Trip to Avignon and the mountain town of Sault

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!