Oh, the Places We Box!

Thursday, April 28, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPEDays 57-59
Versailles, France to Paris, France.
    space
While we still had our rental car, we spent a few nights in a hotel in Versailles, using it as a base to drive to some places around the Paris area that we wanted to visit.  Having been to the magnificent Palace of Versailles on a previous trip to Paris, we skipped that on this visit, but we did find some letterboxes in the gardens surrounding the palace.  And, indeed, letterboxing guided our agenda for the other places we went to, steering us to some fascinating locations.  Although we can't dispute the value of good travel guidebooks, it's hard to beat the inspired locations that we have been led to by letterboxers.

Auvers-sur-Oise
About 20 miles north of the center of Paris lies the town of Auvers-sur-Oise (oh-vehr-sur-wahz).  During the late 19th century, a number of Impressionist artist were drawn to the town to practice their craft.  The artist most closely associated with the town is Vincent Van Gogh, who lived in Auvers at the end of his life.  In the 70 days he resided in the town, before committing suicide there, he created some 70 oil paintings.
    
In fields and around the village, you can see copies of Van Gogh's paintings in the exact locations where he created them.   A unique museum of Impressionism in the local Château d'Auvers-sur-Oise employs a multimedia exhibit to demonstrate the inspirations of the Impressionist artists.  Through the projection of 500 paintings, an audio commentary, video and music, the museum brings to life the Paris of the period between 1870 and 1890.
     
Château d'Auvers-sur-Oise (photo from town web site)
At age 37, Van Gogh walked into a field in Auvers and shot himself in the chest with a revolver.  Surviving the impact, he managed to struggle back to the inn where he had been staying and where he died two days later.  He is buried in the Auvers-sur-Oise cemetery, along with his brother Theo, who died six months later.
     
For the record, the letterbox we searched for in Auvers was missing.  But when you've been taken to such an appealing location, the box is secondary.
     
Marly-le-Roi
Just 10 miles west of Paris, bordering on Versailles, is the town of Marly-le-Roi, home of the lost Château de Marly.  Back in the late 1600s, Louis XIV decided he needed a country home to escape the stress of his palace at Versailles with its thousands of courtiers and extreme formality and protocol.  So he had a small family retreat built in the village of Marly.
   
Château de Marly painted by Pierre-Denis Martin in 1724
Though it was a simple country castle to Louis, Château de Marly was a grand estate with elaborate gardens and waterways.  Today all that remains of the castle is its foundation.  After the French revolution, it was sold to an industrialist who turned it into a factory.  When the business failed in 1806, the chateau was demolished and the remains sold as building material.
   
Eventually, the property was repurchased by the national government and its grounds and gardens cleaned up and cared for, if not restored to their former glory.  Today the grounds are part of a city park.
     
Parc du Marly
We did find the letterbox planted near the site of this lost castle, as well as an delicious lunch at Cocooning, an excellent Marly restaurant.

Rambouillet
At the edge of the Forest of Rambouillet, 30 miles southwest of the center of Paris, lies the city of Rambouillet (rahn-boo-yah), best known for its medieval castle, Château de Rambouillet.  Built as a fortified manor house dating back to the 1300s, the castle was acquired by Louis XVI and later became the property of the national government after the French revolution.
     
Château de Rambouillet
Originally pentagonal in shape, one of the sides of the castle was amputated during the reign of Napoleon.  Since 1896, the chateau has served as the official summer residence of the President of France.  The meticulously manicured grounds are used as a park by the people of the city and visitors.
     
Unfortunately we encountered a group of unwanted guests when we visited the park.  Though we were confident we had left these pesky creatures far behind in North America, a gaggle of Canada geese has taken up residence in the gardens around the lake.
     
Non-native invasives on the lawn
As they do in so many urban places they invade, the geese have created a minefield of fecal droppings on the grounds.  Though we thought we had spied a couple in the Netherlands, we were dismayed to see this unfortunate Canadian import has also reached France.

Even these pests couldn't mar our interest in this beautiful setting, the site of the first G6 conference in 1975.  The letterbox we found in Rambouillet was near the chateau.

Would we have made it to these interesting places had we not been searching for letterboxes?  Perhaps, but we love the combination of pursuing our captivating treasure hunts while visiting intriguing locations. And we appreciate the letterboxers who take us there.
     
