A couple of close calls

Collias, Provence. August 18

Tomorrow we ship out from our idyllic home in Provence and feel like we’ve done what we set out to do when we came up with the idea of this trip.

The plan was to immerse ourselves and live like locals (well as much as you can with limited language skills and a (naively) unlimited appetite for rich French cuisine. The good news is, our French skills have improved. On the other hand, our enthusiasm for French cuisine has taken a turn for the worse. The secret, we now know, is not to embrace the duck liver pate, Roquefort, and Syrah all at once.

Those French talk a big game. What you don’t see is the moderation.

After a couple of days of unhappy stomachs, we’re back onto more familiar fare and our bodies are thanking us for the restraint.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Living in the little village of Collias we head out for a walk along the river or amongst the vines and olive groves most mornings. It’s 33 degrees by around 10 so there’s no such thing as a leisurely start.

We look forward to our stop at the boulangerie on the way home (yes the baguette moratorium has ended) and conduct the entire encounter in French. Truthfully we don’t have a lot of choice as neither Madame or Madamoiselle speak a word of English, but they are good listeners and tres patient. We were stopping for a daily coffee at the bar up the hill but the cranky Gerard Derpardieu lookalike took us for English and gave us the cold shoulder. Mon dieu!

• 

• 

The river has been a real revelation. Being ocean people we’ve never really spent time inland, but the incredible gorges and rock formations where we’re staying are breathtaking. And nothing cools the blood in 37 degrees like a river swim! The local kids scramble up the cliffs then hurl themselves into a rapidly-evaporating swimhole below. The boys are like fighter pilots egging each other on and going higher and higher up the gorge. You get the feeling this has been going on for generations, but with global warming, you just hope they know what they’re doing.

• 

• 

• 

Close call #1

The river’s also to blame for a near miss in the relationship stakes. Anyone who’s ever done a tandem kayak will feel our pain. The length of these unruly beasts makes it impossible to steer, synchronise AND agree on who’s the boss. Roger Googled them when we got back and all the blogs warned against it. My friend the couples counsellor reckons this has promise as couples repair therapy (although I suspect any cracks would quickly become crevices). We zigged and zagged our way to the Pont du Gard covering twice as much ground as we needed to. The trip got less and less funny and more and more quiet.

Voila! The unique vantage point from under the Pont du Gard was worth it.

• 

• 

Close call #2

Our second close call was in Aix en Provence. Driving this time. We were lucky enough to have an introduction to visit the fantastic vineyard where Aix en Provence Rose is produced. Perfect opportunity for a roadie, spend the night down there and explore the area. Unbeknownst to us (and the GPS) the Rue we were staying on was pedestrian-ised over Summer. Quelle surprise!

To our further surprise bollards pop up automatically in the surrounding laneways at 5pm. Bang on arrival time. With sweaty paws, thunderstorms brewing and rush hour traffic we are trying every which-way to get to our hotel. As navigator, it was easy to egg Roger on with a ‘just gun it’ the wrong way up a cycle ally. That ended badly. With the bollards rising up and trapping us inside the pedestrian-ised area, Roger was seriously considering abandoning the Citroen. Miraculously a carpark sprung up, what a welcome mirage!

Roger’s driving skills through thousands of kilometres in the UK, Ireland and France has been so impressive. He’s kept us safe on the wrong side of the road and out of ditches, all with a cool head.

We absolutely loved Aix and could have spent longer there. A postcard down every alleyway, which looked remarkably better once the thunderstorms – both inside and outside the car – had cleared.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

What a finale!

Just when we were getting a touch of attraction-fatigue, we experienced the most breathtaking Van Gogh Starry Night show. Set in the 20 million year old Carrieres Lumieres caves of Baux, the show projects skyscraper-sized works onto cave walls, ceilings and columns, all animated and set to an incredible soundtrack. They call it an immersive art experience and we were truly immersed. We’ll never forget it. http://www.carrieres-lumieres.com

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our time in Provence has been incredible – here’s a few random shots from around and about – and that incredible Provencal light.

• 

• 

• 

What we’ve learnt in Provence

We’ve been lucky to have the time to settle into the natural French rhythm for a while. Spending this long in France has been such an eye-opener and the longer we’re here the more we notice. We’re grateful to have the time to better understand what makes things tick. A lot of it doesn’t seem to make any sense but it’s been this way for generations, so with a shrug of the shoulders, it’s just the way things are.

1. Cyclists rule the road

(And rightly so, some would say) It’s not unusual to follow a cyclist along an impossibly narrow road for a few ks before he (she cyclists have been rare) waves you past. He’ll be doing 30-40kph, so it’s safer to draft off him as he knows the roads and is probably going faster than you would dare.

2. Dogs rule the footpath

Second only to cyclists, they have right of way and aren’t bashful about where they leave their business.

• 

• 

• 

3. Kayaking is a solo pursuit

See above.

4. If it can be complicated, it will be

For example, cafes. Between petit dejuener and dejeuner you can order drinks but not food (but you can eat the croissant you bought at the market). At 12 that all changes. Don’t even think about ordering a drink if you’re not ordering lunch. And no, you can’t bring your own croissant.

5. Don’t expect village hours or bus timetables to be the same two days in a row

This is really an extension of number 4. We’ve managed to miss more buses than we’ve caught. It could be operator error, but it seems the timetable is really just a rough guide. Buses never seem to go in the same direction, or stop at the same stops twice. Which also seems to go for village hours. This expect-the-unexpected helps keep us on our toes and has made us resourceful, resilient and late.

6. A market is not always a market

We strolled off to our local and well-publicised Wednesday market, only to find a sad old man in a dusty carpark selling sausage and duck from his van. That was Wednesday two weeks ago and he hasn’t been seen since.

7. Be careful where you step.

See 2 above

The no-plan-plan from here

Once we say goodbye to the kids in Valencia on Sept 15, we have no plans. Reckless spontaneity feels foreign but in a good way. Our thoughts are to head to Greece, Turkey and Morocco. If we can fit in the south of Italy and a bit more of Croatia, that would be a bonus. We’ll try to follow the sun as much as possible and have a few more of these long-ish stops to scratch beneath the surface a bit more.

It feels like part two of our adventure starts mid-September, after we’ve had celebrations with family and friends in Portugal. This is the chapter that’s not mapped out and there’s something quite exhilarating about making it up as we go along. Watch this space!

So despite a couple of close calls, we’re still talking to each other. We’re excited to be learning along the way, figuring out this way of life and having as much fun as we can.

Au revoir France. Hola San Sabastian