I finally finished slogging through the editing, selection, and captioning of the first set of my vacation photos. Holy crap, but I took a lot of photos--tons of medieval sculpture and Roman stuff, but that's geekery I won't inflict on the rest of the world. Here are the highlights ( Read more... )

Another early start, rising at dawn to breakfast and then to pile back into the bus for the final stretch back to Stuttgart.
( A thankfully uneventful journey, in which I return to Germany to begin the second part of my vacation )

We arrived at our hotel in Lyon very late this evening after a turbulent and tragic day, and we have a very early start tomorrow.
( In which our bus tour suffers an unexpected and shocking loss )

Our elderly Czech malcontent is still complaining about anything and everything. The others are actively shunning her, moving away when she tries to hobble near enough to corner someone and subject them to a stream of heavily accented, almost incomprehensible invective. At our communal dinners, everyone rushes for places at the large tables, ( Read more... )

Marseilles is a vast, sprawling metropolis of refineries, docks, apartment buildings, and historic houses with terracotta tiled roofs, all crowded together in a bowl formed by the city's harbors and a ring of high limestone hills that surround the city's outskirts. (There are several harbors, some dedicated to oil and gas tankers, some for ( Read more... )

Today, we left the plain of Camargue, and drove up into the nearby rugged limestone hills, which look as if the bones of the earth were pushing through the thin cloak of pines, olives, wild thyme, and scrub oak.
( In which I experience the delight and terror of market day in St. Remy de Provence )

We started with day with strong coffee served with steamed milk, and delicious French pastries. Then it was off to the ancient city of Arles, dotted with plentiful reminders of its Roman heritage.
( In which the history buff in me is both delighted by all the ancient places, and frustrated by the lost opportunity to visit a Roman amphitheater )

Our first full day in France was quite a busy one, with walking tours of three very different towns.
( In which I manage to enjoy myself immensely despite being surrounded by grumpy old people )

My day started before dawn, standing outside my uncle's house in the light of the full moon, with just the barest edge of pale gray showing on the horizon. The tour company provided a free taxi pickup, which arrived promptly at 5:45 am, and proved to be a carpool style arrangement with a couple of other people going on the tour to Provence.
( In which I pass through three countries between breakfast and dinner )