Summer in Provence

Beautiful French villages abound ...

2010-07-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

We continue to be amazed at the number of absolutely beautiful French villages and towns. Particularly, the villages; they seem to be all over Provence. As you would imagine, tourists abound in many of these alluring communes.

Last week, we joined Natasha, Lawrence (oldest daughter and son-on-law, living in England), and Annika on a tour of the Provencal villages of Roussillon and Gordes, about fifty miles or so from Aix-en-Provence. These gorgeous, adorable villages seem to abound in the Provence region here. We continue to delight in their combination of history, antiquity, quaintness and the stunning beauty of the surrounding countryside.

The elements that make for this beauty start with their antiquity. The villages/towns are built on hills or hilltops--clearly for purposes of self-defense against possible invaders. Virtually every village has a castle and a church of some sort--all elegantly hand-crafted by the artisans of the era. Cobbled streets (made of stone), passage ways, steps and archways are everywhere to be found.

On our day tour, we visited the village of Roussillon, famous for the ochre that lines the hillsides, many views of which can be enjoyed over lunch or dinner (it was lunch for us). Ochre (pronounced oker) is a clay-like pigment used by artists in their painting. It is also used for general painting and decor. During the period of French colonization, the French would often have ochre shipped to their colonies to remind them of their homeland. After the French left the colonies, for a time, the use of ochre was disdained. However, it has apparently been making a comback in recent years. In any event, glimpses of this ochre are all over Roussillon.

We next visted the village of Gordes (pop., around 2,000), with its steep climb into the town center. As you approach (up the hillside), the community, built of stone, just sits there, chiseled, it seems, into the hills. At the viewing stop, tourist's cameras were non-stop, trying to capture the beauty of the visage.

We strolled the narrow streets and walkways, showing off 11-month old Annika and Niko (the dog) along the way. (Can't believe all the sights Annika has seen and, of course, will not remember.) The village of Gordes claims that everything in the town is made of stone. In fact, no fences are allowed, only stone walls.

The castle in the town centre was built in 1031, rebuilt in 1525 and no doubt upgraded, as needed, over the passing decades.

On leaving Gordes, we drove a few kilometers to the renowned Romanesque Senanque Abbey, whose construction dates back to 1148. The entrance to the Abbey features fields of lavender plants, an irresistably stunning and pictoresque presentation for the visitor. You've perhaps seen some of these beautiful lavender fields on postcards over the years. We browsed briefly in the Cisterian Abbey bookstore and learned that the Abbey is still inhabited by five monks.

Soon we were on our way back to Aix for our last couple of days with Natasha, Lawrence and Annika. We continue to be grateful for these special times with family. Yesterday, their month-long visit ended and they returned to England (in a phone conversation earlier today, I could hear Annika's perky voice, chirping away in the background).

We return to South Florida one week from today. Lots of details to take care of, but we're looking forward very much to getting back.

A bientot from France ...

July en Provence and the joys of grandpa ...

2010-07-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

Sorry to have not blogged for so long. I think it's been nine days or so. July en Provence is hot (mostly in the 90's) and tourists of all stripes (mostly French) seem to be everywhere. There's an energy to these summer days that pulsates throughout la ville.

Yesterday, on my way to the nearby supermarche (a journey I make four or five times a week), I saw at least four street, music groups--sharing their talents with the passersby. Two or three times per week, there are booths set up all along the Cours Mirabeau (the famous boulevard that denotes the center of this vibrant town) with folks selling their wares. The Cours Mirabeau is where everything happens here in Aix.

Since June 27th, our oldest daughter, Natasha, has been visiting with her family, which includes our first grandchild, soon-to-be-11 month-old Annika (son-in-law, Lawrence, is also with us). Annika is obviously the center of our lives--from the time she awakes in the morning, til her bedtime around 8:00 p.m. She is a bundle of energy, curious about everything and everybody. Not much of a cuddler, she loves to explore ... which means to touch and pull and push and inspect everything within her reach.

I have been doing lots of "Annika-care" and love every minute of it--even the diaper changing can have it moments of drama and fun. I pretty much have my routine with Annika worked out when I'm doing "solo" duty. She plays for a while (which requires constant supervision), then she's ready for a bottle (milk) and some down time in the cushioned crib/play pen we have in the living area. Then she'll play for awhile, entertainng anyone around (in the crib) and soon it's back to more time of exploration and moving about. She's standing more and better each day and is probably a couple weeks away from walking.

The lovely Annika is having the time of her life, with mommy and daddy close by and grandma and grandpa eager to jump into the fray. Of course, from my point of view, watching and delighting in little Annika is only part of the good times. I also derive great joy watching both Natasha and Lawrence parent. They are sooooo in love with their precious little girl. Seeing their young faces light-up when they are playing with Annika or reflecting on some event of the day warms the heart. Memories from 30-plus years back (when we were raising our babies) come flashing into conscientiousness.

Anyway, good times continue in Aix and my days as grandpa are precious days to both celebrate and treasure.

We return to South Florida two weeks from today. I can see, now, that I'll be eager to jump back into the fray ... into the joys and challenges of the local church and the life I love in Miami Lakes.

A bientot for now ...

.

Visiting some of the countryside of Provence and Arles

2010-07-13T03:41:00.000-07:00

Bonjour tout le monde,

At the invitation of Nicole, one of our conversation partners, we decided to visit her summer home in Roaix, a small village of some 500 inhabitants in the Vaison-la-Romaine region of Provence, about 80 miles north-west of Aix.

As we soon discovered, this Vaison-la-Romaine area boasts some of the most beautiful villages (all within a 15 mile area) in Provence. Nestled in the foothills of the nearby mountains, with an altitude around 200m, the villages overflow with ancient, Roman/medieval architecture--castles, churches, bridges, amphitheaters etc. In some of the village areas, narrow stoned passways/roadways wind up the hillsides with residences and an occasional restaurant on both sides.

There is an unmistakable quaintness and historical beauty to the these villages. You get the feeling that everybody knows everybody ... and that people don't seem to be in a hurry.

We enjoyed roaming the streets of Nicole's village, Roaix (where we spent the night), seeing the historical manor (castle) with its expansive grounds (boasting fountains, columns, pools, gardens, lawns, and even a tennis court). The nearby ville of Vaison-la-Romaine (6,000 inhabitants and by far the most populated of the 14, or so, villages) sports a rich tradition in the arts over the decades. The evening we visited, they were preparing for opening night of some renowned dance festival, to be held in the ancient amphitheatre (capacity, well over 2,000). There was a buzz all about and people--everywhere--on their way to the theatre.

The next morning and early afternoon, we visited the village of Entrechaux (population 869), the native village of Nicole's grandparents. We purchased some breakfast breads at the local boulangerie and enjoyed some vibrant French conversation with Nicole's childhood friend, Michel, an opera buff, whose family still lived in the village (he was currently living in Avignon).

Mid-afternoon, we were off to Arles (some 75 miles away), passing through St. Remy en route, both renowned villes where the famous impressionist painter, Vincent Van Gogh, both lived and painted. Along the way, we saw first-hand some of the beautiful sunflower fields (which Van Gogh had included in some of his paintings), with the mid-day sunlight glistening, radiantly, off the sunflowers.

St. Remy is a cute small town. Much larger (over 50,000), Arles is a blend of the late 20th century with the ancient and historical periods of its robust past. Its ancient amphitheatre (from the Roman era) is still used for local events, including (we were told) bull fights. The Rhone river (one of Provence's major rivers) runs through Arles and there is a scenic walk-walk along the river side.

