27 Agosto 2015 — Hilarious, Exhausting Day in Cinqueterra: Trains, Feet, Boats, Planes. 8/27/15
Greetings from the Genoa Airport, where we are waiting for our Air France flight to Paris (just overnight, as we catch flight to SFO tomorrow morning…. and definitely on the homeward part of the journey and thinking more about office than about final day here.
So, yesterday (Thursday) — we decided to take the train to the Cinqueterra… a bit of an afterthought and with no preparation. We thought about checking out of the Genoa hotel and staying overnight in one of the five villages, but thought again more logically and realized that would get quite complicated given that we had to catch the flight from here in Genoa. So, we headed out of the hotel at about 9 am to take the ’10 minute’ walk to the train station (treni stazione).. asked at the hotel how to walk there and they gave fairly straight forward directions which we followed, but after 10 minutes we were not at the stazione and it wasn’t in sight… so we stopped into a farmacia (where they generally have some English) and they gave different directions. We then checked iPhone GPS and still different directions. (There are actually quite a few train stations in Genoa and we didn’t know which we were going to… but we did keep saying “train to Cinqueterra”)… Anyway, finally got there.. about 45 minutes from when we left the hotel… long lines to buy tickets and now we had very little time to get the “fast train” which takes one hour.. It was leaving in 12 minutes (still had to navigate ticket, track, and figure out the whole system).. Mike went on line and I dashed to one of the automatic machines. I finally figured out the system and Mike left the line.. Decided to get first class ticket.. not much difference in price and there’s a reserved seat (with a power outlet to charge gear!) Made it to the track as the train was boarding.. a small miracle.
Got onto train but no signs as to what the car numbers are… turns out that once you board the train there are little pieces of paper taped to an inside window that tell you the car number.. but on several cars they had two different numbers.. and the train numbers were not necessarily in sequence.. So we needed to walk through many cars to find ours. Along the way, we wound up in one car that smelled awful.. and was sort of backed up… Turns out that one of the passengers had a dog with her and the dog had a bit of an “accident” in the aisle… causing both the back-up and the odor!.. She was trying to mop it up and it was just spreading the feces around. Good thing this was NOT our car.
Finally found our car and naturally people were in our seats. I think this is pretty common on European trains. People sort of sit where they want (in the better seats) and then if someone comes with a ticket for that seat they (generally) move. Not really sure if the guys in our seats were in first class or not, but our seats were sort of primo I suppose since they were at the windows (facing each other) and closest proximity to the power outlet.. a very big deal which I totally appreciated. So finally – a relaxing ride to Monterosso (after a very stressful boarding procedure and first hour of our day). The Cinqueterra is made up of five small towns that cling to cliffs along the water. The terrain between the towns is quite steep and thus they were accessible for centuries only by footpaths between them. (Now as you will hear soon — a train and also a ferry system connects them and they are sort of accessible by car). But it is from the footpaths that you have incredible views. Apparently backpackers “discovered” the towns in the 1970s and they started to become very popular destinations — which is rather unfortunate!
Arrived in Monterosso. The train station is practically on the beach.. We purchased a day ticket that let us hop on and off the train and go to any or all of the five towns. The beach area was totally packed and also filled with lots of shops selling beachwear, fast food, and trinkets. After a short walk uphill to get away from the crowds, get some good views, and also to see what the town was really like.. we decided to “move on”… so we hopped on the train to Riomaggiore, another one of the villages about 12 minutes away, where we thought we’d have lunch and perhaps have fewer crowds.
The train to Riomaggiore was totally packed.. like the NYC subway at rush hour, with people wearing all sorts of dress and non-dress.. string bikinis on the train, men without shirts, men in bikini bathing suits — you name it. Made it to the village, which was similarly buzzing with tourists (Japanese, Italians, Brits, French, and some Americans)… We had read about a restaurant that was away from the beach — about a mile walk uphill; we had the name (La Lanterna) and the location.. and made our way up the hill.. But couldn’t find the restaurant even though the GPS said we were right there. So I went into a shop and asked. Their English wasn’t very good, but finally I realized the restaurant with that name had closed and the chef had opened a new restaurant down in the marina (but a bit away from the crowds) with a new name (Rio Bistro). We figured it was worth a try and by now we were very hungry. OK.. success. Found it, and it was great.. Simple lunch.. Capresse salad and steamed mussels. Hit the bill.. Nice white wine and lots of water. Forgot to mention that it’s been pretty hot.. high 80s (which for me is totally painful) and it was probably up to about 90 in the little villages. (More on my total impression of Cinqueterra soon).
Headed back to the train to take the 3 minute ride to what is supposed to be the most beautiful of the 5 villages — Manorola. First little crisis.. we walked passed the stazione. It’s so nondescript that we didn’t see it. Finally realized and had to run back or else we’d have to wait another 20 minutes for the next train. Got to the station and the track (not easy to figure out which track) — no one seems to know.. not even the station people or the Italians. Anyway, as we waited we were standing next to two people from Sacramento area and we chatted a bit. They’ve been to the area three times before and were coming now for about five days. They basically stay at a hotel in Manarola and use it as a base — taking day walks, sometimes from one village to the next..which they said is about an hour’s walk.. not that difficult. Anyway, the train was late by about 20 minutes and as we waited more and more people began to fill the platform until it was body to body on the platform. Fortunately we were in the front. Anyway, when the train came we jumped on with everyone else.. but after 3 minutes we could see Manarola whiz by from the train and it turned out that we headed back to Monterosso along with many others who were headed where we were!
By now, Mike was more than frustrated.. Me, I’m just going with the flow! Anyway, the next train from Monterosso to Manarola was not for 2 hours (siesta time?), so we decided to see if we could find a boat to go from Monterosso to Manorola. There was a boat in an hour. Decided that would be better than the train. So off we went by ferry (again no one really sure which ferry goes in which direction and everyone giving different answers to the question. Ferry was about 45 minutes and included about 3 stops. Gave us good views of the villages. The ferry was pretty packed also. Made it to Manorola which is the prettiest town of all. By the way, disembarking from the ferry is quite a scene. There’s a long line of folks trying to get onto the ferry. They are stretched out along a very narrow winding path going downhill. On their right is a very steep drop to the Mediterranean.. and there isn’t any railing. The path is probably no more than 4 feet wide. Those of us getting off the ferry move alongside them but we are hugging along the rocks of the cliff — sharp, unexpected juttings, and attempting to navigate carefully so as not to move too far left or you might push one of those waiting to board right off the cliff! Italian planning at its best.
