ENCORE FRANCE

Cafe des Cevennes where we have our daily coffee

Centre of Le Vigan

Le Vigan has 10,000 inhabitants - in summer this doubles and with August drawing to a close the town is emptying as people leave for their journey home. However when we went into town on Saturday we found it transformed - it was market day, the whole town was buzzing and we had to wait patiently for parking. We wandered around looking at the local produce including chickens in coop an then decided to drive to a little village called Brieu where we'd been told that there was an auberge that served delicious meals. I wandered into the restaurant to find it deserted and in fact it I suspect that the whole village had gone to Le Vigan to the market. 

View from Auberge la Borie where we had Sunday lunch

Yesterday we decided to go to Mangadout  for lunch, yet another village along tortuous roads where the restaurant is perched on the edge of the mountain with wonderful views across the valley. We had a delicious meal - and staggered back to Paillerols with Conal driving with the added confidence of a full stomach. 

We've been hearing a donkey braying and on our walk yesterday found the rather handsome animal grazing happily in the field nextdoor - accompanied by a number of Isa Brown chooks. I'm about to start a book recommended by Sara called Travels with a donkey in Cevennes written by Robert Louis Stephenson so was thrilled. 

LE VIGAN AND SURROUNDS

St Martial in the rain

Anna says that it sounds as if we've landed up in Jean de Florette country - and indeed that's exactly what it feels llike. Our days here continue to delight - the past two days have been rainy and the valley is clothed in mist. Our routine is to drive into Le Vigan to the cafe for our daily coffee au lait and croissant while we check our mail. We had planned to go to the biggest gorge in Europe yesterday but thought it might be better to do that on a good day, so armed with delicious bread, brie and baby tomatoes we set off for a little circular drive through the village of Ganges up into the mountains. This area used to be the centre for the silk industry and so there are huge ancient stone mills dotted around. Sadly it was so misty that our visibility wasn't great and the roads so narrow that we had to concentrate as we climbed up the steep pass and then we had to have our picnic in the car. Guess you can't strike it lucky all the time!  Conal is getting the hang of the roads although I still have to remind him to stay on the right sometimes - but he seems far more confident driving although found it a bit nerve wracking on the narrow passes in the rain. He is enjoying pottering around the farm - fixing things and putting in new globes where necessary. We go for little walks around our area called Paillerols and found a path taking us along the contour where the hill side has been terraced with stone retaining walls - terrace upon terrace all overgrown.

Duck a la Conal

We wandered across to thank Ani for letting us in and met her husband Omer Faidherbes. They are both well-known artists who have had numerous exhibitions - he paints landscapes and has done a series of botanical water colours for books while she does outlandish wooden sculptures and all manner of patchwork out of wonderfully rich fabrics. The curtains in our bedroom have been made by her. They are both such interesting people and we had a lovely time looking at his studio and art - and Ani showed us her work as well. 

 We are surrounded by fig trees and even I can't keep pace with all the ripening figs - huge walnut trees, apple trees, vines, pears & olives - the list just keeps growing. And the bird life entertains Conal - he spotted a pair ospreys flying overhead and a paradise flycatcher visiting the fig trees. 

RURAL LANGUEDOC

Our trip from Bern to Nimes was hugely enjoyable - we had to change trains twice and being seasoned travellers with our small bags it was easy. We arived in Nimes at 3 pm and collected our little car at the station. I tried to persuade Conal to get a GPS but that would make it too easy for him - and he is a great believer in making things challenging. I thought driving on the right would be enough of a challenge. Anyway with a great deal of trepidation we set off for Le Vigan. I do think the angels must have been watching over us because other than Conal side-swiping the kerb, we found our way out of Nimes and onto the road to Le Vigan with me constantly reminding Conal to keep to the right. The road was well sign posted and we drove through countryside that kept getting more beautiful, through a gorge. and arrived in the village in time to stock up with groceries and set up the narrow road to Les Paillerols a village consisting of about 3 houses where we managed to find Annie who came with us to open up the house. 

View from the house

The farm house is perched high in the mountains is HUGE and old - with crumbling walls. It was renovated about 30 years ago and is quite comfortable and must have been lovely while Evelyn was alive. Sadly it now has a rather unloved look about it  with things dumped in cheerful confusion on every surface - but as Jan would say "what the hell Michelle". It took Conal's ingenuity to get us set up - we took rust encrusted keys to locks to connect the water - and then down into a cob webbed cellar to find the electricity and hot water system. Lots of chatting from Annie in French - tres complique she kept saying - and trying to get by with my rather basic French - in between raiding the fig trees laden with the sweetest black figs - eventually we managed to sit down with a glass of French rose and an omelette eaten beneath the fig trees outside the kitchen.