At numerous points in Arles (where we spent the night), Van Gogh's presence is remembered and celebrated. Soon, after touring (mostly by foot) the town center and most of the historical sites, we were on our way back to Aix to dine at our flat and watch the finals of the World Cup with Natasha, Lawrence and our beloved granddaughter, Annika.

A bientot for now ...

Back to our flat in France

2010-07-06T05:13:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

When we returned from our ten-day trip to Greece and Turkey, our daughter, Natasha, and granddaughtger, Annika, had already arrived (earlier the same day) from England. Our son-in-law, Lawrence, arrived as few days later.

Some of Natasha and Lawrence's friends, Pierre and Jessica (from England; Pierre had also been at UC Santa Barbara with them), had been dog-sitting Niko during our time away and spent a couple of days with us after our return. Great young couple! Pierre is off in two weeks for the Congo where he'll be doing public relations for an NGO named Oxfam.

We are enjoying immensely Natasha, Lawrence and Annika's visit. Our ten-month little granddaughter is, of course, the center of our daily routines these days. She is utterly adorable (as you would expect any doting grandfather to say), crawling all over the place, standing up and sitting herself back down all the time. She works hard at exploring her environment, with an insatiable curiosity about virtually everything and an inborn desire to touch, pull, push and, in some way, handle everything. She's a great sleeper which is a blessing for all of us.

We continue to have sessions with three different conversation partners, each of whom is able to help us in different ways. One of them--Nicole--has invited us to visit her at her family home some 90 minutes from here, which we are planning on doing this week end. Her family home is apparently in a small village with lots of history and appeal.

Fortunately for Yvette and me, Natasha and Lawrence seem to love cooking. They have meals planned for both tonight and tomorrow night's World Cup soccer matches. Tonight it is Holland vs. Uruguay; tomorrow night, Germany and Spain. It's both fun and exciting to see all the cafes on the rues and boulevards with their TVs tuned into World Cup soccer when the games are on. These games bear all kinds of meaning to the participating nations and to the various allegiances of sports fans around the world.

The summer heat is definitely with us here in Aix at this point. We hear that a heat wave has fallen upon the east coast as well over the July 4th weekend. Of course, in Miami, heat is our way of life.

If you haven't already, check out Yvette's blog today for her reflections on a most interesting outing she had with her painting class (her teacher, Monique, is apparently a one-of-a-kind sort of personality, in addition to being a skillful instructor). The class had a picnic/ painting outing more than an hour from Aix ... and all I know is that Niko and I were waiting for Yvette when she arrived home around 12:30 a.m. Apparently a great time was had by all.

As the world turns in Aix-en-Provence. We feel so fortunate to be able to spend this special time with Natasha and her budding-young family from England. Lots to be thankful for and lots to look forward to as well.

A bientot for now ...

A Turkish massage, "Turkish Nights," and a walk through Ephesus

2010-06-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

Sorry to be so delayed in blogging. For our last two days in Turkey, we didn't have any wireless service.

The last of our two days in Bodrum (in all, we were in Turkey four days), Yvette talked me into getting a Turkish massage, which ended up being a 90 minute combination bath/massage. First-time experience for me.

We did the bath part together, each with our respective masseuse. Clad in swimming trunks, they begin by soaking your body with bowls full of warm water, all very soothing. Next, they have you lie on your back atop a seven by six-foot, flat, marble pedastal about two-and-a-half feet off the floor. They then cover your body with gobs of soap foam and begin washing and rubbing every part of your body. Then, you lie on your face (I could have used a cushion or folded towel to rest my face on) and they repeat the same routine. Some twenty minutes later, you feel both cleaner than clean and very relaxed.

A short time later, it was off to a massage room where, atop a massage table, I received a soothing and relaxing massage. My masseuse (strong hands and he seemed to really know his trade) used some Turkish oil which he rubbed into every part of my anatomy. About a half hour later, when he walked out of the massage room leaving me wonderfully relaxed, with oil all over my body, I assumed he was coming back and that there would be some process for rinsing the oil off my body. He never returned. I.e., that was the end of the massage.

Over-all, it was a positive experience. For a day or so, my body and skin felt renewed and refreshed. Check out Yvette's blog for her three-hour experience of Turkish massage.

That same day, we were soon off in a rental car (which we rented for the last two days) to Kusadasi, Turkey, about a hundred miles north along Turkey's western coast.

Our hotel, it turned out, was the delightful, harbor-front Caravansoleil, built into a former castle-like edifice. The rooms were on the second floor, about twenty-five feet above the quaint, attractive courtyard area below. From your room, you walked out onto a twelve-foot wide veranda that circled the hotel (again, looking down onto the courtyard). Very romantic setting.

That night we signed up for a Turkish Nights evening, right there in the courtyard, attended by around 400 people.

The evening included a buffet-style meal, unlimited wine, and an excellent two-and-a-half hour show featuring a superb violinist, all sorts of belly-dancers and Turkish dances, and capped off with two outstanding vocalists who did renditions of popular songs in at least four different languages--all to the delight of the very international gathering.

Yvette and I enjoyed a wonderful, a romantic evening we will long remember.

The next day (Saturday, June 26th), after a super breakfast in the scenic courtyard at the hotel, we were off for the 12 mile trip to the ruins of Ephesus, the renowned ancient city where the Apostle Paul had spent some three years and where he had also been imprisoned on more than one occasion.

The ruins at Ephesus are, indeed, amazing--amazing in that so much has survived into our modern world. Stretched out some two miles or so, easily, you can catch a sense of what it must have been like for the people of Ephesus some two thousand years ago (Ephesus had a population of 200,000 at one point).

A long stretch of the marble-stoned road ways still exists. We saw two theatres, one--The Great Theatre--with a capacity of 24,000 thousand. There were the remains of bath areas, toilettes, and fountains (the fountain of Trajan, for example). There was the Celsus library and literally hundreds of monuments to all kinds of emperors, consuls and gods and godesses.

Walking through such historic ruins grips the mind and spirit with wonder: what must it have been like? What was it like for the common person, for women and children? Clearly, living testaments to the legacies of the powerful dominated the cities' architecture. For the world traveler and the curious, it's a must see.

The next day--late morning--we headed off for Izmir (over two million inhabitants) for our flight back to France.

A bientot for now ...

The Greek, seaside village of Lindos and arriving in Turkey

2010-06-24T02:30:00.000-07:00

Bonjour tout le monde,

We enjoyed our three days in Lindos very much. It's a gorgeous seaside village (about 1,000 population), nestled in the rocky hillsides of the Greek island of Rhodes. Some of the winding roadways through the touristy, business areas are more like narrow walkways, 8-10 feet wide, with overhanging roofs or plants for protection from the hot sun (in the 90's every day) above. Very quaint and inviting.

There were restuarants and cafes everywhere, along with the usual array of clothing and souvenir shops. A bit too touristy for me, but very attractive and unique at the same time. And every evening, World Cup soccer on TV's everywhere. Of course, with Greece in the World Cup, and soccer-mad England as well (many of the tourists are Brits), it's all very understandable.

One of our highlights was taking a mule ride up one of the rocky hillsides to Lindos' version of the Acropolis. It seems that every tourist takes this ride ... there were dozens of mules who all seemed to know their way (with the help of a guide, of course--one for every two mules).

This Acropolis, too, has its own history, plan for restoration ... and all with a stunning view of the village and seaside below.

On Wednesday, June 23rd, we took a large yacht (capacity, about 300-400 people) the hour boat ride to Marmaris, Turkey where we were supposed to pick up a rental car to drive the two and a half hours to Bodrum, Turkey. Turns out, the rental car agency apparently does not exist. None of the taxi drivers or other rental car people knew anything about the alledged company.