Bopped around Manorola and then attempted to find the train station to get back to Monterosso where we would catch the train to Genoa. Again many different directions as to where the station is and no signs at all. Made the train (only because it was late); got to Monterosso; had an hour before the Genoa train.. so we strolled the town again. It was a bit cooler, the crowds had thinned out, and the town looked better. Oh, and while getting on the very crowded train from Manarola to Monterosso a young woman wedged in between Mike and me and I turned and looked at her angrily as she literally pushed me forward and at the same time another woman tried to get Mike’s wallet from his back pocket.. but he immediately put his hand on his pocket and then the two ran off the train. Pickpocketing averted. They do say that those trains have lots of pickpockets; they even announce this at the train stations.
The Cinqueterra a beautiful area, with the five towns surrounded by rugged steep cliffs and a national park. I’m sure the hikes up above are spectacular. The villages were developed in the 16th century to oppose attacks by the Turks. they fell into decline until 19th century when a train was built to connect Genoa and Le Spezia.. then people fled (I assume because they had been so isolated).. and then in the 1970s the villages were “found” and tourism became its own industry. My guess is that American hippies were the discoverers, because it was the era when young Americans were exploring and trying to find peaceful and beautiful locations around the world. This would have qualified at that time. The houses hanging off the cliffs are all painted different colors, supposedly so that the fishermen could see their house from the sea…. to be able to see that their wives were doing their wifely chores!!!
Boarded the train from Monterosso to Genoa — back by the window and the power cord, which was a good thing since we took a lot of photographs and had to use the GPS, so very little power left.
While I think I would recommend going to the Cinqueterra — I’d suggest going in the fall — like November (although it’s probably rainy season) or maybe spring (April?). I would not suggest going any time between May and September. Too hot, too many people. I’m sure many of the beach shops close in the winter and that would be good as far as I’m concerned. The sun umbrellas that pack the beaches make for a great “graphic” but I cannot imagine that it is pleasant to be so body-to-body on the beach. And, I would add that I think I’ve visited villages that are more beautiful than the Cinqueterra (like the Amalfi Coast or the hilltop villages of Italy that are not at the coast — I guess it is the coast and the swimmable beaches that bring the crowds; I’d also rather return to the beautiful “white” villages of Spain.. and more).. I suppose that if you take the hike in the hills there are streams and rivers and you can swim and be more remote.. or if you really love the beach, then maybe it’s OK.. Just not my most favorite place.. I’ll take Turin over this.
Walked back from the Genoa station to the hotel (now clocking 9 miles for the day).. and then walked a few blocks for a late dinner at a place called Rosmarina. Again directions from the hotel were totally screwy. But we found it. Great meal.. started with marinated beef salad, went on to lasagna, and then piglet with figs… all followed by a fig cobbler.. Figs are everywhere.
I’m back online.. here in Paris Airport Hotel.. and am a happy camper… We took advantage of this one night in Paris.. and headed soon to the train to get to Gare du Nord and to walk to a restaurant called Au Passage. Quite wonderful.
Arriverderci Italia; Bonjour Paris!
Fern
PS — For those who’ve been asking.. yes we stopped in to see many many baroque churches.. as we walked in both Genoa and Turin. Forgot to mention.
26 Agosto 2015. August 26, 2015
Buon Serra-
So, today we strolled Genova — walked through the medieval area (which turns out is very very close to our hotel (so at least the location is good).. the old city is pretty seedy, but probably will get gentrified in the coming years. There’s some renovation going on, but that’s amid lots of buildings in great need of repair, prostitutes roaming around, etc. In any case, it’s one of those webs of narrow streets where you can practically touch the two buildings on either side if you stretch out your arms. Lots of churches buried within the streets and some on the piazzas which are everywhere. It’s very easy to get lost — if you are actually trying to get somewhere. We eventually stopped for a simple lunch in a cute place on one of these very very narrow streets… and then eventually found our way back to the hotel (no easy task).
Then I had a bunch of computer problems which really messed up my day. It’s still not resolved and I don’t have enough computer savvy to figure it out. I seem to have done some kind of reconfiguration — in my effort to fix the problem and now I can’t get it un-reconfigured!.. So, I don’t know when this note will actually reach you and I’m falling behind in the work I have to do while I’m here. So, I’m in a bit of a panic.
At around 6:30 tonight we realized it made sense to return our rental car since we don’t need it between now (Wednesday night) and Friday morning when we fly out of Genova. Well, getting to the airport was stressful (as driving in Italian cities always is)… but we sort of got there and then realized we needed to get gas for the car, so we circled the airport and found a gas station. Easy. But then we headed to the car rental return, which we could see but couldn’t figure out how to approach… so next we knew we were
Went to Le Rune for dinner, which was pretty good… a slight twist on Lingurian food (that’s the region that Genoa is in and it’s a distinctly different cooking style from Piedmont (where Turin is located). But any way you look at it it’s pasta, pasta, pasta.. and fish, fish, fish.. which is fine by me.. my favorite foods. Walked back to Bristol Palace which is much more pleasant at night than by day.
That’s it.. short note today. We get up really early tomorrow and head to the Cinque Terra. We are not hiking like you are supposed to — but that’s a very long and tiring hike.. and people tend to do it over a few days I think. We are taking the train. Total wimps.
Ciao.
Fern
25 Agosto 2015. August 25, 2015. Turin to Genoa.
Buon Pomeriggio (?) — Good Afternoon or maybe it is Buona serra…
Last night we walked back to the San Salavero neighborhood and it was lively with people out on the streets.. young and old. It stopped raining so the walk was pleasant.. cool and dry. Seemed as if people were sitting anywhere you could find a flat horizontal surface… And yes, the neighborhood is very diverse — passing Halal stores, Indian restaurants, Mideastern groceries, many bars, and cafes… We found Sannabue pretty easily.. It’s on a corner and given that it is summer they have a huge outdoor area out front (as does every other eaterie), but we were seated inside which was fine. It’s a really eclectic place — seating cheek to jowel — not much real “decoration”… but filled with all sorts of memorabilia — from old typewriters just sitting on top of books, posters, photographs, etc. The food did not disappoint.
Started out with a little tiny amuse bouche (don’t know what they call it in Italy) that came to the table gratis.. tonight it was a spicy and very creamy and yummy gazpacho. Then we moved quickly (well not really quickly since nothing really goes fast when you are eating in Italy).. to the appetizer “tartare three ways” (veal, beef, and we think rabbit– but not certain — didn’t matter they were all great).. then we had primi which was eggplant parmesan and a botoni pasta stuffed with rabbit cacciatore sitting on a very light tapenade… and then we had the special fish (mackeral, we think) in a sort of squid ink and greens.. And we topped it all off with tiramussu.. All shared, so while we are definitely full.. many people were having that by themselves.. Oh of course a carafe of local wine. Strolled back to round off our walking today at about 7 miles (I have an app that calculates walking.. so I check at the end of each day.)..
