Our last day of riding took us east towards the Alpilles
massif. Although there are no high peaks, the jagged
ridge gives the impression of being higher than it is.
Riding out of Arles along tiny back roads, where meeting
a car is an event, we tackled a short stiff climb to the
hill-top village of Les Baux.
The bottom gear effort was richly rewarded by the
sublime views and the town itself, which is dramatically
perched on a rocky outcrop.
Then it was on via a stunningly twisty descent (ok, I lie
slightly, after a 'bit more of the freaken hill') to the pretty
little town of St-Remy-de-Provence for lunch.
St Remy the birthplace of Nostradamus, is also celebrated
as the subject for many of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings.
After lunch, we visited the hospital of St Paul-de-
la-Mauseole, the sanitorium where Van Gogh committed himself
after his argument with his best friend Paul Gauguin.
Our final stretch of riding took us on on flat, quiet lanes through
orchards and melon fields to cross the River Durance at
Cavaillon, and from there its a short hop back to the
Mas de Cure Bourse outside L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue for the
final night's celebration dinner. We were all very glad to make it
back to base camp after 72.97km, according the the ride notes,
today was a 65.2km ride (the gps was turned on for the walking
through the 'sanitorium', and when I had to 'play sheep dog'
and round up some strays in the group who were lagging behind,
while our ride guide fetched yet another lagger....
Its off to Paris tomorrow, but my heart's not really in it.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Day Six - Friday (1)
Last cycling day today - if there are no further posts, assume
I didnt make it up a granny gear hill they have indicated, that strikes
fear into us lowly cyclists - plus, while the temp has dropped
below 20, yay, there is also a wind to contend with now - oh well,
I guess we'll keep cool ....
I didnt make it up a granny gear hill they have indicated, that strikes
fear into us lowly cyclists - plus, while the temp has dropped
below 20, yay, there is also a wind to contend with now - oh well,
I guess we'll keep cool ....
Day Five - Thursday
Heading south from Uzes, and skirting the city of Nimes,
we found more dramatic, rugged scenery before sweeping
out into the plains which reach the Camargue and the
Mediterranean. On the way we crossed the Pomt Du Gard,
this time on two wheels, as in over and not under
From here we had easy cycling through a series of
villages, each with a church and wrought ironwork
belfries so characteristic of the area (it would have
been much easier if a low speed rear end collision
with my 'canoe wife' Rebecca hadnt gravelled my
knee and slightly bent the deraillier arm, but a liberal
dose of betadine after my shower has fixed the knee,
and hopefully David had applied some pressure
to the deraillier arm on the bike - the betadine hurt
more than the fall, although apparently there's an
interesting set of photo's going around showing the
aftermath and of me being hauled back to my feet)
A picnic lunch was followed by a wine tasting at the
Chateau Morgue du Gres, a prestigous winery of the
Costieres de Nimes appelation.
After lunch, we rode back through the northern fringes
of the Camargue, through paddies growing the red rice
of the region, and fields of the black bulls which are bred
for the bullrings of Arles and Nimes (didnt actually see
any bulls, but smelt evidence aplenty that they were there)
We then crossed the Rhone to our hotel in the heart of Arles.
Arles has an immaculately preserved Roman ampitheatre, or
next doors's equally impressive Roman Theatre, or a short
walk to the Alyscamps Roman Cemetary or the 15th Century
St Trophime Cathedral, with its shaded cloister.
Elsewhere in Arles there's a Van Gogh museum, but, I felt
like a beer, so it was back to the hotel for pre-dinner drinks
for this little black duck.
Total distance 56km, gps said we did 56.99
we found more dramatic, rugged scenery before sweeping
out into the plains which reach the Camargue and the
Mediterranean. On the way we crossed the Pomt Du Gard,
this time on two wheels, as in over and not under
From here we had easy cycling through a series of
villages, each with a church and wrought ironwork
belfries so characteristic of the area (it would have
been much easier if a low speed rear end collision
with my 'canoe wife' Rebecca hadnt gravelled my
knee and slightly bent the deraillier arm, but a liberal
dose of betadine after my shower has fixed the knee,
and hopefully David had applied some pressure
to the deraillier arm on the bike - the betadine hurt
more than the fall, although apparently there's an
interesting set of photo's going around showing the
aftermath and of me being hauled back to my feet)
A picnic lunch was followed by a wine tasting at the
Chateau Morgue du Gres, a prestigous winery of the
Costieres de Nimes appelation.
After lunch, we rode back through the northern fringes
of the Camargue, through paddies growing the red rice
of the region, and fields of the black bulls which are bred
for the bullrings of Arles and Nimes (didnt actually see
any bulls, but smelt evidence aplenty that they were there)
We then crossed the Rhone to our hotel in the heart of Arles.
Arles has an immaculately preserved Roman ampitheatre, or
next doors's equally impressive Roman Theatre, or a short
walk to the Alyscamps Roman Cemetary or the 15th Century
St Trophime Cathedral, with its shaded cloister.
