Annecy is a lovely place. The French are fun people.  Au revoir

Mont Blonc was stunning. We got a bit of altitude sickness I think. A clear day so we could see the tops of the French Alps in every direction.

You lucky devil - I speak French quite well.
I would love to live in France for 6 months.

Well done  I don't speak french. They are an understanding people. Then, we are paying tourists.   Had some camembert here. It smelt like a 12 year old boys shoes, the taste was like a 'calmed down' bluevein cheese.  In comparison  ,  our camembert cheese has a gooey texture., no odour and no taste.   

Discovered most of the shops were closed today.   Chanced upon the local Sunday markets here  .   Bought an original painting of  'Mont Blonc' there from the artist.  The french like it when you at least try to speak their language.   It's fun.   At the markets were also a few Fromages, nougat specialists ,  local produce ,  weird mushrooms  .       Ah, also bought some Smoked marinated Fillet Mignon.     We are headed south tomorrow.     Annecy is enchanting.      

You could have followed the Sydney City Roosters and hung out in Vaucluse to get that French feeling.

Any shifty looking Moslems over there?

Sprintcyclist wrote on Oct 1^st, 2017 at 12:40am:

Well done  I don't speak french. They are an understanding people. Then, we are paying tourists.   Had some camembert here. It smelt like a 12 year old boys shoes, the taste was like a 'calmed down' bluevein cheese.  In comparison  ,  our camembert cheese has a gooey texture., no odour and no taste. Discovered most of the shops were closed today.   Chanced upon the local Sunday markets here  .   Bought an original painting of  'Mont Blonc' there from the artist.  The french like it when you at least try to speak their language.   It's fun.   At the markets were also a few Fromages, nougat specialists ,  local produce ,  weird mushrooms  .       Ah, also bought some Smoked marinated Fillet Mignon.     We are headed south tomorrow.     Annecy is enchanting.

It's good to see you're having some fun there.

A few of our plans have worked very well. Others not so good.  Bringing a back pack for onboard luggage was good.  I use it here often. Getting as much of our usual food asap us a winner.  Have your usual breakfast on hand,  cook a pot of soup.    Wind proof jackets with hoods attached,   shoes that are prepped for wet weather.  Layering for clothes. 

So you're enjoying the French countryside by the sound of it?

A phone that is online with GPS  is a must.   Security wallets. I  usually take my ' holiday chefs knife' on a holiday. I did not this time and bought a knife for  here.    Hiring a car is probably not a good idea.      Be  of the mind that going out to get some bread or a similar usually banal activity may be stressful.

Have you had a WOW moment yet, Sprinty?

Today's WOW moment was at the local church in Nimes.   9 of the paintings are listed .   Had a big WOW moment at the top of Mont Blonc.   The pass at Col de la Colombiere was something.  They have many of the stage finishes of Le Tour there.  I recognised many of the landmarks from the TV coverage of previous years.  Took Pics of the paintings on the road of 'La Tour'  and  Finish'. 

its the atmosphere that gets me sprint...

you can smell the history..hope the weather is being kind...

I think the french language adds a lot to the culture.   It has such a soft musical lilt to it.  They should repel any other language resolutely.      Funny how we see lots of french men standing or sitting around talking, smoking and drinking coffees.  Not that many french women stand and sit around at such leisure.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Oct 5^th, 2017 at 3:39am:

I think the french language adds a lot to the culture.   It has such a soft musical lilt to it.  They should repel any other language resolutely.      Funny how we see lots of french men standing or sitting around talking, smoking and drinking coffees.  Not that many french women stand and sit around at such leisure.

Maybe they have an easy lifestyle of early pensions like the Greeks did?

Everyone should put having sex with a native french speaker on their bucket list.

Listening to 'oui oui formidable formidable' is listening to an American saying 'oh god oh god'.

Gordon wrote on Oct 5^th, 2017 at 10:02am:

Everyone should put having sex with a native french speaker on their bucket list. Listen so a sweet voice saying 'oui oui formidable formidable' is listening to an American saying 'oh god oh god'.

:) :)

cods wrote on Oct 5^th, 2017 at 10:05am:

Gordon wrote on Oct 5th, 2017 at 10:02am: Everyone should put having sex with a native french speaker on their bucket list. Listen so a sweet voice saying 'oui oui formidable formidable' is listening to an American saying 'oh god oh god'. :) :)

Do Muslim women shout allahu akbar?

Had a big day today. Went to Pont de Gard then onto Avignon. Amazing Cathedrale des Doms, the seat of The Archbishop. I shed a few tears there .   Beside that is the Palace of the Popes. 7 Popes lay at rest there.   An Art Gallery in Avignon has a wall of Picassos.  A few Van Goghs, Madiglianes.  I restrained myself with buying 2 Van Voghs and 2 Sisleys. 

