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Support France by posting a message on the traffic panels around Paris. Please. Don’t distract drivers too much. Short and simple messages work best. Avoid shameless plugs (oops).
To post your message to the traffic panels, go to the Paris website below. (submit your post before 4pm Sunday) Allez!
[via 3couleurs]
What I’m about to say may sound outrageous to some of you: France is not just about Paris. Yeah, yeah, save your gasps for the theater. Paris is all good, but there is no reason to keep you there during your whole trip. Maybe you can start in the City of Light, then move on to explore farther south; France is an amazing and beautiful country and is worth a look around, and that’s around France, not just around the Louvre and Eiffel Tower.
That said, Provence, which is in the southern region of France loosely located north and west of the French Riviera, is no stranger to travelers. For centuries, Provence has attracted millions of people including famous artists, writers, photographers and artisans from all over the world because it is considered a French muse of sorts. From the fierce Mediterranean light, the fragrant countryside with lavender fields, and the vibrant colors, to the esprit provençal, cuisine and lifestyle of Provence, visiting this area will change you and inspire you forever; It will nourish and refresh your soul. It will leave you wanting to come back for more just as soon as you’re able. That is exactly what happened to us.
First Things First: Après La Sieste
We stayed at an extraordinary place called, Apres La Sieste in Saint Laurent des Arbres, which is a small village situated just 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Avignon. It is also conveniently close (15 kilometers or 9 miles) to the famous, Chateauneuf-du-pape where some of France’s most prized wines are produced. An initial NOTE: you will need a car to be able to take advantage of all this area has to offer.
Built from the ground up and embracing an eco-friendly perspective, the thick stone walls and beautiful woodwork (doors, supporting vaults and beams, shudders and floors) of this mas are made from recuperated, natural raw materials, all from the surrounding area. Pigments for the wall paints come from the nearby village of Rousillon. Also used is a geothermal heating/cooling system, which takes advantage of the earth’s ability to store large amounts of heat/cold and moves it throughout the buildings. This is an effective and sustainable option that does not use any harmful emissions emitting fuels (gas, oil, propane).
Everything has been thoughtfully and meticulously renovated and restored, and the entire place was completed with an impressive amount of grace and style. The remarkable part of Apres La Sieste is that all of the work was done by the owners, Jacques and Chloé, who both decided to leave the crazy lifestyles of their stressful, intense jobs in communications and advertising. They both decided to decompress by taking a trip to Burma for a few months. During this reflection time, the decision was made to quit their jobs to pursue a different path in life and start a family. Apres La Sieste took two years to complete, and has been in operation for just one year now. Noa, their daughter, was born last year.
The room interiors at Apres La Sieste are in the style of what I would call “worldly provençale de luxe,” taking aesthetics from different sources and converging them toward a perfect balance of relaxation, beauty and well-being. Look carefully and you’ll see decorative sculptures from Burma blended seamlessly with the French provençale decor.
This is a perfect place to use as a base while exploring the surrounding area. From Saint Laurent des Arbres, you have easy access to so many of the nearby cities like Avignon, Arles, and Uzès and you’re also not far from the most beautiful medieval hilltop villages in France: Gordes and Rousillon. Additionally, in close proximity to Apres La Sieste are vineyards of Provence for excellent wine tasting and you are also quite close to The Calanques, The Camargues and the Gorges of Ardeche. By the way, Jacques is a true connoisseur and expert in fine wines. You can confidently rely on his recommendations.
After days of wandering, shopping, and general exploring of Provence and the surrounding areas, there’s nothing more rejuvenating than coming back to the relaxing, private comfort of Apres La Sieste. Sip on a refreshing glass of your favorite wine, grab a good book and hang out poolside. Later, take a leisurely swim in the clear, clean salt water swimming pool.
Each morning, wake up to luscious cups of French coffee, fruit juices, yogurts and fresh breads. Their delectable jams and coconut pancakes made in-house are perfect for a morning repast in Provence. I particularly loved their cinnamon green tomato jam.
