**Updated** First, thanks to Darren for the kind words in the comment section! Glad to see someone reads this drivel once in a while. Second, I guess the truth is that I’ve simply been distracted. I’ve been thinking about the upcoming ski season (I’m basically drooling in anticipation), my new camera and pending Foto Geeks assignment, further education, work on the house and garage, and a little project I’ve been working on that you’ll hear more about in about a month or so. So all in all, it’s all good!
Basically everyone I know who blogs goes through posting dry spells. And for reasons that elude me, I seem to be going through one now myself. There are several posts I have thought about doing, so it’s not like it’s a lack of ideas or inspiration. I just can’t seem to bring myself to the keyboard to put it all into words on this site. I just don’t feel like it. Perhaps the drive to make sure I blogged about all the stuff that made up our travels this summer led me some kinda burn out. Not sure.
But it’s not really a big deal I suppose, as I’m sure I’ll get back into the saddle in the not too distant future.
On the upside, I’m still posting with more frequency than Doug!
Maybe you’ve had someone send this clip to you on email, like I did. If so, you can enjoy it again. If not, sit back, turn on your speakers and prepare for your jaw to drop.
Besides the obvious skill, balance and sheer stones required to do this stuff, I’m also astonished at his creativity. Awesome.
HOCKEY STARTS TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Strong words, I know. And I’m not really against having lawns per se. Lawns are kinda nice. You may ask yourself then, “why would he have such a hate on for an innocent little grass variety?”. Well, most of our yards are covered with Kentucky Bluegrass,the most common lawn grass on the continent, mostly because it grows well here (though it’s not a native species) and withstands the winters. As a result, many of us feel compelled to care for this yard covering by watering, fertilizing and mowing it. These are three things I also kinda hate. We use WAY too much water to maintain our “Pleasantville” lawns, add chemical feritilizers that come with a whole host of collateral damage (in their production, run-off, packaging and shipping etc.) and are for our troubles are simply left with a faster growing, albiet greener, lusher field that needs to be mowed more often with a (commonly) gas lawn mower, one of the worst polluters out there.
So since buying our house, we’ve gotten rid of our gas mower, opting instead for a push style reel mower, and removed a fair amount of sod (replacing it with gardens - with veggies as well as drought tolerant plants). And while I have aerated the lawn, never has chemical fertilizer touched it. And it is looking WAY better than when we bought the place.
Anyhow, yesterday we began the next step; removal of all the current lawn. No, we didn’t dig it all out. But we did overseed with a fescue blend that promises to be much better. It requires little or no water (though in this climate I suppose I will have to water a bit even after it is established), no fertilizer, and little or no mowing all summer, and has a natural weed resistance. Not bad. There are a few blends available out there if you care to look, but the one I finally found available in our town is Eco-Lawn.
Now because we are not actually removing the old lawn, opting for the overseeding method, this will be a 3-5 year transition with overseeding being repeated each year. So it is not an instant lawn (you know, those rolls of sod that are likely bluegrass), but I’m a patient guy and am willing to wait and see how this all plays out.
For some reason, I just can’t seem to get motivated to write a post. Maybe because its start up time at school, or that Mich’s dad is visiting right now, or that I’m thinking about the 2, no 3, no maybe 4 hockey pool drafts I’ll be in next week. Who knows? But I do have several ideas of things I’d like to write about - I just have to find a way to get my butt into the chair and do it.
We did get our season’s passes for skiing this year today. So now I’m happy to let go of summer warmth and embrace Old Man Winter! Bring it on!!!!
Oh, and maybe I’ll take the opportunity to mention the new look. I think this might be my favorite banner picture so far. Well today it is anyway.
This shot was taken this summer at the top of Puig Carlit, part of our hike in the French Pyrenees. I’ve always wanted a shot like this; with Mich on the top of a rock that we’ve just climbed, the valley through which we hiked to get there off in the distance. I love the colors, the panorama feel and actually, the clouds in the background, nestled into the “little” divots between peaks. Anyway, details about this hike will be in a future post, one that I’m hoping Mich will be a guest writer on.
Well, would you look at that! I almost wrote a new post! I might be back in the saddle after all…
I’ve realized just how long it’s been since I’ve made a post. Just enjoying the waning summer (though I’m back to work already) I guess. I’ve got a few coming along shortly so hang in there…
If you know me and Mich, you know that food factors into our lives quite prominently. I know, you’re saying “Duh! We all have to eat!”. And you’d be right. Now I wouldn’t call us “Foodies”, but we do look for opportunities to have great food. Couple this habit with our travel one, and you’ve got a couple of happy, well-fed travelers!
Now whenever we discuss our recent trip with someone, they often say something like “Oooo, you must have loved the food in France.” And indeed we did. But not in the way we may have expected. We found a fair amount of restaurants were quite overpriced (keeping in mind that this is Europe) for rather mediocre fare. So really, we didn’t eat out all that much. That said, there were a few things I wanted to be sure graced my plate on this trip.
