Bonnieux, Menerbes, Gordes...

A very restless night. Awake at 4 and listen to the top tens playlist I compiled in Austria last September. My ten favourite tracks by my twenty favourite artists...

I listen till around 7 then try to go to sleep. This is a mistake as I wake up at 10 feeling lousy...

Still, regardless of this, I’m up and over to the bakery buying more croissants and a petit boule...
...and some cakes for later...

We breakfast in the garden accompanied this morning by Mozart’s Mass in C Minor...

Then we take off for a little tour of some nearby villages which have, thus far, escaped our attention on our travels...

First stop is Bonneieux, a pretty little town on a hilltop (aren’t they all?)...



Today is market day and it’s just finishing and the traders are packing up as we walk round before taking a short tour around the village and returning to the square for a seat and a coffee...


From our seats we can see our next target, Lacoste where Pierre Cardin lives and the Marquis de Sade’s house is...



In the event we’d forgotten these facts as we drove up and around Lacosts without stopping and went on instead to Menerbes, where we did indeed stop, get out the car and walk around...

Like Viens a couple of days ago, the town is deserted in the hot sun as we wander around taking photos of the cliffs, the castle, the town hall, the 12th Century church...

Eventually we end up back where we started and go in for a seat and a beer in the newsagent cum café cum bar at the top of the hill by which you enter the town...

We pull back the windows and gaze out over the valley below – a little cat surprises Anne by jumping in her window from nowhere and heading out the café door into the street...



Into the car again and we drive the 10km or so on to the town of Gordes. Now we see what happens when tourism takes over. Whilst still a delightful little town, it’s overrun with tourists and the kind of tat that follows them around...



We decide to drive home via the back roads but, on the verge of running out of diesel have to detour back to Apt for 10 euros’ worth to keep us going until tomorrow...

From Apt we take another back road and drive through three more very small villages on hilltops before arriving back at Cereste for our last night...

We sit in the garden drinking beer and wine and eating the lovely cakes I bought this morning – then it gets a wee bit windy and so we head indoors and pack for tomorrow...



Out for a final dinner and, after considering the hotel we dined at on our first night and another restaurant we’d not yet visited, we finally plumped for the same place as last night and had another superb meal...

I replaced the profiteroles with a crème brulee, as did Anne and she also had a different kind of salad to start with and opted for Beef Bourguignon for her main...

A bottle of Pierrevert Red slips down nicely...

We walk up the street to our home from home for one last time, saying goodbye to the psycho dog who lives in a doghouse and is on a chain and always lunges at as as we go by...

Goodbye psycho dog...

Highlight of the Day : The odd but nice feeling of happiness which came over me as I walked back to the car in Bonneieux...

Avignon...

Yet another awake early/up late day as there’s no computer here for me to go to – still listening to the recent albums playlist..

Once again we leave around 10:15 and drive the 40 miles or so to Avignon, easily finding the underground car park we’re seeking which is near the famous bridge, immortalised in the song “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”...

Up the steps and into the light and an amazing sight greets us – The Popes’ Palace – a huge complex of castles, towers, churches and courtyards...



We readily pay 11.50 Euros each for joint entry to this and the Pont d’Avignon...

Inside the palace we are issued with audio guides and I infuriate Anne by insisting on listening to the stories of all nine popes who ruled from here from 1305 till 1403 – and you can read about them here: http://www.palais-des-papes.com/anglais/pdphistoire3.html

We are in the palace for well over an hour, doing the full tour with the telephone type contraptions glued to our ears..



We are followed around into every great hall and small room by a party of Italian Schoolchildren who look utterly bored by the whole thing, totally in contrast with their utterly enthusiastic teacher...

Kids nowadays eh?

Ater the place, we head to the nearby Town Hall Square and have a very reasonably priced lunch of Milanese cutlet for Anne and a faut filet for me (sirloin steak says Anne)...



We then walk down to the bridge, the Pont St Bénezet, where we are once again issued with audio guides – and very informative they are too – you can read about the bridge here : http://www.palais-des-papes.com/anglais/ponthistoire.html



After the bridge, we walk down the main shopping street, Rue de la Republique looking for the modern art gallery, which we easily find...


