France 2008 - Arles, May 21, our anniversary

Today is our 26th anniversary. We were supposed to go on our "big trip to Europe" for our 25th but this will do, now that we are here. It's a Wednesday and our map says there is another market on Wednesdays, only on a different section of the big ring road boulevard. We had already walked down that section, looking at the ancient walls of the city from the outside.

We had also come upon one of the cemeteries of the city and spent quite a while there, quietly walking around the many above-ground mausoleums. Some graves were obviously visited frequently but others had had no one come by in years. I have not been to New Orleans but it reminded me of that cemetery style, with everything in crypts.

This time, we decided to go straight to the market and get our breakfast there and much to our dismay, we found out this was a junk-only market with no food at all. By the time we discovered this, we were tired, cranky, and caffeine deprived so we walked back into the Old Arles and found a small "tabac" that sold cafe and croque monsieurs. I remembered croque monsieurs from my days in Belgium back on the 70s and they are still bread with some cheese and maybe something else on them. Not too exciting but better than no food.

We decided to do laundry, in spite of it being our anniversary. We had found a coin operated laundromat (laverie automatique) the previous week and had determined that we would do two laundries while we were in Arles, timing the second one so that we would have enough fresh clothes to get us through Paris and home again. This was Wednesday and our travel day to Paris was Friday so we figured it would be a good time. There really weren't enough shirts and underwear and socks to justify a full load but when you travel light, you do laundry when you can.

We got back to the laundry, after our late and unsuccessful breakfast and no one was there yet. You put your clothes in the chosen washer (a front loading machine) and then go buy the soap by hitting certain buttons on a wall mounted machine and then putting in the money it told you (30 cents). Then you choose your machine on the same gizmo and put that money in (3 Euros). Then you set your watch and go have a coffee or something in the Place Voltaire, which was very close by. By the time the laundry was done and we'd taken it back to the hotel to hang and fold, it was lunch time.

We had rediscovered where the fabric store was that I had seen on the first day we got to Arles and looked around. It was just off the Place Voltaire, heading away from the Arena and toward the old walls. After lunch (at which I fed the black Lab again), I left Peter in the Place having a glass of wine and I headed over to the fabric store where I took my time and bought 16 metres of fabric of different patterns - 2 of this, 4 of that. The woman cutting the fabric was very nice but she didn't speak any English so our conversation was a little limited. As she finished cutting the last few metres, I started looking around for a sign by the cash that said "Visa" and had a sinking feeling when I saw no such sign. I asked her if she took Visa and she looked at me surprised and said "of course not".

So I told her I would be right back with cash. She actually looked like she believed me - she didn't look worried. But I would have been worried if I were her, cutting all that fabric and then not being prepared to take plastic from an obvious tourist. Yikes. I literally ran back to the Place and found Peter chatting with some Americans. I gasped out that I needed 142 Euros and fast! He actually had the cash on him, so we didn't need to go to an instant teller.

I ran back to the store and paid for my purchase. I was relieved that she acted as if this was normal but I was amazed at the same time. I toted my fabric back to the Place and sat while Peter introduced me to what appeared to be a mother and daughter from the States. They were good friends, as the older woman's now late husband had taught the younger woman in high school. The younger woman was a chef and she was taking a working holiday by teaching cooking at a B&B in Arles for a few months and so the older woman was staying there too. They were very pleasant, tres gentil.

We stay for a while in the Place and then make our way back to the hotel to drop off the fabric and change for dinner. We decide to go back to La Gueule du Loup for a second meal, as the first one had been so wonderful. We discover the menu is the same so we order something different and enjoy it just as much. One of our desserts had lavender flavoured ice cream in it, something we had never had before. We toast ourselves - to another year.

France 2008 - Arles, May 17

Saturday, we went to the market. It was advertised right on the map of Arles, that they had a market every Saturday and Wednesday so we decided to see what there was to see. Wow! All along the Boul. des Lices was a market and the traffic was stopped. (This is part of the "ring road" that goes around Old Arles on the sides away from the river. It's all one big road but is broken into three different names.) On one side was all the food stuff and on the other side was everything else.

