24 August 2006
We arrived in Crailsheim (not far from Rottenberg and one hour from Stuttgart, due north of Konstanz…) around 6 pm after a very ambitious day. The hardest thing was convincing Amy to get up by 8:30 so we could get on the road by 9 am. ;-) I knew that we wanted to take some time along our way to visit some historical Laun sites. We took the ferry across a beautiful Bodensee (known to non-locals as Lake Constance) and headed north through some beautiful areas…farmlands, countryside with castles and churches in the distance….and, after a gentle rain, everything was so green.
Our first destination was Konigsbronn (with an umlat over the O!) where we looked for a place to have a little lunch. It seems like Germany is very much like France…no one was around and everything looked locked up. We stopped at a place near to the center where, like the continental divide, waters flow south, or north towards the Danube. It was beautiful pond and grotto and we met a nice German family from the Black Forest area. They suggested we check for family information at the city hall or they thought they had seen a museum. We found the museum but unfortunately it was only open on Mondays and Fridays.
We drove out of the town where many of Jeff’s relatives were born and lived their lives in the 1700s and 1800s…and I quickly glanced at Gabi’s notes to find that this was the town where we would find the gravesite of Christian Friedrich Laun , who died in 1896. We had rather general directions on how to get there so we found a “Penny Market” and showed some people Gabi’s pictures with the gravestone and the lake. Although they spoke limited English, we got a clear idea of where to go…It is just a half mile from the entrance to the town, near a large Maier factory on the left.
As it was when Jeff’s parents visited, the rain was falling as we approached the cemetery. It was beautiful, just across from a lake. We quickly found the headstone and paid our respects, took some pictures for posterity and then headed for the car as the thunder was approaching. We sat in our car eating a quick lunch …and before we knew it, the rain stopped and we went out to see the lake. Jeff had warned me the day before that it would be raining at the cemetery….he was right!
We then went on to a town called Wasseralfingen where to the east, above the town of Rothert were the old mines. It was a little difficult to find but we arrived in time to get one of the last tours of the day. It was fascinating…and we road on the miners cars deep into the mine for an hour and a half tour where many of the Laun family members worked, many years ago.
The iron from this mine kept the ironwerke facory busy for many centuries. Jeff’s gggrandfather (Johann Christof Laun d. 1784) was secretary at the Iron-werkes and his son Friedrich Christian Laun (1823-1896) was bookkeeper and secretary at the same place. It was a fabulous tour and insight into the life of these miners.
Then on to Wasseralfingen, the neighboring town where we saw where the current site of the SHW ironworks…and the old site of Jeff’s ancestor’s employment. With all we did, it took about 8 hours (including lunch, the mines tour, backtracking and exploring a bit as we went along.) What a day!
Then a beautiful 40 minute ride through the green countryside to visit Ruth and Romi, Lucas and Elena once more in Crailsheim. Ruth had heard in Munich that Jeff loved spaetzle so she and Romi prepared this special dish for us. Then, tomorrow, a 6- 8 hour trek to Paris for the trip home on Saturday. It seems, at the end of a journey, there is no regret to go home. We have traveled so many roads and seen so many places, but we are eager to see our own home and families. We are ready to head to California!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Last day in Konstanz and we leave for Crailsheim
24 August 2006
The final two days of our vacation begin today as we leave the loving home of the Kenkels and travel north to visit the Royal Ironworks of Wasseralfingen where the great grandfather Christian Friedrich Laun and his father worked. We will also visit the gravesite of Christian Friedrich Laun 1720-1806 and his wife Barbara Maierin Laun 1718-1797. then we will stay in Crailsheim and have s little supper with Ruth and Romi, Lucas and Elena.
Yesterday was a beautiful day…the sky had cleared and we woke to the silvery waters of the Bodensee. We met the Kenkel family at the ferry and rode to Meersburg. We walked in the town and had lunch at the winery that overlooks the water. Then as Ursula, Peter and Josef took the children home for a nap, Gabi, Jeff, Amy and I toured the ruins of the old castle. Parts of this castle date back to the 600s and we enjoyed Gabi’s guided tour. We also visited the place where Annette von Droste-Hulshuff, a Westfalian poet, wrote many of her poems.
We returned on the ferry for a little nap and then went to Gabi’s at 6 for our final visit. Ah, we will really miss them all, but there is no question that Ramona will miss her Amy. Ursula explained to her that we must leave to go home and that Amy lives far away, farther than from Vechta to Konstantz. Her little eyes widened as she tried to understand…it broke our hearts…she is a little precious child and it will be hard to wait 5-6 years before we see her again. We hope that they will come to see us when the children are a little older.
Jeff prepared a little slide show of our trip and we enjoyed looking at Gabi’s album of all the cards from the Laun family to the Kenkel family. Then they presented some kindereggs for us to take home as well as several gifts...books on Konstanz, a keychain for Amy that Gabi picked out with a memorial beer stein ;-) and a wonderful keepsake from the old iron werkes. Gabi is so pleased that we want to visit and connect with this part of the Laun family history. The bronze statue she gave us was from the fairy tale of the Frog Prince. Peter reminded us of the story. It is a treasure that we will keep and give to Amy to pass down to the next generation. Big hugs and kisses…and near midnight we left for our pension. We will miss them all so much!
The final two days of our vacation begin today as we leave the loving home of the Kenkels and travel north to visit the Royal Ironworks of Wasseralfingen where the great grandfather Christian Friedrich Laun and his father worked. We will also visit the gravesite of Christian Friedrich Laun 1720-1806 and his wife Barbara Maierin Laun 1718-1797. then we will stay in Crailsheim and have s little supper with Ruth and Romi, Lucas and Elena.
Yesterday was a beautiful day…the sky had cleared and we woke to the silvery waters of the Bodensee. We met the Kenkel family at the ferry and rode to Meersburg. We walked in the town and had lunch at the winery that overlooks the water. Then as Ursula, Peter and Josef took the children home for a nap, Gabi, Jeff, Amy and I toured the ruins of the old castle. Parts of this castle date back to the 600s and we enjoyed Gabi’s guided tour. We also visited the place where Annette von Droste-Hulshuff, a Westfalian poet, wrote many of her poems.
We returned on the ferry for a little nap and then went to Gabi’s at 6 for our final visit. Ah, we will really miss them all, but there is no question that Ramona will miss her Amy. Ursula explained to her that we must leave to go home and that Amy lives far away, farther than from Vechta to Konstantz. Her little eyes widened as she tried to understand…it broke our hearts…she is a little precious child and it will be hard to wait 5-6 years before we see her again. We hope that they will come to see us when the children are a little older.
Jeff prepared a little slide show of our trip and we enjoyed looking at Gabi’s album of all the cards from the Laun family to the Kenkel family. Then they presented some kindereggs for us to take home as well as several gifts...books on Konstanz, a keychain for Amy that Gabi picked out with a memorial beer stein ;-) and a wonderful keepsake from the old iron werkes. Gabi is so pleased that we want to visit and connect with this part of the Laun family history. The bronze statue she gave us was from the fairy tale of the Frog Prince. Peter reminded us of the story. It is a treasure that we will keep and give to Amy to pass down to the next generation. Big hugs and kisses…and near midnight we left for our pension. We will miss them all so much!
Wednesday in Konstanz
Yesterday it was raining so we decided to stay in the town and do some indoor shopping. We went to Lagos, a new shopping area...4 floors and many shops and restaurants...Amy bought a few things for school and we had lunch with Gabi, Josef, Ursula, Peter and the kids. Ramona is very attached to Amy and us as well. Thomas is so cute...in H and M, I looked over at Jeff and he was holding Thomas and Thomas had a driver's cap on...he looked like a little man...
Since Ursula and Peter just came from the Black Forest, we will stay here and go to Meersburg to visit the old castle. Tomorrow we leave for the mines where members of the Laun family worked many years ago...as well as visit the old gravesites. Romi will join us with her boyfriend...and Ruth wants to prepare dinner. Then Friday, we rise early and drive back to Paris 8 hours to prepare for our trip home on Saturday. We arrive Saturday night...
Gutentag!
Since Ursula and Peter just came from the Black Forest, we will stay here and go to Meersburg to visit the old castle. Tomorrow we leave for the mines where members of the Laun family worked many years ago...as well as visit the old gravesites. Romi will join us with her boyfriend...and Ruth wants to prepare dinner. Then Friday, we rise early and drive back to Paris 8 hours to prepare for our trip home on Saturday. We arrive Saturday night...
Gutentag!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Tuesday in konstanz
22 August 2006
Today is Tuesday and it is raining and gloomy. It does not look like the sun will break through but who knows? Throughout our trip, we have only had rain on our traveling days. This may be a day for sightseeing in the car or perhaps shopping with Amy.
Last night I fell into bed exhausted. We spent the day walking all over Konstanz with Christian, Gabi and Josef. There is so much history in this little town that was spared from destruction during the war due to its close proximity to the Swiss border. In fact, Christian warned us that it is very easy to cross over to the Swiss side so we should carry our passports with us.
So many homes in Konstanz are historical landmarks and have the dates either painted or inscribed in stone with the family name. This city is rich in history, both historical and ecumenical. They are so proud that the Ecumenical council of 1414-1418 which was the only time a pope was elected in Germany…and it happened here. This is the land of Baroque art and we enjoyed visiting many historical sites and churches of Konstantz. My favorite is the church where Gabi made her first communion…It is a cathedral church with so many historical styles: Gothic spires, Baroque altars, Rococo ornamentation, a Renaissance entrance…but my favorite part was the areas under the altar where the original church from 900-1000 remains…pure, simple, awesome….St. Conrad was the first bishop of Konstanz and there is a beautiful shrine in his memory.
