France Part 3

Well, it’s been a pretty awesome weekend. I started it off right on Thursday with my presentation in Le Corbusier about Plan Voisin. I was nervous about it since I have next to no experience with architecture/architectural history classes, but my classmates and my professor were very complimentary. Thursday evening, I went to the de Sade for a bit, but I didn’t feel like staying out too late since we had to get up early to go to Marseille the next day. Apparently Marseille is only spelled ‘Marseilles’ in English, so I don’t really know what that’s about.

Anyway, we got up early for breakfast on Friday morning and got on the bus for the trip. It was rainy, and the rain followed us to Marseille and persisted throughout most of the day. Our first stop was the Unite d’Habitation, a Le Corbusier building that was meant to act as a prototype for quality mass housing, which was desperately needed in France after the Second World War. It is a large condominium with many different types of units based on different needs. The building itself is supported on massive Egyptian-style columns (Le Corbusier called them pilotis) and all of the public works for the building are stored in an artificial ground underneath the pilotis for easy access and maintenance.  Much of the building is constructed from rough concrete, which I thought contrasted nicely with the more finished details such as the glass and railing. Using this concrete was a very practical decision- it was cheap, it didn’t require skilled labor to pour, and it couldn’t become defaced or weather beaten. The Unite uses the roof as a communal gathering area and 2 of the interior hallways (rue interieur) as shopping/market type areas. These were more active when the building was first constructed, but they still see some use today. The hallways are strangely lit and colored, making them a bit disturbing to me, but a lot of the students liked them. The apartments themselves were quite interesting- in modern times, they seem like ultra trendy studio apartments. I can understand why so many people still live in them. It was difficult to actually depict them with photographs though.

After touring the Unite, we headed into downtown Marseille, where we were given free time. Miles and I immediately split off from the group and began exploring the city. We used the rather adventurous method of simply finding things by sight, and we had a lot of fun exploring areas of Marseille that most tourists probably don’t see. The guidebooks describe Marseille as ‘gritty’, and this is pretty accurate. It has been a massive city and a center of trade since Ancient Greece and even before, but most of the relics from antiquity have been built over. In this way, Marseille is a typical Mediterranean city- they just kept building right on top of the old stuff. The city just keeps moving on.

One of the first things we noticed is that there is graffiti on everything, which sounds awful, but it was actually kind of cool juxtaposed with all the traditional, old-looking buildings. Similarly, there are a lot of rectangular, co0kie cutter type condos and skyscrapers mixed right in with the old churches and brick streets. I particularly enjoyed the waterfront and the port. The port has been there since antiquity, but you would never guess it.

Perhaps the most impressive site was the Cathedrale de la Major, which is a massive Romanesque/Byzantine style cathedral with a lot of Islamic elements tied in. It was overwhelmingly beautiful and intricate, and there is no way my words or the photos I took can really do it justice. I have never seen anything like it before in my life. We visited a number of other historic sites, but this, in my opinion was the highlight. After the cathedral, we made our way along the waterfront in search of the North African Fish Markets. Marseille has a large North African population, which makes it culturally very interesting.

As we searched for the market, we made a quick stop in the Musee de la Mode (the Fashion Museum), where we saw collections from French designers. Although many famous designers were included (such as Chanel), neither of us cared much for what we saw and became rather dubious about French fashion. Finally, we found our way to the market and stumbled into a Tunisian pastry shop, which had some of the most delicious (and CHEAP) pastries ever. The market was loud and crowded and hectic and fun. There was so much to look at and take in and I think we both really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went into some clothing shops along the main drag, some of which were really bizarre. One shop was no bigger than my dorm room, yet it had at least 4 employees working in it, all of whom were very anxious to help us.

When we finally made our way back to the bus, the sun started to come out and we got some great pictures of the port and the old buildings at sunset. We were satisfied with our trip, although Miles and I would both like to return at some point and see some of the things we didn’t have time to get to, including the Basilica, the Triumphal Arch, and the prison where Edmond Dantes was held in Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. In fact, my visit to Marseille made me want to re-read The Count of Monte Cristo, so I’ll be keeping my eye out for an English copy.

