Spokane, Portland, Amsterdam, Marseilles, Saignon: the route to the wedding.
We left Spokane at 6:15 AM on May 25 and arrived in Saignon mid afternoon on May 26 which was about 33 hours of traveling via car, plane, plane, plane, car.
Our first ground level view of France was the Marseilles airport and surrounds. Not exactly the stuff of our dreams, but at least we were on French soil. After retrieving our bags, getting through the rental car ordeal, packing the car and figuring out the French dashboard, we were off. We followed the very loose directions from the rental car guy to follow the signs to Salon-de-Provence and then follow the signs to Apt and headed out of the airport. No one told us that the road was a toll road until Dave spotted what looked like a toll booth. I didn't have time to consult the travel book, as I was desperately trying to read the signs using my limited French to figure out what we were expected to do. All the signs had the exact same message and none of them read the equivalent of, "Go here if you need to talk to someone." So, we pulled up to a booth. No sign, no person. What to do? Drive on through and see what happens! Immediately afterward we pulled into a parking lot fully expecting the sirens to start at any time. I grabbed the guidebook trying to figure out just what kind of road we were on and was reading frantically when I hear Dave say, "Do you speak English?" I look over and the car next to us has three nuns sitting in the back seat. "Non." Then, giggles. Oh, my!
I called Holly and told her what we did. She explained that we should have taken a ticket at the initial toll booth which will tell the exiting booth how much to charge. Makes sense. She asks how much money we have. 30 Euro. "I hope it is enough," she says. Oh, great. Our first hour in France and we are already in trouble! Nothing to do but drive on and see what happens. We got to our exit and the woman at the ticket booth does not speak English. As best I can I explain what we did, where we got onto the toll road, and ask how much we need to pay. She consults someone via intercom. More questions about where we started. I finally produce the rental car agreement. Ah, ha! Problem solved and we owe 3 Euro, 60. Phew!
The toll road was a piece of cake compared to what awaited us upon exiting. We are now on a two lane road which narrows to a width almost as wide as the two vehicles which need to pass each other. There are no shoulders and the Plane trees planted right on the edge of the road. No room for error! And, those rond points/round abouts. The map was on my lap and I found myself trying to guess which town further down the road in the direction we want to travel is going to be the road identified in the rond point as the direction we want to travel. We mastered the rond point pretty well during our visit, only having to go around more than once a handful of times.
We were told that the drive from Marseilles to Saignon would take about 2 1/2 hours. But, no one accounted for our quick escape from Marseilles via the super fast toll road. So, in an hour we had arrived in Apt, the closest large town to Saignon with only the remaining 5 km to cover before arriving at our destination. We found the parking lot next to the church which Holly & Matt had designated as the meeting spot for arrivals and called Holly to come meet us.
She arrived alone as Matt was suffering from food poisoning from dinner the night before and was in no shape to leave their house. Holly got into our car and off the three of us went to find our gite (rental house) which wasn't located within walking distance from the village. Back down the hill following a hand drawn map. We find the gite with only a couple of wrong turns, park and walk over to the owners house for the keys. Marie Christine greeted us warmly and offered a very welcome drink.
Front door
Front door view
Back door view
The house was spotless and welcoming with cherry, olive and linden trees in the yard and the oleander blooming next to the terrace. We unloaded the car, and headed for the grocery store in Apt. Back down the hill for breakfast supplies & TP as Holly informed us that the French only supply one roll! Back to the gite to drop our purchases & change our clothes before heading back up the hill to Saignon to see who else had arrived.
Matt's parents were already there. Friends from Seattle had arrived and other friends had called from the road as they drove from Paris. We tried to book a table at the Auberge (the main hotel in town) only to find that we would have to wait until 8:30 for a table to be available for nine people. So, the Seattle friends went off to find their own meal, Matt's parents decided to eat in Apt, and Holly, Dave & I got a table for three at the Auberge. We were so tired that we almost opted to not eat, but glad that we did as the wine and food was definitely what we needed!
Forty-three hours after getting up in Spokane we were heading for bed in Saignon.
May 27
Day started late as I slept for 10 hours, getting up around 10 AM. The weather was sunny & warm. I stepped out of the house to beautiful views, bees humming in the trees, fresh cherries to pick for breakfast and my cup of tea. Matt, Holly and Matt's mother, Sara, arrived shortly after to see our house and drop off Holly while Matt & Sara headed to Apt for shopping.
We drove back to Saignon with Holly. Our first task was to explore the village and climb le rocher (the rock) which was the location of the wedding ceremony.
The roof of the house Holly & Matt rented.
She also wanted to go to Manosque, which was the town she had lived in for the past nine months, to run errands and finish moving out of her dorm room.
