Wednesday - Market day - and walking around Uzes

Wednesday - Market Day and enjoy walking Uzes

I got to sleep in today - 'till 9:13!  Dan did the morning circus with Sara and Julia - getting them into their clothes right as I was getting up.  Julia has been going to sleep around 6PM and waking up around 7AM.  Pretty good!  Sara has been staying up later, mainly since the long day light hours make her think it is still time to be awake.  But when the town bells ring on the hour we all stand still and count.  When they ring 6 times Sara knows it is almost bedtime.

We walked out of our apartment and probably 100 steps later we were in the main square for the market.  Wednesday is food, so things like olives, cheese, fruits, vegetables, cookies and chocolate.  It is immensely enjoyable to stroll and look at everything.  While there are other tourists like us, there are a LOT of old ladies with market baskets that look like they've been coming to the market for decades.  They are there to shop - and probably also to say hi to friends.  

Today Sra and I picked a vegetable stand that offered little hand-held baskets to collect what you wanted in.  Sara thought she was mighty nifty as she carefully selected a cucumber, a HUGE tomato, several hand-fulls of green beans, and whatever else looked good.  Our basket looked like a still-life picture in a museum when we were done.  I gave Sara the money to buy it - and it was only 5Euro for all that stuff!  The tomato alone was 2.56 Euro, and fully worth it!  Having that little hand-held basket was nice so we didn't have to point to the things we wanted - we could just collect it and then pay at the end.  

Naturally we also got some cookies (made in Uzes).  Sara and I walked up - and the man gave us a sample cookie.  Then he said, "she knows eh?" - he remembered us!  (Well, he remembered our Sara - she is so enthusiastic and in awe of everything that she is easy to remember I bet!)  we got 5 cookies for 3Euro and we sat and ate them all (sharing with Dan and Julia).  They were gone before we were 10 feet away from the cookie vendor.  Next came chocolate.  We picked out two kinds - then the man gave us 2 squares.  He put them in a bag, then offered us 2 samples.  It was melt in your mouth good!  It was slabs of chocolate - with chunks in it.  My sample had orange bits in it.  Sara's was white chocolate (she ate it so I don't know what it was like!).  It was about as thick as a Hershey bar - but with no impressions in it - the mold must have been just a large rectangle - you could have as much or as little as you wanted.  The vendor was kind of cute - with a funny French grin.  He enjoyed Sara's bright eyes - she was very happy and excited about everything (she gets that naturally, Dan and I are happy to be at markets too!).  

Before we left the market we got some dried plums, crystalized ginger, a head of lettuce, -- and it was time to head back for lunch.  It was easy to toss together a good lunch with all our market stuff.  Then we went for a long walk around Uzes - going down side streets, and also climbing up to view points, and so forth. Sara and Julia were in the stroller so we talked and enjoyed the sights and sounds of France.  

Around 2:00 Dan started telecommuting and Sara/Julia and I cooled off in our little pool.  (Julia espeically likes splashing around in it - and Sara likes to see what floats and what sinks).   Then we went for a walk - with the kids out of the stroller so I was busy keeping them safe - as they had the time of their lives wandering around TOP speed - laughing together, climbing on fountains, window shopping at the toy store, wandering through the arches that line the square -- and amusing everyone.  Around 4:00 they were ready for dinner.  Julia bit into an avacado so I knew it was time to feed her.  It was easy to have salmon, fresh salad, and melon, and potatoes with herbs.  

After dinner we played a little - then Dan put Julia to bed - then he got back to telecommuting.  Sara and I have been playing on the veranda - mainly with the hose water, legos, building forts, and watering the plants the owner has out there.  

As I sit here I can hear music - there are often 2-3 sets of musicians around, making it sound so nice that Dan even took a recording so we could remember how it sounds.  Since most everything is stone (the houses, the roads) there is no wood to absorb sounds.  So every sound echos around and right into our ears.  

Our time is flying by.  We've already talked about packing up to leave here - which we do on Saturday to head to our next visit stop.  Even though we had a good amount of time here I feel like I need to soak up every moment - since it does go by fast.  The days seem so long (hour by hour, minute by minute), but at the end of the day, it zipped by!  And all of a sudden the week is flying by too!  We are getting to know Uzes well - beyond just the main areas - it is neat to wander down a street, then recognize where we are - based on a particular fountain or a shop or something.  Even Sara knows when we are almost back to the apartment - so she is looking around at things well too.  Also, on one particular street where the girls walked yesterday Julia yelled "UP!" to be let of of the stroller - so I think even she is familiar with certain bits of Uzes!  Hooray!

Quote of the day: 

Sara: "Did we come to France when I was a baby?"

Me:   "Nope."

Sara:  "Why not?

Me:    laugh at her funny question

Sara:  "Are you going to tell me about how people grow and change over time?"

Me:  "Sure.  When you are born, you are a baby, then a toddler, then you go to school, then you may get married and have kids of your own some day."

Sara:  "I will bring them to France.  They haven't been to France yet."

Me:   "Sounds good honey."  

End of Post

Tuesday - Musee du Bonbon (candy Museum) and Dan back to work

Tuesday - Musee du Bonbon ("candy museum") and Dan back to work

Today we all got up at 7:13.  It may seem odd that I always remember the time, but since I often have to convince my eyelids that it is time to open and not time to snooze, I at least like to know how long I did get to sleep. Sara on the other hand, knows (or thinks) it is time to get up if she looks out the window and sees day light.  That could be at 7:13 or earlier - if she sees daylight it is time to get up.  

