Author: Michelle Lee

Surprises While Exploring

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June 22, 2023 

Today was full of surprises for our guests. Each person was awarded a surprise throughout the day.

The first surprise was visiting a lavender field for Christina, and me too! A slight fall in the ditch started the adventure. Bikers reminded us of the up coming Tour de France.

The second surprise was for Camden. Mazie took her to see her favorite animals, flamingos!!! Camden gave it a 10/10.

The third surprise was for Kellen. We took him to visit Aigues Mortes, a medieval walled city. Prior to parking we drove by the LaBaliene Salt mines located between the castle walls and the Mediterranean Sea. A fierce storm from out of nowhere hit us on the way back to the castle.

Finally we were able to enter without getting wet. Nutella crepes were on the list of must haves, followed by a tour of the ramparts and prison tower. This was the fourth surprise for Stepehen …learning about history (Thanks Kellen for the tip!) We ended our time here with late-afternoon baguette sandwiches for the ride home.

On the way home I just couldn’t help myself and stopped briefly at the local aqueduct in Castries. This one is far from touristy. We like that it is close to us and we can walk on top of it! 

Realizing the time crunch we stopped off for Kellen’s 2nd surprise, seeing the big red wine barrel up close. We also went inside the business area and saw wine stored in different vats.

The last thing we wanted the Stewart family to experience was eating at the guinguette with us. This is probably our favorite place to eat. The outdoor atmosphere and food are top notch. Christina and I really enjoyed the mozzarella balls, while Kellen and Zach enjoyed the skewers of steak. The girls enjoyed running around taking pictures.

In the morning Mazie and I returned our friends to Saint Roch Gare for their next French adventure along the coast. It was a quiet slow day for us. The Stewarts were our last visitors in France. It was now time for us to switch gears and think about moving back to VA.

Provence area of France

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Day 3 June 21

This was a full day of travel and sightseeing. I was super excited because we were going to all new places. Some I had seen 25 years ago and did not mind returning.

Stop 1 

Pont De Gard located north of Nimes. This triple decker aqueduct has stood the test of time. 

We skipped rocks and wadded in the river on both sides of the structure. We walked along the pedestrian bridge admiring the details. All of us found something to be happy about at this stop.

Stop 2

Our next stop was Carrières de Lumières, near Les Baux-de-Provence. Christina, Stephen, and I were trying to figure out how to experience Van Gogh without the kids complaining. This stop hit the spot on so many levels. We arrived just in time to watch great masterpieces of art come to life on screen projected on the walls of a cave. The two main artists featured wereVincent Van Gogh

and Piet Mondrian.Secretly this was on my French bucket list.

The venue was absolutely unique and amazing. We walked around while the movie was playing, finding different angles to watch. The air was cool and welcoming. Cam, Mazie, and Kellen even enjoyed the show. We grabbed French sandwiches to go and continued on to our journey through Aix en Provence.

Stop 3

Our drive to the next stop reminded me and Mazie of our time in Greece. The landscape was less green, very hilly, and speckled with big cream colored rocks. This was the hottest stop of our day. The sun was bright and beating down on us. We walked through ancient Greek/Roman architecture Site Archéologique de Glanum near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.

I joked there was no need to go to Greece after visiting here. In this location we were allowed to walk among the ruins, touching whatever we wanted, very different than in Athens.

The beating sun and parched mouths drove us to end our journey here quicker than expected. We spent 16 Euros on 8 bottles of water and were thankful.

Stop 4

Touring a Roman coliseum was our last adventure for the day. Mazie and I had been in a coliseum in Nimes so we decided to visit another one nearby, in Arlés. The short drive there allowed our bodies to cool and rest. The traffic, directions and parking aspects in Arlés were crazy. We came in between the end of a work day and the beginning of a Wednesday night downtown festival! Finally, after round and round the town, we landed in a parking spot that was not in a last minute tow-zone. The coliseum was tucked in a fun little part of town with narrow streets and old French decor.

Again the kids enjoyed being here, wondering about gladiators and bull fights.

We wandered through town square seeing the famous café that inspired one of Van Gogh’s famous paintings. After a long day, well behaved kids, and still a drive home we opted for ice cream to help with the walk back to the car. What a fun day for all of us!

Back in time to the 1100’s

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June 20

Leaving Zach at home to do school, we went on our last hike to thees places we have enjoyed. The first was an easy hike with beautiful doors.

During the second hike to the castle from the 1100’s, Mazie and Cam enjoyed hanging out in the perceived window frame. Kellen enjoyed climbing. The views were enjoyed by all. No matter how many times we hike we always question the return trail. It is pretty comical for us.

On the way home we stopped off to see Lac Cécélés. The lake was not as bright turquoise due to overcast skies. The kids still enjoyed wadding and skipping rocks.

The Stewart Family Visit

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June 19, 2023

Three days after Greg and Sarah flew back to Virginia, Mazie and I drove to Saint Roch Gare to find our friends the Stewarts from our neighborhood back home. The excitement was real!!!! Mazie totally bypassed Stephen, the dad, and tackled Camden on the escalator. This is the new way of greeting people in France, forget cheek kissing, full body tackling is all the rage.

Interruption

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We interrupt this blog for scenes from the weekend. 

Bella, the house cat, has been enjoying the outdoors.

Pizza in a box, ready in 5 minutes ONLY 9 Euros, hot or cold, you get to choose! We had to try it once.

Swimming just a week after hiking in 2 feet of snow seems very crazy.

France’s Dance Off with Julia and Marceau.

French breakfast with Randy Lee and Smarties courtesy of Sarah Lee.

These are a Few of Our Favorite Things…So Long Farewell

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Exploring the village market, bike pump track, boulangerie and charming side streets.

