Medieval Castle

This is kind of funny but C found us a medieval castle to stay at tonight. It is located not far from Grasse that is the perfume capital of France which we will visit tomorrow. This place however was kind of cool. It is not a genuine medieval castle but it is styled that way. It is a four star hotel with a Guide Michelin restaurant. It is located in the hills but the foot of the mediterranean alps. The views are fantastic over the smaller village below.

I like our little terrace just outside our room and with the grape wines growing above on the pergola.

So tonight we have felt like royalty in this room. It is a combination between funny and slightly tacky.

This is the restaurant with a beautiful views over the hilly slopes and the village below. I could spot olive trees growing on one of the slopes.

It felt great to get into the pool before dinner. So refreshing and nice after a long and intense drive down the mountains on ever so narrow and winding roads. The views crossing the mountains are spectacular but as you look on the map and and on the GPS it looks like someone has taken a pen and scribbled lines up and down like crazy. Some roads are so narrow you can barley fit two cars at least you have to hold your breath every time you meet a car coming in the opposite direction.

The dinner experience was kind of interesting. They have not only decorated this place in medieval style but it seemed like they had gone all the way with the medieval style for the dinner as well in some ways at least. As an appetizer one could order vegetables to dip in various cold dip sauces. Normally you would get small fine cut pieces of vegetables but here you got a whole basket with entire carrots and what looked like entire fennel bulbs and so on. A long with this they carried out a rack where they had hung entire salami sausagues, no they were not small sasagues. I wonder which fine dining lady would pick up an entire sausage like this one and how would one eat it in the best way. It seemed like no one that ordered this appetizer had a try with the sausages. They have to be constantly recirculated among the guests.

Me and C had a classical French onion soup as our appetizer but I would say it was a bit too much too. Way to much cheese. I do not exaggerate when I say there was a full inch of cheese melted on top of the soup. It was a little bit gross. My main course was nice and so was C and the dessert was also nice.

Wine and Olives

Being here you understand why Provence is so famous for both it's good food and wine. This region produces reds, whites as well as rose. We drove up into the Chateauneuf du pape region famous for it's deep red wines.

This hilly region is full of small picture perfect villages. It feel like you are in a story telling book as you drive through them.




Chateauneuf du pape is actually a quite small region. The village itself has all of that charm that you imagine. You pass endless numbers of fields with grapes growing on the slopes of the hills. In the small village the different wine houses have their stores open for tasting and buying. You just park your car and walk around. On almost every other street you will find wineries.

Olive trees is another thing that you can see growing in neat rows on the slopes of the hills. I had never seen an olive tree before so I was thrilled to make this discovery. Actually I had never really thought about how olives are grown until know. Suddenly I understood why olives are sold everywhere around here. on all the market places you go to.

Walking up to one of the olive trees I could see for myself how these round little goodies are growing.

There are a number of wine estates outside of the Chateauneuf du pape town. We drove up to one of these called Chateu De Vadieu. There we tasted both red and white wine as well as one rose and bought some more red and the rose that was surprisingly good. I wish I knew more about wine. I realized as I was here trying different kinds that I really don't know much at all. However, it still was fun to taste the different kinds. Since neither me nor C know so much we just went on what ever tasted the best to us. Maybe that is what matters in the end anyway.

Different kinds and their prices. The prince range spans quite a lot depending on what you choose. It was interesting that the ones we liked the most were not per default the most expensive ones.

Our rental car, a Peugeot. In France of course French cars dominate. Small narrow, winding roads taking us up the slopes into hill and wine country. This day was really nice. This is the way at least I imagined Provence. Driving around hills with neat rows of grapes, tasting wine and buying your favorite ones. This is perfect activity for any vacation.

The wine estates you pass by are huge. The houses are impressive and many times looks like small castles. You can tell they make a good income on the wine they make and sell. Most of the wineries have been in the same family for many generations.

Arles

We have arrived at the small city of Arles.This is the city that drove van Gogh mad with inspiration. This small city is the true heart of Provence. Pretty like a painting in it self. It is hell driving here but so much worth it once you make it. The Rhone river passes outside the old city walls. It located just outside the marshlands of the Camargue that we plan to visit later today.

