France - Arles

Arles is a town full of Van Gogh and ancient Rome. There are little brass markers embedded in the sidewalks that show places where Van Gogh painted. And around every corner it seems there is some remnant of the days of the Roman Empire from Romam columns embedded in the facade of a building to a full blown amphitheater that is still in use today.

On our walk we passed by a café frequented by Van Gogh and immortalized in one of his paintings. Often at a significant VG spot, there was a sign showing the painting he did from the angle he must have sat as he viewed and painted.

One of the more famous places in the town was the hospital where Van Gogh was admitted after the famous ear-cutting which, by the way, did not take off his ear entirely as most of the stories tell. It was another symptom of his mental illness diagnosed as several different things including depression, bipolar disorder, and not the least, too much absinthe. After his stay here, he committed himself to the mental hospital in St. Remy and later, when he was released from there returned to Paris where his depression deepened and he shot himself at age 37, dying relatively unknown.

The ruins of the Roman Empire were impressive, especially the amphitheater which is still in use today for a type of bull fighting that is done in France. In the Carmague bull fight, the bulls have a red cockade that hangs on a string stretched between their horns. Each horn also has a white tassel. The razetours clad in white try to remove these prizes from the bulls. No bulls are killed and they are returned to the fields to fight again another day.

The amphitheater is being restored and cleaned but not so for the theater that lies mostly in ruin nearby. But isn’t that the way it is in most places? Sports always seem to take priority over the arts.

Wordless Wednesday

France - Vienne

A short two hour trip down the Rhone from Lyon, the Viking Burgundy stopped in Vienne for the afternoon. While not a little village it was much smaller than Lyon. Unfortunately we had the same guide as in Lyon—too much non-essential information given too fast to assimilate and no waiting for the last person off the bus. (Note: Good tour guides create an atmosphere in which the emphasis is on the sites not on themselves.)

The tour took us through the older parts of town where we visited the Cathedral of St Maurice. Notice in the picture of this ornate exterior that the figures are all missing their heads. During the French Revolution, the people were so upset with the royalty and the connection of the Catholic Church to them, that they beheaded the statues as well as the reigning royal families. Unfortunately it has left many of the large church buildings with irreparable damage.

As in Lyon, there was a vantage point high above the town where we could get a panoramic view. The weather cooperated a bit more for this one. In the picture you can see how large the cathedral is in comparison to the other buildings around.

Vienne has remnants of ruins from the Roman era when Rome was great and extended its control over much of southern France. One building in the center of town resembled the Parthenon in Rome. From a spot higher up, we were able to look down on a theater as well. Who knew we would come to France and view Rome??

France - Lyon

At the point where the Saone and Rhone rivers meet lies the city of Lyon. It is France’s second largest city with 1.2 million inhabitants. High upon Fourviere Hill sits the Fourviere Basilica, a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, patron saint of Lyon.

Throughout our travels, we have been shown churches, cathedrals and basilicas. It all became quite confusing since there didn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to what the distinctive difference was. Thank goodness for Internet search engines. Here’s what I found:

In the Roman Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation for an important church building that carries special spiritual, historical and architectural significance. The designation is assigned by the Pope. And once a basilica always a basilica. The word basilica comes from the old Roman basilicas which were houses of law.

A cathedral is a church that has a bishop’s throne called a cathedra and is the center of the diocese. A church is a building where public mass is held and an oratory is more like a chapel where private mass is said.

Arriving at the top of Fourviere, we opened umbrellas and tried to imagine what a wonderful view of the city we would have if it would only stop raining. Inside the basilica was rather dark since there was no sun streaming in the impressive stained glass windows. The place was huge though. Probably one of the largest houses of worship I’ve ever been in.

Downstairs, was the crypt where hundreds of military and other significant people are buried and memorialized. The crypt was every bit as big the sanctuary above.

On our trip to the old town, we passed by several multi-storied buildings with false fronts painted on them. These are called trompe l’oeil and often depict famous people. The people are painted life-sized on the facades and through a misty rain from a distance, look real.

A walk through old town might have been better had we had a better guide and it wasn’t in a miserable light rain. The streets there are very narrow, the buildings interesting and often little courtyards that were beyond large original doors led to the entrances to old apartment buildings that were just now beginning to have their own plumbing according to our guide.

We overnighted in Lyon so we took the opportunity to eat early for a change (on the riverboat dinner was usually at 7 or 7:30). The only place we found that looked good to us and was open early was a pizzeria that also had Italian food. It seems we ate Italian food more often in France than regular French fare.

The next morning we had some time to explore in a little better weather the city center of Lyon which has a huge pedestrian area with lots of shopping. Again, the prices of things were comparable to Paris and way more than I was willing to fork our. I’m just not a shopper.

We did find a wonderful fountain and a two-storied carousel! The two-storied carousels seem to be very popular in France.

While Lyon is probably a very nice city on a good weather day, we still agreed; we enjoy the little towns much more.