Have spent a few days walking around Nimes.  The Statues, roman artifacts and artwork in cathedral are 1st  class.  I ordered raw mince in pub by mistake.  They cooked it up for me. On the walls are photos of Matadors fighting and mounted heads of bulls.  There is a Spanish flavour to this area.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Oct 1^st, 2017 at 12:40am:

Well done  I don't speak french. They are an understanding people. Then, we are paying tourists.   Had some camembert here. It smelt like a 12 year old boys shoes, the taste was like a 'calmed down' bluevein cheese.  In comparison  ,  our camembert cheese has a gooey texture., no odour and no taste.

J'ai un peu de Francaise.. mais parlez lentement, s'il vous plait... il a' beaucoup annes....

Damn - I thought you said the matadors were mounting the heads of bulls..... phew.... this SSM thing is way out of control.... ahhh - ze minced and cooked testicle of ze bull, Monsieur... an excellent choice!!  But traditionally eet ees mange` raw, much betteire!

Left Nimes behind.

Now at Beziers, the foothills of the Pyrenees and close enough to Spain to visit there one day. 

Nice.

Fair thee well.

Lunchtime in France is very serious.
Runs from 12 pm to 2 pm.  Many businesses shut then. Post offices, chemists.  The council run car park meters are free during this time.   They usually have a 75 min maximum. But from 12 - 2, it is free time
Hey, you cannot interrupt lunch to put more money in the meter.

Restaurants do not allow anyone in there before midday.  11:25 am is NOT lunch time.

Good restaurants have little white vans that deliver their supplies daily. Really good ones have their own van with their own restaurant named on it. 

Coming up to midday I am looking carefully for the right restaurant.   

Most of the food here is organic or very close to it.   
I have not seen a pie, rarely see burgers.


We found a good place today.
They spaced out the  3 courses perfectly. We left about 1:45.   

Our last day in the Pyrenees.  Nice air here. Clean environment.   Revisited that same restaurant.   It was  very  good again.  Called  'Restaurant Gariguette' ,  in Mons-la-Trivalle.   The locals go there, it's pretty crowded, right location. Very good food.   Off to Manosque tomorrow.   

We have had a great French experience overall.

have you put on any weight?....what about the wine with every course.. hope you are not getting into any bad habits! :)

Gordon wrote on Oct 5^th, 2017 at 10:02am:

Everyone should put having sex with a native french speaker on their bucket list. Listening to 'oui oui formidable formidable' is listening to an American saying 'oh god oh god'.

In your case, were you listening to "c'est si petit, c'est si petit".

cods wrote on Oct 13^th, 2017 at 7:37am:

have you put on any weight?....what about the wine with every course.. hope you are not getting into any bad habits! :)

France is not a 'diet' destination.   We have noticed there are very few overweight french people. 

Have not had a drink since being here.

For me,  the Cathedrals are the standout attractions.

The French are very nice people.   At a fromagery the farmer dropped a HUGE 3/4 Gorgonzola in the display in front of me.   It was 'Cheese Eroticism' .  I exclaimed out loud at my appreciation.   The other people waiting laughed.   We ordered so much other cheeses I was not going to buy any of the Gorgonzola .  The lady beside me indicated I should get some. She was right.  It had a smooth smokey aftertaste. 

We drove from Manosque through the Alpes-Haute de Provence, onto the Provence Alpes-Cote-dAzure then to Nice.

Through Lavender fields  (not in bloom), along the source for the Gorge de Verdon.
All the autumn colours were in the UNESCO listed park.
Most were green still. Yellow, pink, russet, vermillion.
A truckie took pics as he crossed a bridge.

Mountain ranges, rocky outcrops, hang-gliders.
The  rated  '3  1/2' hour drive took us more than 7 hours.

Stopped at a wee town Napoloen has slept at.

Had lunch at Entrevaux. Can someone google and post that please ? I am on my phone.
France surely displayed her most outrageous beauty today.
For about 5 hours nonstop.

France est belle.

France yesterday was intensely beautiful.

I left Manosque feeling a bit depressed as we were on the  homeward trail. Our adventures were days away from finishing.

Then France threw us a surprise farewell display of the sort we relish.
Last night I was emotionally exhausted after a days joy at natures beauty.

Gordon wrote on Oct 5^th, 2017 at 10:02am:

Everyone should put having sex with a native french speaker on their bucket list.

How about fingering a Boong?

Mattyfisk wrote on Oct 19^th, 2017 at 9:29am:

Gordon wrote on Oct 5th, 2017 at 10:02am: Everyone should put having sex with a native french speaker on their bucket list. How about fingering a Boong?

You know it was only a pash. Be honest now.

Entrevaux - We had been driving for hours of intense beauty, then round a corner and ......
https://www.france-voyage.com/visuals/photos/entrevaux-14948_w600.jpg

http://www.beyond.fr/picsvill/entrevaux0104b.jpg

High on a hill, fortified

Entrevaux.

Nice this time of year.