Agosto 25…
Busy day in Turin…
Started off walking to the Museo of Reunification.. Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano… not so much for the exhibit, but for the space and the courtyards which were pretty spectacular. And seeing the city and the very streets we had walked just the night before in the rain.. now in wonderful sun was a treat. The whole city (which had looked pretty good in the rain) looked fantastic in sun. We then strolled on Via Po to reach the Mole Antonelliana — the symbol of Torino.. It’s named for architect.. Alessandro Antonelli… It started out as a synagogue and then they ran out of funds so the city bought the building and completed the construction.. It’s a bit of a mish mash with a square dome and a very tall spire. The city hosts a competition (or so it seems from my non-Italian ‘reading’ of the signs).. to come up with symbols and creative ideas to promote the structure.. And there are two-dimensional graphic reproductions everywhere with funny images inserted into the building shape. .. Well we wanted to go to the top of the spire where there is a balcony with a great overall view of the city… but alas the Mole is closed on Tuesdays. So we strolled around the area.. and walked down to the River Po.. across one bridge and onto the other side.. and then walked to the next bridge and went back .. passing a synagogue that was locked and fenced and guarded by Italian soldiers.. Seemed like it dated to the 1850s or so. Apparently there are 900 Jews in Turin out of a population of about 750,000….
Then we strolled back to the hotel taking a rather circuitous route to see some other neighborhoods.. grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe in one of the zillions of piazzas.. and then headed to the hotel to get our bags and the car to head to Genoa.. OK.. Turin.. now one of my all-time favorite cities.. right up there with the best of them.
Headed to Genoa.. with a quick stop at Eataly — an homage to Italian cooking and food… We strolled the aisles, bought some interesting pestos.. and chocolates and then headed on the road south and east.. The drive to Genoa was through beautiful countryside on various parts of the Autostrada — but oh how pleasant not to have any billboards anywhere.. It was a two-hour drive that took us through 76 tunnels.. an amazing feat to have built those roads through the mountains. It’s a road we drove many years ago.. in incredible shape — America can learn alot.. and Seattle should probably have hired these guys to deal with the “Big Bertha Project” that has been stalled for two years and is already over-budget by about ten-fold.
And then we arrived in Genoa, a city we had visited briefly in the 90s and of which I have little memory. My very first and probably unfair reaction — it’s a chaotic, gritty, port town. We had trouble figuring out how to stop the car at the hotel (Bristol Palace in the centro) because it is on an extremely busy city that feels like Times Square although the building and the streets surrounding it date to the early 19th Century… Our room is huge, but decorated in strange wall papers and a very busy wood floor pattern.. The bathroom is large enough to host a mid size party.. So Mike double parked on a side street along with dozens of other double parked cars.. and I walked the two blocks back to the hotel to find out how we drop off our bags and what we do with the car.. Naturally, you just drive the car up on the sidewalk and bring in your bags and then when the staff has time they park the car!.. After all it is Italy. But the whole building lacks the grace and taste of the Grand Hotel Turin… I have a feeling that Genoa will not be one of those “can’t wait to return cities” — but maybe tomorrow with some rest it will all seem better.
We took a taxi (couldn’t wait to ditch the car) to Antico Osteria del Bai for dinner — an old restaurant down by the sea.. Food was good, but I’d say overpriced.. It was also remarkably empty. Taxied back and now ready to call it a night.
Buon Notte.
Fern
24 Agosto 2015. Torino. August 24, 2015.
Saluti da Torino –
It’s been a hectic 24 hours here in Torino.
The hotel is great; it’s delightful to have Internet in the room (in Cairanne I had to keep coming downstairs to the little dining area at Vieux Platane to send messages and the daily travelogue — and since I generally write those things late at night I found myself in that courtyard each night well after midnight) and to be so centrally located. After our 6-hour drive yesterday — we just left the car at the hotel last night and said we’d pick it up when we were heading out of town!)
After our very nice colazione (breakfast) at the hotel (since it comes with the room), we headed out to walk around Torino. It was a grey, overcast day with temperatures in the high 60s.. Rain was imminent, but we strolled anyway.. We headed together to Via Roma — one of the main streets of the city which links two major piazzas.. Our hotel is just three blocks from Via Roma.. so when we hit Via Roma — Mike went one way, and I went the other.. eventually we met as we each went in the other direction.. and then we made plans to meet up about an hour later.. The entire length of Via Roma is set with arcaded sidewalks – resplendent with marble columns and arches that go on and on.. At one end is the very expansive Piazza San Carlo which is surrounded with elegant Baroque buildings… Turin, I’m told has 11 miles of arcaded sidewalks!… At the other end is Piazza Castello. The arcade streets are literally lined with shops that have full length and width windows to display both Italian fashion (and some with American chain stores which look a lot more elegant or totally inconsistent with the wonderful expanse of glass and the marble columns.)
We then headed out together to see some neighborhoods — walking in the direction of San Salvario, a historic neighborhood that is known today for being very multi-ethnic. It butts up against the River Po and tomorrow I hope we can walk along the river.. Today it started to rain and we walked back to the hotel in the rain at about 4:00. The area began – naturally – with a church… and the area around the church developed in an urban style before downtown Torino. It’s a pretty urban area with lots of graffiti, cafes, restaurants, grand apartment buildings with hundreds of balconies — close to the University.
The area began also as an industrial zone and you can still find lots of little workshops housed in between residences or in the ground floors of buildings… with furniture being built, crafts, bakeries, etc.. So right around the time we were planning to head to Via Po.. and also to the Mole Antonelliana (a square dome and thin delicate spire that is Turin’s landmark towering above the city) where you can ride a ‘crystal’ elevator to reach a terrace at the top and get a great view of the city, it really started to rain.. so heading back to the hotel made sense. Hopefully, the forecasters are on target and tomorrow will be sunny and in the 70s. Tonight we are apparently in for rain.. lots of it. We’ll see. Keeping fingers crossed.. because it would be nice to see this amazingly beautiful city in the sun (or at least not in rain and total greyness) and because I don’t really have any closed toe shoes with me, nor warm clothes. I managed to bring three different heel height sandals, but no real shoes since the prediction was sun, sun, and more sun…. and temperatures from the low 70s to high 80s… Well, I’ll survive (or might need to go into one of those very fashionable shops on the Via Roma!)