By then, it was almost 7:30 p.m. With a two and a half hour ride ahead of us, and a two-day hotel reservation awaiting us in Bodrum, we decided to shell out the extra Euros for a taxi. We arrived safe and sound to what looks to be an attractive resort hotel in this seaside city of about 30,000 people. These destinations are very popular to the English, who comprise the vast majority of hotels guests, from our estimation. Most of them are just dying for some serious sunshine, having gone through yet another long period of chilly, unpleasnt weather back home.

Thus far, we've found the Turkish people to be warm and friendly. We're hoping to get a highly recommended Turkish massage today or tomorrow ... all after we get our transportation situation straightened out. Tomorrow afternoon (hopefully in a rental car), it's off to Selcuk for two days and nights ... and, at last, a chance to see Ephesus, along with all of its history and renowned ruins.

Tonight, we're hoping to stroll into the center of Bodrum, perhaps see the harbor/beach area and gain a fuller sense of the spirit and life here in one of Turkey's many seaside, resort communities.

A bientot for now ...

Overnight boat (cruise) from Athens to the Greek island of Rhodes

2010-06-22T02:47:00.000-07:00

Bonjour encore, mes amis,

Our ten day trip to Greece and Turkey began with two wonderful days in Athens. From there, we were to take an overnight boat to the Greek island of Rhodes, and eventually on to the beautifually, scenic coastal village of Lindos.

Yvette and I have never been on a cruiseship of any kind before. Although we had paid for a cabin, we had no idea what to expect. To begin with the departure time was 11:55 p.m. (Saturday night), which seemed late to us. Still ... would there be showers in the cabin, or any kind of shower? What would the accommdations be like? Would there be a lot of movement on the high seas (we have both endured bad experiences on small yachts/boats with motion sickenss)?

Our tickets (which were pretty much totally written in Greek) noted that we had to board the boat at least one hour before departure time. With that in mind, we arrived by taxi to the "Blue Star 2" (the name of the boat) dock area around 9:45 p.m. There were probably one hundred people standing about near the entrance to the ship ... and workers were busily loading the lower levels of the ship with all kinds of vehicles and trucks (semis, even). Soon, I asked an official-looking person standing nearby if we could board the ship? He said yes ... so, by 10:00 p.m. we were standing in front of the receptionists desk (having taken the escalator up probably thirty feet or so to an upper level) waiting for our room assignment. It was all very exciting to us.

The steward helped us locate our cabin for the night, cabin 8227, and immediately we were impressed with the accommodations. Shower with plenty of room, hot water, bunk beds (I got the top, which reminded me, briefly, of the top bunk I slept on growing up back in Aurora, Illinois).

But what we really liked was the large, spacious boat, with eating areas, TV viewing areas and sightseeing areas everywhere, all sort of blended together. What's more, you could go up one level (even two at some points) for some incredible viewing of the ocean, some of the many islands we passed, and the three or four ports we stopped at en route to the island of Rhodes, not too far from Turkey. Sitting window side in one of the eating areas and seeing the vast sea waters all about us--mile after mile--was very relaxing and enjoyable.

However, the highlight of the trip--undoubtedly--were the people (probably 95 percent Greek). Before going to our cabin for the night (it was now early Sunday morning), we spent some time in one of the cafe areas, trying to access the internet so we could skype our daughters (it never worked out, even though we had paid the fee for internet access etc.). In no time, it seemed, this rotund and spirited Greek man (informally clad) came into our area along with his two children.

In his early 50's, Ernie Tassos was an experience to behold. His children were Kristos (16) and Kristine (12)--very nice and polite young people. They spoke almost no English but understood some. Ernie had limited English skills himself, but that did not hold him back. He didn't stop talking and entertaining us until he dropped us off in his car (which was being transported from Athens to Rhodes on the lower level of the ship) at the bus stop in Rhodes Town to catch a bus for the 75 minute ride to Lindos (more on Lindos tomorrow), where we had booked a hotel room for three days.

Ernie was bursting with energy and a sincere friendliness (he would talk to anybody). For a sample of his great personality see video below. Right away, he became our self-appointed tour guide. But what was interesting (on the ship) was how he was always being corrected--or edited--by one of his countrymen/woman sitting or standing nearby.

When he discovered that I was a minister (he called me a priest throughout), he repeatedly entreated me "not to forget" to pray for God's protection of him and his children (Many of the Greeks, we learned, are Greek Orthodox Christians, but generally not active in church).

About an hour before our scheduled 2:00 p.m. (Sunday) arrival time in Rhodes Town, Ernie invited us to ride with him in his car to the bus stop. That, too, was an experience. Taking the elevator down to the lower level, finding our way to his car, driving in the car "out" of the boat. And then he gave us a 75 minute tour of Rhodes Town--all very interesting and entertaining.

Over all, a most memorable overnight, boat journey, to Rhodes. And by the way, God, if you are listening to all of this ramble, take care of Ernie Tassos and his dear children, Kristos and Kristine.

A bientot for now ...

The Parthenon, the Parthenon, the Parthenon ...

2010-06-21T02:48:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

On Friday, June 18th, we purchased the all-day (hop-on, hop-off) bus ticket to tour Athens, a super deal. All the time, we couldn't wait to get to the drop off for the Acropolis and its majestice Parthenon. We were not disappointed.

You have to have a sense of the landscape to capture the beauty and the fullness of the experience. The Acropolis (where the Parthenon is the major feature) sits high on a hilltop in the center of Athens, visible from just about everywhere. It, literally, looms over the sprawling metropolis that is modern day Athens.

They tell you NOT to try to treck up the steps and incline to the Acropolis in the middle of the summer heat. It's simply too hot. We compromised with 11:00 a.m. thinking (correctly, we think) that many of the earlier tourists would already have left or be on their way down and that the crowds and the heat would be manageable. This seemed to be a good decision.

The climb up (a combo of steps built into the rock and inclining walk ways) took some time but it was all wonderfully worth it. At the top, indeed, is the Parthenon with its 46 majestic columns reaching towards the heavens. Built between 447 and 438 BCE (before the common era), it has been rebuilt muliple times (still not completed); yet, still, some of it is apparently original. The rustic look with massive pieces of rock and stone everywhere is difficult to fathom without seeing it first hand.

The other edifices (in varying stages of restoration ... although I don't think the intent is full restoration) are all about. The entire Acropolis area is probably something like 400 yards by 200, or smaller. And all about (on all sides) is the city of Athens with amazing views.

The Parthenon really captured our spirit and imagination. It is spectacular and more--the kind of experience that words simply cannot capture. It's the combination of thousands of years of history ... what all of that implies ... and the contrast of this ancient phenomenon in the heart of a bubbling urban world of the 21st century. All the time, there it is--the Parthenon, with its awesome specter.

In a word, we were overwhelmed.

Later, we spent a few hours in the new (just opened a year ago), splendidly designed Acropolis Museum. About a half mile from the Acropolis on the lower ground, it was constructed "over" all kinds of ruins, much of which can be seen beneath the transparent flooring, an awesome experience in itself. You're walking along the entrance to the museum, or on one of the display floors inside, and you are walking atop this transparent (some kind of very, very, strong glass or synthetic something) flooring beneath you. Its architecture is stunning ... the Greeks are very proud of this museum even though many of them have yet to actually step inside it.

We enjoyed our two days in Athens very much ... the dining in the local restaurants was good ... we visited some of the nearby beaches the following day, which were mostly beautiful ... but, for us, it was the Parthenon, the Parthenon, the Parthenon, a MUST-see if you ever get the chance.

Tomorrow: our overnight boat trip to the Greek island Rhodes and the town of Lindos, where we are spending three days.