Jeff, Amy and Christian climbed the 240 steps up to the narrow observation area where they took pictures of the city. It was a beautiful day…
We had a late lunch and then headed to the Mainau Island (also called the flower island) where we walked around the 125 acres…the flowers and plants were beautiful in the late afternoon light. We tried hard to keep up the pace with Christian…he was so funny as our tour guide always on the lookout for a biergarten….He is very knowledegable about Konstanz history as well as European history….We loved his stories and his way of speaking…When Josef dropped us off in Konstanz and was driving away, Christian said: ”Ah father, it is not so wise to follow a policeman down a pedestrian walkway…” You had to be here to hear his droll, deep voice…Tomorrow, he said that we could look at just the ugly churches!
In the evening, Gabi insisted we return to have a little supper of bread and ham…and her little face indicated to Jeff “You do not want to come to us now?” I was ready to go home since I had trekked all over Konstanz in my sandals and my feet hurt…but we could not resist her sweet plea and we went back to their home. Ursula and Peter had arrived and we could visit with the kids a little before they went to bed. Ramona instantly bonded with Amy and she insisted that Amy take her to bed, change her nappie and put her to bed. She is adorable. Thomas had already been put to bed…
We sat around the table and while Gabi, Jeff and I had tea, Amy joined Christian, Peter and Ursula in a beer. They had fun laughing with Amy and teasing her with more beer. Amy loved it! We returned home and fell into bed, exhausted…but happy! Today we plan to go to Merrsburg….but who knows what today will bring, since the rain has moved in… http://www.gaestehaus-holzer.de/
Today is Tuesday and it is raining and gloomy. It does not look like the sun will break through but who knows? Throughout our trip, we have only had rain on our traveling days. This may be a day for sightseeing in the car or perhaps shopping with Amy.
Last night I fell into bed exhausted. We spent the day walking all over Konstanz with Christian, Gabi and Josef. There is so much history in this little town that was spared from destruction during the war due to its close proximity to the Swiss border. In fact, Christian warned us that it is very easy to cross over to the Swiss side so we should carry our passports with us.
So many homes in Konstanz are historical landmarks and have the dates either painted or inscribed in stone with the family name. This city is rich in history, both historical and ecumenical. They are so proud that the Ecumenical council of 1414-1418 which was the only time a pope was elected in Germany…and it happened here. This is the land of Baroque art and we enjoyed visiting many historical sites and churches of Konstantz. My favorite is the church where Gabi made her first communion…It is a cathedral church with so many historical styles: Gothic spires, Baroque altars, Rococo ornamentation, a Renaissance entrance…but my favorite part was the areas under the altar where the original church from 900-1000 remains…pure, simple, awesome….St. Conrad was the first bishop of Konstanz and there is a beautiful shrine in his memory.
Jeff, Amy and Christian climbed the 240 steps up to the narrow observation area where they took pictures of the city. It was a beautiful day…
We had a late lunch and then headed to the Mainau Island (also called the flower island) where we walked around the 125 acres…the flowers and plants were beautiful in the late afternoon light. We tried hard to keep up the pace with Christian…he was so funny as our tour guide always on the lookout for a biergarten….He is very knowledegable about Konstanz history as well as European history….We loved his stories and his way of speaking…When Josef dropped us off in Konstanz and was driving away, Christian said: ”Ah father, it is not so wise to follow a policeman down a pedestrian walkway…” You had to be here to hear his droll, deep voice…Tomorrow, he said that we could look at just the ugly churches!
In the evening, Gabi insisted we return to have a little supper of bread and ham…and her little face indicated to Jeff “You do not want to come to us now?” I was ready to go home since I had trekked all over Konstanz in my sandals and my feet hurt…but we could not resist her sweet plea and we went back to their home. Ursula and Peter had arrived and we could visit with the kids a little before they went to bed. Ramona instantly bonded with Amy and she insisted that Amy take her to bed, change her nappie and put her to bed. She is adorable. Thomas had already been put to bed…
We sat around the table and while Gabi, Jeff and I had tea, Amy joined Christian, Peter and Ursula in a beer. They had fun laughing with Amy and teasing her with more beer. Amy loved it! We returned home and fell into bed, exhausted…but happy! Today we plan to go to Merrsburg….but who knows what today will bring, since the rain has moved in… http://www.gaestehaus-holzer.de/
Konstanz...or Amy...do you want to see another church?
21 August 2006
Today is Monday and we are in Konstanz. It is now ten am and the bells are signaling that hour for all the residents of this town. We are staying at a pension called Gastenhaus Holzer…and it is clear that Gabi and Josepf personally picked out this room. It looks to the east and the morning sun on the lake was so beautiful…it took me by surprise when I arose at 7…
We were a little late arriving in Konstanz since the traffic was bad…but once we made our way to the ferry, it was easy…Gabi told us how Heidi had taken Wil and Marcia to the ferry and then because of the fireworks celebration, Heidi could not cross…so she called Gabi and Ursula and Peter were waiting on the other side to pick them up.
It has been unseasonably cool here so many people have left this resort…which is fine with us! I love the cooler weather after so many hot days on our trip. When we arrived, Gabi’s table was set with her beautiful blue and white Meissen china and she served us tea with a traditional summer cake with whole cherries. Josef also gave us the biggest hugs to welcome us. When we were eating our cake, Christian arrived and told us of his adventures with his college buddies in the west side of Constance. We got the maps out and he took us through his trip and then we showed them how close we were to them last Thursday night…as well as how off track we got. Josef was a geography professor so he loved the discussion as well…
Josef told us of his travels…this year, he and Gabi went to Ireland and Croatia…they have been all over the world. It is so interesting to me how much people travel here and how extensively. We in the United States are so insular….although it is true that generally they have many more vacation days that we earn…
We then left to check in at our hotel…there was some confusion when I was emailing Peter…so I regret that we did not pay for our own place ahead of time….normally you reserve it and leave no deposit….you just pay at the end… It probably would not have made any difference since we were told that although we made reservations for Crailsheim for this Thursday, that Ruth has already been there to “confirm it…” Ruth’s daughter’s and grandchildren laughed…and I anticipate that this will be a struggle to pay there as well....
Nevertheless, I spoke to Gabi about it and she made it very clear that there was no discussion and that we are her guests. When we went down for the breakfast here at the Pensione, the young woman laughed and said, it is all taken care of…there are not two bills…only one and it is done!
We have the best view in the Gastenhaus Holzer pensione, of course, as I am sure Gabi and Josef hand picked it. We think also that Josef called before we came and arranged for a personal priority parking space…we are not sure, but after we parked they pulled this little chain around our car….We feel a little like crown prince and princesses returned to the homeland after a long exile in the United States…
Last night we had a dinner of sausages and potato salad, “mouth pockets” (somewhat similar a firm ravioli) that Gabi remembered we loved last visit, and somehow I cannot remember what a low carb diet is…somehow it will come back to me…We then took a long walk along the seashore and saw the fishermen pretending to catch fish, while a rainbow graced the sky. I thanked Gabi for arranging that as well and she thought it was so funny ;-) !
Christian gave us a little history lesson while we walked and then we stopped at a biergarten where Amy and I shared a dark beer, while Gabi and Christan enjoyed theirs. Jeff had sparkling water…Everyone thinks it funny that Jeff does not drink beer…and of course, it does not phase him in the least….
As I sit here looking out at the Bodensee (only English call it Lake Constance, since it is not Konstanz’s lake alone but also shares it with the Swiss and Austrians). I feel the cool breeze…and the warmth that family connections bring. All is good…
Today is Monday and we are in Konstanz. It is now ten am and the bells are signaling that hour for all the residents of this town. We are staying at a pension called Gastenhaus Holzer…and it is clear that Gabi and Josepf personally picked out this room. It looks to the east and the morning sun on the lake was so beautiful…it took me by surprise when I arose at 7…
We were a little late arriving in Konstanz since the traffic was bad…but once we made our way to the ferry, it was easy…Gabi told us how Heidi had taken Wil and Marcia to the ferry and then because of the fireworks celebration, Heidi could not cross…so she called Gabi and Ursula and Peter were waiting on the other side to pick them up.
It has been unseasonably cool here so many people have left this resort…which is fine with us! I love the cooler weather after so many hot days on our trip. When we arrived, Gabi’s table was set with her beautiful blue and white Meissen china and she served us tea with a traditional summer cake with whole cherries. Josef also gave us the biggest hugs to welcome us. When we were eating our cake, Christian arrived and told us of his adventures with his college buddies in the west side of Constance. We got the maps out and he took us through his trip and then we showed them how close we were to them last Thursday night…as well as how off track we got. Josef was a geography professor so he loved the discussion as well…
Josef told us of his travels…this year, he and Gabi went to Ireland and Croatia…they have been all over the world. It is so interesting to me how much people travel here and how extensively. We in the United States are so insular….although it is true that generally they have many more vacation days that we earn…
We then left to check in at our hotel…there was some confusion when I was emailing Peter…so I regret that we did not pay for our own place ahead of time….normally you reserve it and leave no deposit….you just pay at the end… It probably would not have made any difference since we were told that although we made reservations for Crailsheim for this Thursday, that Ruth has already been there to “confirm it…” Ruth’s daughter’s and grandchildren laughed…and I anticipate that this will be a struggle to pay there as well....
