FRANCE Summer 2012: Violes and Cairanne. 7/28/2012

I’m having computer problems so this note might have lots if typos as I’m writing on my iPhone which has that auto-correct feature  Hopefully It won’t be too bad and I can figure out my computer and iPad connection problems by tomorrow.

Finished dinner last night in Avignon around midnight (oh so cosmopolitan ). Finally got to bed at 2. Woke at 4 because air conditioning went on the blink and it was stifling. It was over 90 during the day and it didn’t cool off much in the evening. Eventually slept after hotel brought up a fan.

Then I think the fact that we had been up about 40 hours straight sunk in and next thing we knew it was noon. (Check out time!). Dashed around. Showered. And left hotel around 1:30 to find “breakfast”. Settled into the bustle of July in Avignon.

People everywhere. It’s the annual theater festival. Street performers all over. Musicians on the street. Open-air markets selling old LPs and books. Strolled a bit. Had some food and then headed to Violes which is where we’ll stay—about 6 kilometers from Cairainne where Mike’s brother has a house.

We have a navy blue BMW hatchback with GPS!

Took about 40 minutes to get from Avignon and during that time dozens of emails were flying as to how to get Richard out of the house to be able to set up for the party. Finally the decision was that Emma, Hem, and Julia would bring Richard to our hotel under some false pretense of having a drink or something (without saying that we will be at the place for drinks). So we would still be the first surprise. They would leave saying they were preparing a special birthday dinner. Then we would bring him to the house for the surprise party. Sounded like a plan.

We arrived at the hotel (Chateau le Martinet), where we have never stayed before. Frankly, I think we have stayed at every bonafide hotel/inn within a 15 mile radius of Cairanne and still have not found a place we like. This place looked a bit like a “ruin.” Well let’s just say it could use a little work and must have been great in another era. But here we are and at least the AC is functional. So we won’t roast.

But when we arrived, no one was to be found at the chateau. No receptionist. No one. We sat on the front deck and waited about 15 minutes. Finally a rather frazzled woman appeared. She didn’t speak English but we understood that she had been doing the laundry. She showed us our room—up two long flights of stairs. The air conditioning was on, so we were happy campers. But the room looks like it was decorated by an interior designer who does bordellos. Silver puffy cushions. Black and silver print wallpaper. Fur pillows. Need I say more ? Definitely not my taste.

Well the double surprises went off well, and Richard was truly surprised. About 20 people. Everyone had some kind of US /North American connection although the group was mostly French and a few Swiss. Someone had gone to grad school in Texas. Someone had been on the faculty at UV. Someone’s son is a PhD candidate at Princeton. Someone’s daughter is a journalist living in Brooklyn. And someone’s son married a Canadian and they live in Vancouver. Guess it’s that 6 degrees of separation thing. The Americans: two couples- who now live in France — one full time and the other is here six months each year. One was an academic who taught at University of Rochester and did sabbatical in this area. Fell in love with this part of Provence. Bought a house 30 years ago and when they retired decided to make this home. The other couple—he’s a lawyer who was with DOE—they bought a house a long time ago too. They spend 6 months here and 6 months in DC. All in all, an interesting crowd.

By the way, when we left the bordello. … sorry, the hotel… the woman who had been doing the laundry was even more frazzled. Someone wanted bottled water and the phone rang. Needed to do two things at the same time… Oh so difficult. But she asked when we would come back and we said midnight. Oh no!! Mais oui!!  Big problem. They lock the door at 11. So they showed us a back door and said that door will be unlocked. I should have figured out then, that there would be a problem when we returned.

We didn’t get back until 230 am

When we arrived the gate that you drive through to get to the hotel was locked. And it was pitch black out. With the car lights on we could see that there was a ledge on the left side that we might be able to climb up although there were rocks on top. But Mike thought they were not attached. Then we’d have to jump down. Ok so I do have the flashlight app on my iPhone but that was useless. Fortunately for some unknown reason Mike had his keyring in his pocket and last month he was a speaker at a conference and they gave everyone a little key ring flashlight!! So he “lit” the path. We climbed up to the ledge. Slid in between the big iron gate (10 ft tall) and the wall. And jumped down. Of course, the door that was to be left open was not open. So we didn’t know what to do. Figured we’d drive to Cairanne and stay at Richard and Elizabeth’s although their place was pretty full. Thought about sleeping in the car. Frankly mostly I thought about how we’d have to go back on the ledge to get to the other side of the high gate.

On the off chance that maybe someone would hear us we went to the front of the house up the stairs. And we saw one room with a light on. I wanted to yell up. But Mike thought we’d wake people up. We called on the phone but no answer. A woman stuck her head out of the window of the lit room. And in my best French I said we had a room. I think she knew. She said the door was “ouvert.” And we came inside. Found our key at reception. And here we are. Air conditioned and keeping eyes closed so as not to be distracted by the shiny silver decor.

Aurevoir.. Fern