We had fruit and French bread for breakfast and went to the Bonbon museum.  We were early.  It didn't open 'till 10:00 so we had time to kill.  Dan suggested we go to the McDonalds outside of town just to see what it was like.  But it wasn't open for the day yet!  The lady saw us parking and she held up two hands so indicate they opened at 10AM!  Funny to think of a McDonalds opening that late!  We ended up at a little cafe where we got two tiny cups of coffee and a french pastry.  Everyone was happy.  I could have had about 5 more cups of coffee though.

A candy museum (that is what the Bonbon museum is) seems odd.  But this area of France once made licorice - which was a big deal to them locally.  That later sold to "Haribo" (maker of gummi bears) and today right here in Uzes they make 100 tons of candy a day.  That is hard to believe!  (I may have that exact number wrong, but it was a lot.)  

The kids were free to get into the museum (that is nice!) and Dan and I paid admission, which got us about 10 packages of various candy.  We aren't big on candy (it wasn't chocolate, it was things like gummies and things to suck on) so I just tossed it into my back pack.  The displays were interesting.  There were four floors of candy stuff - with old machinery from the 1800s and many interactive exhibits.  

Julia enjoyed the robotics of one of the interactive exhibits, and used both hands to move a mechanical arm - and she has good hand eye coordination!  Sara enjoyed looking at the modern machinery - especially a cutting machine.  We watched it over and over.  Soon we discovered that we could manipulate the machine by waving our hands to intercept a laser beam.  Sara loved that.  We must have stayed there for half and hour just on that one exhibit.  Sara also did some dancing in a room that had music.  

Dan and I enjoyed the part about the licorice, since that was local history.  But I must say even the Haribo stuff was interesting.  The company was started by one guy in his kitchen - and now is internationally known.  They make 100 different things.  They are good at what they do and like it.  That is always fun to learn more about.  (Sort of like Hershey back home in the US).  Plus, it was a candy museum so it was light and fun!  

At the end of the tour you got to put a token into a machine and it made you a pack of candy!  Actually it made 5 packs.  It was a very generous machine.  Sara loved it.  As for the candy, we let them try a little, but then it some how disappeared.  The gift shop was amazing.  We didn't buy anything, but people were buying it by the box full - carrying so much to their cars that it was hard for them to carry it all.  If you like that sort of stuff, it was a good place to buy it.  There were huge (I mean HUGE) bags of candy for 3 Euros.  Our samples were more than enough - and the quality did seem good.  All in all it was a fun visit. 

After that (it was only a 10 minute drive away) we came back here for lunch at the apartment, then the girls swam in our pool, and played legos, then we went out for a walk.  Today was Dan's first work day - so at 1:30 PM he started working (that is 7:30 EST).  That meant it was me and the girls just like home.  We wandered around Uzes - finding some really neat side streets, chocolate shops, flowers, etc.  Perhaps the highlight for Sara/Julia was when I let them out of the Bob-stroller and they got to RUN around the main square.  It was a busy time for me (chasing after them to keep them safe - and to keep them from knocking over a shop keeper's display of breakable things!) - but everyone on the square thought they were cute.  They were holding hands - walking and running - and giggling - up the coblestones and through arches, and finding knooks and crannies of this village that only a kid could find.  

After our walk I needed to rest (chasing kids is tiring work!) and so we came back here - we used our little pool (very refreshing!) - then changed clothes. While I made dinner Sara played on the iPad and Julia played with shoes (she can play with shoes for a while - no matter who they belong to - she can put them on her hands or her feet - today she put my shoes on and walked around!)  ---  I made dinner in about 15 minutes -- then we ate.  Pork, tomatoes, broccoli, beans, and pasta with some ham in it.   Everything was quick and easy.  Then I put Julia to bed and Sara and I went out for a walk.  It was so much fun.  She got an ice cream and was on top of the world - walking around like a happy lark - and I thought how lucky I was to have my sweet Sara (and Julia too - but she was sleeping!).  

Before we got back to the apartment Sara managed to get a second ice cream (strawberry and chocolate) then we came back here.  Fun.  I should mention that I planned to buy a quart of ice cream at the store so we could scoop our own and share with Dan - but Sara said, "come on Mom, I'll show you something better" and she lead me to the nearby ice cream shop. We got two scoops there, instead of a practical pre-packaged quart at the store, but we had the fun of a cone -- and got to sit together in a table for two on the main market square.  I people watched all the strolling people going by as Sara enjoyed the cone.  She even let me try some.  ;)  

Quote of the day:

Sara: "How come when I'm 7 Julia will be 4?"

Me:  "She is 3 years younger than you."

Sara:  "Does that mean I'm not young anymore?"

End of Post.

Monday - day trip to Nimes

Monday - Drove to Nimes for the day

Today we were in Nimes by 10:30.  We parked in the Arena lot.  "Arena" refers to the Roman arena, which is similar to the Roman colosseum in Rome Italy, but our guide book says it is even better preserved.  It is like a time capsule of A.D 100.  Dan and I have toured it on our last trip, so we showed it to the kids from the outside and kept enjoying Nimes.