Paella:
Yes, I know, this isn’t French food. But hey, we were in Catalonia, in the south of France where the Spanish influence is heavy. So when we walked past this little restaurant on a tiny back street in Perpignan and saw the sign “Paella 9.90€” I became hopeful. When I stuck my head in and saw this…
I don’t think I could fit this Paella Pan in my kitchen!
… I was in! We were told that Paella would be ready in 25 minutes, so we sat down for a glass of rose while we waited. The waiter frequently came out into the street to address the patrons with updates. “Paella in 17 minutes!” “Paella in 8 minutes!” When it did come, it was delicious and well worth the “wait”.
Jacqui and Glenn enjoying the ambiance. Methinks Jacqui has spied the garbage truck!
A funny thing happened during that meal. Although it was about 8pm on a Thursday evening (the night that Perpignan has a LOT of live music in the old city), the garbage truck came along to do its rounds. This was funny because as I said earlier, this was a rather small street. I suppose they must do this business in the evening simply to avoid the daytime traffic on the crowded, narrow French streets. Anyway, check out the video below of our fabulous Paella dinner interrupted briefly by the Perpignan Municipal Sanitation Crew hard at work. I THINK it is safe to say that it will be a once in a lifetime dinner experience, but then again, who knows…? Fine dining experience indeed!
Tapas (or Pintxos):
I know, this is supposed to be about French food. Well, being so close to the Spanish border, and due to the fact that we flew into and out of Barcelona, we did spend some time in Spain. Our last night in Europe was spent in Girona, a really delightful city, full of history and incredible cobblestone streets. It’s a future post in its own right. Anyway, seeing as we were there for a night, I felt we had to get some good Tapas. Glenn ran into a North American bloke on the street (quite literally - he said “excuse me” and we recognized his “accent” to be NA) and we had a quick chat. He was kind of a local in that he had lived there for 12 years. I pumped him for info on a good Tapas place and he did not steer us wrong. It was just the kinda place I was hoping for; no menu, rather they put the tapas out on a long counter and you just go up and pick up what appeals to you. Each one has a toothpick in it. They count up the toothpicks you have at the end of your meal and bill you accordingly. Awesome.
And no drool guard!
Fois Gras:
Here’s one I had some trouble with. I KNOW that I shouldn’t eat fois gras. I know it. I do. I know that it is cruel. I know that the geese have a really, really sucky life. But I also know the unbelievable culinary experience it is to dine on fois gras. People really, there really isn’t anything like it. So, this is one of those “when in France” moments. For the second time in my life (and perhaps the last), I ordered it. And I savored it. And I loved it. Like, I really loved it. I shared a bit with my table-mates, but really, I kept the lion’s share to myself. And it was good people, really, really good. Shame on me.
Fois Gras. Yes it looks like I’m sharing, but really, I’m not. Oh no, I’m not.
Cheese, Olives and Saucisson:
I can’t say enough about the cheese, olives, saucisson and, mentioned in a previous post, bread. The variety of cheese was staggering. Each village or region has their own specialty cheese, be it from cow, goat or sheep. It was fun choosing what to try and how much to spend! The same was true for saucisson (sausage). Probably the one we liked the most was this amazing little number that Mich got; it had pistachios in it! It was really expensive, but the saucisson man assured Mich that it would keep, unrefrigerated, in the cupboard for months! You’ve gotta pay for that kinda feature in your sausage! Plus, at the same market, Jacqui got some amazing cheese that was even more expensive. It had similar features though. It all came in handy when Mich and I did our multi-day hike. Nice to have cheese and saucisson for lunch on day three and not even have to be carrying a cooler with us!
Getting olives at the market. What a selection!
Cheese and Saucisson. Look ma, no refrigeration!
Cafés:
Of course we did spend some quality time enjoying coffee and baked goods out on the street. Mostly the little cafés or Boulangerie would have some seating out on the sidewalk, or more likely a little walking square. Many were very old businesses, handed down from generation to generation within one family. Pictured below are Jacqui and I enjoying morning treats from a Pâtisserie that was founded in 1775.
A Coffee Challenge:
And so it was that I decided that Glenn, a tea drinker, should become a coffee lover! See me in the above pic? That’s me absolutely LOVING a shot of espresso. Mmmmmmm. I wanted to see if we could show Glenn the way. I wanted to see him make that very coffee loving face!
We did finally convince him to have a cup. I asked him to express the love in his face so I could capture it with the camera. Below are the results.
The first try. I think he’s just warming up and only smelling it. Not quite ready I suppose.
Second try. What do you think Glenn? Hmmmm. He’s trying at least to look like he’s enjoying it.
Third try. Really? I’m supposed to like this stuff?
I don’t think he’s had another cup since. Back to Earl Grey for him.
In the end we did a lot of this; bread, tomatoes, cheese and olives. Accompanied by rose of course. And it was awesome.
France is part of the EU. Thus, they are certainly part of the EU’s act of legislation banning the import of Canadian seal products on the basis that commercial seal hunting, notably in Canada, is “inherently inhumane”.
You know, despite this bill’s potential hit to the Canadian economy (and perhaps identity), I have basically been on board with it. I mean, as a country, we can’t expect the French to get behind something that they deem to be “inhumane” right? None of us would. So good on ‘em…. right?