Saturday morning, Miles, Jamie, and I got up early for the weekly trip to Apt. We had about an hour to wander the village, and I picked up a lightweight coat for 7 euros. We also stopped in a boulangerie to get some pastries for breakfast. On the way back from Apt, the group stopped at French Wal Mart (a.k.a E’Leclerc) where I got a watch (finally). It’s a funny little store- much more crowded feeling than Wal Mart, and it includes a cafeteria/bar. I don’t like to think about what it would be like if Wal Mart had bars. I did get to practice my French a lot though, particularly when I was asking for help to get a watch out of its case. Overall, this trip reminded us that there is no sense of urgency in Provence, so if you’re going shopping, be prepared to stand in line for awhile.

We leave for Barcelona on Wednesday and will be gone until Sunday night, so I don’t expect to have an update before then.

France Part 2

Yeah, yeah it took me long enough.

So what’s been happening in Provence? Let’s see…Thursday night, almost everyone in the group filled up the Cafe de Sade for a night of wine and merriment. Several of us befriended the chief of police of Marseilles, who lives in Lacoste so he can get away from all the people he has to deal with in Marseilles. His name is Alan (not sure if that’s the correct spelling) and he is very nice, and even buys drinks for us sometimes. After the de Sade closed (around 12:30), several of us migrated to one of the student lounges, where we just hung out and chatted for the rest of the night. It was our first opportunity to really get to know each other and it was a lot of fun.

Friday, I woke up with a cold, but it wasn’t too bad yet. I went with some other students to explore the quarry, just outside of Lacoste. I had been there briefly before, but this was a much more adventurous trip. At first we went down into it, where we were surrounded by the towering sheer walls, which are covered in graffiti dating back to the 1800’s. After taking some photos and wandering around, we decided to try to get up on top of it. This involved a hike through the woods around the quarry on paths that may or may not have been there on purpose. After quite a climb, we finally reached the cliffs overlooking the quarry, and reached the base of the natural bridge that goes right over the entrance to it. We climbed up onto the natural bridge, which is mostly stacked boulders and stood in this very precarious and icy spot looking down at a massive drop. This was an incredibly scary experience (especially for me and my fear of heights), but it was definitely worth it. We climbed down the other side of the bridge and found ourselves back in the woods. And then, to our surprise, we happened upon a trailer park, complete with above-ground pool and scary decrepit tool shed. It was like the French version of Deliverance. We weren’t really sure where we were in relation to Lacoste, so we started looking around to get our bearings. One of the residents caught us snooping around and was able to help us find the road back to Lacoste, although I don’t think she was all that happy about it. On the way back, a dog (whom we dubbed Pierre) followed us into Lacoste. We have seen him around since then. He is very friendly and well-trained. I think he probably belongs to one of the Lacoste residents.

That night was fairly uneventful. The Mayor of Lacoste was issuing a New Year’s toast, which I didn’t attend because I was trying to sleep off my cold. Apparently, it wasn’t very interesting apart from the scotch-spiked punch that was served. Saturday evening was a bit more eventful. We attended the gallery opening of some visiting artists, which included an open bar. Unfortunately, this happened before dinner, and some students got pretty embarassingly drunk, which was kind of a shame. The space was quite small, so it was difficult to really appreciate the work. During dinner, there was quite a bit of merriment, and afterwards, we returned once again to the de Sade. Drama ensued thereafter, which is not really worth discussing here. I will simply say that this night was not nearly as much fun as Thursday.

That night, while I was taking a shower, I had a bit of a ghostly experience. I felt a hand run its fingers down my back. This sent me running out of the shower and left me a little bit freaked out. Later on, I went back into the bathroom and asked whatever it was to not do it again, so hopefully that will keep it away. We haven’t had any other experience since then. So far, so good.

Sunday was spent finishing up some homework. We also took a trip to the cedar forest planted by Napoleon II, which is pretty high up on the mountain near Bonnieux. It was a peaceful place, and though a lot of people found it boring, I actually liked it a lot. Miles and I spent the trip wandering through less-traveled trails, and besides being REALLY cold, it was fun. Class on Monday and Tuesday was fairly uneventful. We are in the process of doing student presentations in both classes. I presented the Theatre d’Antique in Treasures of Provence today and will be presenting Plan Voisin in Le Corbusier tomorrow. Friday, the entire group travels to Marseilles for the day, so I should have an interesting report from that trip. The architecture students are staying there all weekend, so it will probably be a pretty quiet weekend.