Now I'll back up a bit.  Our drive to Nimes was gorgeous.  It was 30 minutes, and amazing.  For part of it we were way up high driving along a gorge, with no guard rail, just a rock wall.  And the road was like a one lane road, but it was two way traffic.  It swerved and zigged and was exhilarating.  Similar to our other drives, there was nothing man made to scar the view except a bridge, some planted trees, and maybe a stone house or two in the distance.  

As we got closer to Nimes that changed.  Nimes is a city, so naturally there were gas stations, shops, houses, etc as we got closer.  

Nimes as a long history.  There is all the Roman stuff still around the city (from 2,000 years ago) - and also in the middle ages Nimes was busy making a fabric.  It is called "denim" - jeans!  It is named after Nimes (de Nimes = from Nimes and that became denim).  Levi Strauss brought it to the US to be used in the West.  It all started in Nimes.  

We didn't have a check list of things to do in Nimes, since we've been here before we've done all those things - which is nice, since we just get to walk around and enjoy rather than try to see sites.  The girls took everything in.  It was another bright sunny day, warm, and breezy.

When we first stepped out onto Nimes Sara took Julia by the hand and they walked around together.  Julia took two steps to every one of Sara's since her legs are a bit shorter, but Julia kept right up and scooted along the pebbly path with her sister.  They looked mighty cute.  It was windy.  And I worried that Julia would blow away, so after a while I swept her up into my arms, then she wiggled back out again and walked with Sara.  

Our first stop was a chocolate shop for a cup of chocolate mouse.   That wasn't brillant, it seemed to super charge Sara, who was running top speed down the narrow streets of Nimes about an hour later.  The old part of Nimes reminded us of Venice Italy, how the buildings are so close together and they seem to line tiny narrow streets that don't seem to bother keeping a direction - they just turn and zig and zag as they please.  It was traffic free, so I didn't worry to much about our running Sara getting struck by a car, but I didn't want her to get whalloped by a bike or a scooter.  That meant I had to run with her.  She is fast - but she was impressed that Mama can run fast too.  

We made lunch a priority.  It may sound like all we do is eat.  Anyway, Dan picked us out a great outdoor cafe right by the cathedral - it had carvings on the fresco from Roman times and the food was amazing. I had a salad with olives, greens, potatoes, duck, chicken, tomatoes and whatever else.  Sara had ham and pasta. Dan had a crepe with stuff in side of it.  Julia ate everything that came near her - though she was more interested in the pigeons wandering around the tables than she was in the food.  Water is free here (a nice change from some countries) and they always give you a carafe of water and a basket of bread.  It makes a meal 25 euro instead of 29 euro which is nice.  Our table was in the shade, though we were near the sun so it was the best of both worlds.

After our bellies were full we did more walking around.  We saw the Maison Carree, which "rivals Rome's pantheon as the most complete and splendid building that survives from the Roman Empire."  For us it is neat since it is said to have inspired Thomas Jefferson (a Virginian) to build his house Monticello.  I climbed the steps - marveling that those steps have been around for so long, and then we kept walking. 

A high point of the day was when we got to the "Jardin de la Fountaine" or Fountain Garden.  It is a huge open space, which was a Versailles style park, but built for the people!  I loved all the statues, the steps, the grandness of it all.  The girls LOVED running around - dashing behind trees, chasing each other in the sun, climbing up steps, playing "follow the leader", and even playing in a hollowed out tree - that served to entertain them for almost an hour.  After all that fun, they were glowing, and we went to a park side cafe for ice cream.  

Sara didn't finish her lunch (that we ate by the cathedral) so we pulled it out of my backpack (we had tupperware like we always do) and she had to eat that before getting ice cream.  Lucky for Sara, Julia reached for some of it, so Sara finished her lunch with Julia's help and we all had ice cream.

Soon after that we saw the "Temple of Diana" that is "one of the best examples of ancient stone work."  It is a ruin, free to enter, and I think it spoke stories to those who listened.  I enjoyed walking around it, and Sara nearly insisted on playing hide and seek in the garden that is attached to it.  Meanwhile, Julia napped.  I did play hide and seek with Sara (how could I not?) and it was fun to hide behind pilars that have been there for thousands of years.  Her hiding spots were usually plants - so it was pretty easy to spot her golden hair poking out behind greenery as she hid in the bright afternoon sun.

We walked back along the canal (the needed water to power their textile industry) and wandered back through the narrow streets to the parking garage.  Along the way, Dan stopped in an artesian beer store and Sara and I stopped in a bakery.  We had to try one of the decorated chocolate muffins, and it was mighty good.  It cost 2 Euro, and hte nice lady re-filled our water bottle too. Sara is a distinctive customer, so she can usually get us anything we are hoping to procure. (Read: Sara is cute and shop keepers are amused by her.)

The drive out of town was a confusing set of roads, twisting under bridges, winding around round-a-bouts, and finally back onto a main road.  We hit the big super market (spent 100 Euro on all sorts of stuff for meals to cook in the apartment) and then I gave the girls a nice warm bubble bath in their new pool.  The apartment only has a shower, so it was a neat idea to use the pool for that, and it even fits in the shower area.  They were squeeky clean for dinner.  Chicken, melon, tomatoes, and a lot of milk to drink.  Strawberries for desert.

Sara loved the day's adventure.  Julia laughed a lot and both of them were good travelers.

Sara and I looked at the stars before she went to bed - and she was out like a light.

