The last few days of Ling and Loren's Sablet visit ..............................

PART 3

The first thing I had to do  for the morning was to send my passport off to DC. 
So we left for a long walk downhill right after breakfast. 
It cost a staggering 56 euros for the express mail. 
But it would save us a trip to Marseille. 

While I took my espresso solo at the bar, Loran went and checked out the light at the boulangerie. 
The lighting was perfect. 
The parking space happened to be empty where Loran could  stand and take the photo. 
He got the owner to move up the awning so the sign was shown. 
After the baker took a pose with his baguette dressed in white apron and torque,
a cable company managed to string a cable right across the sign. 
Loran was frustrated.
Fortunately, it is a very welcoming village. 
He managed to talk to the workmen to hold the line above the sign long enough for him to snap the picture.  Mission accomplished!



Sablet Village - Provence - Boulangerie "Festival" - a real testament to the skill of this creative young Boulanger is the long line that forms at the door and spills out into the Place every day.

I made some pates with zucchini and mushroom for lunch. 
We had a leisurely coffee at the bar and pondered what to do in the afternoon. 
Consensus was to return home and read more Mayle.

Since it looked though we would be able to have the Americans for an drink, around 5:00,
 we popped a bottle of brut made by the local coop (La Gravillas). 
We nursed it all afternoon and even saved some for dinner. 
Dinner took me a few minutes, simple salad. 
We checked out the spotlight on the church and took a quick stroll down to the village.  Rather quiet.

Sablet Village - Provence - the lighted Campanile of de l'Eglise St. Nazaire
is clearly visible across the valley every night

April 29^th

Another beautiful and sunny day awaited us. 
We did some motoring and had a quick wine-tasting at La Gravillas. 
Two 6 bottle boxes we safely placed in the trunk and would last us a while in Juan-les-Pins. 
We spent some time in Gigondas (s is pronounced for it is Languedoc, the language of Provence). 
Loran found a photo opp but by the time we picked up the camera, the scene had completely changed
(light was wrong, people scattered and no tourist was in sight).

Lunch was at Les Florets, 2.5kms from Gigondas. 
It was a hotel and restaurant.
Wonderful setting, with hills surrounding it, hills are terraced with vineyards,
 beautiful garden filled with roses, plane trees, linden trees. 
though it was a bit windy, we sat in the courtyard. 
We ordered identical items for lunch, asparagus for an Entrée and duck legs for plat. 
For amuse bouche, we had crayfish with apple and mango served in tumblers.
Entrée: 3 green and 3 white spears of asparagus wrapped in Parma ham,
placed on top of tomato, feta cheese and with Italian pesto. 
A jar (the kind used for jam, with a clamp) of asparagus gazpacho was served on the same plate. 
Plat: perfectly cooked duck leg, a skew of gizzard (I took Loran’s share) and melon ball sized veggies
(carrot, potato, zucchini) and shredded duck meat on warm toast.

On our way home, we stopped at the Cave Gigondas and bought a box of Gigondas
(Grenache, syrah, Mouvedre and Cinsault).

Maybe it was the big lunch, or maybe it was the hay fever, we both fell asleep reading more Mayle. 
The church bell reminded us it was time for a Rosé at five. 
We would have to pack and get ready tomorrow morning. 
It was a pity that we were staying only a week.

April 30^th

Today we said,  “goodbye” to La Maison des Pèlerins in Sablet. 
We got up at a decent hour and had a big breakfast knowing that we might not have time to stop for lunch.  Packing and rolling the luggage to the care took no time at all. 
It saved us the nerve-racking experience of driving the care to the house. 
The most challenging task was how and where to dispose of the garbage. 
In this small town, there is not garbage collection service. 
Loran came up with the solution. 
He used the shopping trolley, removing the shopping bag and putting the big trash bag on the cart
 and wheeled it to the fountain. 
I found a row of trash bins hidden in a niche right under the rampart. 

Dropping off the keys in the mailbox, we left this beautiful house behind. 
Boohoo!


Thanks again to Loran List  and Ling Lau for the wonderful Journal and Photographs.

        

On April 26^th we left Ling driving the car
back from the small parking area by Maison des Pelerins  down to the village
so that Loren could photograph her maneuvering it around a tight corner! 
Bravo Ling! 
That corner (Rue de l’Eglise to Grande Rue)  is a nightmare – especially when you go down forwards in anything, but probably a Smart Car! 

Continuing on…….. April 26

Loren wanted me to drive the car back down to the village
and he would photograph me maneuvering the car around the tight corner.  I
 was truly stuck between a wall and a rock pinching the back passenger’s side of the car. 
Loren was busy taking photos instead of directing me out of the tough spot! 
After he finished with the roll of film,
he realized my dilemma and lent me a helping hand. 
I managed to get out of the spot with a minor scratch to the car. 
I declared that the car would be parked at the village center
and would never be driven up to the church again,
even if it meant that I had to make a few trips to bring our luggage down.


Sablet Village - Provence - Cafe des Sports owner Bruno at the window

We sat at our usual table at the bar and ordered some espresso (elongée, Americaine) to calm our nerves. 
It was a beautiful day but with some breezes.  The town was relatively quiet.