We are staying at the most romantic and charming hotel in the middle of the old city. This gem of a hotel was worth the crazy drive we had to make to get here. The streets of Arles as you get into the old town can be described in two ways, small and narrow. They are winding and twisting and following the navigators directions just got harder and harder. The navigator says, turn left and the turn is so sharp and narrow at first it does not seem to be possible to make it at all. Driving in the old town here is not for the faint hearted. I am so glad I was not driving and C is my hero forever. I would have cried long before we got to the hotel if I had been behind the wheel.



We are staying at The Hotel de Arlatan. This was once the home of the counts of Arlatan and this 15th century stone house is just gorgeous! So romantic and so pretty. I almost feel as if I am on a second honey moon staying here. Love it!

Breakfast was served out here in the cozy little patio with the small fountain.

This is what I mean by small narrow streets. This is a small car yet not much space is left. Add a lot of twists and turns to each street and you got yourself a real driving challenge. It was with a huge sigh of relief that we finally found our hotel. We thought we were stuck when we say the hotel lobby and the words of the receptionist saying that valet parking would take over the car made me feel like I had truly been blessed.

Vincent van Gogh lived here in Arles for about a year between 1888 and 1889. He was extremely productive while he lived here and produced over 300 pieces of art. However, this grand master had his spells of craziness and was kicked out of the city of Arles (this is something that the future generations are not so proud of). But he came here to Provence for the inspiration and for the light. This I totally can understand. This is the garden by the hospital where he seeked treatment after cutting off his ear lobe. Even if you can't see any of his art here his spirit and his source of inspiration can be felt and found here.

This small city is just filled with so much charm. I love the old window shutters. Here at the hotel we have them on our windows. It is a special feeling opening the shutters in the morning and closing them at night.



This is the old Roman arena that dominates old Arles. It dates from the first century AD. It is still used today for bull fights.

We had dinner at a the most lovely and charming place called La Gueule du Loup. A tiny restaurant serves Provencal specialties. You have to walk trough the kitchen to get to your table bustling with chopping and wafting scents of the fresh spices.


I tried something I have never ever had before, tenderloin of bull. I was curious and felt I had to try bull now that I am here in Arles with the old roman arena where they still have bull fights. This was truly delicious. The fresh herbs, the eggplant cream and the sauce full with flavors.

The final touch to a perfect day was this chocolate creation with a big spoon of caramel ice cream. We walked back to our romantic hotel through the winding streets of Arles.

The Calanques

Before we left our lite cozy and ever so pretty fishing village, Le Ciotat we took a boat tour into the fjord like bays that are called the Calanques. These finger probing bays have crystal clear water with the most beautiful blue and turqouise shades. High white cliffs surround the narrow bay making it ideal for sailing boats park for a moment and for a great swim.

We took a boat tour of 2.5 hours. There are a number of boat tours leaving both from here and from the neighboring town, Cassis. We chose one that left at 10:30 in the morning so we would have time to stroll around and enjoy the market fare before we headed out into the Mediterranian Sea. In the horizon there was nothing but open water. Kind of cool that knowing that somewhere out there on the other side the next shore would be somewhere on the African continent.



The cliffs of the first bay were not as white but looked more like some kind of sand stone cliffs. At the very top we spotted this house. I bet they have a great view from there. A top of the next cliff was a light house.

It was great to get out on the open water and feel the salty breeze in the air and the wind in my face and hair.

A big beautiful sailing boat in one of these amazingly beautiful bays. These bays were just so spectacular. C had been here before but wanted to take me out here and show me this. I am so glad he did.

A bunch of people out on kayaks exploring and enjoying the crystal clear waters.



The cliffs are really impressive as the loom high up into the sky. They sort of remind me of the kind of rocks that we saw in Utah at Zion national park.

One man on a kayak togetether with his dog.

French Market

So many wonderful fresh markets here. Love them! Can't get enough really. This is the way to shop. If it was possible to do so everyday then shopping would be such a great pleasure. We had the market right outside our window of our hotel we stayed at the first night. Fresh caught mussels.

Fresh oysters fished from the sea.

Plenty of olives and fantastic bread. Now I have seen the olive trees growing on the mountain slopes.



Everywhere these small specialty shoppes. The "boulangerie" and the "charcuterie" lovely bakeries and meat shoppes. Everything looks so good and so fresh. It is such a pleasure to enter these small shoppes.

Rotserie chickens seems to be very popular here. My French is slowly coming a long. At least I am learning some new words. Poulete is chicken (the spelling I am not so sure about).

Cheeses and even more cheeses. That parmesan was the biggest I have ever seen.

C standing at the bakery. Oh it is like entering heaven for a moment to step in there.