Garden Rambouillet
On Thursday, we dropped off our rental car at the Versailles rail station and took a train into Paris, where we'll remain for six nights, ending our 3.5-week stay in France before we move on to the United Kingdom for the last leg of our journey.
   
TUESDAY, 26 APRIL—THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2011

Merci, Monsieur le Gendarme

Monday, April 25, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPEDays 53-56
Bonnieux, France to Lyon, France.
    space
On Friday (day 53), we took a much needed down day at a small and poorly run B&B about three miles outside Bonnieux.  When we decided to stay in the area another day, the inn where we had spent the last few days was fully booked for the weekend, as were most accommodations in the area.  It didn't take us long to figure out that it was no coincidence that the dark and dank 18th century farmhouse we moved to had plenty of availability.  The innkeepers, when we could locate them, acted as if they would rather be doing anything but acting as hosts.  
     
We couldn't get away fast enough the next morning, driving 20 miles to Pertuis and staying at a new hotel with a congenial staff.   After spending Saturday doing travel planning, we were ready to begin our approach to Paris on Sunday.  Since France is similar in size to Texas, we were looking at 450 miles from Provence to Paris.  It would be a two-day trip, with Sunday night spent in Lyon.

In our division of labor on this trip, I do all the blogging and Ken does all the driving.  Although I would be glad to help with the driving, the cost for a second driver in both France and Italy has been prohibitive, sometimes almost doubling the cost of the car rental.  So Ken volunteered to stay behind the wheel.  Since he is a very cautious and smart driver, that's certainly been fine with me. After his adjustment to driving in Italy, Ken's driving style changed just a tiny bit but he is still an excellent defensive driver.
     

Easter Monday is a public holiday in France, so the motorway from Lyon was clogged today with both locals and other Europeans speeding back home to return to work tomorrow.  Even driving just below the legal limit of 130 km/h (80.8 mph) on the A6 toll autoroute, we were almost blown off the road by the draft of the occasional speeder zooming past at a pace that would be envied in NASCAR circles.

Leaving the A6 motorway this afternoon after driving 300 miles from Lyon north to Versailles, Ken was relieved to be out of the intensity of the high speed driving, glad to be on a secondary road and within a few minutes of our hotel.  Just as we figured out that the GPS was indicating we should stay left as the road diverged ahead, we suddenly saw one of France's finest waving us to a stop in what we thought was the road going to the right.

Screeching to a halt to join several other cars already pulled over there, we prepared for a routine license and registration check.  Looking around for the officer, however, we noticed the speed camera on a tripod being operated by one of the officers of La Police Nationale Française. 

"Bonjour," Ken politely greeted Monsieur le Gendarme as he approached our car.  "Is there a problem?"

In broken English, Monsieur le Gendarme asked Ken if he knew what the speed limit was.

"No, sir. I have no idea, Monsieur le Gendarme, sir.  I did not see any sign," Ken replied.

"It is 17," Monsieur le Gendarme declared.  "You were going over 19."

Or that's what we thought he said.  As we've often noticed with native French speakers whose mastery of English is limited, however, numbers that are multiples of ten can sound like the numbers between 10 and 20. 

After Monsieur le Gendarme examined Ken's international driver's license, Ken politely asked him to write down the speed limit and our speed so he would understand what happened.  So Monsieur le Gendarme wrote the numbers on the back of Ken's license. That's when we discovered that he had tracked our speed at 95 (60 mph) in a 70 (43 mph) zone.   

We waited for the bad news.  A ticket?  A court appearance?  Neither.  Monsieur le Gendarme informed us that France levies on-the-spot fines.
   
"You must pay 19 Euros immediately," I heard him tell Ken.  Not too bad, I thought, less than $30.  I saw Ken immediately open his wallet and offer two bills to Monsieur le Gendarme.  When I saw the bills, it was obvious that I still was not comprehending Monsieur le Gendarme's pronunciation of numbers.
    

As I whispered a fond farewell to the €90 ($131) that was escaping out our car window, Monsieur le Gendarme was consulting with his colleague.  Suddenly he waved off the fine, advised Ken to watch the speed limit signs, and wished him "Bonne journée" (the French equivalent of "Have a nice day").