Elsewhere in Arles there's a Van Gogh museum, but, I felt
like a beer, so it was back to the hotel for pre-dinner drinks
for this little black duck.
Total distance 56km, gps said we did 56.99
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Day Four - Wednesday
Today, we Headed out on a circular route bringing us
back to Uzes, so we made the best of the morning organic
markets before setting off around 10am. The morning market
also provided the bases for our picnic linch.
Our main destination for the day of the Pont Du Gard, an aqueduct
built by the romans as part of a system to carry water from
Uzes to Nimes. An awe inspiring feat of engineering, and
in harmony with its setting over the River Gard. Getting
there involved a few technical spots of riding, providing
me with no great issue - rather enjoyed it.
Rather than cycling the whole way, we took to to canoes, taking
in the splendour of the Gard gorges, and the Pont itself, from
the water (luckily, on top of and not under) We canoed 12km
in all, 8 to get to the lunch spot, then another 4 to the
pick up point - I was seriously doubting my abilities to
hang onto a bike on the way back, my arms were knackered,
but had a flyingly good trip back - will sleep well tonight.
The countryside on the way back is known as the garrigue,
a rugged beautiful country of the department of Gard, cant say
I took in the supposed scent of wild thyme and basil, or
spotted a wild boar (just as well for the boar, but then
again, after the Italian experience, maybe not)
ps.. canoeing can be fun - out of some of the couples who
teamed up, my 'canoe wife' Rebecca wasnt threatening
divorce after the first 8km, so we stuck at it - go Team
Australia.
The gps reports 21km travelled on the bike.
pps : Lucas PawPaw ointment - magic stuff !!!!
back to Uzes, so we made the best of the morning organic
markets before setting off around 10am. The morning market
also provided the bases for our picnic linch.
Our main destination for the day of the Pont Du Gard, an aqueduct
built by the romans as part of a system to carry water from
Uzes to Nimes. An awe inspiring feat of engineering, and
in harmony with its setting over the River Gard. Getting
there involved a few technical spots of riding, providing
me with no great issue - rather enjoyed it.
Rather than cycling the whole way, we took to to canoes, taking
in the splendour of the Gard gorges, and the Pont itself, from
the water (luckily, on top of and not under) We canoed 12km
in all, 8 to get to the lunch spot, then another 4 to the
pick up point - I was seriously doubting my abilities to
hang onto a bike on the way back, my arms were knackered,
but had a flyingly good trip back - will sleep well tonight.
The countryside on the way back is known as the garrigue,
a rugged beautiful country of the department of Gard, cant say
I took in the supposed scent of wild thyme and basil, or
spotted a wild boar (just as well for the boar, but then
again, after the Italian experience, maybe not)
ps.. canoeing can be fun - out of some of the couples who
teamed up, my 'canoe wife' Rebecca wasnt threatening
divorce after the first 8km, so we stuck at it - go Team
Australia.
The gps reports 21km travelled on the bike.
pps : Lucas PawPaw ointment - magic stuff !!!!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Day Three - Tuesday
Today we set out across flatlands of Rhone River, which we
crossed at Coustellet - we were told to expect (and wernt
dissapointed then) whence crossing the river, we ran into a
bit of a breeze - luckily, we arnt talking about 90knot head-
winds here, so all was well.
We have now entered vineyards of Cotes du Rhone
villages, where every hamlet has its own take on how wine
should be made. Our rout took us to bustling town of Bagnois-
sur-Creze, where the hall houses early works by Picasso, and
works by Monet, Renoir and Gauguin in its low-key art gallery
Back on the bikes, we traced our way through a landscape of
vineyards and cherry trees, and then after an interesting climb
of say 3-4% for 8km, we hd a picnic lunch, at a lovely spot.
The climb wasnt hard er say, but the heat means one needs to be
careful to control breathing and fluid intake. After lunch, another
approx 4km of the same grade, and perhaps a slightly lesser grade
for another 2-3km, and for some reason I flew up this one like
I had wings/was possessed, we descended to St Quentin-la-Poterie,
which as name suggests is as historic centre for ceramics, with
artisan workshops selling their beautiful work directly to the public.
The final stretch for the day (a little more uphill) brought us to
the magnificent medieval cuty of Uzes. Boasting a beautiful
cathedral with its 'Tour Fenestrelle' or windowed tower, and
the Chateau of the Duchy of Uzes, there is a wealth of medieval
sites to visit, as well as boutiques. The Hotel (with character (*1))
is in the ancient quarter nestling under cathedral, including a rooftop
restaurant and terraced swimming pool
total distance was listed at 50km, the gps reported 57.42
(*1) ...hmm, I was rightly suspicious of this description in the
ride notes - as my brother says (paraphrasing), you need a plank
to sleep on, a bucket for your business, and anythings else must
be then luxury - so, I cant complain, but the word 'primitive'
comes to mind
crossed at Coustellet - we were told to expect (and wernt
dissapointed then) whence crossing the river, we ran into a
bit of a breeze - luckily, we arnt talking about 90knot head-
winds here, so all was well.