Tonight we are headed to Scannabune for dinner–located in that San Salvario district. Read about it somewhere.. We wanted to go to Consorzio but it is closed for the month of August (as are many shops and restaurants throughout Europe — guess they just don’t want to deal with tourists and they want to get away during the hottest month). And tomorrow hopefully we will be at the Po and the Mole.. and plan to go to Eataly (which now has a branch in NYC, but they say the original is always the best). Eataly is the largest Italian market in the world–sort of Whole Foods on steroids… with lots of eating stalls along the way.. It’s also involved in the slow food movement, which the Italians say began in Torino (hard to believe with all this pasta!) I’m also hoping to go inside the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano… the National Museum.. not so much for the exhibit, but for the space inside and to see the building which is quite wonderful from the outside.. It was closed today.. Monday.
All is good.. buona notte
Fern
23 Aout 2015 / 23 Agosto 2015
Bonna serra – We are now in Turin. It is nearly midnight.
After breakfast and packing up at Vieux Platane and having breakfast we headed to Richard and Elizabeth’s for lunch (it’s eat, eat, eat, and more eat..)… and then we left Cairanne and drove toward Turin (Torino).. It would have been a beautiful drive and should have taken about 4.5 hours or so. We set out at about 2:00 and hoped to get to Turin by 7pm… but alas, there were many accidents on the road, there was traffic, it was raining… so the drive was tense, long, and tedious, but we arrived in Turin, pleasantly surprised to be at the wonderful Grand Hotel Sitea… very elegant, in the center of the city and totally equipped (when compared to the Vieux Platane in Cairanne)… all the goodies of a first class hotel.
By the way, the drive from Cairanne to Turin included more than 20 tunnels, some as long as 6 miles… it was tunnel, overpass, tunnel, overpass — over and again — and reminded us of a drive along the Italian and French coast many many years ago … We could see the Alps during most of the drive.. and were basically circling at the base. Only one mis-step on the drive that took us about 20 minutes out of the way.. The GPS is pretty damn good. And the road tolls are pretty high in both France and Italy. It was 43 Euros to go through that long tunnel and some miles beyond.. All in all, I’d say we shelled out about 70 Euros or more in road tolls! You drive the roads.. you pay for them. Sounds like a good plan to me..
Got to the hotel at around 9:30.. and very very quickly changed into warmer clothes.. it’s about 60 degrees here and rainy.. and walked about 4 blocks to a very sweet old-fashioned Torino restaurant called Smaritta.. classic Piemonte fare.. and hit the bill after so many hours in the car. Dinner — Seasonal antipasto.. which included the famous veal and tuna; steak (maybe veal) tartare, tagliatelli with a simple citron touch, veal cheeks, aubergine, and for dessert a ricotta cream with pistachio… and really good local nebbiolo wine.
Turning in now..
Tomorrow and the next day we will stroll Turin — we were last here about 25 years ago.. (and we’re already beginning to sense that we are nearing an end and so work will need attention beginning tomorrow.. always interesting to do it from afar.)
Fern
PS — note that one photo is of a toll booth in Italy. They are covered in phot murals. if you blow up the image you can see the toll collector in the window.. in the tromp’l’oiel castle-like structure image…
22 Aout 2015. August 22, 2015. The Day After the Wedding.
Bon Jour – Short and sweet today…
Slept in a bit… and then headed out to Saint Cecile — the next town from Cairanne.. where they have a Saturday market.. strolled the market and then went to a little hotel on the “main street” of St. Cecile for a great salade.. Then we had a funny adventure.. Yesterday we noticed that a light came on in the car… saying that we needed to “Rectify the tyre pressure”.. I may have mentioned this.. The message stayed on for more than 36 hours.. So we decided to bring the car to an auto shop and see what the problem is.. We were recommended to go to Motoriot Solieul.. just at the edge of Cairanne.. So off we went. Nice guy.. not a word of English.. But we showed him the screen on the dashboard and he seemed to know what was going on.. He then proceeded to take air out of the tires and said everything was OK.. but then he started the car and dashed out of the shop with it.. for a little test drive. When he came back he was talking very fast and I was lost.. And the same message was still on the screen… So we called Elizabeth to talk with him and she said that he explained that the car is now safe; everything is fine.. but there is a problem that won’t affect us. OK.. Then he tried to monkey with the dials on the screen — talking French all the while.. You could see that he was frustrated and was trying to read the manual in French, but the buttons and information on the screen were in English so he couldn’t follow the manual. OK.. We said in French that if everything was OK.. we would ignore the screen.. And off we went..
We drove about 2 kilometers and suddenly all the warnings on the screen that were yellow were now red! So we figured the problem was getting worse.. And now we were really nervous.. So we asked the hotel guy to look at the car — He could read the French and the English so that seemed perfect. Turns out that on the Mercedes after you change the pressure (it had been too high and the mechanic rightfully lowered it to the correct pressure), you need to adjust some setting on the internal computer of the car which turned out to be quite easy to do.. And now we are fine.
Did a little work and then headed up to the park in Cairanne (inside the ramparts, just below the old church) where everyone from the wedding was having an early evening picnic — pizzas on the grass with lots of salads. It was sort of funny to be sitting in this amazing setting having pizzas.. but so be it. There were also fierce games of Baton going on (heavy silver balls that you throw and try to get the closest to a marker).. .It’s a good game for big crowds since pretty much everyone including kids can do it.. obviously it requires skill to do it well.. but everyone can play. For a while Richard and Elizabeth’s dog (Gatsby) was meandering around without his leash.. but he’s old and was easy to bring back to the fore.
Then one of the guests who apparently is a big time photographer having worked for GQ and several fashion magazines and having shot the weddings of some very hip folks from big name British bands did a huge group photo against the setting sun over Cairanne and the vineyards.. What could be more perfect?
People then started to dissipate.. some driving back to Geneva, some packing to leave early tomorrow on flights to London and elsewhere… and many turning this into a big holiday — spending another week in Provence… including the bride and groom who are in the house at the wedding venue, along with some of their best friends until next weekend.
We strolled to Richard and Elizabeth’s for a glass of wine.. and then headed to the hotel.
We’ll see family again tomorrow for lunch and then we are headed to Italia for about 5 days — Turin and then Genoa.
Take care —
Fern
Le Fete et Marriage – 21 Aout 2015. August 21, 2015
Bon Soir
Just back from the wedding.. it’s about 2 am here (about 5 or 6 pm your time).. Not sleepy so thought I’d just write this up tonight. It will be long.. so feel free to pass..
