"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

Puyloubier and Rians (week 20)

Just as in North America, the Christmas season gets underway in earnest right after Armistice Day.  This past weekend was the Marché de Noël Artisanal, featuring food and Christmas crafts.  Unlike the Christmas Bazaars that we're familiar with - such as those hosted as fundraisers for churches - the vendors were mostly professionals.  On our visit to Rians (below), the tourist bureau had a neat display of Advent calendars, e.g. made of wood with little drawers to pull out (candy not included)).

The village has also put up and turned on its Christmas lights (note to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission - they waited until after Nov. 11!).   Of course, the weather isn't very Christmassy compared to home: the daytime highs still hover around the +15C mark.  The days are short, though - sunset is officially just after 5pm, but the sun goes behind the mountains sooner than that.  So the cheery white lights are welcome, even if there isn't snow on the ground.  All things considered, we're happy enough for it to be +15C.

the 12th-century tower is on the left

Our weekend trip did not take us far, just to the village of Rians, around the corner of Mont Ste-Victoire (in Var).  Its church has two steeples (perhaps more accurately: bell towers), neither of which is directly attached to the church.  I gather it was not uncommon to have the bell tower separated from the sanctuary, but this is the first in-use church we've seen with this configuration.  As for Rians specifically one tower is actually used as the church bell, the other is the restored 12th-century town's tower.

It must be an election year

Puyloubier (week 19)

Over the course of 2 days, the town became covered with construction signs.  They are reminiscent of the "Canada's Action Plan" signs (although without the same level of graphic design), announcing how much is being funded by the government.  As you can see from the pictures, they are doing work on the church, the school, the library, and paving some roads.  They are also upgrading the fresh water pipes along several streets, improving the slope (drainage) on the soccer field, paving some of the common parking lots, working on restoration of the medieval church ruins, and building several ramps (I assume for accessibility - they say "rampes pour PMR" on the signs).

It might be hard to tell from the pictures, but these are large signs - the big ones are over four feet square.  When all these signs suddenly appeared, I assumed 2014 must be an election year - and it is.  However, I read on Wikipedia that the municipal elections were in March, and the Senate elections were in September, so I'm not sure what has spawned this outpouring of tax-dollar spending.

Speak!

La Barben (week 19)

Apparently they don't have the same substitute-teacher infrastructure here as they do at home: David's teacher was "away" today, so David had the morning off school (they don't have school on Wednesday afternoon anyways).  Andrew was swimming, as his class does each Wednesday, so there wasn't any new homework to be done today!

To celebrate, we visited the Parc Zoologique de la Barben.  It is situated between Aix and Salon, so within easy driving distance.  It is a private zoo, so a little pricey (€16 for adults, €10 for children), but it was a pretty good place.  They had the typical suite of animals - lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) - just enough exhibits for an afternoon visit.  They also had some new animals we had never seen before: European grey wolves, European lynxes, meerkats, and the highlight for Craig, a capybara, the world's largest rodent (for an explanation of the last, you would need to know that the superhero The Tick has a capybara for a pet, named "Speak").  There was also a reptile vivarium containing lots of snakes, crocodiles, and turtles.  Another highlight was the talkative macaw - he said hello and also had a very human-like "laugh".

At this time of year, the place was almost deserted, only a dozen or so cars were in the parking lot.  However, it was a nice day (the high was ~15C), so the animals were quite animated and visible, unlike the really hot summer days when they hunker down in whatever shade they can find at the corners of their enclosure.

"You're a wonderful loveable rodent! And there's nothing wrong with that! No, if that's your lifestyle choice then we'll stand behind you all the way."

Look Ma - no guardrails!

Buoux (week 19)

Many minor lords and their medieval towns were founded up hillsides and on top of mountains for defense.  Some of these forts became virtual impregnable - the Château-des-Baux, which we visited a couple months ago, has been well-developed as a tourist attraction.  The Fort de Buoux is another example, and much less well developed.  The entrance is well outside the current town of Buoux, with a lone caretaker living on site to take admission and to warn you to be careful.  There is also a helpful sign that warns you that "the cliff is dangerous".  And, indeed, there is a beautiful set of ruins atop the cliffs ..... and nothing else.  No guardrails, no fences, and, when we were there at least, no other people.

l: the main fortress wall (the cliff is 2 metres to Yolanda's right, the dip on her left is one of the moats); r: the hidden stairs (the wall to the right blends in to the rock as seen from below)

Located in the Luberon, Buoux a little less accessible than Les Baux - both in terms of driving there and in terms of getting to the fort from the parking lot.  There are also no artifacts, no costumed performers, and no crossbows to play with.  The ruins themselves are just as interesting, however, with multiple partly intact curtain walls, two obvious fossés (defensive ditches), and the bottom half of the church still well laid out.  There are also some neat "houses" carved out of the rock, you can see the arrow slits in the curtain and fort walls, and you get to go down the escalier dérobé (hidden staircase).  This last is the back door into the fort (perhaps serving as a sally port) carved into the rock; from the bottom of the mountain all you can see when you look back at it is a rock face (except where the outside wall has now collapsed).

