A Blog-u-mentary
about one family's experience moving from a
tropical Caribbean paradise
to another type of paradise in the
heart of Provence.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

France's second city

The fish market in Marseille's vieux port
MARSEILLE - To say Marseille, the second largest city in France and a port town steeped in history, has an inferiority complex to its more sophisticated neighbor to the north is probably an over statement. There is, however, a palpable sense of annoyance with Aix, not altogether undeservedly owing to the more snobbish airs about our adopted hometown compared to a slightly less gentrified, some would say rough-and-tumble, feeling in Marseille.

The hilltop Notre Dame de la Garde guards the city
For sure, Marseille can stand on its own. Given that its history goes back to 600 BC and the ancient Greeks, it would seem it has staying power. Its long and diverse history has resulted in a sprawling jumble of sensory overload -  a bustling, chaotic hodge podge of new and old, of land and sea, and of southern European and northern African influence. It blends Italy with Algeria, Spain with Morocco, Muslim with Christian -- but ends up being distinctly French in some odd way. Charming? - perhaps too gentle a way to describe a city that up until a few years ago was considered downright dangerous by many travel guides and worthy of avoiding. But there is no question is has much to offer in a seductively eclectic way, and has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts that have some calling it the "new Barcelona."





I wouldn't go that far, but for a taste of a big French city without going to Paris, it's definitely worth the short ride own the A51 for a look-see. We checked our Aix attitude at the city limits and set out to explore.

And speaking of taste, I had to sample the city's most famous dish, bouillabaisse which was invented here. The mecca of this seafood laden saffron-tinted dish is a port-side joint called Le Miramar, (its web site is even www.bouillabaisse.com) which dishes out the stuff like San Francisco's Buena Vista serves up Irish Coffee's -line 'em up and get 'em out. The plethora of fresh seafood of all types, combined with the flavorful broth, boiled vegetables and finished off by dunking in garlic-rubbed bread (Hubert demonstrated the proper technique) dipped in rouille (a mayonaisse-like sauce made of olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper) all makes for an unforgettable - and filling dish.

We were in and out of Marseille too quickly on this Wednesday afternoon, so we must return to take in the views from Notre Dame de la Garde (Hubert and Elisabeth stayed behind and returned raving about it), a boat trip around the L'isle d'If to see where the Count of Monte Cristo was set. and maybe even take in a match of the Olympique Marseille (OM), the beloved and storied soccer team. Judging by their past success, which includes being champions of France's top league last year, there wouldn't seem to be any inferiority complex there.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Blue Sky Country

Man, I've never seen a sky as blue as it is - routinely - in Provence. The crisp fall air only seems to make it glow even more. (hey, the new iPhone camera ain't bad, either....)

Sunday, September 26, 2010

At the Carnival in St. Remy de Provence

Everyone's a winner at the carnival
ST. REMY de PROVENCE - This is the quintessential quaint Provencal town with a ton of history and culture, a cute little old town center, galleries, great restaurants...but every once in a while you got to let the carnies in. We stumbled across the movable rip-off on our way back from Les Baux, drawn in by the flashing lights and thumping music. The kids, of course, were thrilled, and even learned how to negotiate for a better worthless prize in French. In exchange we got a pretty decent dinner at  La Gousse d'Ail, a quirky old style eatery right down the block from the carnival.

Going Medieval in Les Baux



Like a giant game of capture the flag

LES BAUX de P'CE -- It was a long, fun and windy (the Mistral is kicking up) day in this medieval town, the centerpiece of which is an ancient castle at the top of a huge hill that forms the town center. Les Baux is a top attraction any time of year but once a year hundreds of medieval enthusiasts (yes, apparently this is something of a cult-like passion among a significant percentage of the population here - my mind wanders to the scene in Pulp Fiction with the Gimp, but that's probably inappropriate given the very real, storied history here in Les Baux). Anyway, these guys and gals take it seriously and come from all over Europe to re-enact a famous battle that happened in some low-teen century when France consisted of about a gazillion little fiefdoms.

No damsel in distress
I've got to tell ya, it's quite a show - this ain't no American style Renaissance Fair. In addition to the battle reenactments where the dudes actually scale up the top of the castle, there is a sprawling medieval village set up, and the 'enthusiasts' camp out in authentic style tents, complete with animals and open fires. There is also an impressive display of falconry and horse riding.

Check out the web site and if you ever get a chance to be in this part of the world in the Fall, try to take in the Assuat de Chateau. If you're into a siege warfare machines from the medieval days, it's a must-see.