The past several days, we have had some interesting fog. Sunday night, we watched from our terrace as a massive, fast-moving fog rolled in over the Chateau de Sade, through Lacoste, and down over the valley. It was quite an experience…I’ve never seen anything like it. Then, this morning when I woke up, all I could see outside the window was pure white. I stepped out onto the terrace, and even some of the buildings in Lacoste weren’t visible. It was very strange.

Time now for me to finish my presentation for tomorrow. Expect an update with my experience in Marseilles sometime this weekend.

France Part 1

So, I have to point out that everything in Provence leans south. There is a reason for this, and it’s called the mistral. The mistral is a wind that gets going in Siberia, blows through the Alps, and then swoops down into the Luberon. It’s cold and dry and can blow for days (or sometimes even weeks at a time) at speeds upwards of 60 mph. I haven’t had the pleasure of personally experiencing the mistral yet, but its peak months are February and March, so I’m sure I’ll get a chance. This wind is such a powerful force in the area that structures are built to accommodate it, so that even the homes appear to lean toward the south. The north face of almost every building is rather barren, and generally has few (if any windows). The trees and even the vineyards all lean away from the brutal wind, and even the faces of the cliffs have been stripped bare by it. It’s very interesting to see how even the landscape itself has adjusted to the mistral.

But, enough about that. Saturday, everyone went to Apt to see the open-air market, which has existed in some form for over 2,000 years. Apt is a small town with narrow streets, but on Saturday, with the crowds of people everywhere, it looked like a city. The street vendors were selling everything from delicious-smelling food to produce to socks. The permanent stores were open as well, which was helpful for those of us who needed to by changes of socks and underwear. Here, I have to address the issue of the stereotype that French people are rude. The people in Apt could not have been nicer. They helped me with my French and were understanding as I struggled to ask them questions. They were helpful in finding things. One lady even offered to take a picture of me, Miles, and Jamie, which we gladly accepted. The picture is on Jamie’s camera, so I’ll post it ASAP. Everyone smiles and says ‘Bonjour’…I’m thinking the stereotype must apply to Parisians, but I can’t say whether there’s any truth at all to that either.

On the way back from Apt, we stopped at Pont Julien, a Roman bridge that is over 2,000 years old. It isn’t the prettiest Roman bridge in the world, but it was awesome to be in the presence of something so practical, yet monumental. I put some of my photos of the bridge in this entry.

Sunday, we were given a nice dinner at one of Lacoste’s two public restaurants. A carafe of wine is only 6 euro there, but I haven’t had any yet, partially because I don’t need anything else to add to the danger of the icy cobblestone. At this point, I should mention that most of Lacoste (including the aforementioned restaurant) is owned by the famous designer Pierre Cardin. He is restoring the town and it is beginning to become a bit of a tourist spot for the French. He is also trying to restore the good name of the Marquis de Sade who became a sort of scapegoat for the French Revolution. The Marquis de Sade, of course, was the owner of the castle here in Lacoste. The castle, which did not fare well during the revolution, is a part of Cardin’s restoration project.

Monday and Tuesday were the first two days of classes. I have the same professor, Daves Rossell, for both of my classes (yes, it is Daves, not Dave). In one class, we will do a general study of Provence and go on field trips almost every class session. In the other, we study the work of the famous architect, Le Corbusier. I am a bit nervous about this class because it is an upper level architectural history class, but I think I’ll be able to manage. So far, Daves has been pretty understanding. Our exclusive field trip for Le Corbusier is a weekend trip to Lyons, where we will hopefully be able to stay in the Dominican monastery that Le Corbusier built there. During the past two evenings, I have gotten to know some of the students here, which has been fun. In such a small group (55 students), however, drama is inevitable, and I can already see some precarious situations that could begin to boil over in the next few weeks.

Today, we had our first field trip for my Provence class. We visited the Village des Bories, which is about a 15 minute drive from Lacoste. The village is now a historic monument, composed of Neolithic huts built of limestone slabs. It is extraordinarily primitive, but surprisingly, it was inhabited until the end of the 19th century. It is difficult to describe this place because I’ve never really seen anything that I can compare it to. It is somewhat remniscent of Native American sites, but at the same time it is much more evocative of the primitive lifestyle of our Neolithic ancestors. Maybe the pictures I have added will help describe it better.

