Wednesday, August 08, 2007

TOUJOURS PROVENCE

VAISON-LA-ROMAINE - MAY 2005

Vaison-la-Romaine was the last stop of our 2005 trip in Provence. Vaison is one of the prettiest villages in Provence, and has the largest archaeological site of Gallo-Roman relics in France, with remarkable ruins, as well as the churches of Saint-Quénin and Notre Dame de Nazareth. The excavations began in 1907, and received a boost when a Swiss merchant named Burrus, intrigued by the fact that in 37AD, "Sextius Afranius Burrus", Emperor Nero's private tutor was born in Vaison-la-Romaine, put forward some money for the works. I don't have pictures neither from the ruins, nor from the churches; only videos! But it's the flavour of Provence, the best we keep from it...



"THE ROMAN BRIDGE is one of the very few ancient bridges still in use today, and probably one of the most resistant. The bridge played a strategic role - it was the only means of crossing the Ouvèze river (a main means of communication in Roman times, usually peaceful but impossible to bypass), and in the time of the Comte de Toulouse it was used as a toll bridge. During World War II, the Germans tried to bomb it, in vain. Along the centuries, the parapet was often taken away by violent floods, but the unique arch, solidly anchored in the slopes of the cliffs, has always resisted. However on September 22, 1992, after hours of torrential rains, a giant mudslide descended upon the city, reaching 17 meter high. It carried off the parapet as well as the facades of many neighbouring houses. A part of the city, including the archaeological site, was flooded, and 43 lives were lost on that day"




"L'EVÊCHÉ - A wonderful place to be the basis for your discovery of Vaison, the Pays Voconce, and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines..."


"DOWNTOWN, quite close to the ruins entrance. There is a market on Tuesday mornings that has been held since 1532, when having a market was a lordly right and having it on Tuesday a pontifical choice"

***

The first version of this post saw the light on September 28, 2005. It was then the only one dedicated to Provence. It has been redone to serve as closing post for the 2005 trip to Provence. GOODBYE PROVENCE!

La Provence? C'est mythique et magnifique, on l'a vu! Il semble qu’elle l'était déjà au temps des romains. Les paysages, la gastronomie, les gens, les monuments, l'histoire, les pierres, le Luberon, le pastis, le foie gras, les vins, le Châteauneuf du Pape, le Gigondas, Aix, Arles, Avignon...
On y retournera un jour, c'est sûr!

25 comments:

Diana said...

Concordo com o anterior post! Até havia quem quisesse desistir da viagem, vejam só o que perderiam...

Peter said...

Thanks for this complete and splendid tout of Provence that we all like so much! I guess you have persuaded some people to go there or to return!

... just to have your breakfast with this view is worth the trip!

(These old Roman bridges are fantastic; you find them here and there and they resist!)

lv2scpbk said...

Looks like you and your wife took some relaxing time. I love that little nook eating area. That would be nice to sit out there and eat breakfast. Lovely.

lyliane six said...

Je connais aussi bien le sud, mais pas Vaison la Romaine.Mais comme vous j'y retournerai. Aujourd'hui j'ai vu mon amie Italienne qui m'a accompagnée à Madère et elle m'a dit qu'elle aimerai bien retourner à Madère, moi aussi l'année prochaine peut être.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi ,
Yes we have been in the Provence also but not this year. I like your photography and also the stories behind the roman buildings. There are so many sweet nice places in France, dn't you think so either? We do thinks so.

We travelled this year more to the south of France. thanx for you comment on my blog, the 'Chateau' was not really in the Provance but in the midlle of France, under bordeaux and near Cahor.
Soon I will post an adress/link of this Chateau on my blog (good place!!!).

Have you ever visited the Costa Brava in Spain ? we did so this year. Thats a nice place to be also,with old villages (like France) I will soon post some 'pics' of our travelling from this summer, I promise.

I Love your blog! JoAnn

Kalyan Panja said...

Some wonderfully captured shots & it was nice reading the description along with them.
I liked the header of your blog too!

Kunterbunt said...

Great photos of you and your wife. I would very much like to sit on this balcony and enjoy the wonderful view.

kuanyin333 said...

Ah, but YOUR chauteaneuf du pap doesn't cost a fortune I bet! Save some for me...I'll be there one of these days! :-)

Annie said...

I wonder how I'd feel if I found myself at an outdoor market that had a 475 year history? Probably I'd feel amazed.

Lori said...

I always dream of traveling whenever I read your posts. Now I think I must visit Provence on my next trip. It looks so beautiful in your photos. Thanks for the recommendation on where to stay. Hope your weekend is a good one!

Emilieee said...

Provence indeed is a wonderful place to visit. Too bad it's the last post of Provence. I love seeing your photograph. It's beautiful and I can see you and your wife had a wonderful time traveling together. :)

freefalling said...

Where are we going next!?!

isa said...

On y retournera un jour, c'est sûr!

But for the time being - thank you for that lovely reminder...(Peter Mayle has nothing on you ;-))

Get out of the office and smell some roses this weekend!

lv2scpbk said...

If you want to go on a treasure hunt in your hometown, go to my website to learn more.