Visiting Château Puech-Haut for wine tasting with Emma.

Experiencing La Guinguette du Massillan between Teyran and Jacou. and aqueduct climbing in Castries finished our grand tour of the area.

Resides at l’Aebousier

Regretfully they tell us (cuckoo)
But firmly they compel us (cuckoo)
To say goodbye (cuckoo)
To you

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu Uncle Greg and Aunt Sarah!

These are a Few of Our Favorite Things to do near Saint Drézéry

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Hiking to the ruined castle rarely gets old for us. Today we watched glider planes being pulled to the sky and released. We heard real cuckoo cuckoo birds. Greg and Sarah described what they envisioned the castle looked like back in the 1100’s, including wooden floors, doors, gates, and more.

Visiting a winery, we chose La Roque today. The kids made paper airplanes. While the adults were tasting wine the kids were having flying competitions.

Walking through the vineyards beside our neighborhood.

Chilling on the covered back porch with the sun, a hammock, a pool, and a breeze made a great day!

The Sound of Music verse 1

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Mer de Glace

My day in the hills has come to an end,

I know.

The stars have come out

To tell me it’s time to go.

Our last day in the French Alps was upon us, we knew. This particular day consisted of sun, hail, rain, steep hikes down, a billion metal stairs to descend, a billion metal stairs to ascend, along with rides in both cable cars and trains. This time Cody came with us!

Our destination was Mer de Glace, an ice cave formed inside a glacier. Reading signs along the hike informed us of previous glacier levels. Sarah and I were absolutely amazed at how quickly the glacier was indeed melting. Due to the metal grate stairs we put Cody’s hiking boots on him to prevent torn toenails!

Once inside the air was cold. The lighting was blue due to the ice reflecting light. Cody started licking the walls of ice. This cracked us all up. We did normal poses with ice creations. As we read the information signs we realized the dirt being exposed on the walls was pretty old. 

We made our way through the cave and geared up for the ascent of metal stairs!  We all climbed these at different rates. At the top of the stairs we chose to continue the ascent via cable car. We were all glad for the smooth quick ride up, even Cody.

We found Sarah safe and sound, saving us a lunch table. During lunch the weather changed drastically to HAIL. We waited the hail storm out in the gift shop, where we also came home with 2 pocket knives! This weather forced us to change our travel plans from hiking down the beautiful, smooth, forest lined paths to riding a packed train back to the village. BTW if you ever go to Mer de Glace and see a US dime posted behind the cash register, know I donated it. I could not believe I found American money in my bag, after 11 months of living overseas.

Spaghetti and games ended our stay in Chamonix. Tomorrow will be a travel day back to Montpellier, this time with Greg and Sarah!

Sixteen Going on Seventeen & Bright Copper Kettles

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There is not much to say about this song in relation to our adventures, however, the song came to mind as I recounted the day.

At the midway point coming down Aiguille Du Midi, everyone has to change gondolas. We decided to get off and explore.

First stop was grabbing the last sandwiches at the little café. As we found a picnic table we heard, “Go HOKIES!” Yes indeed, our clan of VA Tech clothing advertisements was spotted and greeted warmly on the side of the French Alps by fellow Hokies. College memories from different years were shared and smiled upon. “18 going on 50+,” should have been the caption for this moment in time snapshot.

The mountain snow was thawing, patches of dirt and rocks were seen peeping through the snow. Several of us went out for a hike. Sarah and Zach scouted out the trail ahead.

Eventually 4 out of 6 of us ventured on toward the hidden alpine lake, Lac Bleu. I, personally, did not need someone older and wiser telling me what to do. I knew hiking uphill in snow and ice was not for me.

Straight up
Lac Bleu
Where’s Randy?
Table and chairs with a view
Where’s Greg going?

Mazie and I took the gondola to the bottom and enjoyed a 4-D movie. Once home we saw evidence that Cody missed us by moving our socks near his best friend, Pooh Bear. We ended the night at a fun restaurant that had bright copper kettles and pans hanging for decoration. Our last dinner out and Raclette was on the menu, on the table, and in our mouths.

The Sound of Music Goes to Italy

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June 2023

A lot of this year has been about experiencing new places, adventures, and culture. With each new adventure I find myself researching the history of the experience. Sound of Music became the theme of  this vacation with Greg and Sarah, after our joint Google photo album was named, “Sound of Music.” While this is one of my top 5 favorite movies I did not title the photo album. My research began on the VonTrapp Family and the movie. “The von Trapp’s real-life departure from Austria was less dramatic,…In daylight, the family exited the gate at the rear of their villa and crossed the railroad tracks that ran behind it to board a train to Italy…” Italy…yes the tie in to this post about traveling to Italy over the Alps.

25 years ago my sister and a friend tried to cross the Alps via a cable car ride from France to Italy. Needless to say we were not able to because the cable car transportation was still closed for the winter season. Just a reminder 25 years ago there were no cell phones or handy internet services to check schedules prior to arriving. 

Back to 2023, I was excited to have the chance to cross the alps via cable cars. The kids were excited to visit a new country. One traveler was not thrilled about going in a cable car but conquered the fear and later reported it was worth it.

just a reminder
crossing the border

At the Italy station we explored the restrooms and café,

bathroom wall written in English

observation tower,

and stairs leading down to the snow before heading back to France.

Riding above glaciers, mountain peaks, and step walls of snow and rock was breathtaking. The great outdoor adventurers looked like baby ants in this vast mountain range. Rock climbers became camouflaged against their rock face. Ravines of snow reminded me of biscuit dough after being stamped by the cutter.

We had a great morning on top of the Alps. The weather was incredibly cooperative. The clouds quickly rolled in while we were in Italy. Half way down the mountain into France we decided to stop at the changing station for more exploration and lunch.