Campanile Marseille

As it is nearly a month after my last entry, the time has come to write my third installment of mes aventures francaises...

Having spent most of my free time out with the girls (drinking far too much 1664 and sangria), I didn't think I'd have much to write about, hence the delay on this entry, however the length of this will probably tell you that I was wrong! For a start, we've had two 21st birthdays so far, Lizzie's and then Louise's today, so lots of celebrating ...

Bonjour avec Aix-en-Provence Cherie
Since the last news we have visited the Cote D'Azur spending time at Monte Carlo and Antibes. We stayed near Antibes at a place called Biot and at night you could hear the seals at nearby Marineland - very strange. It was still quite hot and stickey with more mozzies. Monte Carlo was wall to wall money with billions of dollars in boats and cars. Antibes was similar but it had a lovely old town as well.
We arrived ...

... 8230; window open inviting… people like ants scurrying around below in a hurry to go nowhere… a big porcelain pot over in the corner… But I’ll have to keep looking. There’s one more possibility, another place here close to the gare. I feel like a bird scurrying around with a piece of straw and no place to lay it down. That’s the only thing Jesus said where he really blew it. "Do the ...

... a narrow valley with high cliffs on either side. The Abbey was founded in 1148 and construction and growth continued into the 13th century. It is still in use today, it's brothers having celebrated the 850th anniversary back in 1988. We took a very quiet tour of the Abbey. Silence is demanded as that is one of the vows of the brothers. When we were in more public areas the tour guide described the history of the order ...

... 60/lb for most of these treats, we just couldn't do it.

Lunch was not worth mentioning, I am sorry to say.

We made dinners at the house. Lucy opted for the seafood salad and a mélange of marinated mushrooms. I boiled a handful of my soft pasta and tossed it with sautéed shallots and basil sauce while I ate my bread and chevre fraiche and shared olives with Lucy. Afterward we walked around Avignon, taking note of which public buildings are lit at night ...

... Chinese’ (the conspiratorial ‘they’ like the editorial ‘we’) are now targeting Europeans with their treasure fleets of Chinese junk, though. We need a sequel to ‘Nausea.’

Unfortunat ely it seems I’ve booked the bus from Hell to Marseilles, though. I forewent the 10:30pm bus in favor of the midnight ride so that I’d get in at 8am instead of 6. With France you can’t be sure they’ ...

... then got out of Jean's way so he could get his shop on. Back at Chateau Gignoux, Michael and I prepared soup and salad, while Jean set the dining table and prepared a beautiful meat tray with salami, Prosciutto and ham, along with cheese to be used for fondue. Before we knew it, Dominique's family had arrived -- her father Bernard, mother Chantel and brother Yannick.  What I thought was going to be a very light dinner turned out ...

... has it's own name, can't remember what it is though), to sunny skies!! Brilliant! Amazing! The lovely Matthew met us at the train station and after dropping our gear at his place we went to his local to watch a soccer match between Marseille (of course!) and.... some other team. Anyway, after missing about 6 goals, Marseille finally got one in just before the end of the game and won it! Much to everyone's delight! They live and breathe their team here. They are followed ...

... fameux pick-pockets marseillais autour de nous (NDA : on nous avait dit, en maintes occasions et en maints endroits de nous méfier, à Marseille, le crime étant partout, les pick-pockets omniprésents. Pourtant, Sarah et moi n'avons absolument aucune mésaventure à rapporter de ce côté). Finalement, on se rend à l'arrêt de la 20, qui arrive juste quand je termine mon panini délicieux acheté juste au coin. La petite autobus (une quinzaine de places max) nous amène dans un coin perdu o ...

The time has come, Amber said, to speak of many things.... Alas, the time has come for us to depart Avignon. Our time here was brief, but it was enjoyed. I shall miss the garden. Perhaps I shall take one last cherry for the train ride West.