Sablet Village - Provence - Inside the Cafe - patrons enjoy a card game

We drove through Vaison la Romaine to the Intermarche on the Route de Nyons. 
Loran’s razor broke down this morning and he needed to get a new one. 
We found the store and did some shopping.  It was fairly easy with the shopping trolley that we found at Maison des Pèlerins.  We put everything in the trolley and didn’t even need any plastic bags. 
Loran found some Tavel and bought one to try.  Loran attacked a stack of Peter Myle books. 
The one he picked was in large print!

 

April 27^th

The church bell roused us up from our slumber. 
It always rings twice (the number corresponding to the hour) on the hour and one ring at the half hour.
Loran spent time photographing around the fountain and for props he carried a blue laundry bucket. 
He had to carry it around while we were having our coffee and did our shopping. 
A commercial artist (Denis Plat) spotted Loran and took interest in his work. 
He invited us to his studio cum office, showing us his works
and giving us some brochures he produced for local wineries.

Lunch was a big treat for we went to the highly recommended restaurant (Les Abeilles). 
Other patrons were sitting under the plane tree while e sat indoors because of the wind. 
Loran ordered the plat of white fish served with 5 juicy, plump asparagus. 
I ordered lamb sausage served with well cooked cabbage. 
Fromage was my choice instead of dessert.
Loran went with La Babu (cake shaped like a ball) au Grande Marnier. 
He loved it.

Afternoon was spent reading Peter Mayle. 
really loved his sense of humor in Acquired Taste.

We took a short walk in the late afternoon since the weather was so beautiful. 
Loran took more pics  (Locations: Large Residence – Grande Rue; Lavatoir; patron at Café des Sports; Turret and plane tree; cat ladder to second floor window).

Diner was again fish, halibut (fletan). 
I grilled it on both sides for more than 5mins, but it was stiLaull very tender and moist. 
garni was French Beans tied in small bundles.

  

April 28^th   ………….

To be continued ……….. in Part 3 we will read the story behind the photograph of our very talented young Boulanger (photograph in Part 1), and some wine tasting experiences.

Thanks again to Loran List  and Ling Lau for the wonderful Journal and Photographs.

        

Did I just finish saying that we have met the most wonderful people as a result of Maison des Pelerins and La Baume des Pelerins?

The next three Blogs will really bear this out.

During the month of April, we were very fortunate to have Ling Lau and Loren List as guests at Maison des Pelerins.  They were on a tour of Europe and stopped in Sablet for a week. 
Loren is a talented professional photographer, and so spent much of his time
looking for good "photo ops". 

Last week, I arrived home to a very large FedEx Package! 
In it was a stunning portfolio of photographs
 - our village and some of its residents so beautifully captured in print....
 ...........Courtesy of Loren and Ling!
 As if the pictures weren't generous enough,
Ling had kept a very charming and beautifully written Journal of her trip. 
Ling and Loren have very kindly permitted me to share Ling's Journal
and display some of his photographs on this blog. 

I have broken the Journal and the pictures up into three parts
and hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did.
As I mentioned, Loren is a professional photographer so 
if anyone might be interested in seeing more of his work, please let me know.

I have shown pictures of Loren's pictures as the originals are 24" x 18" and too big for my scanner.
The Originals are far superior in photo quality, but the composition is so wonderful
that I wanted to share them on this blog. 

 

LING’S  SABLET JOURNAL 

April 24^th  

We got up early in anticipation of a long day of travel.  We calculated the distance 
 from La Pineda, Spain to Sablet, France to be around 330 miles. 
It would be mostly highway and 30 km of country roads.

 It took us 30 minutes to get out of town and on to the AP7. 
Around Girona we came across the biggest traffic jam caused by an accident. 
We travelled 3.5 km in 45 minutes. 
The cause of this mess was a wreck among 3 big rigs transporting oranges and veggies. 
The emergency crews were busy moving crates and spilled oranges to the shoulder. 
The middle rig was completely accordioned.  This unexpected event put us behind schedule.

 We stopped by the first aire (rest stop for travelers)  in the French side. 
Pressing for time, we bought some sandwiches and ate them in the car. 

I made a wrong turn when I tried to pull over to a gas station.
Instead I exited the highway and had to turn around after paying the tolls. 
More precious minutes lost in the process.

When we got to Orange, we had more than made up lost time. 
After a few wrong turns, we found the winding and narrow (2 way) country road leading to Sablet. 
In the town square, we  found parking (rather lucky). 
We walked into the local bar and ordered some drinks. 
The owner lent us his cell phone so we called our contact, Marianne (on site manager). 
She lived 45 minutes away.  We sat at the bar looking at the beautiful vista
(rolling hills terraced with vineyards).  We heard a couple of American gentlemen
talking about their time in Chicago and Cleveland.  It was very funny that we left home for 3 weeks without any sighting of an American, only to find some in such a small village in the middle of France.

Marianne showed up on time with 2 crying boys.  She said hello to me in perfect Mandarin.  What a coincidence!   She used to work in Tianjin.  Her husband was a professional photographer!

The house, La Maison des Pelerins, situated immediately behind a 12 and 14 century church (Eglise de Nazzare), was a charmer, very spacious, living room, dining room, state of the art kitchen, breakfast nook, garden, 2 king-size bedrooms en suite.  The décor was very Provencal style. 
It has all the modern amenities: TV, DVD, wifi, washer and DRYER.

I took a big risk driving the car up the winding and narrow paths to the front of the church
into one of 4 parking slots. 
The car, equipped with proximity alarms, rang and sounded all the way when I drove up.

