Friday, July 27, 2012

There's still life in the old fella

I have been on a bit of a holiday this last week and have been lax updating my blog. To those very kind souls who have asked if I'm still alive and kicking, the answer is yes.........as far as I know, thanks so much for asking :)

I have stacks of new stuff to write about and as soon as I get a free moment I'll post away.

Á bientôt!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Monday, July 16, 2012

Le Tour de France

My alarm jolted me awake at 6am, I was still tired due to my 1am bedtime and beaucoup du vin at the Grand Aïoli the night before.  Although I could have very easily just rolled over and resumed my slumber, I was excited to get the day underway.

Today was Bastille Day, France's independence day but more importantly Le Tour de France was passing by just 60 miles from my house.  I had decided to ride my bike over to a vantage point on the race and experience Le Tour first hand.

After dressing and getting my bike prepared, I went down to the boulangerie and picked up a brioche and a pain au chocolat and headed over to the Café du Progrès for a grand café crème to go with my breakfast.  Energized by breakfast and madame Carmen's terrific coffee, I got underway, seen off with shouts of "Bon courage!!" from the regulars at the café.

It was a cool morning and for the first time since arriving here, the skies were overcast.  Luckily traffic was light because of the national holiday and my outbound journey which took me west past Cavaillon and skirting Avignon to the south went by without any problems. After crossing the Rhone river near Aramon, I headed Northwest to the town of Uzès.

Uzès was hopping as it was market day and the tour was also coming through town later that day.  Crowds of people were already lining the streets, staking out their spots with picnic tables and chairs.  Food and wine were being enjoyed in a festive spirit even though it was only 10am.  I didn't spend any time in Uzès but may return as it looked like an interesting little town.

From Uzès I rode the actual race route (though in the opposite direction) to Saint Laurent La Vernède where I planned to await the riders.  Although just 13km in length, this part of the ride was a lot of fun as it was lined with thousands of people, many of whom were happy to cheer me on with shouts of "allez, allez" and "bon courage" as well as a few wry "autre direction!!" ( your going the wrong way).  I thoroughly enjoyed this bonhomie and felt a little more connected to the race and what it means to the French.



After reaching Saint Laurent I circled back along the route and spotted a motorhome with British and English flags flying.  It had a great vantage point to watch the race so I thought I'd stop and say hello to the couple that were sitting outside.



Tony and Sharon were from Liverpool and welcomed me to join them, pulling out another chair for me and offering me a cup of tea, even though it was 85 degrees.  I gratefully accepted and enjoyed a smart cup of PG Tips with some tasty madeleines.

Tony and Sharon had been following the tour for about a week and were full of stories about each stage and all the people they had met along the way.  The days in the alps sounded particularly fun.
After a while we were treated to the spectacle of Le Caravane, essentially a parade of cars and trucks that have been converted into carnival like floats that whizz by and whip up the crowds.



The vehicles each have a different advertising message and are manned by singing and dancing staff who throw out all kinds of goodies to the crowds along the route.  It is fun and crazy at the same time and serves as a great warm up for the race itself.



Two hours later we heard the helicopters that announced the arrival of the riders.  First up were a group that had broken away from the peleton.  The group contained several French riders who were going for glory on Bastille Day!



About 5 minutes later the main group came by.  I managed to snap a few shots capturing Wiggins and Cavendish and then just like that they were gone.



All that riding and waiting and the peleton was by in a few seconds.
Within 10 minutes, everyone was packing up and heading home.  I said my goodbyes to Tony and Sharon and pushed off for return trip taking an easterly route that would take me home via Chateaneuf du Pape where I planned to stop for a late lunch and something red.



It was a really beautiful ride back as I stayed on very minor roads through vineyards of the Cotes du Rhones with virtually no traffic at all.



I had a simple meal on the main square in Chateauneuf and a couple of glasses of Vieux Telegraphe just what I needed for the final 35km back to the house.

I arrived home about 11 hours after I had left, tired but happy.  Almost 120 miles of cycling under my belt and lots of memories to treasure.  It's been a great day.

You can see more of photos from this ride here

Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Grand Aïoli

Aïoli is the marvelously garlicky mayonnaise that is wildly popular in the Luberon where it is applied liberally on all manner of food.  It is wickedly addictive stuff but be warned you will smell of garlic for at least 3 days after consuming this delicious treat.