A bientot for now ...

Off for ten days in Greece and Turkey

2010-06-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

Bonjour tout le monde,

Our Thursday morning flight from Marseilles to Athens, Greece was at 8:50 a.m., which meant we had to get up at 5:30 a.m. (never an exciting prospect for Yvette and me), get to the bus station in Aix (about a fifteen minute walk), catch the 6:40 a.m. Airport bus to the Marseilles airport etc.

However, when we were ready to leave our flat (it was probably about 60 degrees or so), it began to rain. So, quickly, with umbrella in hand, I was off (ten minute walk) to the taxi spot in the town center to hopefully find a taxi. I found the taxi (the driver did not seem to be in a good mood) and we were off to pick up Yvette and our luggage and head off to the bus stop.

At the prompting of our daughters, we were traveling (light) with two backpacks ... but they were not necessarily "light" in terms of what they weighed.

Once we arrived at the Marseilles airport, things went pretty smoothly ... time for a light breakfast ... and soon our plane was off for the hour and a half flight to Munich, Germany where, it turned out, it was somewhat cold (low 60's, but with a chilling wind). When we landed in Munich, we had to take a shuttle bus from the plane to the terminal (a few miles it seemed). And to board our flight to Athens, once again we had to shuttle from the terminal the plane.

The two and a half hour flight to Athens went well. I had the middle seat between Yvette (window) and a young lady from Norway who was headed for a wedding of a friend on some
Greek island. When we arrived in Athens, stuff began to happen.

To begin with, it was a sweltering 90+ degrees outside. Secondly, with all of the turmoil recently in Greece, there was a huge strike of the metro workers and the city bus drivers, which meant there would be no bus service until 5:00 p.m. (it was 3:30 p.m. at the time). However, as the 5:00 p.m. hour arrived, it soon became apparent that the buses were not running every ten minutes, as advertised. In fact, they were hardly running at all and there were mobs (I means mobs) of people standing curb side, upset and eagerly awaiting the next--or any--bus. Finally, we decided to shell out the $50 for a cab.

Our hour cab ride into Athens was an exerience. Stavros, the cab driver, was from the island of Mikenos and was very entertaining. He had opinions about everything in his very broken English. He like Italians, Americans and the Dutch but did not have a high opinion of the French or the English. As it turned out, we think his views were all related to money, apparently to the way they tipped or whatever.

Anyway, eventually, we made it to our hotel, a nice hotel in a great location, right in the center of downtown Athens. We dined at a nice, friendly, outdoor restaurant, with World Cup Soccer (all the rage in Europe) on the TV screen nearby. That was the game where France lost 2-0 to Mexico, certainly not good news for our friends back in France.

More tomorrow on our first full day in Athens, a super experience visiting the spectacular Parthenon which sits amidst the Acropolis atop a rising hilltop in the center of Athens. It is visible throughout much of the city. Tonight (Saturday), we take some sort of boat/ship for an overnight (we have a cabin for sleeping) trip to the Greek island of Rhodes for three days in the village of Lindos.

A bientot for now, from Athens.

Stuff happening ... transitions all about

2010-06-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, bonjour,

Lots of stuff happening these days. Transition seems to be the word of the day.

At noon today, our friends Gary and Dianne Gerberich left Aix-en-Provence for Barcelona, the next stop in their four-week European vacation.

Yesterday, our daughter Natasha, along with hubby Lawrence and our precious little Annika (nine and a half months), arrived for a week in Galicia, Spain, not far from the northern border of Spain with Portugal. The purpose of their trip is a political science conference that Lawrence is attending.

Can you believe this: they are apparently staying the week in a castle. Natasha said it was beautiful and that, already, Annika was loving it, whatever that means. I guess it means that Natasha is loving it and that Annika is loving being with mom and dad in this stimulating new environment.

I remember my days in Oporto, Portugal, not far from Galicia, and the beauty and majestic aura of a number of the castles we visited (some forty years ago). As I recall, castles are cool. Imagine, living in a castle! Wow! I'm looking forward to seeing Natasha's pictures in the weeks ahead.

After another three hour conversation-partner session (it was almost totally en Francais) this afternoon--always a growing, albeit tiring experience--we are concluding our plans for our ten-day trip to Greece and Turkey which commences this coming Thursday.

Here's the plan: two nights in Athens, taking in the sights of that historic, ancient metropolis (hoping to stay free of the Greek protests and agitation over their recent economic worries), followed by an overnight boat trip (we have a cabin suite which Natasha enthusiastically recommended) to the Greek island of Rhodes where we will be spending three nights in the beautiful village of Lindos.

I have always wanted to spend a few days on a Greek island where they have those beautiful, white homes perched on sun-baked rocky hillsides, looking out to the irresistable azure, ocean waters. Lindos apparently promises such visages.

Next, we take an hour boat ride to the Turkish port town of Marmaris where we jump in a rental car and find our way (a sixty to ninety minute ride) to the beautiful resort town of Bodrum where we'll be spending two nights.

Soon it will be on to Selcuk for our final two nights in Turkey, before flying out of Izmir (over two million population) on June 27th and back to France. Sometime along the way, we will visit the ancient ruins at Ephesus and hopefully gain a sense of that historic site (where the Apostle Paul spent some three years).

All reports indicate that the temperature will be in the 90's or more our entire visit. We're taking our swimming trunks and are thankful that our lodging promises air-conditioning at all our stops along the way.

We'll soon be blogging from Greece and Turkey. For now, a bientot again from Aix.

Trip to Avignon and the mountain town of Sault

2010-06-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

On Tuesday, our good friends Gary and Dianne Gerberich arrived from San Diego for a four/five day visit. We've been having some great times.

Gary and I have known each other since grade school back in Aurora, Illinois. Back in the day, we played basketball together on our high school basketball team that went 18-6 my senior year.

We got reconnected years later (in the late 80's in San Diego, CA.) when I was pastoring the Community Church of Poway, United Church of Christ (a suburb of San Diego). Soon, Gary and Dianne became members of the church and a short time later, in 1990, I was honored to officiate at their wedding.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the four of us visited Avignon, the site of the shared Papacy (when, for a period of 60-70 years there were two Papacies) back in the 14th century. Avignon is bursting with history and timeless beauty. We visited the gorgeous jardin des Papes (garden of the Popes) high aloft a quaint and scenic hillside. We peered into the cathedrale ... lunched on the plaza with hundreds of others and, in general, delighted in walking the grounds of this historic site.

Avignon exists inside a walled city. As you might imagine, everything is in close quarters ... very narrow streets, sharply angeled turns ... all very interesting and challenging for motoring tourists.

Later that same day, we ventured up the 40-50 miles or so to the mountain-side town of Sault, a small town with some spectacular views of the rural, farmland valleys below. All the way, we were guided in the Gerberich's rental car by a European GPS system. Except for some of the inevitable changes due to new construction or changes in city planning (i.e., one way streets etc.), the GPS did an outstanding job of guiding us along the way.

Over all, it was a wonderful day of sight seeing (something we haven't done much of thus far in our time here). Today we showed the Gerberichs the sights and smells of the local marche (out door market) and assisted them in buying round trip train tickets to Paris on the TGV, the train de grand vitesse (the train of great velocity). This very fast train is renowned in these parts, making its way to Paris (some four hundred-plus miles) in three hours.

Tomorrow, we are all going to Cassis, the beautiful, seaside town just north of Marseilles where we hope to dine down by the water front, port area, visit the nearby calanques (canyon-like areas with waterways at the bottom where, over centuries and centuries, the waters have worn away the rock), and take in the beautiful sights. If things work out, we may do a little wine-tasting as well.