"Merci!" replied Mr. Charm, wishing Monsieur le Gendarme the same, as he returned the money to his wallet and drove slowly away.
     
FRIDAY, 22 APRIL—MONDAY, 25 APRIL 2011


Plus Beaux Villages

Friday, April 22, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPEDay 53
Bonnieux, France. 
    space
Selecting villages to visit in the Provencal region of southern France is a bit like trying to choose a few morsels of candy in a large, well-stocked confectionery.  So many villages, so little time.  After seeing the larger cities of Arles and Avignon, we spent most of our Provencal visit in some of the small villages in the Luberon Mountain area.  Like in Tuscany, many of these villages were established on hilltops-- villages perchés (perched villages), they are called in Provence.
   

Our choice of villages was made somewhat easier by an organization known as Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages in France).  With the unlikely inspiration of a Reader's Digest Selection published under that very title in 1981, the association was formed to preserve and enhance the quality of the heritage in small French villages while promoting the controlled development of tourism to strengthen the local economies.
   
To be eligible for this prestigious membership, which numbers 155 of the 32,000 villages in France, a village must meet three primary criteria.  It must be rural in size (defined as having a maximum population of 2,000).  At least two protected historical sites or monuments must be in the village or its area.  And the village must provide confirmation of wide support of its application for membership, which, of course, must include evidence of its comeliness.  Membership in the association is publicized with signs in the villages.
Bonnieux perched on its hill

One of the Luberon's perched villages and a member of the "most beautiful club," Bonnieux (bohn-nyuh) was our home base when we visited the area.  With the help of the local tourist information office, we found a small inn, Le Clos du Buis, in the heart of the village.

 As with many hill towns, the village of Bonnieux is topped by a church, in this case, the old church, not to be confused with the new church constructed lower down the hill in 1870.  The 12th century church at the peak of the village is no longer in use.  The Gothic structure is surrounded by cedars, relatives of the trees in the nearby Foret des Cedres.
   
Forest of Cedars
Cedars are not native to France, but this notable forest was born when a local fellow brought some seeds from Morocco's Atlas Mountains and planted them in the Luberon in the 1800s.  Just a few kilometers from Bonnieux, this protected forest offers a network of hiking trails including a 20-mile path that stretches across the crest of the mountain.

Near the old church at the top of the village is the Bonnieux cemetery.  With a spectacular view over the fields and vineyards below, the local burial ground commands an enviable location.  But then, everyone in the village has the opportunity to end up there.
     
Bonnieux Cemetery
Though Bonnieux dates back to Roman times, it was little known outside Provence until serving as the scenic backdrop for the 2006 Russell Crowe film A Good Year based on a novel by Peter Mayle.  But now the excitement of the tourists seeking to visit the movie 'sets' has waned and Bonnieux is once again the charming village that made it the perfect filming location and one of the most beautiful villages of France.

BONNIEUX STATS
  • Populaton:  1,441
  • Elevation:  2,346 ft.

By Our Count:
  • People in town for market day:  3,623
  • Cars in town for market day:  3,624
  • Steps needed to climb to the top:  14,539
  • Beautiful views over the valley:  26
  • Residents named Bonnie:  0 
    
FRIDAY, 22 APRIL 2011

What's in Your Palette?

Thursday, April 21, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPEDay 52
Roussillon, Gordes, & Menerbes France. 
    space
From our home base at Bonnieux, we explored three other nearby hill towns today in this part of Provence:  Roussillon, Gordes, and Menerbes.
     
Selecting a color scheme when decorating a room can be a challenging decision, but at least you have the assurance that your choices aren't going to have very far-reaching consequences.  What if you were choosing a palette for an entire town?  We had the pleasure today of visiting three charming towns-- in fact, they are both on the official list of France's most beautiful villages.  They didn't need an HGTV makeover, because each town has a unique color scheme and very distinctive appearance.   space   
      space    space    space   

Roussillon

Roussillon (roo-see-yoh) is noted for the rich ocher deposits in the clay surrounding the village.  Ranging in color from yellow through orange to red, ochers were among the first pigments used by humans.  In the late 1700s, ocher powders from Roussillon were shipped around the world.  Ocher mining was the driving force in the Roussillon area economy until the development of synthetic dyes virtually shut down the industry.  But the rich colors mined from the native soil are still evident in the village.
    
