This Provincial Life

Having spent time previously in the Provence region of France, I knew what to expect on my trip there; things like lavender, cheese, olives, tablecloths in bright colors, soaps, perfumes and pottery. Truth is, provence hasn't changed in the slightest. Despite the progress of nearly five years and the changing of the seasons, the provence I visited was very much the same place I saw years ago. In fact, this is the very thing that makes provence what it is. It resists time, in a charming, southern-villas kind of way. Traditions are still embraced, the old ways of production valued, and everything old is new once again.

This trip took me to several new locations in Provence, the Pont du Gard, an ancient roman bridge/aqueduct, and Avignon,  the city of the famous "Pont d'Avignon," and also a former seat of the papacy. The Pont du Gard, nestled into the countryside, seems strangely out of place, its glorious arches rising out of a valley which seems completely inconspicuous, save for the bridge itself. In fact, after digesting the glory of the bridge, and after its glamour has somewhat faded, one begins to wonder why on earth someone ever put it there. Yet, put it there they did, and for that we must be thankful. Standing in front of the Pont, time seems somehow insignificant; if such a thing as the Pont can survive millennia, then surely there is plenty of time left to spend enjoying ourselves near it.

The impressive Pont du Gard.

Not far from the Pont du Gard sits another, perhaps more famous bridge, the celebrated Pont Saint-Benezet, the subject of the French children's song, "Sur le Pont d'Avignon."
         Sur le pont d'Avignon

L'on y danse, l'on y danse

Sur le pont d'Avignon

L'on y danse tous en rond

Les beaux messieurs font comm' ça

        Et puis encore comm' ça 

The walls of Avignon.

The bridge itself, though rather unremarkable, has stood for over 200 years outside the walled city of Avignon. Avignon was the papal seat during a 60 year period in the 13th century and still enjoys recognition for this brief period in its history. Indeed, the church was good to Avignon, the central city is entirely walled in, to this day, and boasts beautiful cobblestone streets, a papal palace, and fantastic old buildings erected to demonstrate power. 

Besides Avignon, much of what Provence offers in terms of cities is rather limited. But, once again, this only adds to its beauty. The small towns of Provence are by far its greatest treasure, with weekly markets and some of the best products and food in the world.

From Lyon to Gryon

After having spent only a couple of days in Geneva, I decided to once again return to the banking capital of the world, Switzerland. This time, however, I chose to venture to the Swiss Alps for some of the famed mountain scenery. I was not disappointed. High in the Alps a small town called Gryon sits nestled among jagged peaks. These peaks are truly astounding, even to a girl who comes from a state known for its mountain ranges. Gryon is the perfect Swiss town, with winding streets, wooden shops, and chalets, all tucked into the mountainside.

One of these chalets, called the Swiss Alps Retreat, is the most amazing hostel I have stayed in in all of Europe. The retreat houses both private rooms and dorm living, with several common rooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and movie room. It is a cosy place, full of leather couches, wooden tables, bunkbeds and breathtaking views. During the day the chalet seems entirely deserted, with the front desk opening at 5pm, but at dinner and nighttime, the place comes alive with people cooking, eating, drinking, playing games and socializing. The staff is all very welcoming and helpful, and the facilities are more than anyone could ask for. On the last night I was there, our hosts prepared a huge fondue meal, with both cheese and chocolate courses, a true swiss experience!

Outside the chalet, there are endless miles of sloping roads and fabulous views. Indeed, I spent a large chunk of my time in the mountains hiking around, exploring Gryon, or walking up the mountain towards the more touristy Villars, where restaurants, bars and stores abound. Besides walking, one can get around between Gryon, Villars, and the ski areas via the local cog rail, an experience for those who have never ridden one of the mountain-scaling trains.

The Long-lost French Monarchy

If the French think that they managed to free themselves from their traditional monarchy way back during their rather bloody revolution, I am disappointed to have to tell them they were wrong. Besides the slight backtrack that the Napoleanic period gave France, the French monarchy has remained, as I imagine, alive and well. They are often seen browsing the streets of Paris, sitting sweetly at sidewalk cafes, and otherwise enjoying the high life. 

The dogs of France are well treated indeed. Perhaps better than their human incarnations ever were. Sometime after the beheading of Marie Antoinette, and before the fall of the Emperor Napoleon, the remaining French royals must have decided that reincarnation as the dogs of France would be a much better alternative to the guillotine or to exile, and they have managed to live happy lives ever since. They are allowed in any store, no matter how expensive; they dine regularly at the finest restaurants in France; they have people who wash, care for, and walk them everyday. Unless, of course, they get tired, then there is always a fantastic little Louis V waiting to whisk them home. They even get to leave little presents in the streets for all of the common folk to enjoy; they are far more magnanimous than their human ancestors. 