Quote of the day:  The following occurred while Sara was sitting on Dan's lap, at an outdoor park side cafe waiting for the ice cream to arrive.  Dan ordered the ice cream, so in Sara's mind it was going to be his -- and by what she said she was hoping to solidify her desire to have some of the tasty treat. 

Sara: "You know Papa, everyday people share food, water, and love.  You have to share."
Papa:  "Okay Sara."  (And he did.  We all shared Dan's two scoops of ice cream.  I think he even got to try some.)

End of Post.  Happy Labor Day.


    

Sunday - day trip to Montpellier

Sunday - drove to Montpellier

My day started at 7:09 AM.  Julia's day started at 7:05 AM.  Sara's day started at 7:50 AM.  Dan's day started at 9:55 AM!

That is to say, I got up with the girls this morning.  Normally Dan does it.  But today Julia was standing and calling to be gotten up for several minutes -- and Dan didn't budge.  He was sleeping.  Snoring in fact.  So I got Julia up.  Then I closed the door and let Dan sleep in.  

Thankfully, I noticed a chest in the corner of one of the bedrooms.  It had a bugs bunny on it.  I opened it up.  Toys!  A whole lot of toys.  Julia walked over.  Her excitement was palpable.  She dove in and I actually left the room to make coffee since she was so enthralled with the toys she didn't notice I left.  

As the coffee perked, I got ready for the day.  I checked on Julia - though I didn't need to.  She was glued to those toys.  Nothing beats "new" toys, even if they looked like several generations had already played with them.  

Soon Sara was up too.  I invited her in to play with the toys, but she stayed in her cozy bed for a while to wake up.  Then she joined us.  Soon Julia's quiet play time was loud sister play time, since Sara discovered some of the toys were musical instruments - and songs erupted from the play room.

Meanwhile I drank 3 cups of coffee.  Every other morning I wondered why there was so little coffee left when I got up.  Know I know!  The kids go from 0 to 60 in the morning, while we adults go from 0 to 10 in the morning -- after one cup of coffee. It takes more coffee to make it all the way to 60, and even then, an adult 60 is slower than a kid's 60.

When Julia walked over to the refrigerator and leaned on it I knew it was time for breakfast.  I made oatmeal, which Sara said it was the "best oatmeal I've ever tasted."

I peeked in on Dan.  He was out.  Snoring.  I didn't have the heart to wake him with our morning noises, so I took the kids out.  Uzes has a Sunday flea market.  On the streets wear just yesterday there were linens, wood things, pottery, etc, the streets today had all sorts of "trash or treasure" type things.  Old shoes.  Old clothes.  Old magazines.  Old coffee grinders.  Old china.  Old toys. Old sewing things. Old furniture.  Old books.  Old anything. It was a true flea market - you could have found anything there. 

We walked to the main square, where Sara danced.  Then we wandered around.  Things were not on tables.  Things were laid out on blankets.  If you wanted to see some shoes, you just walked over to the lady selling shoes - and looked down at her display on her blanket.  

As we wandered I looked at stuff.  When I spotted something I liked.  It was a kid pool, still new in the wrapper.  Our afternoons are so sunny - there have been times I wished the kids could have a swim on the veranda.  But how do I bargain for this pool?  I don't speak French!  Nothing had price tags.  Not one thing.  Anywhere.  Bargaining was the way to buy things.

I held up the pool.  "How much?" I asked.  "blah blah blah" she answered in French.  I held up some fingers, then she held up 4 fingers.  She only wanted 4 Euros for the pool!  Done.  I handed her the money and the kids now have a pool.  

Sara, Julia and I enjoyed the market - on all the side streets - till we returned - to find Dan still sleeping!  When he got up he had the last dribble of coffee that was left in the pot and we headed out to Montpellier.  An hours drive away.

It is a city, with wide open spaces, gardens, monuments, cafe's, statues, some flea markets on some of the streets, grand vistas, ice cream shops, and plenty of sunshine.  We saw it all.  I quick stop at the tourist information booth gave us a walking route and some tips on where to eat.  Our first walk lead us along a pretty boulevard  that was car-free.  It was lined with grass and flowers.   We then went to the bathroom in the Opera house.  

Then we walked to the Arc de Triomphe (a copy of the one in Paris) which lead us to an area with more trees, a vista, and some tears from a tired Julia.  (That is out of character for her, normally she is so happy.)  I carried her in my arms for a while as we walked around the city.  Thankfully, the whole part we were exploring was car free - I just love pedestrian friendly cities!  She put her head on my shoulder and held on to me with both arms. I sang to her.  I stopped looking around at the sites and focused on our sweet baby - trying to do anything to help her be happy.  Soon she was happy.  Very happy.  Dan stopped for ice cream and she livened up in a snap.  Sara had a strawberry cone and Dan had a melon and pear flavor.  Sara immediately shared with Julia (with out being asked) and soon Julia was smiling.  Sitting there sharing those ice cream cones was my favorite part of the day.  The city swirled around us - people walking to and fro, but we were stationed right by a cafe, just enjoying our sweet treat.  

After that we went to the "oldest botanical garden in France" which was an enjoyable walk through the city.  It was mostly down hill.  It is notable when we walk down hill since the stroller slips and slides on the cobblestones. (There isn't much pavement around here - it is all cobble stones.)  We came across a gorgeous church on the way.  With a huge bell tower.  The botanical garden had some tall bamboo, several towering trees, a pond with HUGE lilly pads and flowers, sprawling lanes, pathways that lead around corners into flowered nooks, and some sun flowers in peak bloom.  Sara liked picking which path for us to walk on.  She was our leader and loved it.  The sun was warm and hot.  I put her hair up into a bun and she enjoyed flitting around the flowers in her sun dress.  

