day17 St. Marie de la Mer

Today we drove to St, Marie de la Mer, where we drove through the Rhone river delta to get there. This seaside town is where a church is that is tributed to Mary Magdeline, with her escape from the Romans where she came to be.

We leave for Italy today, so the area of Cinque Terra is more remote, and might have difficulty finding internet, see you in a while........Can't wait for Italy........Au revoir France, see you again in Paris!

Day16 Les Baux

We travelled a short distance today from our B&B to Les Baux, to France,s most famous chateau. It really captures the French country side from the top looking out of some of the limestone caves. The French are more reserved in this area and ther is language barrier as well.

Then onto St. Remy de Provence. Beautiful Town , and I must say my favorite french Town so far, although Spring will  lend itself more to the magnificnet colors that happen in France, were not quite there yet, with the blooming of Lavender, and there gorgeous sycamore trees that one can only imangine. Glad were going to Paris in the Spring to see the brilliant colors.

 

Before getting to St. Remy we stopped at Van Goghs "spa" St. Paul de Mausole  that he stayed at for a while, another name during these times was insane aslyum.  He suffered from depression amongst other things, and this is where he would look out froim his room and paint some of his most famous paintings in the gorgeous gardens there, as well as the country side.

Borys and I were wondering what the prerequisite was for staying there was, for it is most beautiful.

We saw his room where he painted from, which left you with kind of a little piece of the feeling of this most amazing artist. Natalia and Addison have enjoyed learning about him form our host who is quite the history buff on Van Gogh amongst other artists.

They have learned the names of a lot of his paintings, which is really neat.

In St. Remy we stopped at the birth place of Nostradamous. Some great history today.............

day15 VAN GOGH

Today we went to the town of Arles, where we saw the cafe made famous by Van Gogh from one of his most famous paintings Terrace of Cafe at night 1883.

We wondered the streets of this small city, and stopped for a Cafe au lait  and one pop and it was over $10 Cdn, France is very$$$$$

We have made friends with a lovely man that we made friends that day in the bar  where he took us to his home to meet his lovely wife and 2 children. They have travelled to Canada , west coast, Jasper and Banff and loved it!!

So far we have just been taking it a  relaxing pace in our countryside B&B in France. Just eating drinking local wine.......Ces't Bon

day 14 Arles/the sense are alive!!

Who said the french aren't friendly, they certainly are in Provence, especially if they know your from Canada. We went to the most amazing farmers market in Arles, where I have never seen produce and fromage (cheese) like this. Then we really met France, while being told to go to a tabac to get a phone card, this landed us in a local bar/restauraunt.     One of the gentleman overheard us speaking English and befriended us before you know it we were getting free hats and sunglasses for the kids and being bought an aperatif a  common french drink called pastisse.

Everyone was so friendly, what an introduction to the senses from Van Gogh to fresh produce and cheese and lavender and fresh cut flowers, and a local bar.......ooh  la la. 

 Nicola, you asked if we're only going to eat raw in France -  are you kidding! who can resist the cheese and baguettes  to go with the chateau neuf du "paupe"? or Cote du Rhone (excuse my french spelling.)

We added a few shots of the house, Addi opted out of our excursion out into Arles to stay w/our lovely hosts.

day13 onto France

A couple of hours from Barcelona and we're in France...........ooh la la!!! Starting with Carcosonne the most well preserved medieval castle in Europe.

Then off to our 3oo year old B&B in Provence next to Arles, home to Van Gogh' most prolific period of  painting and where he  lived  for a while.

I think we set the bar high in France for Addi and Natalia love this place!!! Actually Natalia is saying France is her favorite country so far! This was the one splurge we had on accomodations for it just seemed like the place to do it, the land of plenty, and rich in the senses. The art the smells the food the wine etc. etc.

day12/Barcelona

ok, this blog I'm taking over. For many years now one of my main reasons for wanting to go to Europe was to see the works of  Antoni Gaudi. Well the first thing we see when getting off the train was one of architectural wonders (la Pedrera).