Click on this to enlarge and you can see me reflected in the door...or don't bother, it's up to you...

The gallery shows artworks loaned to the city for 20 years by local collector Yvon Lambert and it’s all Modern Art..

Anne suggests it’s the biggest load of shite she’s ever seen, while I enjoy the majority of the pieces...



There are no artsy fartsy explanations of any of the pieces – each piece stands entirely on its inherent merits (or not as the case may be)...



Judge for yourselves by going here : http://www.collectionlambert.com/pages/exposition.htm

And clicking on the word “Diaporama” at the bottom of the page...

You can see many of the pieces on show in the current exhibition which runs until June...

What you don’t see there is a short film by a Danish Artist. Called “No Man Is An Island” it’s just some men sitting silently and contemplatively in a bar, not uttering a sound. Until a young man stands up and suddenly starts singing the song “Crying”...



Gradually, the whole bar joins in with some really beautiful harmonies...

Quite affecting I found...

We leave and go back to the main square for another coffee. The light has changed and so we take a few more photos before going back down the stairs to the car park and drive home to a fine bottle of chateaneuf du pape...



The day is rounded off with a delightful meal at a local restaurant where an unbelievable menu of the day is enjoyed by us both – salad/steak/profiteroles and a nice bottle of red wine all for less than 50 euros...

Top stuff...

Highlight of the Day : Avignon

Forcalquier, Viens, Oppedette...

Awake today at 5:30 and I listen to the jukebox for three hours – shuffleplay of the “recent albums” playlist – hearing a lot of this for the first time...

Up at 9:30 and back to the “upper” bakery for croissants, pain au chocolat and a petit boule (a round loaf) – all very tasty and accompanied this morning by Handel’s Chamber Music...



At 10:15 it’s into the car and back to Forcalquier, this time with a view to walking around the historic old town...



It’s much quieter than it was on Monday, due no doubt to the lack of a market, although a couple of hardy souls have set up anyway in the main square to sell their veg...

We walk up to the Citadel which overlooks the town and the surrounding countryside and gives us outstanding views of both...





After a walk through the back streets, where we encounter three nice young children sitting next to a stray cat giving it some loving attention, we head back to the square for a coffee at the same place we sat outside on Monday. The best café au lait for me so far...



We return to Cereste and the garden for lunch having bought a very tasty looking mille feuille cake and a large strawberry tart...



We eat the remains of the petit boule with some wine for Anne and a small beer for me (the driver) and then wire in to the cakes, while Handel accompanies us once again, and is himself accompanied by some lovely birdsong from the trees...

Three cats are in the garden today and we enjoy just sitting for a while watching their antics...



Then it’s back to the car and we head west to the very small town of Oppedette, famous for the deep gorge nearby...

It’s a bit of a hairy drive up to the top of these hills and the village is indeed tiny whilst the gorge is indeed deep...



The best is to come though as, on the way back, we take a detour up to a real hilltop town called Viens. This is a quite delightful place and is totally deserted apart from a posse of old men playing boules outside the town walls...



We walked around taking photos and wondering why no-one else was there. An amazing little town which could so very easily become a complete tourist trap given the right (or some might say, wrong, marketing)...



We drive on and thru another hilltop town, St Michel before making our way back to Cereste again. At the Spar, we buy a fresh supply of milk and some still water for what turns out to be a successful attempt at some better tasting coffee...

Whilst “downtown” we notice the pizza truck we’d seen last Saturday has made a return...

Back at the house we drink more red wine and leaf through a couple of Peter Mayle books on Provence which seem raher smug to be honest...

We also read up on Avignon as we’re looking to visit this town tomorrow...

A little bit worse for wear on the wine front, we take a walk back out thru the town and find ourselves drawn to the pizza truck..



Before we know it we’ve purchased two pizzas, mine is unfeasibly large, and are heading back home for a tasty meal and yet more wine. I also write up the journal...



On TV tonight is the crazy mixed up French version of Noel Edmunds’ “Deal or No Deal” during which a contestant loses out on 25,000 Euros and has to play his accordion a lot???

