-- Provence, France
Diane Bedrin
At 9 AM sharp our tour guide, Olivier, whose mannerisms reminded us of Roberto Bennini from the film Life is Beautiful, showed up in a mini van ready to conquer Provence.
As we drove first to Casiss one could hear Peter Mayle describing the le mistral (winds), the scent of lavender and olive oil, and we could only imagine what was in store for us. We first went to the port of Casiss, boarded a small boat and motored out to visit three different inlets. Casiss reminded us of La Jolla but everything was below the mountain peaks. It is a boater's paradise and a lovely town built on the limestone from the local quarry. The limestone on the bottom of the Statue of Liberty in NY actually comes from this port city- it is the strongest material in the world made that can hold a monument. After a 20 minute walk about town we drove up to the highest point to overlook the harbor and get an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea. Awesome and breathtaking and I saw bikers climb this mountain that is higher than the Eiffel Tower. We serpentined down the mountain breathing the scents of olives, pomegranates, apricots and lavender and headed next to Marseille, the second largest city in France. Again we climbed the hills to the top where the Church of Notre Dame was built to guard the city. This cathedral was amazing and we saw incredible mosaics and mobiles as parishoners worshipped silently. The view of Marseille was overwhelming- the port city had three ocean liners and thousands of small crafts in the harbor. A small memorial to the fallen French Jews and others who perished during the holocaust is housed in one part of the still standing fortress near the sea. Next we headed to Les Beaux, a provencal village built inside a fortress with a chateau. We arrived just in time to see a bride and groom walk through the streets with their bridal party! The cobblestone village is perched upon the top of the valley in Provence and the walls are all made of stone. The stores were quaint, the toilets were holes in the ground (yuck is right) but the bakery and restaurants left a fragrant aroma luring one into every nook and cranny. We met an unusual Japanese dog there, too.
Next onto Arles, a village set overlooking the Rhone River where Van Gogh painted his Starry Night. His other famous works, the yellow house and cafe were part of the landscape. Arles still has bullfights in the stadium built centuries ago, but they don't spear the bull like in Spain. This was an interesting town to walk around, we saw their famous amphitheater where opera stars like the late Pavoratti performed in summer concerts. Arles really was an international, diverse town, lots of old narrow streets and interesting artsy buildings built with limestone. We also ran into another bride and groom and their wedding party as they drove through the village honking their horns. We arrived back to the hotel at 6 PM. Olivier was a most knowledgeable guide, quite professional and animated. He spoke with both hands while driving and looking back at us. And we all thought driving with Jerry was challenging. While at Les Beaux I received a clear phone call from Bea and Jack, my folks, letting me know that all was well at home. That was welcoming. Jaime and I had a delicious dinner at Le Passage and later a cappuccino and citron presse on the way back to the hotel. Tomorrow we will visit the fruit and vegetable market and then we are off to visit our new family, Denise Epstein in Toulouse. We also hope to see an Airbus on the highway being transported part by part as they are designed and put together here (according to Olivier) Au Revoir!
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