Well I thought so until recently, while in France,…
I saw THIS!
WTF? Seriously?
So clubbing seals is “inherently inhumane”, but clubbing orientals is openly advocated on the French streets? As a Chinese Canadian I have to say that I’m deeply troubled by the promotion of this kind of activity. I mean up until this moment, I felt pretty safe in France. Really, we saw none of the strife and violence that has plagued the country in recent memory. So I was literally walking the streets openly; sipping tasty french coffee at the cafés without a care in the world. Little did I know the peril I was putting myself into. Needless to say, I was WAY more cautious after viewing that poster. I even considered fleeing the country before things went from sweet to sour for me, and I wokked into some trouble.
In the end, I got outta there without incident. But not without being severely troubled by the whole situation. I can’t believe this has been allowed to go on unnoticed by activists ’round the world.
So I would like to use this forum to call for the immediate ban on certain French products, starting with French Fries. That should hit them where it hurts eh? Especially when you think about how many French Fries are consumed in Canada each day. Perhaps then they will start to think twice about this activity. Are you with me people? No more French Fries! And if that doesn’t work (though how could it not!?), I say we ban berets next. That should cripple their economy, leaving them little choice but to come to us begging for our mercy! Ha, they’d probably start asking us to ramp up the seal hunt and send extra seal pelts to them so they can create seal skin berets! I seriously don’t think they know who they are dealing with here.
** UPDATED**
Um… OK, perhaps I got this a little wrong. Thanks to all of you who have written me to let me know that this “Oriental Clubbing” thing is just some kinda craze or something at the Discotheques. Wow, um, who knew?
And yes, I also NOW know that French Fries are a bit of misnomer and that they were invented by the fine folks over at McCain Foods. Well, at least the beret is a French invention!
**UPDATED AGAIN**
Thanks to all of you who emailed me to let me know that in fact the beret really has Basque origins. I mean, come on, a good part of Basque territory is in modern day France! Give me a break here people!
Oh the sacrifices made for travel. It would seem that I am still suffering the aftereffects of allergic reactions to one very cute, but dander filled french feline.
Though Leelu’s range was severely restricted during my stay in her house (basically she was only allowed in the kitchen and outside), and I treated my body to a barrage of various anti-cat elixirs, she did get to me in the end.
Now we’ve been back a week and my nose still hasn’t quite recovered. Oh well, it will eventually. In the meantime, Otrivin is my best friend. Happily, my lungs fared a bit better and have suffered few negative efffects.
Sniff.
Nary a day goes by that my life isn’t touched by the ever present hand of Les Paul. That’s because I listen to a lot of music that features solid body electric guitars. And he pretty much made the first one ever. Now if you stop and think about that for a minute, you can see why he is such an important guy in my life, albeit indirectly. His musical and sound recording innovations and thus, influence on modern music hardly stop there either.
Les Paul died today.
Blake commented earlier with a request for a post about the wine we enjoyed on our trip. Well Blakey, said post was already in the works…
Let’s just say that there was a lot of this going on!
It goes without saying that France has a vibrant wine culture. But before our visit, I’m not sure I really appreciated what that meant. You can’t go very far without seeing a person with a glass of wine in front of them, be it through their kitchen window or at the internet place.
For example, we showed up one day at Alan’s place at about noon. As mentioned previously, Alan is a fantastic fella that Jacqui and Glenn met on their first day in the country. From Paris, he was on vacation, renting a place in Rasiguères, the village closest to our place. He was a great friend to make, full of interesting conversation and insights; a real window to help us peer into French culture. I wish we had been able to spend more time with him. Anyway, when we arrived at his place he asked us if we would like some coffee or wine. Of course, being that it was noon we requested coffee. He nodded and smiled and poured us some Rosé. It was his favorite, obtained from the Cave directly across the street from his place. And I’m not talking a bottle here folks, rather it was a 5 litre plastic cask that you can buy and have refilled onsite. Not bad! Actually, I should mention that I’ve never really been a fan of Rosé, but this trip has easily convinced me that on a hot summer day not much could be more refreshing that a cool glass of the stuff. Needless to say we enjoyed Rosé with Alan on more than one occasion.
I should discuss the Caves (or Caveau) a bit more. They are simply everywhere. Every town has at least ONE. Most have several. And we are talking about tiny towns here people; think villages. Basically they are the outlet that each winery has for wine dégustation , or wine tasting. They’ll pretty much crack any bottle you’d like to try, though there is an expectation that you’ll leave with something tucked under your arm. Well we always did anyway!
Some caves are fancy, some are far from it, but all have their wares ready for you to sample. And sample we did! In Languedoc-Roussillon, the region we were in, they had a few sweet whites, ambers, rose and lots of reds! We learned a bunch about it, though mostly about the reds. In this region the reds tend to be a blend of Syrah, Grenache and a third grape, usually Mourvedre or Carignan (one of the oldest grape varieties in France). Each winery has a variety of wines produced from this blend with several variables - the percentage of each grape, whether the wine goes straight to bottle (very common) or is aged (a year, six months, in old oak barrels or new oak barrels etc. and terroir -the type of soil the grapes are grown in as well as the aspect and angle of slope). We were amazed at how wines made of basically the same three grapes were so different given these variables, even from a single winery. We were so amazed that we decided we needed to do a fair amount of “research” into the phenomenon.
