Feb é-
We were in St Tropez the other day and in a restaurant I noticed a woman who I was sure wasn't French but couldn' t really figure out why....appearance, gestures could well have been French then I realized that she was smiling a lot while talking. It made me relize the French don't tend to smile that much. I guess we come across as grinning fools to them. Later we heard them speaking with American accents.
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
feb 22
Thanks very much to my son,Richard, for scanning and posting my photos and notes. I knoz he's been really busy with midterms, essays; and work. We seem to be more or less back to our warm sunny weather. We headed off to the interior yesterday and visited Draguignan, Fayence (surprised there is not pottery or cera,ics there) and Callian (where Anthony Burgess lived for a number of years. We also got to Grasse but didn't stay long as we had enough of difficult driving situations. Fayence and Callian are charming old villages high in the mountains so lots of narrow winding roads. They on the road that came at us a little earlier in the day. Since there are lots of them and you know they are stupid, you stop. A few tried to make their getaway but soon were picked up by the three dogs. Actually, the driving was very parallel. A pack of cars accosted us and I guess we didn't pull over quite far enough. However they all passed at great speed except for the last one whose driver stopped, threw up her hands in despair, rolled down her window and insulted us by saying " 93 - that doesn't surprise me" referring to the department on our licence plate. She reminded me of the snapping dogs at the errant sheep....
Lots of drivers in bad moods - not surprising given the difficult driving situations. I much prefer the coast but the mopuntains with their pines and vistas have a special quality too. Not quite as beautiful as Tuscany. I think because it't much drier in this area. The greenness and the disposition of the cypresses makes Tuscany very special for beauty. We' ve had enough of that type of driving for a while. It's great to know there are so many places to go to between Nice and Marseilles on the coast and we can hop the autoroute ay an-y point if the driving gets to be a pain.
Thanks very much to my son,Richard, for scanning and posting my photos and notes. I knoz he's been really busy with midterms, essays; and work. We seem to be more or less back to our warm sunny weather. We headed off to the interior yesterday and visited Draguignan, Fayence (surprised there is not pottery or cera,ics there) and Callian (where Anthony Burgess lived for a number of years. We also got to Grasse but didn't stay long as we had enough of difficult driving situations. Fayence and Callian are charming old villages high in the mountains so lots of narrow winding roads. They on the road that came at us a little earlier in the day. Since there are lots of them and you know they are stupid, you stop. A few tried to make their getaway but soon were picked up by the three dogs. Actually, the driving was very parallel. A pack of cars accosted us and I guess we didn't pull over quite far enough. However they all passed at great speed except for the last one whose driver stopped, threw up her hands in despair, rolled down her window and insulted us by saying " 93 - that doesn't surprise me" referring to the department on our licence plate. She reminded me of the snapping dogs at the errant sheep....
Lots of drivers in bad moods - not surprising given the difficult driving situations. I much prefer the coast but the mopuntains with their pines and vistas have a special quality too. Not quite as beautiful as Tuscany. I think because it't much drier in this area. The greenness and the disposition of the cypresses makes Tuscany very special for beauty. We' ve had enough of that type of driving for a while. It's great to know there are so many places to go to between Nice and Marseilles on the coast and we can hop the autoroute ay an-y point if the driving gets to be a pain.
Thursday, February 20, 2003
My first painting this year in Carqueiranne. I hadn't painted for a while so wanted to start with something I knew I could do. It was a great warm up and I was pleased with it.
I took this photo last year when we first arrived in Carqueiranne and before knowing that's where we'd end up living. We were jetlagged so arrived early. I look at this sunrise almost every day while I drink my coffee so I was pleased to be able to do a painting of it.
I mainly wanted to practice doing a palm tree but it turned out pretty well so I stuck a sailboat in there too.
I wanted to do these wooden sabots last year but since I only had three brushes and nothing very fine I couldn't do it so brought the pix this year to give it a go. The same sabots are still in the port in Carqueiranne. I added a few and decided to put them going around a buoy. I am absolutely thrilled with this painting (the pic I took doesn't really do it justice)--I think it will become one of my favorites.