The view of Manosque from Holly's room
Manosque was 45 minutes away and we arrived midday. Our first stop was the high school at which Holly lived with 4 other assistants. She lived on the fifth floor of the dorm without an elevator! The climb to her dorm room was harder than the stairs up the rock. This was a familiar task as Dave & I have helped Holly move in & out of several residences in Seattle over the years. She had moved quite a bit of stuff already, so the task wasn't too onerous. We gathered up all the remaining stuff, including her wedding dress and the rings and trucked back down the stairs, across the school grounds, across the road and packed it into the car.
Then, walked down the hill to the center of town for some last minute shopping, lunch, picking up Matt's dry cleaning, more grocery shopping at the Hyper U, dropping off boxes at the post office that Holly was mailing to herself, and an appointment at the hair salon for a trial run of our hair do's on Friday.
On our drive back to Saignon Holly took us on the route she & Matt had used when they discovered Saignon on their travels in February. A breathtaking view of the village awaited us as we rounded the last hairpin turn coming into town. We could see why they fell in love with this wonderful village. The rock at the top left of the photo was the wedding site! We dropped Holly off to walk back to her house and headed for ours to change our clothes prior to a family/friends gathering where Matt's parents were staying.
That evening everyone who had arrived in Saignon gathered for a Provencal meal with most of the 28 intrepid souls who were gathering to attend the wedding. Matt's brothers and their wives had arrived as well as Holly's father & his girlfriend, and 5 friends from Seattle. The party went well into the night and we arrived back at the gite on another late night.
May 28
Our one free day. We had laid out the map on the dining table, read the guide books, listened to Holly & Matt's suggestions and picked out a day trip to head out on on our own. We decided to go see Le Gorges du Verdon, Europe's deepest canyon. It appeared to be about a two hour drive each way to get there, plus 2-3 hours touring the canyon. The plan was to leave by 9 AM so that we could return in plenty of time to get ready for the family dinner at the Auberge hosted by Matt & Holly. But, in true French fashion, we didn't leave until 10 AM. Still, no problem to be back as we had until 8 PM to gather for dinner.
Provence is famous for it's vineyards, olive trees and lavender fields. The lavender fields were everywhere teasing us with the promise of purple for as far as you can see as we were there 2-3 weeks early for the bloom. But, the poppies were blooming everywhere and were worthy stand ins for the lavender.
It is a bit of a problem when you continue to head slightly in the wrong direction because you missed the road you meant to turn on and figured you would just turn the next time, only to miss that one, too! We finally found ourselves close to our destination, only about an hour later than planned. But, aware that we had to watch our time and not really knowing what we were going to see and how long it would take us to make the left bank & right bank loop, we took the detour through one of the little towns perched on the side of a cliff, but didn't stop. The town was Moustiers-Ste-Marie. Picturesque doesn't even begin to describe it. The guide book I was reading while on the road mentioned that people go to this town for its famous pottery. Sounds nice, but we had a plan for the day that didn't include stopping for pottery, so on we went. A couple of days later I discovered that Moustiers-Ste-Marie is home to Faience pottery, one of France's most famous pottery lines which had been made since the 1500's and is still being made in this town. Reason enough for a return visit sometime!
Aiguines Castle
The loop around the gorge was spectacular, if not a bit scary. The road was narrow with a sheer drop-off on one side and rock cliffs on the other. No room for error. The traffic included cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, walkers, and tour buses all navigating the narrowest of cliff-clinging roads. Dave did a masterful job of driving, but wanted to see all the views and rock formations, so we made lots & lots of stops.
We made it around the left bank and were about halfway through the right bank when we realized that we had about 3 hours to dinner with a 2 hour drive after we exited the gorge. So, with some regret on Dave's part to not stop at all the future views, we finished the gorge tour and headed back to Saignon stopping in Manosque to pick up champagne for the mimosas to be served Saturday breakfast. Made it with 30 minutes to spare to change and get back up to the fountain square for drinks.
We enjoyed a wonderful meal with the menu selected by Holly & Matt. We all received a fun gift of an handmade yo-yo by Matt. The story behind the yo-yo is that it was what he made and gave to Holly on their first date.
May 29
Wedding Day!
I haven't mentioned the weather yet, but rest assured it was glorious every day! Clear blue skies and the temperature was around 25 Celsius (70-75 Fahrenheit) during the day. The evenings cooled off enough to require jackets and sweaters. This day did not disappoint us with another promise of a beautiful day for a wedding.
But, first, errands to run. Matt's parents, Mort & Sara, and Dave & I headed for Apt with our list - flowers, candles, cheese, olives, fruit, & bread. The carnival was setting up in the town square which made getting around a bit more difficult, but we managed to find a parking space and do the shopping.