Even the Cave guy gets to sample each one!
What do you think of this one Glenn?
In the end we even got seven year old Andrew in on the action!
Oh relax! This is actually just jus de pomme. Though we totally had Andrew SMELL every wine we tasted! He had a few sips, but it didn’t really resonate with him the same way the Smarties Pop-Up ice cream bars did.
Of course we did find a Cave that was also a restaurant too. That is mostly another post, but the cool part here is that you could buy a bottle for dinner that they would crack for you at the same price as if you came in a bought it off the shelf. And if you didn’t finish it (as if!), they’ll stuff the cork back in so you can take it with you. Ever think that we don’t do things right in North America? I do.
One thing that was rather difficult to figure out was the way wine is classified in France. There are several “categories”: Vin de Pays, Vin de Table, VDQS and AOC. I won’t go into each here, but will mention that we did ask at a Cave where both the shop attendant and the winery owner tried to explain it to us (they both had pretty good English). In the end the owner decided that we should just understand that “it is very complicated”. ‘Nuff said eh?
Of course, if you didn’t know, Canada will only allow you to import 1.5 L of wine with you duty free on a trip like this. That equals 4 bottles for the two of us. So what is one to do after all these Cave visits? I think you can figure it out!
Yeah, I knew that you could!
Yes, we are back. Feels pretty good. Things are fine, the nice folks who stayed in our house in our absence did a great job of keeping the yard going and thus the garden harvesting is beginning in earnest. Yum! Mich is already back to work and we are actually sleeping pretty well. We were both up at 5 am yesterday, but at least we aren’t feeling like zombies all day!
We are totally missing being in France, so we’ve tried to soften the blow by picking up some nice french cheese, a baguette, pouring over travel pics and making Ratatouille, the one french dish I really wanted to have over there that I didn’t get to. Lots of fresh garden veggies in that one! We haven’t popped any corks on the bottles of wine we brought back… maybe because there are only three of ‘em!
To say I’m quite interested in seeing this film would be quite the understatement. I’m rather excited about it. Drooling really. While I’m not really playing much guitar these days, and haven’t for a while, I remain fascinated by it and really, guitar players in general. This seems to be a fresh approach at the whole phenomenon. Sure hope it comes to a theater near me…
Well we are still in France. For a few more days anyway. yes there has been a lack of posts. Basically our dialup at the house went belly up, there is an expensive internet cafe about 20 minutes away and I’m kinda hating the french keyboards (several keys are in different positions which makes for rather slow typing). It all adds up to me posting about this great trip when we get home!
**Updated**
Many of the autos here in France seem to run on Gazole (Gas and Oil…aka diesel). This seems to be pretty good on the efficiency front as Glenn’s car is getting well over 700 kms per tank. Nice. Not nice in that demand seems to be high. Mich and I pulled into an Esso station (L’Esso?) only to find a little paper sign over the yellow gas gun saying “Gazole de pannes”. The attendant informed Mich that perhaps they’d have some in the morning… or the afternoon maybe… he wasn’t really sure. The problem was that the boat didn’t come in. Hmmm. I think I may have seen a similar sign at another station at some point. You may be asking at the point “what’s the big deal?” Really, on it’s own it wouldn’t be. But we were on the ODYSSEY DE GAZOLE!
I should explain. When we took the car today, Glenn’s only requirement for us was that we got some gazole. We were pretty low, about 1/4 tank. Again, you’re asking “what’s the big deal?”. The problem seems to be that a lot of stations will ONLY accept credit cards. Unfortunately that means Glenn’s may work at some stations, mine at none so far. Other stations accept cash, but ONLY at the times when there is an attendant in the little booth. These times seem to be few and far between (no matter what the sign may say).
So… we were low on fuel, and we had a plan of attack. Go check out a few cool sites, zip in to the Carrefour and get gazole and groceries. Then see the new Harry Potter flick. Good plan.
All went well with the tour. We had a really great time. Then things took a turn for the worst. Our camera battery quit quite suddenly. We were about done for pics anyway, so not a biggie. Next however we had trouble actually finding the Carrefour, site of gazole, groceries and the movie theatre. Eventually we did get there… only to find that the gas attendant was nowhere in site. Hmmm. No gazole for us! OK, we’ll get the supplies. Oh, Carrefour is NOT open at all today. Hmmm. No groceries. Now what. Well, howz about a quick bite and then off to the flick. The ONLy thing around is a McDonalds. So we make the ultimate sacrifice and go to Micky D’s. Off to the theater for the new Harry Potter!!
Upon arrival at the box office my first question is “Is the film Harry Potter in English or French?” You know what the answer was don’t you? “En Francais.”
Wow. Now not only are we now heading home with none of the tasks accomplished, but we can’t even go out for a nice dinner with our extra time as we bolted down the McD’s. Morale was low to say the least.