Then it’s news, news and more news followed by football – Lyon v AC Milan which turns out to be a very entertaining “no goals but plenty of action” type game...

By the end of the 0-0 draw, I’m already asleep...

Highlight of the Day : The Village of Viens

Aix en Provence La Tour d'Aigues

A reasonable night’s sleep last night waking at 8:50 to the sound of rain on the window...

We get wrapped up and take a walk to the bakery at the bottom of the village (the one opposite our apartment is closed today) and buy croissants and pain au chocolat for breakfast...

By the time we return to the house, I’m soaked but things look up with a lovely breakfast with coffee and juice accompanying the just bought bread based products...

Then we drive to Aix-en-Provence, two thirds of the way back to Marseille in fact...

We take the back roads this time rather than the motorway route from Saturday night, and we drive thru yet more delightful little villages...

We park underground and emerge into the bright sunshine which has developed since earlier this morning...



We walk to the town centre and pick up a few tips at the Tourist Office before setting off up the main boulevard which is home to another market. This time, mainly clothes and shoes though...

After some pondering, I decide against a black bag with a likeness of Meg the Black Cat on it...

Into the old town and yet more markets selling the best fresh produce from the surrounding villages...

We finally make it to the square in front of the town hall which houses a flower market today. Hot chocolate for me and coffee for Anne, then we’re off again back down the main boulevard and into the other end of the old town...

We find ourselves back out our first point of entry and it’s time for lunch. We opt for Café Verdun opposite the Palace of Justice and the food is superb...



After a leisurely lunch including puddings and more coffee, I visit the Harmonia Mundi shop next door purchasing a CD of various pieces for Viola de Gamba by Marin Marais while Anne has a seat on the steps of the Palace...

Then more walking around drinking in the sights, sounds and atmosphere of the old town. I stumble across a larger CD store and have a browse – not as long a browse as had I been on my own of course...

I leave empty handed...

Back to the car and we head home along the back roads again, stopping off at La Tour d'Aigues to purchase a French stick for tea (no need for a huge tea tonight following the excellent lunch)...

We visit the tower itself, now almost completely ruined but used in the summer months for concerts...



Back home after driving along many tree-lined roads, we are greeted by the sight of one of the two cats who live with the owner...



We have some coffee, then some red wine with tea of bread and pate. Not for the first time I take all my pills with the wine...

We spend the evening reading books and listening to the new David Gilmour album. I compile a playlist of “recent albums” and it runs to an astonishing 70 CDs – we listen to this on shuffle play...

Due to a combination of pills and wine I fall asleep immediately tonight...

Highlight of the Day : Lunch at Café Verdun 

Forcalquier, Apt and Roussillon...

Not a great night’s sleep – much time spent lying awake – I even listened to two entire Fripp & Eno albums on the jukebox without dropping off...

At one point I heard some strange scratching noises coming from the roof of the apartment – like a trapped small animal or something – a bit scary to be honest, even though it was probably something that’d’ve been a lot more scared of me than I would ever be of it were we eventually to come face to face...

Finally got to sleep and consequently didn’t waken until 9:30 – very late for me...

This morning it was straight to the market at nearby Forcalquier, around 25 km away on the other side of Reillanne....

Yet another beautiful old town...



The market was extensive but mostly fresh produce. We bought some croissants to eat on the go and some bread, strawberries and olives for later...



The sun was shining brightly and so I also purchased a pair of sunglasses and a hat...

I also found a CD stall and bought a disc of Concerti Grandi by German composer Heinichen who was apparently a big cheese in the court at Dresden at the turn of the 17th Century...

“To suggest that Johann David Heinichen's music and theoretical writings have been under-explored would be an understatement. Heinichen and his music has surely suffered the same fate as many of his contemporaries in being overshadowed by the 19th century preoccupation with Johann Sebastian Bach, yet his works are masterpieces according to the rules of composition still recognised today.”

Oh yes, Anne and I both agree with this quote from http://www.classical.net/ ..

