Heading Home

Friday, 30^th August

For our last day in Nice/France/Europe we planned to visit the Marc Chagall Museum. We walked there, it was about 20 minutes from the hotel, but we were just a little wary – would it be open? Other Museums we had looked forward to seeing were closed (Picasso in Paris, twice). But we were in luck, it was open! It is situated in a lovely leafy part of Nice, and we walked past some very beautiful apartment blocks, houses, mansions and an enormous building, The Majestic, we presume is a hotel. There are many Belle Epoque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings in Nice- it has some very attractive spots.

The Marc Chagall Museum houses a collection of his works. At present the temporary exhibition was his Self Portraits. There is a permanent exhibition of his Old Testament stories, about 15 very large paintings depicting stories about Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Noah and The Song of Songs. There is a beautiful mosaic above a large pond outside, and an auditorium with three stained glass windows, again depicting The Creation. The gallery was interesting and purpose built to house his work. The building is light, airy and modern, with free audio guides, a café in the shady gardens and a good gift shop. I feel we have been spoiled a bit by the Alfons Mucha Slav Epic in Prague, which had an enormous visual, cultural and emotional impact on both of us. While the Chagall works were interesting, we were not blown away!

We walked back to the hotel, collected our luggage and were picked up for our airport transfer. The flight from Nice to Dubai was made interesting, as we flew along the coast to Italy, across Italy to Ancona, and then over Split. We had a chance to revisit (35000 feet above) several of the places we visited on the ground.

We landed in Dubai and had to take a train from one terminal to the other. When we landed at one terminal, we looked around and thought that it looked different. Could they have rearranged all the duty free in the six weeks we’ve been away? Well, no, we were in a different building.

We stocked up on some supplies, and are waiting to board for the long leg home.

And what a long leg it became.

There was a stop in Kuala Lumpur for almost two hours, while they cleaned the plane and refuelled. So we got off the plane, went into the terminal, went through a baggage check, and sat around until we could get back onto the SAME plane, in the same seats and waited on the tarmac for another hour. It was too windy to take off on a northerly runway and we had to wait for a southerly runway to become available. 

We had a bit more waiting, because as we approached the eastern side of Australia, there wasn’t enough fuel to get to Melbourne. So we diverted to Adelaide, and waited for another hour or so. We finally got into Melbourne at 3:30 and into a taxi by 4ish and home at about 4:30.

We think we have been awake for about 45 hours. We try to work it out, but with so many different time zones and that we have been awake for nearly two days, it's not making much sense and what does it matter? We’re home.

Thank you to all of you who have followed our travels. We have had a fantastic time away, and have loved sharing our reflections with you. We hope you have had some fun reading the Blog, VerweysEurope2013.  

How to spend €1:30 and feel like a Millionaire ~ Nice – Monte Carlo – Nice

Thursday, 29^th August

After a slow start, in our own time, and breakfast in the hotel, we walked towards the bus stop to get the bus to Monte Carlo. We followed the directions from “our man, Rick”, but unfortunately The Man did not prepare us for all the renovations going on around the bus stop, well, the bus stop that is no longer where it once was. Walking back and forth across the streets and plazas we eventually found the next stop for the #100 bus that takes you along the coast to Monaco.

We sat on the right side of the bus, so that we could get the best view, the only drawback that we were facing the wrong way. Not to worry – still amazing views, coming or going.

The bus takes about an hour to go from Nice to Monte Carlo and all the way is spectacular. Fabulous views of the water, the cliffs, the harbours, the villas, the boats, the cars – everything is beautiful! We tried to find the villa that The Rolling Stones recorded “Exile on Main Street” in 1972. We know we saw it; we just don’t know which villa it was!

We were tootling along quite enthralled by everything we were seeing, when the bus stopped at one of the many stops along the way, and the driver got out, walked to the end of the bus and saw smoke billowing out. So all 100 passengers had to get out and wait for another bus. Another one came along within a few minutes, but was packed, so we waited for the next. While we were waiting, just above a beach, we watched the people paddling in the shallows, and playing on the sand. There was a woman, who looked like she was in her 70s, doing her stretching exercises, topless.