Nevertheless, I spoke to Gabi about it and she made it very clear that there was no discussion and that we are her guests. When we went down for the breakfast here at the Pensione, the young woman laughed and said, it is all taken care of…there are not two bills…only one and it is done!
We have the best view in the Gastenhaus Holzer pensione, of course, as I am sure Gabi and Josef hand picked it. We think also that Josef called before we came and arranged for a personal priority parking space…we are not sure, but after we parked they pulled this little chain around our car….We feel a little like crown prince and princesses returned to the homeland after a long exile in the United States…
Last night we had a dinner of sausages and potato salad, “mouth pockets” (somewhat similar a firm ravioli) that Gabi remembered we loved last visit, and somehow I cannot remember what a low carb diet is…somehow it will come back to me…We then took a long walk along the seashore and saw the fishermen pretending to catch fish, while a rainbow graced the sky. I thanked Gabi for arranging that as well and she thought it was so funny ;-) !
Christian gave us a little history lesson while we walked and then we stopped at a biergarten where Amy and I shared a dark beer, while Gabi and Christan enjoyed theirs. Jeff had sparkling water…Everyone thinks it funny that Jeff does not drink beer…and of course, it does not phase him in the least….
As I sit here looking out at the Bodensee (only English call it Lake Constance, since it is not Konstanz’s lake alone but also shares it with the Swiss and Austrians). I feel the cool breeze…and the warmth that family connections bring. All is good…
Monday, August 21, 2006
Visit to Dachau
August 20th...Visit to Dachau…
On our way out of Munich, we saw the sign for Dachau and decided to visit this camp. Amy had read Elie Weisel’s Night a few years ago and we were interested in seeing this historical site. We found it easily and traveled along the perimeter until we entered the gated area…it is a powerful reminder of this horrible time in not only German history but alo in world history. People were filled with reverence as they walked along the paths of so many who died here and in other camps like this. We visited the religious memorials which are clustered at one end of the camp. The Jewish memorial is striking as is the Catholic Mortal Agony of Christ chapel. I slipped into the Carmelite chapel just as the Italian mass was beginning and stayed through the offertory. There was also a Protestant Church of Reconciliation as well as a Russian Orthodox chapel. The rain was starting to fall as Amy and I toured the crematorium area… We all found it so hard to believe that 200,000 people were here and that 43,000 died in this camp alone. We will never forget this….
On our way out of Munich, we saw the sign for Dachau and decided to visit this camp. Amy had read Elie Weisel’s Night a few years ago and we were interested in seeing this historical site. We found it easily and traveled along the perimeter until we entered the gated area…it is a powerful reminder of this horrible time in not only German history but alo in world history. People were filled with reverence as they walked along the paths of so many who died here and in other camps like this. We visited the religious memorials which are clustered at one end of the camp. The Jewish memorial is striking as is the Catholic Mortal Agony of Christ chapel. I slipped into the Carmelite chapel just as the Italian mass was beginning and stayed through the offertory. There was also a Protestant Church of Reconciliation as well as a Russian Orthodox chapel. The rain was starting to fall as Amy and I toured the crematorium area… We all found it so hard to believe that 200,000 people were here and that 43,000 died in this camp alone. We will never forget this….
Zorneding visit with Ruth and her family... Germany...
20th Aout 2006
It is a rather gloomy day as we leave Zorderling (just outside of Munich, in the farmlands) and the wonderful home of Heidi and Rainer. We are now traveling to see the Kenkel family on the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Like so many legs of our journey, this was another incredible one. We arrived on Friday, two hours late for the birthday brunch of Ruth. We got lost along the way and what we thought was a short backtrack back to the highway 1, was actually an hour’s journey out of our way. We thought we were on one highway n1, but it turns out, we were on highway 1. We took this “shortcut” through the beautiful farmland and rich countryside of northern Switzerland. It was so beautiful…verdant rich pastures with cows and sheep greeting us along the way. Finally near the beautiful town of Wil, we found the highway, called the Strack family and told Bernd that we would be late and not to wait for us. He told us that everyone was so excited for our visit. ;-)
When we arrived all of these wonderful faces came out to greet us and since I had been “testing” Jeff and Amy on the family history (who was who, and who their children were…) we easily knew the connections. Marcia had told me over the phone about the family…Heidi was the oldest and she was the mother of Bernd and Gabriele (also called Sam), Kurt Peter (whose daughters and granddaughters were not there), Tina who is married to Paulo. Tina is an actress and Paulo was a classical ballet dancer…he now is a choreographer). Romi is a teacher and her son Lucas was also there (he is Amy’s age). Gabriela, Bernd’s wife and their beautiful son Tristan also greeted us with joy!
But Ruth’s face as we arrived was glowing…with brightness and lightness. I will never forget it. We ate lunch together and Garbriela told us that Heidi had prepared traditional German foods for this celebration…and her beautiful Villeroy and Bock china called Summerday graced the lovely table.
Amy and I had a beer with the family and we all sat around the table talking and listening to German, English and Czech. We learned that Rainer was in the hospital after a triple bypass and would be in the hospital for three more weeks. Heidi did not speak too much English but we found that with what she alled “hand and foot” gestures, we could communicate fairly well. I wish I had studied more German. Tina, Gabriela, Bernd, and Gabriele spoke English well. Ruth’s English was very good as well! She told us how her grandmother Annella raised her since her mother died a few days after her birth. (Melinda, am I right about this? I may have to update ths information later…) Heidi brought out a picture of the grandmother, who would have been Amy’s great, great grandmother and Jeff took a picture of the picture. It will be nice for Annela to have a picture of her as well.
After our meal and much conversation, we took a long walk through the town of Zorneding with Tina, Paulo, Romi and Kurt. Tina told me the story of how she met Paulo and Kurt told me of his children Claudia and Pina and Claudia’s daughter, Leah. Zorneding was almost exclusively a potato farming town until 50 years ago when the farmers started selling their lands for home development. In the evening we went to a German beer garden where we celebrated Ruth’s birthday. At one point in the evening, Ruth looked at me and said “I feel like I am dreaming…” There was no mistaking her pleasure of having her children around her as well as representatives from the Laun family of Marcia and Wil.
We returned to Heidi’s home and after a little nightcap of French brandy, we went downstairs to our room where the blankets were so warm and heavy. When we turned out the lights, it was so very dark and quiet and we quickly feel asleep, happy that we had connected with this wonderful family.
In the morning, Jeff and I rose to a beautiful breakfast of coffee and juice and beautiful German breads. Jeff opted for his favorite croissants and we discussed the “making of the plans for the day." Bernd, Gabriela, and Gabriele (Sam) had a party the night before and did not sleep until 4…so we let Amy sleep till noon while we took off for a little chapel that Heidi had told us about. Heidi said it was a little similar to Lourdes…..
We traveled along the bike route that Heidi takes in the mornings through the forest and to the farmlands. We walked the path of the stations of the cross to a beautiful little chapel set in the forest, Maria of Altaman. Heidi and Romi told us that each station is maintained by a family in the village. We then returned to Heidi’s to get Amy up because we were going to take the obanhof (light rail) into Munich to meet the two Gabrielas as well as Tristan. Tina took us to the train and helped us buy an all day pass and off we went with her carefully written instructions and her handy (cellphone) in our pocket. We easily connected at Bernd and Gabriela’s apartment and we decided to skip the castle and do a walking tour through Munich.
We loved Munich…it is a large city with many beautiful sites and historical places but it is fairly quiet and civilized. We wandered the streets with Tristan in his pram while Gabriela told us of some of the landmarks. We met Garbriel’s mother who took Tristam for awhile since he was finished sightseeing… Sam also took off on her bicycle to meet her friends who had just come back from the US… We wandered some more through the English garden and downtown city area….there were many police since their had been a NeoNazi demonstration as well as an anti-Nazi counter demonstration. Gabriela talked of the dark shadow of the Nazi reign and how Neo-Nazi demonstrations are hated by her German people. Heidi had told us of the news of this demonstration in the morning and we had rearranged our plans to avoid it…
At the end of the day, Gabriela took us up to a high point in the city (about 300 steps) to look out… I stayed by the door…unwilling to go out on the catwalk while they walked all around. It was a wonderful day in the city with Gabriela, Gabriele and Tristan. We returned to Heidi’s and Tina and Paulo prepared a wonderful meal of eggplant, tomatoes, Czech cheeses and garlic. It was delicious! While we were eating, a thunder and lightning storm moved in and chased us indoors!
Tomorrow we leave for Lake Constance…the Bodensee…
It is a rather gloomy day as we leave Zorderling (just outside of Munich, in the farmlands) and the wonderful home of Heidi and Rainer. We are now traveling to see the Kenkel family on the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Like so many legs of our journey, this was another incredible one. We arrived on Friday, two hours late for the birthday brunch of Ruth. We got lost along the way and what we thought was a short backtrack back to the highway 1, was actually an hour’s journey out of our way. We thought we were on one highway n1, but it turns out, we were on highway 1. We took this “shortcut” through the beautiful farmland and rich countryside of northern Switzerland. It was so beautiful…verdant rich pastures with cows and sheep greeting us along the way. Finally near the beautiful town of Wil, we found the highway, called the Strack family and told Bernd that we would be late and not to wait for us. He told us that everyone was so excited for our visit. ;-)
When we arrived all of these wonderful faces came out to greet us and since I had been “testing” Jeff and Amy on the family history (who was who, and who their children were…) we easily knew the connections. Marcia had told me over the phone about the family…Heidi was the oldest and she was the mother of Bernd and Gabriele (also called Sam), Kurt Peter (whose daughters and granddaughters were not there), Tina who is married to Paulo. Tina is an actress and Paulo was a classical ballet dancer…he now is a choreographer). Romi is a teacher and her son Lucas was also there (he is Amy’s age). Gabriela, Bernd’s wife and their beautiful son Tristan also greeted us with joy!