So it was a bit of a surprise when I was in the local Pharmacy talking to Norman and his wife Sophie, the two Pharmaciens and Norman asked if I'd like to go to the Grand Aïoli? Go to the big mayonnaise? Whatever did he mean?  As it turned out Un Grand Aïoli is a fête, a party thrown by most of the villages in Provence at some time during the summer. All the village gathers just off the square to eat, drink and socialize together and then dance the night away.  I said oui.

I was advised that I needed to bring my own plate and knife and fork and so armed I nipped down to join the festivities.  The evening started with that delicious aperitif, Kir, a blend of white wine and creme de cassis. All the village seemed to have showed up and the few that I had already met introduced me to many others that I had not.  It was wonderful and very welcoming.

After an hour of socializing and listening to typical french accordion music we were advised to sit at the communal dining tables and attack!!

The Grand Aïoli had arrived.  Heaping platters of boiled vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, green beans, beets, onions etc alongside steamed mussels, shimp, de-salted salt cod and a giant bowl of the aforementioned aïoli, reeking with garlicky goodness. Freshly baked baguettes were placed on every table and the assault on the platters began in earnest.  Of course no meal in France would be complete without wine and so bottles of the local vin rouge were on hand to accompany our feast.  After laying waste to the Grand Aïoli, the platters were cleared away to be replaced by platters of cheeses and finally a variety of desserts.  It was a feast of epic proportions.

Eating is a national sport in France and I think that I acquitted my self fairly well, refilling my plate from the aïoli platters several times, consuming artery choking amounts of cheese and finally calling it quits on my second round of dessert to the modest consternation of the grand-mère in charge of the food service.

The tables were quickly cleared, wine bottles recharged and the disco lights came on as we were introduced to Jean-Pierre our DJ for the night.  Jean-Pierre was a highly energetic fellow who seemed to be capable of having a party all on his own.  Think of a cross between Jane Fonda and Muhammed Ali dressed in MC Hammer-esque pantaloons, he strutted back and forth across the stage inciting the crowd to dance.  "He is from Marseille" said Madame Carmen knowingly, which I'm sure explained everything.


Jean-Pierre was either extremely good at his trade or the wine had worked it's magic because before long the entire village was gyrating to YMCA on the dance floor, a sight to behold I can assure you.

At around 1am I made my exit and toddled back to the house having thoroughly enjoyed the fête and meeting so many new and interesting neighbours.  I smiled as I closed my windows, thinking of Norman, Sophie, Madame Carmen and Patrick boogieing away to the Gap band in the streets below.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Marquis de Sade

When I cycled through the nearby town of Lacoste, I noticed the ruins of what must have once been a large castle sitting above the town.

The old and the new, the ruins and a modern sculpture of the Marquis

It didn't take too long to work out who the castle had belonged to as there were signs of the Marquis de Sade adorning almost every street and attached to every cafe in town.


A sad Marquis de Sade

My recollection about the Marquis was sketchy to say the least but I did recall some of his more salacious moments.  I toured around the lovely village of Lacoste and had a tasty café at the Café de Sade before heading up the cobblestones to the castle on the beast.


The narrow cobbled streets of Lacoste

The fashion designer Pierre Cardin now owns the chateau as well as several other properties in Lacoste and he has spent a small fortune renovating it and also making it a centre for arts and music, holding a very successful concert series throughout the summer months, held in the old quarry that has now been turned into a marvelous amphitheater.  I purchased tickets for the July 21st concert featuring the music of Charles Trenet and very much look forward to the event.


amphitheater seating in the old quarry

The chateau was largely destroyed by angry citizens during the French revolution and has stayed in various states of dis-repair until Cardin acquired the property in 2001.  Cardin almost suffered a similar revolt when his plans to build a golf course (really?) near the chateau were met with mass demonstrations by local residents.  Plus ça change!!

There is a modest amount to see when touring the ruins, especially considering the fairly hefty 10 euro admission fee but there are marvelous views of Bonnieux and of course the ever present Mont Ventoux.  Cardin has elected to add some very strange modern art, sculpture like pieces of African animals, quite what the connection is to Lacoste or the Marquis escapes me?