Soon I change Julia's clothes (she always gets a lot of France on her!) and she was happy and sweet.  Then we got a late lunch (we had picniced earlier) at a sidewalk cafe, though we ate inside by the first and only air conditioner I've seen on this whole trip!  What a novelty!  We had a ham/cheese baguette and an apple pastry along with an espresso and an orange soda.  (The girls had water, the other things were for us!).  

After a bit more exploring - and walking back up hill, we drove back here to the apartment.  Dan made dinner (one person makes dinner while the other person watches Sara/Julia and I'll let you guess as to which activity is more relaxing) and we sat outside to eat it.  It is such a pleasure to dine outside - by our very own Fig tree and on our sunny verandah!  

Bellies full, Sara and Julia played in the new pool while Dan and I relaxed a moment.  

Then I put Julia to bed (it took 1 minute) and played with SAra a bit.  When Sara went to bed she wanted to look at the stars.  So she stood in the door way, looking up into the heavens, seeing the twinkling stars.  I picked her up.  I had her cheek to cheek.  She said, "I want to make a wish.  I wish I may, I wish I might, I wish upon the first star I see tonight."  Then she was quiet.  I said, "I hope your wish comes true" as I set her down and took her to her room.  

Dan and I are planning what we'll do tomorrow.  It is labor day so he has the day off - then on Tuesday he'll telecommute.  

Quote of the day:
Dan: "do you want some bread Sara?"
Sara:  "no thank you, I won't be hungry for 30 hours."
Dan:  "okay"
Sara:  "but in 10 minutes I'll be starved."

End of Post.



   

Saturday - big market day in Uzes

Saturday - Market in Uzes and Ride to a neighboring Town 

Today, it only took us 15 minutes from wake up to out the door.  While Wednesday's market is "small" today's market (Saturday) is "big."  We didn't want to waste a moment.  Sara ate three bowls of oatmeal for breakfast.  Julia loves cantaloupe melon, and will probably turn orange any day now.

We thought Wednesday's was great, so when we looked out our apartment windows and saw today's we nearly sprang out of here to get outside to walk around it.  It was amazing.  The market spilled out of the main square and down all the side streets.  Crinkly-white linen clothes blew in the breeze, both on racks for people to buy, and on people's backs as they strutted their stuff looking at all the market's offerings.  99% of the women wear skirts or dresses here.  They all look nice.  Simple sun dresses, that look super comfy and fit right in with the vibe of sunny Provence.  

The market had everything.  Clothes, art supplies, olives, pottery, linens, you name it.  Nothing tacky - just good stuff.  We didn't buy anything other than some dried strawberries that I couldn't resist and Sara ate in 3 seconds flat.  (Julia liked them too, when she got her first taste she reached out her hand for more.)  Sara wanted to buy a neat art set that made rainbows out of watercolor paints.  It was 25 Euro and we decided that was a bit much, but we are here next Saturday too, so maybe we'll pick it up for her for Christmas.

Julia is such a good sport.  Dan carries her up in the Kelty backpack and she doesn't make a peep all day, she just looks around non-stop.  She shows genuine interest in looking at things, and will crane her head if something catches her eye.  

We came back here for lunch.  Dan made lunch while Sara, Julia and I played.  Then we went right back out again.  The market closed down around 2:00, we could have toured it all day - but they seem to be a fleeting thing. The town goes back to normal once all the market vendors pack up and leave.

In the afternoon we went to a neighboring town as a joy ride in the car.  Julia slept.  My favorite part about it was seeing fields of sun flowers zoom past our windows.  They were smaller - like the size of two hands cupped together, and seemed to be yellow, but they also had their heads bowed down (too heavy?) so it was hard to tell.  It didn't matter - they were still majestic.  Driving around here is neat since there is nothing built up. No gas stations, nothing man made at all.  Just things that man has done with the land, like plant rows of trees on the sides of the roads and vineyards that stretch up and over hills.  It is easy to forget what year it is - or even what decade.  There is a timeless look to this land that makes you melt with relaxation as you look around.  

After our short trip/drive we came back to the apartment.  Dan made salmon for dinner, and some potatoes, with a green salad.  Then we did an evening walk.  For most of the walk the girls were in the Bob-Stroller, which is nice since they can relax while Dan and I stroll and talk.  But we let them out to tour a cathedral (sometimes when something interests them they practically spring out of the stroller so we have no choice but to let them out!) with some nice stained glass windows (we were the only ones inside so it felt silent and special), and Julia marched right up the steps to the altar and tugged on the iron work railing.  [That was a terribly constructed sentence, but this is a journal so it is okay.] 

When we got to the main square Place aux Herbes, Sara got out to dance, and danced for about 30 minutes.  She names her dances.  She did the France dance, for about 10 minutes.  It had a lot of twirls.  Julia spent the dance time trying to buckle a strap on the stroller, she loves using her hands and figuring things out.  She was undeterred by it, and kept and it 'till she got it.