But Ruth’s face as we arrived was glowing…with brightness and lightness. I will never forget it. We ate lunch together and Garbriela told us that Heidi had prepared traditional German foods for this celebration…and her beautiful Villeroy and Bock china called Summerday graced the lovely table.
Amy and I had a beer with the family and we all sat around the table talking and listening to German, English and Czech. We learned that Rainer was in the hospital after a triple bypass and would be in the hospital for three more weeks. Heidi did not speak too much English but we found that with what she alled “hand and foot” gestures, we could communicate fairly well. I wish I had studied more German. Tina, Gabriela, Bernd, and Gabriele spoke English well. Ruth’s English was very good as well! She told us how her grandmother Annella raised her since her mother died a few days after her birth. (Melinda, am I right about this? I may have to update ths information later…) Heidi brought out a picture of the grandmother, who would have been Amy’s great, great grandmother and Jeff took a picture of the picture. It will be nice for Annela to have a picture of her as well.
After our meal and much conversation, we took a long walk through the town of Zorneding with Tina, Paulo, Romi and Kurt. Tina told me the story of how she met Paulo and Kurt told me of his children Claudia and Pina and Claudia’s daughter, Leah. Zorneding was almost exclusively a potato farming town until 50 years ago when the farmers started selling their lands for home development. In the evening we went to a German beer garden where we celebrated Ruth’s birthday. At one point in the evening, Ruth looked at me and said “I feel like I am dreaming…” There was no mistaking her pleasure of having her children around her as well as representatives from the Laun family of Marcia and Wil.
We returned to Heidi’s home and after a little nightcap of French brandy, we went downstairs to our room where the blankets were so warm and heavy. When we turned out the lights, it was so very dark and quiet and we quickly feel asleep, happy that we had connected with this wonderful family.
In the morning, Jeff and I rose to a beautiful breakfast of coffee and juice and beautiful German breads. Jeff opted for his favorite croissants and we discussed the “making of the plans for the day." Bernd, Gabriela, and Gabriele (Sam) had a party the night before and did not sleep until 4…so we let Amy sleep till noon while we took off for a little chapel that Heidi had told us about. Heidi said it was a little similar to Lourdes…..
We traveled along the bike route that Heidi takes in the mornings through the forest and to the farmlands. We walked the path of the stations of the cross to a beautiful little chapel set in the forest, Maria of Altaman. Heidi and Romi told us that each station is maintained by a family in the village. We then returned to Heidi’s to get Amy up because we were going to take the obanhof (light rail) into Munich to meet the two Gabrielas as well as Tristan. Tina took us to the train and helped us buy an all day pass and off we went with her carefully written instructions and her handy (cellphone) in our pocket. We easily connected at Bernd and Gabriela’s apartment and we decided to skip the castle and do a walking tour through Munich.
We loved Munich…it is a large city with many beautiful sites and historical places but it is fairly quiet and civilized. We wandered the streets with Tristan in his pram while Gabriela told us of some of the landmarks. We met Garbriel’s mother who took Tristam for awhile since he was finished sightseeing… Sam also took off on her bicycle to meet her friends who had just come back from the US… We wandered some more through the English garden and downtown city area….there were many police since their had been a NeoNazi demonstration as well as an anti-Nazi counter demonstration. Gabriela talked of the dark shadow of the Nazi reign and how Neo-Nazi demonstrations are hated by her German people. Heidi had told us of the news of this demonstration in the morning and we had rearranged our plans to avoid it…
At the end of the day, Gabriela took us up to a high point in the city (about 300 steps) to look out… I stayed by the door…unwilling to go out on the catwalk while they walked all around. It was a wonderful day in the city with Gabriela, Gabriele and Tristan. We returned to Heidi’s and Tina and Paulo prepared a wonderful meal of eggplant, tomatoes, Czech cheeses and garlic. It was delicious! While we were eating, a thunder and lightning storm moved in and chased us indoors!
Tomorrow we leave for Lake Constance…the Bodensee…
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Zurich to Zordeling
18 august 2006
We slept at the Hotel domicile after searching for an hour for a hotel or pensione. We got off of the highway near Winterthur (past Zurich) and drove through a little Swiss hamlet…it did not look so good…we asked a young Swiss woman if she spoke English and she directed us to a pensions. As we were traveling the two blocks, some young kids yelled at us and chased after us, the crazy Americans! A young redheaded girl was on her bike and spoke to us in French as we neared the hotel…which Amy deduced was closed since the owners were on holiday. We tried a few other towns and then stopped at a gas station where some cute Swiss guys directed us to a nearby hotel. Afer getting lost again, and stopping at another Shell station where another handsome Swiss guy gave us directions again. Amy decided that from now on she will be the one to ask for directions!
The hotel was very modern, furnished like Ikea and Marijam made up a room for us as we ate dinner. Amy I had Swiss salads with beautiful arrangements of little piles of corn, pasta, beets, tomatoes, little lentils, and eggs…Jeff had the sausage and frites. We left Amy in the room while Jeff and I drove around a bit looking for an unsecured wireless connection that we could tap into…we found some but just couldn’t connect.
We went back to the room and used the wifi (about $5 for 30 minutes…) I needed to get Heidi’s address since I thought Jeff had it and he thought I had it. I updated my blog and Amy checked out her myspace…We fell into bed about midnight under these great pillow comforters..interesting… no sheets….but lovely!
Friday morning we had breakfast and we on our way. We knew we should have backtracked back to the highway but instead we thought we were on the highway…and ended up spending an hour trying to get back… We followed the signs to Wil, and Wil would be delighted if he saw this place…similar to Washington but also miles and miles of farmland with cows and sheep. Although we felt a bit stressed since we were now really off schedule, we got a beautiful (hour long) snapshot of rural Swiss life.
We are now an hour short of Munich and refuled our car and our wallets and called Bernd to tell him that we will be late. He was happy to hear from us and said that everyone was excited to see us. Another adventure awaits as we meet Ruth, Heidi, Kirt Peter, Tine and Romi and all their families…Gutentag!!
We slept at the Hotel domicile after searching for an hour for a hotel or pensione. We got off of the highway near Winterthur (past Zurich) and drove through a little Swiss hamlet…it did not look so good…we asked a young Swiss woman if she spoke English and she directed us to a pensions. As we were traveling the two blocks, some young kids yelled at us and chased after us, the crazy Americans! A young redheaded girl was on her bike and spoke to us in French as we neared the hotel…which Amy deduced was closed since the owners were on holiday. We tried a few other towns and then stopped at a gas station where some cute Swiss guys directed us to a nearby hotel. Afer getting lost again, and stopping at another Shell station where another handsome Swiss guy gave us directions again. Amy decided that from now on she will be the one to ask for directions!
The hotel was very modern, furnished like Ikea and Marijam made up a room for us as we ate dinner. Amy I had Swiss salads with beautiful arrangements of little piles of corn, pasta, beets, tomatoes, little lentils, and eggs…Jeff had the sausage and frites. We left Amy in the room while Jeff and I drove around a bit looking for an unsecured wireless connection that we could tap into…we found some but just couldn’t connect.
We went back to the room and used the wifi (about $5 for 30 minutes…) I needed to get Heidi’s address since I thought Jeff had it and he thought I had it. I updated my blog and Amy checked out her myspace…We fell into bed about midnight under these great pillow comforters..interesting… no sheets….but lovely!
Friday morning we had breakfast and we on our way. We knew we should have backtracked back to the highway but instead we thought we were on the highway…and ended up spending an hour trying to get back… We followed the signs to Wil, and Wil would be delighted if he saw this place…similar to Washington but also miles and miles of farmland with cows and sheep. Although we felt a bit stressed since we were now really off schedule, we got a beautiful (hour long) snapshot of rural Swiss life.
We are now an hour short of Munich and refuled our car and our wallets and called Bernd to tell him that we will be late. He was happy to hear from us and said that everyone was excited to see us. Another adventure awaits as we meet Ruth, Heidi, Kirt Peter, Tine and Romi and all their families…Gutentag!!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Last day in Cucuron and the roads to Munich
17th Aout 2006
Today is Thursday and we must leave Cucuron early to travel to Munich for a family gathering and the, celebration of Ruth’s birthday. Ruth is the daughter of Jeff's grandmother Anne, who was Wil’s mother. Yesterday we spent out last full day in Provence with a visit to the market of St. Remy. It was the wildest, most colorful market of the three we visited (Cadenet – very colorful! and, Cucuron, quiet and nice…). We wandered the narrow streets of St. Remy and shopped with all the locals looking for things that struck us as unusual. My favorites were the olive and herb vendors…those olives were so colorful with so many varieties and flavors, tumbling out of the containers, inviting people to sample and take some home. Although I was tempted to try many, I settled on les olives provencal with used the herbes de provence, a blend of thyme, basil and lavender, among others, I believe.
I was also intrigued by the soap makers and selected a few to take home. The fabrics are fabulous but very, very expensive…I just could not justify buying fabrics. I looked for my nieces but it also seemed slightly outrageous…45 euro for a provencal skirt…I passed. I wanted to find an out of the way fabric store (comme Joanne’s) but we did not cross it in our travels. We then went to Les Baux, a fortified city but it also was quite crowded and parking was expensive and scance…we looked from outside the village and moved on to an open museum where images of Cezanne’s works were projected onto the caves where the huge stones were mined for the village and the chateau. We really enjoyed it and it was a great review of his art works, especially since this year is the 100th anniversary of his death.