The next bus was crowded too, but we got on and stood most of the way to Monaco, about 25 minutes. We got off at the end of the line and strolled back towards the casino.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

What beautiful buildings, what beautiful shops, what beautiful wealth.

Many of the shops have Prince Albert & Princess Charlene’ wedding photo in the window. Intriguing. The looked happy enough – but we did not see them in the flesh.

The Casino was very busy, and it doesn’t open until 2:00pm, but there were many people milling around, and several fabulous cars parked outside. The Pokie machine hall was open, so we went in for a peek and then wandered off towards the Prince’s Palace.

It all seems very nice! Very clean, very tidy, free public WCs, which were very clean and even the pedestrian underpasses, which can be dark, scary and filthy in most places, were bright and clean.

Monaco has the highest per capita income in the world, and it shows. No income tax. It is enticing! It is a symbol of success – it has the best of Italian and French lifestyles the longest continual reigning royal family since 1267 and seems totally unscathed by the GFC - if going by property prices is any guide. However, Dick parading around in his hat purchased from the gypsies in Orvieto market might have brought down the prices a tad. Furthermore, Monaco was the only place we visited in Europe where there was no sign of the street traders trying to sell copies of handbags &/or some trinket or other. The only downside was that there was not one square inch of beach between the magnificent ocean going vessels or swimming. But this problem was solved by the hundreds of rooftop pools which every apartment block seemed to have – maybe it is in this principality’s building regulations. It is not hard to appreciate why the French Riviera must be the favourite holiday destination for millions of Europeans as it is difficult to imagine not enjoying a return visit no matter how often.

We got the bus back to Nice (€1:30 each way) and called in at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MOMAC), had a coffee, looked at the sculptures on the terrace and came back to the hotel, walking through Nice. It’s just a little bit more gritty and noisy and vibrant than Monte Carlo.

We rested for a while - absorbing the beauty, the wealth, the bus trip were exhausting!

For our last dinner in Nice/France/Europe we consulted Our Man, Rick, who recommended some restaurants in the next street. After some of the discrepancies we have found between Rick and Nice we wondered if our quest for a good restaurant would be in vain.

We should not have worried. Rick's first two were side by side, so we considered each and made a decision to go to L'Authentic. Rick, my man, you did not let us down!

 

We shared an entrée of gnocchi with a creamy truffle sauce - did you know that gnocchi was first created in Nice? No, nor did I. Our mains were Sea Bass - this has been a delicious discovery for us in Europe. I think I've had sea bass in each country we've visited - and Dick had a veal steak. Our wine was a dry Rose from Provence. My dessert was a crème brulee and Dick had a selection of mini desserts with his coffee. We both had a digestive of limoncello.

We enjoyed the meal and reflected on our six weeks of travel and followed up with our final passegiata (evening stroll) round Nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Remy de Provence to Cassis to Nice

Wednesday, 28^th August

We left St Remy early so that we could get to Cassis in good time for a tour of the Calanques and lunch before our long drive to Nice.

Cassis was recommended to us by a gorgeous French waitress we met in the Blue Mountains at Easter.  She said it was a beautiful seaside town on the Mediterranean that not many tourists visited, but many French people do, and there were many very good restaurants there as well.  These were enough recommendations to encourage us to go. What she didn’t mention, or maybe she did and we didn’t recall, was the incredible and spectacular “calanques” which are the Mediterranean “fjords” – stark cliffs rising 150 metres out of the clear blue sea (& used by world class rock climbers for training), some with small beaches, some with caves and blowholes, fishing boats, kayaks and yachts.

The cliffs are limestone and for many years the stone was quarried and transported straight onto the ships and taken all over the world. The Statue of Liberty’s base is made from Cassis limestone. The stone had been cut on slanting slopes so the stone could be rolled easily onto the ships. We took a 60 minute boat trip that went into five of the calanques. The crew on our boat were very friendly, making lots of jokes, particularly at the expense on the Australians, which everyone thought was hilarious. It was a lot of fun, and the calanques were spectacular.