We ate a simple dinner at the only local restaurant (Les Remaprts).

April 25

We had to do our shopping in the morning since all stores were to be closed on Sunday afternoons. 
We raced down to main street (one block long). 
Loran was distracted by a photo op, a lady painting the fountain. 




I went to pick up the camera and returned to find them conversing in English. 
The lady is from South Carolina and staying here for 1 month with her husband and another couple. 
The ladies have been painting at a different village everyday.

We did some shopping at the local grocery and butcher. 
I made chicken drumsticks with veggies for lunch. 
Nice for a change. Laundry was also done and DRIED.

Time to head downtown for some coffee. 
Loran, the photographer, was fascinated by a group of locals playing a card game in the bar. 
Again, I raced off to fetch his tools.

Afternoon was spent reading and online.

The weather was glorious, in the 80’s, actually a bit too hot for us.

The church and the house are on the highest ground, the short cut has 38 steps.

April 26

It was about ten when we had our breakfast.  I went down to the boulangerie
and bought pain au chocolate and a baguette. 





Fresh grapefruit and orange juice was prepared by Loran. 
Immediately after that, I put some veggies (eggplant, fennel, potato and carrot)
and veal into the crock pot setting it to fast cook for lunch. 
Loran did some photographing around the house. 
Around noon, the crock pot did not show any progress in the cooking. 
We rushed down to the village hoping to buy something for lunch before the stores closed for lunch. 
We did find one grocer open and grabbed whatever we needed.

Loren wanted me to drive the car back down to the village and he would photograph me
...... maneuvering the car around the tight corner.  …………… to be continued!

        

.......How does it go?........ the future’s not ours to see?    …..  the purchase of  our new property in Sablet, certainly falls into that category....................

2004 -  in Sablet  village, we were staying in rented  a vacation house.

We had noticed on a real estate website,  an apartment in a very old building that was being renovated, was available for sale.  We contacted the realtor and he showed it to us.  It was still in a state of rough construction, the living/dining/kitchen and bedrooms with bare concrete floors, rough plumbing connections where the kitchen and bathrooms could be placed,  walls were not painted, there was also a garage and a “cave” (wine cellar).   We liked the location and the village – the apartment had possibilities. 

It was on the lower two levels, of a very old four storey building – all of which was undergoing renovation by an Italian Contractor/Developer who had come to Sablet many, many years before,  and made the village his home. Interestingly, the property above the one we were looking at, was accessed from a street three levels up, on the opposite side of the building. This one was accessed from a different street  at a  level three stories lower.  The effect was that they were two independent houses.  We looked and looked again, before telling the realtor that we would like to make an offer to purchase it. 

He said, “OK, I’ll call the seller and let you know his response tomorrow.”   When tomorrow came, we saw our realtor approaching our rented house with his head hanging.  He explained that we had been beaten to the purchase by another buyer who had also been looking at it. I can’t believe that my response at the time was, “… never mind, it means that there’s something better waiting for us.”  Our realtor couldn’t believe that we weren't upset with him - we said …. “OK we’ll be in touch”. 

Oh yes, during one of our walks around the village we had noticed the house above, and remarked  how much we liked that one too.

Fast forward ….. about nine months …… I was looking at the realtor’s website again and noticed a picture which I was sure was the house above!  I contacted him right away and asked about it.  He said , “yes” indeed it was the same one we were talking about.  Great!  ………. Let’s buy it!  The rest is history, and that house is  Maison des Pèlerins. 

During the purchase and remodeling of Maison des Pèlerins, we met our new neighbor who had beaten us to the purchase a year earlier.  She is a delightful, elegant lady from Paris, whom we came to know well,, and with whom we shared many enjoyable times.  We loved what she did to finish her house, and the way she used the space that was originally the garage.  The kitchen was finished with a classic, yet modern look and a back drop of ochre walls, so much a part of Provence.  The garage, which she felt would not be easy to access with a vehicle received a new Iron Gate, a beautiful tiled floor, and the rough rock walls were whitewashed. This space had been transformed into one of the most attractive, unique “outdoor” spaces in the village  (the baume).  The “cave” had also been whitewashed and converted into a very functional laundry area at the front, with a relaxing sitting area further back into the hill. We loved walking past the large “baume” in the mornings and seeing the light streaming in and reflecting off the back wall. (see below)

 

Fast forward encore …… five years after the purchase of Maison des Pèlerins, we were surprised to receive some news from our neighbor.  She was planning to leave Sablet, to be closer to her children and would be selling her house.  At first, we were disappointed to be losing our wonderful neighbor, but it brought to mind a thought that we had never really contemplated, because we really liked our neighbor.  Buying her property  brought about the opportunity to reconnect the two properties as they once were – one house! 

Even more ironic, is the fact that during last summer’s visit to Sablet, we met the gentleman who made all the renovations on this building.  We told him how much we were enjoying our house and the changes he had made.  He was kind enough to give us the complete set of plans that he had used – so there it is – a complete (albeit recent) construction history of the building that is now La Baume des Pèlerins and Masion des Pèlerins and …… shown in the plans is the original staircase connecting the two! ……………..Les Pèlerins! 

Fortunately, the stairs were, and are planned to be in a place that will allow us to close them off and maintain the separation between La Baume and Maison, as they currently stand. When open, it will function as one four bedroom house, that will very comfortably accommodate large groups – not only because of the number of bedrooms, but also because we have several living areas, which gives everyone more of their own space.