The day was another warm sunny one.  Ideal.  It is easy to see why the herbs de provence are popular, they are every where and smell so nice.  Sara bought some strawberry soap in the market, and was excited to use it when she took her shower bath tonight.  She felt very important buying something from a market vendor.  When he handed her the white bag with her prized soap in it she took it and walked away with a spring in her step.  The bag did a happy swing from side to side as our Sara held it carefully in her tightly closed hand.  

Julia managed to only have 1 outfit today.  Other days she has gotten so much France on her that we've changed her clothes two or three times.  We like that- it shows she is active and busy exploring.  She gets a tremendous kick out of waltzing around the apartment, especially going from indoors to outdoors - through the big doors that lead to the veranda.  I get a kick out of watching her.

Sara is now interested in language.  She asked me today how to say please in Spanish.  

Quote of the day:
"This was the best day of my life.  I had so much fun.  Tomorrow will be another good day."   --- Sara, while eating her bedtime snack of yogurt.  

End of post.

Friday - Les Baux & St. Remy.

Friday - Les Baux & St. Remy

Woke up 7:09 AM.  I guess we are adjusting to the time zone since that is about normal like back at home.

It took us until about 9AM to get out the door.  Breakfast and packing up a back pack for our day trip just ate away the time.  

Another bright sunny day.  The mornings are cool.  Sara asked for a blanket for the ride in the Bob-Stroller.  (But later in the day it was very warm!).  

We have our GPS loaded with the France maps now, so navigating to Les Baux was easy.  About an hour drive.  The fun part was trying to figure out where to park, since Les Baux is on a cliff.  Once you enter the parking lot you just go around and around - and up, up, up!  Dan found a spot and there was nothing but a 2 foot tall rock preventing our car (and us) from plummeting down below.

We loaded Sara and Julia into the Bob-Stroller and started the walk straight up the hill.  It is a hill-top town in the Alpilles mountains.  In medival times there was a castle here, and that is what everyone comes to see now-a-days (including us).  The castle is now in "ruin" - they call it a "dead city" since it was once a thriving place and now no one lives there.  It is amazing to walk around and imagine what it was once like.  

The castle that we saw "was carved into and out of rock perched 650 feet above the valley."  That is a good description.  Imagine a huge flat swath of land and then a HUGE rock jetting up into the air.  The rock is where the castle and medieval town are perched.  

At first when you enter the castle area you don't see much.  It just looks like a bunch of white boulders in a field.  But soon we found ourselves at the very edge of it - and when we looked out into the valley we realized we were standing on a huge jagged rock - VERY high up into the air.  It was a bit windy - we were all happy as we explored.

We heard them demonstrating a huge catapult.  It was powerful enough to brake down castle walls in medeval times.  Today they loaded a soccer ball onto it - and flung it into the distance with sheer brute force!  Neat to see something like that in action - and not just in a movie.

The whole visit was self guided, which was nice because you could just wander around how ever you wanted.  

We climbed up some steps carved out of rock to get to a view point.  That may sound un-eventful.  But not these steps.  They were anything but flat - and they went nearly straight up.  Sara held on to the iron hand rail ("why do I have to be careful Mom?") and Dan carried Julia.  The view from the top made us speechless.  Vineyards, trees, fields of crops, and jagged mountains in the distance.  Beautiful.  We had the whole top to ourselves.  

Getting back down those steps was interesting.  I held onto Sara's hand, not wanting to let her do them on her own since if she fell she would have gone straight down and gotten seriously hurt.  So I hoped that my shoes would be okay on the limestone and held on to her tightly.  We made it.  

We stopped for a picnic.  Pasta, fruit, vegetables from my backpack.  It was sureal to do something so normal as have a picnic right by a castle from medieval times.  We could see old rooms carved out of rock.  We could see old cisterns.  The scale was so huge - this place must have been big and magnificent.

Our visit came to a natural end once we toured the whole place and so we wandered back down the hill (very steep hill) through the winding streets.  They were lined with shops, ice cream places, and lunch places.  (The town only survives for the tourists, it isn't a real town these days.) We got a crepe, a ham sandwich on a baguette, and then - a hot dog.  Sara wanted the hot dog (which surprised us!) and it was in a long bagette - with two hot dogs side by side!  The four of us sat on a rock bench (everything is rock here) and ate.  It felt nice.

Then it was time for cookies.  Sara picked out 3 cookies, bought them with money she got from Dan, and then said, "see vu play!" (thank you!) - not sure how to spell it in French - but she sure said it!  Then she carried the paper back with the cookies in it proudly out of the store.  Naturally, the next thing she did was look for a place to sit and eat them.  She found the perfect place - a rock step leading up to the town hall.  She sat and took out the first cookie.  She snapped it in half, handed part to Julia, part to Papa, and part to me - before having her own first bite.  In a few minutes those cookies were gone - and savored.

We made it back to the car and took the scenic route to St. Remy de Provence.  It was a 15 minute drive.  The views were entirely unspoiled.  Just nature.  The road was largely lined with neat rows of plane trees, slanting just so slightly to the left.  Then I saw my first field of sun flowers.  They were bowing their brown heads towards Earth, past their prime, but it didn't take much imagination to imagine how beautiful they must have been. In the distance the ragged mountains seemed to be wrapping it all up into a hug.

St. Remy is many known as a place Van Gogh did a lot of paintings.  After he cut off his ear he also went to a mental hospital here.  It is still a mental hospital.  We found St. Remy to be okay, but the main neat thing about it was seeing exactly where Van Gogh did his art.  They had signs up - like say - #16, and then you could look on the map and see that #16 was where he painted "starry night" and in which museum that is today.  We looked at many of these Van Gogh places and he must have had an eye for beauty since many were not super awe-inspiring to our eyes.  