The Mediterranean sea was at its most seductive under a blue sky (6weeks of warm blue skies) –  the wake of the boat looking like warm black rolling velvet whispering to us to take a dive. But we resisted. After the boat trip we found a waterside restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal of fish soup, fried whitebait and poached cod. We were served by the loveliest young waitress. The four of really enjoyed our time in Cassis.

We went back to the car and Michael drove us all to Nice – about two and a half hours along the motorway, and arriving in Nice at peak hour. This was a mighty effort, as the drivers on the motorway chop and change lanes, cutting in and crossing over. He has been fantastic, chauffeuring Karol, Dick and me all around Provence, remaining calm and patient at all times. It would have been impossible to get to all the wonderful places we did in Provence without a car and a great driver. Thank you, Michael.

When I made the booking for our hotel in Nice, extra charges were made to my credit card. When it was queried the hotel was very apologetic and promised us an upgrade. We are on the top floor, on a corner, with a return balcony, overlooking the main street leading to the beach. The staff have been very attentive!

After dinner we went for a stroll with Karol and Michael on our last night together to the seashore and stuck our feet into the warm Mediterranean but the walk across the stone beach was difficult, painful even and not as lovely as we expected. C’est La Vie.

We made our good byes to Michael and Karol – they are at the start of their European odyssey, leaving tomorrow for Italy, Germany, Prague and beyond, and we are at the end, leaving on Friday for home. It has been great to share our time in France with them and we bid them “Bon Voyage”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Day in The Camargue

Tuesday, 27^th August

We set off this morning for The Camargue, which is the delta of the Rhone River. The Rhone divides into two branches, Le Grand Rhone and Le Petit Rhone, about 10 kms from the Mediterranean. In between the two branches are marshy swamps, wetlands and farmland. The Camargue is home to the Camargue horses, the Camargue bulls, flamingos, boars and the Roma people (gypsies). Most of France’s rice is produced here, and also salt.

The Camargue has two main towns and we went to one, Saintes-Maries-De-Mer. Legend has it that St Mary Salome and St Mary Jacobe, mothers of some of the Apostles fled Palestine with an Egyptian slave girl, Sarah and landed in this area and stayed. They started the “Christianisation” of France. Sarah helped the poor by giving alms, and is now the Patron Saint of the Roma. Roma from all over Europe  gather here every May to celebrate her feast day

When we parked the car we looked across the water and saw a huge flock of flamingos. Well, that made my day! They were standing in the water, most had their heads tucked under their wings, occasionally raising them for a stretch or a look around I suppose, and then back to the snoozing. The flamingos were a very pale pink, almost white; perhaps this has something to do with the time of year or season or age. I’m not sure – it’s something to Google.

We took a 90 minute boat trip that travelled out to sea for about 15 minutes  - so now I can say I have sailed the Mediterranean – and then up the channel. It was fascinating seeing the fishing boats, sailing boats, yachts and all sorts of crafts, but nothing too flash. There are scores of little jetties along the channel, with shacks attached and boats. There were several huge fishing nets hoisted near the shore. It looks like they lower the nets and scoop up the fish and shellfish and whatever else comes up.

Along the way we saw several huge herons, and other water birds and silvery fish that jumped high out of the water and then “belly flopped” back in. At a couple of points along the way, the Camargue bulls came down to the water line, accompanied by the “Gardian”, the cowboy/girl, and several of the white Camargue horses. The horses are born black or brown and turn white as they age. By the age of 8 years they are white, and they are very hardy usually living for 20-30 years. The Camargue bulls are used to play a game in the bull fighting arena where ribbons and tassels are pulled off their horns by the “Razateur”. The bulls are smaller than the Spanish bulls and their horns point up.

It was beautiful on the water, the sky was bright blue and the water was calm.