There was one last chance to redeem the situation; get gazole on the way home in Estagel. Remember le afformentioned Esso station? Yeah, that was the one in Estagel. So needless to say, we came home with a pretty empty tank. Glenn was forgiving as he’s had a less than smooth ride getting fuel too.
Hopefully that boat gets in tomorrow.
Update!
Glenn and I were able to fuel up. Of course we did it in a way that is consistent with the feel of “L’Odyssey de Gazole”…. See pics below…
That’s us at the end of the line
Nice glove Glenny!
The Breadman Cometh and Storming the Castle
Day 7 - The Breadman Cometh
Today was a post-road trip day of relaxation. Now I guess as we are on holidays, pretty much every day could be considered relaxation, but what I mean is that we stuck pretty close to home.
Around noon every day a very European thing happens (at least I consider it to be very European); the tranquillity of the countryside is shattered by the bleating of a van’s horn. This happy racket indicates that the breadman has cometh. He zips down the lane to our little group of houses here at Borde-Neuve and opens up the back hatch of his van to reveal a plethura of sumptious baked treats. Everyone appears from their houses and he happily grabs what you want. It is a a wonderful part of European bread culture - something that is certainly missing back in Canada.
After kicking around the house a bit, the heat got to us a bit and thus it was time to boot on down to the nearby river oasis. We arrived to see a great little swimming hole, a few locals enjoying it already, and our new friend Alain whom Glenn and Jacqui met soon after they arrived. He and his daughters are here on holiday from Paris.
As the afternoon waned, Mich and I jumped into the car and busted into the local grocery; Shoppi in Estagel. We got some supplies and cooked up a great little Fig and Crispy Battered Goat’s Cheese Salad. It went well with some wine we had picked up earlier at a cave (see previous post for more on the caves).
Day 8 Peyrepertuse - Storming the Castle
Historical research was the task of the day. Basically we decided to reinact the process of storming a castle. The castle of Peyrepertuse, overlooking the village of Duilhac was our chosen target. Instead of parking up at the site we opted to march through the forest and up the steep slope approaching the mountain top fortress. Along the way we realized that we’d be rather tired upon arrival, not to mention that during the 30 minute hike we were in plain view of the castle several times, thus announcing our pending arrival. Of course this would give castle defenders all kinds of time to mount their defences. We could almost smell the cooking tar as they readied it to pour upon us in addition to the volleys of arrows that we were suseptable to while out in the open.
The closer we got, the higher and more daunting the castle walls began to appear. It quickly became obvious why laying siege to a castle was really the way to go in situations like this.
Turns out that to breach the walls all that was required was to cough up 7.5 Euro each. After doing so we were all welcomed in and given a pamphlet to boot!
One castle stormed.
Journale de France - Days Four Five and Six
**Updated - I sucked it up and uploaded pics!**
Out in the country here we are on dial-up with speeds that approach glacial so… methinks no pictures for you today. Instead straight to the commentary on the last few days. They’ve been good…
Day 4 To Nimes
Day 4 began our three day roadtrip centered around the Franz Ferdinand concert in Nimes. Nimes is a cool city (they all seems to be so far). One of its claims to fame is that it was the source of denim for a certain Levi Strauss. Indeed, he used the thick, durable cotton-based cloth, produced de Nimes (”de Nimes –> deNimes –> denim).
En route we stopped in the town of Arles. Its claim to fame is that it is the city in which Vincent van Gogh spent much time, created A LOT of fantastic art inspired by the area, and eventually went mad, cut off his own ear (after chasing off his good friend Gaugin with same said knife) and then killed himself (not in Arles). The Roman arena in this town is well preserved/ restored and inspiring to see.
Upon arrival in Nimes, we got through the congested traffic entering the old part of the city to arrive at our hotel, the comfy and clean Hotel Acanthe de Temple, a few short steps from the Arene de Nimes, site of our concert. Franz Ferdinand rocked; they were tight and the performance energetic and entertaining. Much the same can be said for the opening bands The Dodos, The Virgins and The Ting Tings. Both The Ting Tings and FF were known to us previously and neither disappointed. It was great fun, and thrilling to see a show in an ancient Roman arena. Stunning. The crowd was tons of fun and down to earth. There was smoke in the air, but unlike similar concerts in Canada, not pungent in aroma. A great day
Day 5
Though we all wanted to sleep in after the late night, we wanted to make the best of our time and sucked up the “early” morning, hitting the Maison de Villaret (a family run bakery founded in 1775) a little after 9 for great coffee and breakfast.
Next was a trip to the very charming (and busy) town of Uzes, in the Vaucluse region, for a visit to their morning market. We had a relaxing stroll past the stalls that displayed your typical Provence wares. We picked up some great “saucisson”, goat’s cheese and olives. The markets here are fabulous, similar to some of the farmers markets back home, but was they are usually surrounded by 1000 year old buildings, have a bit of a different feel! They are filled with true food artisans who have produced great treats for us!