France - Beaune

In the Burgundy region of France known for its wines, is the city of Beaune. Dating back to before the Roman conquest in 59-51 BC, it was the seat of the dukes of Burgundy during the 14th and 15th centuries and still has many buildings from that period. The town is surrounded by a river and a wall that protected it.

The Hotel Dieu, a charitable hospital founded by Nicolas Rolin and his wife, Guigone de Salins, is one of the main attractions. From the outside, it is very plain but once you enter the courtyard, you are struck by the magnificent colors of the roof. Most all of the decoration inside and out must be viewed by looking up. It was to inspire the very ill who of course, could only look up from their pallets or beds.

The grand hall featured 28 small beds which accommodated three patients each—regardless of sex. To fit them into the beds, two were laid in one direction and one in the other. Pity the poor person who had to smell four feet. But these patients were the very ill and many did not survive. And for many, it was the first time they had ever laid in a bed. Further on just off the courtyard was another room, smaller, but for the wealthier patients who did not have to share a bed.

At the end of the grand hall is a chapel. All of the beds faced the chapel so the patients could contemplate their possible demise (wonder how the one laying in the opposite direction could). The beams above their heads appear to be the demons of hell spewing out the beams that support the ceiling—a reminder of where you would go if you did not repent.

The tiles in the middle of the grand hall were specially designed to reflect the great love between Nicholas and Guigone. Their initials are intertwined by a vine of oak around which is the word “Seule” and a star. Our guide told us that Nicholas would tell Guigone that she was the lone star in his life. When he died, she continued the work on the chapel but in the chapel, the tapestries on the wall have the word “Seulle” and a star signifying that she was now a lonely star.

The hospital was a model for its time where the patients were cared for by the Sisters of the Hospices de Beaune. A pharmacy was on site as well as a large kitchen for preparing meals. All of this was embellished with beautiful tapestries and works of art, one of which was originally in the chapel but now has its own room to preserve it. It is the Last Judgement by Flemish artist Roger Van der Weyden. The backside of the panels that closed over the main painting featured the Rolins in meditative prayer.

Later, as we explored the town on our own a bit, we came across this candy store that featured what I first thought was meringue. They called it nougat and it came in all sorts of flavors, was a bit chewy but oh, so good!

France - Chalon sur Saone

After spending two nights in Paris at the end of our cruise down the Seine, we boarded a train for Chalon sur Saone where we were to board the Viking Burgundy for our trip down the Saone and Rhone rivers. Actually the train went to Lyon and there we switched to a smaller train that went on to Chalon.

The first train ride was exhilerating. Bob has an app on his phone that is a speedometer and we were able to estimate the speed of the train at about 160 mph. You didn't really notice it until trees and brush close to the track passed by in a blur.

Arriving in Chalon about 11 in the morning, we walked the short distance to the riverboat dragging our suitcases behind us. (It pays to pack light!) The rooms were not scheduled to be ready until 3 p.m. but we were able to check our luggage and head off to find a restaurant for lunch.

Just up the river from the boat was a bridge that led to an island where the hospital is located. Just next to it is a street filled with restaurants. However many were not open. We finally settled on one, La Normandie, and were seated in the tiny establishment. It didn't take long to realize there was either no English spoken or they were reluctant to try. The menus had no English subtitles as we'd found in many other restaurants. But Italian dishes are the same in any language and we settled on spaghetti.

There was definitely a disadvantage to not knowing much French this day. As we watched others get their meals, we discovered that their specialty was mussels in several different broths apparantly and not just a measly dozen as we'd see in the State. Oh no, these were large bowls heaped with 6 or 7 dozen mussels and accompanied by a plate of French fries. Our spaghetti dishes were wonderful but it left me craving mussels--a craving satisfied when we found a similar restaurant offering in Nice.

The central square in Chalon was alive with a farmers' market when we first arrived. Stalls of cheese, fresh vegetables and fruits, sausage, and of course breads were abundant.

To our surprise, the city boasts of a famous son, Joseph Nicephore Niepce, who they say invented photography. He succeeded in obtaining a negative image in 1816 and then went on to get a positive one in 1822.

Since we overnighted in Chalon, we had time the next day to explore a bit more and found a beautiful garden to stroll through while enjoying what would be some of the precious few hours of sun and good weather we would have for the next week.

France - Tain l'Hermitage

Our stop in Touron found us deep in the wine country of Burgundy in southern France. While the weather may not cooperate fully in late fall, this time of the year the countryside is painted with vibrant colors of red, yellow, orange and brown mostly from the vast acres of vineyards.

Across the river from Touron is the town of Tain L’Hermitage where we spent our morning. It was quite a tour beginning with a trip to one of the wine producers in the area. The vineyards in this area sit mostly on the hills facing south and large signs exclaim the name of the owners. Wine is known by the name of the grower here not by the type of wine it is.

We were led through the area where the grapes are pressed and then stored in large fiberglass vats and in oak barrels. This was a family operation that dated back several generations. The wine aficionados in the group tossed questions out about the aging, the best years, etc. and our host graciously answered all of them. We moved into another room that was set up for wine tasting and, of course, the opportunity for purchase. The best part was the wonderful orange-flavored bread that was passed around between tastes.

