting, tomorrow I want to see the lavender fields, before the flowers are over.
Au revoir....

VIP or what?

Just joking, but am near St. Tropez - an hour to get there though. Arrived in Roquebrunne Sur Argens yesterday afternoon. Apartment is nice, although to sleep 4 would not be very comfortable. Only draw back is having to park quite a distance away and we are carrying a load of boxes, etc. But once you have got the stuff in, easy peasy.

We are resting today, because even with the stopover in Sete, a holiday resort near Beziers, still took us 4 hours to get here ( and it was 4 hours to get to Sete, using the B roads though, which are more scenic.

Landscape has changed again and now is mountainous and green, having crossed the Camargue that is flat and more barren.

I think we are going to like it here. Medieval village, but lots of turists, so lots of restaurants and a couple of shops too. Plenty of people moving around during the day. At long last, I might be able to people watch just sitting at a cafe. Drunk the local Rose wine yesterday, pretty good. Rose is growing on us, very popular in France for the Summer. Will post more from here as I have wifi - HURRAYYYYYYY.

on top of the world and public toilettes

Well, what can I say, I am almost moving on again - this Friday and have not written anything about the current place.
We moved down from Lot and Garonne on the 24th July, a day earlier so that we could break the journey up and see Carcassonne, a place I dreamed of since watching programs on France and reading the book Labyrinth. It certainly was worth stopping over although when I first got there, I was slightly disappointed. You build mental images of places and when they are not exactly as you imagined, it shocks you. However, as we visited the walled city mid afternoon, again in the evening and first thing in the morning, it grew on me. It is very turisty, but actually quite beautiful and I would return.
Anyway, from there was on and upwards, literally, to our next place in the Pyrenees. If you've seen the pictures in Facebook, you can see how beautiful it is. However, after 6 kilometres up the mountain ( which honestly, feels like 20), I felt I would never come down again until the day to move on. It is steep and narrow and by the time we get either up or down on our travels, my knuckles are white and my shoulders tight from fear....

But, we have got used to it and it is paradise on earth. The studio is small but perfectly formed and the views are amazing. If I was doing it again, I'd only do a week up there as everything else is down and I'd rather not have to do that road every time.

Since being there though, we have visited a couple of beach resorts, just returned from Argeles Sur Mare, which I really enjoyed today and we also visited Collioure, where Matisse lived for a time and I really like that one. There are photos in Facebook.
Yesterday we visited Roses/Rosas in Spain. Weird to cross the border and not to be checked at all. The place was not that interesting, just a large built resort, but the coastal road there was something. Hairpin bends again but very dramatic. Like it.
We move on Friday to the Cote D'Azur and I will have wi-fi - hurray. Will write more then.

As an aside, I just want to mention public toilettes in France - not all, mind you. They still have loads of those that simply have a hole on the floor. Very weird and quite unhygienic, don't like them at all. Prefer to cross my legs for a time....

Will be in touch. Au revoir