Can't believe it, but in one week we leave for ten days in Greece and Turkey. When we return on June 27th, Natasha and Annika will be arriving (that same day) for five weeks. Can't wait. Lots to look forward to. Lots to be thankful for.

Be well and a bientot from Aix ...

Managing the local buses and some good tennis at a near by club

2010-06-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Bonjour tout le monde,

We're still adjusting to the local bus service here in Aix which, for the most part, is pretty good. We have bus passes (ten trips per pass, all for 7 euros) which you validate in an easy-to-operate machine when you enter the bus. (By the way, as long as you have your dog/ pet in a bag on your lap, they are allowed. So Niko has been riding the buses with us, to the amusement of many of the French.)

However, this morning we learned a lesson: the bus doesn't necessarily stop at every bus stop. In fact, the bus does NOT stop unless someone has pushed the buzzer letting the driver know they want to get off OR, the driver sees people at the bus stop waving their hand for him/her to stop.

We planned on visiting a local tennis club today on the outskirts of Aix, about 15 minutes from here on bus. No problem. I checked the approprite bus schedule (I knew it was bus #13), found the bus stop on the bus-schedule map (about a 6-7 minute walk from our flat) and we were already go. Given that it is Sunday, the bus for this route runs (only) every hour. So, Yvette, Niko and I are at the bus stop, eagerly awaiting the bus. Right on time, we see the bus approaching about 200 meters away. So, quickly, we're trying to get Niko settled in the bag we use for his bus travels. However, to do this, we were somehow bending down and were apparently out of the sight of the bus driver. Sure enough, bus #13 goes sailing right by us, leaving us more than a little frustrated.

Lesson to be learned: no matter anything, make sure somebody is signaling the bus driver to stop when you want to be picked up. The two buses that had come by before that (as we were waiting) both stopped--apparently for people to be dropped off. We just assumed (wrong) that the buses stopped at all of the pick-up points.

So, not to be denied and not wanting to wait another hour for the next bus, we walked ten minutes or so to the taxi pick-up location and spent our lunch money on a taxi ride to the tennis club. C'est la vie. But also, plus jamais (never again).

Arriving at the tennis club (a nice club with 12 clay courts which we need for our aging joints), we were quite impressed. It turned out that there was an interclub match today, with the top team (men's and women's) from the Aix club putting on quite a show against their club opponent. We also saw enough of the "usual" club members playing to think it would probably be a better playing situation for us than what we've found thus far at the city-sponsored club we've already joined (for a small fee).

This week (Tuesday evening or sometime on Wednesday), our friends, Gary and Dianne Gerberich, will be visiting for a few days--from San Diego. They're on a three or four week European trip and have, fortunately for us, decided to include us (and Aix-en-Provence) in their travels. I've known Gary since our grade school days back in Aurora, Illinois. Later, he and I played together on our high school basketball team that went 18-6. Also, the Gerberichs were members of the UCC church I pastored (for thirteen years) in Poway, CA, just north of San Diego. Should be some good times (we haven't seen them since 2002).

Life goes on ... two conversation sessions demain (tomorrow). Still, a long way to go with the French. Mon probleme principal est que les gens parlent trop vite (my main problem is that the people speak so fast).

A bientot ...

Signs of summer in Aix-en-Provence

2010-06-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Bon apre-midi, mes amis, (good afternoon)

Summer seems to be breaking upon us here in Aix. It actually broke 80 degrees outside today, a beautiful day of sunshine, with a comforting breeze as well.

This week seems to be a week of transition here. Every day, we see students hurrying off to the train station/ bus depot, headed off to somewhere. At the same time, we see what we assume to be summer students (here, no doubt, to study French or for "who knows what" summer course) along with increasing numbers of tourists. Aix, and Provence in general, is a popular destination--not just for the French, but also for much of Europe ... for Australians and also for some of us Americans as well.

Yvette found a toilettage (a pet grooming business) today for Niko. We've never seen his hair this long. Next Monday, we'll take him to the toilettage for four or five hours. I don't know if dogs ever know when they need a haircut ... but, trust me, Niko needs a haircut, particuarly with the warmer summer weather coming on.

We've been enjoying the French Open on television. The women's finals are tomorrow, with the men's coming on Sunday. Speaking of tennis, we're still looking for people to play with. We've been to the city-sponsored club that we joined about three times, talked to the people that oversee the tennis, etc., but still haven't got it figured out. It may not be the right club for us. But we're going to keep trying.

Yvette has what promises to be an interesting "painting" outing tomorrow. Monique, the local painting instructor (warm personality and seems to know everybody in Aix) whom Yvette is taking classes from, has arranged for a television crew to film her class at an outdoor painting class (they call it plein air, as in the open air) at some nearby mountain destination (montagne Sainte Victoire). Apparently, some famous painters--particularly the impressionists (i.e., Paul Cezanne, for whom there is a museum here in Aix)--have painted at this Sainte Victoire sight.

We're continuing to work on the French. We can communicate pretty much whatever we need to. However, we still have a long way to go.

A bientot for now ...

Tennis and a search for an painting instructor for Yvette

2010-06-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

Now that we've joined a local city-sponsored tennis club, we're trying to find players to play with. We were told by the staff at the club that most of the players play after 5:00 p.m. because they work, all of which makes sense. So, with that in mind, we took the bus (always an adventure) the two miles or so to the club on Monday, around 6:00 p.m. Aside from a couple of guys rallying on one court, there was no one playing. We rallyed for about 45 minutes, to at least get some exercise, and finally hopped the bus back to our flat ... still wondering how we're going to find an "in" to the local tennis scene. We're going to try again on Wednesday and Saturday.

Today, we spent a couple of hours searching out another "hopeful" contact for Yvette to take a painting class. Monique, the French lady (probably about 55 years old or so) we were looking for, has a reputation, locally, as a prominent oil painting instructor. Apparently, Yvette had been in touch with her via email when we were back in Florida. In any event, we tracked Monique down ... about a fifteen minute walk from our flat.

She has her "studio" in a courtyard sort of area (like a backyard in a way) on the lot where she has lived all of her life. The treed, grassy area (about 30 by 40 yards or so) was surrounded by buildings on all sides, pretty much the way the construction is here in Aix ... but it was a very inviting area and bubbling with a five or six of Monique's art students. From what we could tell, it was an international group. For sure, there were two Australians, one Taiwanese and a couple of French students. They all seemed to be busily working on a painting and "very" engaged. Yvette's thinking about perhaps taking a series of six lessons from Monique which are held on Tuesday afternoons, pretty much for the number of hours you desire.

On another tennis note, we're enjoying very much the French Open (one of the four major tennis championships, along with Wimbledon, and the Australian and US Opens). Top seed and world #1 Roger Federer lost today to Robin Soderling, the fifth seed from Sweden, whom he had beaten in last year's final. At the time, that was Federer's first French title and his 14th "major" over all, tying him with Pete Sampras. After later titles at Wimbledon and, earlier this year, in Australia, Federer stands alone at the top of the tennis pantheon of champions with 16 major titles.

Incredibly (to us), French television cuts for commercials at seeminly random times ... at least two different times (earlier in the week), they've cut in the middle of a tie-breaker (the "first to 7 points" game that decides a set which is tied at 6 to 6). This would be unheard of in the US. I'm curious to discover if they do the same with World Cup soccer competitions. I have a little trouble imagining any TV coverage cutting for commercial break during a "shoot out" at the end of a tied game. My guess that there would be rioting in the streets if that were to happen. Once again, c'est la vie.

That's it for now. A bientot from Aix ...