Our next stop was the Pont de Gard, another ancient reminder of the Roman occupation of this area. It is an engineering marvel (as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site) that was used to divert water kilometers away from its source river. Pretty cool to enjoy lunch in its shadow. As it was one of our hottest days so far, it was a welcome suprise to see that people come to swim, as much as see the site. The rocky banks of the river are perfect for diving. Needless to say that after a quick change into our bathing suits in the bush we took advantage of the cool water!
Of course, all this activity stirred up a bit of a thirst so the next few stops were at a couple of Caves, which are basically wine shops for local winaries (and are everywhere in this region). Of course every vineyard produces their own product, so there is a lot to sample; 4 or more at each Cave. You tend to leave with a bottle or two each time! That reminds me - as I write this it is about lunch time. I wonder which bottle we’ll crack for lunch? Visiting the caves has been great fun so far; aside from the obvious, we are also enjoying this as a good opportunity to speak to the locals. It should be stated here that of the four of us, Jacqui and Glenn are certainly doing better with their spoken french. And of the two of us, Mich is the far better speaker.
Day 6
Yesterday was certainly the hottest day so far, reaching at one point, 43 degrees on the car thermometer. We spent it getting back home, with of course, a few stops. We visted the town of Isles-sur la Sorgue for another market. Our timing was good as things were just starting to wind down, helping us get a few deals on fruit! Yum.
Next was a trip to the stunning town of Gordes, a fortified city built on a steep hill overlooking the valley beyond. Our jaws all dropped as we rounded a corner in the car to see it for the first time. At one point, this village had become a “ghost time” until not so long ago it was discovered by the rich and famous who bought the place up and renovated. The residences here are now rather shwank.
Abbey Notre Dame de Senanque - outside of Gordes
In addition the Abbey outside of Gordes is stunning. It has been functioning for over 1000 years and is known for its lavender production. The place smelled great!
Montpellier was a nice surprise. We only stopped because Glenn and Jacqui needed to to visit the train station to retrieve an item left on the train from Barcelona. That didn’t go so well, but we did discover a vibrant historic downtown where we enjoyed a nice meal and great people watching.
Glenn got us all home after that. He’s been the chauffeur the whole time so far and doing a great job of it.
Today has been super relaxing so far, with a sleep in, some lazy coffee drinking and picture viewing. However, I just got the word that a trip to the river is now in order so it is time to pack the swimsuits and some lunch (and wine!).
Journal de France - Days Two and Three
Day Two
Our second day was a lot of fun; filled with surf and sand and… baguette and cheese. First a stop at Alain’s, for some “quick” info on trains. Well there is no quick drop-ins in France! We were offered wine or coffee…we chose coffee and got wine…the good stuff from across the street that comes by the jug (refillable of course!). We enjoyed a few glasses before heading back on the road…at 1:30 pm. We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the sand of Canet Plage, turning our bodies just often enough to avoid serious sunburns, napping, reading and jumping in the salty Mediteranian to cool off in the waves. It was so very relaxing to just hang with the French tourists at one of their hotspots. Of course that meant some great people watching too. There’s been a lot of that at all locations really.
Day Three
Wonderful day trip to the walled city of Carcassone today to check out the stunning fortified castle. While we did have to brave crowds to do it, I found the endevour worth it as it was so cool to walk the battlements around and see the vast scope of what life used to be like in medieval times. This castle is well restored and while now filled with modern restaurants and shops it gives a real feeling about what it might have been like to live behind castle walls in a bustling community. Incidently, this is the castle that they did the location shooting for Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
We’ve been getting to all these great spots via our private chauffeur, Glenn. As they are in France for 7 weeks, they ended up leasing a great little car. It’s been so fun bombing around the country side in it; zipping up and down the thin lanes as we pass through the petite towns along the way. Every town is postcard-picture perfect, with alley ways, Boulangeries, squares and the ubiquitous tile roofs and stucco or stone walls. It really is amazing what passes for main roads here, both in town and highway. The difference from back in Canada of course is that these roads have been here for several hundred years (in some cases even longer), before they needed to be wider for modern travel. We had a good chat today about the fact that there are American and Japanese autos here that are both small and quite fuel efficient; something that seems to be in rather poor supply in North America. Despite the existence of these cars here, the auto makers are unable (unwilling!) to produce them for that market. At best they may be “in development”.
Returning home we stopped by the Aude River for some bread, cheese and olive tapenade. Our planned trip to Chateau Perpeteuyse will have to be done another day…we just tried to pack too much into one day!
Tomorrow looks to be a great day as we head up to Nimes for a music festival, that is headlining the Ting Tings and Franz Ferdinand in Le Arenes de Nimes, a stunning 1000 year old Roman amphitheatre (qnd perhaps the coolest venue we have seen a concert in yet…?). We might hang around that area for a day or two. Perhaps Nice..?
Journale de France - Le Premier Jour
Our first day was great. Glenn drove down from Perpignan to pick us up at the Barcelona airport. Things were a little sloppy in that none of us knew the airport and thus we didn’t have a good meeting point. In addition, of course we didn’t know how long it would take to clear immigration and customs and thus what time he should be there to get us.