The stairs have not been done yet as the purchase took place in mid July, and the rest of our time in Sablet was spent furnishing La Baume and getting it ready for guests.  Perhaps during this winter, when things are quieter in Provence. 

Until then, whenever we want to go from Maison to La Baume, we walk out of the front door of Maison to the l’Escaliers de l’ Eglise, walk down our version of the “Spanish Steps” (41 of them),  and down Grande Rue to the front door of La Baume.

Who needs to join a fitness club when you can spend time in Sablet walking from one part of your house to another via two streets and 41 steps??!!

             Below are some Before (2003 during construction) and After (2010) pictures of La Baume


      

                         The Living Room 2003                                                                                         The Living Room 2010


       
                      The Kitchen 2003                                                                    The Kitchen 2010

        
                              The Cave 2003                                                                    The Cave 2010 


                                 
                                               The Baume 2003 when it was a garage

 

                     

                                                                               The Baume 2010     

 

        

    
    The time:  10pm …… the place:  the sports field in the village of Monteux, Provence, France ............  

    “Bonsoir Mesdames, bonsoir Mesdemoiselles, bonsoir Messieurs,”  the narrator’s voice boomed out over the very large open air sports field, where we had found a small patch of ground to park our folding chairs … along with about forty-three thousand of our closest friends from the village and beyond!  It was time …….

    The narrator continued, “…. The village of Monteux is happy to welcome you to our traditional fireworks display which takes place every August.  We hope to help you spend an excellent evening.”

    “True to our tradition of the art of fireworks and this theatre, this evening we propose a voyage on a theme:  ‘Lilix, Princesse de Vix’.  The voyage is going to take is to the home of the Gaulles, to Vix in Burgundy, during the 6^th Century AD.”

    “So, Mesdames et  Messieurs ….. our virtual spaceship will soon be taking off,……. Prepare yourself to depart, …… attach your seatbelts,  forget everything, I said forget everything, ….let your imaginations go free, ….. let yourself be transported by the magic of the evocation pyrotechnique!”
                        
                        The official "affiche" publicising the 2009 "Feu d'Artifice" 

    Yes, another hot August night in Provence….. and this is one of the best known fireworks displays in France.   How did we come to be here? Earlier that week,  we had bumped into our neighbor and friend, Père Pierre the curé in Sablet.  Of course we stopped to say, “Bonjour” and have a little chat.   He asked us, “Are you free on Friday night?” “yes,” we said.  He told us about the “grand spectacle” of the “feu d’artifice”  in Monteux.  He said he would be meeting his niece and family there and invited us to join them.  He didn’t need to ask twice!  Our first experience with a  choreographed fireworks display had been in the delightful seaside village of Cassis in the early 1980’s.  We had thoroughly enjoyed it and so were very much looking forward to seeing another.

    On the appointed evening, we had arranged to all have an early dinner in our courtyard and leave by 8.30pm for Monteux, with folding chairs at the ready.  On the drive, Père Pierre told us that it would be best to park on the outskirts of the village …. “and be sure to turn the car around, towards getaway direction!”  We followed his directions and parked what turned out to be about 3 kilometers away from the sports field, and joined the growing procession of fireworks lovers, on our pilgrimage to an adventure.  On arrival, we were faced with a sea of people and the challenge was to find a good spot from which to view the show – no problem, even in a crowd, everyone was in good humor and made room.   Ready!  As the sun started to set,  excitement mounted  ….. until the announcer boomed out over the PA system and  for the next 45 minutes we would be on a journey “de la pyrotechnie, extraordinaire”.

    The countdown started….. 10…..9….8 …… 7……………….. etc., ”c’est parti!” Liftoff!   For several seconds bright light beams criss-crossed the skies above us, creating the ambience of travelling in a spaceship…. The narrator  guided us on our virtual journey through the skies over the cities between Monteux and Vix …. Bollene,  Montelimar, Lyon…on and on until he commanded, 
                                                                                     “Stop! We’re here!”
                                 
      Our eyes were transfixed on the heavens and we were mesmerized by what we saw and heard……..  we watched the changing moods of the light and sound displays as they proceeded from act to act – from the tears of despair to the force of battle and joyful bursts of celebration,  detailing the story of Lilix, the young, recently widowed princess  of Vix, a community rich in precious metals and well situated on a commercial route, that was the envy of communities around them. Most envious of all the people of Arverne, a much less well endowed area, but none the less the area that was home to Lilix, before she married the now deceased Prince of Vix.  From the heavy and dramatic opening scene of Lilix and her mentor Myrdinn forced to decide if she would go to war, in order to repel the invasion by the Avernes  (her  friends and family),  then their victory as the result of a well planned  and executed surprise early morning attack, followed  by the shrewd decision by the leader of the Avernes  -   suggesting  that a marriage between the Princess of Vix and one of the handsome young warriors of Averne would be a better way to create peace and prosperity for both communities.  Lilix of course, was at first conflicted by the idea, and again sought the counsel of Myrdinn who in his wisdom recommended  the marriage and seven days of great festivities to celebrate.  The fireworks exquisitely illustrated the story.