We decided to get dinner out.  Our first time.  The guide book said to look for a sign on the road, but gave no address.  Amazingly, on a small two lane road that was the width of a single lane road Dan saw a tiny green and yellow sign for the restaurant.  We went down a small lane with wide eyes.  There was nothing around.  Just plants on the side of the road.  

Finally, we saw another sign for the restaurant once we were in the middle of no where France.  We turned in.  There wasn't a sole in sight.  I got out of the car and asked if they were open.  She said, "yeah sure!" and we parked, let the girls out of the car, and walked over to it.  

The ground is all stones.  No pavement.  No grass.  Just little stones.  They are covered with natural white dirt/power.  We crunched on the stones over to the outdoor seating, which was a bunch of rock slab tables with chairs around them.  We picked a table in the shade.  (The shade of an olive tree.)    Then I looked up.  There in the corner was a kid play area, complete with bicycles, push toys, tricycles, shovels, wheelbarrows.  In all, there must have been 20 ride-on toys in there, and a swing and small slide.  

We didn't see Sara and Julia all dinner.  They were playing in the kid play area the whole time!  They got so dirty - not "dirt" but white powder from the rocks.  (Not a powder that was added, a natural powder that rubbed off of the rocks.)  Dan and I enjoyed peace, ate lasagne and pizza.  Then we ordered another lasagne and Julia ate the whole thing herself.  They played nicely together, Sara eagerly pushing Julia on the toys and making Julia giggle.  Julia also did a lot of independent playing, as did Sara.  You could tell they needed the time - just to play and be kids.

We topped that dinner off with ice cream, and actually Sara was so interested in the toys (especially a bike and a scooter - and also just playing with the rocks themselves as if they were sand to make sandcastles) that she didn't eat a lot of the ice cream.  It was probably the most Dan and I have relaxed at a family dinner in a long time!  Smack dab in the middle of no where France.  

On the way back to Uzes from the outdoor restaurant our GPS went beep beep beep.  We thought it was a speed warning but it was the battery quitting.  Soon we were driving along a winding narrow road, with nothing but scrub bushes on either side of us - with no GPS -- that isn't a big deal -- but it was funny at the time to have the GPS screen just go black!  I pulled out our map and Dan remembered the route - so we drove 1 hour back home - with out any problems.  

Back here we dunked both Sara and Julia in clean water/soap to get all the rock particles off them - and then to bed.  It was a great day.  

Favorite Quote of the day:
--"I just don't want this day to end."  -- Sara, as we were leaving the castle at Les Baux.

End of Post




    






  .   

Thursday - Pont du Gard

Thursday - Day trip to Pont du Gard

(Note: I know this is wordy.  I'm not even re-reading what I write, I'm just typing and publishing right away. I hope it makes some sort of sense!)

How can it be Thursday?  We landed Monday and it seems like we just got here.  As I write this I have the huge window/doors open to the terrace.  Some people must be cooking their dinner because the scent of garlic simmering in olive oil is wafting in the doorway.  There are no screens here.  It is either: door open, or door closed.  Window open, or window closed.  The first day we were here I was looking around for curtains.  There are no curtains.  Anywhere.  If you want to block out the light you use a heavy wooden shutter.  That is how everything is closed: shops, houses, windows, everything.  It is actually very functional, since there are no curtains to get dirty and wood is always in style!  Also, there are no bugs, so having things open is fine.  I do wish the latches were easier to figure out.  It sometimes takes me 5 minutes to figure out how to open a heavy wooden door.  They are built to last.  Oh, that garlic smells good. 

We woke up at 8:45.  Each day we seem to be getting up 2 hours earlier.  Our first day around 12:30, then 10:30, then 8:45.  I suppose that means tomorrow we'll have a nearly normal wake up time as we adjust to the 6 hour time difference.  Thankfully the girls are sleeping all night - if they were not, that would be tough.  

Our apartment has all cooking needs covered.  There is even a wok if we wanted one.  The coffee maker is tiny, and takes its own sweet time to make a pot.  Dan calls it "the slowest coffee maker in existence."   I think it takes about 25 minutes.  The brew is mid-night dark.  Perfect temperature.  No need to let it cool down or blow on it, when it is done brewing, it is ready to drink.  She has green ceramic cups for the coffee. Not big mugs.  They probably hold 6 or 8 ounces.  Just enough.

Dan made us sausage, eggs, and potatoes for breakfast.  All of that was from the market Wednesday.  The girls ate their food with amazing speed.  

We drove to Pont du Gard today. It was about 15 minutes away.  It is a Roman aqueduct built in 20 BC.  2,000 years old and still standing!  (Google it for a picture.)  Dan and I were there several years ago, and when Sara asked about it - I told her she was in my belly when we were there before, since I was about 20 weeks along with her back then!  

The drive there was easy.  No traffic lights.  I don't think I've even seen one since we got here.  They use "round a bouts" just circles that you enter and then leave to head in your direction.  They are better than traffic lights really, no maintenance, no stopping, and the signs are clear.  You do have to be on your toes though.  

