Thoughts and Observations

The French enjoy eating with wine.....no cell phones on the table....instead lively conversation.

Lots of people have dogs and very few ( if any) clean up after them.....beware of where you step.

Very narrow streets in ancient villages require very small cars and vigilant driving with mirrors folded in....never have seen so many rear view mirrors taken off.

French appear very laid back until they get in their cars........everyone going flat out on narrow winding roads....but no evidence of road rage.

Round-abouts keep traffic moving and there are a lot of them.

Wonderful cheeses....often an alternative to dessert.

Plat de jour still available with wine included.

Wine labelling under strict control and complicated......did not experience any unpalatable wine.....these people know how to make wine!

Wine still available at certain outlets by filling up one's spogpog.

Ham is the real thing......not all wet and unmeatlike.

Old fashioned toilets still persist...place for feet with hole.

Majority of public toilets (including those in some restaurants) smell.......? men & women sharing facilities ? poor cleaning techniques.

Fresh baguette with cheese....c'est bon.

Ancient city sewer systems sometimes smell.

Train systems efficient  and well used.

Generally people friendly and helpful.

There is no mistaking the Euro for the Canadian dollar.......France is expensive.

It must be wonderful to live in a place where around every corner there is some reminder of one's history....from ancient days.

The lettuce especially is so fresh...and one lettuce is about the size of 3 of the ones we buy in Canada.

Hot water on demand is a good concept.

Towel drier racks in the bathroom are great.

There are so many places to taste wine......even in the middle of nowhere.....how do they all make a living?

It is a wonderful thing to have friends for over 50 years.

Food is celebrated and enjoyed with regional specialities like gardianne de taureau, foie gras, moules, confit de canard, tapenade, & cassoulet.

France loves rugby.

Smoking is evident....allowed in the outdoor spaces of restaurants.

No matter how small the village, there is a Mairie.

The Languedoc-Roussillon area is supposed to be the largest and oldest vineyard in the world.....220,000 hectares....imported grapevines from the Greeks in 600 BC in the south of Gaul. 

18% of this region's wine is rosé....which is delicious.

Dogs are allowed everywhere.....restaurants included.

People are generally very patient.....especially at the check-out of a grocery store.

Highlights of our exploration of Languedoc-Roussillon area of France

Montpellier - tram system efficient and easy to use.......miles and miles of beach along 

Mediterranean at Palavas....the summer destination for Montpellier......building boom evident by the number of cranes on the skyline.

The coastal resort of La Grande-Motte with its unusual shaped white buildings....designed as a holiday town to prevent the French from migrating to the beaches of Spain.

Aigues-Mortes.......medieval fortress city....13th century.....restaurants, art shops and lots of people.

Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer......seaside resort town.

Gite at Chateau d'Or et de Gueules ( means "red" in ancient Occitaine language.....from bull's mouth...which is a bit rude to call someone now) is up some metal stairs through an uncared for yard near the tasting room.....5 kms from St Gilles in the middle of vineyards as far as one can see.

La Capelière nature exhibit and bird watching location in the Petit Camarge and the shores of Étang du Vaccarés (black bulls, white horses, flamingoes).

Les Salins observatory where we watched truckload after truckload of salt that has evaporated from the salt marshes is piled up...has been providing salt for 400 years.

 Plage Napoleon with its caravans, miles of sandy beach (and a huge dumpster overflowing).

Port-Saint-Lois-du-Rhone...... With a tiny free ferry to take cars across the Rhone River.

Arles with the Pont Van Gogh ....the bridge over the canal featured in one of his paintings.

Beaucaire .....majestic ruined castle facing another castle across the Rhone River........in the middle of a town with 2 big factories belching smoke. 

Pont de Gard.....incredible Roman Aqueduct with an facinating museum describing the construction of the aqueduct system from Uzes to Nimes, the particular construction of the Pont De Gard, and the uses and importance of water in Roman life.

L'Orange......ancient Roman theatre that was the first public project by Augustus (55 BC) in this area of Gaul which gave Nimes status.....using the hillside carved out for terraces....an audio guide which gave the history of the theatre past and present....and arc de triomphe d'Orange also from Augustus' time.