Left you off last night as we headed to the 50-person eve of wedding dinner… held at a local restaurant in Cairanne… just down the hill from Richard and Elizabeth’s house… Lovely — outdoors on the patio of the restaurant.. It was great to meet everyone before the big day. Food and drink were wonderful, of course.. All local wines from the village. Meal started with salmon tartare followed by an eggplant dish followed by a choice of pork or veal (not many vegetarians floating around France) with wonderful ratatouille and potato gratin followed by a flaky apricot tart (told you they are in season and they are everywhere)…
Met Hem’s parents (she was wearing a fantastic sari) — nice people who grew up in Tanzania but had British citizenship. Families migrated to London when the Brits were forced out of Tanzania. And they’ve lived there ever since the age of 18 or so. This was only their second time on an airplane and only their second time out of England. So this was all a big event for them and I was wondering what they were thinking… The mother has two brothers (Hem’s uncles).. actually she has 9 siblings but only these two brothers came. Anyway, the “uncles” seemed to attach themselves to Mike — stating some kind of natural affinity — uncles to uncle! Kind of cute.
The guests range in age from 3 weeks old (flew in from London) to late 70s or so.
After the dinner we headed back to our hotel.. which is now overrun by wedding guests — taking over all of the 5 or 6 rooms here — all young friends of Emma and/or Hem…. from Hem’s days at Bloomberg or university or Emma’s days at college or work. Funny guys.
This morning we headed to Orange (about 20 minute drive)… I had actually booked a shampoo and blow dry in a hair salon there (There isn’t any place in Cairanne, and this seemed my best shot. The women in the salon were pretty funny, but unfortunately my French is not at the level where I can have a decent conversation, so I’m not totally certain what the topics were. In any case, they did a good job.. although my coif is a bit “pouffier” than normal.. I was able to explain that I was going to a wedding and it was a special occasion. They are also pretty big on hair spray! Anyway, Mike had found refuge in a small chapel and thus was able to nap since he had no interest in sitting in the hair salon. Afterward we strolled through Orange, had a “salade” that included tomatoes stuffed with aubergine and a summer squash stuffed with couscous.. big enough to share (which we did, but which is clearly uncommon). Then off we went — back to Cairanne to get ready for the big event. Dressed and drove off in style in that Mercedes that the car rental company gave us (which feels comfy at about 95 MPH on the autostrada)… Getting kind of accustomed to such a cushy car.. what will I do when I return to my Prius and my Fit?
From here on in — choose the sections you might be interested in or skip…
Arrival to the ceremony and pre-ceremony activities
Arrived at the “donjon” as the old city hall at the top of the hill, inside the ramparts (and about 50 feet from Richard and Elizabeth’s front door) is called. It looks a little like a church, it’s small — probably only seats about 50 people (and the wedding had about 120 people — so it was more than “standing room only” — although as family we had reserved seats. The processional for the wedding in France is quite different from the US.. Here, everyone waits outside until you are summoned in… There’s a flight of stairs up to the donjon… so everyone mingled, lots of selfies and photographer snapping images.. got a sense of who was at the wedding.. and the attire which was pretty varied.. including one 8 year old who came in a pirate’s outfit (but I get the sense that he is always in costume).. big black cape and the hat.. and he had shoulder length hair.
Anyway, the mayor and the other officiant (who in this case was my sister-in-law and also the mother of the bride) wearing the official sashes of the Republique of France (red, white, blue sashes that go across the chest and back.. with the Mayor’s having gold stars and Elizabeth’s being pretty straight forward.. walk up the stairs first.. followed by bride and groom.. and then the parents of the bride and groom and then the wedding party and then all the guests.. But Emma switched it a bit.. and so she came in last and made a grand entrance.. although she had to squeeze between all the people.. I should also note that since the donjon is in the center of the vieux village (with only about 25 houses surrounding it.. ) anyone who wasn’t coming to the wedding was looking out their window to watch the whole thing. The setup is a “desk” at the front of the room with two chairs behind and two in front.. So the groom sits alone on one of the chairs after he comes inside.. The officiants are on the other side of the desk.. The groom’s back is to the audience. Then once the bride comes in, she sits next to the groom. (Until she came, it looked like Hem was facing an inquisition)
The Ceremony
With Emma and Hem seated in their chairs, the ceremony began. It’s quite official with a reading of a whole set of appropriate laws guiding marriage in France — took about 15 minutes. It was read in French and then roughly translated into English. Elizabeth (who I might have explained is an elected member of the town council — apparently a big deal… and interesting that in France property owners can be elected to certain offices even if they are not citizens — take that Donald Trump!) did the entire ceremony bilingually — very impressive and the French commented how totally proficient she is (Elizabeth is British). As the mom, she also got a bit choked up at the start which was totally sweet. There were three questions that required responses and they were said in French.. There was a lot of laughter when Hem said “yes” to the first question which asked (in French, which he doesn’t speak) if he has entered into another marriage contract.. This was all quickly corrected and the subsequent queries were all fine. Then the Mayor read some big declaration — only in French — and then it was over (kiss the bride…) And then the couple was presented with some official “gifts” from the village (which I assume all couples married in Cairanne receive) — a book on the history of the village; a booklet about the history of the donjon; and the “medal” of the city which has Cairanne’s seal on it.. And then they walked out and down.. and actually walked down the hill from the ramparts into the “lower village” (followed by most guests) to waiting buses to chauffeur everyone from the village to the wedding venue — vineyards about 3KM away.. Our car was parked close by so we drove to the venue (because we had some tasks assigned to us, including finishing getting the flowers on the dinner tables — they had been done earlier but it was windy and there was fear that they would fall over).. Oh… they throw lavender and do bubbles.. I was up close, and covered in all that lavender.. smelled good… and it was unexpected.. apparently there were little cups of it lining the steps of the donjon that you pick up as you leave.. but I didn’t know that.
The Wedding Dress
So, Emma is drop-dead gorgeous.. with long blonde hair.. about 5’11”.. and with impeccable taste. The dress — many of you have asked — mmm how to describe… a beautiful just off white sleeveless floor-length silk slip with V-neck front and low v neck back that just falls on the body.. On top of that she had a beautiful lace backwards “vest” that was also floor-length with a simple curved back part that graced the floor a bit. The lace “vest” had a silk ribbon at the waist that clipped in the back .. the lace part formed a V at the back all the way to the waist.. and then below the waist the lace part was totally open so that it fell comfortably to create a great shape.. I’d call the dress elegant, demure, and very sophisticated.. but also very very simple.. She had two gold hair clips flanking her hair that was pulled back and sort of braided into a loose long bun.. also wore gold sandals .. Oh the groom.. he wore a very sharp sort of dark greenish-blue suit with a great small polka dot tie that had just the right amount of blue and green.. Everything.. totally figured out.