Farm house - note the fig tree

We went into the village again this morning and walked into the central 'place' to a cafe for our coffee and croissants - then to the tourist information to get maps of the area, to a little market set amonst the old buildings - some dating from the 15thC and earlier. There's lots to explore and I anticipate that we're going to have lots of fun - this is the bread basket of France - olive trees, fruit trees and vineyards galore. Too many cheeses to chose from - and this is where pate de fois gras is made - ou-la-la! 

View from the farm

LAST DAYS IN BERN

Splashes of colour outside the Einstein Museum

We've loved spending the summer in Bern and feel quite at home in the city now- and we've covered a lot of ground. We've watched while the centre of Bern was dug up and put together again with no apparent disruption, we've been intrigued by the telecom people laying new cables and then coming not once - but twice to hand out chocolates to apologise for the incovenience - we suspect really to suss out Louisa - and gone to bed with the late evening twack-twack of tennis balls. Most especially we've had a wonderful time with the Roos family. Such lovely memories of Jan standing on the edge of a diving board trying to pluck up courage to jump - doing it and then as he dashed around for the next jump saying - "this could actually become addictive - like eating chips". And the constant stream of george-ous young gals that chatter in Swiss German like a flock of canaries.

Victorious - Jan's soccer team

Soccer field on the Aare River

Last weekend we went to the annual garden party for the neighbours and we're so pleased to know that our family is surrounded by such kind, caring people. We've had drinks with the next door neighbours and find that we're bumping into people we've met on our walks. Visits to the local art gallery, cathedral and then just hanging out and enjoying the beauty of summer in Europe.

Jan, Hendrik, Louisa, Anna, Conal and moi in Bellagio

This weekend has been busy with lots of social events including the Somerfest for the area and Jan's first soccer match of the season. It's sweltering and Hendrik took Jan for his first float down the Aare. Today we had Olivier and Julie for lunch and got instructions for our visit to their farm in Le Vigan.   We leave tomorrow ---- and the journey will be quite an adventure in itself.

LA DOCE VITA

Nesso

Greenway walk to Lenno

Sumptious villas

Exploring the villages on Lake Como was a treat - from the moment Conal met and befriended the ferry keeper at Pognana Lario to the men on the ferries whose 'Ness-o, Bell-a-g-i-o, Men-a-gio, Len-no, sounded like an Italian opera. We stepped off ferries, went for long walks past ancient buildings in the villages, down narrow cobbled passage ways passing little churches, some dating from the Roman times, dipping into the lake at lidos.

Conal and ferry master at Pognana Lario

We ate pizzas in small trattoria for lunch, followed by delicious gelati - and spent a few days just lazily watching Jan being entertained by his endless energy and his enjoyment of the little dingy and floating biscuit at the end of the pier at the beach resort. In the evenings we would barbie and the first evening we were even entertained by a giant fireworks display across the lake.

Anna and I celebrated our combined birthdays at a very special place set high up in the hills called Bella Vista in Veleso - and it lived up to its name. The little restaurant and hotel is a family run business and we had the most delicious meal and chianti ending with limoncello - yum!!! The evening was all made possible by Eric and Robin kindly ferrying us to and from Bella Vista. Our elderly waiter could have been out of a movie and Conal was fascinated by his studied earnest concentration. 

Far too soon we found ourselves making our way up the steep path for our return journey to catch a bus to the station - only to find the bus full. Conal's response was predictable to those who know him - bus full? Never - and to the surprise of the passengers and bus driver, he quickly re-arranged the bus and in no time the 7 of us were aboard. For Africans, he said, a bus is never full ----

POGNANA LARIO

 Our journey continued by train from Locarno to Como and there we waited for our bus to Pognana Lario. We considered a taxi but with 7 of us it just wasn't feasible. The bus was packed and we crawled up a narrow road often stopping to scrape past the oncoming traffic and we were finally dropped amongst some dustbins at the side of the road. Our hosts, Robin and Eric, gave us very precise directions and after stocking up with provisions for dinner at the delightful deli we went down a steep drive way - down steps to a lift.

The little beach resort is on the lake - and we entered through vine-covered pergolas set in lovely gardens below a cliff face - it's as if a piece of the mountain has been sliced away. Eric was there to meet us and his warmth and kindness were immediately evident. We had two adjoining apartments and the facilities are great with every need catered for - places to barbie, games for the kids, dvd's for evening entertainment plus a small beach where we could hang out when not sight seeing. And then it's a ten minute walk to where the ferries leave. Finally - joy of joys - the weather cleared and we had the best weather. Sunny but not stiflingly hot.