We had brought a picnic and ate it watching the flamingos. We drove along the other side of the Camargue and made our way back to St Remy, and rested before deciding what to do for dinner. Last night’s self catered dinner in the gazebo was very enjoyable and we will do the same tonight. We will accompany the food with some lovely Provence wines.

It is our last day in Provence, as tomorrow we leave for the French Riviera. Oh, yeah!

Wine Regions of the Cotes de Rhone

Monday 26^th August

An early start today as we headed off to Chateneauneuf-de-Papes, a renowned wine town in the Cotes De Rhone. In May when we stayed in Daylesford and dined at The Lake House, the lovely French waitress there, who hails from Provence, recommended that we visit Chateneauneuf-De Papes. It was high on our list. Chateneauneuf-de-Papes was established in the 1200-1300s as a summer palace for the Pope. The actual palace is now a ruin, but the wine industry that began way back then is flourishing. The area is very interesting. The soil is very red and rocky and the rocks retain the heat and force the vines to struggle resulting in a lean grape, lousy for eating but ideal for producing “big wines”. Eight different grapes are blended to make the local speciality, strictly controlled, and grenache is the most prominent grape in the blend. The Pope’s crest is embossed on all bottles of this wine. Chateneauneuf-de-Papes is a pretty town and we wandered around for an hour or so.

Along the way stopped in a little town, whose market was finishing up. Fortunately there were a couple of stalls still open. Michael and Karol bought some ham, and we bought some potato fritters and got all that was left for a bargain so the owners could go home and some fruit. We stopped at some tables and chairs beside a river and had a lovely picnic.

We then headed off for Beaumes de Venise, a town renowned for its Muscat. We are all suffering from different stages of a cold, coughing, sneezing, feeling BLAHHH! So Michael had a snooze in the car while Karol, Dick and I had a bit of a wander. The town has winding streets set within the ancient town walls, several fountains (of non potable water) and a mix of medieval and more recent buildings. As we were strolling along a woman asked, In French, “Which country?” and Karol replied, “Australia” and the woman told us she had a cousin in Sydney who worked in a restaurant and wanted her to come to Australia to cook French food. But she told us she was happy enough working in an old people’s home and will start picking grapes in a couple of weeks. She then said, “Attendre” went indoors and came back with a large bunch of delicious grapes and told us where to go to get the best views in the town.

Off we went and found the ancient city walls and scrambled up the rocky walls as well as a track beyond. The woman was right – the views were fabulous!

When we returned to the car, Michael and Dick bought a bottle of Muscat. We meandered and Michael drove us back to St Remy, through the picturesque Provencal countryside.

We have eaten out every night we have been in France (and everywhere else) and have been eating quite late, and not sleeping very well. Dick and I suggested that we eat in tonight, perhaps picking up a roast chicken and just staying at the hotel. On our return to the hotel Dick and I walked to a large supermarket in St Remy and picked up a roast chicken, several tasty salads, a bottle of the local Rose and some petit fours and chocolate mousse cake for dessert. This was supermarket shopping that was enjoyable. The quality of the food and the wine was excellent!

Our hotel has a lovely courtyard and Gazebo, so we sat outside and enjoyed a very relaxed meal. It probably helped that our aperitifs were Absinthe (from Prague) and the potato fritters from the market, and our great buys from the supermarket, finishing off with the Muscat from Beames de Venise.

We toddled off to our rooms, wondering what fabulous things are in store for tomorrow.

 

Hill Towns of The Luberon, Provence

Sunday, August 25

Today we went for a long drive to explore the hill towns of The Luberon.

Our first stop was at Isle-Sur-La Sorgue, a market town about 30 minutes from St Remy. Today was a market day and it was huge! There were hundreds of stalls selling everything – meat, roast chickens, fruit, veg, olives, handcrafts, bric-a-brac, junk, antiques, books all over the town. We walked around for an hour and a half and still did not see all of it. We bought olives, a roast coquelet ( a very  small chicken) and fruit for lunch, to have later in the day.

Isle-Sur-La Sorgue has a river that flows from a spring, and years ago powered more than 70 water wheels, for milling flour, and paper and textile mills. There is an ingenious system that channels water from the river into various canals around the town.

From Isle Sur la Sorgue we headed off for Roussillon, and on the way stopped for a great view of Gordes.

Roussillon sits on top of Mont Rouge, and until WW2 was the world’s greatest producer of ochre, used for wallpapers and linoleum. It is a very pretty town; all the buildings are of ochre hues, yellow, orange, pink, brown and are very different to the limestone villages we have been seeing elsewhere in Provence. We walked through the old quarry, which is now a nature park. The orange dust covers everything and oak trees are growing prolifically. We found a seat and shared our market foods with Karol and Michael, who had bought cheese, sausage and bread – a beautiful Provencal picnic.

From Roussillon we headed for Menerbes, which we thought sounded familiar – it was where “A Year in Provence” was set. It was very quiet, and we strolled around, loved the views and saw some quaint buildings. A citadel was built in the 1600’s during the religious wars in France, but it was never ”tested”. Today it is owned privately, but we had a bit of a look anyway. How would you like your own citadel with fabulous views across the Provencal landscape?

We then headed back to St Remy. Michael is marvellous, undertaking all the driving. The roads in Provence are really narrow, and at times we have had to pull over almost into a ditch or canal to let other cars pass. Even in the towns and villages, some of the roads are barely wide enough for one car, let alone two. We are in a Renault Megane – not a big car, however it is comfortable.

When we got back to the hotel we were all very tired and napped.

We met up again at 7:30 for dinner. We looked at several restaurants, but ended up at the one with the13 euro menu, but upgraded to the 19euro. It was very good!

St Remy, Vincent Van Gogh Walk

Provence, Day 3

The Vincent Van Gogh Walk

We woke up late, and strolled around to the Laundromat, and while our clothes were being washed we found a creperie and had brunch. Dick was rather abstemious and had the lemon and sugar, and I lashed out and had the Grand Marnier – it really packs a punch for brekkie!

When the washing was done, we came back to the hotel and rested, as I’ve said before, this housework gig is tiring!

Later in the day we decided to tackle the Vincent Van Gogh walk, which is a trail around the town of where Vincent painted many paintings while he was a patient for a year at the St Paul Hospice, a mental hospital. There are 21 sites that have been signposted with copies of his paintings, and many of the places that he painted can be recognised. We managed to find 19 of the sites; one is closed for renovation (No. 20) and one (No. 14) is just not there. I photographed each “easel” and when the painting was of an actual site, I photographed that too.

Dick found the whole experience rather moving, as Vincent has been of particular interest to him for a long time. I think he felt as I did when I visited all the Beatles landmarks in Liverpool four years ago. He learnt 3 new things about Vincent and the paintings he produced:

·         The constant movement of Vincent’s marks as they zig-zag and sweep from one to direction to another is his attempt to capture the mistrals which ravage this region. I.e., winds of between 30-60 mph which rip through Provence 100 days per year. There are many stories which mention the constant battle Vincent had in trying to paint in these winds.  

·         The backstory is more potent than the actual work produced. However, as the work and backstory are so closely entwined it is impossible to look and appreciate the work purely on an aesthetic basis,

·         The reason we have these paintings now is because they presented a NEW way of looking at the world, i.e., the paintings are attempts to express the intensity with which we should appreciate our existence (at least that is part of the myth and the backstory).

We came back to the hotel for a swim in the pool, and did not undress completely, as the other sunbathers did. We were a little overdressed in our bathers. We haven’t quite turned European yet.

We met with Michael and Karol for dinner, to share our day’s activities and to plan the next few days. Our dinner was great – a set menu for 29 euro each, plus drinks. The highlight was dessert. There was a display cabinet containing 24 of the most divine desserts – it was difficult deciding. It would be worth going and having a three course meal of dessert. It looked fabulous and tasted even better. But again Dick was quite conservative by selecting the lemon meringue tart. However, he and Michael did wash down their deserts with coffee and a calvados (apple cognac) digestif.