We have now entered vineyards of Cotes du Rhone
villages, where every hamlet has its own take on how wine
should be made. Our rout took us to bustling town of Bagnois-
sur-Creze, where the hall houses early works by Picasso, and
works by Monet, Renoir and Gauguin in its low-key art gallery
Back on the bikes, we traced our way through a landscape of
vineyards and cherry trees, and then after an interesting climb
of say 3-4% for 8km, we hd a picnic lunch, at a lovely spot.
The climb wasnt hard er say, but the heat means one needs to be
careful to control breathing and fluid intake. After lunch, another
approx 4km of the same grade, and perhaps a slightly lesser grade
for another 2-3km, and for some reason I flew up this one like
I had wings/was possessed, we descended to St Quentin-la-Poterie,
which as name suggests is as historic centre for ceramics, with
artisan workshops selling their beautiful work directly to the public.
The final stretch for the day (a little more uphill) brought us to
the magnificent medieval cuty of Uzes. Boasting a beautiful
cathedral with its 'Tour Fenestrelle' or windowed tower, and
the Chateau of the Duchy of Uzes, there is a wealth of medieval
sites to visit, as well as boutiques. The Hotel (with character (*1))
is in the ancient quarter nestling under cathedral, including a rooftop
restaurant and terraced swimming pool
total distance was listed at 50km, the gps reported 57.42
(*1) ...hmm, I was rightly suspicious of this description in the
ride notes - as my brother says (paraphrasing), you need a plank
to sleep on, a bucket for your business, and anythings else must
be then luxury - so, I cant complain, but the word 'primitive'
comes to mind
Monday, October 3, 2011
Day Two - Monday
A 'cruise' took us along tiny lanes in the shadow
of Mt Ventoux, heading towards Orange. A quick coffee
stop at the town of Bedarrides, alongside River Sorgues,
then to the hightlight for the wine lovers - tasting
at the vineyard of the celebrated Mont Redon winery
of the AOC/Region Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
A lovely picnic amongst vines, then a short hop to
Orange for our overnight stop. The town has superb examples
of roman architecture, including the theatre antique,
built around 10AD. The Theatre Antique is well
preserverd and still in use for concerts, seating over 10,000.
Hotel in pedestrianised area of town, opportunity to explore
before dinner
total cycling distance 49km, gps reports 59.7
addendum to yesterdays notes - 'squirrels' - last time I
was in France I asked the question, 'with all these
chestnut, oak.. trees, why are ther no squirrels ?',
and was told France simply didnt have them. This is in fact
incorrect - I saw several from a distance, yesterday
addendum to today's notes - yep, the eating well from the
last ~2 weeks (plus the extra hot weather), made even the 2
small hills MURDER......
of Mt Ventoux, heading towards Orange. A quick coffee
stop at the town of Bedarrides, alongside River Sorgues,
then to the hightlight for the wine lovers - tasting
at the vineyard of the celebrated Mont Redon winery
of the AOC/Region Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
A lovely picnic amongst vines, then a short hop to
Orange for our overnight stop. The town has superb examples
of roman architecture, including the theatre antique,
built around 10AD. The Theatre Antique is well
preserverd and still in use for concerts, seating over 10,000.
Hotel in pedestrianised area of town, opportunity to explore
before dinner
total cycling distance 49km, gps reports 59.7
addendum to yesterdays notes - 'squirrels' - last time I
was in France I asked the question, 'with all these
chestnut, oak.. trees, why are ther no squirrels ?',
and was told France simply didnt have them. This is in fact
incorrect - I saw several from a distance, yesterday
addendum to today's notes - yep, the eating well from the
last ~2 weeks (plus the extra hot weather), made even the 2
small hills MURDER......
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Day One - Sunday
Today (after pickup), we were fitted for bikes, and went for a
short ride to Isle-sur-la-sorgue, where the earlier group had
already been for lunch, and then onto the Fontain de Vaucluse.
This is a famous resurgent spring, source of the River Sorgue -
the river, gathered from rainfall on the adjacent Luberon plateau,
periodically (read in spring) boils out of a hole in the ground,
at a rate of a thousand cubic metres per minute (but since its not
spring, read 'hole in the ground' at the moment)
Vaucluse, the name of the region, derives from the Roman
'Vallis Clausa' or 'closed valley' (well d'uh !) . The village of
Fontaine de Vaucluse was home to the poet Petrarque
(Petrarch in English) who is held to be the father of
mountaineering after writing a (probably ficticious) account
of his climb of Mt Ventoux.
Distance ~20km
short ride to Isle-sur-la-sorgue, where the earlier group had
already been for lunch, and then onto the Fontain de Vaucluse.