We traveled home to Cucuron and while Jeff and Amy recuperated from our travels, I visited the local museum. When I asked the caretaker if C’est ouvert?? He replied in French, of course it is open…see the doors are open! This little museum chronicles the farm implements of the past centuries, as well as the very early traces of the community BC. This is a medieval town with many walled remains…and the remnants of the old castle can be found at the top of the village on the donjon.
I wandered the town once more and then returned to find Jeff recovered enough to try the last part of multipart geocache. It is so unusual that of the few caches in the south of France, one multipart cache was in our village. Amy wanted to stay in Le Grenier (the old granary that is our home for this week) while we went off to find the cache. We went slightly out of town to a road which led to the church of L’ermitage. We debated about parking near the olive maker’s farm but decided to take this little road .7 km. It looked passable…We turned the corner to find the road gated off, due to the high fire danger. We backed up down the narrow road and Jeff’s thought he was turning back into the driveway (Janet—are your ready for this…start laughing now…) when he fell into a little ditch. Hmmm…interesting…but we were stuck. When I got out of the car and looked, the right wheel was in the air, about 5 inches above the ground, and the base of the car was sitting on the ground. We *were* definitely stuck. Jeff tried a variety of lever options with pieces of wood and rocks under the wheels, but after a half hour, it was clear that we needed some help. A young French woman came out to hand her laundry on the line and I asked “Parlez-vour anglais?” She did speak a little English so she went to get her husband. They were also vacationing and lived outside of Paris. They had four children under the age of 10. He also spoke English and after a few more tries, he suggested he ask the farmer who had a tractor…the farmer also spoke English and lived in San Francisco in 1973…very charming and gracious and quickly deduced that we needed a tow truck. He called Monsieur Blanco who came out from the Cucuron garage with his tow truck…(Are you still laughing, Janet??) Remember we are on a little road about 7 feel wide and we are now perpendicular to the road…
In a very French way, the three men discussed the options and then the farmer explained to us that Mr. Blanco was afraid to take his truck through the fields since it had rained heavily the night before…but away they went…we heard them coming through the fields and then he carefully maneuvered into position (not an easy task) and pulled us out of the ditch. Unbelievable there was no damage to the rental car, except for a bald tire from spinning madly while we were trying to get out of the ditch.
We thanked them all profusely and rewarded all three men a bottle of the wine we were carrying in our trunk…We have decided to store it for amy’s honeymoon, some day…it should age well…
When we returned to the garage, Mrs. Blanco discounted the whole fee to 60 euro…which we felt was very reasonable after such a service, and at closing time as well.
Jeff and I returned to Le Grenier with the sounds of Amy’s music streaming out the front door. She wasn’t even worried! I guess we have been gone on geocacheing adventures many times before and she is used to it!
We made our dinner of omelette with caprese salad, olives, and salade vinaigrette. Of course, and baguettes. A few games of Sudoku and we were ready for bed. (I am the slowest at the Sudoku race and I usually finish it in bed about midnight ;-)
The travels to Munich…
It is a beautiful drive today as we travel from the south of France through the most spectacular valleys and mountains…Grand canyon du Vendon, through Sisteron, Chelles, Grenoble, Chambery, Annecy, Geneva, Lausaane, bern…and then we will spend thenight near zurich. It is hard to believe that we still have 9 days of vacation yet…and so many more memories to come! La vie est bon! Or as Jeff says tres bien!
Later that day, 4:30 pm, just 2 hours from Zurich and a night’s rest…
We were traveling near Lausanne when we were suddenly stopped in a traffic jam. Just one quarter of a mile ahead of us was a terrible accident…we were stopped for two hours and everyone got out of the cars to wait…Everyone was on the highway watching as many ambulances and many other vehicles passed by us…all the cars moved to the far left or right to let the emergency vehicles by…
Now, an hour later, we see them exiting the way they came in, slower and less stressed as they move the people to the hospitals….
We feel blessed that we were not involved but are worried about the many people involved in this terrible accident. One French man told us that on the radio he heard that ten vehicles were involved…
We still sit here… as all the emergency vehicles with sirens race by us, one way or another….it seems that this is the only access to and from the accident site since the train is just to the east of us…
Again, I pray for involved….and for all those who helped them….
We stopped after we made our way to use a restroom. We spoke with a woman from India who was in a very large tour bus just behind the scene of the accident. Apparantly a man swerved in his van and set the accident in motion…the emergency workers had to take the top off of one of the cars to extricate a young couple and their baby. We will have to check the Lausanne news web page, it happened near Morges, just south of Lausanne…
It is now a quarter to eight and we are just coming in to Zurich and we will look for a place to stay just outside of Zurich…the hard drive is now done! Jeff is the best and Amy is an incredible traveler…she loves her IPOD and looking out the window and she finished a book along the way today…
Today is Thursday and we must leave Cucuron early to travel to Munich for a family gathering and the, celebration of Ruth’s birthday. Ruth is the daughter of Jeff's grandmother Anne, who was Wil’s mother. Yesterday we spent out last full day in Provence with a visit to the market of St. Remy. It was the wildest, most colorful market of the three we visited (Cadenet – very colorful! and, Cucuron, quiet and nice…). We wandered the narrow streets of St. Remy and shopped with all the locals looking for things that struck us as unusual. My favorites were the olive and herb vendors…those olives were so colorful with so many varieties and flavors, tumbling out of the containers, inviting people to sample and take some home. Although I was tempted to try many, I settled on les olives provencal with used the herbes de provence, a blend of thyme, basil and lavender, among others, I believe.
I was also intrigued by the soap makers and selected a few to take home. The fabrics are fabulous but very, very expensive…I just could not justify buying fabrics. I looked for my nieces but it also seemed slightly outrageous…45 euro for a provencal skirt…I passed. I wanted to find an out of the way fabric store (comme Joanne’s) but we did not cross it in our travels. We then went to Les Baux, a fortified city but it also was quite crowded and parking was expensive and scance…we looked from outside the village and moved on to an open museum where images of Cezanne’s works were projected onto the caves where the huge stones were mined for the village and the chateau. We really enjoyed it and it was a great review of his art works, especially since this year is the 100th anniversary of his death.
We traveled home to Cucuron and while Jeff and Amy recuperated from our travels, I visited the local museum. When I asked the caretaker if C’est ouvert?? He replied in French, of course it is open…see the doors are open! This little museum chronicles the farm implements of the past centuries, as well as the very early traces of the community BC. This is a medieval town with many walled remains…and the remnants of the old castle can be found at the top of the village on the donjon.
I wandered the town once more and then returned to find Jeff recovered enough to try the last part of multipart geocache. It is so unusual that of the few caches in the south of France, one multipart cache was in our village. Amy wanted to stay in Le Grenier (the old granary that is our home for this week) while we went off to find the cache. We went slightly out of town to a road which led to the church of L’ermitage. We debated about parking near the olive maker’s farm but decided to take this little road .7 km. It looked passable…We turned the corner to find the road gated off, due to the high fire danger. We backed up down the narrow road and Jeff’s thought he was turning back into the driveway (Janet—are your ready for this…start laughing now…) when he fell into a little ditch. Hmmm…interesting…but we were stuck. When I got out of the car and looked, the right wheel was in the air, about 5 inches above the ground, and the base of the car was sitting on the ground. We *were* definitely stuck. Jeff tried a variety of lever options with pieces of wood and rocks under the wheels, but after a half hour, it was clear that we needed some help. A young French woman came out to hand her laundry on the line and I asked “Parlez-vour anglais?” She did speak a little English so she went to get her husband. They were also vacationing and lived outside of Paris. They had four children under the age of 10. He also spoke English and after a few more tries, he suggested he ask the farmer who had a tractor…the farmer also spoke English and lived in San Francisco in 1973…very charming and gracious and quickly deduced that we needed a tow truck. He called Monsieur Blanco who came out from the Cucuron garage with his tow truck…(Are you still laughing, Janet??) Remember we are on a little road about 7 feel wide and we are now perpendicular to the road…
In a very French way, the three men discussed the options and then the farmer explained to us that Mr. Blanco was afraid to take his truck through the fields since it had rained heavily the night before…but away they went…we heard them coming through the fields and then he carefully maneuvered into position (not an easy task) and pulled us out of the ditch. Unbelievable there was no damage to the rental car, except for a bald tire from spinning madly while we were trying to get out of the ditch.
We thanked them all profusely and rewarded all three men a bottle of the wine we were carrying in our trunk…We have decided to store it for amy’s honeymoon, some day…it should age well…
When we returned to the garage, Mrs. Blanco discounted the whole fee to 60 euro…which we felt was very reasonable after such a service, and at closing time as well.
Jeff and I returned to Le Grenier with the sounds of Amy’s music streaming out the front door. She wasn’t even worried! I guess we have been gone on geocacheing adventures many times before and she is used to it!
We made our dinner of omelette with caprese salad, olives, and salade vinaigrette. Of course, and baguettes. A few games of Sudoku and we were ready for bed. (I am the slowest at the Sudoku race and I usually finish it in bed about midnight ;-)
The travels to Munich…
It is a beautiful drive today as we travel from the south of France through the most spectacular valleys and mountains…Grand canyon du Vendon, through Sisteron, Chelles, Grenoble, Chambery, Annecy, Geneva, Lausaane, bern…and then we will spend thenight near zurich. It is hard to believe that we still have 9 days of vacation yet…and so many more memories to come! La vie est bon! Or as Jeff says tres bien!
