Le Grand Puy, Chabanon and Orcières-Merlette - Skiing

View from Le Grand Puy

One of the reasons why we picked the Manosque area to live in was because we would be close to the mountains to go skiing.  Driving north from Sainte-Tulle to Manosque there are beautiful views of the snow-capped southern Alps off in the distance.  We joined the ASPTT Manosque ski club and I volunteered to give ski lessons while Sophia took her lessons.  We were both in for a culture shock!

We usually ski at the same few mountains in Upstate New York every year.  We drive to the mountain, park the car, schlep our gear into the lodge, get dressed and ski.  We do this routine at Willard Mountain, West Mountain, Gore Mountain and Whiteface.  Now, I'm not saying that this is the only way to go about skiing, but it is what we're used to.  

The snow was not great on our first outing with the ASPTT.   We knew that there was one trail open and that would be have to do for the first day.  As we got on the bus I noticed that everybody was wearing their ski pants, but I just thought that that's what people do here.  I HATE driving with my ski pants on, I get too hot.  We boarded the bus at 9:15 am and drove 103 kilometers, kids puking on the way, to arrive at 11:00 am.  As we were pulling up to the mountain, I started asking about the lodge and where we would put our gear and get ready.  One of the ski instructors on the bus explained that everyone gets geared up in the parking lot next to the bus.  We also eat lunch in the parking lot next to the bus with the kids rolling around in the snow or mud.  I think of it as primitive skiing or ski camping.  Although it was a shock to us, this is the way things are done.  Everyone got dressed and geared up in the cold, used the public toilet in the parking lot and were on their way!

I have to admit that by the 4th or 5th outing we almost got used to the routine.

Parking lot - Le Grand Puy

Café and ski rentals

Le Grand Puy is a small mountain with about 15 trails.  There is one chair-lift and several palma lifts (tire fesse - butt pullers) to bring skiers up the slope.  I have not used a palma lift since I was little skiing at Hickory Hill.  What great fun!  We skied like crazy the first day even though the conditions were not perfect.  We only missed one weekend of lessons during February break and every time we went out with the ASPTT we had a great time even if the snow wasn't great (from what I hear the snow wasn't too great at home either!)

Our last trip to Le Grand Puy was by far the best!  There were more lifts and trails open.  The group of kids that was with me varied in ages from 6 to 13 and even though their ability was similar they each had various levels of confidence.  Some wanted to go fast, another wanted to go off the trail (hors piste) and some wanted to roll in the snow whenever possible.  We made our way to the top of the hill, kicked off our skis and climbed to the overlook.  From that spot, we could see the mountains a valleys all around us.  

(Just today, as I was watching the news about the memorial for the Germanwings plane that crashed one year ago, I realized that we were near the crash site.) 

We went to a different mountain, Chabanon, for the final outing with the ASPTT.  This mountain was much bigger with more lifts and more trails spanning across several peaks.  It took me awhile to get the lay of the land and the first hour we tentatively explored some of the trails.  The kids were awesome!  The snow was great too!  By the time we made our way back to the bus my quads were burning and the lower mountain was slushy.

Cross on the highest peak

Views from Chabanon

I was very lucky to find the ASPTT ski club.  I was worried about navigating different ski resorts and driving there by myself.  Being a member of the club allowed me to go to the mountain without the worry of the road.  I also got to meet a great group of people who love to ski and who obviously love kids.  

having fun in the bus!

We went skiing one other time with the ski club to Orcières-Merlette.  This time is was not with the lesson group but rather a traditional ski bus trip.  This time we left much earlier as the mountain was about 2.5 hours away.  As we got closer to the mountains we could see the topography change and the last bit of the drive was absolutely crazy.  We had the best bus driver in the world who took switchback after narrow switchback in an enormous bus with grace and ease.  Orcieres-Merlette is a ski resort on the top of a mountain and just when you think you can't go any farther, the mountain opens up into snowfields above the tree line.  The views are breathtaking!  

