672 – Wednesday 29th March 2017:  Pitch Perfect

Now, some days we drive for hours – today’s odyssey took all of 10 minutes – or less!  To the campsite near last nights stay – at Pont du Gard – for laundry, some other jobs – and chilling.  But mainly as the weather forecast was excellent for the next few days and it would give us chance to get the chairs and BBQ out as well as feel the sun on us before returning home.

Gorgeous large pitch right on the riverside…..  no passing traffic other than the birds.  Llovely German neighbours on both sides with chats in English and German – K. Barbecue in the evening…

The shorts and the knitting came out.

Our beautiful boy.

673 – Thursday 30th March: Bridge Running and Walking

Our running has really taken off, again – K ran across the Pont du Gard and I ran back into Remoulins – trying to build the mileage for the 5k race on 15th April. Post-brekkie, we walked across the bridge and clambered up high to a circular path – with manicured gardens in the wild!  Pm saw us relaxing in the sunshine…  Another BBQ – why not?

 

K’s morning’s run – view from the 2000 year old Roman bridge.

When I ran, it was devoid of people … for once we were up reasonably early!

The highest bridge ever built by the Romans at 49m.  It stands as a testament to their engineering.  Slaves, using pulleys, hauled massive blocks, up to 6 tons, of stone into position.  The upper channel is the aqueduct, in use for 400-500 years, and the lower the road.  When I visited with the Aged p’s as a child, there was not a tourism industry here – no museum, cinema, upper level tour, massive carparks etc.  However, you can follow the footpaths and still cross the road bridge for free.

The walk along the remains of the aqueduct was through perfectly trimmed hedges, an observation tower and an ornamental herb garden … all in what should have been wild countryside! 

Evening sunset from our perfect pitch.

674 – Friday 31st March:  Hair Yesterday and Chopped Today

A late am start – why?  Because we can!  

Now, readers – a little known fact to whet your appetite for tonights imbibing – those of you who do have a regular libation…  Official UK figures show that sales of alcohol are double the amounts declared by folks in their medical or other declarations!!!  Obviously, as nobody lies about their consumption (!) – there’s a vast alcolake in the UK – it’s called “Lago da Vino” and the tributaries are everywhere…  If only we could tap into it…well then, we would have to declare an increase in consumption?  This is something of an esoteric circular discussion which may not have a conclusion. “Lies, lies and damned statistics”  

Todays jobsjoys included Oscar hair trim, J hairkutz and K hairdye – and campsite showers – just like boarding school – on the cold side of lukewarm!  But good for the soul…  And all in pleasant sunshine.

 

675 – Saturday 1st April:  Where did the sunshine go?

Morning – as forecast – teeming rain – visions of Cabo di Especial – mudstuck and towout in Portugal. We moved Jez to an adjacent hard standing pitch – see – we do learn from our adventures.  We’re not used to cold temperatures (we will be soon enough – UK-side).  Drove Jez to Avignon – and straight to an ACSI campsite – to run the heating on mains electric!  Lovely site – by the Rhone – and nice wide pitches.  In response to a wild camping forum challenge, K prepared a special Escoffier recipe – the usual KHC result!  

An April Fool link posted by our friend Dan on a forum we’re members of … no longer just the midges to be aware of on the W coast of Scotland, but Polar bears fleeing the melt down of the arctic spotted 🙂

Stuffed onions: adapted as using a slow cooker.

676 – Sunday 2nd April:

What does one do in Avignon?  Pontdancing, of course…not pole dancing, or poncing.  We did a little jig – looking around to make sure nobody was watching – they were all pontjigging, too!  Good old St Benezet was responsible for this bridge, miraculously – according to legend he was a shepherd who had a visitation and told to build the bridge.  He attended a council meeting and declared his mission.  The Provost laughed and told him that if he could move a massive stone that had not been able to be used in building the cathedral as no one could move it, he could be believed. He lifted the stone and carried it to the river.  According to some witnesses, he gave a shrug of the shoulder and threw it into position as the foundations stone.  Others reported that he was assisted by divine intervention.  Funnily enough, he went on to be the bridge manager and run a consortium of bridge builders.  And since the bridge kept being washed away by the currents of the Rhone, he was onto a good thing!  

We phoneApped our way around the city – we discovered that K9s are banned from all parks – but are allowed in restaurants! Logic? 

My lunch pudding was straight out of ‘Hammer films’ – should have been served by Vincent Price!  

En route to our Jezorhome, we stopped at a bar (we know – not unusual in itself) – but this turned out to be a film club bar – beautifully comfortable armchairs to sink into – a selection of eclectic films – cartoons and monochrome – kooky.  An amusing one with every known corporate logo where the Michelin men attempted to catch Ronald McDonald the burger and then the world collapsed due to earth tremors.  Another a silent one.  Audience mostly young folk…  but one of those kooky moments in time that you don’t go looking for.

Yep, the Pont d’Avignon is only half a bridge.  Actually it’s pukka name is Pont St Benezet, and there’s a chapel with some of his relicts – the rest are scattered, of course, in other churches!   For some time, part of the bridge was wooden and only one person wide, so not much use for trade.

On said bridge.  Watched a couple doing a little dance.  Were we too cool or just plain cold to do much?

View from the Rochers des Doms gardens (before we were doggyvicted)  of the city walls and the bridge.

Palais de Papes.

Built like a fortress, and of the 9 Popes, most had a go at adding or removing towers etc.

Lunch was OK, omelette and chips for J, cod in provencal sauce for K, but the chef must have Parkinsons to have put so much pink sauce on J’s Tarte au citron!