Turns out that entering Spain is beautifully simple and easy and, most importantly, QUICK! Forget the hour plus it will take you to enter via YVR in vancouver. Think the difference between a 400 meter hurtle race and a 100 meter sprint. Spain is the sprint. We walked off the plane, handed our (small) immigration form to the officer (we were lucky enought to have a very short line-up too - not seen yet in Vancouver) who promptly stamped them and waved us through. It was then simply a matter of picking up our bags from the carrasel and… “Bob’s your uncle”. An aside. Doesn’t anyone know where that saying comes from? I really must look it up.
Mich got us some morning espressos and we waited in the sun for Glenn to come and collect us. That done, we headed up the coast toward the French/Spanish “border”. They often talk of the Canada/USA border as being the longest “undefended” border in the world. It ain’t so. It’s as easy to cross from Spain to France as it is to travel from province to province in Canada. Try that at Canada customs.
The drive was super cool, and on a road, the windiness of which rivals that of the crazy coastal road we drove in Indonesia a few years back with Al and Maggie, though perhaps this one is rather more narrow. Glenn negotiated the corners with ease and we rubbernecked our way through quaint, scenic coastal towns, plunged through tunnels and drooled at the Mediteranian.
Of course we had to stop at some point along the way to hit the beach for a bit and have our first French meal; bagette with tomato and brie. Life is so good.
All that said, I really didn’t fully enjoy the tour as jet lag began to kick in. We really didn’t sleep much on the plane as it was a morning flight for us, 10 hours in the air and then arriving first thing in the morning here, our bodies thinking it was just about bed time. So we began to struggle to stay awake. However, with a nap in the car, coupled with a late afternoon one at the house, we ended up sleeping the night straight through and this morning, I think we are reset and ready too go!
This brings me to the house we are staying at. Glenn really didn’t prepare me for what was in store. We are truly in the French countryside, about 40 minutes from the city (Perpignan). The hills are covered with vegetation, trees, grapes and olive bushes. It is terifically scenic. The maison is super cool; an old mostly stone building that is now subdivided and housing multiple families. That said, our part is huge, much bigger than our own home. It is completely charming, covered in classic, wide plank flooring, vintage doors and windows, and old walls. It is exactly what you might expect a vintage French country house to be! I love it.
This morning, I type this with a hot cup of French pressed coffee beside me (OK, this is pretty standard for me) as I gaze our the open windows upon the hills of the southern French country side (this is not). Mich and Jacqui began their morning with a run through the grape covered hills. I expect them back any time now, so I’ll put the water on to boil for round deux of coffee.
Today we explore!
ps. We just heard about the nasty fires in Kelowna and Westbank. Hope you guys are all okay.
So we are in France! We are jet lagged. But all is cool. Lunch was baggettes with cheese and tomatos dans la plage. Life is très bien.
I Hear Life is Good in the South of France
Well when Jacqui and Glenn called us many months ago and offered us a free place to stay in the South of France, we didn’t really think it was gonna happen. But hey, it is! So we are off to today to wine country. We should have some access to the ‘net so we will try to update on our travels here. We are planning to relax, hit the beach, stroll the countryside, play some tennis, hike in the Pyrenees and drink wine!
On the ferry recently, as we returned from our travels and paddles on Vancouver Island, Mich and I sat down for something to eat. There was a fella moving around the room, cleaning up tables, picking up trays, etc. After we finished eating and had gotten a couple of coffees he approached our table. I expected him to either ask if he could clear away our tray for us, or ask us to take our coffees with us to a less busy place on the boat. Instead he said “Excuse me, can I ask you if you’ve ever spent any time in Fort St. James?” Of course I gave him the double take and answered that I had indeed lived there. He queried further and then called me by name! I had been his science teacher way back when.
I was so glad he approached us as although his name registered right away, I NEVER would have recognized him. Indeed, I checked out the old FSJSS yearbook when we got home to see what he looked like back then and the memories came back instantly. I is so fascinating how some people can change so much physically in a few short years.
Of course, poking through that yearbook brought back so many memories for both Mich and I - old stories of the time we spent in FSJ teaching and living. Fun. That led to Mich getting on Facebook too to see if she could locate any of those old students, just to see what they are up to, or at least where they might be now. Again, it is so fascinating to see where peoples’ lives take them.
Anyway, it was good to see ya Dustin E. Thanks for saying hi!
The Broken Group - Trip Summary!
Our trip was fantastic. Everything went well from having great weather, to not having long waits for BC Ferries and starting the summer by sleeping in a tent for EIGHT straight nights.
We decided to access the Broken Group Islands (BGI) via the MV Lady Rose, an historic vessel that has been working in the area for decades. Turns out that the Lady has seen better days and while seaworthy, is not currently certified to carry passengers. Thus it was the MV Frances Barkley for us!
The trip down the Alberni Inlet was beautiful, filling us with hope for great weather for the duration of our paddling.
Alas, as we arrived at Sechart, the Park warden was quick to single us out as canoists with the following comment…
This affected our plans somewhat, and choosing caution over bravado, we opted to aim for the nearby Gibraltar Island campsite rather than the distant Turret Island one.