The Guests
There were about 120 people including about 15 kids — they had a table for arts and crafts and games for the kids and two “tutors” to watch over the kids. And there were a few babes in arms, including a 3-week-old! and an 8 month old (where there was a lot of drama because the family is British — friends of Emma’s.. and somehow they got to the airport to board their plane and realized that in all the confusion they never got a passport for the baby.. and the airlines would not let them board — you know how terrorist those 8 month olds can be — Anyway, the father and the older child came to Cairanne on Wednesday as planned .. and the mother and baby started the process of appealing for an emergency passport which they got just in time to catch a flight for the wedding). The largest number of guest were in the 30-40 year age group..
Grooms Family
Hem’s parents are quite sweet.. a bit shy and slightly formal. His mother is beautiful and her sari was definitely elegant and fancy — bedecked with jewels. it was mostly red and white.. with layers of sheer fabrics.. In addition to his parents he had two uncles and aunts and some cousins.
Food and Festivities and Venue
The reception was held at L’Ameillaud in Cairanne (or just over the line into Raisteau).. It’s a vast working vineyard with an old — century or more — farmhouse and also a large contemporary villa that sleeps about 12 or more.. The grounds include a very large meadow, scores of sycamore trees and olive and fig trees. When we first arrived everyone was served a lemony water to cool down (weather wasn’t super-hot.. but it was warm). .. and then we proceeded into the meadow where they were serving an array of appetizers including gazpacho and local cheeses and crudité and miniature everything.. with champagne.. Eventually there were the toasts (including one by Richard).. While we were all having champagne and these incredible small plates.. the children were apparently served dinner (smart).. At about 9 pm (about three hours later).. we all walked to the dinner area.. The space (outside) was set up with two extremely long tables (place settings pre-determined) — about 50 people per table — 25 to each side.. The tables were clearly organized by age — with the 40 and under crowd at one table (with the bride and groom in the center of that table) and the hmmm over 45ers at the other table. I fell to the latter group. The place settings were sparkling… Imagine seeing a row of or a setting of 200 glasses on each table (4 glasses per person x 50 people at each table).. white linen table cloths and settings. At each place setting there was a carefully composed packet with the menu, napkin, silverware, a sprig of rosemary all tied with a simple burlap cord on which was a luggage tag sort of card with the name of the person sitting there — all calligraphy done by the bride,.. On top of this was a beautiful smooth rock (for utilitarian purposes to keep everything from blowing away).. Flowers were all wild flowers placed in all sorts of jars everyone has been saving for months.. and they were placed in the center of each table going the full length.. pretty much touching.. so maybe 250 jars of flowers?? and small tea candles everywhere…
Dinner menu: spit roasted lamb (which you could see them cooking earlier), baked new potatoes, seasonal vegetables including eggplant, tomato, etc., mesclun salad.. and bread… accompanies by local white or local red wines (or champagne).. This was followed by a wonderful cheese spread on each table (in many places) with fig jam and walnut bread.. Then we finally got up to stretch just long enough to walk to the dessert table where about 8 different amazing cakes and tarts were being served.. starting with the first slice cut by Hem and Emma.. with all sorts of very large sparklers going off everywhere..
Food was amazing.. needless to say..
Speeches and Toasts
Hem made a wonderful toast to Emma.. lots of great stories within the toast… and Hem’s business partner and best friend made a speech… more inside information about both Hem and Emma..
Finale
Finished dinner around midnight and then everyone (well really the 30-45 year old crowd– and some of the kids who stayed up — and of course Mike and I… strolled to the dance floor.. where a DJ blasted music and a bar with mojitos and several other cocktails were being served along with coffees.. We actually danced a bit (to I don’t know what music) to hold up the reputation of the over 50s… !! And at about 1:30 am we drove back to the hotel. The dancing was going strong and I was told it all ended around 4 am.
OK.. That’s the wedding..
Official stuff done..
Plan to sleep late; I have some work to do in the morning… and then we hear there is some kind of picnic tomorrow night. (Saturday)
Sorry for the length.. feel free to pass..
Au revois..
Fern
Trois. August 20, 2015. Uzes and Other Wonderful Villages
Bon soir… .
It’s about 7 pm in Cairanne.. and soon we will be headed to the “rehearsal dinner” to be held in a little restaurant at the base of the hill atop which sits the ramparts and the “donjon” where the wedding ceremony will take place tomorrow.
Today was somehow totally filled… We had our petit dejeuner at the “hotel” — and then Mike and I took off for Uzes — a wonderful village about an hour from Cairanne. I’ve been there before, and it’s been one of my favorites..
First a few words about Cairanne since several of you have asked about it..
Cairanne dates back to the 8th Century and it’s about halfway between Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine ( a little more on the latter later since I was there today as well). Cairanne is noted for its fine wines… and this is the economic driver of the town (and the region).. There are only about 800 residents of Cairanne.. and Mike’s sister-in-law is an elected member of the town council.. Because of this, she and the Mayor will jointly perform the wedding ceremony (which I hear will be done bilingually since some guests only speak French and others only speak English). The village vieux (old “city”) sits at the top of the hill surrounded by the original ramparts.. there is a church (Christianity plays a big part in the history of the town).. The town’s history is filled with lots of wars, diseases, and other unpleasant tales.. It was taken over by one of the popes in about the 14th century and it was ruled by several different families..
There is a lower village and an upper village… The lower village became the center of the town and the upper village fell into disrepair.. until about 60 years ago… The old church was rebuilt.. and the old apartments built into the ramparts were sold to private owners (Mike’s brother owns one of them.. hence the reason the wedding is here)… About 80 people (including Mike’s brother and wife) live in the upper village and the remainder live in the lower village. There are great views from the upper village.. and you can walk from the lower to the upper, but it’s a bit of a steep climb.
OK.. enough about Cairanne.
Uzes is yet another medieval village that retains its great complex of winding, narrow streets and squares.. but it seems to have become overwrought with tourists and shops which is unfortunate. I remember being here just a few years ago and it was much calmer and less commercial than today. I was even in Uzes once in winter and it was extremely cold.. but far more beautiful because it was pretty deserted and felt more like a real place.. In any case, Uzes’ history is tied to its civility and tolerance and urban life that is documented as far back as the 5th-century. Jews were apparently settled there as early as the 5th century, and they were welcomed in the town, and because of the Bishop’s position on this a complaint was made and he was forced to change his ways forcing all who would not become Christians to leave the city. After he died.. many who had been baptized returned to being Jews and were then expelled from the area. Uzes rose to become a center of textile with many of the well-known Provence cloths being woven here.