Manon and Louisa on the walk to the ferry

Conal waiting for the ferry

Conal says that the map of Lake Como reminds him of a San painting of a dancing woman - and that we're located in the bend of the left knee.
I guess what surprised me most is the scale - the lake is surrounded by high mountains and the little villages stack up along side the lake often with terraced gardens and of course the gorgeous terracotta roofed villas painted in lovely washed colours. The Italians manage to get it right - and the villas set amongst gardens are stunning, the muted colours of the buildings and painted shutters and urns spilling over with impatiens and bigonias.  We certainly benefitted from all the rain that they've had because the lawns and fields are a startling green. I felt as if we'd landed in paradise.

THE JOURNEY IS HALF THE FUN - to RASA in the CENTO VALI

BERN TO CAMPO RASA

 We left Bern by train early on Thursday morning traveling through the Alps to Domodossalo in Italy for lunch. It was a perfect day - hot and sunny. After lunch we wandered up The Sacred Mountain of Domodossola (also known as Sacro Monte Calvario) a Catholic sanctuary on the Mattarella Hill, overlooking Domodossola. It is one of the nine sacred places included in the UNESCO World Heritage list and the route is up a cobbled switch-back street in the dappled shade of plane trees.  The route is marked by stations of the cross, classical little shrines built in 1637, arriving at the crest of the hill where there is a small church and monastry set in beautiful gardens with spring water pouring out of a large rock face. We went into the little church to light a candle to our friends who are doing battle with cancer and to give thanks for our many blessings. 

Stations of the cross

Piazza - Domodosolla

Rasa

We continued our journey along the Cento Valley - literally a hundred valleys covered in a mat of trees that fold above a deep gorge until we reached Terra Vecchia where we took a cable car for the final stage of our journey to Rasa set on a plateau.  The first houses in Rasa were built around 1700 hewn from stone in the surrounding mountains. The little retreat where we stayed was founded by Hans Burki as a place for solitude and prayer and it's a peaceful gem of a place run by volunteers - simple and gentle.
The next day was yet another overcast day with tendrils of mist clinging like smoke to the sides of the valleys. A good day for our hike down the mountainside to a small village called Bordei for lunch. It's a lovely walk through the forest crossing gorges and walking along paths that cling to the mountainside. Our lunch at Bordei was one of the best meals we've eaten. This area of Switzerland has a strong Italian influence and that of course includes the food and some of the Renaissance architects, Alberti for one, were born in this area.

Jan at Bordei next to typical dry packed walls and stone tiled roofs

The houses in and around Bordei that have fallen into disrepair are being rebuilt and Anna bumped into a social worker she knows from Bern who helps with the programme. Drug addicts and people who need help are co-opted and apparently they have had a remarkable success rate with rehabilitation.

SWISS NATIONAL DAY & LIGERZ

You know how you get those days that you'll always remember? Well Monday was one of those days.  The day started with a visit to the Bundeshaus (the Swiss Parliament Building) that was open for visitors on 1st August as this is Swiss National Day. The skyline in Bern is dominated by the gold and green dome of the Parliament and the steeple of the cathedral which is at present wrapped in scaffolding.

Anna in the Chamber of the National Council. The fresco is by Gyron

Parliament across the Aare taken from the Rose Garden 

Anna and I set off to the Bundeshaus early to be there as the doors opened. We walked up the imposing steps to find long tables covered with of slabs of Swiss chocolate from 14 different companies - and here I was under the misapprehension that I was doing well with Lindt and Sprungli. We were invited to chose a slab each by women in Swiss National dress. What a way to start the day!

The building was built in 1902 and has recently been remodelled. We loved the way the renovations blend - beautiful modern black leather and steel chairs in the meeting rooms and elegant embossed wall paper - and an inviting restaurant.

From Parliament we walked to the station to meet up with the rest of the family for an outing to Ligerz,   a small village hugging the coast of the Bielersee. At last we're experiencing summer and the clear, warm day was a joy. We took a cable car from Ligerz up the mountain and then wandered down through the vineyards to a terraced restaurant to have lunch under stunted plane trees overlooking the lake. On a really clear day one can see the amphitheatre of Alps - but the day was hazy and so we had to believe that they were there.

Ligertz on the Lake

Louisa of the wheaten hair 

On our return it was as if we'd entered a war zone with the continual noise of fire crackers and we sat on the balcony - front row seats - watching the thirty minute official fireworks display. A perfect end to a perfect day. 

The good weather continued yesterday and Anna and I finally felt brave enough to tackle the float down the Aare river. It took us a while to get used to the temperature that was icy but it was worth it - what an exhilarating experience. It was rather like jumping into champagne. 

We leave for our next adventure tomorrow and so we've hauled out our suitcases - fortunately the decision of what to take is limited by the size of our wardrobe.