    As the last spectacular burst of fireworks lit up the sky and Lilix and her new husband headed off to live happily ever after, the crowd sat completely enthralled,  wishing the show wouldn’t stop, but glad to have the happy ending.  Applause broke out – loud and long lasting, appreciation of the outstanding artistry was clearly evident by attendance and reaction.  As the crowd started to move, we were still talking about the wonderful spectacle we had just seen – the combination of storyline, music and superb pyrotechnics was magnificent and definitively “for –mi –dable!”

    Spirits were high and excitement was still in the air as we gathered our belongings, refolded the chairs and started to make for the outskirts of town where the getaway vehicle awaited us.  The exit was much slower than our entry to the stadium.  Many other vendors and shows had started up as the fireworks ended and were taking advantage of the crowd flowing through the village.  Reaching the middle of the village, we were starting to see the wisdom of Père Pierre’s parking recommendation as we watched cars jostling to try to get out of the parking lot and get away on the narrow village roads.  That little village parking lot and the surrounding roads look very much like the A7 Autoroute heading south on the last week end in July!  We chatted, having fun as we walked and walked until we reached the outward facing car, on the outskirts of the village well beyond the “circulation bouché”. 

    At sometime past midnight we drove back into our by now quiet little village of Sablet – still heaping praise on Père Pierre for his brilliant and extremely generous invitation to us,  in sharing his friends, his family and this very memorable evening with us.

        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

    “Il Fait Vachement Chaud!”     That’s what this irresistible picture of a heat exhausted dog seems to say.
  
    Yes …. It was August in Provence – hot days, warm evenings - the kind of weather that reminds us of the wisdom of the Provençaux, who many years ago planted Plane trees that would grow up to tower over the parched ground and spread their branches, creating sanctuaries under their cool green canopies.  This dog was serious about staying cool taking full advantage of the shaded stone bench with his head in a moist flower pot.  The scene was in Villdieu, a pretty little village about 20 minutes from Sablet where the village square and surrounding buildings are sheltered from the blistering afternoon sun by five very large Plane trees. As we enjoyed a cool drink in the shade my mind went back to our first visit to Villedieu, last year – also in August.  

    That evening, the square had been filled with tables covered with large squares of white paper, set with plates, knives , forks, wine glasses and serviettes -  dinner for the whole village – and visiting guests.  It was the Fête Votive, the annual celebration held in all Provençal villages which celebrates the patron saint of the village.  We were fortunate to be invited to this celebration by one of our neighbors in Sablet, who had worked in Villedieu for many years and so, had many friends there. Dinner was to be a “Grande Aioli” – a specialty, which we had yet to experience. When we drove into Villedieu  for the festivities we were greeted by a rain shower, which had everyone looking nervous, but fortunately it was brief, as many rain showers in this area are.  

    It turned out to be a warm, balmy evening. Dinner commenced with cool, sweet, locally grown melon before the Grande Aioli. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but what a wonderful surprise! This unassuming, yet delightfully fresh meal consisted of cool poached Cod, and steamed potatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower and a hard boiled egg, all served with the most delicious, most garlicky, freshly made mayonnaise known as Aioli.  The fish was fresh, fresh, fresh.  The vegetables crisp and flavorful.  This dish became an instant favorite with us – so simple yet so delicious – so very Provençal.  The main course was so delicious that I don’t even remember what desert was!  

    Then, it was time for the dancing to start. Towards the end of dinner, the band took its place on stage.   The music was fun, upbeat, alternating French, English, Spanish and sometimes Italian! We were amazed at the versatility of this group – they sang everything from Provençal songs to American rock.  The music and dancing went on until the early hours of the morning.  We danced, talked with our friends, learnt about a wonderful special meal, met new friends and saw how festive the annual village celebration was – friends and neighbors getting together to just enjoy a summer evening with a great meal, lively  music good company.  I don’t know what time it finished, but we left at around 1.30am and went home to our nice quiet beds.

        
            Sablet en Fete!          
                                                                           
    

    In all our years of visiting France, this was our first experience with the “Fete Votive” – but – walking down to Sablet village the next morning, we stopped to talk with one of our neighbors and told her about the fete we had attended the night before.  She asked, “…. and did you enjoy it?”  “Oh yes, very much,” we replied.  “Bien, bien” she said -  “Sablet’s Fete Votive is next week and it will last for three days, with music and dancing every night …”  That will be fun! 

    During the next week we thoroughly enjoyed going down into our village – having dinner at one of the restaurants  and listening to music with its amazing (for our small village) show (was this Sablet or Las Vegas??!!), seeing the kids having fun on the helicopter ride and eating their way through gigantic masses of “barbe de papa” (candy floss).  It was a carnival like side of Sablet we had not yet seen, all ages from small children on the rides or ring toss, groups of teenagers, villagers and visitors all having fun and making the most of the festivities that go on well into the night!     

    This is early August in Provence – high summer weather and celebrations which bring a whole new meaning to “Hot August Night”.   

"Il fait vachement chaud"  -  It Is Reeeaaalllly Hot!

        

    It’s July!   The Fourth of July just past, vacation only a few weeks away.  Back to Sablet and Provence.  Time to start packing and getting all those, “before we go” jobs done.  Start with the suitcases ….. yes they’re ready to start ….. wait a minute …. What’s this in the zipper compartment on the outside of this one?  