Read the full piece here : http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/acc/heinichen.html

We took a seat at a café in the main square and had a relaxing coffee, taking time to ask the waiter regarding the seemingly endless different types of cups of coffee generally on offer in France...

We drove home for lunch in the garden, accompanied by Mr Heinichen’s fine music – pate, tomatoes and ham on bread with additional olives for Anne and Strawberries for afters...



We then took a drive in the opposite direction from Forcalquier and arrived at the slightly larger town of Apt which has a lovely old walled town within the city itself...



The shops were closed from 12 till 3 so we just took a walk around and took some snaps (a bit like slow motion Japanese tourists I suppose) before settling in the main square for yet another coffee (perhaps there’s another reason for my sleepless nights?)...

Notwithstanding its general beauty, Apt has the worst example of a “river” I think I’ve ever seen. It truly was pathetic...

Anyway, onwards and upwards to the famous “ochre village” of Roussillon in the hills beyond Apt. Truly a delightful little place and, due to the time of year, almost completely devoid of the tourists who must over run it in the height of summer...



Once again we mainly walked around and then stopped off in an open air café overlooking the wondrous red valleys and partook of Apple Juice and a Strawberry Crepe (Anne) and a Peach Melba (me). Tasty...



We stopped off at a hypermarket in Apt on the way home to stock up on supplies and with a view to a home made salad for tonight’s tea....

At home we had a relaxing evening, took a stroll thru the village after our salad (with wine and beer of course) and came back to watch a murder mystery called “Ladies of the Law” involving a glamorous female judge and a glamorous female detective trying to solve a murder....

I fell asleep before the end...

Highlight of the Day : The Ochre Village of Roussillon

Cereste and Reillanne...

Even though we have a very good bed in the “tower”, my arm pains awaken me at 6:30 after a fairly sleepless night, despite the legions of painkillers I’m taking twice a day now...

And so I get up and go out for a short drive around the environs, taking in the start of the day and recording a few images...



As I drive into the hills, the radio station reminds me that the clocks have gone forward an hour in the night. I return to the apartment at, now, 8:30 and we listen to some Mozart on the jukebox and speakers before setting out for some initial provisions...



The smell of woodsmoke is in the air and, in the main street, a horse is tethered at the Town Hall. We also see a few cats and dogs along the way. We visit the bakery opposite the castle wall and the grocery store further down in the , almost one-street, town...



Back home, and our room is soon filled with the aroma of fresh coffee and heating croissants...

We take breakfast sitting in the garden enjoying the morning sun before taking a walk around the village, stopping off for a beer on the way before returning to the garden for lunch...



Then we drive to the nearby (spookily familiarly named) town of Reillanne...

It’s much larger than Cereste and has an imposing church (St Denis) sitting on the hill which overlooks the town and the surrounding area...



Last night whilst looking for a suitable dinner venue we’d spied a Pizza Truck parked in Cereste. Today it was in Reillanne – possibly for this morning’s market which we’d by now missed...

After climbing the hill to the church and descending again, we head to the main square for a quiet seat before heading back to Cereste, but not before taking Anne’s photo beside the town sign...



We have afternoon coffee in the garden as I listen to Rheostatics on the headphones then compile a lady songwriter playlist for communal listening...

Later, back inside, I have a snooze while Anne reads, then we drive back to Reillanne in search of the Pizza Truck for tea. It’s not there, but a different one is. People arrive in cars and on mopeds to pick up previously phoned in orders as we wait for ours to be cooked. A quick drive home and we enjoy the pizzas with another bottle of local red wine purchased this morning...



Finally, we take a “constitutional”, visiting the same bar we did this morning, for one last drink before heading home for the night...

Highlight of the Day : The Visit to Reillanne

To France...Cereste

Off to France today and, as usual, I’ve left everything to the very last moment. So I rise at 6:30 and proceed to compile 10 CDs of hit singles lasting between 2:30 and 4:01 - we will play these as we drive to the airport and around France...

Whilst they’re burning, I pack my hand luggage and we’re ready to leave at 9:15...

An hour later we’re at Byres Road in Glasgow’s West End and partake of a fine breakfast at the Tinderbox, now officially my favourite breakfast venue in Glasgow. I opt for a waffle and a latte and Anne settles on a croissant and white coffee..



