The thrill of a lifetime - Aiguille du Midi

Bonjour mes amis! Wednesday, March 2, we traveled with Jill & Craig Crabtree to Aiguille du Midi, a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. We decided to take the most thrilling and spectacular téléphérique (gondola) to the top. Approximately 75 people pile into the gondola and soar to the tip of a rock needle 12,600 feet above sea level. The town of Chamonix shrinks as trees fly by, then rocks, ice and snow until you reach the top. You take the 1st gondola half-way up then you get off and take a 2nd gondola the rest of the way up. The final ascent is straight up the rocky cliffs. This journey is not for the "faint of heart" or those with a fear of heights. You travel from 2000 feet to 12,600 feet in a matter of 20 minutes. No matter how sunny it is, it is quite cold. The temperature drops from 45 to 15 degrees in a matter of minutes. The air is also quite thin. When we got off our gondola at the top, we followed skiers who had brought their ski equipment with them. The skiers walked through an "ice cave" and then, after securing their ski equipment, exited the cave and skied down Aiguille du Midi. We met one Frenchman on our way up who was planning to spend 3 days camping as he explored Aiguille du Midi. From the observation decks you can see the Alps spread out before you. First, you see Mont Blanc, the Alps' highest point at 15,771 feet. More than 2,000 mountain climbers scale this mountain each year. There is a rusty tin-can needle which serves as a communication tower. Aiguille du Midi is Europe's tallest lift station. There were yards of tunnels which lead to a gift shop and cafeteria. The views were absolutely sensational and merely viewing these mountains was exhilarating. Enjoy the pictures. We truly felt "on top of the world"!

Mme. Wallace

Le Palais des Papes - Avignon

Bonjour mes amis! Tuesday, March 1, Lee and I and the Crabtrees went to Avignon to explore the Palace of the Popes. Pope Clement V, a French pope, was elected in 1309. Since the new pope was tired of Italy, he moved to Avignon for a more secure rule. The Catholic Church purchased Avignon and the popes resided there until 1403. At the same time, Italians demanded a Roman Pope so from 1378 there were two popes, one in Rome and the other in Avignon. This caused a problem in the Catholic Church which lasted until 1417. Le Palais des Papes was originally built to accommodate 500 people as the center of the Vatican and the home of the Pope. The Palais des Papes is the largest surviving Gothic palace in Europe. The last Pope left in 1417, yet the Vatican owned Avignon until the French Revolution in 1789. Avignon residents, many of whom had come from Rome, spoke Italian for a century after the Pope left, making Avignon a "linguistic island" within France. This was the most fortified palace of the age since the Pope left Rome to be more secure. It was quite interesting to visualize what life might have been like in the palace 600 years ago.

Mme. Wallace

Le Mistral - VICIOUS!!!

Bonjour mes amis! While we were in Provence with the Crabtrees, we encountered Le Mistral winds. These strong winds blow 30-60 miles per hour, about 100 days during the year. Local people say that these winds blow in multiples of three: either 3, 6, or 9 days consecutively. These winds are strongest between 12:00 and 15:00. The mistral starts above the Alps and the Massif Central mountains and gathers momentum as it heads south. The Rhône Valley acts like a funnel between the Alps and the Pyrénée Mountains before dying down as it hits the Mediterranean. While Le Mistral travels through Provence and the Riviera, it is strongest over the Rhône Valley. The good news is that the Mistral always brings clear, blue skies. Enjoy the amusing pictures of "Le Mistral-blown Américaines!!!

Mme. Wallace

Friends without Borders

Bonjour mes amis! (original title, Jill & Craig?!!) We brainstormed with the Crabtrees about the title of this blog. We visited the Damien family with the Crabtrees in Aix-en-Provence Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Feb. 27, 28, and March 1. We know the Damien family because Kendall lived in the their home during college, studying and learning French. Monday evening, Feb. 28, we had a wonderful evening with the entire family. One of the most heartwarming discoveries during this year in France is the fact that "people are people everywhere." No matter what your culture, people share common feelings, concerns, habits, and just a bond of being "human". Monday evening the Damiens had another guest from Manchester, England, who was also visiting for awhile. The Crabtrees, Lee and I, our new friend, JoAnn, and the Damien family interacted the entire evening, discussing many subjects, both French, American, and British. We laughed and laughed at each other and with each other. We discussed with the Crabtrees how much fun it was observing "family life" in France. How wonderful it is to have shared this experience! Enjoy the photos from a great evening together.

Mme. Wallace

Cassis, an ancient fishing port

Bonjour mes amis! Monday afternoon, February 28, we visited the fishing village of Cassis. Cassis is located east of Marseille in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Côte d'Azur region of southern France. Cassis is famous for its cliffs and sheltered inlets called callanques. The site where Cassis is now located was first occupied between 500 and 600 BC by the Ligures who lived by fishing, hunting, and farming. The village was rebuilt on these old ruins in the 18th century, resulting in a more regular layout than most other medieval villages. A walk through the old village streets reveal some interesting old buildings, some dating back to the 16th century and some restored with the colorful pastels of Provence. We had lunch in the harbor area which is the prettiest part of Cassis. Ah, la vie en Provence - c'est magnifique!!

Mme. Wallace

Notre Dame de la Garde, guardian of Marseille

Bonjour mes amis! Monday, February 28, the Crabtrees, and Lee and I, traveled with the Damiens to Marseille. We drove along the Mediterranean coast and the views were spectacular. Then Gilles and Christine took us to see Notre Dame de la Garde. As we drove along the Bay of Marseilles, a limestone peak rose to a height of 162 meters. At its summit stood the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. This ornate Neo-Byzantine church is considered to be the guardian and protectress of the city. Since many ships enter and leave the port of Marseilles, Notre Dame de la Garde is believed to protect these ships on their voyages. This basilica was built by the architect Espérandieu and was consecrated in 1864. The basilica consists of two parts: a lower church dug out of the rock in the Romanesque style, and an upper church of Neo-Byzantine style decorated with mosaics. A tall statue of the Madonna and Child made from copper gilded with gold leaf decorates the top. Enjoy the photos from Marseille.

Mme. Wallace

Le Pont du Gard et Châteauneuf du Pape

Bonjour mes amis! What a fun few days we've had with our friends, Jill and Craig Crabtree. They arrived from Atlanta Friday, February 25 and Sunday, the 27th, we left Chambéry to explore Provence. Our first stop was Pont du Gard, a spectacular well-preserved three-tiered Roman aqueduct built over the River Gard (or Gardon). It is a bridge as well as an aqueduct, located 25 kilometers north-east of Nîmes in the direction of Avignon. It is almost 50 meters in height and it is the tallest the Romans ever constructed. It is a part of the aqueduct built in 20 B.C. to transport water 50 kilometers to the city of Nîmes. The construction of this aqueduct has been credited to Augustus' son-in-law. After exploring the aqueduct, we continued our drive to Châteauneuf du Pape. This is a charming village in the Vaucluse départment in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It has an interesting history with the popes of the region. In 1308, the papacy was relocated to the city of Avignon. The "Avignon Popes" were said to be great lovers of wine and did much to promote wine during the 75-year duration of the Avignon papacy. The papacy in Avignon promoted viticulture in the surrounding area, close to the banks of the Rhône River. Under Pope John XXII, the wines of this area came to be known as "Vin du Pape", this term later became Châteauneuf-du-Pape. John XXII is also responsible for construction of the castle that stands as a symbol of the appellation.

Mme. Wallace