    Dated Lundi 21 Juillet 2008 (Monday July 21 2008), is a Sud Vaucluse edition the daily newspaper La Provence, carrying a front page headline and large color picture beckoning, Tous au Marché (everyone to the market).  It invites readers to take a tour of 120 markets in the Vaucluse, every day of the week in different towns and villages.   As I read on, this article and just the thought of the Provencal markets makes me feel good – always filled with characters and good natured stall holders who  love talking with and getting to know their customers.  They’re always ready joke with you, to share a recipe or make sure you know the best way to launder that table runner to keep it looking beautiful.  They love to know where you are from, and what really surprised me was, how many had visited the US – amongst the most common reactions – “love san Francisco – very European”  “Las Vegas is amazing ”  “New York – formidable”.

    Each vacation, we try to get to new markets in towns and villages we haven’t visited yet.  It’s a great way to start your sightseeing tour – with a true flavor of the local scene, lunch at a outdoor café or perhaps even better, pick up supplies for a picnic, followed by an afternoon of exploring and sightseeing. I must admit though that we have developed some favorites. They have become “old friends”.  

    Usually arriving on a Saturday afternoon, amongst the first items of business for us is Sunday morning at Isle sur la Sorgue market, followed by an outdoor lunch at Lou Nego Chin (old Provencal for “the swimming dog”) – a small restaurant on the banks of the River Sorgue. Are we really such creatures of habit?   It appears so!  The market gets crowded in the summer, so go early.  There is a great little breakfast café on the rue du Docteur Taillet,  as well as outdoors at the Café de France opposite the Cathedral  - not too far from the scene of “the doggie voleur.”  Oops!  Mustn’t forget – stop by Lou Nego Chin and reserve a riverside table for twelve-thirty.  Now ….. Spices, fresh produce, maybe a freshly cooked chicken for dinner, cheeses, olives and charcuterie (where’s the stall holder who told me that he’d never be able to afford a new truck, if I was only going to purchase one coil of saussison?  – better go back and see if the new truck materialized) …. Mon pauvre mari makes trips back to the car – lucky we discovered a great parking area not too far away that always seems to have free spots.  Time to check out what’s new at the market this year – linens, what’s new in pottery, don’t forget the artisan made soaps, olive wood items, fabric (absolutely the best place for furnishing fabrics) , anything at all!  I’m in my element here –  must have been a stall holder in a previous life!
                                        
     The morning passes quickly, with way too much fun.  It’s time to meet our friends at the restaurant.  One of the most comforting,  yet surprising  things is that the stall holders at the market, owners and staff of restaurants very rarely change, so it’s nice to go back to old friends.  Lunch is going to be fun  – we’re meeting friends who have come from the other side of the world.  Under a large shady umbrella, watching the ducks amble down the river, it’s time to relax with an aperitif and check out the menu.  As As the bells of the Cathedral chime one pm, the market starts to unwind.  Stall holders packing up their narrow tall vans into which disappears everything that made up the stall – tables, umbrellas, merchandise and anything else that was used. The food is great – as usual – the Soupe de Poisson is still great …… and I just can’t resist their Ile Flotant for desert.  Am I really such a creature of habit? 
                                               
      Before we know it – it’s nearly three – most of the day spent with old friends -  The friends we have lunch with, the friends at the restaurant and the Market itself – definitely an old friend.  Let’s walk back to the car, put the top down and head back to Sablet ….. ..
After all, we have more “can’t be missed” old friends to visit during the week ……
                                          Tuesday in Vaison la Romaine .........  Friday in Carpentras    ......…. Just for starters.

        

Last Week's clue:   A Dog, A Cat & some Rope

Expression:   Il pleut des cordes                       Literal meaning:  It’s raining ropes

English equivalent:  It’s raining cats and dogs/ it’s pouring



                                

                                                  Dark  rain clouds loom over the Dentelles de Montmirail

            Generally speaking, the cats, dogs and ropes fall very infrequently, and in short bursts during “the season” in Provence. When they do during that time, the short but heavy showers are accompanied by spectacular thunder, lightning and followed by even more spectacular rainbows.  But ….. yes, the heavens do open up from time to time, which sends  café owners scurrying to fold up or stack their outdoor chairs and tables,  and collapse umbrellas before they become airborne. 

                ……. As the TGV made its way from Paris to Avignon that special April morning, I was surprised to find that the light showers I had left in Paris much earlier, were not giving way to le soleil which Provence is so well known for.  In fact, the showers were growing in intensity, with heavy, dark grey clouds. The Provencaux would not be happy with this. Remembering ….  a couple of  years earlier,  a café owner in Isle sur la Sorgue apologizing profusely  that it had rained for two days without stopping… and in March!   Setting our coffee down on the table he said, “…. But it’s always dry here in Provence.”  “mais, il est toujours très, très, très sec là!”   

                The train whooshed  through the countrywide and towards  Avignon.   As we got closer, the heavens really opened up and I thought, “this is going to be interesting, I’m by myself (for the first week here),   two large suitcases, and a (no doubt, wet and slippery) ramp, down to the  parking lot, on the other side of which is the Hertz office where my rental car awaits.”   It was “interesting”.  I’d not counted on the rain.  Predictably, the ramp was wet, showing the slightly muddy trails of many, many suitcases that had accompanied their owners that morning.  Balancing purse, umbrella and suitcases -  all working in a very tenuous choreography  - where is that extra hand when you need it?                   Right …..  time to face the elements. The weight of the suitcases made them badly want to overtake me, as I struggled  to steady myself  and not find myself chasing after them,  perhaps  winding up sliding (on my derriere), all the way down the long ramp.  One of those moments that brings to mind a cartoon character,  in some form of out of control forward movement,  an arm outstretched, and a panicked look on their face!  

