Grignan and Dancing

Sunday, July 22.  Day 5 of our continuing adventure aboard the AMA Amadagio.  The Minstrel is still with us, however the sun is shining bright.  It is this Minstrel that chases the clouds and makes the sky clearest blue that drew the Impressionist painters to this particular part of Provence. With the light ever-changing artists, such as Van Gogh,  painted the same subject again and again with different colors.  On to our travels today...

After a delicious breakfast we boarded our bus for a trip to Grignan Castle, passing fields of lavender and sunflowers, with their heads turned to the sun. Grignan Castle is situated on a rocky plateau dominating the Drôme provençale countryside.  Our wonderful guide, Sandrine Mas, explained to us that this Renaissence palace was where the Marchioness de Sévigné lived in the 17th century.  The palace is filled with lovely tapestries, fine art and period antiques.  We were only allowed to tour the grounds, however, the views were breathtaking!  Grignan Castle is still used for many musical, literary, and theatrical events. After our tour we made our way down to the small quaint town for some shopping, stopping along the way for cappuccino and the most wonderful almond croissants Liz, Cindy and I have ever tasted.   Others settled for other French breads from the bakery, and didn't know what they were missing!

Grignan Castle amid lavender field

Market in Grignan

We again boarded our bus, riding through the plane tree lanes, viewing the so beautiful countryside on our way to La Rabassiere, the truffle farm owned by Corinne and Serge Aurel, a most delightful couple.  They are the 5th generation owners, and M. Aurel explained through Sandrine the workings of his farm with such passion and truly joie de vie (joy of life) that we were all caught up with his enthusiasm.  He explained that truffles are underground mushrooms or fungi that grow on the roots of the white and black oak trees.  M. Aurel plants white and black trees alternately in preparation for growing truffles 20 or so inches below the ground around the roots of the trees.  The truffles are harvested in both the summer and the winter, and the winter harvest produces the best truffles, about 60 kilos, for which he makes 10,000 euros a kilo.  He has a wonderful helper, his Italian bred dog, Amie, who has been trained to search for the truffles, dig them up, and carefully present them to M. Aurel.  She was a wonderful little dog who loves truffles and biscuits!  M. Aurel also cut us fresh lavender bouquets from his lavender garden.  Madame Aurel and her son prepared trays of French bread with assorted truffle toppings for us to taste along with a glass of new red wine.  Meeting M. Aurel and his family will be one of the highlights of this adventure.  As we bid goodby to the Aurel's and started our way back to the Rhone River, a car passed us and flagged the bus to stop:  to our surprise M. Aurel jumped out of the car bringing Kay's glasses that she'd left at his farm!  How nice is that???

Our hosts, Corinne and Serge Aurel, along with Amie, the truffle dog

We set sail in the afternoon for Tournon and had a great ice cream party on the way.  After dinner the Captain, his crew and Peter Whitehead, our cruise director, hosted a 60s party!  I hope someone has pictures of Linda, Joe, Joanne, Rebecca, Marion and Trish,  Vikki, Brenda and David, really doing a great job on dance floor.  (Sorry if I've left any one out---the dance floor was very crowded!).     Bon nuit and a demain.....

Ginger and Fred Astaire (aka the Bolins) at the 60's party Sunday night

Avignon

Saturday, July 21.  We woke and were greeted by the "Mistrel", also know as the master.  The Minstrel is a very strong wind that blows down river at up to sixty miles per hour at times during the year.  The gardeners and farmers have planted barriers of cedar trees to block the wind from their crops.  The Rhone River runs through a valley that funnels the wind that blows for 3, 6, 9 and even 12 days in succession.

We began today docked at Avignon, a lovely former Roman river town.  The first thing we noticed were the city ramparts, the bridge of Avignon, and the Palace of Popes, right in the town center.   Avignon is referred to as the City of Popes, and was designated a World Heritage Site.  The city was selected by Pope Clement V as his residence in 1309, causing a riff with the Catholic Church which would last for almost 70 years.  Eventually it returned to the French in 1791.   One of our groups toured the Palace which was built in by Benoit XII in 1342.  the Palace is known for it's reception courtyard and wonderful 14th century frescos by Simone Martini.

Palace of Popes, Avignon

Another small group were met at the boat by a local chef who accompanied them to Les Halles food market, where they saw a skinned rabbits, fish, vegetables, and spices among other French specialties, and  where they bought necessary ingredients to cook a simple French lunch.  Among several other dishes, they prepared a lovely olive tapenade.

