Last Days in Paris

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Last days in Paris

Our last days in Paris are bittersweet.  We want to come home to see our family and friends, our new roof, our house, etc. but to leave Europe is really going to be hard.  We have become so used to a lifestyle that is built on art, beauty, smelling the "roses", that it will be hard to jump into "regular" life again.  But home we must come, and tomorrow at 1:35 PM we will board the cramped quarters of an airbus and travel back, arriving in C.R. at 8:30.  That seems short, but add 7 more hours when you figure it out.  If only we could afford 1st class.

We spent our last days seeing the Louvre (for the 3rd time), going back to the top of the Eiffel tower  and going back to Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame, all our favorite places here in Paris.  We carried in gourmet food for dinners and drank REALLY good wine that we have accumulated during our travels.  But most of all, we just walked and sat in cafes and watched the city around us.

Mona

Psyche

Dying Slave

Venus de Milo

3 Nymphs

I got some Jewlry

Inside St. Chappell

Beautiful Stained glass

Ceiling in the chapel

Notre Dame

Notre Dame transept

Rose Window - there are 4 of them

Always light a candle - You never know!

Even the Gelatto is beautiful

Bringing home supper - Fresh bread ALWAYS

The market at Rue Cler

Travel to another culture is so broadening to your own psyche.  I can say for both of us, it has given us a new understanding of the world and where we all came from.  Not everything works in France all the time, but people don't get angry when it doesn't.  Traffic is awful, but people don't get upset with it.  Bread and croissants are fresh, because that is a BIG thing for the people here and they demand it.  And all around, the locals are polite, friendly, and decent.  They are nice to their children in a very quiet way. And we can truly say, we have been very well treated even though we don't speak their language, know their customs, or understand their money.  Until we come back, Au Revoir France!

Arles Day 3 - Market and Aquaduct

Arles - Day 3, Market, Aqueducts, and Vineyards

Arles on Saturday is a totally different place.  The open air market is about 10 blocks long  2 blocks wide, and just packed with food stalls and pottery, clothing, junk, etc.  We arrived before Andi and took a stroll.  Here are a few (just a few) pictures that we took.  If you can imagine the smells while you are looking at them it will help you get the feeling.

cheese man

spice man

Paella

Sausages

Olives

Fish market

Squid etc

We bought cheese, olives, bread,chicken, paella, wine, melon, and fabulous olives (Bobbi, you would be in heaven here).  Then we went in the car about 40 miles through the countryside to the Pont du Gard.

"The Pont is a surviving Roman aqueduct that delivered water to Nimes from the mountain springs.  It was a 30 mile canal that dropped 1 inch for every 350 feet and supplied nine million gallons of water per day.  Most of the Aqueduct is on or below the ground the Pont du Gard spans a canyon on a massive bridge.  It is one of the most remarkable surviving  Roman Ruin anywhere."  - Rick Steeves

Andi Luhrs - our host

Pont du Gard

What a picnic spot!  Jerry and Andi walked across, I took pictures from below.  It was great

.

The grapes are ready to pick

The Vineyards of Cote du Rhone Wine

We set the GPS for Chateauneuf du Pape which is literally the Chateau (home) of the nine popes.  In the 13th century the Vatican was move to France to this area because it was more defensible, and the Pope at the time was French.  9 popes later the Vatican was moved back to Rome.  It now is WINE country on steroids.  Like Iowa has corn, this place raises grapes.  And produces some of the best wine in the Rhone Valley.  In the states, as here, the wine is expensive, but very full bodied and smooth.

After tramping around some vineyards (tours were impossible because it is harvest season), we went into town and tasted some of the different wineries samples.  All were fabulous (of course, I rarely meet a red wine I don't like) but we chose one that was remotely reasonable and bought a bottle after "sampling" several.

We drove back to Arles and ate at a traditional Provence restaurant, which was very good.  Andi had Scallops, I had the lamb, and Jerry had Sea Bass.  Yum.  Back to the hotel to sleep.

Today we have checked out, are going to Avignon to see some sights and eat lunch, then back on the train to Paris.  We will arrive after 6:30 and back to the apartment to do some laundry.  Life is good.  Home on Wednesday.  Can't believe it is almost over.  We are so glad we came to Provence and it definitely is on the list for a revisit.  Jerry thinks he could rent a car and drive here, which would give us the freedom to do "our thing" by just wandering.  We'll see if the money holds out for another trip like this in the future.