Wild times at the tennis club and a trip to Marseilles

2010-05-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

Well, we finally were able to join the city-run tennis club, which offers eight nice courts, 5 hardcourt, but softer than what we have in the U.S., and three with a synthetic turf surface--softer, yet, for senior players with "joint" issues.

So, eagerly looking forward to some Saturday morning tennis, we mount the local bus for the club where, upon arrival, we soon discover that there is some sort of special, annual, family day event going on. Translation: most of the eight courts have the nets removed and are filled with children enjoying a variety of games. Over all, it was a great family-fun atmosphere ... but not exactly the "tennis" situation we were anticipating.

In any event, eventually we met with the staff person overseeing the day's events, filled out the necessary forms to help us find some people to play with (doubles or singles) and enjoyed a laid-back, fun time. At this point, we're thinking it might be a challenge to find folks to play with here ... but we're going to give it our best shot.

For those who wonder, why all the tennis talk, throughout my sixty-some years, my "pattern to assimilate" anywhere I have lived (Panama, Portugal, Hawaii, all over CA and FL) has been to "find a situation" for my sports life. Early on, it was basketball. However, since my early 30's, it has been tennis. Over the years, Yvette and I have met a lot of interesting people this way and enjoyed beaucoup experiences, many of which have led to enduring relationships.

Last night (Saturday) we dined at a local restaurant, Jacquou le Croquant, about an 8 minute walk from our flat. The dining area of the restaurant was about ten meters back from the entrance ... totally open air and, essentially, between two buildings. There were probably about fifty people (or so) dining--mostly couples and both the food and the ambience was very French and very Aix-en-Provence. You'd have to imagine all of these narrow (16 to 18 feet) streets, winding through the centre of Aix. Cars, somehow, manage to work there way (carefully) through most of these streets ... and there are connected, three, four and five story buildings (businesses on the bottom level; living areas above) on both sides. Lots of history and undeniably quaint and appealing.

Today (Sunday), Yvette wanted to go to Marseilles (25 miles away) to see a National Exibition for French Water-colorists. Turned out to be a fun adventure. Once the bus dropped us off in the center of downtown Marseilles, we began asking people (all in French, obviously) where Quoi du Port (the port-front street we were looking for) was. As it turned out, we had about a fifteen minute walk ahead of us ... and all five of the locals whom we sought directions from were helpful in some way (check Yvette's blog for the most helpful).

We enjoyed the water color exhibit very much, enjoyed a late lunch at a port-front cafe, and soon found our way back to the bus stop where our #50 bus was waiting for us with the same driver. Over all, a fun, adventurous day.

C'est tout pour aujourd'hui (that's all for today,

A bientot, Jeffrey

Looking for art classes and joining a local tennis club

2010-05-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, bonjour,

We spent a long morning running down illusive prospects for an art class for Yvette (water color and/or acrylic painting). The first prospect--a talented and serious-minded painting teacher--has his office within three blocks of our flat. A sincere and no doubt committed man, he didn't have any classes in the months ahead that suited Yvette's needs. This is probably just as well as there was a subtle intensity to him that might not have worn well with Yvette over time.

And so, off to our second prospect--a "so-called" academy of art--who, according to their promotional literature, were holding class this morning from ten to noon. Finding them turned out to be a cultural adventure. Taking bus #21 to a bus-stop on the outskirts of Aix, we were pointed in the direction of a gravel/dirt road. After a couple hundred meters (hey, we're in the European Union, now; feet and inches don't play over here), we noticed a sign that seemed to identify our destination. Walking on to the property, we were soon confronted by a most-concerned woman, eager to inform us that we were on private property. It turned out, this was the site of the Belgian Consulate. And it also turned out that the academy of art was closed--not only today, but apparently for the entire week.

Finding our way to the other side of the road, close to the near-by turnabout, we soon mounted the same bus that had dropped us off ... on its return route to the town center.

For the curious, Niko was a part of these morning experiences (if you hold your dog on your lap, you can take them on the bus with you). Dropping Niko off at our flat, we soon headed out again to take the bus to the site of the city-sponsored tennis club we have decided to join (the one where they require a medical certificate signed by a local doctor who, although a cheerful fellow, didn't ask us one question about our health).

Arriving about 1:15 p.m., sure enough the tennis office at the sports center was closed. Rumor had it that the staff would be arriving soon, but we were a little concerned because we had a conversation partner meeting us at our flat at 3:00 p.m.

Not knowing what to do, we decided to have lunch at the restaurant on the site of the sports complex. Sure enough, the staff is lunching at a near-by table. When they left, we followed them to the office, filled out the required forms, paid our three-month court fee and were given a metal badge with our picture on it (we had to provide two pictures for the application process as well) along with a key to open and close the latch on the badge. Taking us outside to the sign-up board, the kind lady, who was attending to us, explained how the court-sign-up system worked and, soon, we were running for the bus to get back in time for our conversation session.

Tomorrow (Saturday), we hope to actually "play" tennis in the late morning and begin to see if we can find some locals to both play tennis with and help us with our French.

C'est tout pour aujourd'hui! (That's all for today). A bientot ...

Sunny skies and beaucoup de conversation

2010-05-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

Lots sunny skies here lately, for which we are grateful. We took a city bus ride today towards the outskirts of Aix checking out some of the red clay tennis courts in the city. We found the Country Club we were looking for, with 12 nice, red clay courts and an inviting swimming pool. However, there was no one around. Perhaps the one o'clock hour was the reason. The club had been recommended by one of our conversation partners and we wanted to at least check it out.

The fifteen minute bus ride, to and from the club, exposed us to some of the legendary beauty of Provence, with the green hill sides, overflowing with trees of all sorts. We look forward in the weeks ahead to further excursions and--for sure--to seeing more of the countryside. I've yet to see one of the small French villages I've heard so much about. Patience, patience.

We spent most of Tuesday afternoon with Fabienne, one of our favorite conversation partners. Two times, now, she has picked us up by the commemorative fountain (commenorative to General Charles DeGaulle) in her "totally cool" French-made car and driven us ten minutes to her house for a time of focused study. What this means is that Fabienne (a bright and determined, cute woman in her early fifties) will be working on her English and Yvette and I will be working our French. This particular day, Fabienne was tired from a busy weekend and wasn't up for much English talk ... all the better for us as most of the conversation was in French.

These sessions are intense and tiring because you have to really focus and think and then give it your best shot at speaking. Peu a peu we say (it's "poco a poco" en Espanol and "little by little" in English). We always feel better after one of these sessions because they are "growing" experiences. We hope to see Fabienne many more times during our stay here in Aix.

Shifting gears a bit, we're trying to get a medical physical from a local doctor (referred to us by friends) in order to join the local, city tennis club. Can you believe that? In order to get the required card to join, you need two photos and this medical exam (twenty-two Euros per person). Problem is, the doctors have such limited hours we're having problems connecting.

Ah, c'est la vie, right? Talk to you soon. A bientot!

Tour of the port at Marseilles and Cassis by the sea

2010-05-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

We have had a wonderful week with Erica and Cliff visiting us. They return to northern Virginia on Sunday--flying from Marseilles to Frankfort, Germany and then on to Washington DC.

Good times enjoying the sights and scents of Aix ... relaxing at our cheerful, third story flat (four skylights in the living area (kitchen, dining and living room) ... and playing some fun doubles on two occasions at some of the city courts about a ten minute walk from here.

One of the highlights was a tour on Thursday (offered by the owner of our flat) of Marseilles, the neighboring sea side town of Cassis, and a local vineyard. Marseilles has a rich history going back centuries BCE (before the common era). In our modern era, it is a destination for many Africans, seeking a better life in the European Union.

