scattered showers...sounds like home

since we left the Var and went north it seems like all hell broke loose.  rain has washed out much of the south of france.  so we are in Nevers or near there tonight and headed through the loire valley for the next few days.  tonight we're on a farm.  i think we plan to get going early.  we spent one after noon in Orange looking at it's famous roman ruins.  one of the many "theaters" the romans left behind.

on the way through avignon we stopped at the IKEA.  cheap food, toilets and fun looking at what they have.  the long drive to Lyon was going fairly smoothly but we decided to get on the highway and go faster....20 KPH for 30 kilometers!  Lyon is a great city but oh my god the number on one way streets is beyond comprehension.  we finally found our hotel by Part Dieu the large shopping center.  we even had parking and we got it thru COSTCO!  1/2 of the normal fare.  easy to use metro so we got a 1day pass for about 7$.  roman ruins, old churches and 2 rivers to walk along.    really pretty.  went to an antique flea market on sunday morning.  they say over 400 venders.  lots of junk some great but all with high price tags.  carla spent the time sleeping in the car across from a gyspy camp area.  the french think about gypsies the same as i learned as a kid.

today we went to Vichy to see where the collaberation french government held court during WWII.  it is a very pretty city with thermal sulphur baths.  i even tasted the water.  carla declined the city's generosity.

so this takes us to Nevers.  we had wanted to go to a chateau that is being built nearby.  they are using all traditional 15th century techniques.  too late so we're looking at nevers.  it is pretty over lookign the loire river.

if there at*re too many errors pardonnez.  they have wacky keyboards.

 carla made fun of me on my last trip because we went to mc donalds....well she has changed her tune.  tiolets and cheap coffee have had their universal  effects.  for regina it was toilets and real coke!  for me it' all about toilets and parking so we can eat!

on to the chateau's of the loire!

just another day in france!

yesterday we went to arles which is the gateway to the camargue the vast rhone delta with black toro's, white horses and pink flamingo's.  ir is an ancient city with roman ruins.  on the way, trying to save $ we took the senic route.  on the way we tried to stop at an outlet for olivado products.  lots of fabric and pottery made in france.  it wasn't open.  and we noticed alot of other stores not open.....it was ascention day-40 days after easter!  national holiday.

alot of the places in arles were open.  the arena is still used for bull fighting and the amptheater   still for concerts.  there is part of the roman forum that is still standing but oddly a part of a building from the 1700's;  really odd.  we walked and ate.  i had my first encounter with a dog in the restraunt.  a family brought in their yellow lab.  every dog we've seen has been well behaved.

we went back to get our car and the adventure really began.  the ticket machine wouldn't read out ticket.  what to do?  buzz, buzz the recording said something carla couldn't understand.  we went to the exit...no one in the office!  more buzz, buzz.  now the french voice is yelling from home over the intercom and carla can't figure out what he's saying.  off to the tourist office and they send us to the gendarma hq 2 blocks away.  go back and get the phone # and we'll call for you.  ah! no answer.  the gendarme suggest we break out way out and they will close their eyes.....great idea. non!  finally they walk with us to the parking garage.  he chides us for not parking on the street since it's free onthe holiday!  shit!  what an idea.  too late now!  he hears from the garage.  just put the ticket in the exit like you were leaving and buzz, buzz and he'll let us out!  ah so simple.  the gendarmes have a tale to tell about idiot americans  probably more funny than ours!  vive la france!

so we're in provence

we did something highly unusual and sold clothes at a flea market on sunday.  we were going to go to another town but there was one here right in st max.  we really sold only about 1/2 of what we brought.  carla had a learning curve on selling.  once we started to talk to the people looking at clothes, we began selling.  just a hello and good day worked wonders.  we did get offered to go dancing by an arab with bad teeth but he did buy a shirt.  mostly men seem to buy clothes at the flea market.  carla began trying on clothes and many more came to look and but;  we did meet a woman who has a daughter in st louis going to school and another from st max that offered to take us home to lunch. 

she was so nice and had her daughter with her so we went her.  they live in a nice house withe a pool.   "lucy" is very outgoing and even though only carla could speek french she went on a mile a minute.  her daughter is 14 and good with adults.  her husband in a civil engineer with a german company.  we ate typical dishes of provence.  steak brochette, sausage, roquefort cheese with wine and bread, local strawberries with chantilly cream.  we learned to taste pastis, the local liqueur thqt is anise flavor.  so good i'm bringing some home! 

we were stuffed and found the french not very stuffy!

later k