Roussillon's range
As you wander up the spiraling streets of this hill town, you can find the entire range of 17 colors once mined in the local quarry.  This technicolor appearance keeps the memory of the former industry alive, as does the opportunity to wander on the trails of the old quarry and admire the mineral rich clay in its native environment.
    
A walkway for visitors has created a new use for ocher quarries.
Though the ochre is no longer pulled from the earth for selling, it is still the lifeblood of the town as its beauty draws tourists and artists who flock to the village to be inspired by the warmth of its gorgeous hues contrasted against the evergreens and azure sky. 
     
Roussillon hues
When you see this perched village, even from from a distance, there's no mistaking it.  Roussillon's palette gives it away.  We left the town expecting that no other village could be as picturesque as this.  We were wrong.
    
Gordes
Gordes

Driving up a winding road near the southern edge of the Plateau de Vaucluse, we suddenly noticed that the road was lined with stone walls.  "What's up with that?"  we asked each other.  The walls shared a very specific design, flat stones dry stacked horizontally and capped by vertical coping stones.  It was obvious that the homogeneity of the design was no coincidence.
     
Gordes stone wall
As we entered a hairpin turn and pulled over at the bélvèdere (panoramic view) sign, we discovered the stony beauty of the town of Gordes, spiraling up the limestone bluff.  Just as the stacked limestone walls along the approach road foretold, Gordes (gohrd) is a city of stone. 
     
In fact, the village has very strict building codes which prevent the construction of any other type of structure.  For both new construction and renovations, Gordes' urban design regulations require a cladding of horizontally laid flat stones, thus ensuring the warm beige harmonious appearance of the town.  Fences are not permitted, only stone walls, and modern utilities must be buried underground to maintain the historic feel.

Gordes has no palate for a colorful palette.
The effect is quite stunning and has inspired artists from Marc Chagall to Victor Vasarely and Pol Mara.  Cobblestone streets thread their way between tall stone houses to the medieval castle and church at the top of the village.  As with so many nearby towns, the area has been inhabited since the (especially appropriate here) Stone Age.
     
Menerbes

Menerbes became a popular destination in the 1990s after the publication of A Year in Provence.   The book relates the often humorous adventures of British expat Peter Mayle and his wife who moved near the village and renovated an old farmhouse.  The movie based on the memoir—A Good Year (2006)—was mostly filmed in Bonnieux.  Since the Mayle madness has calmed down, Menerbes has returned to its character that drew the couple there in the first place—a lovely, quiet medieval village perched on a hill above the Luberon Valley.
    
Chateau du Castellet in Menerbes
Like Roussillon and Gordes, Menerbes has been given official recognition as one of the most beautiful villages in France (Plus Beaux Villages de France).  Its color range is similar to that of Gordes though local construction requirements are not so strict.  Lured by the picturesque beauty of the village and the luminous light of Provence, a variety of artists have lived and worked there, including Picasso and Nicolas de Stael.

We drove to each of these towns today on a loop that began and ended in Bonnieux, where we are staying.  Incredibly, the entire drive totaled less than 30 miles.

THURSDAY, 21 APRIL 2011

The Cost of Lacoste

Wednesday, April 20, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPEDay 51
Avignon, France to Bonnieux, France + Lacoste, France. 
    space
Leaving Avignon this morning, we drove into the Luberon area of Provence.  We selected the hill village of Bonnieux as our home base.  With the help of the local TI office, we found a small inn, Le Clos du Buis, in the heart of the village.  After moving into our room, we looked for a nearby town to visit this afternoon.
     
Across the valley from our inn, we can see Lacoste, another hill town a few miles away.  It looked like the ideal candidate.  When we drove over for a visit, we had quite a surprise.  For such a tiny hamlet, Lacoste has some significant connections.  The one that made us do a double take when we arrived in the village was Lacoste's link to Georgia.   space    space    space   
      space   

After we ruled out a common hallucination when we saw the Savannah College of Art and Design sign, we parked in the tiny lot at the base of the town and began walking up the pedestrian-only cobblestone streets that look much as they did 500 years ago.  As we climbed, we came upon further evidence of the Georgia arts college's presence, finally locating a gallery and boutique where we heard an accent that was decidedly not Provençal.
      