Feb 17
Another rather cold mixed weather day (Sun) yesterday. Enjoyed wandering around Sanary anyway-- it really is a beautiful little port. Caught the last of the market and found ourselves a warm little corner beside big windows in a restaurant. We were right in the sun (when it came out...certainly different weather from last year so far) and had some wonderful mussels and tuna steak, apple tarte to finish....they always seem different.
The plan was to go to Bandol but the sun was gone and the wind was up so decided to head home and have a whiskey: Just as well; there was sleet like rain pouring down on the way back and a halilstorm. We did have quite a nice day in Toulon Sat and even sat outside and had a drink in the port. Also went and saw a local artist exhibit (saw another one last week in Le Castellet) bith are working in oils and the colours are spectacular...maybe I'll give the water bases ones a go when I return. We also found a very large art supply store so stocked up on paper and some paint:...even bought a smock ---it will be a great souvenir. Quite a big anti war protest going on too.
On Friday we went to the Grand Var shopping centre and went to Carrefour --sort of a French equivalent of Walmart but they have a great traiteur dept 5ready made food) and got a great paella for dinner/ Also had a great selection of single malts so got some Bowmore and managzd to find some white dry vermouth for our martinis ( can usuually only get the sweet) As you can see we were going for the essentials....
Found some treasures at a flea market on Sat - a Ricard Anisette water pither in terracotta eramic and also a Ricad bottle stopper.Jim found some books---what else is new
Wow---Canada was actually mentioned in the Times of London---in the context of the gov allowing 975,000 seals to be harvested in the next three years. In another part even Camaroon's opinion on Iraq was given but no Canada; as usual. It really does seem like the country doesn't exist for the rest of the world...a strange feeling.
Had a colleage of Jim's for lunch...served Salmon wirh mustard and maple syrup...a si,pler version of Terry's recipe. Turned out pretty well considering it wasn't wild sockeye. Interesting to hear about these very competitive exams people have to go through to become secondary teachers....only about 10 percent pass but you are guranteed a job. They used to have separate ones for men and women. Seems the male one for general knowledge was much easier;...plants, vegetable; etc whereas the women has to learn about sailing rigging; masts etc....strange stuff!
Hope Richard can post this for me...can't seem to get through to Blogger.
Another rather cold mixed weather day (Sun) yesterday. Enjoyed wandering around Sanary anyway-- it really is a beautiful little port. Caught the last of the market and found ourselves a warm little corner beside big windows in a restaurant. We were right in the sun (when it came out...certainly different weather from last year so far) and had some wonderful mussels and tuna steak, apple tarte to finish....they always seem different.
The plan was to go to Bandol but the sun was gone and the wind was up so decided to head home and have a whiskey: Just as well; there was sleet like rain pouring down on the way back and a halilstorm. We did have quite a nice day in Toulon Sat and even sat outside and had a drink in the port. Also went and saw a local artist exhibit (saw another one last week in Le Castellet) bith are working in oils and the colours are spectacular...maybe I'll give the water bases ones a go when I return. We also found a very large art supply store so stocked up on paper and some paint:...even bought a smock ---it will be a great souvenir. Quite a big anti war protest going on too.
On Friday we went to the Grand Var shopping centre and went to Carrefour --sort of a French equivalent of Walmart but they have a great traiteur dept 5ready made food) and got a great paella for dinner/ Also had a great selection of single malts so got some Bowmore and managzd to find some white dry vermouth for our martinis ( can usuually only get the sweet) As you can see we were going for the essentials....
Found some treasures at a flea market on Sat - a Ricard Anisette water pither in terracotta eramic and also a Ricad bottle stopper.Jim found some books---what else is new
Wow---Canada was actually mentioned in the Times of London---in the context of the gov allowing 975,000 seals to be harvested in the next three years. In another part even Camaroon's opinion on Iraq was given but no Canada; as usual. It really does seem like the country doesn't exist for the rest of the world...a strange feeling.
