France page 2   Carcassonne

France page 3   Orange, Avignon

France page 4   Lyon

France page 5   Annecy

France page 6   Dijon

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JOURNEYS BY PAUL

Page 2

Carcassonne

New Videos (click on links)

**Avignon Festival **

**Avignon Train Ride**

Orange, Provence

(click to enlarge)

1st Century Roman Theater
Inside Roman Theater	1st Century Arc de Triomphe
Beauty Salon for Dogs and Cats	Fashion
Looking Down from Park	Looking Down from Park
Roof Tops	Plaza in Orange
A Street	Another Street
Before the Opera	Dining before the Opera
More Dining	My 2nd Hotel
Cathedral	Inside the Cathedral
Orange Cathedral	Another Street

More Scenes of Orange

1st Century Roman Theater	1st Century Theater
19th Century Theater	Canal
Market	Morning Market
Breakfast	A Minor Square
Train Station	Market

 

 

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  You'll have to click it to get a good view.

July 7.  I'm still in Orange. The train ride from Carcassonne to Avignon took about 3 hours and cost 30 Euros. Each Euro is worth about $1.37 U.S. dollars. Then I took a 10 minute train ride up to Orange. I walked from the train station to my hotel. I had called from Carcassonne to reserve a room, and was told that all the rooms in Orange were booked due to the Opera on Saturday night, so I was lucky to get the one room at Hotel Herbier. I actually was aiming for Avignon, but was told by a few hotels (on the phone) that all the rooms were booked up for the festival. After the first night at Hotel Herbier, I had to switch hotels the next day because Herbier was booked. I'm now in a tiny room at  Hotel St. Florent. There's a picture on the left somewhere. But the hotel's got free wifi. Yippee! Yesterday was very hot. I took a train into Avignon for the festival but that's on the next page. There is a video link to the festival and the train ride to Avignon on this page. Don't miss it. If you have any criticisms on my videos, let me hear them. I'm learning.

There's a 1st century Roman theater in Orange that's supposed to be the best preserved in Europe. And it's a block from the hotel. There's a hillside park adjacent it, and I climbed up the hill and looked down at the theater and the surrounding countryside. It's all in the video. I read that the theater was used for musical recitals and poetry readings. Yesterday evening, I was surprised to leave my hotel room yesterday  to find the streets of this little town full of people dining and strolling. Tables had materialized and now completely encompassed all the squares and nearby side streets. Everyone was dressed up, and it was quite a civilized setting. I asked if they were all here for the opera, and was told that they were. How many are here for the opera? 6,000. But that's not so many. The theater holds 9,000. So they all came into town to watch the opera, Madame Butterfly. And the opera was going to be playing in the Ancient Roman Theater. Later, after I ate my hamburger with an egg on top, I climbed back up the hill to the park at sunset, and watched a little of the opera from overhead.

                            Some More of Orange

1st Century Roman Theater	1st Century Theater	19th Century Theater	Canal
Market	Morning Market	Breakfast	A Minor Square
Train Station	Market	Food Like Aunt Bee Used to Cook	Did Aunt Bee Put an Egg on her Burgers?

 

There's also an Arc de Triomphe here that was built in the 1st Century. It celebrates the Romans conquering the Gauls. Orange  is quite pleasant, and I've had some leisurely mornings at my cafe in the main square where I read and watch the people. You know, in some places, when people greet, they kiss each other on the left cheek. And in some places they kiss on both cheeks. But here they have to do it three times. It's interesting to watch waitresses and everyone else interrupt their routine to slowly kiss an acquaintance three times on the cheeks. I think it exemplifies how the French don't ever seem to be in a rush. I've learned to sit at my dining table patiently, reading or watching, until the waiter or waitress eventually comes over and gives me a smile and a menu. Then after taking the order, I will get my beer. Then a little while later, I'll get the table setting. Then, after a while, I'll get the bread. Then the main course, then the carafe d'eau (bottle of water). Now I'm used to it. I'm not in a hurry. I like watching everything. If you're in a hurry, don't come to France. If you need to be forced to slow down, come to France.

 

        Is That Kramer?

 

thanks for reading,

Paul Ogier