Thanks for the warm welcome home M,W,and M!
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Greetings from Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian!
We tubed over to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich for a brief visit. We were off to find the 0 degree longitude line! We paid our admission and during our whirlwind tour of the museum picked up a few interesting facts.
In the courtyard was a queue for photo ops on the Prime Meridian. We started to wait in line but then realized we could get just as good a photo opposite the traditional photo spot. But we really had a good chuckle upon exiting! There in the back of the museum was a cobblestone line not at all centered with the door from whence it came but in alignment with that popular photo spot inside the museum premises!
The Meeting at St. Pancras
Crossed through the Chunnel today. Looked all over St. Pancreas station for the cart halfway in the wall on Platform 9 and 3/4 but we couldn't find a thing! Instead we found the 30 foot bronze statue of the The Meeting. Along it's base was a series of detailed 3 dimensional friezes representing the history of the Tube. Incredible!!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Day_(sculptor)
Les Catacombes
John and I arose with the blacksmith again and in our daily tradition, set off to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the many cafes before stopping by a patisserie for some yummy baked goods to bring home. After breakfast we were treated to yet another sound from the barracks--a symphony filled the air!! For the horses?? This has been a unique apartment location!
We tried again to visit the catacombs today. What a difference from yesterday when there wasn't a soul around. Today the line circled around the block and then some! We waited in line for a little over three hours, but it was worth it.
The catacombs are housed in old, abandoned quarries. In 1785 the graveyards in Paris were posing a health risk so beginning with the Cemetery of Innocents, bones from over 150 graveyards were moved here until 1859. At first the bones were just dumped, but in 1810 the Inspector General of Quarries turned the ossuary into a proper funeral monument. The bones are elaborately displayed but only with the skulls and long bones. The remaining bones are still in a jumble behind this facade.
Evening in Paris
This fountain was outside the Saint Michel Metro stop. The main scene is of Saint Michael wrestling with the devil. These dragons flanked the fountain.
The area was bustling--filled with students and locals whizzing by and returning bikes. We had dinner at another open air restaurant. This has been so enjoyable. Another pleasant walk home along the Seine. The banks were filled with small groups of people enjoying dinner or strumming their guitars.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Landscaping Day at the Palace of Versailles Garden
Mondays in France--ferme! We made all our Metro connections and got to our morning destination in good order, the Catacombs. Closed on Mondays. We changed the day's itinerary on the spot and took to RER train to Versailles. The Palace was...closed. The gardens were open however, so we meandered through seeing the landscapers hard at work. Who knew stencils were used for topiaries! The gardens and the palace are definitely impressive and on a grand scale.
We spent the afternoon paddling on the lake. Many people were picnicking, bicycling, or walking. It seems the gardens are a destination in themselves and free, at least for this day. The cafe in town was a welcome and refreshing stop after hours in the sun. Although we think of wine as the French beverage of choice, we have seen more people drinking beer (biere) at the cafes. The kids enjoyed their glace sundaes served with small, pastel cookies called macarons.
New Shoes
Clang, clang, bang! That's the sound to awaken us in the early hours of the morning outside our apartment. The smithies are already hard at word with the Republican Guard horses.
Monday, July 6, 2015
Locks of Love
On our walk back from Notre Dame, we discovered the Pont de L'Archeveche, one of the bridges in which lovers attach a padlock to the railing. This was recently in the news because the load limit of the Pont des Artes bridge has been exceeded due to the weight of the locks and the city is cutting them off and replacing the metal segments with plexiglass on both these bridges. This does not seem to have been met positively and there were numerous messages on the plexiglass.
The Weighing of Souls
Our second day in Paris concluded with a visit to Notre Dame. Lucky us--there was a mass going on! It was amazing to see a piece of history 800 years year old still thriving as a Catholic Church. It took 200 years to build--after the first stone was laid, six generations would pass before they could have the first mass.
Montmartre and the Pompidou Center
Clip clop, clip clop. We were awakened to the sound of horses trotting by on cobblestones. Our apartment backs up to the Republican Guard barracks! We spent the early part of the morning watching them riding in and out.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Guard_(France)
We took in the Basilica Sacre-Coeur in the morning. It sits atop a hill overlooking Montmartre. The hill had been hollowed out by centuries of gypsum mining so it had to be reinforced by hundreds of pilings driven underground in order to support the basilica. The streets leading to Sacre-Coeur were filled with t-shirt and trinket shops. The street hawkers were everywhere. We went inside the basilica but were through it quickly despite all the grandness to see. The crowd kept moving, in turn sweeping us along. We opted to move away from the tourist area as we departed Montmartre. We passed through some less affluent areas with a lot of evidence of homelessness.