Today Uzes — with a population of about 8,000, still has traces of its walls.. and a chapel built in the 1600s to house the remains of the dukes who presided over the area…
We stopped in a little out-of-the-way bar in Uzes and had a simple brandade quiche with salad and melon.. Huge portions.. Mike and I shared.. And then we headed back to Cairanne to pick up the bride to take her to Vaison for a mani/pedi… She and lots of her friends and bridesmaids and spouses and boyfriends and groomsmen and spouses are all staying at a wonderful huge house in the vineyard just out of Cairanne where the wedding dinner will take place tomorrow… So we got to see everyone and to get the behind-the-scenes look at the pre-wedding activities. Everyone was busy dealing with flowers, and seating arrangements, and the wine, and final set up of the dance floor and the tent where the toast will be made.. very busy… None of them really drive and even fewer have cars with them since many of the guests are coming from London (where Em and Hem live and where they both went to university)… so we offered to drive Emma to Vaison.
Mike decided to nap in the town square (oh.. sorry.. to read or do some work… ??) while I kept Emma company. Very big decisions needed to be made.. like what color polish to use on toenails.. My expert advice was truly invaluable.. (actually not).. We then meandered through the town to find Mike who was enjoying an apricot ice cream cone.
Drove back to Cairanne to get ready for tonight’s dinner.. More later.
A few fun things..
The iPhone GPS has been our life-saver. Even though we’ve been here many times, it’s so easy to get lost… But the voice on the iPhone pronounces all French words as if speaking with a Brooklyn phonetic accent.. Example .. she pronounces “Marseilles” as “Mar-Sales” and “Nimes” (Neem) .. as “En-i-mess”.. and “Cairanne” as “Karen” so it’s been fun driving.
The whole wedding would be lost if not for texting and iPhone… Emma has every detail photographed and logged in.. While at the pedicure, I saw a picture of the shoes so that we could figure out the best color polish. And she is constantly dealing with texting taxi drivers to pick up friends and drop them off.. because the friends from London cannot communicate in French to the drivers. It’s a riot to watch it all unfold..
That’s it.. Gotta get dressed for the dinner.. Will describe that tomorrow.
Fern
Le Jour Une et Deux – Provence. August 18-19, 2015
August 19, 2015; 7:30 pm in Cairanne, France (10:30 am in Oakland California). From SFO to Paris to Avignon and on to Cairanne.
Bon Soir..
As most of you know, we headed to France on Monday afternoon (August 17) because Mike’s niece (his brother’s younger daughter) is getting married on Friday evening….
We left Oakland earlier than usual, by BART to SFO — given the 4.0 earthquake early that morning (which woke everyone up I’m sure) — because we were a little worried there might still be lingering delays. Anyway, other than an unusually bumpy flight over the Atlantic and inoperative reading lights at our seats (Business Class no less!) all was good. Arrived slightly earlier than expected in Paris/CDG …. spent about an hour in the lounge, and then headed to the intra terminal train to get to Terminal 2 where we would catch the train (TGV) directly from the Airport to Avignon. How civil! Train (TGV – their Amtrak) literally stops at the airport where there is a full train station from which you can go everywhere…
Three hours to Avignon… great views through vineyards.. Mike fell asleep soon after we got on the train and he was blissfully happy. Good idea to catch some zzzs since the flight was about 11 hours and we both had been working 14 hour days… and weekends, so the departure wasn’t particularly “restful”..
Arrived at the Avignon Train Station — and literally walked out the door to the car rental place, but then encountered the rather typical French countryside “speed” (or lack thereof). Took about 30 minutes to process the car rental (even though it was completely reserved and all the paperwork seemed to already have been done and in the little folder. Anyway, we walked to the car and it was huge! So we went back to remind them that we requested a small car… but alas, no more cars until the next day (today).. so we drove off with the giant Skoda.. black… meandering around Avignon to get to the hotel in the old medieval section of town where streets can barely take a little Fiat..
But we did it. Got to Le Cloitre — an old monastery that trained Jesuit priests — converted to a wonderful hotel some years ago.. I’ve stayed at that hotel about four times, but still got a little lost trying to find the parking lot which requires entry from a different street. Settled in, showered and went off to a wonderful dinner in a little square (more like a triangle) just a few blocks from the hotel. — L’Agape.
I had actually read about the restaurant in the NYTimes about a week ago — in an article about Avignon. The restaurant was great.. In typical fashion, there are about 8 tiny restaurants huddled on this little street and they all share that triangle to be able to have tables outdoors. It had been pretty hot when we arrived in the afternoon.. maybe 85 or 90, but it really cooled down at night and eventually we moved indoors to finish our meal (the typically slow French meal.. that even though it’s a casual place takes two hours.. with lots of waiting (digesting) in between courses. For the foodies.. It was a prix fixe meal with three courses.. there were two choices for each course.. so Mike had one and I had the other, so we actually had everything on the menu.. Started with some kind of pork and mushroom thing which was fantastic, with the pork wrapped in what I think was a paper thin slice of eggplant, but I could be wrong; a great seafood tartar accompanied by thinly sliced fruits, some mustard and a mild wasabi; followed by duck with apricots and veggies and a fresh water fish that was served with peaches and a citron sauce. Desserts were obscenely delicious. Strolled back to the hotel and zonked.
Woke up this morning in Avignon (the wedding is in Cairanne — about 35 miles north and slightly west), and strolled toward Avignon’s version of Les Halles… which is much nicer than the mess that Paris made of their Les Halles. The building covers an entire block and inside are amazing stalls of foods, spices, breads, cakes, etc. Along the way we stopped for a simple French breakfast, except that neither of us drink coffee. Then we strolled around Avignon — agreeing to meet up around 2 pm for a simple lunch before the drive to Cairanne (and to exchange the car for a smaller one — which could happen at 3 pm).. Given that we’ve both been to Avignon many times, we didn’t need to visit any of the monuments or museums or churches.. so we each strolled our own paths. I’ve decided that Avignon is a really wonderful small city.. situated well and hmmmm maybe I could see myself here (but probably I’d get bored fast).. prices for real estate are really cheap compared to the Bay Area.. about $300K Euros for a nice two bedroom place.. Met up for lunch — great curried chicken salad with apricots (clearly they are in season here) — served in a large drinking glass — and surrounded by couscous, more apricots, tomatoes, lentils, and a great green salad with a lot of mache. OK.. finished lunch.. and headed back to the car rental to get our new, supposedly smaller car — which is about 6″ smaller than the huge car. This time it’s a Mercedes!! We tried to explain about the size, but finally just gave up and headed out.