Later that day, 4:30 pm, just 2 hours from Zurich and a night’s rest…
We were traveling near Lausanne when we were suddenly stopped in a traffic jam. Just one quarter of a mile ahead of us was a terrible accident…we were stopped for two hours and everyone got out of the cars to wait…Everyone was on the highway watching as many ambulances and many other vehicles passed by us…all the cars moved to the far left or right to let the emergency vehicles by…
Now, an hour later, we see them exiting the way they came in, slower and less stressed as they move the people to the hospitals….
We feel blessed that we were not involved but are worried about the many people involved in this terrible accident. One French man told us that on the radio he heard that ten vehicles were involved…
We still sit here… as all the emergency vehicles with sirens race by us, one way or another….it seems that this is the only access to and from the accident site since the train is just to the east of us…
Again, I pray for involved….and for all those who helped them….
We stopped after we made our way to use a restroom. We spoke with a woman from India who was in a very large tour bus just behind the scene of the accident. Apparantly a man swerved in his van and set the accident in motion…the emergency workers had to take the top off of one of the cars to extricate a young couple and their baby. We will have to check the Lausanne news web page, it happened near Morges, just south of Lausanne…
It is now a quarter to eight and we are just coming in to Zurich and we will look for a place to stay just outside of Zurich…the hard drive is now done! Jeff is the best and Amy is an incredible traveler…she loves her IPOD and looking out the window and she finished a book along the way today…
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
We love life in Cucuron in the Luberon hills
15 August 2006
We arrived on Saturday night just as the last rays of twilight were fading. Amy had read the information on where we were staying so she navigated through the arch and up the narrow road to Le Grenier, the old grainery. It is a wonderful place, this Cucuron...far from the crowds of the city and we feel like we are the only Americans here…(but probably not…)
The town is a typical medieval town dating back to 1000. Houses have been renovated from the early stone buildings. Our Le Grenier is very modern…Amy is in the loft that looks down on the family room and Jeff and I are down the hall past the kitchen. The bells toll in the bell tower and remind us of the time…however Jeff calculates that they are 1.5 minutes too soon before the hour.
The first day we explored the town…after we slept in. We missed Mass by a half hour to my disappointment…but I thought perhaps there would be mass on the feast of the Assumption of Mary (August 15th). This morning, Tuesday, August 15 I woke at 9 to the sound of the bells…and then at 9:15 heard the distinctive peel of the bells, urging everyone to ge to Mass on time…I guessed right and was there in the third row as Mass began. It was beautiful….and many of the songs and prayers were in Latin so although I did not always know the melody, I could sing along quickly with the Latin of my youth.
Going back to Sunday, we roamed our village but like most French towns, shops are closed on Sundays or very early on Sunday. Monday is the same…so we wandered freely…There are cats and dogs everywhere…it seems at times that the cats are wild…Not too many tourists, very narrow streets with all the essentials…museum, pottery shops (Carlos would love this…), a SPAR market (very small), gift stores, restaurants (very expensive…). At the town center, we found an antique show so we wandered around and had lunch at a café. My French is coming back but I struggle quite a bit. If you make an effort, the French are delighted…and so many of them speak a little English. .
There is no wireless here nor is there an Internet café. Part of the problem is that if someone has wireless, these medieval walls are so thick that we cannot pick up the signal. We took off for Pertuis where there is an Internet café…but neither of us thought to bring the address…so we could not find it…we checked out where the Hyper Market was so that we could come back on Monday. We found a man selling delicious melons but he side of the road… When we returned, Jeff and I went to the church at 6 pm for an organ and violin concert while Amy made a wonderful dinner (pasta and mushrooms, caprese salad, and baguettes. It was delicious!
Monday…
Exploration day! We went down to the local bakery and bought some baguettes and croissants for breakfast (I am now on the all carb diet with some restraint…) and we made sandwiches to take with us on our journey. We traveled south to Cadenet where there are an extensive open market (just about anything you could think of…fabrics, linens, shoes, buckets of olives, cheeses, meats, etc.) We then headed north toward Apt and visited many hillside Luberon medieval towns (Gordes, St.Saturnin, Apt) and then we came back to Pertuis to do our marketing. It is quite an experience…We purchased roasted chicken and some lamb and then come home to our sweet village. It felt wonderful. After dinner, we walked to the donjon, the highest point in the village where the remains of the castle still stand. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful view looking down on the hilltops. We are so happy here but we fell a little “disconnected” since we do not have Internet. The cyber creatures we are!
We are so thankful that we spent so many days with Mary…there are so many little things we picked up that made our visit here so much easier…there are troglygdytes around the corner from us…more about that later…
We leave here for Munich on Thursday…and will arrive on Friday at 11 for the birthday brunch. We will call home today as well as call Bernd and Gabi to tell them of our progress…
Mary Ann
We arrived on Saturday night just as the last rays of twilight were fading. Amy had read the information on where we were staying so she navigated through the arch and up the narrow road to Le Grenier, the old grainery. It is a wonderful place, this Cucuron...far from the crowds of the city and we feel like we are the only Americans here…(but probably not…)
The town is a typical medieval town dating back to 1000. Houses have been renovated from the early stone buildings. Our Le Grenier is very modern…Amy is in the loft that looks down on the family room and Jeff and I are down the hall past the kitchen. The bells toll in the bell tower and remind us of the time…however Jeff calculates that they are 1.5 minutes too soon before the hour.
The first day we explored the town…after we slept in. We missed Mass by a half hour to my disappointment…but I thought perhaps there would be mass on the feast of the Assumption of Mary (August 15th). This morning, Tuesday, August 15 I woke at 9 to the sound of the bells…and then at 9:15 heard the distinctive peel of the bells, urging everyone to ge to Mass on time…I guessed right and was there in the third row as Mass began. It was beautiful….and many of the songs and prayers were in Latin so although I did not always know the melody, I could sing along quickly with the Latin of my youth.
Going back to Sunday, we roamed our village but like most French towns, shops are closed on Sundays or very early on Sunday. Monday is the same…so we wandered freely…There are cats and dogs everywhere…it seems at times that the cats are wild…Not too many tourists, very narrow streets with all the essentials…museum, pottery shops (Carlos would love this…), a SPAR market (very small), gift stores, restaurants (very expensive…). At the town center, we found an antique show so we wandered around and had lunch at a café. My French is coming back but I struggle quite a bit. If you make an effort, the French are delighted…and so many of them speak a little English. .
There is no wireless here nor is there an Internet café. Part of the problem is that if someone has wireless, these medieval walls are so thick that we cannot pick up the signal. We took off for Pertuis where there is an Internet café…but neither of us thought to bring the address…so we could not find it…we checked out where the Hyper Market was so that we could come back on Monday. We found a man selling delicious melons but he side of the road… When we returned, Jeff and I went to the church at 6 pm for an organ and violin concert while Amy made a wonderful dinner (pasta and mushrooms, caprese salad, and baguettes. It was delicious!
Monday…
Exploration day! We went down to the local bakery and bought some baguettes and croissants for breakfast (I am now on the all carb diet with some restraint…) and we made sandwiches to take with us on our journey. We traveled south to Cadenet where there are an extensive open market (just about anything you could think of…fabrics, linens, shoes, buckets of olives, cheeses, meats, etc.) We then headed north toward Apt and visited many hillside Luberon medieval towns (Gordes, St.Saturnin, Apt) and then we came back to Pertuis to do our marketing. It is quite an experience…We purchased roasted chicken and some lamb and then come home to our sweet village. It felt wonderful. After dinner, we walked to the donjon, the highest point in the village where the remains of the castle still stand. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful view looking down on the hilltops. We are so happy here but we fell a little “disconnected” since we do not have Internet. The cyber creatures we are!
We are so thankful that we spent so many days with Mary…there are so many little things we picked up that made our visit here so much easier…there are troglygdytes around the corner from us…more about that later…
We leave here for Munich on Thursday…and will arrive on Friday at 11 for the birthday brunch. We will call home today as well as call Bernd and Gabi to tell them of our progress…
Mary Ann
Sunday, July 30, 2006
French agenda -- August 5th-18th
Sunday, August 1"
We hated to leave Mary and Xavierx at La Barbee but we headed south to Aix. we arrived in Cucuron just at Sunset. Amy loved her second floor room and settled right in. It is a remote charming rural French village and we love it. Today we drove to Aix and we are at an internet cafe. we did not think about the problem of a different keyboard
au revoir...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To see a few Paris photos, go to http://tinyurl.com/mqe4y
August 11, 2006 late, late, Friday night
Ah...we hate to leave La Barbee and Mary and Xavier...We just finsihed a wonderful dinner prepared by Marta, a young Polish girl who is Amy's age who is staying at La Barbee to do the tours of the home since it is a historical monument. Marta is lovely and she and Amy have enjoyed each other's company...
Today we took Mary geocacheing...and what a day it was. I will have to get out my notes and Mary's map to see all the names of the places we visited...First a tower no doubt from the 1200s standing all along in the midst of a beautiful forest...then on to a beautiful lake, then on to a beautiful chateau Giseaux (sp?) where they were rehearsing Cyrano de Bergerac...and then to the all time memorable cache where we curiously went down a little path searching for underground caves where they used to mine stones for the chateaus. Mary heard voices in the cave and went in to investigate and before long, we were all invited by Pierre Jacques Druet for a wine tasting. There he was with all the barrels of wine in the caves...It was incredible...he was so charming and we all enjoyed the moments with him as he and Mary discussed (sometimes in French and sometimes in English)quite heatedly the various aspects of the wines in France. We sampled probably 8 wines and then he took us down into a special cave where he had some wines reserved only for his friends...it was an aperitif wine as smooth as silk...so lovely...and so special since he decided to share it with us. We were wishing Wil was with us! It was a great introduction for Amy to the world of wine.