Ruins and some bizarre african animal art

The old part of the village is tiny and quite charming and well worth skunking around with a perfect photo op around every corner.

There also happened to be a market in Lacoste that day (Tuesday) a very small affair though I did see some of the same vendors that were at the Bonniuex market on Friday.  Apart from the cafés there are no significant restaurants in town so eat in nearby Bonnieux or Mènerbes if you want a decent lunch.

You can see the rest of my photos from Lacoste here

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Voilà!

Voilà, is such a fantastically versatile word in the french language. As an adverb it means many things such as here or there or this or that is, etc. but it is the use of voilà as an interjection, usually meaning that's it! where it comes in particularly useful, especially when you have no idea what you are saying!!  You hear in punctuating conversation perhaps more than any other word in France.

For instance, the other day I was in St. Saturnin Les Apt and asked for directions to a mas that was just outside of town.  The chap I asked really didn't know exactly where it was but that didn't stop him from giving me assured directions using a variety of hand signals, whistles, clucking signs and the coup de grâce, a voilà at the end.  The voilà is very important in this sequence as it has two meanings, a) please don't ask me any more stupid questions b) if you didn't understand this then you are an idiot.

So the conversation went something like this.

Me:
Monsieur savez-vous où se trouve le Mas Perréal?

The Monsieur: 
Le Mas Perréal? Ah bon (said while scratching his chin)


Descendez là (pointing to a road going downhill and accompanied by a short whistle)

A la croisse, tak (the tak sound is accompanied by a right turn hand signal)

Et tak, tak, (a left then right turn hand signal)

Et (a long warbling whistle and a hand motion resembling a fish swimming, indicating a windy road)

Et voilà le mas!! (accompanied by upturned hands and a shrug)

The preferred response to these um precise directions is either a curt merci monsieur or a slightly suspicious ah bon? if choosing the latter, some eyebrow gymnastics help add emphasis.

Then you have a decision to make, either trust that his directions will get you into the right general area or discreetly ask someone else but watch out if they say voilà!!

So remember, if in doubt, shrug your shoulders, wave your arms frantically and perform a pas de deux with your eyebrows and last but not least say et voilà!


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Market day in Isle sur la Sorgue

Everyone has told me that market day in Isle sur la Sorgue is not to be missed. This small town is unusual in that the town centre is completely encircled by the Sorgue river turning into a charming island full of narrow streets and alleyways that beckon exploration and discovery.

The Sorgue river encircles the town

It is located just 20km from my house so last Sunday I hopped on the Beast and enjoyed a relaxing ride there through the Luberon valley.

Hundreds of vendors set up their stalls throughout the town and everything you could need seems to be available for sale, including wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, spices and also clothing, linens, pottery, art, jewelry, luggage, antiques................ well you get the drift. As if that wasn't enough to capture one's attention, all the shops in town are also open providing a shopping orgy for the thousands of visitors.


Market is packed with thousands of visitors

I stopped at the marvelously named and situated Café de France for a restorative café crème and to do some serious people watching. Big fun!!

Café de France - all you could want in a French café

An absolute textbook café, replete with accordion music and a handlebar moustache clad waiter. It would not be hard to imagine Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman meeting there for a drink.
After an hour of people watching and dreaming, I forced myself to walk around town and see what was  on offer.
I have been to many farmer's markets in the states but none of them have anywhere near the quality of produce that is on hand here.  It is next to impossible to find bruised fruit or anything but the freshest meat and fish.


The freshest fish, most caught that morning and brought in from Marseille

Perfect fruit

Here you do not choose your fruit but allow the vendor to pick for you, it is considered a bit rude to do otherwise.  When I bought a local melon, the vendor asked me when I wanted to eat it and based on my answer, picked out an appropriate example. There are a number of vendors that also cook onsite, roasting chickens, making paella, pizzas and salads and sandwiches of all kinds.  It would be a simple thing to buy a grand lunch and sit in the park by the river and eat, with a bottle of vin rosé of course!!