1000 people in full medieval gear, many with sharp implements. How can that not be fun?

France's version of Junk A Noo





Rock & Roll: Medieval Style



Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Hiking Club

La Randonnee: 18 clicks around the beach. The views are nice but I'll be sore tomorrow
CARRO - We started the (in)famous hiking club today. Led by the irrepressible Isabel, it's a group that has been around for years and includes a lot of the parents from CIPEC and IBS (the two international schools where most of the ex pat kids go). Isabel charts a new course every week and leads the charge through the mountains, across the beaches, or wherever that week's death march is destined for. She grades the hikes on scale based on difficulty so it seems like you can bow out gracefully in advance if you aren't up for a torture climb up Saint Victoire, for example (she even warns about her tougher hikes: - "zee people with vertigo should probably not consider this walk").

Our inaugural hike (a 4 on the Isabel scale) was along the Mediterranean coast by the seaside town of Carro with a goal of having lunch on the beach at Sainte Croix. We arrived late to the start point due to my navigational error while riding shot gun with our friend Audrey, but Isabel was waiting patiently for us. I was half expecting to have to drop and give her 50, but she is a kind task master. Meanwhile, most of  the 50-odd hikers and numerous dogs (Isabel says the numbers will drop off once the hikes get tougher and the weather gets cooler), were already off and walking. We caught up to the group (by-passing the botanical garden, darn) and then proceeded to scale the smallish hills and traverse the relatively (by Med standards) sandy beaches around some very scenic inlets, which are called calanques in this part of the world - technically a calanque is an inlet surrounded by limestone cliffs or rocks, which are fairly common along the Cote D'Azur here. The walk was moderately challenging but we kept a decent pace through most of the 18 or so kilometers (one of the other parents had a GPS watch which told us we were at the 9KM mark when we stopped for lunch at the turnaround point). Our newly bought Decathlon hiking shoes and backpacks served us well, we blistered only slightly and, most importantly we had time for a drink at the cafe in Carro at the end of the day before heading off to school pick up.
Audrey & Toni look for navigational assistance. The dog only speaks French so he's no help

Isabel is a great leader and is in fantastic shape - we caught a glimpse of her six pack abs when she took a swim at the St Croix beach where we stopped for lunch - and she's a grandmother? We're looking forward to her leadership of the hiking club being as means to see other cool places in the region (and to catch up on the gossip), but I'll be checking the web site in advance to see when the vertigo-inducing walks are planned.


The hiking group on Day One. Let's see how many show up when we scale Saint Victoire in the snow

Monday, September 20, 2010

The light in Provence - inspiring artists and amateurs for generations

Sunset/moon rise at the village of Cucuron
CUCURON- What is it about the light in this part of the world that makes the already awe-inspiring, jaw dropping scenery that much more picturesque? It quickly becomes obvious to anyone who passes through Provence why the world's greatest painters have flocked here for generations to try and capture the sheer glow of the place. Even my amateurish Blackberry photos, while certainly not doing any kind of justice to the the true beauty here, show the type of effect the natural light can have at certain times of the day. It's almost surreal.

We had a chance to visit Curcuron and Vaugines this past weekend, thanks to a stop-by from Turks and Caicos friends Sam and Camille, who were staying in Vaugines. Both are tiny little Provencal villages nestled in at the base of the Luberon region, and neither are very touristy. Our visit came right toward the end of the day when the sun was just starting its descent over the quiet hillside towns. After getting Sam and Camile and their college bound daughter Morgan (and her friend) settled in the fabulous house they were using, we set out to explore. We immediately stumbled across a church in Vaugines that had been started in the year 1099. A few clicks down the road, Cucuron had similar historical features, highlighted by the remains of a hilltop fort/castle that afforded us unbelievable views across the valley that descends toward Aix.

Our day trip ended with an excellent dinner at the aptly named L'etang (the pond) Restaurant on the town square in Cucuron. A fantastic fish tagine-type dish and local lamb were among the highlights, not to mention Savannah's fondue dessert.

Village church in Vaugines. Started construction in 1099
Toni tries to capture Lindsey in the awe-inspiring light

At the etang (pond) in Cucuron centre ville

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Market Day

AIX en PROVENCE - Open air markets in small villages are weekly affairs in France, with some towns and cities having 2 or 3 a week. These are remnants of days gone-by (pre-Carrefour!) when the farmers came into the towns to sell their goods, but the tradition carries on with all sorts of great fresh food and other goods to be had. Almost every day of the week there is one within a short drive from our house.