Wandering in the Quartier des Teintures, where most manufacturing used to take place, there are still old relicts remaining … 4 water wheels that is!

Now ~wine o’clock~ would be more our style.

 

677 – Monday 3rd April:  Palais de Papes and Villeneuve les Avignons

When did I last run in the rain?  Gwent League Cross-Country, probably…. the motivation is high – so a damp training route along the Rhone – completely flat 5k – and it’s getting quicker…  K resting her ham string 😦

Sady, we left Oscar in charge of Jez and headed for the ferry across the Rhone to visit the Palais de Papes – largest Gothic Palace in the world… vast – good history of the 9 popes who held office in Avignon when the Papacy left Rome – for political reasons in the 15th century.  One Pope decided that the best way to honour God was to live the most opulent lifestyle – why?  

Back to reassure Oscar that we hadn’t left him permanently – he understands, we think…  Across the opposite side to Avignon – to Villeneuve lez Avignon (city of the Cardinals).  Really pretty and simple town/village – coffee and chat at local bar.  Visit to Tour Phillipe le Bell – and the monastery of Chartreuse du Val de Benediction – a real gem.

A glass of wine in the town square was going well – until my glass exploded into smithereens (and spilled the blinking wine too). Some children were playing ball and the result was a ‘vinoplosion’, as the ball ricochetted off K’s unsuspecting head and missile like onto my glass.  The young lady was ‘tres desole’ and Dad apologised profusley – no harm done.  

For some obscure reason, our talk wandered around to buying a house in Provence – why? Another impossible/improbable dream?  A whim? Who knows – we bought a previous house and a motorhome spontaneously…  Last week it was shangrila in Portugal Ponte de Lima.  To celebrate our discussions we ate in the campsite restaurant … not fine dining, but a lot of meat came away with us to furnish two more meals!

Inside one of the courtyards in the Palais de Papes.

An amazing height achieved in C14.  The largest Gothic palace in the world, with great big cavernous rooms.  

Villeneuve:  Tour Philippe le Bel.  Built to guard the other side of the Pont d’Avignon which straddled the island in the middle of the Rhone, where our campsite was.

View up to Fort St Andre, built by the French royalty so they could keep an eye on the Popes!

The Chartreuse du Vale de Benediction:  once the largest and most important Carthusian monastery in France.  Bits had been sold off but now reclaimed and restored – sort off!

Three cloisters still with the food serving hatches for the monks.  This one looking up to the Fort St Andre.

We really liked the chilled and less touristy Villeneuve.

678 – Tuesday 4th April:  Chateauneuf deu Pape and Rasteau

We bid a fond adieu to campsite Pont D’Avignon after the usual van water/waste/wc services – and our wineavigator compass needle flickered around to – direction Chateauneuf du Pape!  Town square lunch – K – foie gras – and a glass each of the obligatory (expensive) produce…  

Our destination tonight was another France Passion site – a vineyard. On arrival and setting up Jezacamp, we has a degustation – and the subsequent purchases included some Euro 2.90 per litre local wine and a few bottles of the better stuff.  Evening sunset over vines as far as the eye can see – and mountains on the other (sunrise) side – and all for free!  Seven star hotel surroundings – is this the life?  Just a smidgen of wind to contend with (and not just from Oscar!) – our host referred to it as a ‘mistral’.

It had to be done … one glass of Chateauneuf de Pape was EUR7 and the other 9.  We swapped halfway through.

 I just had a starter – panfried foie gras with a poached quails egg and a light black olive tapenade … yummy.  Followed by a shared cheese platter with J.

Our Rasteau vineyard pitch.    Just us, the farmhouse behind us and views across to the hills.

Most of the land is flat and vines as far as the eye can see.

Oscar’s Diary

Well then, another diary entry – for my fans…. What to write? No need to describe meal times, walks, being left in the van while the ‘owners’ go to a museum – or a bar – latest excuse was they were visiting some Paper Palace in Avignon – ‘Palais de Papier’, I think they said…  I suppose you could learn about – tissues, wc paper, kitchen rolls, papier mache – paper airplanes?  Paper over the cracks in their logic, maybe…  Anyway, they’re only humans, after all.  

We dined in the campsite restaurant one night – I was allowed in – unlike the Avignon Parks!  I was appalled!  Other dogs barking inside – and being generally misbehaved – the owners didn’t seem to care, unlike my K and J who care a lot about me (I had to get that in – I like to flatten, sorry flatter them, sometimes).  

Now, they tell me I will see Kensey on 7th – this Friday. Which approach to use this time? The aloof, devilmaycare, manabouttown syndrome? Or the getyoursnoutinthere directline way?  Women are a mystery – I heard James say that once to K – his ear developed a sudden dent, then.  Maybe the cautious approach – you blokes will know – pay a compliment – like when ladies say “does my bottom look big in this?”  You say “Not much darling” – no – “Never, sweetums” is better.  How much have I learned from James?  Build on the cosy atmosphere following the compliment, a bunch of flowers (pansies are good) – and then – fly under the radar – and Bob’s yer uncle!   If we’re going to have a long term relationship, something needs to give….  

Back to the UK next week – I’ve forgotten the cold weather, the M25, the other roads with never ending queues of cars – but – we will be with family and friends.

K and J have been listening to “Harry Potter” on audiobook whilst driving – I thought it was a mistake….  Now when James produces my doggybowl, he waves his wand (no rude jokes, please) and says “enterfariumdoggywoso” – and nothing happens!  No magic dogfood appears in the bowl – so he has to go back to actually manhandling the food into the dish.  I may try to delete the next episode from K’s KPad…

That’s from me – for now – back to Kenseyplanning…..