I wasn't interested in the non food offerings but there is a wide range of stuff available with widely varying levels of quality.  Also there was lots of live music in various parts of the town which made for a pleasant diversion from the hustle and bustle of the market. You could easily spend the entire morning looking around the stalls and shops, that and all the enticing aromas meant just one thing, lunch!!

When I first got to town I popped into La Prèvoté, a michelin 1* restaurant and made a reservation for lunch.  It is vital in Provence to make reservations for lunch or dinner at all of the better restaurants, I can't tell you how many people were turned away while I happily ate my lunch.  Quelle domage!!.



An amazing entrée

The food and service at La Prèvoté was superb, each course was artfully presented, perfectly seasoned and made my mouth water with each bite.  There was a decent wine list but you will pay dearly for any wine from outside the local area.



Delicious main course

By the time I finished lunch the market was over and most of the stalls had already miraculously disappeared and the crowds thinned out.  I used this time to walk around the river taking in the neat old water wheels that still function and watching people cools their heels in the swiftly flowing water.


One of the town's working water wheels

After wandering around for a while, I hopped back on The Beast and pedaled back to Mènerbes, happy and fully sated.

You can see more photos of my day in Isle sur la Sorgue here

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Slow in the mornings, not too fast in the afternoons

That's the local saying here in Provence and what a marvelous anecdote it is!  As I continue to get acclimated here, my pulse has slowed and life appears actually simpler.  Some friends have asked "what do you do there?" Here's a look at a typical day.

My pre-ride morning routine now encompasses popping down to the Boulangerie to pick up a croissant or a pain au chocolat (sometimes both :) )



My local Boulangerie


and heading over to the Café du Progrès where I either sit at the bar and chat to the colorful locals or head out to the terrace to enjoy my grand café crème with my croissant.  The marvelous view from the terrace looks like this.

The view from the terrace at Café du Progrès

After breakfast I normally take a ride on my bike and try to visit somewhere new each day.  I'm normally back by 10-11 am and I sit and write for 2-3 hours.  Lunchtime is a big occasion in Provence and I have taken to it rather well, reserving at least 2-3 hours for the French national sport of eating!




Amazing appetizer at La Prèvoté


After lunch I spend a mostly ponderous though sometimes inspired couple of hours writing before popping a bottle of rosé and nibbling on some cheese, olives etc.




Snacking Provençal style


Dinner is around 8:30-9:00 and I usually pop back in to Café du Progrès for a convivial Pastis with the owners Patrick and Carmen before bed.




Carmen and Patrick owners of Café du Progrès


All the windows in the house are open 24/7 and I am entertained by the sounds of children laughing, neighbours chatting and the fountain of the winter church which is outside my bedroom window and provides a continuous, yet soothing background soundtrack.




The fountain of the winter church


No TV but of course I have music from my iPod, its a grand existence.

Simple, laid back but productive. La vie en France!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Vèloroute du Calavon

My second day here and I really fancied giving my Cervélo a good outing, so fortified by a tasty café from Madame Carmen, I hit the road.  I needed a few biking supplies so I thought I'd head to Apt to find a bike shop.  Going north from Menèrbes I encountered a bike path called the vèloeroute du Calavon, a lovely, smooth, blacktop that extends for 28km with nary a concern for other traffic.  The route passes over the Pont Julien, a bridge built in 3 BC by the Romans and it's still doing it's thing today!!


The Pont Julien built circa 3 BC

A little later I rolled into Apt and after making some enquiries, I found myself at Luberon Cycles and face to face with Philippe the owner.  After a few short minutes, Philippe had fulfilled all my requirements and I left heading for St. Martin de Castillon.
At the end of the veloroute I took the D48 towards Castellet.  After a long steepish climb I arrived at Castellet and was surprised to find that the village had no cafe or restaurant. I kept goinrg up the mountain and arrived at the gorgeous village of Auribeau, full of flowers and impeccably manicured gardens but alas, no cafés.


The lovely village of Auribeau

So I pushed on and after summitting had a long, fun descent into the marvelously positioned town of Saignon




View of Saignon

I stopped at a lovely bar called chez Christine and enjoyed a delicious café creme and refilled my water bottles.  Saignon is a picturesque village, I'll return to explore it further.