From the winery we traveled back into town to a private residence that has been turned into an art gallery. The name of the artist was Pierre Paule (1920-2005). The house was purchased by his daughter who inherited a good portion of his work but, as it was my understanding, there is some restriction on her being able to sell it. So she has this wonderful old house that she has opened up into a gallery featuring her father’s work as well as some of his students (whose paintings are for sale).

The house had small rooms that we wandered through. The main room where Paule’s paintings were displayed had a huge fireplace that his daughter and our tour guide actually stood in. A winding staircase took you upstairs to several other rooms full of paintings.

Since moving in, Mary, his daughter, has found that there is a secret passageway at one end of the fireplace. She hopes to explore it further and plans to have a construction crew open it up. Sounds like the beginning of a novel plot, doesn’t it? Hmmm.

While the artwork was wonderful and exploring the old house exciting, the best was last—the chocolate store! A huge Valrhona store was in town and we were privileged to be able to wander through the store sampling all of the chocolates starting with a little sample of hot chocolate which was like drinking melted dark chocolate. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside so I’m afraid you will just have to imagine a bit more sophisticated version of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Besides, I’d be afraid of causing you to drool on your computer screen.

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas Gift - A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts

Next week will start the Christmas shopping season in earnest. For that hard-to-buy-for person, you might want to consider A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. Great stories, recipes, easy ideas for celebrating the season, greenthumb tips, inspirational thoughts, all put together in a beautifully illustrated gift book.

We have received some great news about our book. It is now available in many local bookstores. Besides some of the biggies, you can also find it in these chains:

Parable Bookstores

Lifeway Bookstores

Munce Bookstores

And of course there's always Amazon.com!

France - Versailles

Louis XIV. Marie Antoinette. The stories surrounding them have spawned all sorts of literary endeavors. On a very cold morning, we boarded buses for our trip to the palace at Versailles. Upon our arrival, we headed for the gardens. Group tours are scheduled at certain times in order to keep congestion to a minimum and control the crowds.

As with the Monet gardens, October was not the time of the year to be viewing gardens. The flowers had already been removed and the ground prepared for the winter season. It was still amazing to see the bushes and trees that were trimmed in intricate patterns and take in the immensity of the project. The gardens have been reduced since the time of the “sun king” but they still stretch as far as the eye can see.

Our group found a niche out of the cold breeze and waited for our appointed time to go through the palace. The original palace was actually a hunting lodge and when Louis XIV took over, he expanded it and created the opulent decorations Versailles has made famous. Even the horses had an elaborate building which housed them.

The story of the king’s morning routine intrigued me. The king and queen had private quarters but there was also a bedroom for the king that was more public. Each morning, he would climb out of bed and shuffle to the ceremonial bedroom where the official morning began with his courtiers and government counsel “waking” him and dressing him.

The private apartment was apparently not so private on the wedding night. Marie Antoinette’s bedroom contains a beautiful bed separated from the rest of the room by a three foot high balustrade that cordoned off the room so that the viewing public could be assured that the king was doing his job and procreating.

Of course the most famous room is the Hall of Mirrors. It is spectacular and I’m sure was even more so when the mirrors were all new and the room was aglow in candlelight.

With all of this splendor and display of wealth, is it so hard to imagine why the French commoners revolted?

France - Monet's Garden

The little town where we docked was called Vernon but we were here to see the even smaller town of Giverney where Monet lived and painted his famous water lilies. While we waited for our scheduled bus trip, we wandered across the bridge from our river boat and checked out the castles that had been rebuilt near the river. The turrets reminded me of the story of Rapunzel. I would not have been surprised to see some golden locks tumbling down from one of the upper windows.

At one time, there were several water mills stretched across the river on a bridge. All that remains is one lonely mill minus its wheel sitting atop what remains of the bridge.

Our trip to Giverney took about 10 minutes by bus. It was a romantic little town with the main attraction of course being the mansion and gardens of Monet and his famous water lily pond. Late October is not the time of year to visit if you expect to see lots of blooming flowers but it was still possible to appreciate the water lily pond. As we walked around it, I could see how Monet was taken with the way the light changed on the surface of the water depending upon the direction you looked across it. I could imagine even more how he must have worked to capture the subtle changes in the light from early morning to dusk portrayed in his paintings in the Orangerie.

The mansion was intriguing especially considering he had three women living in the house with him. He was quite a character and created a stir in the town as he campaigned to be able to divert the small river in the town to create his pond. From what I understood, he made quite a bit of money from his series of haystack paintings that allowed him to pursue the creation of his extensive gardens.

Off to one side of the mansion was a fenced area with several different species of poultry birds including a white turkey with black markings.

After our stroll through the mansion and gardens, we found a wonderful little café where we enjoyed cappuccinos on the patio and soaked up what little sun was left in the afternoon. Perhaps it was the caffeine or maybe the warm sun but I could just make out an old man with a long white beard strolling down the sandy road. A moment later he disappeared into the misty dusk as if blended into the oils of a canvas.