.
Unbelivable day...when then raced home on the highway to see Xavier waiting for us. Marta had dinner on the table and we sat down to a wonderful dinner...and talked for a few hours....we hate to leave...and could stay here indefinitly. Jeff is adding French words to his vocabulary and is saying Bonjoir to everyone! C'est magnifique!
http://www.thewinedoctor.com/loire/druet.shtml
August 10th, Thursday night
It is now 1am and I am just trying to catch up with my journal. Yesterday, Mary called H & M and took them" "to task" for treating Amy so poorly and for ignoring me when I said (in French) that my daughter was on the third floor in the dressing room when they closed the store. Can you imagine my chagrin when they pulled that garage door barrier down and here I was on the street with Amy missing! Anyway, when we returned today, a fellow named Alex helped Amy find what she wanted and we were on our way. Although Amy felt embarrassed about the whole incident, she was glad to get the things she liked!
I rode with Mary and Jeff and Amy followed as we traversed the city and left Paris for the roads to La Barbee, near Le Mans and Le Fleche. Mary and I talked nonstop the whole way and brought each other up to date on our families...the 2 1/2 hours flew by and before we knew it, we were turning into La Barbee. It is unbelievably beautiful here....a huge estate with a chateau built in the 1790s...it is actually the latest of many chateaus built on this site. The rooms are expansive with tall ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, doubled shuttered to insulate against the cold winters. We are staying on the second floor and we ascend up a spiral staircase each night to fall into wonderful beds with the crispest linens. We look out toward the front of the chateau, toward Le Loir, the river that runs through their property. The view is beautiful and I love looking out across the fields. Mary is an incredible guide...after touring most of the chateau and leaving our bags in our room, we toured Mary's English garden and Xavier's extensive garden with the bountiful apples, pears, vegetables, berries....and the beautiful hedges and extensive rows and row of roses. We visited the old horse stables and climbed the ladder to the loft...where we followed in Mary's steps so as not fall through the roof!
There is so much history here....and it is everywhere you turn....German soldiers during World War II cohabitated with the family during the war...and as the Allies were closing in, they blew up areas of the chateau outbuildings where they kept their munitions. Mary told us the story of how a German soldier warned the family to run to th river as the Germans were starting to blow things up. As they looked back at the chateau, bombs and missles were flying over the top of the chateau...and then, in the heat of the summer, with no rain for weeks, a huge storm came in and saved the chateau from burning....
It is an unbelievable place with portraits of so many of Xavier's ancestors gracing the walls of the various rooms. There is also a chapel where Mary and Xavier were married...dedicated to Saint Barbara. It is a beautiful chapel in a place where it is purported that the saint appeared to residents of the chateau.
Yesterday we walked in the woods where Xavier hunts wild boar and deer...and it reminded Jeff and me of our Washington woods....thick and dark, and deep....
Today we went to Chateau la Lude and to La Fleche for the French marketing experince. Since we will be on our own Saturday as we leave for the south of France, it was good to shop for groceries and ask Mary questions. Mary has spoiled us rotten, feeding us with traditional French ways, always elegant and so gracious.
Last night, we ate our supper in the garden, with tablecloths and candlelight. Tonight we ate in front of a wonderful fire that Jeff built in the huge fireplace in the farmhouse. We just finished our wonderful dinner, followed by endive and vinaigrette and roquefort cheese. C'est bon! Life here is so good...and we can all see how much Mary loves this place...we have fallen in love with it as well. Mary has imparted a great sense of history that this area brings. We will always remember the time we spent with her at La Barbee.
August 9th, Wednesday morning
Yesterday we slept until 3 pm! Jeff and I could not fall asleep after the wonderful evening at Mary and Xavier's. Finally at 5 am Jeff slept and I slept at 6am. We woke around 10 and went downstairs for a "petite dejeuner" (continental breakfast) we thought was complimentary, but turns out to be euros 13 ($18)! An extravangance but very convenient none the less. They did provide Amy a free room when we decided to stay Tuesday night, so that softened the blow.
Yesterday we visited Notre Dame and toured this wonderful cathedral. Then on to the Rue du Rennes for shopping. Amy almost got locked into H and M for the night...which she said wouldn't have been too bad since she could have tried on all their clothes at her leisure...but we were all happy to be back in our rooms once again. Yesterday Jeff and Amy enjoyed Panini sandwiches on the Rue St Germaine while I splurged and had a spinach crepe.
Today we will met Mary at 11 for our trip to La Barbee.
All is good in Paris!
August 9 Wednesday -- Leave for La Barbee, La Fleche, near Le Mans
http://maryannlaun.com/blogs/labarbee.htm
August 8th Tuesday morning 5:30 am
We are having a wonderful time in Paris. The weather is beautiful (including a short lightning and thunderstorm on Monday)! We arrived on sunday and after we got to our hotel and rested a bit, the three of us took off walking. With a baguette sandwich and sodas in hand we walked to the promenade near the Eiffel tower and sat on the grass, Parisienne style, enjoying the early evening. Then on to the UN building where we watched breakdancers and a Lebanese demonstation urging disarming of Israel. Then we trekked on through various French neighborhoods enjoying just being there. We went over to the Arc de Triomph and then down the Champs Elyssees, then cutting back to pick up a geocache right about the tunnel where Diana was killed now ten years ago this month.) Back to our hotel...5 miles later...exhausted but ready to sleep at 10:30pm Paris time! Did we kick the jet lag?
No chance! Amy and I woke at 4:45 and read awhile while Jeff snoozed on. We have a great little hotel with very comfortable, quiet rooms and Amy has her own little, adjacent bedroom...which she likes. Monday we were off again and this time Jeff tackled driving inthe streets of Paris...which is really crazy! We loved having the freedom of a car and took in the local sites as well as the flea market. We then went to Sacre Coeur and visited this impressive chuch at the highest point in Paris. We lit a candle for Mom and Carmelita at the statue of the little flower of St. Teresa. We walked the streets of Montmartre and found a cache in a beautiful little cemetary near the center of town. We had a wonderful lunch at a sidewalk cafe! Then we came home to rest a bit before our dinner plans with Mary and Xavier.
What a wonderful evening! Their apartment looks out at the Invalides which is glistening at night. We met John and Sue Tracey there and Mary served a beautiful French celery soup, roasted lamb and vegetables, followed by salade and cheeses. James was also there so we were able to hear of his plans to study physics next year at Leeds, north of London. We talked until after 2am and then we took John and Sue home...and we thought we would just fall asleep. Jeff and I were both wide awake two hours later. It is now 5:45 and I can hear the sounds of the city of Paris start to awaken....we will no doubt sleep late today!
p.s. For those of you who visited Mary in her previous apartment, the reason she had to move was that Mick Jagger bought it!
August 6 Sunday -- Arrive in Paris
Visit with Parisienne cousins and catch a glimpse of the city....
Staying at the Hotel Derby Garibaldi 92, Boulevard Garibaldi - 75015 Paris
August 11, 2006 Friday -- Leave for the south of France
August 12, Saturday --
arrive in Cucuron, north of Aix-en-Provence
Cucuron is situated about 17 miles north-west of Aix-en-Provence, at the base of the Luberon mountains. It is a picturesque medieval village set on a hill amongst vineyards, cherry and peach orchards and melon fields. There is a ruined Romanesque keep, a small museum and village church to explore and there are eight excellent restaurants, two bakers (one superb), two butchers, a small supermarket with all essentials, a wine co-operative selling local wines, paper shop, art and pottery galleries, olive mill and gift shops. The open air market every Tuesday morning has an array of wonderful local produce, including fish, meat, cheese and vegetables plus other gastronomic delights.
We are staying at Le Grenier. Le Grenier was the former home of the late James Gardner the distinguished industrial designer, who was responsible for many projects around the world including the Festival of Britain in the 50’s, the QE2 and many international museums.
Access is from the Place de la Fontaine, through a portcullis arch at the base of a ancient bell tower which dominates the old quarter of St Michel, then up a narrow street that will just take a car for unloading one’s luggage but is not for general use. (There is a carpark and adequate parking in the village.) This then leads to a small square with six houses of which Le Grenier is situated to the immediate left.
Le Grenier is a converted 17th century stone built granary on two floors in the ancient part of the village. The exterior: traditional stone with wooden shutters, a pantile provencal roof and a flight of stone steps leading to the front door on the second floor. The interior: whitewashed walls, wooden beams and natural pine and terracotta tiled floors.
We hated to leave Mary and Xavierx at La Barbee but we headed south to Aix. we arrived in Cucuron just at Sunset. Amy loved her second floor room and settled right in. It is a remote charming rural French village and we love it. Today we drove to Aix and we are at an internet cafe. we did not think about the problem of a different keyboard
au revoir...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To see a few Paris photos, go to http://tinyurl.com/mqe4y
August 11, 2006 late, late, Friday night
Ah...we hate to leave La Barbee and Mary and Xavier...We just finsihed a wonderful dinner prepared by Marta, a young Polish girl who is Amy's age who is staying at La Barbee to do the tours of the home since it is a historical monument. Marta is lovely and she and Amy have enjoyed each other's company...
