If anyone’s interested.

[Sum1Ls]

We’ve just come back from spending Christmas in Provence.
I’ve written an account and if anyone is interested I’ll post it here. The blogs don’t work any more.

[Gemini]

Sum1 please do!

We love to hear accounts of trips and holidays 😊

[Sum1Ls]

22 December




A long and weary journey from St Pancras heaving with people after a French tunnel strike finally ended in Avignon by the time evening arrived. A very pleasant dinner in the hotel and a large room with two double beds and a sitting room was very welcome.




23 December




A local guide rook us on a walking tour of Avignon which sparkled with the intense blue skies of Provence and radiant heat from the bright sun. Starting at the Place de l’Horloge we were instructed about the symmetry of the architecture, the meaning of the three flags of France, Europe and Provence, and the sadness of Jaques and Jaquetta who presided over the square but no longer emerge on the hour. She said they had retired. A feature of many buildings were the painted windows which depict characters and scenes from the scores of plays of the annual drama festival. The square was in full Christmas mode with the oldest merry go round in Europe happily circling and a little train busy on its tracks. Silver trees twinkled and many lights shone out in the dark skies. The theatre close by is guarded by its twin statues of Corneille and Voltaire - who else would it be.




And on up the hill to the Palais des Papes. Seven of them lived here in fortified glory. The story of the Avignon popes is too complex to describe here but the building is imposing and extraordinary. Still undergoing restoration a large part will be to house and display the city’s archives. A shining example of a city’s pride in its heritage which Greenwich would go well to copy. The cathedral stands adjacent to the Palais and is dedicated to Notre Dames des Doms. The tower is crowned with a golden statue of Our Lady. The interior is rather unexpectedly small but as ever in southern Europe there is a lovely crib with people in traditional dress scattered around making their way to the manger. There are still some of the original frescos but most have been removed to the museum for preservation. We continued to the top of the hill where there is a fine view of the Rhône and the famous bridge from the top of the walls which surround the city. The hills in the distance were grey-blue contrasting with the bright blue of the sky and the shifting blues of the river.




Then to Les Halles just to marvel at the displays of fish, shellfish, cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, herbs and preserves the like of which we never see in England. Deep envy lodged in our hearts. Prices were not dissimilar to England, but the quality and range is vastly superior and there is nowhere selling UHP food. Perhaps that’s why no one is overweight and no one is very skinny.




In the evening we wondered around the narrow streets of the old town and found a little café to have a pizza. We are so close to the Italian border that the Mediterranean cuisines merge.




Sunday 24th was Christmas Eve and we set off for an enchanting town called L’Isle sur la Sorgues which has grown up where the river splits into two parts. It was once a centre for paper and leather making and the fast flowing river has many water mills in various states of preservation. There is also some complex water engineering causing the river to rush in channels over a weir and turn the water wheels. The river was lined with stalls selling local produce and crafts. Huge mounds of olives and tapenade, local cheeses and honeys, hand made soaps scented with Provençal flowers, and tempting leather work.




The church is extraordinary. It is an austere Romanesque structure with the lower arches and sanctuary completely covered with Baroque excess. There are gold and white, cartouches, painted scenes over the archway to the sanctuary, statues, moulded decorations , medallions, angels, shells, bows and plaques. The high altar has golden pillars, more angels, an immense altarpiece, marble everywhere and Christmas flowers to add to the confusion. All rather wonderful.




Then to Orange, another relic of the many rulers and states of the Holy Roman Empire. The House of Orange ruled in Northern Europe and famously, in England too. The great Triumphal Arch is the best preserved Arch in Europe and the city has done a brilliant job cleaning it up and surrounding it with plane trees and grass verges. It’s a very powerful reminder of the brutalism and might of Rome. At one time it led to the great theatre which is still pretty much intact and used to this day for many performances of plays and concerts. We spent much time here with the audio guide climbing the steps, circulating in the ambulatory and marvelling at the vastness of the entire structure.




To Châteauneuf du Pape then and the ruins of the what was the summer palace of the popes. The stones were mostly used by the villagers for other buildings but what is left gives a pretty good idea of what it must have been like. Defensive and grand. It’s a steep walk then down to the village which is much smaller than the fame of its wine. We didn’t buy any. Our pockets aren’t that deep. The vines grow on the stoniest soil which helps to conserve the heat. At this time of the year the vineyards are bleak - rows and rows of vines with no leaf stretching for endless fields all completely covered in stones with no soil visible. The village is charming with winding streets and steep stepped alleyways with with a few shops hidden in the stony walls, and of course, the opportunity to taste and buy if you want.




