Probably the last post from France

Today is our last full day in Lyon.  Tomorrow morning we head back to Paris (a five plus hour drive) and leave for home Tuesday morning, arriving home early evening.

Bob, Mel, and I started the day at the local Sunday morning outdoor market.  It was a bit like a farmer's market and flea market combined.  There are the traditional food items you might expect, but then you can also buy shoes, a new mattress, fabric, kitchen items, and a host of other things.

Today is Bastille Day.  Via TV, we watched part of the parade held in Paris.  We had seen the grand stands being set up when we were there last week.

Next we visited the Notre Dame of Lyon.  They were part way through mass when we walked in.  The interior is much different than any of the other churches we have been in on this trip--lots of decorations, gold mosaics, and brightness.

Lunch was in Vieux (old) Lyon, narrow streets and good food.  We came across the following display, had someone take our picture, which we sent to have uploaded on the Old Lyon website.

We visited ruins of two Roman amphitheaters that are side-by-side.  They are now used for music performances.  

Tonight we will join Glen's host family for a Bastille Day celebration at a park.  There will be fireworks and food.

We were commenting at lunch about all the foods we haven't tried yet.  In no place have we felt like we have seen it all.  Bob and I would like to spend at least a week in the Provence area again.  World War II has impacted us all in many new ways.  I ordered a book about it and am hoping it is waiting for me when we get home, along with the "Cooking in Provence" one.

Being able to travel has been a gift I have been incredibly thankful for throughout my life.  It always changes my perspective and gives me new things to think about.  God is amazing, and I am blessed to see Him and be challenged by Him no matter where I go.

Lyon

We were sad to leave Provence yesterday, and Cheryl and Matthieu, and their wonderful hospitality.  They provided with a great place to stay.  

Before heading to Lyon, we stopped at the Pont du Gard.  It was built in 19 b.c.  It is amazing to think this ancient aqueduct moved 9 million gallons of water per day.

Last night we met and had dinner with Glen's host family.  They we're wonderfully gracious to us, serving us a nine course dinner.  Needless to say, it was fabulous.  We began eating about 7:30, and finished around 11:00!  Lots of good conversation, most of which was in English.  :) 

We wondered around Lyon today, with Glen showing us the sites.  Lyon has several plazas scattered throughout the old town and downtown area--lots of outdoor space to enjoy.

Our interest in the French Resistance was piqued while we were in Normandy.  Lyon has a well done museum about the French Resistance movement and we spent about three hours there this afternoon.

But really the highlight of the day, especially for Dale and Glen, was watching the Tour de France arrive here this afternoon.  They both took pictures and I opted to leave the camera in the bag. 

Tomorrow we will visit this church building.

And purely for fun . . . We went to make dinner reservations for this evening, I glanced inside a restaurant and saw this row of white aprons and menu board and thought it deserved a snap of the shutter.

Palace of the Popes

There is a large theater arts festival happening in Avignon during most of July.  Consequently, there are more people in town than there would be otherwise.  But for us, comparing it with Paris, it still didn't seem bad.  

Groups of twenty or so performers wonder through town, apparently to stir up interest (or they need something to do while waiting for their next performance).  A jazz combo was playing in one of the town squares, while nearby, another trio was performing using empty gas cans that had been painted white.

We visited the famous half bridge.  It was first built in the 1300s, but kept getting washed away after each rebuild.  The people finally gave up rebuilding it.  This is how it has looked for a very long time.

It is a bit eerie to stand at the end of it in the middle of the Rhone River and look down.

The Pope's Palace was interesting.  Several centuries ago, one of the popes got his knickers in a twist and decided to move the whole lot to Avignon, where they stayed for the next 100 years, and ten popes.  The first one started the palace, and it was completed in 20 years.  But every pope after added their own touch, expanding it to quite a large place.  

In the afternoon, the cicadas are singing their song.  We found the shell of a couple of them in Cheryl's yard.

On the trip to St. Remy, we came across fields of sunflowers.

Provence is beautiful

We arrived in Provence Monday evening.  But we drove through a crazy thunderstorm to get here--lots of lightning and rain, slowing us down to about 70 kph (kilometers per hour), and we arrived after dark.

Our first night was spent at a vineyard bed and breakfast, a building from the middle ages.  The stairs up to our rooms had deep groves from all the feet that trod over them through the centuries.  We met Vera, a high school girl that grew up in LA, her family moved to Austria so she could go to school for hotel and vacation training.  Her parents are both Austrian, so she knows German and is now working on French.  She  arrived here one week ago and was fun to visit with.

Yes, the lavender fields really do exist.  And we could smell them the night before, even when we could not see them.

Yesterday we arrived in Avignon and are now officially part of Lavelle Stanley's family, having met her niece, Cheryl.  We are staying in her B and B.  It is absolutely beautiful, overlooks the city of Avignon, the Pope's Palace, and an ancient Fort.  All of the Winter's family have tried the pool.  The Greenlee's will this evening.

Dale and Glen are staying here today.  Bob, Mel, and I are going to the market in St. Remy this morning.

Before we left Paris, we came across this statue.  We could just imagine him saying:  "I never know how to respond when they ask boxers or briefs!"

THe view from the . . . Ground!

GWe began the day visiting the Eiffel Tower.  Rick Steve's said the lines were long and he was right.  We opted to not wait a couple of hours in line to take the elevator up.  But we got some fun pictures from the ground.

You can probably figure out what they are trying to do.

This one didn't work either, but the expressions are great.

The "old" folks are wearing the youngster out.

This is happening more and more . . . .

After our fun photo shoot, we hopped over to the Arc d'Triumph for a look at Napoleon's arch.  The view from the top gets you great city views, while still honoring those who fought in past wars.  Napoleon had it built for his returning troops to pass through at the end of the war.  He also used it for the ceremonial arch for Josephine to pass through for their wedding.

Dale and Glen headed back to climb the steps to the second level of the Eiffel Tower (the line is much shorter).  Bob, Mel, and I went to see Monet's water lilies at the Musee de l'Orangerie.  There are two rooms that are probably 40 feet long, oval shaped, with the gardens lining the walls.  He painted and donated them to Parisians to come and relax after a busy day of work.  And after WW1.  They were worth the time spent.  This museum also has several Picasso, Modligiani, and Renoir paintings, which we enjoyed.

Tomorrow we head south to Provence!

Pictures

This guy and his friend were carrying their bikes up Mont St. Michele!

Near the Louvre.

The gardens of Versailles.

More pictures

If I include more than three photos in a post, it takes a long time to load.  Here a few.