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Keith In Provence

Hi Friends,

Today is our last day in Provence. We spent the day walking the streets of Avignon, home to eight popes centuries ago, toured the Papal castle, and walked the famous Pont D’Avignon,. Now having a kir (currant liqueur and white wine) in a sidewalk cafe and watching the locals having a pétanque tournament (they call it boules), Rough Life.

Off to Vercours National Park tomorrow. Keith


Keith in Annecy 6-19-12

Hi all,

After three weeks I’ve finally figured out how to send photos to a list on the iPad.

After a week of wild driving in Corsica, 5 days in our friends’ house in a Provençal village (Lourmarin), a week around the Mt Blanc area, we are spending a few days in one of our favorite cities, Annecy, in a little room in the fourth floor of a tiny hotel in the old town.

We always get put up several stories of narrow steep stairways with no elevator, and me with a very painful heel. But this city, so called the Venice of France, is even better than Venice in some ways, it’s so pedestrian friendly. This street scene is typical of the back alleyways.

The weather has been quite good, today a welcome overcast with a couple drops of rain.

I hope this works. I’m about to push send.

Keith


Keith Market in Annecy

Market day in old Annecy. We bought bread from the same boulangerie as in 1999, and cheese at the market for later. I have the original pic. This is the most tourist friendly town I know, and most of the tourists are French. Love the architecture, so old and full of character (like me). Restaurants everywhere. Today we had fresh trout, salad, veggies, a bottle of wine. Pat had chocolate mousse and espresso and I an apricot tarte.

The people-watching is “superbe” as the French say. It’s 5pm and afternoon rain has begun. We are watching the people below on the street. Lots of young people, especially down by Lac Annecy. Dog walkers everywhere and loose dogs sometimes.

KeithKeith in Dijon

On to Dijon – June 21st

What a fascinating town! Amazing old architecture and the place is hopping for a music festival, taking place all around us in the old town. Streets closed and full of bands, sound systems, and hundreds of people, mostly young. Dozens of groups playing, one or two on every block, all kinds of music. We love it, but won’t be able to sleep because it goes til midnight. Wish we had a few more days here.

We’re about the celebrate our 50th anniversary in Paris tomorrow with old UW friends from the sixties.

Keith

…Only one day in Dijon, what a pity!

Keiths wife PatHi Friends,

Despite all odds we made it to fifty years. I was beginning to wonder because already the second day here, in the subway, five young people (20-somethings) have jumped up to offer me their seat. Pat only got one offer. Three of the five were female. I figure it must have been the Leki trekking pole/cane.

Once again we have been unable to see the inside of the Notre Dame cathedral, with hordes lined up for blocks. But we really enjoyed the Paris Gay Mens Glee Club in the Luxembourg Gardens, and music played by an orchestra and the biggest organ in France in the St Eustache church, and an international petanque tournament in front of city hall. finding the place to turn in the car was an adventure in itself.

Keith

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