Anonymous said...

what is this photo lying down on the bed??? lol

Neva said...

Thanks for the fun visit to Provence. Definitely a place to consider if I ever get that way! Thanks for all your visits to my blog. I have a lot of catching up to do!

Keshi said...

some great pics n info here!

Keshi.

Marie said...

I was sorry to read that your weekend had not been "smooth."

Your photos are so beautiful. They make me want to go and visit the places you visited with your wife.....

Anonymous said...

Yes :) I have been many times visiting "silently"here, some of my family has been all the time asking something and I have to go for them.My English is so slow and poor, that I need time to think and try to write, it`s coming probably wrong anyway. Many times, I can only say, that I agree with other`s opinions.

Your posts are so full of things, I will also that`s why come here again and again, if you don`t mind :)
Now I am in Lahti and this evening
I will go to Espoo, but no time to visit Tapiola. This time I will get to know my newest grandchild, who ( or her mother )will need me next ten years in Espoo now and then, so, some day I will go to Tapiola, it is not far away from my daughter`s home. Perhaps you will get there sooner ?
With best wishes, Leena

Jilly said...

This is such a fascinating tour around Provence. And thanks so much for comments on Menton and that you might visit sometime. If you do, please email me in advance and let's meet up. (Email on my profile)

Anonymous said...

Luísa,
Di,
Quem diria que haveria uma resposta quase dois anos depois? Pois, mas que ao início ameaçava mau tempo, lá isso ameaçava...

Peter,
I hope to have contributed for the increasing interest on Provence of some blog visitors. It definitely deserves it!
With regard to Roman bridges, we have some here in Portugal, and it’s amazing how they resist...

Lv2,
The whole l’Eveché is a terrific spot to spend some time; and it’s true that the breakfast area has an amazing view!
Checked the treasury hunt you mentioned and found that as far as Lisbon is concerned there are roughly thirty years difference between the data provided for in the clue (the tower Columbus had to pass on its way to America – 1492 - and the real world - the Tower of Belem was started in 1514 and concluded in 1520).

Lyliane,
Merci. Vaison-la-Romaine, il faut bien y aller. Madère aussi, mais comme c’est plus proche, j’ai la tendance pour la laisser pour plus tard...

JoAnn,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you that Provence is full of nice places to visit. The Chateau you stayed at looked great. I’ve checked the link.
Costa Brava? It depends whether you mean the package holiday sites (Lloret, Tossa...) or the precious gems still there (Cadaquès, Pals...).

Kalyan,
Thanks. Glad to see you back with your new blog!

April,
We try to enjoy everyday, day by day...

Kuanyin,
Chateauneuf du Pape reserved; we look forward to seeing you here! Or should we save some Dom Perignon, La Grande Dame, Grand Siècle or Krug? And Truffles? According to Wiki, "the world's most expensive truffle was a 1.51 kilogram rare White Alba truffle. It was sold for 125,000 Euros (Hong Kong Dollar $1,250,000; US $160,000) on 13 November 2006 to Hong Kong property tycoon Sir Gordon Wu. This price beats the 2005 world record of 95,000 Euros for a 1.21 kilogram White Alba truffle". Fortune or fortune, let’s drink and eat it...

Annie,
You’re right, but when travelling in older parts of Europe you run the risk of being over 2000-year old bridges, inside thousand-year cathedrals or at 500-year markets... And buying truffles, in season!

Lori,
Thanks. From my posts you’ll conclude that I absolutely agree with you on the decision to visit Provence!
Weekend gone, back to business for another awful week...

Emily,
Thanks. We have been travelling abroad together since 1974, before we were even married; so we make the most to enjoy our trips!

Freefalling,
Don’t know yet. But next post (after Lake Leman, May 2005) will be either Algarve (August 2005) or Bali (September 2005). Look forward to reading your comments!

Isabella,
Thanks. Not a great chance for the roses, but at least a superb concert on Saturday by the winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for music: Ornette Coleman...

Niki,
Hey Niki-chan, always thinking of lying down in bed... ;-))

Neva,
Provence, from my perspective, deserves far more than a deviation; it's worth the trip on itself, not just a detour if you are somewhere around! Hope you manage to get there one day.

Keshi,
Thanks.

Marie,
Hope you had a great presentation! Working weekends are not that funny, but what to do? Like Isabella said quoting Oscar Wilde: "work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do"! In Portugal we say, "who don’t know anything better to do".

Leena,
Thank you so much. I earned my day with your comment! Please come silently or loudly; your visits will always be much appreciated!
Congratulations on your newest grandchild. Tapiola was a great surprise for me in 1981; I wish I could go back to Finland one of these days. Unfortunately, with my lack of holiday time, things are getting quite difficult...

Jilly,
Thanks. I’ll drop a line, should I manage to get to the Côte one of these days.

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

quite a lovely tour, GMG...where are we headed to next??? :)

Anonymous said...

Moi,
Like I mentioned to Freefalling, next posts (after Lake Leman, May 2005) will be either Algarve (August 2005) or Bali (September 2005). Look forward to reading your comments!

Anonymous said...

LOL!!!

Anonymous said...

Niki,
Ahahah...