That Savannah?
SCAD's Galerie Pfriem exhibits works by renowned artists, while the boutique showcases handmade items and artwork created by students, faculty and alumni.  The Birmingham, Alabama native we found working there explained the SCAD-Lacoste connection.

Lacoste has long been favored by artists for its extraordinary light and beautiful pastoral setting.  In 1970, American art professor and artist Bernard Pfriem founded the Lacoste School of the Arts there. Pfriem was able to persuade notable artists to come to Lacoste to teach and work.  After his death in 1996, the institution foundered under a series of associations with various colleges.  
      
SCAD took over the school in 2002 and operates it as a residential, study-abroad program for students from its Savannah and Atlanta campuses.   Each quarter about 70 students spend the term in Lacoste taking unique courses taught by SCAD professors, participating in special projects, and taking field trips to museums and historic sites in the area.
     
No cars on these streets

Along with the school itself, SCAD acquired all the buildings the Lacoste School had amassed, amounting to most of the upper section and almost half the village.  In addition to SCAD students and staff, a variety of artists make Lacoste their home as well as a handful of local villagers.  They have been joined by the new guy in town, none other than fashion designer Pierre Cardin.
     
Cardin was lured to Lacoste by his interest in the town's most infamous resident, the Marquis de Sade, who lived in the castle at the top of the town in the 18th century.  Pierre Cardin bought the remains of the legendary castle and partially restored it for cultural events, including the annual Festival of Lacoste summer event.
     
Lacoste Castle

Cardin has also purchased the local bakery and cafe and is eagerly buying up most any Lacoste property that is offered, often for far more than its market value.  Having already opened two galleries and a boutique, he is said to be planning at least two hotels.  The fashion giant has declared his intention to turn Lacoste into a "cultural Saint Tropez."
      
Neutral Resident of Lacoste
The attentions of this suitor have not been welcomed by many locals in the village, but since he is almost 88 years old, his long-term influence on the village may be short-lived.  The art school has expressed no objection to the fashion designer's presence.  After he hosted a very successful fundraiser for SCAD at an expensive Paris restaurant last fall, the private school is finding Mr. Cardin to be just their style.  
     
LACOSTE STATS
  • Population:  423 (many seasonal)
  • Elevation:  2,349
  • Oldest building:  Maison Forte (800s)
  • Buildings owned by Cardin:  46 (so far)
  • Village size:  10 acres 
  space
space    
By Our Count:
  • Cobblestones:  903,874
  • Students falling on slick cobblestone inclined streets:  2 per day
  • People in Lacoste speaking English:  Most
  • People speaking French:  Not so many
  • Lizards:  23
  • Churches:  1
  • Artworks on exhibit around the village:  19
  • Cats:  7
  • Cats who care about Lacoste politics:  0
      
WEDNESDAY, 20 APRIL 2011

No Dancing on the Bridge, Please

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPE, Day 50 (part 2)
Arles, France to Avignon, France. 
    sp ace
From Arles, we made our way to another well-known Provencal city—Avignon (ah-veen-yohn).  Yes, it's the one where people are said to be dancing on the bridge according to the French folk song, Sur le Pont d’Avignon, which dates back to the 15th century.  We located the bridge in question with no difficulty since there are many signs to direct tourists to—not Pont d'Avignon, but Pont St. Bénézet.
   

We did not, however, find anyone dancing on the bridge, nor did we elect to pay the admission fee (more than $10 per person) to walk onto the bridge or dance on it ourselves.  Apparently the original lyrics to the folk song indicated that people were dancing under the bridge (sous le pont) where popular cafes were located in medieval times. 
     
Pont St. Bénézet
Construction of the bridge is said to have been inspired by a shepherd boy named Bénézet, who claimed that an angel came to him and told him to build a bridge across the Rhone River.  Legend has it that his inspiration was given the support of the town when he singlehandedly moved a tremendous boulder to the side of the river and declared that this was the spot where the span should be built.  
     