This is a famous resurgent spring, source of the River Sorgue -
the river, gathered from rainfall on the adjacent Luberon plateau,
periodically (read in spring) boils out of a hole in the ground,
at a rate of a thousand cubic metres per minute (but since its not
spring, read 'hole in the ground' at the moment)
Vaucluse, the name of the region, derives from the Roman
'Vallis Clausa' or 'closed valley' (well d'uh !) . The village of
Fontaine de Vaucluse was home to the poet Petrarque
(Petrarch in English) who is held to be the father of
mountaineering after writing a (probably ficticious) account
of his climb of Mt Ventoux.
Distance ~20km
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Thursday
Last day today. On Monday we marinated some lamb
(but it was a dry marinade, the liquid being (some) olive
oil.
Again, the marinade and leftover veges will be used to make
stock. The lamb we will have as main course. As an extra
dessert, we've also been shown how to make a chocolate
mousse - meaning for dessert, we have lemon curd tart,
honey 'wafers' with creme patissiere and fresh fruit,
caramelised apple tarts, chocolate
fondants, and, er, mousse ... I feel stuffed !!!
Weve all been given certificates of completion for the week -
with much 'deliberation' by the boss as to wether we deserve
them or not, but, there were no major stuffups/failures, and
none of the staff eating the left-overs has contracted food
poisoning (so far).....
Entree - Eggplants
Main - lamb with a pistachio crust, and a 'tian' of veges - the veges started out like
this (below) - the tian is the dish they are made in ...
Dessert
and
- le big burp !!!!
(but it was a dry marinade, the liquid being (some) olive
oil.
Again, the marinade and leftover veges will be used to make
stock. The lamb we will have as main course. As an extra
dessert, we've also been shown how to make a chocolate
mousse - meaning for dessert, we have lemon curd tart,
honey 'wafers' with creme patissiere and fresh fruit,
caramelised apple tarts, chocolate
fondants, and, er, mousse ... I feel stuffed !!!
Weve all been given certificates of completion for the week -
with much 'deliberation' by the boss as to wether we deserve
them or not, but, there were no major stuffups/failures, and
none of the staff eating the left-overs has contracted food
poisoning (so far).....
Entree - Eggplants
Main - lamb with a pistachio crust, and a 'tian' of veges - the veges started out like
this (below) - the tian is the dish they are made in ...
Dessert
and
- le big burp !!!!
Wednesday.....
One would think 'vege day' would be 'simple'.
I beg to differ - hollowing out veges - zucchini, tomato,
getting onions ready to 'roll', preparing aubergine caviar,
actually requires pretty tight knife/scoop work. About the
simplest prep for the day was actually the lavender
flavoured creme brulee - go figure !
The tomatoes, zucchinis, and (onions) were filled with a
mixture of ham and veal - interesting to note, instead of
bread with meat mix, we re-used the insides of the aubergine
we had removed for the caviar - there's a lot of re-use - even
the oil after its used to cook things, often being seasoned
with thyme, slat, pepper, is re-used elsewhere. Left-overs
from other veges have been sliced evenly, to make a 'fine'
ratattouile (surprise, there's no rat)
The picture shows the eggplant caviar, the fine ratatouille,
and a rough tomato 'sauce'....
The next picture show's pumpkin veloute (creamy soup),
then the 'stuffed' veges
served with a fine tomato sauce
and a few salad leaves with a hint of balsamic
I made mention before about the chef being 'particular' -
with the creme brulee for example, one could say 'grill
the top to burn the sugar and get the toffee' - but this also
dries out the 'custard', so the blowtorch method is preferred -
he did like a trick I described to him, using brown sugar and
a for example grand marnier set alight to get the toffee layer,
but even acknowledging that it could be done that way and newer
kitchens do for effect, the chef is a man of tradition and
sighs with despair at the newer 'fads'/trends
Since eggplants and mushrooms were available, we've also
made a dish to serve as entree tomorrow
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Well, today dealt with the fruits of an earlyish trip to a
local fish market at Sanary Sur Mer (pics).
On the menu we had :-
Anchoidade - and anchovy paste to serve with vege
'batards'/sticks,
aioli (Garlic Mayo) to go on croutons for the soup,
Brandade de Morue (Cod Puree), which could be served
as a whole dish like a shepherds pie but with fish,
whereas we just used it for an entree,
The main dish for the day being 'Bisque bouille safranee',
Mediterranean fish with sun potatoes, croutons and
aioli in a fish soup (aka bisque) - see pic.
I will say that cooking with a star chef is interesting -
he has high standards to maintain, and checked our
fish filleting etc for bones and such, before allowing
it to be used.