Fountain in Saignon

Leaving Saignon I rode a bucolic route through lavender fields and orchards to Bonnieux and onward to the hilltop village of Lacoste.  I stopped at a café just below the ruins of the chateau de Marquis de Sade and enjoyed a simple but tasty lunch.




Entrance to the chateau du Marquis de Sade

I noticed that the chateau, now owned by Pierre Cardin, hosts a number of outdoor concerts throughout the summer and I made a mental note to attend one or two.

After Lacoste there was a fast downhill before the final ascent back up to Menèrbes.  80 km of fun later I stopped by the café du Progrès to be welcomed by the owner Madame Carmen sporting a nice cold beer.

Dinner ce soir was at the Café Veranda and what a fabulous night it was.  Chef Hubert Tarbouriech is producing some of the best cuisine in the area and my meal was splendid from start to finish, especially the zucchini flowers stuffed with salmon mousse on a soup of creme of mushroom.
Also my main course of duck in red wine sauce was completely delicious.




Cuisine at Café Veranda in Mènerbes 

With dinner I enjoyed a 2009 Domaine Ruffinato L'Infante, a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Counoise, tasty stuff indeed.

On the way home, I popped into Café du Progrès and had a swift Pastis to finish my day.  All in all, a pretty good day :)

You can see more my pictures from this ride here

Day One

After a great slumber I got up and had a café at the Café du Progrés and departed for my first journey on the Gitane.  The plan was to head to the hilltop town of Bonnieux for their Friday market.  It was a straightforward ride with a nice climb at the end after which I was deposited in the pleasant environs of Bonnieux centre ville.



L'eglise in Bonnieux


I arrived at around 10 am and the market was in full flow, all manner of food and clothing was on hand and I took a delicious amount of time surveying the scene prior to picking up a variety of olives, cheeses, jams and some truly unique saucisson.  I nabbed the Ane, sanglier aux olives and the Arles (a blend of beef and pork).
Before I launched into the market, I had the good sense to stop by the restaurant Le Fournil and snag a reservation for lunch, probably the best thing I did all day!!



Fountain on the terrace of Le Fournil


On arrival at Le Fournil, Jean Christophe, the co-proprietor warmly greeted me and sat me right next to the fountain, lovely.  My experience there was wonderful, all the food was first class and the service prompt and friendly.  Jean Christophe is a very kind and welcoming chap and his partner Gary is an extraordinary chef.

If you want to visit this restaurant please be sure to make a reservation, I counted at least 30 parries that were turned away because they did not have a reservation.
My lunch was delicious, a verrine de courgette with a crab confit, swiftly followed by a gorgeous filet de Merou (a type of grouper).  For dessert I opted for the panna cotta with raspberry coulis, also delicious.



Fabulous Grouper at Le Fournil


I left Le Fournil fully sated and knowing that I will return, this is a special place with great food but also soulful service, a pleasure to eat here.

The rest of the journey home was uneventful and mostly downhill :). The Gitane acquitted itself quite well and I am very pleased with the purchase.

Dinner that night was at Le Gaboulet in Menerbes, I was hoping for better but at best it was average food. I'll try again soon but am not hopeful.

You can see more pictures from this ride here


Friday, July 6, 2012

Je suis arrivée

Well I finally made it to Provence.  My flight from Charlotte to Paris had been delayed for 4 hours due to "engine problems" which did not give me a lot of comfort but we boarded, took off and landed safely so no complaints........................... well except that in usual US Airways fashion the service on the flight was beyond hopeless.  How the airline can charge what they do for business class and deliver the same old rubbish is beyond me and perhaps deserves a post of it's own.

While waiting in Charlotte I realized that I would never be able to make my train from Charles de Gaulle to Avignon so I hopped online to try and re-book.............. No chance! All the trains from CDG where full so I began to look at trains from Gare de Lyon.  I booked a train that left at 3:10 which I felt would give me lots of time provided we actually took off!


US Airways shabby Envoy class

Within a few minutes we were told we could board and in fairly short order we were underway.  Apart from the miserable service, horrible seats etc. the flight was uneventful and we landed in Paris at around 10:30am almost 4 hours behind schedule.  My checked bag and my bike showed up quite quickly and I grabbed a cab to Gare de Lyon.  I love the automated kiosks for train travel in France and the screen told me there was a train at 12:37 with available seats, I said "mais oui"!!