We saw the breathtaking view from Le Cathedrale de Notre Dame, a magnifent Cathedral with exquisite architecture and art work ... high atop a hill over-looking Marseilles, looking out to the sea--an abaolutely stunning sight to behold. One can only imagine the years of labor that went into the construction effort, transporting all the materials up the hillside.

We then visited nearby Cassis, a quaint and gorgeous sea-side town where we lunched down on the port, choosing from among three or four city blocks of restaurants and cafes. I enjoyed my first taste of mussels, a popular crustacean delicacy where you have to extract the mussels from the shell. Along with the french fries and sauce, it made for a most tasty lunch experience.

Later, we toured the nearby Calanques, elegant seaways where fiords, over the years, have carved away the rock. Below, in the sea water that flows out to the Mediterranean, boats harbor or sail in and out of the Calanques. A hill top view of the area capped off a wonderful experience of Cassis.

Yvette and I finally met some local tennis players at one of the tennis clubs supervised by the city. To join the municipal club, you have to have a medical certificate signed by a local doctor, along with a couple of photos attached to the application. Not a simple process, yet the people asssure us ce n'est pas dificile.

In he week ahead, we already have four conversation sessions lined up. These sessions where we speak English and French to each other (the French locals, to improve their English; and we, of course, to work on our French) generally last between two and three hours. Suffice it to say, our minds are very tired at the end.

The days are beautiful here in late May and we are delighting in our time of respite and learning.

A bientot,

Petanque and a long day of French speaking

2010-05-19T11:06:00.000-07:00

Bonjour tout le monde,

With Erica and Cliff (younger daughter and son-in-law from the Washington DC area) here since Sunday, we're having beaucoup good times. We played a little tennis yesterday (doubles at some public courts about a ten minute walk from here) and then ventured to a new park where it was rumored that they play Petanque, a popular game--like bocce ball (sp).

The new park (about an 8 minute walk from here) was beautiful and would seem to offer good prospects for meeting people. However, when we finally discovered the part of the park where they play Petanque, we came upon one of the most intriguing situations we've seen to date. In an area about half the size of a football field, there were at least 80 men--mostly older men (retraite, retired)--and very concentrated on the various competitions. The Petranque balls are about the size of a tennis ball; they are silver, with a smooth surface and fairly heavy. After throwing an initial smaller ball (golf ball size) out as a target (6 to 10 meters away), they try to launch the Petanque balls as close to the target ball as they can. Each player seemed to have four to six balls ... and they were, all the time, knocking each other out of position with accurate tosses. Apparently, these afficionados occupy themselves with this competitive passtime four to six hours every afternoon. We played a few games with some balls we had brought from our flat but, clearly, have a lot to learn.

Today, Yvette and I spent at least five hours in three separate meetings with locals (some of whom have become conversation partners and others who were new acquaintances). I can tell you this: it's very tiring trying to listen intently and put together our responses in French. Actually felt like today was a sort of mini-break through day with the language. Learning more all the time and--little by little--building up confidence. Still, long, long way to go. However, we're enjoying the challenge and the adventure.

Friday morning, we have a rendez-vous with an older man who knows the tennis situation in Aix (his son apparently teaches tennis in Oklahoma City, OK). He's supposed to check us out at some local courts--avec sa femme (with his wife)--see what level players we are and help us make some connections for doubles. Looking forward.

Finally was able to go to the post office today and communicate fairly well (had to pick up our boat tickets (from Athens to the island of Rhodes) from some Greek friends of Natasha who had sent us the tickets from Greece. Apparently we have an overnight trip (mid June) with our own, private cabin (Niko will stay back in France with friends of Natasha who will be flat-sitting).

Anyway, life unfolds. There is so much to see and learn. Pour ce moment, je suis tres fatigue (for the moment, I'm very tired).

A bientot for now,

Erica and Cliff arrive

2010-05-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

It's been a sunny day with cool winds throughout but we are thrilled to have Erica and Cliff with us now for a week. Although their train came in about an hour and twenty minutes late from Geneva, Switzerland (where they had been visiting friends), they arrived in time for a Provence sunset and for a scrumptious repast of cheese pizza, salad and some affordable rose wine.

It turns out that for some unbeknown reason, their trains was delayed for an hour or so because there was no conductor. Sounds most strange to us. No conductor?? Who ever heard of a train without a conductor? Apparently an random happening. But, in any event, they are here--eager for the week ahead.

Yvette and I spent three hours this afternoon talking French/ English with an French English teacher who wanted to work on her accent. She was most helpful to us in the evolution of our French ... very easy to communicate with in either language. In each of these "sessions" with native French speakers, I take copious notes, especially of the words we do not know and of the ways of saying things that are so important in casual conversation.

This lady (Nicole is her name) teaches middle schoolers ... about eighteen hour a week. However, she says there are major discipline probems with the youth and she doesn't find it very enjoyable. Still, a great contact for us. We have four or five conversation partners by now ... each of whom is helpful to us in some tangible way. It's the informal chit-chat that we find most challenging. Still a long way to go there ... but we are working on it.

It will be exciting to have Erica and Cliff with us this week. Erica actually speaks some French, having spent five weeks in France (near Nice) with sister Natasha some eight years ago or so. She's looking forward to a week of opportunity to polish up her French speaking while taking in the local scene of la vie en Provence.

Hope you are all well.

A bientot for now,

More contacts with every day ...

2010-05-14T04:08:00.000-07:00

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Bonjour de Aix,

Things seem to be moving along for us. Numero un, the weather has dramatically improved. The sun-filled blue skies hover over head and the ten-day forecast is for sun, sun et plus soleil. I can tell you, it makes all the difference.
When the sun is out, the people are cheerful, there's activity partout (everywhere) and la vie en France feels totally different. Yesterday, we disocovered a beautiful city park about a 15 minute walk from our flat. It's a sizeable park with rolling green grass covering the undulating hills ... friendly trees all about ... park benches interspersed throughout ... all descending down to a quaint small creek.

It turns out that France has beaucoup holidays (35 to be exact) ... that is, 35 days that people don't work. Seems highly incomprehensible. Nonetheless ... yesterday was one of those days and people were all about the park ... with children playing and dogs frolicking (Niko still needs some form of training school to learn to play with other dogs). But the best news for us: all kinds of prospects to practice our French with. Saturday afternoon we are attending a picnic gathering at the park sponsored by the International Christian Church we attended last Sunday (services at 5:00 p.m.).

Wednesday afternoon, we spent four hours at the home of Fabienne (a middle aged woman whom I met at Book in Bar, the nearby coffee shop/ book store). She is very motivated to improved in her ability to speak English (she has a son living in North Carolina, married to an American woman). She picked us up in her voiture, along with her husband, and we sped off to their nearby home, about ten minutes into the outer parts of Aix.

It was an intense four hours but we felt we learned a lot. We're meeting again next Thursday. I have another conversation session set up tomorrow with Patrick, a friend of Donal (the owner of our flat) at Book in Bar. I try to spend a half hour a day reading out loud (hard work when there are so many words I'm still trying to learn).

Anyway, some initial impressions of life in Aix: all the young women smoke (men, too; but mostly young girls/women) and you don't see hardly anyone jogging (as in, getting exercise). Sports here is mostly through local sports clubs. It was the same way in Portugal when I played basketball for O Futebole Clube do Porto, forty years ago. My sense is that it is that way throughout Europe. Very different than in the states where highschool sports is such a big thing.

Anyway, we are loving our time here, particularly now that the weather has improved.

A bientot!