                Next  came the umbrella juggling scene. Trying to secure the umbrella, in a  style fashioned  after holding a phone between your shoulder and ear, making sure that your head and most of your body is under it …… and it wasn’t turning inside out ……  all whilst running across the parking lot, to rent what was I’m sure,  the smallest car in the world!   Wrestling those two large cases into that car must have been quite a comical sight and did away with any last hope of staying dry – OK – I give up. I had thought, “Why would I need a larger car – it’s just me for the first week?”  Now I knew.  Important to coordinate size of suitcases and size of car, I think.  Especially in the rain.

               But, this was not a day to worry about the rain – the suitcases  were crammed in – one in the back seat and one beside me in the passenger seat.  it was  after 10.00am already.  Time to call our  Realtor in Beaumes de Venise and tell him I was on my way to his office ….. a little wet but ……. never mind.   A house we had seen from the outside the year before (although I must admit that we did have a little peek around), was “À Vendre”.  Our Realtor, had an exclusive listing on it.  What luck! ……but he would not let us make an offer without inspecting the inside first!  By coincidence, we’d already  planned  a trip in mid-April, so we advanced my departure by a week, and here I was!

                 The drive was fantastic – sometimes  on tiny two lane roads through beautiful countryside and vineyards  and “il pleuvait des cords” (beaucoup des cordes).  The drainage canals on either side of some of the roads were full and looked like fast flowing streams.  

                    Monsieur  l’immobilier was waiting  when I arrived at his office  – we had an appointment with Monsieur and Madame – the vendors,  at the house after lunch.  Enough time to drive to Orange where I had a hotel reservation,  check in and perhaps even shed some wet clothes.   It rained heavily all the way was still teeming  when I arrived in Orange and started looking for a signs to the Hotel.  Surprise!  It was Market day in Orange…… yes ….  markets in Provence  go on - rain, shine or mistral – they really do.  Diehard market goers and stall holders were covered up  with raincoats and huddled under umbrellas and heavy plastic awnings, many wheeling plastic covered market baskets, all going about their business  as usual.


                                                                  

        The Markets go on ..... Rain..... Shine ...... or Mistral .....   
                                                  

                  The proprietors of the hotel were a young couple who had just bought and recently finished remodeling it. They were very welcoming,  but very concerned about the rain,  “…..it shouldn’t be raining in April, the season has already started!”   

                   At the appointed time, I arrived at the appointed place – in front of the Mairie in Sablet.    As we walked up to the house,  it was easy to see that Monsieur and Madame, les proprietaires, had given great care to the courtyard garden.   Spring was here and bright blue pansies cascaded out of pots by the quite distinctive front door. Madame greeted us and immediately apologized for the weather saying,  “c’est triste” (it’s sad).  She motioned to the sky, saying “why now?”  I’m sure she was worried that it would affect our wish to purchase their house.  Little did she know……  we would have bought it having seen only a little part of it the year before. 
 
                    After all the waiting and wondering, I was finally here – rain notwithstanding. Looking out from the house over the rooftops of Sablet, the vineyards and hills on that rainy day, I had to pinch myself  - was this really happening, at last?   I phoned my husband, who was anxiously waiting for a report.   He picked up the call with, “How is it?”
                    My answer, “Better than we thought – especially in the rain.”

        

                                                                                      Last Week's Clue:


                                                               

Expression:   Avoir le cafard                  Literal Translation:  To have the cockroach

French Colloquial Meaning:  To have the blues;  to be down in the dumps


    If you’ve ever wondered when the usually high spirited French  “ont le cafard,”  the time to catch them is after a favorite football team loses a match.  

    We’ve experienced  two extremes of after football reaction on two very different occasions.  The first was in Paris, again it was one of my first impressions of France – at the end of our first day.  It was a day full of impressions – French bread, the surprise on the faces of the diners around us, when they saw two little English speaking boys (4 & 6), tucking into their plates of escargots.  Lots of smiles, nods of approval and nice comments.  

    Back on track.....  Leaving the restaurant, we decided to do some sightseeing around Paris on that beautiful, balmy June evening, and started a leisurely drive …..  we passed le Louvre (before the pyramid), then the Tuileries Gardens and along the Seine to the Place de la Concorde. A tour around the obelisk and fountain, then up the Champs Elysees to the Place de l’Etoile.  As we entered the busy roundabout, looking back and admiring the brilliantly lit Avenue des Champs Elysees and started to edge our way around the Arc de Triomphe along with all the other cars, suddenly all the traffic in the Place stopped.  Parisians in their cars, started cheering, clapping and tooting their horns – some got out and hugged each other, jumping for joy, others hung out of the windows, cheering!  Did this happen every Saturday night around the Arc de Triomphe?  A little bewildered, yet enjoying the happenings, mon mari lent out of the car window and asked what was happening.  The reply:  Paris 2; Lille 1;  Allez Paris! Paris had won the football match!  Of course!  No cafards around that evening – just lots of fun and celebrating that went on for quite some time.


                                                     
    Many years later, we experienced a whole restaurant full of fans to whom le cafard came. 

