Although we mainly used Arles as a base for exploring Provence. There is plenty to see in the city itself.
After a Day’s Hard Labor…
Roman Nimes
Maison Carree
The Maison Carree in Nimes is probably the best preserved Roman Temple still standing. You can see in these photos the difference between the parts of the building that have been restored and the parts still awaiting restoration. Unfortunately they have put a touristy kind of movie thing on the inside now, instead of leaving it closer to its original interior.
Aix-en-Provence
Ice Cream Interlude
Sweatin’ it out in Cassis
Our first full day in Provence we decided to hop in the car and go take a look at the ocean. It seemed silly to be so close to the Mediterranean and not go say hello. So we asked the friendly staff at the hotel for a good day outing and they suggested Cassis. My only knowledge of Cassis is that it was a flavor of sorbet offered at Haagen-Dazs back when I worked there in college in 1987. And I guess I knew that it was also a liqueur made from red currants. But that was it.
It was definitely the right day to be at the beach. Hot, sunny, and kind of humid. The only problem was that we really didn’t have all the basics for a good day at the beach. We had swimsuits, sunscreen and sunglasses, but no towels. I lived in Hawaii for two years, I love the beach and am not afraid of sand. But, I don’t like trying to be tourist and beachgoer on the same day. Unless you have a giant bag allowing for change of clothes and a clean, dry, place to change, shower, get rid of the sand, etc. it just seems too darn messy. Plus we had to get on a crowded shuttle bus to get to our car, and we had plans to go to Aix-en-Provence later in the day. It was just all too much. And the humidity had me cranky. I was hoping I had left that behind in DC. In the end John got in the water and I merely waded in up to my short line. Refreshing, but not as satisfying as a day at the beach. Next time I won’t try and cram touring in on a beach day. And we would have thought of towels before we got to the beach and they were charing 22 Euros for ugly touristy beach towels.
Hotel Particulier: Urban Oasis in Arles
When we finally got to our hotel Arles were were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. L’Hotel Particulier is a great boutique hotel in a very unassuming neighborhood in the center of town. Behind the big wood doors is a courtyard with a really lovely pool surrounded by beautiful lounge areas and a few terraces that go with a few of the rooms. We were lucky enough to get one with a terrace overlooking everything. The bed wasn’t very good, but that is a matter I will save for Trip Advisor.
SNAFU French Style
Well I thought the French high speed train system would run on a tight schedule and missing connections wouldn’t be an issue. And I was wrong. Our TGV from Tours was supposed to connect in Massy (i.e., the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Paris) to hop another TGV down to Avignon. Unfortunately the first train was late and the connecting train was not. Which meant we got to spend four hours at the Massy train station. But we made lemonade. The temperature was comfortable, the toilettes were clean, food was available, and there was a comfy little cafe table for us to while away the hours. I actually managed to write 26 postcards during that time. It turned out to be time well spent.Book Review: Marge Piercy Satisfies
Fly Away Home
Marge Piercy
Fly Away Home is the third Marge Piercy book that I have read, and I must say I have enjoyed them all. (The other two are Three Women and The Third Child.) They have all been about women in transition. A little divorce, some intergenerational conflict, career highs and lows. And all of them definitely fall into the category of easy reads. The kind of novels that are interesting and smart, and bring up some deep issues, but are totally fun to read. Luckily this was the book I had started when John was a little under the weather while we were traveling in Provence. For hours I plopped myself on the couch in our hotel room and read while John slept.
Written in the early 1980s, the book is modern but depicts a period that seems refreshingly simpler than our current fractious times. Don’t get me wrong, I know that Ronald Reagan was busy oversimplifying or outright ignoring complex issues of huge significance. And he was sowing the seeds of an overly politicized Christian right that found its very un-Christ-like apotheosis in George W. Bush and his hypocritical, anti-intellectual minions. But the latter hadn’t happened yet and thinking about nuclear winter seems somewhat quaint compared to the wild cards of global terrorism and global warming.
But I digress…the protagonist in Fly Away Home is Daria Walker, a successful cookbook author, mother, and wife. That is until it becomes clear that her selfish, immature, husband is having an affair and wants a divorce. Daria’s world starts to fall apart, but like all good books of this genre, she slowly starts to pick up the pieces, and everything turns out groovy in the end. Piercy is a little heavy-handed in portraying the husband as a total piece of excrement, but it is actually kind of fun hating him and relishing in his ultimate downfall.
But this book is about more than just their relationship. It also is a bit of a thriller in the sense that even though you know things are going to turn out alright, there are so many twists and turns that it kept me on hooks wondering what would happen next. The mystery hinges a lot the husband’s business dealings and how they become intertwined in the unravelling of the marriage. And for someone like me who has trained in urban planning, it also included a really interesting look at gentrification and community organizing in urban Boston. You don’t have to care about those issues, however, to enjoy this book–they are pretty seamlessly written into the narrative. And on top of everything, Daria is a food writer with plenty of foodie stuff sprinkled into the story as well. Her references to Julia Child foreshadow the current craze for all things Julia.
I look forward to reading more of Piercy’s bibliography. After three successful reads, I don’t think I will be disappointed.
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