Another reason for this is we are not only cooking
for ourselves, any 'leftovers' are used to help feed
the staff of the hotel, and there's about 30 of them
(not all at once, on rotation/shift), but it wouldnt
do for us to inflict injury on them. I dont know what
they eat usually - ? leftovers from the restaurant
gastronomique or the bistro
To finalise our meal, we had a passionfruit sorbet,
with raspberry coulis, fresh raspberries in the leftover
creme patisierre from yesterday
Tomorrow, we can expect a somewhat simpler repast,
Aubergine Caviar, Stuffed onions, tomatoes and zucchinis,
followed by Lavender flavoured creme brulee
We had 5 'extra's in the kitchen today, 4 x Americans who
were visiting for the day, and an extra lady from the
local region brushing up on skills/learning a new recipe
or two - it seemed a little more cramped, but we all got
along, and from the Hotel/cooking schools pov, a paying
guest is a good guest (one of the reasons the cooking
school started was that the nearby car racing circuit of
le Castellet was closed down, and they needed something
else to keep customers coming, as well as the spa. )
local fish market at Sanary Sur Mer (pics).
On the menu we had :-
Anchoidade - and anchovy paste to serve with vege
'batards'/sticks,
aioli (Garlic Mayo) to go on croutons for the soup,
Brandade de Morue (Cod Puree), which could be served
as a whole dish like a shepherds pie but with fish,
whereas we just used it for an entree,
The main dish for the day being 'Bisque bouille safranee',
Mediterranean fish with sun potatoes, croutons and
aioli in a fish soup (aka bisque) - see pic.
I will say that cooking with a star chef is interesting -
he has high standards to maintain, and checked our
fish filleting etc for bones and such, before allowing
it to be used.
Another reason for this is we are not only cooking
for ourselves, any 'leftovers' are used to help feed
the staff of the hotel, and there's about 30 of them
(not all at once, on rotation/shift), but it wouldnt
do for us to inflict injury on them. I dont know what
they eat usually - ? leftovers from the restaurant
gastronomique or the bistro
To finalise our meal, we had a passionfruit sorbet,
with raspberry coulis, fresh raspberries in the leftover
creme patisierre from yesterday
Tomorrow, we can expect a somewhat simpler repast,
Aubergine Caviar, Stuffed onions, tomatoes and zucchinis,
followed by Lavender flavoured creme brulee
We had 5 'extra's in the kitchen today, 4 x Americans who
were visiting for the day, and an extra lady from the
local region brushing up on skills/learning a new recipe
or two - it seemed a little more cramped, but we all got
along, and from the Hotel/cooking schools pov, a paying
guest is a good guest (one of the reasons the cooking
school started was that the nearby car racing circuit of
le Castellet was closed down, and they needed something
else to keep customers coming, as well as the spa. )
Monday, September 26, 2011
Well, its a paupers dinner for me tonight
I'll sit here with my bread, cheese, some jambon (ham), and a
banana...
... What's the catch ?
Well, ok, I did have a 3 course lunch, all made by (us), and some
things like saddle of lamb we've prepped/marinated for Thursday
So, today, we made
Tapenade,
Fougasse (read onion tart), served with a light salad for entree, (see pic)
a stuffed saddle of rabbit, served with pommes fondantes (sauted
potatoes then finished in stock), and tatin de tomates (see pic),
then a 'croustillant', think like a thin wafer/brandy snap with thyme,
which we 'stacked' with raspberries and creme partissiere (see last pic)
So, ah, don't feel sorry for the bread/cheese supper I'm having ;-)
Tomorrow, its off to the fish-markets early, to procure fish etc for
lunch, two of the menu items are a cod puree, and mediterranean
fish with sun potatoes, croutons and aioli in a fish soup
Our chef/instructor, is Rene Berard (not Mr or 'chef', he uch prefer's
just 'Rene', no allo allo jokes please), a 1 Michelin star gent, who
has recently passed his hotel kitchen onto his son (but still keeps an
eagle eye on proceedings) - he loves teaching, and although we won't
graduate with a Michelin star, his recipes are going to go down well
I suspect at home (specially after Thursday when I've mastered lavender
flavoured creme brulee, Matt !!!)
Last bit for today - nothing is wasted - tops/tails of veges and the
lamb backbones are boild for stock, some extras - I think pig's ears
for gelatine, the tomato skins and seeds etc we didnt use .. mind you,
apparently the stock simmers for 8-12 hours !!!
banana...
... What's the catch ?
Well, ok, I did have a 3 course lunch, all made by (us), and some
things like saddle of lamb we've prepped/marinated for Thursday
So, today, we made
Tapenade,
Fougasse (read onion tart), served with a light salad for entree, (see pic)
potatoes then finished in stock), and tatin de tomates (see pic),
then a 'croustillant', think like a thin wafer/brandy snap with thyme,
which we 'stacked' with raspberries and creme partissiere (see last pic)
So, ah, don't feel sorry for the bread/cheese supper I'm having ;-)
Tomorrow, its off to the fish-markets early, to procure fish etc for
lunch, two of the menu items are a cod puree, and mediterranean
fish with sun potatoes, croutons and aioli in a fish soup
Our chef/instructor, is Rene Berard (not Mr or 'chef', he uch prefer's
just 'Rene', no allo allo jokes please), a 1 Michelin star gent, who
has recently passed his hotel kitchen onto his son (but still keeps an
eagle eye on proceedings) - he loves teaching, and although we won't
graduate with a Michelin star, his recipes are going to go down well
I suspect at home (specially after Thursday when I've mastered lavender
flavoured creme brulee, Matt !!!)