We parked and walked to the Pont du Gard.  It was exactly as we remembered it, though our day there was a lot different. Last time it was just Dan and I.  Back then I remember hiking around and looking in the museum.  This time we didn't go into the museum, we just stayed outside.  We walked across it (a google search would show you what I mean) and then we spent hours climbing on the rocks below -- we played "follow the leader" , we took off our socks and shoes and waded in the water, we ate cookies under a huge ancient arch, we laid down on the sun warmed rocks and just looked at the sky.  That was my favorite part.  At one point I was with Sara while Dan had Julia (she was sleeping in the Kelty carrier, and it is easier to keep Julia asleep when she is not near Sara's chatter).  Sara and I sat under the bridge at her request.  She played with some wild flowers, concentrating on them so sweetly.  I was nearby, just enjoying watching her enjoy the flowers.  The big arch was overhead.  And it was weird to think about safety, since that arch hasn't crumbled in 2,000 years why would it today?  I also was thinking how remarkable it was that Dan and I stood under that same arch in 2008 with Sara inside me - and here she and I were - again - in the same spot - only we were having fun together!  Mind boggling.  

After that Sara said "let's go to an ice cream shop" and I was thinking the same thing.  There are a few places to eat and snack there (since it is a World Heritage site there are quite a few people there!) so we found a place to get ice cream.  She had strawberry and I had chocolate and what must have been "bubble gum" I used the "point" method to order my ice cream and the guy scooped the wrong flavor.  That was okay - it was yummy.  We sat outside in the afternoon sun - happily occupying wrought iron chairs and a cafe table.  Dan and Julia joined us.  Sara offered Julia some of her ice cream, and Julia said, "ummmmm" to show she liked it.  It was a fun family moment sitting there together eating ice cream.

After that we hiked more - including up to the top of the Pont du Gard - to the very top!  How cool it was to see where the water used to flow.  And the water in the river below looked turquoise blue. Stunning.  People were canoeing, and there were a lot of swimmers (there is a river beach) - actually there were swimmers at many points since you could bascially just go into the river where ever you wanted.  

At 4:00 we were ready to go.  We bought an year-pass so we could go again while we are still here (we are in Uzes for almost 2 weeks).  It was very different to visit with Sara and Julia - much more fun to share it with them - I think.  Though there were some people on their honeymoon and they looked like they were having a nice time too!

We stopped by a "super market" (grocery store) to get some practical food (buying fresh stuff on market day is good, but it would be hard to buy enough to last a long time.  We got some diapers, fruit, meats, laundry detergent (including stain lifter, that is hard to find here!), milk (they have shelf stable milk, so it doesn't have to be in the refrigerator!), and some juice.  Then we drove back here - and had the project of bringing it all up the street, up the stairs, and into this apartment.  That is tough when there are no cars allowed nearby, and grocery stores don't bag your groceries. We took a few trips (with the apartment's market wheel cart for assistance) and then got it all in.  

Sara and Julia raced around the apartment (it is a long set of rooms that is bordered by an outdoor veranda) while I made dinner. (Dan was parking the car.)  We had pork, tomatoes, kiwi, green beans, yogurt - and the plates were clean in a blink (they are eating everything here - we must be making them very hungry!).  Then Julia was in her PJs and in her crib (it took about 1 minute) and we told Sara some stories (instead of doing bed-time books) and she was off to bed too.  

I went out for a walk.  By myself.  The shops were closing for the night.  They were bringing in the bins of lavender (really).  The cafe/restaurants were full (everyone eats outside, the tables are right on the square).  And the lights on the plane trees were on - the white lights about the size of golf balls strung up in long looping designs up the branches.  Kids were playing (how were they up so late?) and people were strolling.  There were some musicians.  Serenading  the people eating.  I took it all in like a fly on the wall - the evening air was lovely.  I'm in shorts and a short sleeve shirt and it was fine.   Isn't summer great?  There was one table of parents and 5 girls!  We are set with 2!  

Our apartment is in what they term a mansion, right on the pedestrian street, so to get here you buzz your self in, and have to open a door that must weigh 200 pounds or more.  I have to use my full body weight to open it.  Then we walk through a court yard with a stone well to get to our stone spiral stair case.  We are the first apartment at the top of the stairs.   There is no trash pick up, we bought our trash out to the village collection point at the end of the street.  It is just a bin with a shoot.  Pretty practical really, and that was our first bag of trash since we got here.  

We don't know what we are doing tomorrow - but Dan found a neat train ride that looks fun that we may try to do sometime.  There is also a stone village nearby that I want to see.  We'll see what time we all get up - and see what we feel like doing.  

Funny Quotes:
-- "That is one old bridge" Sara said when she saw the 2,000 year old Roman bridge Pont du Gard.
--"How did they build that bridge?  How do you build a train?  Can you tell me please Dad?"  - Sara at the Pont du Gard.
--"I hear the bells chiming!  It is six o'clock - my bedtime!  I better not be late!" - Sara as she heard some bells here, dong 6 times to let her know it was 6 o'clock.  
--"Mama, come look at what I made.  I made a copy of Uzes.  Here is the whole village.  Here is our apartment."  -- we brought a lot of Legos for Sara/Julia to play with and Sara made a whole village with them (we are currently in Uzes, so that's what she built) - complete with streets and buildings.  Kept her busy for a half hour!  Sara and Julia have played Legos outside and inside (no TV, I hear they don't work here-that was for you Dad) and it is a great way for them to play and relax after the day.    

End of post - perfectly timed with the bells chiming 10:00.  Good night.