Naturally, I jest, but the truth is, if I had any choice on the way to live, I would choose to be one of the dogs of France. If its good enough for what was once the greatest monarchy in Europe, its good enough for me. 

Austria... no kangaroos here.

The first thing that struck me about Vienna, Austria was how clean it was. Indeed, compared to Budapest and even to France, Vienna was conspicuously spotless, despite the multitudes of horse-drawn carriages that drove its streets. It is also a very well organized city, especially by European standards. All of the main tourist attractions of Vienna lie within or on the “ringroad,” the main circular ring that runs around center city. From there everything moves in a pattern outward, like a bullseye, making traveling around very simple.

Perhaps the other most impressive thing about Vienna are the sheer number of impressive buildings, museums, parks, castles and churches that lie within the city. At every corner, the unsuspecting tourist is confronted with yet another beautiful façade to photograph, or and additional museum boasting treasures they simply must discover. In a sense, Vienna can be very tiring, with so much to do at all times.

The Belvedere.

 The fabulous gardens of the Belvedere, which also serves as a summer palace.

The Belvedere is perhaps one of the better known museums in Vienna, housing the famous Klimt painting “The Kiss.” Indeed, it is well worth the visit, and not just for its rather impressive art collection, but also for its wonderful gardens. The Belvedere is housed in the summer palace of one of the princes of the Austrian monarchy, and as a consequence, its ground are impressive. The expansive garden is done in the French style, with ordered hedges, fountains, and long walkways of gravel and stone. Admission to the museum costs, but exploring the gardens is a fantastic, free way to see part of Vienna.

A fountain outside the Hunderwasser.

Not far away sits Vienna’s Museum Quarter, which houses several of Vienna’s other museums, Natural History, Modern Art and so on. For the avid museum goer, Vienna can be a mecca of museums of all types, but be prepared to pay, nothing is free in Vienna. One museum, though not in the Museum Quarter, is the Hunderwasser; a museum and building designed by the artist Hunderwasser himself. Both the buildings the man designed, and his art, display a disrespect for traditional line, shape and color. All in all a very modern museum, it is well worth one visit. 

 The Hofburg.

Another of the main attractions in Vienna is the Hofburg palace, which, surprise, surprise houses more museums. Inside lies a museum of Paper and Letters and the Imperial Chambers of Austria’s most famous Empress, Elizabeth, commonly known as Sissy. Her state chambers contain old dresses, possessions, writings and an unnervingly deep look into her life. Sissy was a brilliant woman haunted by her demons. She was obsessed with thinness, and hated her court life, yet managed to convince her husband, the Emperor, to create the great Austro-Hungarian Empire.

 One of the horse-drawn carriages of Vienna.

Just across the courtyard from the Sissy museum, lies the Spanish Riding School, the last existing school of traditional riding in Europe. It is most famous for its Lippanzaner Stallions, magnificent horses that take over six years to train. The School holds weekly shows on Friday and Saturday, but also allows visitors to observe morning warm-ups for about a quarter of the price of the actual show. For anyone who loves horses, this is a must see. The Stallions are truly works of art, they can dance from one set of feet to the other, grapevine diagonally, jump nearly vertical and otherwise do things no ordinary horse will ever do. Their riders are nearly equally impressive, stoic and controlled, guiding their 1000 pound beasts through complicated patterns and never colliding inside the small riding hall.

Exiting the Riding School, one will hit the main shopping drag of Vienna, where shops and cafes cram readily into beautiful renaissance style, stone buildings. The cafes of Vienna are another wonderful way to pass time in Vienna. All the cafes have their own style, ranging from older formal style parisiennesque cafes, like Café Demel, or grungier, pub style cafes, such as Café Hawelka. At each location, the Viennese specialties of Apple Strusel and Sacher Torte will be served. Try them both, along with the Viennese Melange coffee, similar to a mini latte.

 Swan Lake playing outside the Opera house.

The last major attractions of Vienna are multitude of shows that are constantly taking place there. Every night, one can easily find standing room tickets to an Opera or Ballet, an inexpensive, (if a bit painful) way to enjoy a show. For those who plan ahead, stated tickets can range from 20 to 100 euros, depending on the quality of seats. Also, at the main Operahouse in Vienna, the shows are occasionally broadcast on a giant television outside the Opera. Hundreds of people with gather there to watch the show, sitting on chairs and blankets, like an outdoor concert in the middle of the city.