On the way back from the Bories, we pulled over on the side of the road and stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the village of Gordes. Gordes is a village set on a hillside, much like Lacoste and many other villages in the area (art historians call these “perched” villages). However, Gordes is a much larger town and the view of it from the cliff was quite impressive. We also stopped at a small Romanesque cathedral, whose chief purpose was to bury babies who died before they could be baptised. I suppose the people of the time imagined some loophole that would avoid sending their deceased infants to Limbo for all eternity. It is quite a beautiful little cathedral with a quiet cemetery in the front. The babies are entombed behind the church, with their names simply carved into the rock above their final resting places.

One more thing I’d like to add is that the views in the photos from my previous entry are mostly from the terrace outside my dorm room. The views from Lacoste are quite spectacular, and photos don’t do them justice. I have been trying to photograph Mont Venteux (Windy Mountain), which is sort of an outpost of the French Alps. I couldn’t get it from the terrace, but I think I got a decent shot of it today from the street.

France Part 0

Okay, so I have finally arrived in Lacoste, France, which is a town of about 25 permanent residents in the Luberon Valley of Provence. Getting here was an adventure of its own, however.

First, I went to Minnesota for a few days, where I stayed with my friend/roommate Jamie at her home outside of Minneapolis in a very small town called Howard Lake. Minnesota is very pretty, so for anyone who hasn’t been there, I definitely recommend a visit. While I was there, I got to see Dexter after going 2 months without him. He’s almost 30 pounds now! I miss him already. Mostly, we just ran errands in preparation for leaving for France while we were there, so I didn’t see much of Minneapolis or anything. I did, however, go to Buffalo, Minnesota where I got my picture with the famed Buffalo Fish.

From Minnesota, Jamie, her Mom, Dexter, and I drove to Chicago to catch our flight. We started at 4 am on the morning of our flight and arrived in Chicago a little after 11 am, which was 3 hours before the boarding time. After checking in and clearing security, we watched most of Step Brothers (which is very funny) on Jamie’s computer to kill time. Finally, we boarded the plane to Atlanta. It was the tiniest, dinkiest plane I’ve ever been on, and I’ve been on some slow planes. The pilot kept slowing down due to a high volume of air traffic, which was a little scary when you can hear every noise the engines make and it made the plane go down a little every time.

We arrived in Atlanta with about an hour to spare before boarding the plane to Paris. We then proceeded t

o sit on the runway for an hour before taking off. On this flight, I ended up sitting next to a French lady who was wearing at least 3 gallons of perfume. Fun. They gave us a gross airplane dinner and played 2 movies. One was a horrible children’s fantasy movie called City of Ember that starred Bill Murray. The other was Wall-E, which I wanted to watch, but this was the first time I felt able to get any sleep, so I opted for sleep. Unfortunately, the sleep wasn’t very good. I should have watched the movie. They gave us a breakfast of croissants, jam, and mysteriously cold bananas about an hour and a half before we landed in Paris. After landing in Paris, we gathered with the other SCAD students, cleared customs, which was painfully inefficient, and boarded the plane to Marseilles. Pretty much everything in the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris was ridiculously slow and poorly run. I thought this might just be a French thing, but it turns out Charles De Gaulle is in chaos and turmoil due to the unprecedented blizzard in southern France that occurred a few days before we arrived.

So, we landed in a snow-covered Marseilles. As it turns out, having 14 inches of snow in Marseilles is a bit like if they had 14 inches of snow in Jacksonville. The area is not equipped to deal with snow or ice, so almost all of the cities, towns, and villages in the area were very nearly non-functional. As a result of this, more than half of the students’ luggage, including mine, did not make it out of Paris. So, armed with only my laptop and some T-shirts and toiletries purchased in the airport store, I boarded the bus with the other SCAD students to Lacoste.

Being a medieval village, virtually all of the streets in Lacoste are paved with cobblestone. We quickly learned all of the dangers of ice-covered cobblestone. We got settled in our rooms and, after a surprisingly nice dinner in the SCAD cafeteria, began exploring the village. In the dark. On the icy cobblestone. Yeah. But, it was fun, and no one got hurt. Despite the constant risk for broken ankles, Lacoste is quite lovely when covered in snow.

Well, that’s probably enough for now. I’ll update about Saturday and Sund

ay and add pictures to this entry tomorrow when we will allegedly have internet in our rooms.