We returned to Saignon with armloads of goodies, all needing to be delivered to the house Holly & Matt were renting at the top of the village next to le rocher. The problem was that the tiny street leading up to their house had a very narrow archway and a 90 degree turn with buildings right up to the edge of the street. But, Dave was game and managed to drive our car right up to the house for the first time, only to have to repeat that trip many times that day and the next.
It was time to head to Manosque as Holly & I had hair appointments. We also had to pick up local strawberries & cream for dessert and Holly's bouquet at the florist. Once again, Dave was the chauffeur as I had decided that being mother of the bride was enough stress without also navigating the French roads driving a rental car.
We returned to Saignon with just enough time to deliver Holly to Mort & Sara's apartment to get dressed, go to our house to dress and get back up to Holly & Matt's house where Sara & I were decorating the cake with ivy, sage, rosemary, fruit & vegetables. The "cake" was actually a cheese cake, but not what you think of as cheesecake. It was four tiers of rounds of four different kinds of cheese which Matt had selected. Heavy and not in need of icing!
The servers & Holly's friends were busy setting the dinner table and putting out the flowers. All was in order for a wedding celebration. Just needed the bride!
As the sky began to show signs of sunset, the guests arrived and gathered at Holly & Matt's house. Everyone climbed the Roman-built stairs up the rock to await Holly's arrival serenaded by the jazz trio hired to provide the wedding music. Holly & I climbed halfway up the rock in our flat shoes, before pausing to don our dressy shoes and make our way very carefully to the top of the rock.
The ceremony was very personal and special. It was obvious that Holly & Matt had put much effort and thought into what they wanted to say. One of the professors Holly had worked with, Yves, was the officiant. The sky was pinky blue, the air was still, birds flew by and the little army of family & friends on top of the rock witnessed the marriage of Holly & Matt.
Down the rock we went, escorting the newly married couple on a walk through the village led by the musicians. We wove our way through the winding streets to the fountain square, and to the delight of the townspeople and visitors, Holly & Matt had their first dance in the square.
The wedding ceremony took place on the top of the rock where you see the tree.
Then, back up to the house for dinner. The caterer had outdone himself and the courses kept coming until it was so dark we couldn't see what we were eating and we had to tell by the taste what course we were on!
The cheese was cut, wine flowed, the musicians played and played and played until wee hours of the night. We walked back to our car through the village warmed by the glow of a wonderful night taking with us Holly's German roommate, Linda, to spend the night in our spare bedroom.
May 30
The day after and breakfast for family and friends. Holly had invited the families of the children she had privately tutored. The morning was sunny and warm on the terrace, the coffee and mimosa's flowed along with croissants, cheese, pate and quiche. It was a relaxed time to meet Holly's Manosque roommates and friends, chat with family members & friends, and remember the night before. Holly's friends convinced her to throw the bouquet. It went home with a 10 year old student who was so surprised she caught the bouquet that she tried to give it back to Holly! Holly had to explain the tradition and convince her that it was hers to take home.
Cleaned up the breakfast, then back to Holly & Matt's house to return dishes & glasses and get ready for the rental company to return for their goods. That left time for a quick nap before heading out to another village, Eygalieres, about 45minutes away in which the Richter family had summered one year. Matt had a favorite restaurant which he wanted to share with us. Only the 45 minute drive turned into an 90 minute drive due to a 30 minute detour around Apt due to the carnival. We still arrived ahead of time and had time to walk up to fascinating Roman ruins at the top of the town.
We enjoyed dinner outdoors on the patio right on the main intersection in town. Cars, people, mangy dogs lying down right in the road, young children running around, gathering of the "regulars" at the bar all contributed to make our final Provencal meal memorable. The drive home went more quickly - until we hit the detour around Apt. They didn't take us on the same detour we had driven coming from the other direction, so we were driving along very dark, narrow roads with a local sitting right on our tail annoyed that we weren't driving fast enough. We had absolutely no idea where the road was going to lead and were pleasantly surprised when we came to an intersection we recognized!
May 31
Our last day
The day started with a final gathering at the fountain for breakfast. Everyone was getting ready to head off in different directions and this was our time for final goodbyes for a while. We had the day ahead of us before ending up in a hotel at the Marseilles airport.
Feeling like we had somewhat mastered the art of driving the narrow, winding roads and not wanting to head directly for Marseilles, we mapped out a circuitous route taking in several more villages and scenic views. Saignon to Buoux to Cadenet to Petruis to Mirabeau across the Pont de Mirabeau to Venelles to almost into Aix-en-Provence to Equilles to St-Cannat to Pelissanne to Lancon-Provence to Vitrolles to Marignane (where the Marseilles airport is located) to Vitrolles to Marignane (notice the repeat trip as we couldn't figure out how to get into the hotel and got ourselves back on the highway going the opposite direction and had to turn around and do it again!). Who knew that the hotel entrance was hiding behind a large, green steel gate which opened only when one pushed the button on the side of the gate.