Our only funny adventure was at the toll both on the road to Cairanne. The car has some kind of electronic emergency brake and it somehow went on when we stopped at the automatic pay machine exiting the toll road (with cars behind us).. and we didn’t know how to unlock the brake.. As we drove out of the car rental, Mike had said that he didn’t unlock the emergency brake.. it didn’t seem to be on.. which was true.. But as we were driving he said he couldn’t figure out where the emergency brake was.. I tried to read the manual, but my French is not very good.. I figured out how to say “emergency brake” in French (with the help of the iPhone Translator) and found the pages that explained.. but no picture.. and all I could understand was that there was a “red P” somewhere… anyway, we saw a P on the monitor but it wasn’t red, so we drove on.. When the electronic brake locked.. the P on the dashboard turned red! But we had no idea how to turn it off..
OK.. we figured it out.. Now we know how to turn the red P off, but not how to turn it on so we cannot use the emergency brake … hopefully we won’t park in any precarious locations.
Anyway, we got to Cairanne.. We are staying at a place called Le Vieux Platane..
We’ve stayed in Cairanne many times.. and I think we’ve tried every decent B&B and small inn in the region.. and none are very good… and so we’ve never stayed anywhere twice. So.. Le Vieux Platane — is just outside of Cairanne.. or maybe it is inside the town limits but outside the medieval wall… It’s down a long country road.. a house with about 5 rooms that are the “hotel” and the area that is occupied by the innkeeper family… a swimming pool (which we didn’t know about and don’t have bathing suits)… The couple who own and run the place are fairly young.. with a 20-month old child and a dog named Geisha. The guy is tattooed everywhere and the wife is pregnant. They seem sweet but Mike was a bit put off by all the tattoos, the dreadlocks, the Dali-esque moustache, and what Mike called his Charles Manson gauntness… I figure it goes with the age.
We settled in to our room which is heavily decorated in red and black.. and has lots of “things” everywhere. And then we headed out for dinner.. with Mike’s family.. the bride, her sister, her parents (Mike’s brother and sister-in-law).. to Coteaux et Fourchettes.. just down the road.. Dinner was quite wonderful.. starting with the amuse buche.. a tomato foam on top of a very fine pate; followed by a ceviche salad; followed by either a wonderful trout or pigeon.. (Mike had one and I had the other and we split so we had both); followed by what the French call tiramisu.. but it’s really mostly cream with a small amount of chocolate cake with sorbet on top…
Drove back to our little place.. and now I’m calling it a day.
Fern
Last Day in Sydney. July 22, 2015
Well Mates…
It was a “tickety-boo” day! (which I gather means “fine” or “just great”)… I love that term.. tickety-boo… You just might start hearing me say that..
Anyway, today was the last day of the conference and I was a busy girl…
The morning talks were quite good — first by Kwong Lee Dow (former Chancellor at University of Melbourne) and then Geoff Scott of University of Western Sydney who is currently what they call a National Senior Teaching Fellow… looking into what higher education should do to shape what he refers to as a “work-ready plus” agenda.. Geoff was a very powerful speaker.. emphasizing the difference between capability and competence. and addressing his findings from interviews with more than 1800 education leaders from around the world.. His interests deal with having universities educate not only workers but political leaders and the people who will create the new sources of income and solutions to the key social, cultural, economic, and environmental challenges of the future.
Following “tea” (which they serve in between everything), it was time for my “roundtable” about my concepts for The Action Lab at UWT… About 60 people crammed into a fairly small room to hear about this idea. I presented for about 25 minutes and then ran a discussion with two activities that looked at the strengths and risks of this concept from the mindset of university and also community.. It was a good discussion.. And it was very well received, with several folks suggesting I return to help their universities think this through for them. Interesting, since I’m not really sure how much traction this concept has at UWT.
Then there was a panel of about 10 university folks, community, students, etc. who each were given 5 minutes to tell the story of one of their engagement examples. Then lunch… which they do pretty well. This was followed by another set of roundtables.. I went to one given by an art faculty member who has done some very interesting projects in the public arena.. mostly temporary ventures with students that have engaged locals .. She was very high spirited, funny, and engaging.. Brought me back to my roots as an artist thinking about ways to engage viewers and turn them into participants.
Then afternoon tea..
And the final wrap-up session.. panel of 5 (with me being one of those 5) to do a debrief on the three days.. a bit of self-congratulatory comments, but also some food for thought. I brought the perspective from across the ocean!
Bid my farewell to my new friends… came back to the hotel to pack.. and just got back from dinner at a place near The Rocks (The Rocks is a historic section of the city where the original buildings were made mostly of local sandstone. Apparently as early as the late 18th century, the area was known as being a slum.. frequented by sailors and women of the night! It was also an area known to house prisoners and their families and their descendants.. Then in the 19th century the area was the home of a local gang called Rocks Push…. By the 20th century, the old buildings of the region fell into decay.. and then the bubonic plague broke out.. and the government set out to demolish the buildings and rebuild them.. All of the buildings and wharves (The Rocks is right on the water) were inspected and many were actually demolished. More would have been demolished but the plans came to a dead stop with the outbreak of WWI… Later many buildings were demolished to build the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.. and plans started again to demolish the remaining buildings.. but then WWII broke out and that stopped the development plans… Finally, in the 1960s the powers that be stopped and looked at the plans… .and it was decided that there should be a redevelopment plan… and create high density housing.. But then local residents organized to oppose those plans because they felt that rents would increase and the low income residents would be forced out.. They requested a “green ban”…a strike for environmental purposes… Eventually, a “people’s plan” was created but then there were protests about using non-union labor for construction (actually prisoners).. and demonstrations erupted.. And the area was ultimately transformed into a commercial area..
So today, the Rocks is pretty gentrified.. lots of boutiques, the Museum of Contemporary Art, restaurants… etc… but apparently still a lot of urban poverty and there is a government move to sell off public housing units to private owners in an effort to “improve” the area…
Anyway, I went to the Rocks and ate at a place called Sailors Thai which has a big communal table on the street level (no view)… and below is a very fancy Thai restaurant with great views since the building is on a slope and goes to the waterfront. Food good..
Now.. I’m closing off.. finishing packing and headed to bed.. Tomorrow (for me Thursday) morning, I head to the airport.. I leave on a noon flight (Thursday) and arrive at SFO at 8 am.. I like this whole idea of gaining more time..
I’ll be at the office in the afternoon (since it will be my second Thursday).. and tomorrow night I’m headed to the opening of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival.
Take care.. Thanks for reading.
Fern
Fern's Travel Notes 