Saturday we checked out le marche (the market) in Aix, which is fast becoming our favorite hangout place anyway. It didn't disappoint, even though we have heard it's getting smaller these days. We spent an hour or so browsing the loads of fresh flowers, breads, fruits, veggies, wines and an amazing display of fresh seafood. Even Lindsey had to admit the fresh vegetables looked pretty appetizing.
The girls donned their go to market boots for the day in Aix

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Association Days

You can find any type of activity at Association Days, even American football
I must admit the French are a nation of do-ers when it comes to sports, especially compared to Americans who tend to be much more adept at viewing them. To get a sense of the French love for participatory sports, one need only peruse the local Decathlon store (think Dick's Sporting Goods, without the Lebron James gear section, instead replaced with themed aisles of stuff for sports you never even knew existed). You can find equipment and clothing for just about any physical activity that increases your pulse rate...ok, almost any activity I said. Our local Decathlon even has a full blown fitness center, complete with a variety of indoor and outdoor courts, a special section for kids classes, and even an outdoor recreation area and fields. {Contrast this with the size and number of big screen TV outlets in France vs the US - you just don't find the football-field-sized plasma sections of a Best Buy here.}

To keep themselves organized around their activities, the French have 'associations', which are essentially clubs that focus on whatever the special interest is. Martial arts, dance, horseback riding, hang gliding, scuba diving, badminton - whatever you like, you can find an association for it, probably right in your local village.

This weekend we went to a couple of "Association Days." These are big events that most towns and cities hold which allow the local associations to promote themselves in a street-fair like atmosphere and recruit new members. September is the popular time of year for these because the entire French calendar seems to revolve around the rentree (the re-entry) - the time when vacation is officially over and kids are going back to school.

We visited Association Days in nearby Gardanne, in downtown Aix on the Cours Mirabeau, and at the aforementioned Decathlon mecca - which featured a multitude of displays and demonstrations of activities ranging from kick boxing to hip hop dancing to windsurfing (set up in a pool in the parking lot). Given the immense natural beauty of Provence, activities like hiking, camping, skiiing and water sports are all popular here. And of course, biking of all kinds is a huge national pastime, even as the French continue their relentless pursuit of erasing the Lance legacy.

I was surprised to see that even American sports such as baseball and football were represented at the Association Days. The local football club, the Argonautes, had a display and I watched some of the junior level kids scrimmage a round a little. They are no threat to the Dallas Cowboys any time soon, but they played with enthusiasm and a modicum of talent.

So it is apparent that couch potato ways will not be acceptable here and we must find an activity or two to distract us from the not-so-big TV in the living room. Fencing anyone?

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

France's dirty little frozen food secret

Picard: like a culinary autopsy lab. Lindsey looks for the ice cream
Picard is a chain of stores in France that sells only - gasp - frozen food. You name it, they've got it: solid as rock and ready to pop in the microwave. All kinds of foods - vegetables, seafood, soups, meats, desserts, even sushi, are available in ready to take home boxes - and the prices ain't bad either. Walking into a Picard is a bit like working into a culinary autopsy lab - very sterile and row after row of freezers. Who knew the French could lower their gastronomic standards to a food preparation style that seems so fast-food American-ish?

But it works, although it's quite a departure from the sensory overload of colors, sounds, smells and tastes you get at the traditional French markets, some of which even sell live animals - talk about the other end of the food chain spectrum. In fact, Picard was just voted the most popular store brand - of any type - in France. Lucky for us there's one right up the road. Pass the thawed out shashimi.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Some things we miss cuz we are in France

Beaches like this
Terry, Glenny and the new baby, Nick  



My nephew Brendon's high school football
Alge's bright ideas at Rotary meetings

The 'boys' next door


Thursday, September 9, 2010

Can't beat a good tree house

Hanging in the maison d'arbre
The girls - and their parents - are lucky that our house was previously occupied by a handy fellow by the name of Eugene, who among other things (such as a duck shack that looks like a dog house, but Chico wants no part of it), left us with a very cool tree house. It's become a popular hang out for Savannah and Lindsey and today they had their first official guest (other than Chico). Savannah's new friend Katie came over after school and they hung out in their lofty crib. It's finely appointed with spare pool furniture and we've added a pair of walkie talkies to the amenities, reducing the communication time to order up cookies and milk from the Big House.