Orcières Merlette

Mind the gap! 

skiing above the treeline

What is amazing about most mountains here is that you have access to trails even if you are not skiing.  You can buy a lift ticket that will take you to the top where you can have lunch, go tubing, go dog sledding, go for a hike/snowshoe and take in the views.  We returned to Orcières-Merlette with our friends Mike and Heather for a non ski day and it was wonderful! We even saw a group of people marching on the slopes playing some instruments.  They were having a great time!

dog sledding

Crazy people playing instruments in the snow!

Sophia in the snow, tubing spectators in the background

There are a few things that I have learned this year skiing in France: 

Expect the unexpected and go for the new experience!  

It's OK to get dressed and eat lunch in the parking lot.  

French boys pee in front of crowds. 

The lift ticket is less expensive! 

Skiing in the Alps is not that different than from skiing at Gore Mountain - it's the same snow.

A bad day of skiing is better than a day without skiing at all.

Ski instructors are a fun group of people.  

I love to ski.  

Visiting Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

Fontaine de la Rotonde - October 2015

Fontaine de la Rotonde - Feburary 2016

We have visited Aix-en-Provence three times since we've been living in France.  The forty minute drive to get to this bustling town is worth every minute because it is a beautiful city with so much to see and do.  Our first visit was in October and we enjoyed walking around the narrow streets, visiting two museums and a church.  We visited again in December and we were thrilled to see the city in full Christmas regalia. There were decorated trees, roasting chestnuts, santons and a Christmas market.  The most recent visit was just as fun, we re-visited some of the same sites at a more relaxed pace.  

Via Aurelia
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2286480/posts

Aix-en-Provence dates from 122-123 BC, when it was founded by Roman, Sextius Calvinius, who gave his name to the local spring. Aix was declared a Roman colony by Ceasar in 45 BC.  The Roman road, Via Aurelia, passed through Aix on its way to Italy. The Roman colony was abandoned in 574 AD and during the middle ages Aix was invaded by many groups including the Barbarians and Saracens.  Eventually, the counts of Provence made Aix their home bringing with them arts and education.  The city faced many changes during the religious wars and the revolution and so many different historical events have left their mark on the beautiful city.


One of the first monuments that you can see when driving into the city is the beautiful Fontaine de la Rotonde. It is decorated with sculptures of lions, swans, angels and dolphins. Built in 1860, this fountain dominates the traffic circle and it is located at the end of the famous Cours Mirabeau.  The tourist office is located in this area as well as an Apple store and a fantastic sculpture of Paul Cezanne, a local son.

Cours Mirabeau - Armistice Day 2015

Cour Mirabeau - December 2015

Marché de Noël
December 1015
Cours Mirabeau

The Cours Mirabeau is short, tree-lined avenue of only 440 meters that starts at the Fontaine de La Rotonde.  The Cours Mirabeau is famous for the cafés that line the street as well as for the the celebrities who frequented the restaurants and bistros.  Wealthy citizens of Aix built their homes on this street and the childhood home of Paul Cezanne was here as well. The Cours Mirabeau is punctuated with three smaller fountains, la Fontaine des Neuf Cannons, la Fontaine Moussue (a warm water fountain perpetually covered in moss) and la Fontaine du Roi René.

Fontaine de Neuf Cannons

Fontaine Moussue
http://www.salondeprovencebonsplans.com/videos/violent-orage-a-salon-de-provence-3-octobre-2015.html

Fontaine du Roi René

The Musée Granet is located two blocks away from the Cours Mirabeau in the quartier Mazarin.  
We strolled through the sculpture gallery where we saw a bust of Abbé de l'Épée, the man who helped to develop a system of sign language for deaf people in France in the 18th century. Sophia enjoyed seeing the statues of Greek and Roman mythology and telling me the story that went with the characters. 

Located only a few steps away from the Musée Granet, is La Fontaine de quatre Dauphins.  The Fountain of the Four Dolphins dating from 1667, is an example of Baroque art that was prized by Aix's nobility.  What is it with this kid?  No matter where we go she has to put her hands in the water.  She loves playing in fountains, touching the water, splashing and getting wet. Ask her to take a shower and that is another story!

