Last bit for today - nothing is wasted - tops/tails of veges and the
lamb backbones are boild for stock, some extras - I think pig's ears
for gelatine, the tomato skins and seeds etc we didnt use .. mind you,
apparently the stock simmers for 8-12 hours !!!
Le viaduct de Millau
Just returning my thoughts here for a second, and posting a pic
of the viaduct, one things strikes me as quite 'odd' ... Why spend all
that money on such a structure (one has to pay a toll to cross, at the
northern end, €6.40 for a small car) and then put squat toilets in the
viewing/history area's amenities !!! Aaaarrrrgghhhh I should have
listened to Dom and Berts instructions on such, they being familiar
with the concept from Nepal ...
Actually, I didn't actually, well, need #2, which was lucky, but ....
(The only reason I can think of is that they are easier to clean)
of the viaduct, one things strikes me as quite 'odd' ... Why spend all
that money on such a structure (one has to pay a toll to cross, at the
northern end, €6.40 for a small car) and then put squat toilets in the
viewing/history area's amenities !!! Aaaarrrrgghhhh I should have
listened to Dom and Berts instructions on such, they being familiar
with the concept from Nepal ...
Actually, I didn't actually, well, need #2, which was lucky, but ....
(The only reason I can think of is that they are easier to clean)
The foibles of following a gps
Ok, so, on the way here, 'Karen' (aka GPS B*tch) requested
I take a route that was illegal (I went through 2 small sections
of road that I shouldn't have, but after being in a car that long,
wanting a bio break, tant pis (too bad) !)
So today, I took my other gps, and backtracked, to trace what
should have happened, and it seems Karen was a tad 'eager' -
had I followed the scant instructions from the hotel, and not
eyeballed the gps so much, I would have made it - ah well, c'est
la vie (or, put another way, 'putain !')
(Think of 'putain' as being french for the Australia 'bvgger')
Ttfn, time for some pain, fromage, jambon (lunch) that I picked
up on my stroll this am (when in France ....)
I take a route that was illegal (I went through 2 small sections
of road that I shouldn't have, but after being in a car that long,
wanting a bio break, tant pis (too bad) !)
So today, I took my other gps, and backtracked, to trace what
should have happened, and it seems Karen was a tad 'eager' -
had I followed the scant instructions from the hotel, and not
eyeballed the gps so much, I would have made it - ah well, c'est
la vie (or, put another way, 'putain !')
(Think of 'putain' as being french for the Australia 'bvgger')
Ttfn, time for some pain, fromage, jambon (lunch) that I picked
up on my stroll this am (when in France ....)
Phew ...
Was just about a victim of network death - my nokia cs-10/roaming
sim connection wasn't going anywhere, that seemed attributable to
2 issues
1) The device drivers (loaded from the cs-10 usb stick) didn't like
windows 7/64 bit
2) This is a lousy 3G area (stuck up high on a hill)
Ok, so, the solution, tricky - get a wifi pass from the hotel, valid
for 24h/200mb, download new drivers, apply ... So far so good, now,
try the stick again - now Orange Fr 3G seems to be there, until the
wind blows, so the device/sim is set up, I'm at the mercy of the
wind it seems (bvgger that, I'll use day passes from the hotel as long
as I can - they seem to expect it, which is jolly sporting of them)
Oh, of course, the driver d/load used 64mb of my limit for the day,
so I'll have to be judicious with todays posts ...
sim connection wasn't going anywhere, that seemed attributable to
2 issues
1) The device drivers (loaded from the cs-10 usb stick) didn't like
windows 7/64 bit
2) This is a lousy 3G area (stuck up high on a hill)
Ok, so, the solution, tricky - get a wifi pass from the hotel, valid
for 24h/200mb, download new drivers, apply ... So far so good, now,
try the stick again - now Orange Fr 3G seems to be there, until the
wind blows, so the device/sim is set up, I'm at the mercy of the
wind it seems (bvgger that, I'll use day passes from the hotel as long
as I can - they seem to expect it, which is jolly sporting of them)
Oh, of course, the driver d/load used 64mb of my limit for the day,
so I'll have to be judicious with todays posts ...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Although Im a bit further south than where I'll be cycling
next week, the days seem to start the same - sun up circa 7,
by 9am the coolness of the night is rapdily being heated off,
then into scorching afternoons, then cool late evening. I
hope the afternoons are a little more moderate from a
cycling pov, I'll have to wait till I get back to Avignon -
?2-3 hours drive, to see if there's a varioation in the
temperature/cycle, there ....
next week, the days seem to start the same - sun up circa 7,
by 9am the coolness of the night is rapdily being heated off,
then into scorching afternoons, then cool late evening. I
hope the afternoons are a little more moderate from a
cycling pov, I'll have to wait till I get back to Avignon -
?2-3 hours drive, to see if there's a varioation in the
temperature/cycle, there ....