Then a quick visit to FOPP and Lost in Music, the little 2nd Hand Shop in DeCourcey’s Arcade, where I stumble upon a veritable cache of King Crimson Collectors’ Club CDs....

I purchase ProjeKct One’s “Jazz Café Suite”, a set of three “suites” compiled from the four nights of purely improvised music played on consecutive nights from 1st to 4th December 1997 by Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn, Tony Levin and Bill Bruford...

Oh, and even though I’ve packed Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything” (I think it’s called), I buy a magazine for the plane, because of its Pet Shop Boys cover. It’s called “The Word” and is rather good and has a free CD attached...

Then back to the car and drive down to Prestwick Airport which is now totally non-smoking – and, in fact, has been so for a month already, ahead of tomorrow’s smoking ban in Scotland...

I hate the Scottish Parliament with a vengeance but have to admit that this act takes a bit of the sting out of the millions being poured down the drain to allow a bunch of failed union reps and teachers to partially legislate over the nation...

Overpriced airport lunch of a baguette for me and soup for Anne and, shortly, we’re on the plane where my headphones (Shure E2cs) completely block out all extraneous noises...

I use a map Anne has brought along, to track our route from the airport to the apartment we’ve rented in the heart of the Luberon region of Provence...

Marseilles is warm and sunny and the car hire goes smoothly but, within minutes of leaving the airport we have taken the almost inevitable wrong turn and all my plans made during the flight are rendered useless...

Nonetheless, within 90 minutes or so, via motorway and twisty windy roads negotiated in gathering darkness, we reach our target, the very small town of Cereste...

We are renting a converted tower (actually half a tower as it was partially destroyed in the French Revolution) in a 12th Century (built 1150) Castle owned by a nice wee lady who seems to have done it all up on her own and who lives in another, larger, part of the conversion...



We unpack and go out for a walk. The town is very small indeed and we decide to dine at the local hotel (the only hotel), taking advantage of their menu of the day. We each have a salad, a steak and some apple pie – but all in best French style and so all very tasty indeed...

Washed down with a bottle of lovely local red wine...

A good start to the holiday...

Highlight of the Day : The ex-Tower apartment outdoes our expectations...

Not going overboard...

A quiet night in tonight just catching up with stuff and listening to the Marillion CD which finally arrived today....

It's the special-only-available-from-the-band's-website 2CD version of their last album, "Marbles"....



I thought it was from 2005 but it came out in 2004. I can't believe I sat around waiting for two years till I found a copy at a good price for music I'm obviously going to love...

It rocks and it is recommended...

You canstill get it knock down for the rest of March at www.marillion.com and it'll be worth every penny - unlike the big price they normally charge...

Man, I'm such a cheapskate...

A HUGE thrill for me today as I found an e-mail in my inbox from Dave Bidini, of one of my all time favourite bands, Rheostatics (www.rheostatics.ca)...

Dave (3rd from left) says hi and that he found me through my mentions of his band on my site and wonders if I still have the record shop he visited whilst in Edinburgh appearing at the Fringe in 1994...

In a gushing fan-boy reply, I have to advise him that Reptile Records is no more and thank him for his offer of a free CD but I have all the Rheo's CDs proudly on my shelf already...

It's good to know a hero is tuning into my glamorous and glitzy diary of the boring life of a musician and artist....

Until the new Marillion CD hit the mat, I'd been listening to Rheostatics all day...

I love their music..

Here're a couple of exerpts from my response...

"Your complex and often beautiful music never ceases to amaze me and I try at every opportunity to spread the word about Rheostatics."

"All the very best to you and the rest of the band - and keep on making your BRILLIANT music!!"

This is not going overboard...

Believe me...

Find their music and be amazed - you can pre-listen and download their albums plus artwork here:-

http://www.zunior.com/index.php?cPath=1_86&osCsid=57a8155c1f10a9bb499f2ac4e345875d

If you click on the album covers, you can go in deeper and hear loads of tracks...

I urge you to do so right now..

Highlight of the Day : An e-mail from Rheostatics