Our next stop was the Pavillon Vendôme.  This beautiful house, surrounded by magnificent gardens is a hidden gem in the center of the city.  There is a children's play ground, benches and flowers.  You can visit the house and the modern art exhibits. I learned that the house, commisioned by the Duke of Vendôme, was used as a  "lover's hideaway".  





La Cathedrale Saint Sauveur, Saint Savior Cathedral is a beautiful church.  Each time I go there I see works of art, hear fantastic music and wonder about the fantastic feats of architecture. The cathedral has been built and rebuilt over several centuries, there are elements of Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture.  You can sneak a peek at the cloisters through a wooden gate.  They offer tours of but I have missed them every time.

The first time I saw this plaque was on Armistice day.  

During our visits to Aix-en-Provence we only scratched the surface of all the sights that one can see in this beautiful city.  I could spend days visiting  the fountains, the squares, the fancy stores or the specialty candies made in Aix.  Although I know that I will never get to see and do everything that the city has to offer, more friends are coming to visit and we will continue our explorations of Aix-en-Provence.

Sunny day in Forcalquier

We decided to take a ride to Forcalquier one Monday morning in Febuary when our friends, Heather, Mike and Phineas were visiting. Monday is market day in Forcalquier and since I love markets and we had never been there, we were off to explore!

The man in the top picture is selling silicone lids for cooking and storage.  

Luckily I did not have to make up my mind choosing a basket.  They are all so beautiful, it would be so hard to pick just one! Heather ended up buying a natural colored basket with long leather straps. 

There are so many different things you can buy at the market: artisanal products like olive oil, beer, olive pastes and pottery.  But there is so much more: pots and pans, clothing, dried fruits, spices, straw bags, vegetables, meat, fish, shoes and mattresses, just to name a few things. 

I love looking at the displays of fruit and vegetables, mounds of fragrant spices and all of the colorful pottery.  We bought some olive tapenade and some vegetables.  Later we picked out a small colorful bowl.  We put our pocket change in the bowl so when we need to buy a baguette we have a few euros at hand.


Next we needed to get lunch!  We had a few minutes to kill before our table was ready so we decided to go for a little stroll around the old part of the town.  Our first stop was Place Saint Michel - St Michael's Square.  The fountain was the centerpiece and so was the dog that became Sophia's playmate.

  

The Saint-Michel fountain is located in a little square in Forcalquier.  Although the origins to the fountain date back to 1512 changes have been made to the fountain over the years.  The original octagonal basin has been replaced with a round basin and the upper sculpted part was completely remade in 1976.  The original is located in the city hall. 

http://tatie84.canalblog.com/archives/2013/06/10/27369372.html

The town Forcalquier is located on a hill.  At the very top of the hill you can visit Notre de Dame de Provence, an octagonal chapel. The chapel was constructed on the former site of a medieval citadel and although the citadel was destroyed in 1601 there are remains of the structure.  We walked up through the park-like paths to the top of the hill.  Along the way I saw a communal garden, wooden fences and a sylvan path with stations of the cross. 

Notre-Dame-de-Provence was built in 1875 on the site of the chateau of the Counts of Forcalquier.  The chapel is built in a Neo-Byzantine architecture with a dome and arches.  The statue of Mary dominates the dome and the hill.  There is also a manual carillon on the top of the hill and it is played every Sunday at 11:30 and on religious holidays.

The views from the top of the hill are fantastic!  We could see the snow on the Montagne de Lurs and in the Alps.  

Views of the Montagne de Lurs

Looking south-east towards Volx 

We walked down a different path that took us below the highest part of the hill and we found a small chapel and some ruins of the chateau or medieval fortress.  The walk back to the cars brought us through narrow streets and old doorways and some new construction build in a very old ruin.  There is more to see in Forcalquier so I will have to return again to walk the narrow streets.

A former protestant temple.

L'Hotel de Gassaud was the private home of a family from Forcalquier in the 17th century.

almost hidden doorways

A great day exploring Forcalquier!