Le Marche...L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

Thursday morning, two double espressos at the Cafe de France in L'Isle-sur-la Sorgue 2.60 E... that is something to smile about!

Our farmer friend from the market...I asked him this morning if I could take his picture because his San Francisco hat was where I was from. He was happy to get the attention and as we walked away, we heard his friend laugh and ask him why he was wearing Francisco's hat? He took the hat off, looked at it, and kinda puzzled said, "I don't know where I got this, I didn't know it was Francisco's!"  Two cute old farmers, having a good time.

Typical French Market

Thursday morning market in the heart of the old part of town. What a great way to spend the morning. A curiosity at every corner-folklore, tradition, the colors of provence, the sharp smell of the sea, the earthy smell of the farm, people gathering and departing from every direction. The world is a very strange, yet beautiful place and the market reminds us that technology can never replace that which the heart longs for...community!

Road trip-Getting to know Arles

PART I

Three minutes in the Place de la Republique...

When the sun shines in provence the streets come to life.

A gypsy on a park bench, playing his accordian,

 Young people "hanging out" on bikes, skates and boards- gathered in groups- sitting on steps,

An ancient "Scottish highlander" lost in time.

The delicate carved stone of a romanesque cathedral facade,

The pleasures of art: recycled plastic phantoms, paintings of celestial light and stone men gazing at a cross, steel wool scouring pads stretched to the shapes of man clinging to each other and hanging from space.

 

This is just the begining of Arles, the land Van Gogh, bullfights and gypsys, Roman ruins and Romanesque monuments. Arles is a UNESCO World Heritage City. So much to see and so little time! On friday we will return to Arles and for part II ...



A Birthday in Dad's Memory!

No more neckties, soap on a rope or packages of golf balls to wrap.

No more looking for a good book or an interesting video about history, airplanes or anything mechanical, construction, or a good old fashion western he hadn't already seen.

No more crosswords or puzzles to fill up the cupboards.

No more last- minute framing pictures of grand kids to put on your desk.

No more gift certificates or gadgets...cause what do you get for the man who needs so little and wants only to spend time with his family and friends.

No more bottles of spanish wine to try and compare.

No more silly "Best Grampa in the World" t-shirts and hats.

The only present left to give is our eternal love and gratification for all you left us...the wonderful memory of a life well lived!

   



Words of Wisdom...Again!

Six Month Anniversary
It has been six months since we arrived in Provence and I decided to re-post this poem. It has been a dear, old friend to Marc and I ever since my sister Cindy gave it to us years ago. 

Cindy was my first traveling partner. In 1983, she and I set out to discover Europe. She had just graduated from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, and was 24 yrs. old.  I was 18, and had not a care in the world. Cindy, with all her beauty and knowledge, led us in a spectacular, six month adventure around Europe.  Actually, I led in the adventure department-she kept us safe and guided us to discover all the culture, history, art, antiquity, and charm I would have passed up to "check out guys and lay on the beach". We were perfect traveling companions. I got us back stage passes at Rod Stewart concerts in Madrid and Lisbon, a room at the Palace Hotel Madrid-four doors down from Rod, and pushed us to keep on walking when we didn't want to take another step. She took care of logistics and got us from the Artic circle in Scandinavia to the Bavarian Forest, down the Rhine river, through the Alps, to the Vatican, castles in Austria and Switzerland,  kissed the Blarney Stone in Ireland, hours of art at the Prado, running of the Bulls in Pamplona, and much more. I never imagined the how that trip would change my life. Until I met Marc, she was my best buddy and I love her for "babysitting" me on that journey that gave me a taste of the old world.

Merci... My Sister Cindy...
"Je voudrais cinq billets pour Lourdes"...inside joke-you had to be there!!!

GOETHE
Until one is committed, 

there is hesitancy,

the chance to drawback,

always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative

there is one elementary truth

the ignorance of which kills

countless ideas and endless plans:

That the moment one definately commits oneself, 

then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision,

raising in one's favor all manner of 

unforseen incidence and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way.

Whatever you can do,

or dream you can, begin it!

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

     ...Goethe

 

SIGNS...

Everybody's got there thing: birdwatchers, window shoppers, museum enthusiasts, paparazzi, facebook fanatics, bloggers,

even heavy equipment freaks (my pop-the late, great Gabe Mendez and my brother).

Mon truc right now is SIGNS.

It may be somekind of strange by-product of being "lost" in a foreign land and needing direction. Whatever the case, I am obsessed with signs and find myself taking photos of everything, everywhere! I will try to contain myself, and if I get out of hand, please feel free to "comment" and tell me "enough signs already"!  I was thinking of doing a weekly post to share some of my favorite "Signs"...enjoy!

PRETTY OBVIOUS

No Parking Zone or Towing away Zone

...but I love the french wording...

google translate: PARKING EMBARRASSING

Literal translation would be something like...

STATIONNEMENT: stationing, parking

GENANT: inconvenient, nuisance, unwelcome, annoying

PRESSE: Sells news papers, magazines etc. 

 (it is not where you get your shirts pressed!)

TABAC: Sells cigarettes

PMU: Bet on horseraces

Other miscellaneous: Lotto tickets, candies, gum, stamps

The official post office with expanded services to include banking transactions.

Typical Festival Poster

Announcing winter activities... notice the time 14h30-always in military!

I can not get used to it...always having to subtract 12!

Tarif of Consommations...That sounds personal!

However, it is just the pricing of food and drinks.

ROAD WITHOUT ISSUE!

or...DEAD END...

MY FAVORITE OF THE WEEK

Finally, a campaign to rid the streets of obnoxious DOG DODO!

TROTTOIR OU CROTTOIR ?

A play on words...

TROITTOIR:  Sidewalk

CROTTOIR:  Does not exist...it is a made up word to rhyme with troittoir, however,

it comes from the verb

 CROTTER: To dirty or the slang would be "droppings", a dog or cats "business" or as we say in America "crap"

Therefore...

SIDEWALK OR CRAPWALK?