Our French adventure continues, but with the end in sight

Van Gogh and Provence

I wrote this as I lay and take in the views of the cypress trees nearby. The same cypress trees that so often inspired Vincent Van Gogh during his stay in 1889.

And when I say stay, his time in the south of France weren’t his happiest moments. After a period in Arles, where his mental health declined, he admitted himself to the nearby asylum, here in St Remy de Provence. You may remember that he cut his own ear off after an argument with his friend, Gaughin. 

In the year that he was in the asylum at St Remy he produced over 150 paintings. One of his most productive periods. And one of his last. Leaving St Remy in May of 1890, he had shot and killed himself in November of the same year.

Swapping the rails for the road

We were in much better spirits as we headed by train from Dijon, via Avignon to pick up a hire car, and into Provence. This part of France is not served well by train so car was our only option. A hefty chunk from our travel budget that almost brought tears to my eyes. Seeing we had a Fiat 500 cheered me up immensely. My second time in a Fiat 500, although my first time was in one of the original, tiny cars, as I drove us both around Florence.

Victoria took the wheel today and not long after leaving Avignon we were rolling into St Remy de Provence. With a population of under 10,000, St Remy sits in the northern Alpilles, in southern France. The birthplace of Nostrodamus, St Remy is also where Princess Caroline of Monaco lived for several years with her children following the death of her second husband.

It is immediately easy to see what would draw people here. A small town of narrow cobbled streets, the sun glancing between the buildings, lighting up small piazzas of people chatting and sipping the famous Provence rose wine. Despite being a place that attracts tourists, it somehow manages to keep its rather sleepy feeling. We sat in the shade of a large tree and ordered two cold drinks.

As we had the luxury of a car we chose to stay some 10 minutes from St Remy, opting for a bed and breakfast in a converted farmhouse. We were spending two nights in the very small village of Maillane. A village of three restaurants and one wine bar. Our bed and breakfast had a small swimming pool and with the temperature in Southern France increasing, it was a welcome relief to go for a cooling dip.

Baux-de-Provence

Having the car afforded us the luxury of being able to go and explore places. One such place was Baux-de-Provence. Somewhere I did not know about and was recommended by Chris at the bed and breakfast. Ten minutes drive, a rather precarious mountainous drive, had us in Baux. And straight away, it grabs you. The dramatic landscape, towering over the village.

With a permanent population of under 400, the tourists easily outnumbered the locals. And it is easy to see what draws the tourists in. A castle that appears to merge with the mountain that it climbs out of. And a village that dates back to the Iron Ages.

A reminder about how precious life is

Chatting with the owner of the B&B, Chris, was a reminder of why we were on this trip of a lifetime. Chris is originally from Belgium, and often spent his holidays down in this part of the world. Ten years ago he suffered a life threatening illness, and spent over a year in hospital. When recovering he realised he had spent his life trying to do too much and wanted to enjoy his life more. So he packed up, moved to southern France, and bought the farmhouse that he now runs as a B&B.

Anyone for Cassoulet?

Two nights of relaxation, and eating with the locals, we were on the move again. Another place neither of us had been to. And I am still not sure I had heard of Carcassonne until recently. For those of you more familiar with it you will know how beautiful the castle and the old fortified cité is. The medieval fortress dates back to Gallo-Roman times and was restored in 1853.

Both evenings in Carcassonne were spent exploring the old city and the castle, roaming amongst the ramparts and strolling the narrow alleyways. Looking for the regional dish I discovered the cassoulet. A dish of duck confit and Toulouse sausage. It is delicious, and very popular.

I am a bit of a geek when it comes to the Camino de Santiago, and one day I know I will do a pilgrimage of my own. I was thrilled to learn that one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela, where all the walks conclude in the cathedral there, actually starts right here, in Carcassonne.

Another capital of wine?

But today, I wasn’t walking. We were dropping the Fiat 500 at Carcassonne train station, and we were destined for the wine capital of France, Bordeaux. Has anybody spotted a theme of our tour through France?

Bordeaux wines are known the world over. It was the Romans that introduced the first vines and Bordeaux has been synonymous with wine ever since. Wanting to promote French wine to the world, Napoleon III insisted on a classification at the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. A classification that has remained in place since. Ranking the wines according to a chateau’s reputation, in order of “cru”, first through to fifth. 

Visiting the Medoc wine region

This, and many other interesting facts about the Bordeaux wine industry we learned on our wine tour to the Medoc region. A region that only produces red wine, we spent a half day exploring both the Château Marquis de Terme and Château Siran. The amount of rules and regulations that wine growers in Bordeaux need to adhere to are mind boggling. We learnt that vineyards are not allowed to irrigate the vines. With a dry summer like we have just had I do wonder how the vintage will turn out.

Falling in love with Bordeaux

Bordeaux is another of those cities that caught me completely by surprise. I fell in love with it. Such a beautiful river front, lined with grand mansions. Another city firmly on the Camino de Santiago. And a nightlife that seems to go for the whole day. Stumbling across square after square, all packed with people enjoying coffee, beer, wine, and plenty of great food. Our three days passed by so quick that I just wanted to press the pause button.

Time to say Au Revoir

However, in life, there is no pause button. We were heading out in the morning. And changing countries. Since leaving Australia, we now had country number eight in our sights. This would be the 28th new bed since we left Perth. I know. It is exhausting. But, I wouldn’t change a thing. 

We head to Spain tomorrow, and somewhere I have wanted to go long before I saw Anthony Bourdain visit. Without a car, or a train ticket, we were taking our first bus ride. Four hours and we will be in San Sebastian, in the Basque country is our next stop.

Au revoir, and hola!