For a final note on Austria, try to eat a few traditional meals there as well; the boiled beef and Weinershnitzle are popular and common dishes, often served with some form of potatoes. The food in Austria is quite good, especially considering it is very closely related to German fare. It is also a relaxing way to take a break from the jam-packed days you most certainly will be spending in this fabulous city. When you leave, I guarantee you will want to go back, because all you will be thinking about are all of the things you didn’t make it to, like the Schonbrunn, the new hot Vampire musical, or to Salzburg to see the sound of music tour.

One of the beautiful Viennese churches.

Budapessshhht. Two cities for the price of one...

It took me six hours, two trains and a plane, to get from France to Budapest, but the long trip was well worth it. Budapest is a city with two personalities, the grungy, vibrant Pest and the dignified, cultured Buda. Because of this duality, the city has everything to offer, no matter whether you desire the high life, or are traveling on a modest budget. It is also a large city, sprawled across the Danube, with endless rows of shops,  churches and restaurants. Here, it seems the past is well-remembered, but avoided as much as possible.

Pest
Pest is the true heart of Budapest, the real city, not a place just for tourists. It is flat and very walkable, which makes visiting all it has to offer a simple endeavor. Most hostels and budget hotels will be in Pest, which makes staying there the certainly more cost effective option. Besides being the "real" part of Budapest, Pest also has a lot to offer for the tourists: Europe's oldest functioning synagogue, a stunning operahouse, a giant indoor market, and the Basilica of St. Stephen. 

The outside of St. Stephen's Basilica.

The main dome.

The most stunning of these is the Basilica, a giant, domed church in central Pest. The interior is magnificent, full of carvings, paintings and statues, all painted in more color and gold than found in most churches in Europe. It is a quiet place, despite the numerous people always inside, the beauty of the place, the awe and respect it inspires seems to steal your voice away. Indeed, the loudest sounds in the Basilica are the footfalls of the tourists, and the clicking sounds of their cameras. 

Not far from the Bascilica lies the giant indoor market of Pest, it is open six days a week and full of vendors, selling everything from produce, to souvenirs, to little bags of paprika, the "national spice" of Hungary. Indeed, it features prominently in their most famous dish, Goulash, which is either ground meat with a spicy broth-sauce or a soup of similar flavouring. Just outside the market the the most touristy street in Pest, where vendors sells countless pashmina scarves, fur hats, and cups of mulled wine. (called hot wine) Every mulled wine I tried in Hungary I enjoyed immensely, it is the perfect warmup on the cold fall days. 

one of the best restaurant streets in Pest

Inside Szimpla.

Also in Pest, the dining is not to be missed. With the exchange rate, (about 175 forints to the dollar), food is cheap in Pest. Even full meals with drinks and desert will run only about 15 bucks each, and the food in Hungary truly is wonderful. There are often lots of choices to choose from and options range from meats, to potatoes, to pancakes stuffed with cheese. After dinner, the nightlife in Pest is also very much alive. Numerous dance clubs, bars, pubs and everything in between can be readily found. Beer is also cheap in Budapest, running at about 250-500 forints for the local beers. One of the best places in Pest, Szimpla, is a local favorite. It is a converted set of old apartements that have "just missed the wrecking ball." Here, all the chairs are mismatched, the lights are multicolored, and the walls are falling down around you. Yet, Szimpla has a lazy charm, the kind of place that is just so cool it doesn't even have to try anymore. 

Buda

One of the towers of the Bastion.

The most famous piece of Budapest is most likely the Fisherman's Bastion, a long, winding wall sitting on the edge of the mild "cliffs" of Buda. It is a true work of art, full of spiralling towers, carved columns, stone steps and hundreds of tourists. The architecture of the Bastion brings to mind a middle-eastern influence, while still maintaining a slightly moscovite feel. Its many arches and walkways provide the perfect locations for pictures of the river and the skyline of neighboring Pest. The Bastion is certainly a must see, and is also wonderfully free, so how can you say no?

Also in Buda, though easily found in Pest, are a multitude of bathhouses; in fact, Budapest has the most bathhouses out of any major European city. The entry fees for these places can be a little steep, and the interiors confusing, but again, is something not to be missed. The water in all of the pools is kept steaming, so sitting outside is well recommended. People from all over the world come the baths of Budapest, as their mineral water is renowned for its healing properties, it is considered to be bon pour la sante. 