Our next destination was the Pompidou Center which houses the Museum of Modern Art. We gaped at the unusual building which looks like it was constructed inside out! The Stravinsky Fountain (above photo) was a whimsical delight. Today the museum was free! Adelaide certainly enjoyed this destination the most and was a joy to be with as she wandered amazed and excited though each gallery! She kept making wonderful connections to lessons from school. When I pointed out how Picasso's art changed and was influenced by the women in his life, she announced , " I know! My third grade biography was about Picasso." She also was excited to see artwork by Piet Mondrian whose style she imitated in art class. Thank you Mrs. Doherty! She was enthralled with Robert Delauney, Wassily Kandinsky, and Otto Dix.
The Many Steps of Paris
We arrived in Paris with a 4th of July bang! After getting settled, we set out to explore. We decided immediately to master the Metro. We hopped on and got off at Champs-Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe. It's huge! The friezes are so detailed and beautiful. This will definitely be some further reading. We took the tunnel under the busy road and then climbed the 284 steps to the top. Well worth it. The views were great in all directions and you really get a sense how the streets in the area radiate out. http://www.arcdetriompheparis.com/
We then meandered our way through some charming neighborhoods on our way to the Eiffel Tower. Love the architectural details on the buildings here. I started really paying attention to the window or balcony iron rails and there never seemed to be a repeat of those intricate designs!
Luck has been with us this trip and we have not encountered any of the long lines we had been warned about. It continued today and we had tickets and within thirty minutes we were on our way up! Sadly we could only climb up to the second level (over 600,steps!) as the top level was closed. The structure is much more impressive up close because honestly--on the first glimpse it looks out of place among the harmonious architecture of Paris. Oh alright--also excepting that big black building in the middle of the city. What is that?!
We walked along the Trocodero across the way and saw the Eiffel Tower cast gold by the sun. So many people taking selfies with the selfie sticks. Will be glad when that goes out of style! We stopped to watch some of the street hawkers offering bets on ball and cups games. Lots of money being moved around. We had fun guessing the winning cup (no bets though), trying to identify the "plant," and watching closely for a sleight of hand. These games were going on every five feet!
Back on the Metro with a ride out to La Defense. This is the financial district at the far end of the city. The Grande Arch constructed here made a wind tunnel. Since then, a giant canopy has been constructed to cut down on the wind and at the top of the stairs (yes even more on this day!) are glass panels that were also put up to help. The breeze was refreshing after all our walking. We ended up having fast food for dinner (Gasp! In Paris?!) a rarity in any case, but most enjoyable as we all sat companionably laughing and joking around. A terrific ending for a first busy day in Paris!
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Pont du Gard
An impressive sight! And a World Heritage site! We are just knocking these off on our traveling adventures--no matter the year. Maybe we should just change the blog name to Notte Family Adventures while seeking out World Heritage sites!
It was still very hot despite it being late afternoon. So many locals and visitors were enjoying the river. We did a little splashing of our own to cool off.
Les Baux
We spent the early afternoon at this small village hugging the one of the Alpilles (ahl-pee) mountainsides. No cars are allowed in the village so we parked on the road and climbed the steps. It was quite loud from the cicadas buzzing away!
We made our way to the "Dead City" which is the ruins of a medieval citadel and castle. It had plenty of history and picturesque views but it was hot, hot, hot! We did as much as we could (which would have been fascinating, but we were quickly done in by the heat and hurried off the mountaintop to the village below. Bypassing the numerous gift shops, we made our way directly to a hillside restaurant with shade, cool drinks and delicious food.
Exploring Provence
Believe it or not, the backside of this field of sunflowers was more photogenic than the front! We were really hoping to see the fields of lavender but we did not see any aside from the many fields we saw from the highway. However we did see many olive groves and enjoyed the rugged beauty of the rocky mountains in the region. Sainte Victoire provides a spectacular back drop to Aix. Cezanne was known to spend many a day painting it.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Rue Emeric David, Aix en Provence
It was a long ride down here. Our GPS kept losing a signal and we found ourselves heading toward Paris in the morning. Not good. Sometimes the good ol' map days seem so much better. We arrived in the early evening and found most of the shops closed but the restaurants were bustling!
We haven't talked about the food much but the duck has been very tasty. Amanda- we found a bakery around the corner today serving....pain au chocolat!! Mmmm! The kids have mostly been playing it safe but the ordering has been an interesting experience. We have a cheat sheet but it hasn't been too helpful. Sometimes the order is a pleasant surprise and thankfully nothing has been too intimidating. Mike- we've been hunting around for cassoulet. Nothing. Suggestions? Maybe in Paris. Not sure it could top yours! The hard cider seems to be very popular so I have been trying many varieties of that. Today the restaurant we went to did not have it but suggested beer with a fruit syrup in it. I chose peach. Surprisingly good.
