Itinerary |
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10/1/1994:
Arrive Amsterdam from Sacramento via Chicago and
London. Visit Leyden.
10/2/1994: Tour Amsterdam with stops at Rijksmuseum and
Van Gogh museum.
Van Gogh museum coaster
Van Gogh museum piece
Van Gogh hotel
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A Dutch canal
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Another Dutch canal
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Dutch museum
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Cruise boat |
Canal cruisers |
Dutch bikes |
Cruising |
Cruising |
Cruising |
Dutch canal-side cafe |
Amsterdam sidewalk Van Gogh |
Amsterdam sidewalk musicians |
10/3/1994:
Drive from Amsterdam to Nancy via Antwerp, Brussels and
Luxembourg (then Benelux).
It rained most of the way
in the bottom lands so there wasn't much to see other
than roadside and over-road services (petrol and
food). Driving in bad weather on the Belgian
causeway was exasperated by confines of little Peugeot,
baggage and two bikes. Overnight at Hotel Arcade,
Nancy.
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Windmill
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36 year old Joe Pivetti by Peugeot and windmill |
Fleurs |
Windmill*
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Windmill*
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Windmill & laundry*
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We stopped in
Lyon for food and fuel and caught part of a wacky parade.
A parking structure ramp
in Lyon had a tighter turn radius than the Peugeot
could make but we escaped by riding the curb.
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10/4/1994: Drive from Nancy to
Aix-en-Provence. Return rental car. Two nights
at the Hotel St. Christophe.
Here's a Provence church. The October weather was a
bit cloudy.
After church on Sunday, the farmers in the area hunt
rabbit and pheasant in their own fields (as evidenced by
all the shotgun blasts we heard on our rides).
Typical Provence market
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We had taken a small back road with panniers when we
happened upon this private castle on one side of the road
and its small animal park on the other side of the
road. A young man who had been feeding the animals
asked us if we’d like to come in and see the inside of the
castle (where we also saw a woman getting two children
ready for a trip). I don't seem to have a receipt
for entry so it was probably cash (the fee shown on the
restored B&B Chateau de la Barben 2017 web page is 9
Euros).
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Farmer's market in Aix. The poire (pears) were good
everywhere in Provence. The wine was also good,
including the 5 francs bottle we bought at a farm (where I
spoke some Spanish with the man selling the wine).
I couldn't find the name of this building by searching for
Zorba's (which you can read on a sign over a door under
that canopy if you zoom in on the full size image which
you can open by clicking on this smaller web-page image)
but I saw it on-line in a long set of images related to a
search on "Aix farmer's market".*
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10/5/1994: Tour Aix-en-Provence. See Old Aix,
Cloisters of St. Sauveur, Mazarin Quarter and Cezannes
Studio.
Aix in the arms
I ate this Aix candy
before I learned about Ile Flotante. Dad
says that I wouldn't agree to any restaurant that
didn't have it after that.
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Artist in
Aix-en-Provence
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Same guy without the car
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Balcony support is a headache
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Aix
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Aix again |
Also Aix |
10/6/1994:
Bicycle from Aix to Salon de Provence via the Aqueduc de
Roquefavour, Ventabren, Coudoux, Lambesc and Pélisanne
(see La Barben Case). Visit Empéri Castle and
Museum. Overnight at the Hotel Vendome.
The Aix region produces olives
Salon pizza
Salon hotel Vendome
Nostradamus memorial in
Salon
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View of Gardanne from Aix hills
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Gardanne again
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Road to Montagne
Sainte Victoire
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Aix hills
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Montagne Sainte Victoire
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Provence farms
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Aqueduc de Roquefavour
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Planned in 1565 and built
between 1841 and 1847
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It is the largest stone aqueduct in the world |
Somewhere in Provence*
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Somewhere else in Provence*
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D64 is hilly so we had to
slow to 50 kph*
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10/7/1994:
Bicycle from Salon de Provence to St. Remy-de-Provence via
Eyguieres, Mouries, Maussane-les-Apilles and Les Baux de
Provence (see Living Village and Deserted Viliage).
La Baux walk way
The road up to the old
village of La Baux is a steep ride. Near the top
I stopped for a second to look back for Dad who rode
right by me as 20 French cyclists tore around a wide
corner and hooted at me because it looked like I
couldn't finish the climb. I rode on in silence.
La Baux Tea Shop
10/7/1994 (cont.): Continue to Les Antiques (see 3O BC
Mausoleum and Commemorative Arch) and tour Glanum
Excavations. Finish ride to town of St. Remy and
stay there over night.
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La Baux 1
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La Baux 2 |
La Baux 3
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La Baux 4 |
La Baux 5 |
La Baux 6 |
La Baux 7
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La Baux 8
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La Baux 9
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Road to La Baux |
La Baux marker |
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Van Gogh in St. Remy |
We spent 35 francs at the Fromagerie du Mistral
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Tired Bike (at St. Remy) |
10/8/1994:
Bicycle from St. Remy-de-Provence to Arles via
Chateaurenard (Mediaeval Towers), Tarascon (Chateau),
Beaucaire (Chateau), Fontveille (Moulin de Daudet and
aqueducts) and Montmajour (Abbey Cloisters). Tour
Amphitheatre, Roman Theatre, St. Trophine Cloisters and
Museum of Christian Art. Two nights in Arles.
Hotel in Arles
Bull fight advertisement in Arles where the bloodthirsty
sport still existed in 1994 (at the Amphitheatre).
French students were also
visiting St. Trophine abbey that day.
There was a nice
restaurant deep in the Camargue suitable for a
luncheon stop. I think that we ate duck a
l'orange.