If you forgo the surrounding attractions and would rather do absolutely nothing because you’re simply looking for some good chill time in Provence, you can’t beat this place either.
Final Note: We were fortunate to be able to visit Provence right before the summer crowds arrived. It was nice and warm and there was ample breathing space. I imagine it’s also excellent after summer and even in the Fall if you want to bypass the summer vacationers.
Après La Sieste
2 suites, 3 rooms; breakfast included
Contact: Jacques et Chloé (English and French spoken)
Email: info@apreslasieste.com
Website: Après La Sieste
(Visit their site for more room photos, details and rates)
Telephone : 04 66 50 33 94
Mobile Phone: 06 61 84 58 40
UPDATE: Après La Sieste now has an in-house chef!
Fun and Related Recommended Reading: Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence and this week’s Carnival of the Green at The Ester Republic
I’d seen this banner (and fun sculptures) about the Festival d’Avignon “Off” and wondered what that was all about. Was that the yearly Festival d’Avignon? It says it starts on July 7th, which is today, but I’d read that the official festival began on the 6th. Actually the “Off” festival piggybacks on the famous official “In” Festival d’Avignon, which started yesterday. “Off” basically refers to something akin to “Off Broadway” open to smaller theater, music and opera companies. The official, main theater festival remains host to the world’s leading companies and directors.
Avignon is a beautiful city and worth a trip even if you’re not planning to go to the festival. I’d never thought about visiting because I had a friend who lived there for a year and she was adamant about warning people about Avignon and saying it was not worth visiting. I shouldn’t have believed her and today after having visited, now know that she was lying or crazy or both.
The theater festival of Avignon which began in 1947 is the oldest and most well-known in France. The main festival goes on until July 27, while the Off Festival ends on July 30.
For more information visit: Festival Off and Official Avignon Festival Site
From Treehugger:
Greenpeace recently reported that the Champagne region in France is under threat of radioactive contamination. According to the rainbow warriors, a leak in a storage cell was reported at a nuclear waste dumpsite in Soulaine. Tests also revealed low levels of radioactivity in the groundwater less than 6 miles from the region’s famous Champagne vineyards. This is true despite promises made in the 1980’s by ANDRA, the national nuclear waste agency operating the site, that it would not release any radioactive waste into the environment. Regardless of these problems, the facility continues to receive nuclear waste from both domestic and foreign sources. Once it reaches its capacity of 1 million cubic meters of plutonium and other radionuclides, it will be the world’s largest nuclear waste disposal site. Meanwhile, a new dumpsite is being proposed for the region that would store France’s most radioactive material.
[related: Radioactive Champagne in our Future, Champagne Region Threatened by Nuclear Waste, Radioactive waste leaking into Champagne Water Supply]
I was growing very fond of the goalkeeper on the Portuguese team (RICARDO RULES!) – Did you see him leave his goal to help out his team in the last minutes of the game? You gotta love that guy.
But! France moves on to the finals of the World Cup and I’m happy about that! (Though I didn’t find their performance all that great. gasp! Sorry.)
Next up (Sunday): France vs. Italy!!!
Félicitations Les Bleus!
[related: More Football Stamps in France]
Awareness for environmental issues have never been more imperative. The subject is so vast, where do we begin? How do we instill the importance of “green living” early in our kids? How can we make it “stick” and not go in one ear and out the other? Playing games, is an effective way to instruct and enlighten. French-based games portal, Jeux Mac, believes that fun games can teach kids about many things including how to be kinder to the planet.
Specifically designed with children in mind, Recycle takes bright and inviting colors and combines them with two activities focusing on games that are related to the subject of recycling. These games were created to stimulate the child’s hand/eye coordination while easing them very early in life into recognizing the importance of recycling. As a game, Recycle sets an essential precedent that encourages kids to recycle and puts them into a natural mindset incorporating the idea that life requires recycling, which is vital to the preservation of the environment: theirs and those of future generations.