This turned out to be a great choice; we had a nice first day paddle, met some nice people and using traps borrowed from our friends Chris and Millie, caught Red Rock Crabs, upon which we feasted.
The next day, after listening to the marine forecast, we made a try for Turret. We made it easily, picking our way through the Tiny Islands on our way. Though the gale warning continued (and continued for the duration of our stay), we departed early, and calm conditions held. Indeed, we never saw any truly bad weather! That made for great paddling.
In the end, we had days of wildlife viewing (eagles, fish, otters, seals, dolphins whales and birds, birds, birds), clear waters to paddle and look through, pristine beaches to lounge on, tide pools to peer into, trails to walk and history to ponder. Our company was wonderful; Tod and Catherine so much fun to be with. Sadly, Colin and Maureen we not able to join us as originally planned. Next time guys!
We have a bunch more photos that you can check out if you’d like via the photo player.
The Wanigan - An Eight Year Epic Project
If you don’t know, “wanigan” is a first nations word for food box. When we first paddled with Patty and Richard, we marveled at the one Richard had made to fit his canoe.
So, before we decided to move to China, about 8 years ago I decided, with Richard and Stuart to take on the task of making a few more as our next “shop night” project. The design was much the same as Richard’s original, cedar strip and fiberglass. We got the basic woodworking done, as well as some of the glass work before winter ended, shop nights were used for other, warmer weather activities and thus the projects were shelved until the next fall. Or so we thought.
Instead, Mich and I moved to China, the four partially finished wanigans stayed stored in Richard’s shop (shop night continued I think, but with other projects) and we returned to live in Canada again after 3 years. I took two of them to Kamloops with me (one had originally be intended as a gift for Kev N, here in the Loops) and proceeded to store them in our garage for close to 4 more years. Wow.
Kev and I worked on them a bit during a few of our shop nights here last winter, but didn’t make too much progress (though we did the the drawers built). And then Mich and I agreed to do the paddling trip to the Broken Group Islands with Tod and Catherine. At that point I knew I wanted to finish at least one wanigan to take on the trip. Kev helped me with advice on further fiberglass work and I set to it.
Happily, eight years later, with the help of Richard, Stuart, and Kevin (possibly Chris too), the wanigan is complete and has made its maiden voyage with fantastic results. Acting as our kitchen box, and beautifully fitting the contour of our canoe, it also was quite the hit at the campsites. People often came over to investigate just what we had and how it was made. Some knew what it was, a few even knew what it was called. One fella gushed over it to Michelle and insisted on taking a pic! Pretty cool.
We’re looking forward to lots of use from this box for years to come! Thanks to all you guys for your help and shop space!
**Updated July 7 **
We are back! The trip was absolutely awesome. I’ll update with some details later today - for now I’ve got a lot of unpacking to do!
Tomorrow we set out on the first trip of the summer - The Broken Islands Group, Pacific Rim National Park. We’re very excited about this as it’s been a while since we’ve done a multi-day paddling trip, we’ve yet to paddle on the ocean, this is our first trip of that sort with Tod and Catherine, and the weather forecast is getting better each day! As a bonus, this trip got me to get my butt in gear on a project that was started BEFORE we moved to China! It’ll be done today, so more on that later.
Wow. It comes every year for me, but every year it seems as fresh and new as ever. Summer holidays!
“They give us those nice bright colours.
They give us the greens of summers.
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day
So, mama don’t take my Kodachrome away.”
- Paul Simon -
Well Eastman Kodak has announced that after 74 years, production of Kodachrome, the film that made color photography what it is, is coming to an end. The end of an era? Certainly. But with the masses eschewing film for digital instant gratification (myself included) this hardly comes as a surprise.
I’m sure someone will come up with a “Kodachrome” plugin for Photoshop. Heck, maybe there already is one…
Anyway, take a few minutes to check out the slideshow that Kodak has posted to pay homage to the late, great Kodachrome. They are stunning images.
Food, Inc. opened in theaters a few days ago. I have my doubts that it will actually make it to my town (though the local film society might bring it in….), but if it does, you KNOW I’ll be there to check it out.
How cool is it when out of the blue on a Friday night you get a cryptic text from your bro saying “if r u home look in the sky in ten minutes to the north”?
It’s even cooler when you do look north in ten minutes to see, in the distance, a chopper piloted by your brother flying past your city slinging a big fire fighting water container.
Kamloops is home to one of BC’s regional Fire Centers. So we see and hear the water bombers coming and going as they head out on fire suppression missions. Today as Mich and I and Lindsey paddled the North Thompson from McLure to Riverside Park, we floated right on by a fire. As we approached it was amazing to watch up to four planes (three water bombers and the bird-dog plane) buzzing around the fire site. They seemed highly organized and coordinated. Good thing as they were all in pretty tight.
Mich and the bombers.
Lindsey wondering if peeing on the fire would help out any.
Anyway, we got closer and closer and came around the last corner in time to see the last run. Yes we ended up a little close, but these guys are pretty precise with their placement of the fire retardant. It was a sight that we likely won’t see close up again anytime soon.
Lindsey thinking about peeing for a different reason.