Originally completed in 1185, parts of the hapless bridge have been rebuilt numerous times due to flooding.  Unfortunately some parts were replaced with rickety wooden sections.  Finally the bridge was abandoned after a catastrophic 1668 flood swept much of it away.  Today only four of the original 22 arches remain and the bridge no longer spans the river.  A chapel on the bridge honors the memory of  Bénézet (never actually made a saint).
          space  
Place de l'Horloge
The real center of activity in Avignon, however, was the Place de l'Horloge (clocktower square), the central square of the city.  In addition to the local hôtel de ville (city hall), the square is lined with shops, cafes, and restaurant.  The opera house sits near a carousel, and street artists and performers provide great opportunities for people watching.  All the while, a Miquel Barcelo sculpture of an elephant executing a "trunkstand" watches over it all.
    
Scenes in Clocktower Square
Barcelo's elephant isn't the only element of artistic whimsy in Avignon's main square.  Sculptures and paintings adorn buildings around this popular area, just waiting to be discovered.
    
Amusing art around the main square
    
Opposite the city hall and opera house is a structure much more serious and formal, the Palais des Papes (Papal Palace), one of the largest medieval Gothic buildings in Europe.  In 1305, Romans were outraged when a French archbishop became Pope Clement V.  To escape the chaotic reaction to his election, the pope accepted the invitation of the French king to move the seat of the papacy to Avignon in 1309, thus beginning a 75-year period when Avignon served as the headquarters of the Catholic Church.
    
Palais des Papes
By the time the Italians succeeded in establishing a Roman in the papacy in 1378, the Papal Palace had been recently completed, taking a total of some 30 years to construct, covering an area of 2.6 acres, and costing most of the papal income for the period.  The palace was lavishly furnished with frescoes, tapestries, paintings and sculptures.
     
In the ensuing years after it was vacated by the papacy, the palace underwent a series of misfortunes, including being sacked by revolutionary forces in 1789 during the French Revolution.  Later it suffered additional damage as it was used as military barracks and even stables.  Finally, in 1906, the palace became a national museum and has undergone a series of painstaking restorations since that date.  Most of the palace is now open to visitors, and it houses the International Conference Center of Avignon.
     
Papal Palace
Medieval fortifications built in the Avignon Papacy period still encircle the city with 39 towers and seven gates.  Built to keep rogue bands of highwaymen out of the city, the walls were surrounded by a large moat 13 feet deep.  Today, the moat is filled and much of it serves as parking areas for 21st century vehicles, another example of the value of repurposing.
     
Hôtel de Ville  (City Hall)
AVIGNON STATS
  • Population:  94,787
  • Founded:  something BC (too long for anyone to remember)
  • Letterboxes:  1
  • Claims to fame: 
    • 14th century seat of the papacy
    • current annual Theatre Festival
    • cradle of the renewal of Provençal culture
     
TUESDAY, 19 APRIL 2011

Those Thirsty Romans

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPE, Day 50 (part 1)
Arles, France to Avignon, France. 
    space
Between Arles and Avignon today, we made an essential stop to look for a letterbox at a site called Pont du Gard.  We had a vague idea that it was some ancient bridge or aqua-duck, or something along that order.  Mostly we were looking for that darn letterbox.
      


After we arrived and saw the hordes of people also going to visit this landmark, we worried that we might not be able to employ enough stealth to retrieve and return the letterbox safely in such a crowd. And we began to think the Pont du Gard might be something pretty special if that many people were going to gawk at it. 
     
Tourist invaders
It turned out we were right on both counts. This amazing feat of Roman engineering was built in the first century AD-- before the year 100-- and was part of a 31-mile long aqueduct built to transport water from springs in Uzes to the city of Nimes.  Other bridges were built as part of this system, but at 902 feet wide and 160 feet tall, Pont du Gard was definitely the largest link in the chain.
     space   
            Pont du Gard

More than 50,000 tons of stone were used to construct this early engineering marvel but almost no mortar was employed.  The stones were cut with such precision that they fit perfectly together and were held in place by friction alone.

During the period of the Roman Empire, the construction of aqueducts was part of a program to create monumental symbols to glorify the empire.  From Germany to Tunisia to Spain and Turkey, the Romans built aqueducts on their conquered territories to link their expansion with technological development.
     