Recycle is free of charge and available for the Mac platform (A PC version is planned for later release.)
Click here to: Download Recycle (3 MB)
We spent last week traveling around Provence and usually while on the road, we make several road stops. This particular rest area in the south, not far from Lyon, was one of the largest stops I’ve seen in France. I saw this sign and noticed the “Dog’s Bar” and thought that it would be something cool to see. I would’ve been jumping up and down but it was too damn hot.
I’d imagined a cute low bar where there’d be bowls of fresh, clean, cool water for dogs. Adorable decor. You know, something like the chic Mon Bon Chien Dog Bakery except a bar instead of a bakery. Perhaps some dog biscuits and snacks or even small meals would be available for dogs. Maybe there would be a bartender and hanging bottles of flavored syrups: escargot, bacon, steak, foie gras – that they’d mix with water.
We had to cross the road and walk quite a distance to find the Dog’s Bar.
Then, we found it:
I’m like, THIS is the Dog’s Bar? (trying to ignore the vile, thick, ashy, disgusting sludge for water)
Sorely disappointed. Obviously.
Your best friends can easily suffer heat exhaustion and become dehydrated especially during the dog days of summer, so please make sure you keep them cool.
Here are a few suggestions: 1) always provide fresh, cool water for you dog; 2) if you’re out with your dog, make sure your dog can find shade; 3) watch for signs of heat exhaustion: lethargy, excessive thirst, lack of appetite, heavy panting, dizziness and lack of coordination, vomiting, glazed eyes, fever, rapid pulse, dark tongue. If your dog is showing signs of overheating, try to lower his body temperature by doing the following: get him to shade or a cool area, provide drinking water and apply an ice pack or cold towel to the neck, chest and belly area.
Some obvious points but always necessary to mention:
1) NEVER leave your dog in a hot car!
2) If you aren’t able to lower the temperature of your dog and he is still showing signs of heat exhaustion, get him to a vet as soon as you can.
3) Keep in mind that some sidewalks and roads can scald to your dog’s pads.
4) Leave your dog at home if it is too hot outside.
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Lulu Lundi* features our Boston Terrier, Lulu in France every Monday.
While we’re on the subject of football and Les bleus, here’s a store I saw recently that sells children’s clothing. The brand is called “Z” and so are their stores. It looked like they’d capitalized on the success of the French team during the 1998 World Cup. So, they logically went from just “Z” to “Z Like Zidane.” (I could be wrong here; I’m just guessing.) That’s all well and good. No probs with that.
What I do have an issue with is his life-size photo on the store window.
Is that the scariest, mugshot-serialkiller, most maniacal, uncool, run-for-your-life pose of Zidane, ever?
He is usually projected as a good guy, a cool and very kind, happy-go-lucky and friendly athlete. That’s a good role model for little kids.
Maybe I’m wrong; I’m not a kid anymore, and so perhaps scary is the new cool.
Another huge congrats to les bleus for their win against Brazil. It was a fun game to watch and I scared poor Lulu because I was making so much noise. I’m sad to see Brazil eliminated, but it was very cool to see cutie pie Thierry Henry make the winning score for France. Next up, France v. Portugal. To me, this means France will move on to the finals to play either Germany or Italy.
Sadly and serendipitously, the World Cup has eclipsed the opening day of La Tour de France and all of the scandal behind that thing. More on that later…
This is not the first time I’ve pointed out funny shirts I’ve seen in France and I have a feeling it won’t be the last either. I absolutely had to take a photo of this French guy’s t-shirt. It would’ve been hysterical without an apostrophe and S (though would not have been true in this case). Also notice the “4U 69.”
I lied to him to get him to pose for me just to make things quick and uncomplicated. I told him I collected photos of t-shirts and post them on my blog. I like to consider this a “partial truth.”
