4 replies to this topic

[maineman]

Got to Marseille, a few more markets, and finally chateauneuf de pape. Best wine I've ever had....THe more I'm here the more impressed I am with the French lifestyle.... fresh food daily, no rush, friendly people, small footprint, clean nuclear energy, small cars, laid back... Here's a few pix:



Berry vendor in Aix







Herbs, spices, and weird stuff at the market....







Local Sardine festival... back of the school... your tax dollars at work. 700 pounds of grilled sardines, with fresh Baguettes, rose wine and a brass band for dancing...







Lavender grows everywhere... Place is a buzzing with bees (no missing bees here). Whole country smells nice...







View of the Rhone from the old home of the Auvignon Popes, home to Chateauneuf de pape... best wines. Across the river are the more reasonably priced Rhones....







There are "caves" or wine cellars everywhere... pop in, swirl, taste spit and fall over....







Isle of If.... home to Count of Monte Cristo's prison... (or was it Gerard Depardeu?)







The walk up the stairs to the prison. Isle of If is a few miles off the coast of Marsielle in the beautiful meditaranean sea....







Enjoy!



mm

[skyymaster]

Thank those were refreshing, like to M. Sea if you go there. Keep them coming.

[OEXCHAOS]

I done tole you 'bout them sardines! That's really pretty stuff. I wish we could join you. I've had a vision for a long time of a more "French" lifestyle right here in NKy. I think I'm not the only one. Bit by bit, it's happening. My farmers send me email on Friday telling me what they have, I send them requests that they hold some things for me. Right now, we're buying virtually everything local (save our lobster from last night), that is if we aren't growing it ourselves. I note that there are several new wineries in the area actually producing something worth drinking. There's almost a critical mass. Even my BIL is setting up to revive the old Monte Casino vineyards on his property. We're a long, long way from having the good food/wine and lifestyle of France, but there seems to be some movement in that direction, at the margins. I wish it was more. Thanks for sharing. I'm hungry. Mark

[Sentient Being]

Modest rural communities can hang on to that "local" charm. My wife and I have found that to have the best of both worlds, Have good paying jobs and live in relatively poor or "modest" rural communites that have lots of local pride and charm. She's a nurse and I'm in the power industry. We live well, we enjoy our rural, wooded, local small community. Our yearly fairs, parades, local pride and volunteers....it's great. Bring in a bunch of jobs, businesses, "foreigners" and you change it all. Traffic picks up, the trees come down, local traditions evaporate, etc etc. So we selfishly don't want to see a lot of change here, since we live on top of the heap so to speak and life is good. I hear the French voted for change because they were tired of the "poor" part and want more jobs and fewer illegal immigrants taking those jobs.

[Dex]

Nice pictures - have you been to the clothes optional beaches yet? After awhile you find yourself looking more at the women that are clothed rather than topless - go figure.