For Kaitlin (Marseille)

Day Ten: Provence

Tonight we headed into Marseille for some bouillabaisse before picking Carole up at the airport. Driving and parking in Marseille was an adventure in insane city driving complete with one way streets and lots of traffic. We finally parked on the outskirts and walked in. We went to Le Comptoir des Favouilles, a small, neighborhood place near the Vieux Port. The bouillabaisse was delicious as was the herb infused rum offered for dessert. Little did we know that after this lovely evening would begin a 24 hour+ (so far) dance of the lost luggage. More on that later.

Look down...

So, this may emerge as one of the stranger trends, but, I have decided to take my own advice and make sure to look in unexpected directions for little gems. So, in the midst of the jewel box (see Lisa's post on Sainte Chapelle) I found these little tiles in the floor:

l'abomination de la France

On a previous (business) trip to France, I found a few minutes to sit across from the entrance to the Louvre and admire the handy work of I.M. Pei. When I related this fact to my French colleague, he asked "So, what do you think of our Abomination?" By this, he was referring to the same work of Mr. Pei: the glass pyramid in the plaza of the ancient building that currently houses the museum. I dodged the issue by replying that I thought the structure was beautiful, but sadly misplaced, which elicited the appropriate balance of understanding and respect for Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.



But, what stuck in my mind is the idea that something can be both despised and valued at the same time. Here was what is universally acknowledged as an eyesore in its location, and yet, there was a tremendous amount of pride in the pyramid nonetheless. It is a nuanced view of the world that seems to be sadly missing in the good ol' U S of A. For us, something always seems to be good or evil, with us or against us, but it seems like it would do us a world of good to at least consider the redeeming value of something that we might otherwise be inclined to dismiss. Okay, enough pontification...

Day Nine: Crazy Travel Stress and Belle Provence

Today was a travel day - a 3 hour TGV train trip to Avignon, picking up the rental cars, and finding the villa. Finding the correct train coach was challenging since they were unmarked on the outside except for the class. We managed to board with our luggage a few minutes before moving. Here is an en route photo of the French countryside:



Renting a car in Europe takes approximately as much time as buying a car in the States. We finally got them then had some drama maneuvering through the parking lot. We had lunch in Avignon where it was close to 100, tres chaud! We managed to find the villa where the daughter of the keyholder spoke to us in rapid fire French then bounced. I was fairly sure she said her mother would be along shortly. She finally did arrive and was as charming as could be. Once we got to the market, and jumped in the pool, we began to relax. Finally. Whew. It is a lovely little farmhouse. Take a look:

Day Eight: Last Day in Paris

On our last day, a few of us went to Musee D'Orsay, may dad being a fan of both Impressionist art and trains. The muse of Philosophy would like you to talk to the hand because her face don't give a damn (as you can clearly see from the photo):



That evening, also known as heaven on earth, was spent listening to Mozart and Vivaldi in Sainte Chapelle.







The rest of the evening was spent hanging out in the park.





Later that night, Spain won the Euro Cup, so the Quartier Latin was a rowdy, festive place, including a complete taking over of the St. Michel Fountain. Sadly, my photos turned out really badly...Anyway, Viva España!

Ordinary View