To have a great look at the market, go to Peter's set at Flickr and enjoy. The food side was especially impressive, with large vans where the sides opened up to vans where things were being cooked right in front of you, in one case, on giant wok-like surfaces.

We have been having breakfast at the hotel and enjoying it but thought we should try something different. On the way to the market, we stopped in the Place du Forum (where VIncent's cafe is and where we stop a lot) and had a cafe and a croissant. When you ask for a cafe you get an espresso. For any other kind of coffee, you have to specify. The shop with the cafe didn't have anything to eat but referred us two doors down to the bakery where we bought something and then went back to the cafe to eat it.

By the time we got to the market, it had been open for some time and the place was packed. But real Arlesiennes were doing their shopping and while busy, people were in constant motion so it was easy enough to wander around. So much wonderful looking food! I got hungry right away and so we stopped at different places to buy a bag of cherries, half a baguette and some soft cheese. We stepped away from the steady stream of patrons and sat on a half wall and ate our finds. Mmm.

The other side of the street had everything but food, including a young man with three miniature goats who wasn't selling them but just using them as a draw to get you to buy outrageously priced candy to support some cause. Near the end of the line were some folks selling Provencal fabrics. I bought a few meters but worried that it wasn't "authentic". On the other hand, it was nice so who cares?

I have noticed that there seems to be a hierarchy of greeting. If you don't know someone but are introduced by someone you both know, you shake hands. If you know the person and have seen them recently, you kiss each other twice. But if you know someone and haven't seen them for a while, you kiss each other three times. This is just a theory on my part, but I like it.

Anniversary

Our 25th anniversary is tomorrow but we went out yesterday to start the celebrations because the weather was supposed to be the best day of the weekend. We've also decided to draw out our celebrations over the entire year and not just stick to the one weekend.

The day started with flowers being delivered. The photo doesn't do them justice. Peter had gone on line and finally chose just the right combination and was as pleased with them as I was when they arrived.

I read in the paper that they were having sheep dog herding exhibits at the Experimental Farm, so in the afternoon, we headed over there to see what we could see. This shepherd is in the process of starting to train his young dog seen here. The dog isn't even 2 years old so he only knew a few commands but it was fun to watch.

We took in a demonstration of sheep shearing. They always look so silly, sitting on their bums but they don't seem to mind and they don't struggle in that position.

We went around and saw the lambs. These fellows were quite grown up but there were quadruplets born only 30 hours previously that looked too fragile for words. In a different barn we saw some of the draft horses and I stood and watched one named King while he was having his lunch of some very dry hay. It seemed like he was eyeballing me a little but there were signs all around indicating we shouldn't touch the animals so I forbore. Suddenly, he tossed his head and I was showered with tiny bits of hay that went down my blouse and into every clothing crevice I had. I had to find a washroom and take my blouse off to shake it out, I was so inundated with hay.

After we had seen all we wanted, we trekked across some fields to get to Dow's Lake where the tulip festival shuttle bus terminus was. We decided to have a beer first and watch the crowds and took yet another practically identical pub shot of the two of us. We'll have to put all the pub shots like this together in a repetitive album one day. It was also at this stop that we started listening to the Senator's game they had playing on the radio. When we left Dow's Lake, they were halfway through the third period with the Sens leading, 2 to 1.

By the time we got to the Market, I was surprised to hear on various televisions in pubs that we passed that the game was still on and they were in overtime. Finally, the Sens got the overtime goal and won the game and from then on, all the fans came out onto the street and drove around, honking horns and shouting and waving flags. What will they do when we win the actual Cup!? Everyone seemed to be on their best behaviour which was nice. There was a considerable and highly visible police presence in the market the whole time we were there and I think that contributed to the relaxed atmosphere.

Finally, on the way home, we noticed that Venus was very close to a beautiful crescent moon and in admiring the view, we decided to take a photo. Of course, it was hand-held and therefore not accurate at all but I thought it resulted in an interesting shot. So, happy anniversary to us and this is just the start of 365 days of celebrating!