Lead pipe of the type used in early Nimes water system
Though there is evidence that more than 60 wells had been dug in the urban center of Nimes before the Roman arrival, there is no question that the aqueduct offered the city's citizens new opportunities. By channeling water from the city's heights, as of the middle of the first century, the city had a pressurized water system, using a system of lead pipes to extend the distribution of water to homes and public baths, industrial workshops and fountains.
     
An excellent museum on site at the Pont du Gard depicts the construction techniques and the operation of the aqueduct system.  As usual, one of the parts we found most fascinating was... well, the first century toilets.
     
Replica of a Roman public latrine
According to the exhibit in the museum,the latrines were considered important for hygiene and comfort in a Roman city.  Collective latrines existed in public places such as the forum and the baths.  They could be surprisingly luxurious, decorated with frescoes and mosaics.  Who doesn't enjoy a nice view in the toilet?
     
A continuous flow of water into the discharge conduit directly linked to the water supply network made it possible to eliminate dirty waters into the sewers and, at the same time, to have air circulate and refresh the common room.
     
So, if the Romans had this automatic flush system 2,000 years ago, why were we using outhouses in the United States well into the 1900s?  Absolutely fascinating stuff, and now you, too, have the poop on Roman toilets.
      
The Pont du Gard was a fascinating site, well worth the couple of hours we spent there.  And we did find and safely return the letterbox.
           space  
TUESDAY, 19 APRIL 2011


Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

Monday, April 18, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPEDay 49
Flatlands. 
    space
For the past month or so, we have been enjoying the company of a couple of traveling companions.  They don't take up much room in the car, don't need a ticket when we travel by train or air, and rarely need their laundry done.  They are a little picky in their eating habits, preferring flounder, pancakes, thin-crust pizza, flat bread, and cookies.  They will eat fruit and veggies but like them thinly sliced.
     
Their names are Flat Alex and Flat Stanley.  Flat Stanley is the one in the yellow shirt, and Flat Alex is wearing his blue school shirt.  Our 7-year-old grand nephew Alex, who lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was nice enough to send these guys to travel with us for a while.  Since we were moving around and didn't have a mailing address, Alex and his mom figured out a way to send the two boys through cyberspace by letting them grab on to an email message.  Flat Alex and Flat Stanley hung on tight and climbed out of our computer one day when we were in Italy.  After that they went everywhere with us and made our trip much more interesting.
     
Flat Stanley and Flat Alex always have their own ideas of fun things to do.  When we visited the Roman Colosseum in Rome (pictured above) they decided to perform like rock stars. They tried to sing a Carrie Underwood song, "Flat on the Floor," but their voices were a little... well, flat.  Then they started laughing, and we were laughing, and pretty soon, all the other visitors were cheering and laughing, too.  Everyone has more fun with these guys around.
        
At Trevi Fountain in Rome
Later at Rome’s Trevi Fountain, Flat Stanley and Flat Alex wanted to go for a swim.  We had to gently explain to them that water can be very dangerous for flat guys like them.  Fortunately they learned about the tradition of throwing coins in the fountain to ensure you'll return to Rome and, six coins later, they had forgotten about swimming.
     
At Arco Naturale, Capri
On the isle of Capri, off the Italian coast, we visited Arco Naturale, a natural limestone arch on the island.  We didn't notice until Flat Alex pointed it out that the arch looked like an elephant.  Flat Alex said he always watches out for elephants because he once got a very close look at the bottom of an elephant’s foot.  You can guess the rest of that story.
     
Piazza del Popolo, Rome
Even though they prefer paintings, both guys enjoyed looking at statues also. They chose one in Rome's Piazza del Popolo as their favorite.  When we asked why they liked this particular one so much, they just giggled.  Finally they admitted it was because it had flat feet.  Yes, they can be silly sometimes.  And nothing sends them into fits of laughter more than when one of them has… uh, flatulence.
      
At the Monte Carlo Casino
In Monaco, Flat Stanley and Flat Alex wanted to play some games at the famous Monte Carlo Casino.  Of course, that wasn’t in the cards.  Not only were they too young to get into the casino, they were both flat broke anyway.
      