As we returned to Avignon the sun was setting, bathing the river and ancient walls and structures in a magical golden red light.




Christmas Eve dinner in the hotel completed an excellent day.




Midnight Mass in Provence is a very special experience. Traditional musicians dressed in the local costume play and sing the liturgy in Occitan while at the Offertory four sheep or a ram pull a straw lined cart carrying a baby lamb. It’s a very special and uplifting service rooted in the soil of the south of France.




Christmas Day was busy in the morning. We walked along the river hoping to climb to the old bridge but instead the almost concealed steps led up to the highest tower in the city walls. The view was exhilarating but the ache in the legs after all those steps was also memorable. The rest of the day was lazy. We walked to a wonderful restaurant called 75 and had a truly memorable meal. We have the photos as a reminder of the skills of the chefs and the winemakers.




Boxing Day took us on a longish journey through Luberon stopping to marvel at one of the loveliest villages in France - Bories which is built on a steep hillside overlooking a valley crowned by an ancient chateau. The valley was bathed in mist which floated above the valley floor while the light ochre houses above were in full sunshine all nestled next to each other in steep and random levels.




Further down the valley is a Cistercian monastery which is visible in plan from above. The monks grow lavender from which they make every product imaginable. It’s an ancient foundation built in an entirely traditional layout. Further again is Rousillon where the exposed cliffs show an amazing strata of rock formations. There are sixteen official shades of ochre which are visible in glowing glory. It’s another village of winding streets, hidden alleyways and charming houses mostly painted in shades of ochre echoing the surrounding rocks. At the end of the village is a wondrous sundial which needs its dense and difficult interpretation board to begin to understand. I don’t think I mastered it, much too complex for me.




And finally to Aix en Provence. A very busy city bustling with people out to enjoy the sunshine, Christmas markets and cafes. After a very substantial lunch we explored the town. It’s very handsome with wide avenues and many smaller winding streets and alleyways. The Place de l’Hotel de Ville has an imposing repurposed Roman column in the centre surrounded by many cafés and bars. Many street signs were in French and the Langue d’Oc - the language of the south of France. The cathedral is magnificent with an octagonal tower and beautifully proportioned Romanesque interior. The High Altar was impressively adorned with long blue silk streamers, many flowers and a glittering star. The triptych of the Burning Bush was stunning showing influences from Flemish, Provençal and Italian painting. The iconography needed a long time to interpret and absorb - something for later. The Baptistry was a much later addition with deep pool set between a circle of marble pillars. Impressive indeed.




December 27th.




A journey today to the Pont du Gard. One of the most visited sites in Europe it’s the extraordinary well preserved aqueduct which carried water from Usez to Nimes. It’s been impressively restored and re-presented by the LA and unesco and gives an instant feel of the power and might of Rome, the arches march over the river and close up the huge blocks of limestone fitted together without mortar are almost frightening in their immensity. We climbed up many, many steep steps to the top and were rewarded and impressed with the view from the top. Sadly it’s now forbidden to walk across the aqueduct and it’s guarded by an impenetrable wire gate. There is a museum which is beautiful indeed to behold but the design, although lovely, dominated and it’s hard to discover the chronology and isolate the relevant sections.




Then to Usez. A pretty little very prosperous town with winding street, many enticing shops and cafes and restaurants - all of which were so full we had to content ourselves with tea and coffee outside.




Back to Avignon then and an excellent dinner with snails, hare and other delights not often seen at home.




28th December




South today to the Camargue where the two arms of the Rhône meet the Mediterranean. It’s a vast plain of which saw but a little, however the étangs and reed covered marshes stretching into the far distance gave us a feel of how vast this region is. There were storks, egrets and a few raptors overhead while the famous white horses roamed the land. Marsh samphire was everywhere, salicorne in French but impossible to gather and take home. I think I spotted sea lavender and tamarisk too. Parts are also under agriculture and rice fields and salt pans are in evidence.




At the coast is the little town of St Maries de la Mer.The three saints Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome and Mary of Clopas are the women who were the first witnesses to the empty tomb at the resurrection of Jesus. After the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Marys were said to set sail from Alexandria, Egypt with their uncle Joseph of Arimathea. According to a longstanding French legend, they either sailed to or were cast adrift - arriving off the coast of what is now France, at "a sort of fortress named Oppidum-Râ". The location became known as "Our Lady of the Boat" with them was an Ethiopian maid called Sarah. After the Marys went on their travels to convert France Sarah stayed behind and died in the village where there is a shine to her as the patron Saint of the Romani people. Every year on the 24th May there is a huge pilgrimage of Romanis from all over Europe who carry her statue to the sea to reenact her arrival in France. The little 11C church is heavily fortified and has an austere Romanesque nave contrasting with the astonishing range of votive offerings at the shrine of St Sarah. The well inside the church was for many centuries the only source of fresh water. Two streets away took us to the sea shore where dark clouds covered the sky occasionally broken by the sun breaking through the cloud and gleaming on the water.




Then to Arles, the only town of any size on the Camargue with its lovely cathedral and connections with Van Gogh who has a statue and a bust and a museum and a café and his house but no paintings of his at all. It has a Roman theatre too, not as big as Orange, but impressive nonetheless and a huge Roman amphitheater. The streets are winding and very typical of the region with light ochre walls and blue or turquoise shutters. A large Roman pillar which was discovered in a field dominates the town square atop a marble plinth with lions and bearded heads pouring water into the basin below. As in all these towns the streets wind and twist and the traditional styles of houses are preserved yet lived in. The shops and restaurants are always beautifully presented and stylish in their displays.




The cathedral is lovely. The door carvings with the apostles and saints in great detail and ranks of angels above are are exquisitely rendered. The interior is late Romanesque with soaring pillars. The symmetrical arrangement of the arches and clerestory windows creates a profound peace. As in all the churches in this region the crib scenes are lovely depicting local people in either their many trades and occupations making their way to the manger.




Finally to the ancient village of Des Baux where bauxite was once mined. It’s sits high on a hilly escarpment overlooking the valley and is a wondrous through strange place. Only twenty people live here permanently but many more come from surrounding villages to manage the enticing shops and eating places. There is a small flock of sheep which is driven through the village at evening time to shelter. It’s all of great age and perfectly preserved. It’s easy to imagine that if the people were dressed differently it might be four or five centuries ago.




Then it was back to Avignon as night fell, the end of an enchanting week in the south of with lots of memories and experiences

[Gemini]

Thank you very much Sum1.

I will enjoy reading that tomorrow when I have more time

[Oma]

Wow Sum1 it sounds amazing.
I would have loved to see the Ochre rocks.
Shame they removed the Fresco’s but you can understand why they need to preserve them.

Des Baux sound like something from a bygone age .
You made everything sound magical , thank you for sharing 😁👏

[Plantaholic]

Sum1 I shall enjoy reading this tomorrow, I wish I could print it.

[Gemini]

Sum1, what an amazing, interesting and very busy and different Christmas holiday you had!

You describe everything so well.

[Daisy]

Sum1, thank you so much for that magical tour of a very special part of France.

I know most (not all!) of the places you visited from many trips there over the years. Back in the day, L’Isle sur la Sorgues was a tiny place, unknown to most people, but I have happy memories of being taken there by my French friend's family one evening. There was a traditional Italian wood-fired pizza oven, where I saw, and ate, pizza for the first time. The other memorable aspect was that they also took their two foster children, aged 2 and 4 out to eat in the evening! Such things were unheard of in northern industrial England in the early 60s.

What a fascinating trip down memory lane for me. x

[Sum1Ls]

Sum1, thank you so much for that magical tour of a very special part of France.

I know most (not all!) of the places you visited from many trips there over the years. Back in the day, L’Isle sur la Sorgues was a tiny place, unknown to most people, but I have happy memories of being taken there by my French friend's family one evening. There was a traditional Italian wood-fired pizza oven, where I saw, and ate, pizza for the first time. The other memorable aspect was that they also took their two foster children, aged 2 and 4 out to eat in the evening! Such things were unheard of in northern industrial England in the early 60s.

What a fascinating trip down memory lane for me. x

What a fascinating memory Daisy, and I chuckled at your account of the children being taken by their parents to a restaurant. It took a bit, but this country caught up in the end.