Little did I realize the view from the upstairs bedroom of our Carcassonne Hotel...where Dan and Ben stayed up late each night to watch on line tv shows...was a sweet view of "La Cite"... the old part of town. I did have to stand on their bed, open the skylight and reach the camera way up...but a view nonetheless..
We took the 3 hour drive through Arles....but Van Gogh was not painting a thing, so we carried on to the hilltop, bauxite (chalk) covered hills of Les Baux (where Steve, Elva and Alyssa joined us just 8 years ago). They have completely renovated and updated the hilltop activities, to the point where Dan and Ben got to participate in launching a Trebuchet weapon that sent a water balloon 100 yards up and 200 yards out...pretty cool. In this photo, Dan is standing next to the smaller versions, called appropriately, according to Dan, our weapons expert... "I forget".
Before the launch we had a chance to peruse the countryside...and down below, amid the olive trees, rabbits and vineyards is Mas De La Dame winery....which we passed right by without stopping on our way to Saint Remy later in the afternoon...
Immediately volunteering, Dan tried to encourage Ben to also volunteer,at which time the speaker said in French...join us, and Ben replied "I only speak English". The host then said, no problem...in English...come and join us, to which Ben replied "Je no comprend pas le Anglais". The guy just grabbed him at that point....
Just to get the water balloon ready for flight, they had hundreds of revolutions on this water wheel like rotator...and Ben's triceps were burning by launch time.
Another weapon of offense was the battering ram...the artist's rendering was pretty cool too...Dan definitely had an opinion of not wanting to be a battering ram specialist...
Then we arrived at the bow and arrow/cross bow experience...Dan dominated again, by nailing three bullseyes, all but 2 challenged by Ben's super zoom camera...which revealed 1 bullseye for sure, one right on the line and the third clearly unclear, mostly on the outside of the yellow bullseye.
Ben had some beautiful form...although the bullseye alluded him.
Dan then got to try the manly man cross bow...this thing was impressive...he fired it valiantly, but hit just below the target, but in his defense, Ben said it wasn't a regulation arrow...so....
None of you have asked about the dad...me:)))) check out my arrow, which is the only one on the left target...I heard a few disbelieving whispers comparing me to some guy named Tell???
and this should explain the accuracy...
After Le Baux, we arrived in the little village 10 kms away called Saint-Remy en Provence, which Van Gogh loved and supposedly spent many "crazy" years here. So for dinner we walked into the main part of the old city and had a lovely meal at Le Cassolet...and thankfully I had enough cash, since we found out at the end they don't accept credit cards... Peg loved her Soupe De Poisson...especially the garlic rub part (Nick, you know what I'm talking about...):
My grilled shrimp dish looked tantalizing on the menu...and then when it arrived it just looked....at me...
Not to expose my weakness at consuming/viewing various body parts...I did what any protagonist would certainly do...I cleaned my plate...
That's of course after I dislodged those heads, and placed them out of reach and out of view...
Things settled down just a bit until Peggy's main fish dish arrives singing cockles and muscles alive alive oh no!
I ordered the grilled veal steak for one reason only....Morilles!!!!
Now cashless (no credit cards accepted), prideless(no other diner left so many "yummy" things on their plate) and energyless after (much driving, walking and head ripping)...it was time to walk back to our hotel for a much needed snooze.
We are excited about tomorrow as we will enjoy lunch with Marc and Monica in their new home in Venasques...a beautiful village in Provence, where they have decided to settle after closing our favorite Le Bilig Restaurant in Auburn last summer. Sweet Dreams and blessings to all!!!
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