Avingnon......with its bridge, pope's palace & charming old town.

Wine tasting at Chateau d'Or et de Gueules.

Grapes......Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre......AOC Costières de Nimes......delicious rosés, full bodied reds, and a vin de pays Chardonnay.

Nîmes, 2500 years of history......historical Roman amphitheatre built in 1st century which still hosts bull-fights....only place in France licenced to kill bulls.  Detailed description of Roman games.......wild animals/criminals, gladiators.  History of construction, the ancient games, the fortification it became and its restoration, the history of bull-fighting in France....all via English language audio.

Magne tower at highest point in Nîmes with large garden, Roman baths, & Temple of Diana...... lots of families, young people, lovers, old people....a wonderful public space.

St. Gilles .....delightful town with its 12th century abbey church which was the 4th most important destination in the Middle Ages after Rome, Jerusalem & Santiago de Compostela.......Romanesque....Unesco site....abbey ruins remain.

Cirque de Navacelles...canyon 300 meters deep with village at the bottom of a serpentine road.

Pont de Millau crosses the Tarn Valley took three years to construct.....a 4 lane 2.5 km motorway that towers higher than the Effiel Tower at one point...designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster

The Société cheese factory in Roquefort that utilizes the enormous caves with natural vents to mature the cheese made from sheep's milk.

Gite de Les Bourboules........in Les Martys which is about halfway between Cacassone and Mazamet up in the Black Mountains.....a renovated upstairs space with a lovely sunny terrace.

Castelnaudary.......eating cassoulet on the banks of the Midi Canal.

Old non-working moulin overlooking vineyards.

Albi.....fortress Gothic Cathédrale Ste-Cécile made of red brick from clay from the Tarn River which runs through town........begun in 1282 after the Cathar heresy was crushed....a dominating presence in town....inside painted by Italian artists in 16th century.

Gardens of the Palais de la Berbie......now the Toulouse-Lautrec museum.

Cordes-sur-ciel......medieval village on hillside built around 1222.

Gorges of Galamus ..... 500m deep.....roadway carved out of cliff for 3 kms.....passing outcrops at intervals for one car lane.

Castle of Puilaurens 690m above village of Lapradelle 10th century abbey, 13th century refuge for Cathars.......a 20 minute walk uphill to appreciate the construction, view from ancient steps.

Lastours......4 castle ruins high on hills but only 2 visible from village....built on hillside.

Minerve.....on limestone promontory above River Brian...1210 besieged by Simon de Montfort vs Cathars.

Les Eyzies....

Saved the best for last.

Just when we thought there couldn't be anything else to wow us.......Lascaux II worth the wait in line, worth the wait for a guided English-speaking tour, and worth going out on a reading-book day.

Copied minutely in 3 dimensions to preserve the originals from 17,000 years ago.

Explained by an art enthusiast, cave painting of mostly bulls (enormous), & horses in 3 colours showing animation and the use of perspective.

Goose farms where a machine force feeds them to fatten the livers.

St. Armand de Colys.......ancient fortified church in small town.....church floor done with paved stones very worn over the years.

Jane & Toby could make a living as tour guides with their research of local sites, history, food, etc.

We got a real introduction to the area and packed a lot into a few days.....wonderful time.

Toulouse

Big city with old centre.

Very helpful personnel helping travellers on train & metro.

Pauline & Mark, Jeff & Elaine, & Irene meet us at Hotel Alizé.

Hotel just outside centre was small, basic, clean with a good breakfast.

Excellent meal in Argentinian restaurant ......lamb ribs, dulce de leche dessert.

Walked 11kms looking at the old town including the St. Sernin Basilica that has welcomed pilgrims on the camino since the 12th century.

Violets, university, huge Garrone River.

Train station enormous but easy to use and efficient.

No vineyards visible from train until we near Carcassone....mostly sunflowers all dried up. 

Argen and the Canal Midi

Our Pinochet 1400 was ready for us on arrival in Argen.....a 40 min. taxi ride from Carcassone.

42 foot boat with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.....and a large indoor and outdoor living space for all.

