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Published: September 21st 2008
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We have spent a little more than a month now in France, and today is our last day. (Except for 2 days in Paris en route to India in a month). We absolutely loved it here, and feel we got to know the country much better. Although, as foreigners traveling through, not speaking the language well, and with mostly superficial encounters with locals, we have no pretenses. We have taken trains, boats, subways, and funiculars, but most of the time we drove - 4000 km (about 2400 miles), and walked. We did the north, center, and south.
France is, hands down, my favorite country in Europe, and in my opinion, has the most to offer. There is no question as to the diversity of its nature, due to its size (the largest country in Western Europe), and geographical situation between north and south.
We are sad to leave here, because, while I have visited and enjoyed many places that I liked, this is one where I could actually imagine living, not just visiting. If your only experience of France is Paris, I urge you to visit other places, as the country has so much more to offer.
Our two favorite regions
were Brittany, in the Northwest, on the Atlantic Ocean, and Provence/Cote D'Azur in the South of the country, along the Mediterranean.
In some ways, these are similar, and in others, quite different. Brittany's topography is more like Northern California (north of San Francisco), the Pacific Northwest, or Scotland/Ireland. It has a wild and beautiful coastline, often rocky, with water too cold to swim in. It is, for the most part, sparsely populated, with many quaint little towns and villages. There are fewer tourists and foreigners.
Provence is more like San Diego, Florida, or, to give a European equivalent, Spain/Greece. Its weather is warmer, it is more resorty, there are miles of sandy beaches lined with endless hotels. Parts of it reminded us both of Miami Beach. People swim in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean.
We loved Provence, but I think in the end we both preferred Brittany's quaintness, endless charming small towns (not that any region of France lacks these), and regional pride and specialties.
We went through a lot of places in the past week of driving through Southern France, since we re-entered from Italy. I will describe each briefly with its highlights:
*Monte Carlo: This one
is not just a city, but its own country (Monaco), one of the smallest in the world (5000 citizens! 30,000 residents), with Princes and Princesses. It felt a lot like Beverly Hills, only more manicured.
We enjoyed seeing the Royal Palace and the changing of the guards. We liked the views of the Mediterranean from the hills.
But, whereas the old towns in France were authentic, here it was like a movie set. Everything was too new, too freshly painted, too clean to feel authentic. Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls Royce, Bentley, etc. cars and dealerships lined the streets. It was as if poverty did not exist anymore, only ostentatious displays of wealth. Wanted to see the famous casino, but there was a dress code and an admission charge, so we went across the street to have a drink in a nice bar. The cheapest drink, a Coke, was 10 Euros (14 dollars)! We got up and left, feeling very poor in this rich city.
*Nice: Nice, a harbor town not far from the Italian border, had a great antique and outdoor market. We spent two night there. It was also our base for exploring Monaco, only half an hour drive away.
*Toulon: A port town near Marseille, Toulon had a seedy side. There were many sailors, bars, strip clubs, and groups of young Arab men walking the streets. Still, unlike Monte Carlo, it was real and we liked it. We tried a cuisine here we had never had before: Madagascar. (I think the correct term for something/someone from Madagascar is Malagasy). It was delicious.
*Aix-En-Provence: In many ways, this is the capital of Provence. It is also Cezanne's birthplace, and they remind you of it everywhere. The town symbol, all over the sidewalks, is Cezanne written with a very large C. Birthplace also of the calisson, a Provence specialty something like an almond-shaped marzipan with a candy coating, sold all over France. This town is also renowned for its hundreds of fountains, large student population, and wide tree lined main boulevard. With its many narrow pedestrian streets and lively atmosphere, it was one of our favorite towns in all of France.
*Avignon: A walled city on the river, this was the former home of the Pope, who left Rome in the 14th century, to temporarily settle here. There were many papal buildings and palaces, so we were (pleasantly) surprised to discover
an old and still functioning synagogue in Place Jerusalem.
*Orange: A small town north of Avignon, renowned for its 2000 year old Roman arch in the entrance to the city, and a Roman amphitheatre considered by many to be the best preserved in the world, because it still has its original stage wall. "The finest wall in my Kingdom", said Louis XIV.
*Arles: Spent two nights here. Another charming old town on the Rhone River. Two Roman theaters (there are many in Southern France). One of these is still used for bullfights every summer. Former home of Van Gogh. We visited the garden in the hospital where he stayed after cutting off his ear.
The building and the garden still look just as he painted them:
http://www.fineartprintsondemand.com/artists/van_gogh/asylum_garden_at_arles-400.jpg
On Saturday, Arles had a wonderful outdoor market, selling dozens of varieties of olives, cheeses, breads, soaps, lavender, and other specialties of the Provence region.
*Camargue National Park: Here we saw the native bulls, horses, and flamingoes. Many meadows, streams, and marshes. Many love to go horseriding here, including French President Sarkozy.
*Montpellier: This is where we are now, and it's another one of our all-time favorites. I started my France trip in
this town 4 years ago, coming over from Barcelona, and this is where we end it now, about to go to Barcelona. The city has enchanting gardens, more pedestrian streets and squares than just about anywhere we've been, a large central park with people playing chess outside. There is more energy here, more life. A large student population, street performers in the main square, all kinds of interesting characters.
We are sad to leave France. We absolutely loved it. But we are looking forward to Spain and beyond. Tomorrow we take the train to Barcelona, just a few hours away, where we will stay at my brother Gilad's place, while he is in California.
After so much running (or driving) around, it will be nice to have a home base for a while, and to rediscover (for me) and discover (for Erin) the charms of Spain.
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