Into France ...

We set off after lunch (as I'd been to the hairdressers in the morning) and drove over the Jura and into France stopping at various Pharmacies on the way to pick up medications.




Our first stop was at Le Vauxoise, at Vaux sous Aubigny : a clean and delightful hotel, lovely bathroom, with a restaurant serving wholesome French food all at reasonable prices.

The following Day we visited Troyes.
The centre of Troyes dates from 1100s : interestingly architects have attempted to follow the style as can be seen from the moden buildings on te right.

It seems that the good people of Troyes ran out of funds before their cathedral could be finished.

It has a beautiful gothic nave...

... an interesting tableau and even some original mediaeval floor tiles.

We travelled on northwards to L'Epine where the Basilica towers over the village. Apparently one of the towers was removed in the last war to make room for a radio tranmitter ... when the war finished, there were not enough funds to rebuild the tower correctly.

The tympanium is highly decorated; but most of the saints lost their heads during the time of the French revolution 1793.

In the nave is a well from which Pilgims drink. Important not only in Mediaeval time but also in more recent times when a secure water supply was extremely precious.

Also interesting is staircase sculptured entirely from Stone.



The exterior boasts mny fine Gargoils including this of a man shouldering a devil.

Curious, is this effegy of a pig with a harp.




As we were in the area, we naturally had to start our meal at the Michelin starred Armes de Champagne with a bottle of Champagne.

September 2009 : PREP Course and European Sojourn

Following my encouraging experiences at the residential part of the PREP Course at Madingley Hall, I flew to France with my books and assignments to continue work there and in Italy.

The station in Cannes has some attractive murals.

I had intended to collect my Mini and drive it to Italy where I plan to garage it at my mother's house; but having rented a manual car to drive from LHR to Cambridge, I relised my knee was too painful to make the journey.

This was confirmed by my doctor who insisted I got an immediate MRI.

So I had to leave my baby with David, my mechanic: but still managed to enjoy a good Campagnard Salad

My mother waved her magic wand and ammazingly managed to arrange this and a specialist appointmentas soon as I arrived; and the specialist managed to get me intoa rather smart hospital only 3 days later !

So I arrive in Italy on Thursday evening ... and only a week later I was being discharged from hospital ! I had been very concerned that I would not be able to cycle in Cambridge ... but am reassured all will be well.

I even had a room all to myself ... however, I was not fed for 24 hours ! Typical Italian regulations ... and after 24 hours, when I could eat a cow, I got a tiny bowl of risottto.

I had been promised a speedy recovery: indeed the hobbling did not interfere with my enjoument of the apero !

It was great to have my close family see me off on my train ride to Switzerland.

There I collected some of my belongings and loaded the car, and after a welcome trip to the hairdresser, we set off.

Back Home ...

to my unparalleled view ... and this is only part of it !

Last Stop, Nice.

The old town of Nice with its narrow streets.

It was here we all said,"Goodbye" and went our separate ways.

We visited Villecroze where Merinda and I lived for a delightful 6 months of French Provencal life in 1995








... and saw her school.

Had a wonderful meal at Le Colombier where Willy first took me to dinner on 2nd February 1995.

Quino grains with smoked salmon.

Foie-gras maison.

Pigeon.




Chocolait cake.

Market Sunshine.

After days of rain it was good to enjoy the sun and nibbles at the market in Aups.

Deeper into Provence.

Fontaine de Vaucluse is a closed valley with a deep spring of crystal clear water.


Early morning I followed the churning water to the the source. Jacques Cousteau dived 45m here in 1948. Recently divers went down 85m.



The abundance of flowing water enabled the establishment in the 1500s of paper mill which today produces high quality hand made paper.

We visited the well preserved Theatre in Orange which seats 10,000.

Built in C1stAD it was seen by the Roman authorities not only as a means of spreading Roman culture to the colonies, but also as a way of distracting them from all political activities.

Entry was free and up to 100 days a year were asigned to performances.

In Avignon we visited the Plais du Papes; the grand papal palace built over 20 years in the 1300s by two Popes: the austere Benedict XII and the flamboyant Clement VI whose styles are reflected in the architecture of their buildings.



The life of John the Baptist is portrayed in a chapel; however Salome looks far from enticing !







More Tromp d'Oeuil ...

We enjoyed a Truffle menu that evening ...and admired the largest one found thereabouts...over several glasses of wine.

La Belle France.

Our first stop in France : Chateau de Candie, originally a Templar castle.

See the princess in the tower !

Rescued ! ... with decorative Trompe d'Oeuil.

En-route to the South.

At Pont du Gard we admired the Roman aqueduct constructed in the C1st AD to carry water from the Fontaines d'Eures 50km to Nimes.

Also, this aged olive tree believed to be 1108 years old.

In Nimes we saw La Maison-Carrée built in 4BC; the only complete temple remaining from Roman times...

and the Amphitheatre built in about 50AD in which up to 25,000 spectators could enjoy fights to the death.

Indeed, even so today.

Willy's school stands grandly nearby.

Exploring Vaud

At Orbe the Romans constructed a stately Villa, well positioned above the swampy lowlands.


The mosaics of gods and sea monsters are very fine.

Iron has been mined and worked in Valorbe since the earliest of times.

We girls fished Trout for our supper ...
and the men did the messy stuff.

Jenny & Loren Joined Me ...

Grandson Castle dates back to Medaeval times, but most of it's construction is from 1400s.

There is an excellent Vehicle display within, which includes Churchill's Austen Cambridge ...

and this rather fun tricycle.

Nearby, equally ancient, St.John's has several Mediaeval capitols in which the stone mason's sense of humour, once obscured by shadows, can now easily be seen.



Traditional Swiss fare. Willy, the Raclatteur grills the cheese and serves it a slice at a time accompanied by cold meats, potatoes, pickles and plenty of crisp white wine.
Swiss whites are particuarly light and dry as their second fermentation takes place in the bottle (and not in one's tummy) making them easily digestable and very drinkable.

and so to Switzerland

Such a cute Swiss Train ...

so what's the Swiss national dog ?

For My Fans ...

and others who love me !

Me, in Venice.




The dark brown building behind me is the oldest shipyard making gondolas ... worth a visit.

Timeless Venice ... more Art.

My cousin invited me with her to Venice: such an extraordinary city ... not just parts of it, but as a whole.

Glorious sights are everywhere one looks.













We visited the Guggenheim Museum: Peggy's collection.
I find "Futuristic" Art rather difficult to appreciate. However, we had an expert guide who did assist by explaining the inner journeys into the 20th Century that these artists are protraying.





Yoko Ono visited in 2003 and started a "Wishing Tree" on an Olive Tree growing in the garden.
Just beside where all Peggy's dogs are buried, and she herself.

Most stunning, perhaps, was the scene, from the roof of the Stucky Hilton, of a cruise ship gently manoevering through the canal out to the sea.

Art

We went off to see an Art Deco exhibition : paintings from 1920s-1940s.

I suppose I liked a couple of the paintings ... the pre-Raphelite ones - but on the whole I much preferred this Mediaeval panel still with some of it's original paint and this glizy St.Jerome laking the thorn from the lion's paw.

She looks not a day over 65 !

A Change of Life !

After two weeks of virtual nail biting
since the interviews
(in which I think I talked too much)
and
the ordeal of 3 hours of essay writing ...
I was DELIGHTED to learn that
I have been offered a place as a Mature Student
at Lucy Cavendish College
in October 2009 to read
Archaeology and Anthropology
at the University of Cambridge.

Whoppeeeee !!!

I've Been Catching Up.

Doing quite a bit of reading on this trip.
"The Genisis Secret," by Tom Knox is a rather bloodthirsty novel whose fascination is that it is set around Gobekli Tepe an actual archeaological site of a temple some 12,000 years old which, for a still unknown reason, was covered over about 6,000 BC. The novel led me to read much more on-line .
The classic "Gods, Graves & Scholars," by C.W Ceram is a marvelous histroy of Archaeology since the early 1700s; detailing the achievements of a number of colourful (often) dilettantes who dedicated their lives to the discovery of sites, languages and culture of civilisaions long burried.
Less well written, David Gibbins' "The Last Gospel" also involves archaeolgists and a find in Herculaneum's Villa of the Papyruses: an appropriate read on the train hurtling towards Naples.
A rather angry Rosalin Miles re-christened her "Women's History of the World" to "Who Cooked the last Supper?" indicative of some of the wry humour interspercing the indignation within.

The Best !

I like Octupus Salad.
Of the two I sampled in Naples, one was tough and the other barely approached in tenderness and flavour that produced by my Mother... and this is how:

take a whole, fresh octopus

(whose beak and eye has been removed by the fish-monger) and put it in a pot of cool water.
Bring it to a rolling boils and let it cook for 45 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let it cool completely in the pot of water (even overnight).

Remove, dice and season with olive oil, fresh parsley and chopped garlic.

One can eat as much of it as one likes as it is totally non fattening !

Neapolitan Interlude.

La Bella Napoli : world famous for Pizza.

Of course, because of my desire to loose several inches from my thigh, I am restricting myself to seafood !

I am REALLY enjoying the Archaeological Museum here with all the statues and mosaics from Pompei & Herculaneum.

Today saw the grand opening of 400 frescos not seen since 2003, now restored - I managed to get myself invited to the press showing at lunchtime AND also to a special reception this evening !

Met all sorts of interesting people / restorers / archaeologists ! Was even invited to visit the excavations for a personal tour ... but that will have to await another time.

I did find time to visit the Chappel of SanSevero in which there are a couple of veiled statues from the mid 1700s: this one is called Modesty (although it can be hardly that !).

Rovigo is a very Italian town.

It's nothing to wander in and out of shops, offices and cafes housed in buildings which are hunderds of years old, with carved wooden ceilings and frescoed walls.

Even with Mediaeval Watch towers, Rovigo has few Tourists having little to offer compared with Padova ,Ravenna and Venice. [click to see more]

There are some lovely facades and a mighty bronze statue of Garibaldi

A Little Culture

Verdi's Requiem was performed in Rovigo's 200 year old, gilt and red push theatre with a chorus of a hundred and an orchestra of sixty.

My First Home Cooked Italian Meal

Fresh, local Scallops (with the roe) ... too delicious ..

forgot to photograph them !

Local mussels: tender and flavourful.

Octopus salad - alla Mamma - scrumptious.

From Nice to Rovigo

The train journey along the French Riviera never fails to delight me with picturesque glimpses of coves, beaches and villages.

This is Villefranche sur Mer.

I had 3 train changes on this trip: amazingly all ran to schedule !

Milan's station, with Alberto Favi's impressive arched iron canopy (1930) covering over 66 thousand square metres, has little changed since I was using it as a child: only then steam trains took me away.

Finaly a warm, present-full, welcome including, "Gods, Graves & Scholars": C.W.Ceram's Story of Archaeology.

A Green and Pleasant Land.

Neil and Alyson's house is set in a park

full of spring flowers

and abundant wild life:

a cheeky squirrel

and even a cock-fight.

Thursday, 16th April 2009 ~ This Day May Change My Life.

All set to go, beside one of the lovely gardens around Lucy Cavendish College.
My first 30 minute interview was with the Admissions' Tutor and a colleague to determine my suitability for admission to Cambridge, what I could bring to the course and generally about me.
The second 30 minute interview was with my prospective Director of Studies and a colleage and centered around my interests in Archaeology & Anthropology.
Following a brief tour of the college I wrote the first of two 90 minute essays: "The trade in antiquities - should it be banned ?". After a 15 minute break I wrote for 60 minutes on "The job of schools is to prepare a child for the world of work" and then 30 minutes summarising what I had written.
I spent several hours going over the interviews in my mind thinking about what I could have said ... I did my best: in two weeks we'll know if it was good enough.

The Joys of ...

and then there is ...

Spring.

No Contest.

"... and you want to swap living in the the TCIs for this ?"

Absolutely !

BTW : AA landed 90 minutes late - and at the very end of the terminal; yet I made it through Immigration and out to the central area in 26 minutes ! I would have missed the coach had the driver not left a few minutes late !!!

Healthy Flying

Deep Vein Thrombosis is a hazard for those who fly long distances. In F, AA have this handy seat on which one can elevate ones feet without going into flat-bed mode. Thank you, Peter !

yet ... is it a Madhouse ?

High Finance :

the absurdity of having to provide easy-chairs where clients have time to read and work while awaiting a First Caribbian Bank teller, is inescapable.

Dawn ~ Another New Beginning

Such an inspiration !
How can I ever leave ... ?