Not easy to maneuver but Jeff got the hang of it after one lesson and a little practice.

Sunny and bright but windy every day.....most of the time spent on flying bridge for view.

Many plane trees chopped down or scheduled for removal due to disease....replaced by white poplar.

Locks operated by staff......some single locks, many double, triple, and even a lock where boats from both directions pass each other in the middle.

Overnighted in Argen at the start of 10 days on the Canal.....then near Puicheric where we cycled into the small village with narrow winding streets....then at the marina in the centre of Trebes where we saw a water snake swimming between the boats and had a meal on the side of the canal.....on to Carcassone where we spent two nights with the boat parked near the railway station in a marina.

Medieval city with ramparts dating back to the Romans (3rd & 4th centuries AD).

Basilica of St Nasaire.....11th century Romanesque church remodelled in Gothic style wth beautiful stained glass windows .......rosettes and gargoyles.

Waked between the two walls of the cité.......lovely views over the city and countryside.

Lovely meal of cassoulet...good chocolate from one of the many sweet shops within the walls.

Museum of Beau Arts......in an old library and school.....free.

Market in city centre.....fresh produce, cured meat, flowers.......and roasted beets.

Midi Canal

Headed downstream from Carcassone.

Marseillette ...... met Jackie & Neil from Hawaii....in their 70's..travelling in their private boat ....very cozy with fire place and washing machine.......they were spending a year travelling the canals, rivers of Europe.

Little shop & bakery open 7 to 7 daily run by a very nice lady.......very insistent ducks who have obviously been fed on a regular basis by boaters.

La Redorte with its big winery right on the canal and big gambas for supper......person in a scooter shows how the towns are not geared for people with disabilities.....traffic built up behind her till she could duck into a street to let them pass.

Walk to great viewpoint behind Pechlaurier Lock.......over Argen and the valley of the Aude River & Canal.

Paraza downstream from Argen......little sleep with the sound of waves against the boat echoing in our heads.  Wine tasting at the Chateau du Paraza........80 acres of vineyards......cavernous facility.....knowledgeable young man.  Jeff expertly parks us between two boats with inches to spare on either side.

Stopped in Ventenac en Minervois at Cafe on canal for fresh croissants and baguettes and winery (cooperative right on bank)....watched the harvesting of grapes with a machine that shakes the grapes off the vines.  Charming affluent village with newer houses.

Le Somail.....best parking right in centre of action......lots of visitors, lots of artists.  Best creme brûlée in cafe with a white goose begging from the tables.

Cycled from Le Somail to Argen on a hot, sunny day....back to base after 10 days on board.

Some of the locks had little shops.....wine, ice cream, tapenade (the best ever!), etc.

Train to Montpellier tomorrow........it has been fun cruising the Canal du Midi....relaxing, seeing the scenery drift by.......lots of South Africans, Australians, & New Zealanders (rugby World Cup??)

Les Eyzies

Les Eyzies ......cute little tourist town centred around discoveries of limestone caves and prehistoric man.

Grotto de Rouffignac historical monument.......into cave 1 km to see rock paintings...on a little train.

Gite St Martin delightful, comfortable & quaint with Jane & Toby.

Les Eyzies ......part of the town is built into the limestone cliffs.  Pole International de la Prehistorie is free, modern & interesting.....part of the Vezere Valley with the greatest concentration of prehistoric sites in Euope.

Auberge de Layotte.....in the middle of nowhere!.....for a very delicious 5 course lunch....starting with dandelion apertif, including soup, salad with flowers, wild boar pate, ham, duck legs, beef stew, potatoes baked in duck fat, choice of about 8 cheeses, walnut cake with choice of several syrups including juniper & rose, coffee and disgestif.......all in a cozy cottage, served family style with a big bottle of red wine.

Sarlat with its medieval center, many restaurants, winding streets.

Chateau de Beynac high above Dordogne River with town built into the cliffs.

Jardins Suspendus de Marqueyssac.......topiary done by hand, view from belvedere of the valley, river and chateaus.

Chateau de Milandes.....Josephine Baker's chateau from the 1940's....memorabilia, falcon show, owls.