2010-05-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, mes amis:

Although it's sprinkling at the moment, we did see a lot of beautiful sunshine yesterday afternoon. Starting this afternoon (we hope), the weather is supposed to improve--with days of sunshine projected for the week ahead.

We had our second opportunity with a French-speaking conversation partner yesterday, again meeting at the nearby Book in Bar coffee shop/ book store. For an hour and twenty minutes we spoke French and English with Fabien and Gabriella, his English girl friend. Fabien's English was pretty good ... just needs practice speaking. He has hopes of going to the United States to work with computers in some capacity. His family is from Corsica.

We're meeting with him again next week--same time and place. He seemed to think he could connect me with some local tennis players ... we'll have to see if anything materializes there. Nice young man of about 25. His girl friend seemed to be a recent development. She is apparently returning to England for a week or so. Not sure where that relationship is headed.

Earlier in the afternoon, we (Yvette, Niko and me) came upon an 87 year-old woman, sitting on one of the many benches along Cours Mirabeau (the beautiful blvd near where we live). For about an hour, we engaged her in some lively conversation (she spoke no English). She had traveled all over, it seems--to Egypt, Viet Nam and other part of Asia, and of course all over most of Europe ... knowledgable, interesting lady.

This is the third such experience we've had talking to older people sitting on benches along the boulevard. In fact, we've decided to incorporate this into our daily strategy for French speaking: seeking out the older generation on the benches along Cours Mirabeau.

Natasha and Erica go to London today where they will spend the night. Then Erica flies off to Geneva where she'll meet Cliff (who's off to Barcelona with Lawrence) to visit some college friends who live in Geneva. Then, E and C take the train here on Sunday for a week with us.

A bientot ...

2010-05-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Bonjour,

I can't believe it is already the fourth Sunday of my Sabbatical experience. How the time flies. At last, a day without "la pluie" from the heavens, all of which meant that Niko and I took a four mile walk while I checked out sports complex (avec 8 tennis courts), about 1 mile and a half from our flat. As it turns out, Yvette and I had visited this club in our October visit. Trying to see if something might work out there for some doubles now and then.

At five in the afternoon, we ventured into the local International Church a few blocks from where we live for what we thought was the weekly service. It turns out that an 18-member choir group of African children (from Uganda) were in concert for the entire service. Their combination of dance and song was outstanding. We met the local pastor and spouse and will probably try to visit again next Sunday. We did email the church contact person for a Friday evening French conversation experience.

We have French conversation experiences scheduled for three or four days this week, an opportunity we hope to network and begin to make some progress with our French.

Ce n'est pas facile. However, little by little we are finding our way. As the weather improves, so will our prospects in everything.

Bon nuit et a bientot!

Around Aix

2010-05-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of our life in Aix-en-Provence. You can see Yvette and Niko in front of a near-by e'glise, whose welcoming bells we hear every day.

You can also see Yvette/Niko on Cours Mirabeau, the beautiful, tree-line boulevard which captures the heart and spirit of Aix. Cafes and vendors of all kinds line the Cours. Our flat is about one block away on a side street.

The other picture is of me at the popular outdoor market that fills one of the plazas. Fresh produce of all kinds is readily available, along with fresh fish and sumptuous-smelling roasting chickens.

Interesting enough, the prices at the outdoor market don't seem to be much different from the local store markets. It must be about l'experience.

Searching for conversation partners

2010-05-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, mes amis:

We're finally getting some sun today, although it is still a chilly 60 degrees.

It appears we are getting some response to the five emails I sent out a few days back for conversation partners or, at least, conversation experiences. I found the contact prospects at BOOK IN BAR, a Librairie Anglaise ... sort-of coffee shop/ book store place a few blocks from our flat.

There seem to be all sorts of people wanting to improve their English speaking ability. However, we suspect we are not in the generation of English speakers many of them are looking for. We have conversation sessions arranged for Monday and Tuesday with another possibility for Thursday. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of some successful networking so we can expand our possibilities.

Again, everything is expensive here--even the prices at the outdoor marche (market) where we bought some tasty fish and vegetables yesterday.

Niko is in dog heaven--with all kinds of new smells to savor and dogs everywhere. We can take him in most restaurants.

Hope all is well dans (in) les Etats-Unis. Erica and Cliff fly to England on Saturday for a week and then come to visit us on May 16th pour une semaine (week).

A bientot for now,

2010-05-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis,

Well, the cold, rainy weather continues to fill the skies of Provence--very unseasonable, the locals reassure us. We'll tough it out, but we didn't bring much clothing for this climat miserable.

We made some contacts via email today in search of partenaires de conversation. We'll see what, if anything, develops. We got the contacts from a nearby cafe, book store, Librairie Anglaise where people gather for conversation and study across French-English lines.

Must admit, for the moment at least, it is great not to have any deadlines to march to.

The car-bomb threat thwarted in Times Square has been all over the headlines here as well.

Prices still amaze us here. $5 for a small cola for Yvette at lunch today. The wine is much cheaper. Come on, Yvette, drink up!

Niko continues to delight in his new surroundings ... all the fresh smells!!

Well, the time is getting away from me. Au revoir et a bientot!

Jeffrey

2010-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Bon jour, mes amis!

Well, the weather hasn't been cooperating with our French experience thus far. Much cooler and rainier than normal (at least, this is what everyone reassures us).

Yesterday, we shopped most of the day at Carrefour, a huge, moster sized (at least twice the size of Walmart) store which seemed to have everything. We also shopped at the local supermarche not too far from our flat.

An immediate impression from France is that everything is more expensive here. I inquired how people make it and was told they just do the best they can, apparently making sacrifices as needed.

Still haven't made it to the daily marche (market) where we hear the produce etc. is fabulous. Hope to make it demain (manana).

Niko the superdog seems to have made a super adjustment. He must be delighting in having his "family" around all the time. He protests with shrill whimplers when we leave for an outing without him.

Famed artist, Paul Cezanne is apparently from Aix-en-Provence. Yvette says she is a big fan of his; we hope to visit the local musee displaying his work before the week is out.

Hope all is well dans les Etats-Unis. Au revoir, jeffrey

2010-05-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, tout le monde,

Well, we have arrived in Aix en Provence, the location for our Sabbatical experience here in France.

Although it has been mostly raining since our arrival, Yvette, Niko (our 22 pound Shitzu-poo) and I are gradually settling in. It was a long flight from Miami to Munich, and then on to Marseilles ... where we were picked up by Donal, the Irish-born, young, hi-tech engineer from whom we are renting our third-story flat (34 steps up and down).

Niko made the flight in good shape, snuggled in his cage in the "hold" of the jumbo Luftansa jet. As it turned out, no one ever bothered to check all of the paper work Yvette had dutifully assembled for Niko to accompany us. As you can imagine, we were more than relieved to see that Niko had arrived, safe and sound, with apparently no problems. What a trooper.

In theses early days, we have a long list of things to do to help us find our way here in Aix. Already, we are testing our French in our multiple outings to the local Boulangeries (bakery), restaurants and delis.

Yesterday, May 1st, happened to be a national holiday in France which meant that many of the stores and shops were closed. However, the pace should pick up tomorrow (Monday) and we'll be able to get out to a supermarket and the "Carrefour" which, folks tell us, is like a mini shopping center all in one, huge store.

That's about it, for the moment. We are so excited to be here, at last, and to have this wonderful opportunity before us.

A bientot! (talk to you soon)

Preparing to depart on a 15 week Sabbatical leave in Provence

2010-04-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today has been a great day. After the shock of learning we were going to need a long term visa (more than 3 months stay) for France 2 weeks ago, we have been in a flurry of activities to get the paperwork completed and today we got the coveted visa.