Our apartment is located on the third floor. That is our street in the above photo. Our arrival was a bit stressful as I tried to navigate John through these narrow one lane alleys. That's when the GPS really is of no value. We ended up circling around and around listening to worthless directions! The famous Cours Mirabeau is very close with many shops and restaurants. It is a great place to people watch. Americans are easy to spot with the bright colors. And nowhere yet in either the UK or France have I seen one female in capris! Definitely an American give away. Adelaide noted the lack of children but I think they may be just coming to the summer break.
It's quite warm but not the terrible heat wave London and Paris were supposed to get.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
TRAPPED! (Almost)
The tide gets the best of the Notte's again! Well if Nicholas wasn't impressed with the rate the tide rose when he visited the Bay of Fundy then he certainly made up for it here Mont Saint Michel. This bay has the biggest tide variations aside from the Bay of Fundy. Always the intrepid travelers, we thought it would be an adventure to circumnavigate the Mont. We were about two thirds away around when we were stopped by slippery rocks. The tide was noticeably rising and we found where our former footfalls were on rock, now slightly underwater! A scramble over the big rocks, then a mad dash through shallow water quickly covering the sand, and a quick schlep through knee deep rushing water (slippery!). Safety! Okay- so now we understand how invading armies were swept away!
Inside Mont Saint Michel we found narrow cobblestone lanes lined by souvenir shops and restaurants. It felt like it had not changed very much from medieval times. We walked up to the abbey and peered out over the ramparts at the area where we almost met our doom. We had dinner here but the most remarkable aspect was the heat and the flies-ugh. We took the free shuttle bus back over the newly constructed bridge which replaced the causeway and allows the water to flow. Our hotel was just on the other side in a gated section (I had to call for the code upon our arrival with my limited French. Thankfully "merci" seems to go a long way.). Dessert back at the hotel was much more enjoyable. The cafe gauramond offers an espresso with an assortment of small desserts. And glace makes any child happy!
Onward to Provence...
Driving in the French countryside!
On our way to our next destination and the car GPS had us driving down tiny country lanes. John was white knuckled, Michele was gleeful, and the kids couldn't understand what the big deal was! It was great fun! John whizzed through like a native but for him just wanting to get off the road! Michele filmed from the open car window hooting with delight. The kids said, "So what?! It's a road!" The main road was met with relief, chagrin, and indifference.
Omaha Beach
After our night in Arromanches, we went further west to Omaha Beach-one of the two American landing sites on D-Day. It was filled with families and groups enjoying a sunny day at the beach--quite a contrast from its day of historical significance. On the beach was this sculpture, "Les Braves" commemorating the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The three sections signify these messages: Wings of Hope-to remind us that together it is always possible to change the future. Rise Freedom!--to help us remain strong against all forms of inhumanity. The Wings of Fraternity--to remind us of our responsibilities to others as well as ourselves.
We spent some time on the beach imagining the scene here 71 years ago and taking in the landscape. We could see the cliffs at Pont Du Hoc where the rangers scaled the cliffs to take out the German gun battery. Above us were the hills from which the barrage of artillery was raining down. A visit to the Omaha Beach Museum answered many of our questions.
Arromanches--the artificial port
Today we headed to the Normandy region. We had originally planned to go to Dunkirk but felt pressed for time so we drove straight to Arromanches. This town was part of the Gold beach landing during D-Day. Immediately after, an artificial port, called Port Winston, was constructed. It was code named Mulberry B--the Mulberry A at Omaha was destroyed in a gale soon after construction. This was an amazing engineering feat. Ships were sunk to form the outer barrier. Then huge concrete blocks, called Phoenix caissons, were hauled across the English Channel and also sunk forming a four mile breakwater. Engineers then set up floating piers up to a half mile long that were used to unload vehicles, equipment, and supplies. This really was extraordinary. The Germans had control over all the deep water ports and the Allies had a terrible defeat trying to take Dieppe so they built a port! Keep in mind that these concrete blocks were hauled 90 miles by 500 tugboats. Pretty amazing.
Fortunately for us, we arrived at low tide and were able to see the caissons and remnants of one of the piers very clearly. This area has wide tidal ranges so we could walk out a distance. We walked by one of the concrete blocks which had been brought in close to shore by storms over the years. The D-Day Landing Museum and the 360 Theater gave us a great overview.
Our hotel was right on the water and the kids had an ocean view from their room. Window screens do not seem to be common but closing the windows leads to some uncomfortably warm rooms. Arromanches has a small area of restaurants and shops. The shops closed around 6 although the restaurants remained open serving dinner from 7-9 pm. The surrounding houses were beautiful homes primarily of bricks and stone. The town is definitely a day tripping stop for both tourists and beachgoers and quiets at night.
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