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Chateaurenard
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Montmajour
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Ste. Trophine
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10/9/1994:
Bicycle through the Camargue and return to Arles.
These guys tried to push a melon on us even though we were
on bikes!
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The egrets didn't sit on
the bulls like the horses.
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I wonder if these bulls were raised for the arena. |
French horses like egrets in the Camargue |
10/10/1994: Bicycle to Nimes via St. Gilles (Abbey Façade,
Crypt and Screw of St. Giles). Tour Amphitheatre,
Maison Carrée, Fountain Garden and Temple of Diana.
Two nights in Nime.
No, we didn't buy any flowers
We didn't buy any
antiques either but this man wanted Dad to take his
picture
"Hey, we saw that on
the ride today."
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Nimes Amphitheatre
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Smooth cycling on our vacant Camargue road
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Marsh adapted Camargue horse |
Nimes cafe
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St. Giles |
St. Giles |
St. Giles |
St. Giles |
This was probably in a Nimes Catholic church |
Nimes |
Nimes |
Maison Carrée photo with Dad's touch |
10/11/1994:
Bicycle to Oppidum de Nages (100 BC Celtic village) and
return to Nime.
This man's mother created a copy of the Bayeux
Tapestry. The man was so enthused by dad's knowledge
of the 1,000 years old tapestry and the fact that we were
using only bicycles for transportation that he told us of
the "secret" oppidum near Nimes: a 300 BC Celtic ruin only
10 km from town.
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There is no fence or park fee at this Oppidum |
Young school children
were at the Oppidum
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They were observing
history and taking notes
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To be an Oppidum requires
Roman governance
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Roman governance, in this
case is evidenced by the straightened streets
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The Bayeux Tapestry (or more properly Bayeux Embroidery)
from 1066 depicts the Battle of Hastings and I guess that
we saw it later on this trip in Paris. During the
French Revolution, in 1792, the 230 feet long tapestry was
confiscated as public property to be used for covering
military wagons. It was rescued from the wagon by a
local lawyer who stored it in his house until the troubles
were over, then he sent it to the city administrators for
safekeeping. Soon after, the French government
started taking control of museums and artifact
preservation.
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10/12/1994:
Bicycle from Nime to Avignon via Pont St. Nicolas, Pont du
Gard (Roman aqueduct bridge), Fournés, St. Amand Theziers
and Aramon. Tour Ramparts in Avignon. Three
nights in Avignon.
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Pont St. Nicolas |
Pont du Gard 1 |
Pont du Gard 2 |
The Pont du Gard is the
highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts and crosses
the Gardon River near the town of
Vers-Pont-du-Gard. It was built in the first
century AD and maintained by Rome until the empire
collapsed in 476 AD. It was so well built that
it continued to serve Nimes well into the 6th
century, with some parts used for significantly
longer. The Pont du Gard remained largely
intact, due to its important secondary function as a
river crossing bridge with tolls levied by local
lords and bishops for its upkeep. Serious
damage was inflicted on it in the 17th century and
renovations were made between the 18th and 21st
centuries including a parallel 18th century road
bridge addition.
Pont du Gard 5 (Dad photo-shopped the Pont to emphasize
its 2,000 years)
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1st century Pont du Gard 3 |
Pont du Gard 4 and 18th century road bridge |
Pont du Gard or Aqueduc de Roquefavour? 1,800 years
age difference is difficult to discern. |
Pont du Gard 7, bridge and forest...I think that we had a
quiet lonely lunch here by an old cork tree.
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10/13/1994:
Walk around Avignon and tour Palace of the Popes, St.
Bénézet Brie, Doms Rock, Petit Palais,
Villaneuvelés-Avignon and Barbentane.
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Pont de Avignon and reflection
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A short evening ride but a long exposure
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The Avignon Papacy period
from 1309 to 1377 had seven successive popes reside in
Avignon in the Kingdom of Arles within the Holy Roman
Empire.
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On March 27, 1378, the
breakdown in relations between the cardinals and a new
pope in Rome gave rise to the Western Schism.
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This started a second line
of Avignon popes, now regarded as illegitimate and known
as antipopes.
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10/14/1994:
Bike ride to Chateauneuf du Papes and then have lunch in
Roquemaure. Return to Avignon.
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10/15/1994:
Drive to
Fontainebleau near Paris.
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10/16/1994:
Complete
drive to Paris and return rental car in
Montparnasse. Bicycle to hotel. Three nights
at the Hotel Jardin de Cluny.
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Chuck says I looked like a twin of his uncle Edwin at 18
in this Paris hotel cafe (nee Roman sewer) |
Louvre
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Latin quarter canal
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Hotel d'Ville fountains
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Fountains probably relied on Roman water pressure
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We stayed a couple of blocks from Notre Dame
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Paris park
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Hotelier's Pont du Gard painting in cafe
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Inside the basilica
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10/17/1994:
Over three days tour Arc de Triumphe, Champs Elysées, Ste
Chappele, Louvre, Nortre Dame, Law Courts, Place do la
Concorde, The Invalides and the Marais.
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Dusk falls at the Arch de Triumphe
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We were there
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And there
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And there I am
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10/18/1994:
Bicycle to palace defeated by bad weather and sprinklers.
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The busy Seine
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I can't recall if this is the left or right bank
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Dad mirrored this image to call the dog closer
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A French bridge to art
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The Thinker
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No Thinker
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10/19/1994:
Continue Paris sight seeing. Overnight at Hotel Ibis
near airport.
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Goodbye Paris, Goodby Provence
10/20/1994: Fly from Orly to Sacramento. |
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