Inside Les Halles Food Market

Our third group toured the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gard River.  It was constructed in the first century to carry necessary water, about 40 million gallons daily,  between Uzes and Nimes, about 30 miles.  The Pont De Gard is a masterpiece of Roman engineering consisting of three separate levels or arches.  The stone was measured and individually cut and numbered at a nearby quarry.  It is one of the best preserved Roman aqueduct and was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1985.   The group went on to Uzes, a medieval hilltop town, which is still home to the Dukes of Uzes. The group wandered through the weekly market selling many items, including lovely pottery for which Uzes is known.

Pont du Gard, Roman aqueduct bridge

We continued our trip up the Rhone River passing through a number of locks, including the largest one on the river.  We docked after dinner at Viviers, an amazing walled city which has been the home bishops since the 5th century.    

A lock on the Rhone River

The walled city Viviers-sur-Rhône

Cathy Marston, blog content master, Sunday morning in Grignon

Peter Whitehead-our cruise director and the girls

Bon nuit, and a demain......

Arles and Les Baux

Friday, July 20.  We spent the day in and around Arles, one of the most charming and historic of Provence towns. Arles, originally a Greek settlement, gained favor with Caesar and his successors and became one of the most  important Provencial cities.  Arles was built like Rome, with a fourth century emperor's palace, now in ruins, an amphitheatre which seated 10,000 citizens where gladiators fought bears, wolves, and bulls.         Arles flourished in Roman times.  Today the amphitheatre still is the scene of bullfighting, however the bull is no longer killed.   The amphitheater is under renovation, but is still well- preserved with two floors of arches.  

Ancient Roman amphitheater in Arles (Arènes d'Arles)

The city gates are still standing but have been seriously restored. They stand either side of the Via Aurelia, the highway which ran all the way from Arles to Rome.  Nothing remains of the Place du Forum, but it still is the hub of the town and also the inspiration for Vincent Van Gogh's painting Cafe Terrace at Night (1888).

It is still a vibrant cafe on the square with yellow awnings. Vincent Van Gogh made his home in Arles and nearby St-Remy. It was the Provencial sunshine and influence of his friend/foe Gauguin that changed the way he saw light and color.  We visited the psychiatric clinic in St-Remy where he stayed for over a year and where he discovered again the joy of painting, turning out canvas after canvas inspired by the wheat fields, irises, trees, sunflowers that flourished in the region.  

Cafe Terrace at Night (1888), Vincent Van Gogh

The Cafe that served as inspiration as it stands today

We rode to a nearby quarry at the foot of Les Baux for a most unique experience at the Carrieres de Lumieres where we viewed a visual exhibit like an IMAX but on the walls of this former limestone quarry. Many many projectors displayed an ever changing display of works by Van Gogh and Gauguin, set to hauntingly beautiful music.  Unbelievable!  

The other part of our group visited Les Baux, whose name refers to the Bauxite (an aluminum ore) that was found in the region.  Les Baux was an early defensive site for the Provence.  Les Baux finally became part of the French Provence, becoming a Protestantism center and attempting an  unsuccessful revolt against the French crown in1632.  From it's lofty heighth the view of the countryside was breathtaking.  

Village and countryside of Les Baux

From there they traveled to Moulin Huile de Calanquet, an olive growing area in Ste-Remy   One member of the group is shipping home 2 gallons of her favorite! (See previous post) 

After dinner and cake with Dwight and Jean Denny who were celebrating their anniversary, the Amadagio docked in Avignon, our next port of call.  What adventures are in store for us tomorrow?  

A demain........

Journey to Arles

Thursday, July 19.  We departed Nice after a wonderful breakfast in the most delightful fantasy setting.  The Negresco dining room was a fantasy setting with an old fashion circus motif:  life size colorful  horses on the backs of the table dividers, painted stripes on the ceiling like the inside of a circus tent with cherubs and garlands, a life size very real looking young wooden girl in a period hat and pinafore stood winding a music box every half hour, and much, much more.  Just beautiful! 

We drove along the Mediterranean coast on our way to Cannes.  The Mediterranean is really a large lake, explained our guide, Christine, that makes up only 1% of the earth's water.  The salt content is very high and thus the water is very bouyant and the water temperature never goes below 55 degrees.  On to Cannes, about 25 minutes away.  The marvelous villa that Kathryn Hepburn shared with the Aga Khan when they were married was pointed out by our guide.  Gorgeous!  We passed through Antibes and several other small lovely villages.  Just before arriving in Cannes, we saw in the distance Chateau d'If, where, in 1687, the still unidentified "Man in the Iron Mask" was imprisoned.  Speculation was that he was the twin son of one of France's monarchs.  Voltaire, a French attorney, investigated the then cold case, years before Alexandre Dumas wrote his famous book. 