Today we took Mary geocacheing...and what a day it was. I will have to get out my notes and Mary's map to see all the names of the places we visited...First a tower no doubt from the 1200s standing all along in the midst of a beautiful forest...then on to a beautiful lake, then on to a beautiful chateau Giseaux (sp?) where they were rehearsing Cyrano de Bergerac...and then to the all time memorable cache where we curiously went down a little path searching for underground caves where they used to mine stones for the chateaus. Mary heard voices in the cave and went in to investigate and before long, we were all invited by Pierre Jacques Druet for a wine tasting. There he was with all the barrels of wine in the caves...It was incredible...he was so charming and we all enjoyed the moments with him as he and Mary discussed (sometimes in French and sometimes in English)quite heatedly the various aspects of the wines in France. We sampled probably 8 wines and then he took us down into a special cave where he had some wines reserved only for his friends...it was an aperitif wine as smooth as silk...so lovely...and so special since he decided to share it with us. We were wishing Wil was with us! It was a great introduction for Amy to the world of wine.
.
Unbelivable day...when then raced home on the highway to see Xavier waiting for us. Marta had dinner on the table and we sat down to a wonderful dinner...and talked for a few hours....we hate to leave...and could stay here indefinitly. Jeff is adding French words to his vocabulary and is saying Bonjoir to everyone! C'est magnifique!
http://www.thewinedoctor.com/loire/druet.shtml
August 10th, Thursday night
It is now 1am and I am just trying to catch up with my journal. Yesterday, Mary called H & M and took them" "to task" for treating Amy so poorly and for ignoring me when I said (in French) that my daughter was on the third floor in the dressing room when they closed the store. Can you imagine my chagrin when they pulled that garage door barrier down and here I was on the street with Amy missing! Anyway, when we returned today, a fellow named Alex helped Amy find what she wanted and we were on our way. Although Amy felt embarrassed about the whole incident, she was glad to get the things she liked!
I rode with Mary and Jeff and Amy followed as we traversed the city and left Paris for the roads to La Barbee, near Le Mans and Le Fleche. Mary and I talked nonstop the whole way and brought each other up to date on our families...the 2 1/2 hours flew by and before we knew it, we were turning into La Barbee. It is unbelievably beautiful here....a huge estate with a chateau built in the 1790s...it is actually the latest of many chateaus built on this site. The rooms are expansive with tall ceilings and floor to ceiling windows, doubled shuttered to insulate against the cold winters. We are staying on the second floor and we ascend up a spiral staircase each night to fall into wonderful beds with the crispest linens. We look out toward the front of the chateau, toward Le Loir, the river that runs through their property. The view is beautiful and I love looking out across the fields. Mary is an incredible guide...after touring most of the chateau and leaving our bags in our room, we toured Mary's English garden and Xavier's extensive garden with the bountiful apples, pears, vegetables, berries....and the beautiful hedges and extensive rows and row of roses. We visited the old horse stables and climbed the ladder to the loft...where we followed in Mary's steps so as not fall through the roof!
There is so much history here....and it is everywhere you turn....German soldiers during World War II cohabitated with the family during the war...and as the Allies were closing in, they blew up areas of the chateau outbuildings where they kept their munitions. Mary told us the story of how a German soldier warned the family to run to th river as the Germans were starting to blow things up. As they looked back at the chateau, bombs and missles were flying over the top of the chateau...and then, in the heat of the summer, with no rain for weeks, a huge storm came in and saved the chateau from burning....
It is an unbelievable place with portraits of so many of Xavier's ancestors gracing the walls of the various rooms. There is also a chapel where Mary and Xavier were married...dedicated to Saint Barbara. It is a beautiful chapel in a place where it is purported that the saint appeared to residents of the chateau.
Yesterday we walked in the woods where Xavier hunts wild boar and deer...and it reminded Jeff and me of our Washington woods....thick and dark, and deep....
Today we went to Chateau la Lude and to La Fleche for the French marketing experince. Since we will be on our own Saturday as we leave for the south of France, it was good to shop for groceries and ask Mary questions. Mary has spoiled us rotten, feeding us with traditional French ways, always elegant and so gracious.
Last night, we ate our supper in the garden, with tablecloths and candlelight. Tonight we ate in front of a wonderful fire that Jeff built in the huge fireplace in the farmhouse. We just finished our wonderful dinner, followed by endive and vinaigrette and roquefort cheese. C'est bon! Life here is so good...and we can all see how much Mary loves this place...we have fallen in love with it as well. Mary has imparted a great sense of history that this area brings. We will always remember the time we spent with her at La Barbee.
August 9th, Wednesday morning
Yesterday we slept until 3 pm! Jeff and I could not fall asleep after the wonderful evening at Mary and Xavier's. Finally at 5 am Jeff slept and I slept at 6am. We woke around 10 and went downstairs for a "petite dejeuner" (continental breakfast) we thought was complimentary, but turns out to be euros 13 ($18)! An extravangance but very convenient none the less. They did provide Amy a free room when we decided to stay Tuesday night, so that softened the blow.
Yesterday we visited Notre Dame and toured this wonderful cathedral. Then on to the Rue du Rennes for shopping. Amy almost got locked into H and M for the night...which she said wouldn't have been too bad since she could have tried on all their clothes at her leisure...but we were all happy to be back in our rooms once again. Yesterday Jeff and Amy enjoyed Panini sandwiches on the Rue St Germaine while I splurged and had a spinach crepe.
Today we will met Mary at 11 for our trip to La Barbee.
All is good in Paris!
August 9 Wednesday -- Leave for La Barbee, La Fleche, near Le Mans
http://maryannlaun.com/blogs/labarbee.htm
August 8th Tuesday morning 5:30 am
We are having a wonderful time in Paris. The weather is beautiful (including a short lightning and thunderstorm on Monday)! We arrived on sunday and after we got to our hotel and rested a bit, the three of us took off walking. With a baguette sandwich and sodas in hand we walked to the promenade near the Eiffel tower and sat on the grass, Parisienne style, enjoying the early evening. Then on to the UN building where we watched breakdancers and a Lebanese demonstation urging disarming of Israel. Then we trekked on through various French neighborhoods enjoying just being there. We went over to the Arc de Triomph and then down the Champs Elyssees, then cutting back to pick up a geocache right about the tunnel where Diana was killed now ten years ago this month.) Back to our hotel...5 miles later...exhausted but ready to sleep at 10:30pm Paris time! Did we kick the jet lag?
No chance! Amy and I woke at 4:45 and read awhile while Jeff snoozed on. We have a great little hotel with very comfortable, quiet rooms and Amy has her own little, adjacent bedroom...which she likes. Monday we were off again and this time Jeff tackled driving inthe streets of Paris...which is really crazy! We loved having the freedom of a car and took in the local sites as well as the flea market. We then went to Sacre Coeur and visited this impressive chuch at the highest point in Paris. We lit a candle for Mom and Carmelita at the statue of the little flower of St. Teresa. We walked the streets of Montmartre and found a cache in a beautiful little cemetary near the center of town. We had a wonderful lunch at a sidewalk cafe! Then we came home to rest a bit before our dinner plans with Mary and Xavier.
What a wonderful evening! Their apartment looks out at the Invalides which is glistening at night. We met John and Sue Tracey there and Mary served a beautiful French celery soup, roasted lamb and vegetables, followed by salade and cheeses. James was also there so we were able to hear of his plans to study physics next year at Leeds, north of London. We talked until after 2am and then we took John and Sue home...and we thought we would just fall asleep. Jeff and I were both wide awake two hours later. It is now 5:45 and I can hear the sounds of the city of Paris start to awaken....we will no doubt sleep late today!
p.s. For those of you who visited Mary in her previous apartment, the reason she had to move was that Mick Jagger bought it!
August 6 Sunday -- Arrive in Paris
Visit with Parisienne cousins and catch a glimpse of the city....
Staying at the Hotel Derby Garibaldi 92, Boulevard Garibaldi - 75015 Paris
August 11, 2006 Friday -- Leave for the south of France
August 12, Saturday --
arrive in Cucuron, north of Aix-en-Provence
Cucuron is situated about 17 miles north-west of Aix-en-Provence, at the base of the Luberon mountains. It is a picturesque medieval village set on a hill amongst vineyards, cherry and peach orchards and melon fields. There is a ruined Romanesque keep, a small museum and village church to explore and there are eight excellent restaurants, two bakers (one superb), two butchers, a small supermarket with all essentials, a wine co-operative selling local wines, paper shop, art and pottery galleries, olive mill and gift shops. The open air market every Tuesday morning has an array of wonderful local produce, including fish, meat, cheese and vegetables plus other gastronomic delights.
We are staying at Le Grenier. Le Grenier was the former home of the late James Gardner the distinguished industrial designer, who was responsible for many projects around the world including the Festival of Britain in the 50’s, the QE2 and many international museums.Access is from the Place de la Fontaine, through a portcullis arch at the base of a ancient bell tower which dominates the old quarter of St Michel, then up a narrow street that will just take a car for unloading one’s luggage but is not for general use. (There is a carpark and adequate parking in the village.) This then leads to a small square with six houses of which Le Grenier is situated to the immediate left.
Le Grenier is a converted 17th century stone built granary on two floors in the ancient part of the village. The exterior: traditional stone with wooden shutters, a pantile provencal roof and a flight of stone steps leading to the front door on the second floor. The interior: whitewashed walls, wooden beams and natural pine and terracotta tiled floors.
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