The French may have no clue about plumbing but the TGV is one of the best ways to travel anywhere. Comfortable, fast and generally (when they're not on strike) on time.  After a pleasant two and a half hour trip I arrived in Avignon  and was greeted by my smiling taxi driver, Vincent who I had kept apprised of my shifting arrival time.  Thirty seat gripping minutes later I was deposited in Menèrbes and managed to find my house without a hitch.  Although I brought my road bike with me, I had also wanted an everyday touring bike to use as basic transportation and had purchased a used Gitane bike from a cycle shop in Cavaillon, sight unseen.  Vincent agreed to drop me off there and twenty hair raising minutes later we screeched into the car park of Cyclix.  BTW I love the French word for used, 'occasion', un vélo d'occasion sounds so much nicer than a used bike :)

I had been trading emails with the owner Philippe and he was there to meet me with a smile and the Gitane.  It was a perfect fit and after swapping out the pedals for some SPD's that I had brought with me, I was off for a nice leisurely ride back to Menèrbes, just what I needed to get the travel cobwebs out!


The Gitane AKA The Beast on it's inaugural ride

All the travel had made me hungry so after cleaning up, I nipped around the corner to a wonderful little Pizzeria I had read about.  The lovely Les Delices de Charlotte is housed in a charming 17th century building. The NY Times had written a nice review of the restaurant and I have to agree with their sentiments.  Marvelous pizza, friendly service and an old world charm that is hard to find.  A pizza, salad and a pichet of vin rouge set me back just 23 euros, not too shabby for this part of the world.


The cozy dining room of Delices de Charlotte

Thus sated I returned to my house and fell into bed, day one drifted off in a contented slumber with thoughts of what to do tomorrow.......................







Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Bike Gear - Biknd Helium Bike Travel Case

I decided I wanted to take my Cervelo R3 with me to France and originally thought I would just ship it over there via UPS of Fed Ex.............. or so I thought!

It appears that the People's Republic of France have other ideas and make it very difficult if not practically unrealistic to do so.  Fed Ex wanted $900 one way to ship the bike and could not even give me a guaranteed delivery date!  Also the French taxman would charge me 22% duty if I shipped my own bike to myself. Crazy!!  After discussions with several companies that specialize in shipping bikes around the world, the consensus was don't do it, take it with you.

That prompted me to start researching bike travel cases.  Obviously I wanted something that would withstand the brutality of airport baggage handlers and protect my bike in transit.  Also I wanted something that was fairly lightweight and would fold down to a compact size when not in use.

My research led me to the Biknd Helium Travel Case which I purchased from the pleasant folks at  realcyclist.com  The package arrived quickly via UPS and after unpacking the box, I was looking at a package about the size of a golf bag.




The attraction of the case is the air bladder that you pump up with the included pump.  This bladder helps give the case structure and of course provides a vital barrier between your bike and the outside world.  To load up your bike, you must first remove the wheels, pedals, seat/seatpost and rear derailleur.  You must also remove your handlebars and secure them to the front forks.  The base of the bag is made of rigid plastic with a metal plate bolted to it. The front forks bolt directly to this plate via a quick release skewer.  The rear triangle rests on a foam pad and is secured to the bag with a strap.  Once bolted in place, the frame looks like this.






The case can accommodates two sets of wheels which is very useful if you travel with both race and training wheels and the wheels attach to the case with some rigid hubs.  The main concern I have is that the air bladder is between the wheels and the frame which means that the wheels could be exposed to damage from something hitting the outside of the case.  User reviews say it's not an issue, we'll see.

After loading up the bike and the wheels, there is still plenty of space to stow helmets, shoes, clothes etc.  Then its a simple job to zip up the case and pump up the bladder. The final package looks like this.






The case rolls easily on four wheels the front two of which rotate for easy maneuverability.  one area that could use a lot of improvement is that there are very few handholds.  Really how difficult would it be to sew in some straps?  Other than that I really like the bag and hope it will get my bike to France in one piece.  More anon.

UPDATE: Arrived in France today and I'm happy to report that the Biknd did it's job and my bike arrived safely in one piece.  Still not happy about the lack on grab handles but pleased with the performance.