                                                                  Chateau d'If

When most people think of Cannes they think of the most prestigious film festival in the world, but coming into Cannes, our guide explained that many "brain companies"' such as large IT companies and university campuses were relocating into the area to help the local economy.  Can you imagine a company such as Texas Instruments having offices in Cannes? Or the University of Pheonix?   What an assignment that could be!  We drove along the Croisette, the main promanade, lined with luxury hotel after luxury hotel on the right and a beautiful marina on our left, home to hundreds of millionaires and some billionaires yachts.  Cannes is truly home to the RICH and famous. 

The Ritz Carlton Hotel on La Croisette in Cannes                                                                    

One of many private beach clubs in Cannes 

Yachts of the rich and famous 

Then on to Aix-en-Provence, a sophisticated and charming town.  Cathedral St. Sauveur (Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix) from the 12th century,  is one of Aix's main attractions.  Aix is lively and refreshing, with lovely fountains, France's oldest university,  a calendar filled with artistic events, and wonderful weekly markets.  From the 12th to the 15th centuries Aix was an independent Provence.   Home to the famous artist Paul Cezanne in the 19th century.  We toured on foot and then were on our own to explore the Thursday market along a lovely main avenue of Aix lined with beautiful overhanging plane trees,  many of us just able to get something for lunch from one of the many lively cafes along the avenue. 

Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d'Aix

We then stopped off at the Moulin du Calanquet Olive Mill in Saint-Rémy de Provence for a tour and tasting.  The Moulin du Calanquet has an olive plantation of over 10000 trees and resumed production of olive oil in 1999 after a gap of 40 years.

 Carol Kerr tasting the different olive oils

The Group at the Olive Mill

 Ron, Kaye Knox and Susie Groomes

Olive Tree

We then traveled to Arles to board our boat, the AMA Waterways Ms Amadagio.  I think we are all happy and content to finally be on board! A demain . .  .

 The 150-passenger AmaDagio

 The Interior of the Ship

 Bill and Lina Horner enjoying their first dinner onboard, Thursday night

Liz Alexander and Cathy Marston at dinner

More Highlights from Nice

We had a bus tour after being picked up at the airport by our lovely tour guide, Christina.  Nice is located on the-Provence-Cote d'Azur.  We rode along the Promenade Anglais which stretches for miles and miles along the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.   We saw the Palais Manessa, the Roman ruins In the Nice Cimiez area of Nice, the Musee Chagall, Musee Matisse, the site if the famous Nice Cours Saleya flower market, The War Memorial, several beautiful hotels dating from the 1900s which have now been turned into apartments, the Vieux Nice (the walking and shopping district of Nice), and a square head sculpture by the artist Sacha Sosno, which is an office complex for the City center, the library complex, and many more wonderful architectural sites located around the city.   Our hotel, Le Negresco, is home to works by Moretti, Salvadore Dali, sculptures by Niki de Saint-Phalle, and a museum quality collection of paintings and antiques.  

Nice was almost too much to appreciate in our short stay here.  Most of us are having an early night sleep to make up for our time change.  A few of us opted for creme brule with raspberry sorbet as a main course for dinner so we could retire early!  We will continue our adventures tomorrow (Thursday), hopefully well-rested and eager for our tour of Cannes and then on to Aix-en-Provence.  A demain.........

Le Negresco at Night

Beachside, Nice

Musée Matisse

On the Beach

View of the Place Masséna

The Vieux Nice (SHOPPING!) 

The adventure continues...Stay tuned

Arrival in Nice

Wednesday, July 18.  We landed in the nice city of Nice (pronounced niece) this morning and it is a lovely day. We enjoyed a city tour this morning and lunch by the Mediterrean Sea at Neptune Plage.

Our hotel is Le Negresco-a 5 star historic hotel overlooking the Sea on the Promenade.  The Hotel dates back to 1912 and once served as a hospital during the First World War.  Today Le Negresco is listed as a National Historic Building by the French government and is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Cindy Church and Liz Alexander enjoying lunch at Neptune Plage

Our hotel, Le Negresco

Getting Ready for France

Bonjour,

We have been working and planning on our trip to France for a year.

The adventure began yesterday for the first 2 couples and unfortunately their flights were cancelled, and

we hope this is not a sign to come.  They will try to depart again today.

The rest of us are still packing and still very excited.

We start our journey on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea in the city called Nice la Belle - Nice the Beautiful (pictured above).

Stay tuned.

A Demain (until tomorrow)