    It was one of those great Spring vacations BMdeP (before we owned Maison des Pèlerins) – 2002 to be exact.  We had been a little too enthusiastic when visiting the markets and decided to send a suitcase home as unaccompanied baggage, to make the rest of our trip less cumbersome.  After a late breakfast, we set off for Marignane, the Aeroport de Marseilles, about an hour’s drive South on the A7.  All went well, we didn’t get lost and went straight to the Air France Cargo Terminal. Soon the suitcase was on its way to San Francisco.   Having taken care of that, and with no specific plan for the rest of the day we headed back towards Pernes-les-Fontaines, probably via Avignon and probably to our favorite Moroccan restaurant for lunch.  

    Oops …. Was that the On Ramp to the A7?  Mmmm ….. and there’s really no way to get back on (not that we knew of, anyway).  We were now on surface roads that lead through open countryside and lots of little towns and villages.  Right … Change of plans – let’s drive through the country and head in the general direction of Pernes.  
    
    We drove through the countryside admiring the fields of bright red poppies and the bright green, vigorous spring growth in the vineyards that flanked the road for what seemed like miles.  At just about the right time, we spotted an inviting looking Auberge on the left, very close to the crossroad that was coming up.  There were lots of cars parked outside …  good, then the clincher – the Menu Board said “Gambas Giganticas” – King Sized Prawns!  The car just seemed to make its way into the parking lot and we found ourselves standing at the entry to a courtyard full of colorful tables and chairs, shaded with an arbor style trellis, covered by vines.
Don’t you just love it when a wrong turn works out really well?  

    BUT….  Where were all the people who came in all those cars? It was a beautiful day and there was no one sitting outside?   The waiter motioned to the restaurant and as we looked inside, we saw that the room was full of guests, there was an air of excitement that was almost electric.  What was going on?  Ah yes … le foot ….. The World Cup ….. France vs Senegal … and it was just about to start. Allez les Bleus! 


                                                    
       This picture was not taken on that day, but I'm sure the Gambas was "THIS BIG!"
                                                     (Arms spread apart!)

    Lunch was incredible – Asparagus Hollandaise to start,  a main course of enormous King Prawns,  sautéed in olive oil with garlic and herbs de Provence, finishing with Mango Sorbet.   During the meal, we followed the match, judging the results by the sounds emanating from the restaurant.  Cheers, whistling, shouts of joy and clapping alternating with boos, jeering, lots of free advice, expressions of disapproval and disappointment at missed opportunities.  From where we were, judging by the sound ratios - things were not looking great for the home team. We decided to head back and catch the end of the match at our destination – hoping that some dramatic turn of events would take place in the meantime, and what appeared to be the most likely outcome would be avoided.

    No such luck. On the way back, we stopped in Isle sur la Sorgue for coffee, only to find the café  emptying out of patrons with hanging heads, walking slowly, some shaking their heads in disapproval.  Our greetings of “Bonjour” were answered politely but unenthusiastically .  

                                       Senegal had won, and les Bleus were out of the competition.

                                      Toute le monde ont eu le cafard!  Everybody had the blues!


Auberge  Inn 
les Bleus  French National Football Team

         
                                                   ~French Expressions~

Next Weeks Clue:   


                                

   

        

Thanks Jacqueline for sharing your journey with us.    


    Our good neighbors and friends from across the street came over last night to ask if we’d bring in their mail while they were gone on vacation.  Janice is a first grade teacher within the Orlando Public School System and definitely deserves some time away.  Like me, she loves to write and will be attending a writer’s conference in Las Vegas this trip, as well as soaking in the natural beauty and grandeur of our Grand Canyon.  Bill, her husband, travels all over the world in his line of work and, I know, is along for the ride…..  If something makes Janice happy, it will make Bill happy, too!  Gotta love him!

     I tell you this little story because I’m aware that all over this world someone is ‘picking-up the mail’ for somebody else that is on their way to enjoy a few days, weeks, whatever, off for ‘good behavior.’  Label it prendre des vacances, or go on holiday, or to take a vacation……it all means the same, and we all deserve them, especially with the punches delivered by the ‘ups and downs’ of our current economic scenario.

     Although they won’t return for ten days, I’m already anticipating our one-on-one coffee clutch where Janice “spills the beans” and fills me in on (almost) every nuance of the trip.  Of course I’m interested in the conference, however, give me the sights, sounds, smells and taste that has accumulated in her memory for ten wonderful days and allow me to live vicariously through her vivid descriptions of them all.  I want to taste the red wine she discovered at dinner, and ‘people watch’ through her eyes (one of my favorite past times of all!) as the throngs pass by on their various intimate journeys, and mentally catalog the feeling of the sun and gentle breezes that wash over her face while stirring-up the sweet pine scent from the trees encircling the rim of the canyon.  

     Can life get any better?  My answer to this would be, short of being there myself, not really.  The table is set.  Go enjoy the feast.  Not only are you doing yourself a favor by partaking of a delicious ‘meal’ prepared by another, but you have the rare and joyous opportunity of seeing the world through another’s perspective.  Always remember that the Grand Canyon can be nibbled on in many different ways with each bite tasting as unique as the diner himself (herself).

     Given this very same reasoning, I am soaking up all of the information I can about Sablet and the many different sights, people and activities to visit within and surrounding the village.  Soon, when we arrive there for our ‘vacation,’ Dan and I will ‘nibble’ from the beauty, knowledge and history that surrounds us and return home with all of the ingredients to make a ‘memorable feast’ for all who want to partake of it.