Family Fun: Cévennes to Paris
Living far from family has its challenges. Our children and grandchildren live in four different states across the US, while we live in the south of France. We are immensely grateful for video chats and electronic messages for staying connected. Even better are visits in person.
Most of the time, we go to them. It's just easier. But this summer, one daughter and her family traveled to us here in France. Wohoo! We LOVED having them here and sharing special places and moments.
Join me on a highlight tour through the Cévennes, Provence, then on to la capitale, Paris, en famille.
Our little town, Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, hosts a village fête every year. Thankfully, this year, it was the day after our family's arrival. This weekend-long party focuses mainly on the Abrivado. What's that, you ask? This Occitan word involves letting bulls run down "secured" streets, guided by gardiens riding white horses from the Camargue.
Spectators watch from behind metal barricades that ultimately don't feel that safe, while local young men run after the bulls. The goal is to grab the "bull by the horns" and run with it. Oh la la! Super stressful (yet exciting) to watch, and yes, someone is always hurt. Sigh. It's tradition, and those who participate accept the risk.
After relaxing days at home and swimming in our local river, we ventured out again despite the record heatwave. Visiting an enormous cave, La Grotte des Demoiselles, provided stunning vistas and cool temperatures.
Although this exceptional site is only twenty minutes from our home, we'd never been. The motivation of a family visit—"we have to show the grandkids"—was all it took. There are several more caves open to the public in our region. We'll check those out, but probably not until the next time family visits.
Impossible to capture the grandeur of this Cathedral Room. The dimensions are the same as the interior of Notre Dame de Paris, yet at a depth of seventy meters (almost half a mile)."Pipe organs" included. Different formations appear as people praying and lend an otherworldly quality to the experience.
Spectacular, right? Incredible to think this was all created by water flowing and dripping limestone into all this beauty.
A trip to the south of France wouldn't be complete without a visit to an open market. Besides the weekly one in our little town, we also visited the largest and, some say, the best in the ancient town of Uzès. Wandering through charm-filled streets to the central market, we stopped to enjoy several shops.
So satisfying to purchase food for a picnic at the Uzès open market, which we consumed at the nearby Pont du Gard.
The Pont de Gard is another stunning site, not to be missed if possible. This aqueduct, built during the Roman occupation of southern France, brought water from the river Gardon to Nîmes. Commissioned in the first century AD, it is the only three-tiered bridge of its kind standing today. An incredible engineering feat using a dry stone technique (no cement or mortar) that took only five years to build. Oh, and one thousand workers.
After lunch, the kids leapt off the same small cliffs from which their mother jumped decades earlier. Full circle!
Our next outing took us into Provence. Passing by Arles, St. Rémy de Provence, and many other lovely towns, we arrived at Les-Baux-de-Provence. A spectacular medieval village, perched high on bauxite cliffs, from which the former owners, the Counts of Grimaldi, used to throw their enemies. Yikes!
Today, it is a striking place to visit, full of shops and old stone buildings. Winding up the narrow cobblestone streets to the top, we arrived at the grand plateau. Miles of olive tree orchards stretch out below into distant mountains. Breathtaking!
And voilà! Authentic medieval war machines. Catapults, ramming machines, and more. My mind filled with dramatic images of these weapons breaking down fortified doors and massive iron "balls" lobbed over castle walls.
To top off an already amazing visit, at the bottom of Les Baux's cliffs, we found the Carrières des Lumières. An old quarry houses a unique show, where art images are projected onto every surface. Perfectly matched music makes for an unforgettable experience. The artists featured change each year. Here's Frida Kahlo and Picasso. Enjoy!
Back home, we had a rest day, then off on the fast train to Paris. Three hours later, we stood in the Gare de Lyon and made our way to the 11th arrondissement, where we lived for six years 1989 - 1995. We stayed in our old neighborhood, which was nostalgic to say the least.
Our daughter loved introducing her kids to our old building, park, and school.
The heatwave continued, but that didn't stop us. First visit: the Eiffel Tower.
Day two started with a visit to our family favorite: the Louvre Museum. We visited often when we lived in Paris and when we returned with teams when we lived in the US. Super fun to introduce it to the grandkids. Here are just a few of our favorites:
Of course, snacks and treats are a major part of any adventure. "Tasting" the country, the culture is an important part of the experience.
Macaroons outside the Louvre, an ice-cold Orangina (in the bottle!), and a yummy Nutella Banana crepe.
And then the hot ride home on the Metro. All part of the experience.
A quick visit outside Notre Dame Cathedral and to the nearby bouquinistes, book and print sellers along the Seine. I've read more than one World War II story where a worker at these stands passed notes with vital information inside sold books. Vive la Résistance!
Finally, time to say goodbye. But not before a nighttime trip back to the Eiffel Tower. One must see it sparkle as the sun goes down.
Au revoir Paris! Until next time.
La vie est belle...
Photo of Pont du Gard de Sarah Sheedysur Unsplash
Ahhh… your account and beautiful photos make us homesick! We covered many of the same places you captured here during our recent time together; your writing resurrected all our beautiful memories. Merci beaucoup, mon ami !
How wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful to see pictures of you and Dud and your beautiful family.
Thank you Janet for sharing with us your delightful time with your family! Some spectacular photos and iconic views, some of which are stored in my own experiences when living in France...elle me manque!