Had a colleage of Jim's for lunch...served Salmon wirh mustard and maple syrup...a si,pler version of Terry's recipe. Turned out pretty well considering it wasn't wild sockeye. Interesting to hear about these very competitive exams people have to go through to become secondary teachers....only about 10 percent pass but you are guranteed a job. They used to have separate ones for men and women. Seems the male one for general knowledge was much easier;...plants, vegetable; etc whereas the women has to learn about sailing rigging; masts etc....strange stuff!
Hope Richard can post this for me...can't seem to get through to Blogger.
Thursday, February 13, 2003
Feb 13
Wonders will never cease the long awaited tunnel through Toulon is open one way ( two lanes)---supposed to have been finished years ago. Noticed in the local paper that a
young man was given two years of prison for going 210 kph on his moto through it...had many other speeding convictions and previous - mo prison. Made our train reservations for Paris and saved 50 percent since we were a mo in advance-- 75 E each return....not bad. We decided on 5 nights--never know if we might not get back to Paris. 10 paintings so far and working on two others.
Wonders will never cease the long awaited tunnel through Toulon is open one way ( two lanes)---supposed to have been finished years ago. Noticed in the local paper that a
young man was given two years of prison for going 210 kph on his moto through it...had many other speeding convictions and previous - mo prison. Made our train reservations for Paris and saved 50 percent since we were a mo in advance-- 75 E each return....not bad. We decided on 5 nights--never know if we might not get back to Paris. 10 paintings so far and working on two others.
feb 9
We finally had this famous cheese yesterday. It was wonderful. Even better cold when we tasted it fro, scopping out a hole to put in garlic and calvaddos...we didn't have any white wine. It did also taste very good over our potatotes: Potatoes were excellent and cooked in no time...unlike some carrots that took forever. Went to our Vietnamese restaurant for dinner and had our favourites -- crab claws to start and then mandarin chicken in a glalette de riz--sort of a crispy rice basket. Wonderful black mushrooms too. The owner is always very pleasant and offered us as always some rice eau de vie type of liquor. Always in a little cup that has a woman who becomes naked as you drink it. Being a small place, we were reintroduced to the charming French custom of everyone wishing each other good evening. Seems to only happen in small places. Strangely; no one greets each other when walking (unless people know each other). Difficult to get used to after Victoria. Went to Aubagne today and came across a very neat market (Sun morning) A pleasant little place but not much open on a Sun and very few restaurants with anything of interest to offer. So went to Le Castellet for lunch and happened on a fabulous restaurant. It was a little chilly so being seated by the open wood cooking fire was qa cozy bonus. We could also watch the progress of our rack of lamb being cooked - absolutely to die for and served with a garlic cream sauce. We began with ris de veau and a plate of provencale specialities (shared them), after the lamb a sorbet bathed in mar de Provence ( a sort of Brandy), then delicious pear and apple tartes. I couldn' t believe this huge German Shepherd came out from under a table at the end of the afternoon...didnùt even notice it there. Dogs are certainly king around here.
We hadn't been to Le Castellet (medieval village in the mountains) for quite a while and were a little disappointed that itùs been all spruced up and there is a proliferation of chi chi shops. Of course it was swarming with people on a Sun. It could do with a bit more grit and less chi. I hope it won't become another San Gimignano. There's an upside because we did find some wonderful stuff, mustard with cognac and banana, rum, raison jamand some reallly cool old bar glasses that will be great for wine or martinis
We finally had this famous cheese yesterday. It was wonderful. Even better cold when we tasted it fro, scopping out a hole to put in garlic and calvaddos...we didn't have any white wine. It did also taste very good over our potatotes: Potatoes were excellent and cooked in no time...unlike some carrots that took forever. Went to our Vietnamese restaurant for dinner and had our favourites -- crab claws to start and then mandarin chicken in a glalette de riz--sort of a crispy rice basket. Wonderful black mushrooms too. The owner is always very pleasant and offered us as always some rice eau de vie type of liquor. Always in a little cup that has a woman who becomes naked as you drink it. Being a small place, we were reintroduced to the charming French custom of everyone wishing each other good evening. Seems to only happen in small places. Strangely; no one greets each other when walking (unless people know each other). Difficult to get used to after Victoria. Went to Aubagne today and came across a very neat market (Sun morning) A pleasant little place but not much open on a Sun and very few restaurants with anything of interest to offer. So went to Le Castellet for lunch and happened on a fabulous restaurant. It was a little chilly so being seated by the open wood cooking fire was qa cozy bonus. We could also watch the progress of our rack of lamb being cooked - absolutely to die for and served with a garlic cream sauce. We began with ris de veau and a plate of provencale specialities (shared them), after the lamb a sorbet bathed in mar de Provence ( a sort of Brandy), then delicious pear and apple tartes. I couldn' t believe this huge German Shepherd came out from under a table at the end of the afternoon...didnùt even notice it there. Dogs are certainly king around here.