Unfortunately, Flat Stanley and Flat Alex had to go back home to Alex today.  So they climbed back into our computer and away they zipped back to Mississippi.  Too bad.  They really wanted to go with us to the UK next month when they heard we might be staying in a flat.  We were very flattered that they decided to travel with us for a while.

If you're not familiar with Flat Stanley, a character from a 1964 children's book by Jeff Brown, he has his own Wikipedia article.

MONDAY, 18 APRIL 2011

A Breed Apart

Sunday, April 17, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

3 MONTHS IN EUROPE, Day 48
Arles, France. 
    space
Camargue bull
Down in the south of the south of France, they raise a valiant breed of bulls, or more accurately, the bulls raise themselves.  In the Rhone River delta between Arles and the Mediterranean, the hardy Camargue breed of cattle thrive on the reedy, marshy wetlands.  These ebony animals with their upward sweeping horns live in a semi-feral state watched over by French cowboys called gardians.

The Camargue bulls are well known in Arles and the surrounding villages where they can be seen in bullrings through the spring and summer months.  Visiting the Roman ruins in Arles today, we walked over to see the amphitheatre.  Dating back to the first century BC, the 2,000-year-old Roman structure was built to seat 20,000 spectators for chariot races and less humane competitions.  Nowadays the arena is the site of summer concerts and other activities.  And today was a day for bull games starring the Camarague bulls, known for their spirit, intelligence, and speed.
      
The games are opened with a ceremonial dance by women and girls dressed in traditional garb of Provence.  At the end of the ceremony, they were joined by the runners who would be participating in the day's games.  
      
A gentle introduction to an exciting event
The Course Camaraguaise is not a bullfight but a game pitting the bull against trained raseteurs, men dressed in white who try to grab a ribbon tied between the bull's horns.  Once the bull is released into the ring, the raseteurs try to trigger the bull to charge.  When he does, the raseteur uses a small hooking device known as a raset to try to lift off one of the bull's attributes-- either the ribbon (2 points) or one of the tassels wound tightly around the horns (4 points).  
      
The amphitheater retains most of its original construction.
Of course, the bull, which has been bred and selected for its fierceness, is chasing the man at the time, and the acrobatic raseteurs escape by leaping over the barrier like gymnasts.  About 20 raseteurs were in the ring, so the bull was definitely outnumbered.  On the other hand, he had a significant weight and weapon advantage over his challengers.  Each bull stays in the ring for 15 minutes, or until he has lost his attributes, whichever comes first.  With the more ferocious bulls coming later in the match, the runners are facing their toughest challenges when they are most tired.
    
The game is on!
In these games, the bulls are the celebrities.  Their names appear on the posters; their bravado is cheered by the crowds.  Statues are built in their honor, and they can even obtain product endorsement contracts.  When a bull chases a raseteur right up to the barrier, running into it and tossing some of the boards, his performance is saluted with the music of Carmen.  A few of the raseteurs can become stars, as well.  They earn points for every attribute they capture and at the end of the season, a trophy is given to the top performer.

The Camarague bull games began as simple farm games with the first arena game in Arles mentioned as early as 1402.  By the twentieth century, the rules had been formalized and a federation established to control the games. 
     
Souvenir attributes snatched away from bulls in the games
We were lucky enough today to sit in front of a very dedicated Camarague fan.  She gave us a brochure in English explaining the rules of the games as well as a 2011 season calendar.  She also showed us her souvenir attributes, which she displays proudly on her totebag.  Between her inability to speak English and our lack of fluency in French, we never really understood how she obtained these prizes, but we were quite impressed nonetheless.

One course, or set, consists of six bulls, each of which competes for fifteen minutes.  After the third bull, there is an intermission, and that's when we departed, having enjoyed this match of wits and stamina.  As athletic and quick as they were, we did leave wondering how well any one of the raseteurs would fare mano a toro.  If you want to learn more about this interesting sport, check out this great article from London's Guardian newspaper.
        
A time when you do not want to stumble 
BULL GAME STATS  
  • Bulls:  6
  • Raseteurs:  20
  • Fans:  3,215
  • Score:  Bulls 5, Raseteurs 1 
  • Cheers of ¡Ole!:  0 (This is France, not Spain.)
SUNDAY, 17 APRIL 2011


A little taste of the games from our iPod: