AVIGNON

                                     An Ancient Walled City
        We boarded the high speed TGV train for the trip to Avignon, the capital of Provence. We were seated upstairs. There is a specific protocol for riding the train. First, one is very quiet, any talking is done at whisper level. Talking on a cell phone is considered rude---yea! If a phone did vibrate, the person immediately got up and left the car. Doors were not automatic; one had to push a button to open them.

            The seats were comfortable for the 2 ½ hour ride to Avignon. Our guide gave us a 10 minute warning so we could be ready to disembark. European trains do not stay in the station long. The train transfer was quick and easy and in less than 15 minutes all the luggage had been transferred and the bus was pulling out of the parking lot.

            Olive trees, grapes and lavender fields decorate the outskirts of the city. A row of cypress trees makes for a good wind break for crops.    

            At Old Town we boarded a trolley-car train for a ride inside the walled city. Inside the ancient wall the area is amazingly big, and walking is the best way to get around the cobbled, narrow, winding, one-way streets. Situated on the left bank of the Rhone River, Avignon is a wonderfully well preserved ancient walled city of history, refinement and culture. Twisting streets turn around ancient buildings filled with modern shops in Old Town, all within the three miles of the medieval wall of the ancient fortress. The wall is complete and has 12 towers and 14 entrances.

The city is often referred to as the French Vatican or City of Popes because the pope moved here from Rome in 1309, and for the next 70 years Avignon was the center of European religion and art.  During the 14^th century the presence of popes drew hordes of princes, dignitaries, poets and raiders to the city.

For centuries the city has been the major art center of France as well as the economic, administrative and cultural capital of Provence and Camargue. It is one of the most active and beautiful cities in France. Thanks to its architectural and artistic heritage, this old city is one of the most important gothic ensembles in Europe.

During the summer the city of 90,000 is crowded, but the many spectacular monuments, museums, decorated buildings, ancient churches, chapels and convents are worth a visit and coping with the masses.

             Only four of the original 12 arches of the 11^th century Benezet Bridge remain. In the old city when a merchant set up shop, the street was named for the type of shop, ie: carpenter street. The 18^th century theater is now a museum. The synagogue is round with a dome as the architect was influenced by mosque construction. The Palais of Papel, city hall, cafés, boutiques and a carousel are all around the main plaza.

            I walked down to the Palais but did not climb the many steps to go in it. It was a very warm afternoon and the line to enter was in the sun. I returned to the shade of a tree where I left my friend and bought an interesting mint ice cream cone. It was a bright chartreuse shade of green.

            Avignon was just a stopover for us. We saw a lot in a limited amount of time, but it is a city that deserves some time to really see and enjoy.

ARCACHON, FRANCE

                                          A TB Resort and Oysters

WINTER GARDEN

            One afternoon in Arcachon, France we had a chance to visit Winter Garden, located on a high hill overlooking the bay and its activities. There is an elevator to take visitors up from ground level, but our biking guide decided we were going to hike the switch-back path to the top. I guess he figured we’d use different muscles than when peddling a bike!

            We learned that the city of Arcachon was established in 1840 and in 1867 a couple of brothers built a railroad. The mild winter climate and clean air soon turned the area into a rest spot for those with TB. The publicity after Napoleon’s visit in 1862 promoted the area even more.

            In 1863 the railroad brothers built 23 villas which they rented. The villas were then broken into apartments. By 1878 there were 96 villas for rent; that swelled to 244 villas by 1900 and presently there are 188.

            Winter Garden was built to give the city visitors something to do. Built on 300acres it had a large plush casino until 1977 when fire destroyed it. Instead of rebuilding the casino, the area was planted with gardens and trees. The view of the bay and city below was magnificent from the top.

            The top of a tall observatory located at the top of the hill can be reached  by climbing a narrow spiral staircase in the center of the tower. A pretty wobbly climb was worth the view of the bay and city below.

            Because of the steep hill, streets are built sideways and resemble switch-back roads. This design not only makes travel easier, it also lessens the wind. As we walked the area the docent pointed out the first, second and third era villas. It was an interesting morning with some challenging walking.

SAND DUNES

            Enroute to Arcachon we made a detour to visit Europe’s highest sand dunes. A paved walkway lined with kiosks lead us to the dune where 151 steps took us to the top. Once standing on top of the dune the view of the ocean beyond was spectacular and definitely worth the climb! After some time enjoying the view we all chose to walk back down, but many, mostly kids, had great fun rolling and tumbling down the dune.

ARCACHON OYSTERS

            Arcachon Bay is 155 square kilometers and at low tide three-quarters of the bay is still covered with shallow water. A research institute, located on the bay, works closely with oyster farmers. The district owns the land and leases oyster farmers specific plots, so each farmer knows his own territory. The environmentally rich bay produces 15 tons of oysters a year per farm.

            Oyster farming started in the 1800s. In the 1960s a virus attacked the oysters, so in 1968 a Japanese oyster was introduced to replace the lost oysters.  Here the oysters reproduce which is not the case in either Normandy or Brittany where farmers import Arcachon oysters as they grow well when reintroduced into new areas. They just don’t reproduce.

            An oyster filters 10 liters of water an hour siphoning   off food. They spawn in summer and only 1-2% of the larvae survive. Oysters can change sex each season if it is necessary to reproduce.

            Red ceramic tiles are coated with a limestone mixture and dried. When the time is right thousands of tiles, secured together, are put in the water. The larvae attach to the tiles and 8-9 months later the tiles are removed and the oysters scraped off and sorted by size. They are placed in either plastic or steel mesh bags and returned to the bay for another year. During that year the bags are turned every two weeks. At the end of a year the oysters are again removed, sized and rebagged to return to the bay for an additional nine months. It tales 3-4 years for any oyster to grow to eating size. These oysters are sent all over France but are not exported.

            We enjoyed a detailed lecture and were able to observe much of the oyster operation as well as talk to many of the farmers. Who would have guessed it would be a most interesting visit!