Mont Ste.-Victoire - 2nd hike(s)

Puyloubier (week 19)

The boys have repeatedly informed us that they are not hikers.  In an attempt to subversively acclimatize them, Craig has been taking them a little way along the Puyloubier trailhead up Montagne Sainte-Victoire "just to see where it goes".  Twice over the last week, they have taken it into their heads that they can go just a little higher, now understanding that the view is worth the effort.  So in the last week, Craig, David, and Andrew have made what could be considered to be two real (if short) hikes.

The first real distance the boys travelled  was along an unlabelled part of the trail (although with a look-off a little way along).  It was a little challenging for the boys, especially for Andrew with his shorter legs.  We didn't quite make it to the top of the first plateau (about halfway up), but did get some nice views looking back down on the village.  For the second hike, we followed the GR9 trail.  It had rained most of the day, so we didn't get started until 4pm (sunset is 5:30), but we managed to make it to the top of the plateau.  Craig thought that following the trail would be easier than the random ramblings of the first hike, but that assumption was quickly dashed as there were a couple of scrambles along the official trail.  Nonetheless, the boys persevered (and, of course, crawling over rocks is one of the funnest things a boy can do!) and we made it to the top of the plateau.  We even made it back down before the sun set.

"Le Bleuet de France"

the mayor and local children lay the Commune's wreath

Puyloubier (week 18)

Although 8 May 1945 is celebrated throughout France as a street name in pretty much every city, they still have a statutory holiday on 11 November.  We decided to participate in the local commemoration event, which went as follows:

Everyone met at the Mairie and followed the veterans (carrying a variety of martial flags) to the cemetery, where there is a cenotaph listing the names of all the natives of Puyloubier who morts pour la France.  The veterans' association circulates and hands out stickers with bleuets on them (see picture), which is their equivalent of poppies.  At the cemetery we were met by the honour guard (7 active-duty soldiers from the Marseille garrison).  There followed some speeches (the mayor, the head of the veteran's association), then wreath-laying, then children from the school read the names of all the local boys who were killed in WWI and WWII.

The cemetery was well-decorated, with fresh flowers adorning most of the graves.  If there's one thing the French take seriously, it is the appearance of their cemeteries.

Happy birthday, Andrew!

Puyloubier (week 17)

Andrew has started a diary (on the computer, Doogie Howser-style).  Here is an excerpt describing his birthday:

novembre  3^rd  2014, 

my  birthday

We go to school on weeks, not on weekends though. I had music today, then i came home and had lunch and that’s all you need to know. It was really raining about 10 minutes ago. Mom’s going to go get some presents. Dad was using the computer and then he let me use it. 12:28  PM. I just love cold pizza and that’s what we had for lunch. AND I JUST LOVE PIZZA!,PAIN AU CHOCOLATS AND ORANGE!!!.........what did i  say?, forget  it. We come home for lunch, ok.

I can’t believe that mom isn’t home yet, and i can’t believe that David is in a bunch of islands with sheep on it. Gray sheep. David spawned on an island, he called a cave a tave, and there’s 2 zombies that he cannot find, DUNGEON!!! 5%  ZOMBIE!!!!!!! MOMMY I  HATE  IT!!!!!!! 100%  FULL!!!!!!  Right now the clouds look VERY like creepers in armour.

I have to stay at school for 3h and in the afternoon i have to stay there for an hour and a half! My birthday cake was epic. I got lots of Minecraft presents for some  reason. We’re making a Minecraft movie with them. So weird. I SAID SO WEIRD!!! It was really raining again but now it’s just drissaling, so weird. I mean literally so weird, now drissaling, do you believe  me?, i geuss so. Do you?, please answer some time else. Like in 10 minutes or so. 12:55  PM. Has that been 10 minutes? David is playing NHL 2K11 he likes playing that and he made a new trade. He is just addicted to that game, also me but not as much as him, because my favourite game on there is Minecraft.

Ifo hyugtole boregtyo marplez dite vek? that’s danzanish, a language from danzana, and that is a country from my made up planet, diyoza. FINALLY, THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!!

Yolanda's birthday present

Paris (week 16)

The timing of our trip to Paris was to coincide with the last tennis tournament of the ATP calendar - the BNP Paribas Masters.  We all went on Tuesday (the second day of the tournament) and got to see one Canadian (Pospisil, who lost) and the world #1 (Djokovic, who won).  The facility is indoors, with 3 courts.  The main court has reserved seating (but is small enough to see everything - sort of like the lower bowl of the Metro Centre in Halifax), while Courts 1 (singles) and 2 (doubles) are very small and first-come, first-served.  So we were only 2 rows back courtside for Pospisil's match.

At left is Canada's Milos Raonic (7), who defeated Berdych (5) and Federer (2) before losing to Djokovic (1) in the final

Yolanda went by herself the next day, which we've been calling her birthday present.  She had the chance to see pretty much all the rest of the top-10 ranked male players (except Nadal, who is injured), as well as Daniel Nestor in doubles action.

Of course, going to Paris for a birthday present is more impressive if you aren't already in France, but she'll take what she can get.