Made it
Talk about epic drives ... Made it to little town perched on
hill (Bastide/fortified town) where accom/cooking classes are
- gps made me do some illegal turns at this village, but what
the heck - 8 hours drive !! (Ok, 2.5 was a side trip to the
Viaduct de Millau)
I've decided no ducks will die for me tonight - they might not be
so lucky tomorrow night.
So I'm starting with
1) French vegemite - tapenade - now, usually I don't eat olives,
but this is good !
2) a chevre bruschetta, with figs, mushrooms, and lettuce heart
3) then moving onto boef (ok, something has to die !) with
sauteed potatoes, and a carrot/mushroom/?onion roast
MMmmmmm
hill (Bastide/fortified town) where accom/cooking classes are
- gps made me do some illegal turns at this village, but what
the heck - 8 hours drive !! (Ok, 2.5 was a side trip to the
Viaduct de Millau)
I've decided no ducks will die for me tonight - they might not be
so lucky tomorrow night.
So I'm starting with
1) French vegemite - tapenade - now, usually I don't eat olives,
but this is good !
2) a chevre bruschetta, with figs, mushrooms, and lettuce heart
3) then moving onto boef (ok, something has to die !) with
sauteed potatoes, and a carrot/mushroom/?onion roast
MMmmmmm
On the road again ...
Well, after a day plodding around new and old Carcassonne,
and along the Canal du midi yesterday, its 'on the road for me'
today - heading to La Cadiere d'Azur, on the (other) side of
Marseille.
Not being able to print at the last hotel, means I'm very
reliant on 'Karen' (my gps persona, aka 'le gps bitch'), a
'France Sud' map, and a rough list of autoroutes to take.
Running repairs I've had to make to the rental car - I should
have told Avis that the numberplate was becoming unstuck
- at the risk of p#ssing off the french police, I've used some
super glue and as close to gaffa tape as I can find ...
Topping up the beasty (Peugot 207) with diesel as I go
So on with the show - let's hope the next installment isn't
'I'm lost" !!
and along the Canal du midi yesterday, its 'on the road for me'
today - heading to La Cadiere d'Azur, on the (other) side of
Marseille.
Not being able to print at the last hotel, means I'm very
reliant on 'Karen' (my gps persona, aka 'le gps bitch'), a
'France Sud' map, and a rough list of autoroutes to take.
Running repairs I've had to make to the rental car - I should
have told Avis that the numberplate was becoming unstuck
- at the risk of p#ssing off the french police, I've used some
super glue and as close to gaffa tape as I can find ...
Topping up the beasty (Peugot 207) with diesel as I go
So on with the show - let's hope the next installment isn't
'I'm lost" !!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Guilty pleasures....
I never seem to get the time to read (non work) books/material - hence, while Im on
holiday, its a great chance to catch up on some reading. So, I bought "The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"/Stieg Larsson with me ...
MMMmmmmm, (almost) better than chocolate
holiday, its a great chance to catch up on some reading. So, I bought "The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"/Stieg Larsson with me ...
MMMmmmmm, (almost) better than chocolate
No ducks were harmed ...
In the making of my meal tonight ...
(Ok, I lied - one cannot make fois gras de canard or magret (grilled to us common/non french
folk) de canard without a few ducks being sacrificed) (*1)
... Do I feel guilty - hell no !!!! ... Do I feel full - ah, burp, yes, as full as a goog, yep, that's me, un gros gourmand !
Unlike last night where my head was sore due to travel etc, this time its due to beaucoup de
vin rouge
(*1) you don't have to come all this way for a decent meal of duck - just drop into 'Chez Bert',
and you'll be in for a surprise (and a better accompanying wine)
(Ok, I lied - one cannot make fois gras de canard or magret (grilled to us common/non french
folk) de canard without a few ducks being sacrificed) (*1)
... Do I feel guilty - hell no !!!! ... Do I feel full - ah, burp, yes, as full as a goog, yep, that's me, un gros gourmand !
Unlike last night where my head was sore due to travel etc, this time its due to beaucoup de
vin rouge
(*1) you don't have to come all this way for a decent meal of duck - just drop into 'Chez Bert',
and you'll be in for a surprise (and a better accompanying wine)
Interesting experiences
.. Driving in France - the toll roads 'peage' operate at tolerable speeds - 130km/h for example
- the first time I forgot how fast that is, was when I read 'plaza de peage 3000m' and all of a
sudden I was right on top of it (no, didn't disgrace myself)
More notes for intrepid travellers - on one stretch I found myself at an unattended booth, that
I didn't have enough euro coin for : Don't Panic !! If you have a credit card with a chip, use
that (doesn't ask for the pin, but opens the barrier)
If you're wondering how the toll roads work, well, on sections, you go through a ticket gate,
that issues a ticket that you then use at a toll plaza or exit ramp - I had thought I was going to
avoid the whole lot and use secondary roads, but it seems I was overly ambitious/
underestimated the distances involved ....
ps .. Reversing out of toll area to check other options not possible with a sh#tload of pantechs breathing down ya tailpipe !