The tree house is about halfway between the school and our house so I am sure it will gain popularity as the school year progresses. We are finding that the location of our house is a great advantage in general since the kids can walk to school and we don't have to deal with the chaotic parking situation there. Lindsey's friend Marin and her Mom even park on our driveway to avoid the long walk up the school driveway.

Maybe I will pick up a few Euro's on the side and start charging all the other parents for parking

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Sunday, September 5, 2010

A Garden o' Plenty at La Bergerie

We are reaping the rewards of Eugene's victory garden


Nadine doesn't seem to understand that there are several steps required before the grapes become wine

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Savannah plays piano with a French guy

Cool, the keys are the same in French! Thanks Uncle Fester!

Friday, September 3, 2010

First day of school!



Savannah meets her new classmates
Through the woods to school
Chico makes making friends easy
They actually look like they like each other

Lindsey makes her exit after her first day at CIPEC



Thursday, September 2, 2010

A birthday fete at a winery

The girls help new friend Marin celebrate her 6th b'day
MEYROGUES, France - The girls got invited to a birthday party for one of their new classmates, Marin (celebrating her 6th), who lives on a winery not far from Aix. Her parents are American (the Mom. Audrey, is from Philly), and mother and daughter speak fluent French. The dad (Dave) works at the helicopter plant in Marseille and they have been here for almost a year. So it was good pick their brains, and also meet some of the other kids who will be in Lindsey's class.

Their home is actually the renovated servant's quarters on the winery, which still produce award winning Rose's. It has a big garden area, where the party was held, and Audrey and Dave were the perfect hosts, offering cold Kronenbourg's to go along with a nice spread of food. Nadine, our landlord, had made the connection for us to Audrey, who has a mutual friend with Nadine from Club Med days. We chatted with some of the other moms to get a better sense of the girls' school and the general routine, all of which was quit helpful and set our minds at ease a bit. Plus, knowing that we'd see at least a few familiar faces one the first day of school made us feel better, too. Hearing some fo the kids move easily between French and English impressed our girls and I think made them think this bi-lingual thing might be doable after all.

Afterward we wall went to a very nice recreation area not far from their house where there was a fairly large man made lake in a quarry and lot of shady grassy area to relax and have cold rose.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Every once in a while you need to go 5 Star

Lindsey relaxes on the balcony of Columbus Hotel in MC
MONTE CARLO, Monaco - After more than two weeks on the road, most of it living out of suitcases and squatting in spare bedrooms, the girls were ready for a "5 Star" experience. The 5 Star experience is a term we made up with our traveling friends Jacquie and Sherri during our vacations together when we absolutely just need to indulge ourselves in luxury for 24 hours. So we find a nice hotel and throw the budget out the window. What better place than the most over priced city in the world - Monte Carlo!

Monte Carlo is halfway between Carla's house in Lake Como and Aix so we decided to look for a hotel deal and spend the night there on our way home. The deal was OK - a "deluxe' room at the Columbus Hotel - which is actually quite nice, albeit a bit 'chic' - kind of a higher end version of the Gansevoort -  for 200 Euros. The people were real nice (except for one waiter who scoffed at Chico, who immediately responded with his patented wolf-like attack on the guy's ankles) and the room was fine - even offering a nice view of the Med and the rose garden next door, which naturally Chico christened.
Savannah walks Chico thru the Rose Garden
Monte Carlo in general is a weird place with a strange vibe and odd mix of characters. Obviously, being mega rich helps in this town and Savannah had fun counting the Ferrari's that create a constant din in the city (that, plus the ever present whirling of helicopters and an endless skyline of cranes working on construction projects). She decided she liked the yellow ones the best, but would prefer a red one when she buys her own. We also learned that there is no seat belt law in Monte Carlo because wearing one would ruin the effect of driving around in a convertible Ferrari or Lamborghini.

The girls swam in the beachfront pool (enjoying the fluffy towels), we wandered around town, and I made use of the 24-euro per-day internet connection (not even wireless) in the room to do some calls. We had fully expected a five star dining experience to go along with our high end accommodations, but when we came across an American style sports bar called Stars & Bars that featured bacon cheeseburgers and chicken wings, the girls decided they needed a break from all the great French and Italian food we had been having and get a dose of Americana. So we ate by the marina, overlooking multi-million dollar yachts, while listening to classic American rock and chowing down cheeseburgers and ice cream sodas.
I'm not ready for a daughter in a bikini..in Monte Carlo
We headed out of Monte Carlo the next morning, glad we had stopped for a 5 star visit but in no particular hurry to return.