We decided it was lunch time while in Mirabeau, which had to be the smallest village on the whole trip. After all the narrow village streets this one almost did us in with its tiny passages perched on the side of a hill. We stopped at the fountain square and there was a restaurant open across the street. We purchased a ready-made salad and drinks and sat down at a table next to the fountain next to the French family who lived over the restaurant eating their lunch. It looked much more appetizing than ours! Plus, we discovered upon opening the container that there was tuna and pasta in the salad. I could pick through the pasta to eat tuna and tomato, but poor Dave wasn't getting anything to eat being allergic to fish. Back into the car and figuring out our escape route, we left Mirabeau to continue our travels.
Old Mirabeau bridge
Somewhere along the way Dave mentioned that the gas tank was approaching empty. One thing we noticed about France was that not much was open on Sunday. That included gas stations. Station after station was closed with barriers stretched across their entrances. Finally, an open gas station! It accepted credit cards so figured out of the 5 we were carrying, at least one of them would work. Wrong! Drove on looking for a station with an attendant. At least the car was using diesel, so we were making good mileage. The circuitous route started to seem a bit extravagant and we had visions of the end of the trip taking on the same excitement as the beginning!
On our second pass to the hotel, we figured out that big green gate had to be the entrance and got ourselves inside the "compound." Checked in and unloaded all the luggage which included all of ours plus a humungous suitcase of Holly's that we had agreed to take home for her. Then, off to the gas station around the corner on our last drop of fuel, to the car rental place to return the car, a ride back to the hotel and crash on the bed as dinner wasn't served until 7:30 PM. That fact alone was probably Dave's least favorite thing about France. Meal times were just too late for a boy who is used to eating well before bedtime!
Dinner at the hotel was an interesting experience. First of all, I had to order in French because the waiter said he didn't speak English. I did sail through getting us food and changing the menu options to accommodate our food allergies using much fewer words than Holly used when she ran interference for us at other meals, but I felt good that my French got us fed! Unfortunately, by the time we went to bed, I knew something I had eaten was not sitting well. Visions of Matt floated through my head! Why on my last night was something rearing its ugly head? Went to bed and managed to sleep until the alarm went off at 4 AM. The stomach was already flying and I wasn't sure how the day was going to unfurl.
Left the hotel on the 5 AM shuttle to arrive at a very quiet Marseilles airport. We met a woman on the shuttle who was from Seattle flying on the same plane as we were to Amsterdam. Small world. Checked in expecting to pay mightily for the extra poundage of Holly's bag, but sailed right through the check in procedure without anyone batting an eyelash.
Arrived in Amsterdam hoping to shop for gifts as shopping time on the whole trip had been pretty lean. We landed at one terminal and needed to leave from one the furthest away. But, we had 2 hours and only had to go through passport control and stroll down to the gate. Ha! The airport is huge with great shops and we could have spent more time, but I looked at our boarding passes as I was buying chocolate and the boarding time was the exactly the same time on my watch. We hadn't even gone through passport control and those lines were LONG! So, took off for the gate hoping to arrive on time and not get stranded in Amsterdam (although I hear the city is gorgeous and we could have found ourselves in a worse situation.) Got through passport control, and found the gate to see that they were flashing "boarding." Whew, we made it! An hour later, standing in a crowded gate, we started to board. Dave was miffed that he had missed more shopping and a meal!
As with the flights over to France, the flights home were uneventful, except for my churning stomach. I drank more gingerale on the 10 hour flight than I think I have drunk my entire life! Meals were interesting as Dave had ordered Kosher hoping to avoid dairy and I had ordered gluten free. The meals served heading over included eggs for Dave and wheat for me. The meals coming back were gluten free, but eggs continued to rear their heads for Dave. He ate some of my food and I lusted after his steamed salmon which my stomach just wouldn't let me eat.
We arrived in Portland wishing that it was our final destination. Two passes through customs for passports and accounting for our purchases, and checking in our bags on Alaska (again, without being charged an overweight fee) we were on our way to the gate for our final leg. Only, I looked at my watch still set to France time and miscalculated the actual time and thought we had 20 minutes to our flight! Summoned up the energy to rush through the whole airport, raced up to the gate, only to find out that I had cheated us of an hour! Time to spare and we dropped exhausted into hard, plastic seats awaiting the flight.
The same family which had sat behind us all the way from Amsterdam were across the aisle from us on the Alaska flight to Spokane! Small world. Finally, home on time and glad to have the trip finished.
We are looking forward to having Holly & Matt home in Seattle after their honeymoon on beaches of Corsica. It was a wonderful trip for a fabluous reason and we hope to return one day.