Pps .. Mildly amused at disdain shown by the french drivers for suckers (comme moi) who get caught/trapped in a slow lane - well, the french are nothing if not consistent in their disdain
(I was going to use 'arrogant', but that's not quite it)
- the first time I forgot how fast that is, was when I read 'plaza de peage 3000m' and all of a
sudden I was right on top of it (no, didn't disgrace myself)
More notes for intrepid travellers - on one stretch I found myself at an unattended booth, that
I didn't have enough euro coin for : Don't Panic !! If you have a credit card with a chip, use
that (doesn't ask for the pin, but opens the barrier)
If you're wondering how the toll roads work, well, on sections, you go through a ticket gate,
that issues a ticket that you then use at a toll plaza or exit ramp - I had thought I was going to
avoid the whole lot and use secondary roads, but it seems I was overly ambitious/
underestimated the distances involved ....
ps .. Reversing out of toll area to check other options not possible with a sh#tload of pantechs breathing down ya tailpipe !
Pps .. Mildly amused at disdain shown by the french drivers for suckers (comme moi) who get caught/trapped in a slow lane - well, the french are nothing if not consistent in their disdain
(I was going to use 'arrogant', but that's not quite it)
Full marks ..
"I'd like to visit xyz")
Normal blog service may take a while to resume - I'm having to post as drafts, then edit out the
email disclaimer, so I've turned off autoposting for a while
Ttfn
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Avignon (#1)
Arrived last night ... Was in severe danger of falling asleep on TGV and ending up in Marseille - but you can count on the timetable, if it says it will be in Avignon at 20:10, it will be (so I set an alarm for 20:00 and all was well)
Funny thing, getting closer to here I felt I was being watched - looking out the window I see the imposing profile of. Mt Ventoux leering at me - one day, I'll try again
Anyway, off to le petit dejeuner (brekky), then grab hire car and head south - a bientot !
(#1 - in the words of Arnie - "I'll be back" - this is just an enforced stop between 2 modes of transport)
Funny thing, getting closer to here I felt I was being watched - looking out the window I see the imposing profile of. Mt Ventoux leering at me - one day, I'll try again
Anyway, off to le petit dejeuner (brekky), then grab hire car and head south - a bientot !
(#1 - in the words of Arnie - "I'll be back" - this is just an enforced stop between 2 modes of transport)
Boring places I've been (see pic)
That's right folks, this is the TGV train station at Charles de Gaulle aeroport - not very inspiring - but if it saves me a trip into paris to catch the same train from a station there, I'll take - though the boredom waiting here may kill me first
Notes for the enlightened traveller - Aus credit cards (as long as they have a chip and pin) work in the green ticket machines - so I've already purchased a 'carnet' - book of 10 tickets for the metro (won't need them 'till the return trip, but nothing like being prepared (or as my brother would put it, 'anal' ... Sometimes I do wish I could just go with the flow, but I find mutha nature too unpredictable, as evidenced by recent curve balls she's thrown at me)
Ps. I also get a smug satisfaction at cruising through customs/immigration here, with little more than a nod from the douane (customs) police. :-)
<Next stop, Avignon>
Monday, September 19, 2011
Where's Lawrence ?
This 'wing' of the terminal in Abu Dhabi has a large conical mosaic springing from one level below where I am, up to the roof - hard to give a sense of scale with such a small camera (b/berry)
Must leave it there - if I don't get to a loo I'll be doing a Lawrence of Arabia myself, "take no prisoners !"
Next flight hop - 8.5 hours
For the record
That was Roger Federer I saw, heading to a gate, one solitary escort ... Doesn't look impressive from here
And so it begins ....
What was supposed to be 'the Lancaster boys do France and Italy' went a bit askew....
So on the redo, Dom has already had 2 weeks of fun and is currently working in London, I'm at Syd airport waiting for Paris via Abu Dhabi (and thence to Avignon), and dad, one of my best mates, well, I'm gonna try dead hard to get him to Tuscany, Bordeaux next year, even if I have to re-mortgage my soul to the devil
So, watch this space for more broadcasts
Ps ; special mention goes to Outdoor travel, Bright, Victoria (Yvette, Sue, Martyn) - I know I havnt thanked them enough for salvaging/turning a bit of a schmozzle into an escape
So on the redo, Dom has already had 2 weeks of fun and is currently working in London, I'm at Syd airport waiting for Paris via Abu Dhabi (and thence to Avignon), and dad, one of my best mates, well, I'm gonna try dead hard to get him to Tuscany, Bordeaux next year, even if I have to re-mortgage my soul to the devil
So, watch this space for more broadcasts
Ps ; special mention goes to Outdoor travel, Bright, Victoria (Yvette, Sue, Martyn) - I know I havnt thanked them enough for salvaging/turning a bit of a schmozzle into an escape
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