We then found ourselves looking around this massive bustling city of wonder, wondering which way to go, to find more Gaudi. Well it took all of a few minutes to see a bus stop where you catch a self paced kind of tour bus ( 3 different runs that you can get off and on at your own discretion/pace) of Barcelona.

The first stop - the living architectural wonder Gaudi  Temple of Sigrada Famalia. This is the most amazing thing i have ever seen and experienced, and believe me it is a experience that you feel. 

This temple has been in progress since the late 1800s when this visionarys ideas all came from nature inspired, so the shapes in his works are so sureal. People just stand around with their mouths open in awe.  Its like another planet.  We stood in a line for at least an hour to go to the top and it was worth every moment. The kids even loved this one, for they were starting to get a little 'castled' out.

Its like your mind is being over circuited and your heart is pounding in awe at the same time.

Borys and I and the children were gobsmacked.

We also went onto to see one of his early century apartment La Pedrera  that was once again something out of enlightened science fiction from another world.

After being sad to know our hours in the day of Barcelona were running out and there was still so much more Gaudi to see, but one day for Addi and Natalia in Barcelona was enough, so we just made a pact that we wiil come back and spend a week in this great City (and maybe catch a futbol match) .

We also went to the 4 gats cafe where Picasso use to hang out at, so that was rather cool.

I loved every second of Spain and see why Gaudi' temple still continues on with  his vision, for the people of the country have passion and pride to carry the torch . It probably wont be done till Natalia and Addis kids are grown. We talked while travelling in the car to maybe continue this journey with there kids, and they would remember it when they were 8&9. This made me cry just talking about it as we drove out of Spain .

So the plan is in 4 years when I turn 50 we will return to Spain and do a complete tour of this magnificent country.  Who's coming?? Open invitation, Seville, Ronda, Barcelona .........sigh.

 

DAY 11

just before I start the blog i just wanted to let you know that  our personal emails have been  bouncing , and most are not making it to you, so we hope that will correct its self if not, hey at least the blog is working yeah!!

We arrived in Sitges last night to our Pension. Sitges is a nice place right on the Ocean with a very upbeat friendly atmosphere. We had a down day and enjoyed watching all the local buisnesses shut down for a siesta from 2 to 5pm. Then everyone comes alive at night shopping and cafes, taking strolls all decked out there gorgeous fashions conversing and being alive!

Its been a great place just to relax and watch the spanish in there daily lives.

day 10

Every trip has its  adversities. We arrived in Granada to our hostel - a very nice hostel - marble staircase etc. it just so happened that our floor was almost entirely booked with a school group (14-16 yr olds) that showed up at the time we were about to go to sleep! Not much sleep needless to say, not inclyding a surreal 5 second flamenco singer/guitarist in the middle of the night.

Granada is a beautiful university city and most famous for the Alhambra. It is most spectacular although the most heavily trafficked/touristy place with unclear time parameters as to when you have to enter certain areas in the complex which some we missed and weren't allowed into although we PAID FOR IT!!! Beware when you go , we'll try to coach you on what to do.

Day 9

Day 8's last pic's on the blog, Neenee, Cartajima rooftops, surrounded by beautiful age old hillsides - a magical place to stay.

This set of pics; Rhonda is certainly every bit as beautiful as people say where romantis poets have lived to inspired by their writings. We walked over the bridge that crosses the gorge and saw Moorish buildings mixed with Christian influence.

day 8

a good day to leave Albufeira -heavy winds and rain - for Seville!

In Sandy' words 'At at this point definitely the most beautiful city I have seen'. Georgeous as if somone had archites=cturally planned eveything over the centuries. Went to the Seville cathedral, it made Sandy cry - the largest gothic church in the world/ 3rd in Europe. Every inch of the church had some marvel to behold - wooden carved housing for the organ, silver and gold alter, walls adornedwith paintings from artists over many centuries. The churchs origins date from the 1100's until it was "Christianized" 150 yrs later.

On to Ronda tommorrow, overnighting in Cartijema - an amazing centuries old village, the hostel dates back 100's of years and its doorstep originates from a piece of Roman column, and last but not least our hosts at the hostel 'El Refugio' - Botz and Peter adding charm, laughs and insights to our journey