We hadn't been to Le Castellet (medieval village in the mountains) for quite a while and were a little disappointed that itùs been all spruced up and there is a proliferation of chi chi shops. Of course it was swarming with people on a Sun. It could do with a bit more grit and less chi. I hope it won't become another San Gimignano. There's an upside because we did find some wonderful stuff, mustard with cognac and banana, rum, raison jamand some reallly cool old bar glasses that will be great for wine or martinis
Saturday, February 08, 2003
Feb 3
Back to a fairly pleasant temp after being very cold yesterday. We went to the flea market in La Capt yesterday and Jim got a scarfe for 2 E. We didn't bring those sorts of things this year since it was so warm last year: Sat in the sun in Giens listening to church bells. Lovely little church in Giens...altogether a great little place. Finished my first painting yesterday. Not too exciting but wanted to do something simple first off. Went to the market in Hyeres Sat and pleased to see the Internet Cafe is open this year...pretty good computers and connections too. We decided to stay with our apartment from last year for the two months. We really can't beat the location and the view. They also have two new very comfortable armchairs so it' ts even better than last year.
At the market we came across my favourite cheese man. He remembered us from last year and gave us a present of tonne de Savoie: We also bought some other wonderful cheese and ham from the Savoie.
Feb 8
Back in Hyeres and thinking I better have this other special cheese we bought as it is going to walk away soon!
You scoop out a bit and put in white wine and garlic and bake...eat it with potatoes, smoked meat, etc....rather like a raclette. A speciality only avaliable in winter apparently.
Done 6 paintings so far and sent Richard some pix I took of 4 of them so hope he'll post them soon.
Bye for now...enough frustration with this keyboard for one day!
Back to a fairly pleasant temp after being very cold yesterday. We went to the flea market in La Capt yesterday and Jim got a scarfe for 2 E. We didn't bring those sorts of things this year since it was so warm last year: Sat in the sun in Giens listening to church bells. Lovely little church in Giens...altogether a great little place. Finished my first painting yesterday. Not too exciting but wanted to do something simple first off. Went to the market in Hyeres Sat and pleased to see the Internet Cafe is open this year...pretty good computers and connections too. We decided to stay with our apartment from last year for the two months. We really can't beat the location and the view. They also have two new very comfortable armchairs so it' ts even better than last year.
At the market we came across my favourite cheese man. He remembered us from last year and gave us a present of tonne de Savoie: We also bought some other wonderful cheese and ham from the Savoie.
Feb 8
Back in Hyeres and thinking I better have this other special cheese we bought as it is going to walk away soon!
You scoop out a bit and put in white wine and garlic and bake...eat it with potatoes, smoked meat, etc....rather like a raclette. A speciality only avaliable in winter apparently.
Done 6 paintings so far and sent Richard some pix I took of 4 of them so hope he'll post them soon.
Bye for now...enough frustration with this keyboard for one day!
Saturday, February 01, 2003
We arrived in Nice to 20 C weather but have had some unusually cool weather...sun continues to shine. Snow in Toulon, though.
Quite a surprise for people. It has been great to get back in our wonderful apartment...almost like coming home! Jim teaching is concentrated on Wed and some special lectures on some Tues so lots of time to explore. I would love to get email. Will probably mainly give news via this site. Crazy French keyboard...out of time
Quite a surprise for people. It has been great to get back in our wonderful apartment...almost like coming home! Jim teaching is concentrated on Wed and some special lectures on some Tues so lots of time to explore. I would love to get email. Will probably mainly give news via this site. Crazy French keyboard...out of time
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