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Published: November 30th -0001
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Here is the final chapter of my trip through France with mum. It may be very late but it still only feels like yesterday that we were there so hopefully the typing will flow as fast as the pictures downloaded. To be truthful there were small dramas all the way along our journey but this final week really took the cake. I did mention Provence in my earlier blog but more detail is certainly required.
So we arrived in the old monestry part of Vaison-La Romaine and needed to take the car halfway up a mountain to get to our accomodation. Mum kinda had a fit as we drove through the very, very narrow cobbled streets. But we found our boutique B and B L'Evêché. Aude & Jean-Loup Verdier have turned part of their stunning home into a B and B. It is homely and stylish. We took time to eat good food and drive through the countryside. I wanted to do a recommended scenic drive but after 20 minutes into it mum felt she couldn't do the narrow roads and we headed back to base. I did it on my own a bit later on and loved every minute. The
landscape is like Tuscany and yellow flowers could be seen for miles.
We also did the famous wednesday food markets which was right up my alley, cheese, fresh scallops and sweets, I think I was in heaven and the following day we did a day trip. A few kilometers north of the medieval city of Avignon at the center of the Cotes du Rhone wine trails region is one of the most spectacular views into life under ancient Rome, the Theater Antique d’Orange. It is the best surviving example of the Roman Amphitheater in the western European former empire. Capable of seating up to 9000 spectators at a time, the Theatre Antique remains amazingly much as it once was and is still in use today as a theater stage. I still struggle to get my head around the fact these places are so old. For periods of time thaey were also turned into villages to protect their christian history during war and persecution.
I must confess I didn't really make it to any wine tasting caves. Shameful, I know! but to many other things to do. I stopped by a cave as we left and purchased a few bottles. The
next destination was two day stop in the south of provence Le Baux. We got a great deal at the luxurious Benvegudo and it was nice to be in a comfy bed. The town of Le Baux is located on a rocky plateau in the heart of the Alpilles, it provides a breathtaking panoramic view down over Arles and the Camargue. It has been patiently restored and now boasts a historical and architecture heritage consisting of 22 listed buildings.The Castle, is a unique reminder of mediaeval history, the Romanesque. The views are defiantly the best part of going to Le Baux.
On the day we did a 3 hour drive to Marseilles we stopped at Arles to look at the Arena Romana. Today they still use it for bull fights and it is set up for everyday use. Arles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and sits on a low hill where the Rhône river branches in two parts to the sea. It was here that I got my one and only parking ticket for the entire trip. Boo Hoo! The town dates back to the 7th century BC, and was a major Gallo-Roman city. The major Roman sites here
are the Arena and the Theater. Both buildings are integrated into the houses and buildings of the town which I still have not decided if I really like. We also visited the local museum to see unearthed roman relics from the Rhone river.
After that stop I was excited to finally get some sun in Marseilles. The plan was to be there for 2 nights but as we got closer to fly out day it started to become clear that the ASH CLOUD was getting worse and our plane would be cancelled. Quick organising got us a flight 4 days later so we sat back and started to enjoy the hidden treasures of Marseilles. To my pleasant suprise we made our way to the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde. Firstly, the view at the top of Montée de la Bonne Mère is breathtaking and covers every nook and cranny of the busy city but the Basilique is a wonderful sight. The inside of the church is different and modern and the crypt has it's typical dark and mysterious feel.
We didn't wander much further than that because within 24 hours we realised, yet again, that our tuesday flight would
also be cancelled. At this point we headed to the car hire at the airport to book the car for extra days and then we headed to a travel agent to work out how we would get home. It was not long before I realised that I left all the paper work at the car hire place and had to do another trip to it's venue near the airport. The following morning we were back at the travel agent and made a quick and sudden decision to book a 500 euro train to London on the Monday. Alot of money but peace of mind. Just one catch, Tthe train left from Paris! So on Sunday we got up early and made a very unexpected and long journey of 9 hours drive back to where our journey began 2 weeks earlier. We made good time but I did have concerns about making it into Paris after our driving experience on the perepheric and YES we got lost again but ended up, by some miracle, finding the original hire car place we got the car from. So we just dropped it and ran. The lines to hire cars were crazy and people
even said they would take our car uncleaned! We dropped the keys and ran straight to our hotel grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Close to the station was good in theory but nothing prepared us for the rude owner and disgusting mouldy room. I tried to tell the receptionist we had pre paid the accomodation but he insisted that we pay again and told mum that I was rude. Then when we saw the room we asked for another which then smelt of smoke. He also insisted that he only had the two rooms. We decided neither were satisfactory so we walked downstarirs to leave. He told us he had other rooms but we insisted on leaving. JOn was amazing and helped us find another hotel close by. Very tired at this point we ate dinner and went to sleep exhausted.
Been in Paris again gave us the opportunity to get to the Lourve and see the Mona Lisa and walk the streets. I went back to my sdecret location shops and got a stack of cheese and cakes and then we headed to the staion to catch the train. People were camped at the station, luggage and people everywhere and signs saying tickets
were sold out till friday! The line to get on was long and people were even sold seats taht did not really exist and stood or sat in the luggage store area. Mum and I could not wait to get back to London and I was sooooo happy to see Jon. So 1 car, my mother an ash cloud and 4000km later the trip ended and we were back on british soil.
This trip has certainly been an adventure. I have really enjoyed driving across this beautiful country. In fact if italians didn't make such good food I would say France is one of my favourite destinations ever. Thanks to mum for putting up with me and I look forward to our next trip, whenever it may be.
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