Le Retour

The past 12 days have happily found me outside of France, traveling for the vacances de toussaint. While I will be writing more on these locales later, I just want to express the wonderful feeling I felt upon my return to France this morning. The French are familiar to me, I have already learned of their quirks and oddities, I have accepted them. (See pink toilet paper, iceless water, etc.)  I have learned their language, their history. Such is not the case for Eastern/ Middle Europe. The Eastern Europeans are different from their more westernized cousins, its like the difference between visiting the south and new england, one is going to feel a little more like home, depending on what home is to you. 

Here are the French habits I have most missed:

1) Free bread.

2) Free (tap) water. 

3) Tip-included bills.

4) Relatively simple public transport, with intelligible announcements. 

5) Salads on every menu... and cheese that isn't deep-fried. 

6) Small dogs... they poop less than their bigger, eastern european relatives. (Though no one bothers to pick up after either of them)

7) Fewer cobblestone streets, those things get painful after lots of walking. 

8) Legible language... and pronounceable words. 

9) Currency that doesn't require higher math skills... spending 10000 forints is surprisingly confusing... especially after a couple 258 forint beers. 

10) French dance music: good house, eurotrance and american remixes all in one night... not just a steady stream of the same trance-y songs. 

11) Pain au chocolat. Need I say more?

Things I am already missing about Eastern Europe:

1) Paprika- the national spice of Hungary.

2) Czech beer.

3) Mulled wine.

4) American style coffee, none of the baby-sized espressos popular in France.

5) Viennese cafes... they have outdone even the cafe-crazy French. 

6) How cheap beer and food is. ( the important things)

Qu'est ce que c'est a boire? C'est le Champagne!

There is only one place in the world that makes champagne, it is the only place with the right to make the magical, bubbly party drink. This place, of course, is the Champagne region of France. It lies just to the north east of Paris, and is known for its endless acres of vineyards, picturesque countryside and, bien sur, its champagne. Champagne is the sort of place that feels like a fairytale, with dense forests, rolling hills and towns nestled in between. One half expects an ogre to come lumbering out from the brush, or a gnome or hobbit to appear in the long rows of vines. The towns exhibit cobblestone lanes, shuttered windows, old architecture and churches. Under the damp mist that permeated Champagne in early October, there seemed only a world of possibility.

As for the drink itself, Champagne, for those who have tasted it, could perhaps understand how the magic of one small Valley in northern France, has been translated into taste. Traditional Brut, with its rich, effervescent bubbles, brings to mind ancient roman festivals where gallic warriors fought in contests of strength. Its a strong drink, meant for celebration.  Rose, with is light fizz and delicate flavor, conjures more of the fair maidens of legend, with long tresses, gay laughs and soft smiles. In a way, I understand now why champagne comes only from the one region, I have yet to find anywhere else on earth that brings the past so close to the present.

Deep in the caves of Veuve Cliquot, where over a hundred years of champagne is stored and aged, the musty cold surrounds the senses. The caves are dimly lit, with recessed modern lighting, but somehow maintain their gallic splendor, as they are over 1000 years old. (Though very modernized) Within the caves lie countless bottle of champagne, some of which are worth over 2000 euros a bottle, and which are the product of centuries of chemistry and careful harvests. Upstairs, Veuve Cliquot is modern, fun and inviting. As a member of the LHM group, a large french luxury brand company that owns the likes of Louis Vuitton and Chloe, Veuve Cliquot has profited greatly from a marketing team that makes everything, even the champagne seem more enjoyable.

In the region, the most famous city is Reims, the site of coronations of the Kings of France all the way from the first christian ruler, Clovis, back in the 5th century. It is also the site of the coronation of Charles Sept, the boy king brought to power by the mighty convictions of Joan of Arc, hundreds of years ago. The cathedral of Reims is, therefore, magnificent, perhaps even more beautiful than Notre Dame in Paris. It has magnificent soaring ceilings, with large gothic trusses. The tall facade of the cathedral draws the eye naturally upward, with all of the imposing strength of the weight of God.  It was largely rebuilt after the First World War, due to heavy bombing, thanks to a certain Rockafeller fortune. It still retains all of its age and beauty, in spite of the destruction in its past.

Beyond the cathedrale, Reims is not a particularly large city, but it boasts some wonderful shopping, dining and historical landmarks. There is a club in downtown Reims, a place aptly named Wall Street, where glowsticks, stripper poles (though no strippers) and blacklighting are all common. In this dance joint, the DJ spins house and remix music until early morning, while patrons watch the drink price ticker, trying to buy their next round at the best price.