End of trip - Thanks!

We are back home in Ein Gedi.

The last two weeks were a real pleasure. The combination of the very comfortable travalling around Rochemaure and the most warm hospitality of Elizabeth & Yonatan did it!
Thank you, Yonatan & Elizabeth for all you have done to us and with us.
Thank you, Yonatan, for all the pictures you made (only the Burgundy pictures are mine) and gave me to use for this blog!
See you in Israel soon!
Yaeli & Mani

A winter Sunrise on the Dead Sea

Sunday, Monday - Burgundy

On our way to Paris, to the airport, we spent two days in the Burgundy region.
This is the river Cure, a typical river of the region - calm and peaceful.
Some of the Burgundy rivers were turned into canals, where boats can travel for distances. We have seen a few of them, with boats, docks etc...







The abbey of Fontenay is one of the oldest in France, and is very important in the history of the region. In its great days there were hundreds of monks living and working there. They were pioneers in producing iron, digging it from the hills around and using the water canals to operate a hydraulic system they designed. They also raised fish in the ponds around. The abbey turned in the 19th century into a paper mill, and only in the 1920's the owner started reconstructing the original buildings. The place is beautiful.


The church in Vezelay is one of the most important chirches of the middle ages. The first 3 crusades started here. It is one of the oldest gothic chirches of France.

Shabbat: Pictures from Valvigneres

A water pump in the small village of valvigneres. The pump is operated manually by turning a handle.













A game of Petanque in the wine festival. Two are playing against two. One of the teams here are a young kid and his grandfather.
The grandfather measures distances, while his grandson stands and worries: they are going to loose, and get kickjed out of the tournament.










A spring view from St. Thome : see the different colors of the trees. Some trees are still not sprouting new leaves, others are already in bloom. It is a very short season. Soon all will be the same green more or less.









At the wine festival in Valvigneres we get oysters with the wine tasting. Yaeli tastes oysters with a concentrated expression. Is it also pleasure?











The archery club of Ancone lets people in the wine festival try their arrow shooting skills. Yonatan does better than Elizabeth & Mani.










Tasting the fresh new wine of 2005. For 2.5 Euro you get a glass (to take home later) and you can take tastings off the different sorts of wine as much as you want. The oysters come as part of this deal. While Yonatan (the driver) takes only little sips of the few sorts of wine that Elizabeth really recommends - Elizabeth enjoys tasting and toasting... In the evening she feels quite tired!









Another game of Petanque. This is only the training before the big competition. 26 teams (2 people in a team) will be taking part in it, in a knock-out system.
The games are spread all over the streets of the village. If you see 5 people in the picture (like in the other one) - the fifth is a Kibitzer, watching and giving advice...

Shabbat - a small change in plans

Shabbat morning.
After a beautiful sunny day yesterday - today is cooler and cloudier. The weather forcasts for
the Burgundy region are rainy. So we decide to stay here today, and start our travel to the Burgundy on Sunday.
We will try today visiting one of the local festivals in the Ardeche. It is not like one of the summer festivals that tourists usually attend. Today the new wine of 2005 is 'coming out' for the first tasting. We believe that not only wine will be offered there, but since there's not much information about it - we can expect surprises.
Yonatan is very quick in downloading his camera photos, so probably I will be able to post some of them in the evening.
Tomorrow, on our Burgundy tour, I guess, there will not be much chance to connect to the internet...
Bye

Friday: a last visit to the Drome

Yonatan, Yaeli, Paule & me are crossing the Rhone once more, for a visit in 3 other villages of the Drome, a little to the north of Montelimar.
A climb to the top of the hill in Marsanne brings us to the chirch with the fantastic view of the village and the farming lands around it.








In the village of Cliousclat we find a few potteries. The people there say that a century ago the whole village lived on pottery.











A bout 1 km from Marsanne - a chirch, a chappel and a fountain dedicated to the name of Notre Damme de Fresneau. Ther water of the fountain are known as healing. The chirch was built, according to the tradition, after a blind girl washed her eyes in the spring's water, and gained back her eyesight.







Today is the first real warm day of the spring. Yaeli takes the advantage of the pleasent weather and makes a use of the terrase at Elizabeth's and Yonatan's home. Elizabeth, after returning from her water-color drawing class, is happy to offer her some Brasilian rolls.









The village of Mirmande is built on a long slope of a hill. The climbing uphill and downhill through the beautiful renovated streets is a pleasent walk. This village, like many others in the Drome, is inhabitted today by foreigners who bought the ruined houses, renovated them and turned them to summer houses or to art galleries. One sad result of this process is that during a great part of the year most of the village is empty - houses and shops are closed.

Thursday hike with the group

Today we joined the hiking group for a 'short' hike of the afternoon. The group was about 20 people, all women, except for Yonatan and me.
The hike today was a little longer than the usual, and much more special in content: we visited 'Grottes de Montbrun', near the village of St. Jean le Centenier, in the Ardeche.
It is a big complex of artificial caves, carved in the vulcanic rocks by people of the Neolitic age.
The whole complex of caves was created in a dramatic setting of steep cliffs, so the views from above are really exciting.









This is the group. Some women take part also in the whole day hike of Monday, others come only to the short hikes, like Elizabeth. Claudine, the leader, is Yonatan & Elizabeth's neighbor in Rochemaure. She is very energetic, and prepares every week two new routes, and for quite a few years does not return on the same route.
We brought with us Paule, our friend who came to visit us from Lion, and she stays with us tonight.




After the hike we had still some time to visit a winery in Valvigneres. Elizabeth loves those winery visits, that include tasting, choosing and buying wine supplies for the next weeks.
I tried to do my best and feel the difference between the 5 or 6 kinds of wines they offered us. The decision was made by Elizabeth, of course. Yonatan, our driver, was not too active this time, for good reasons.

Pesach Seder in Rochemaure

Our Seder was a pleasent evening with Yonatan's neighbors, Alen & Liz. Alen is a very good guitar player, so we did mainly music, and had a very good time.













In addition to music - there was Charoset, Kneydlach, lamb, wine etc...

A hike around Rochemaure

The botanic trail near Rochemaure. Trees and bushes along the trail have signs with their French, Latin and English names.
















A view of the castle from above.
The dam on the Rhone, where the river is split between the natural course and the artificial canal, can be seen too.








Climbing from the Rochemaure village back to the castle. The gardens in this part of the trail are combinesd with the natuarl plantation.

Tuesday - Villages on the Ardech river

The village of Balazuc is situated on a steep slope of cliffs above the Ardeche river. This area of the Ardech is above the more famous spots like Pont d'Arch, where the canyon is even deeper, but the scenery here is dramatic as well, though very peaceful.









A trail of about 2 km leads from Balazuc bridge, and along the river bank, to Audon - a farming commune, establish in the 70's. The people there do organic farming, ecology workshops and educational projects. No road leads to the place. The only vehicles that they use are tiny tractors for the farm jobs. The place looks beautiful.







A view above the castle of Vogue, another pretty village on the river. The castle is still used by the family who built it hundred of years ago.
In the picture bellow - the river and the cliffs at Vogue.

Savasse in the Drome

Although Savasse is in the Drome, meaning on the other side of the Rhone river - it is very close, and can be seen from Yonatan's balcony.
The rain has stopped at noon, so after wasting our time in the morning in exploring Montelimar's supermarkets, Yonatan took us to Savasse.
The village is small, on a hill, with beautiful views of the middle Drome. The afternoon hour with the colors of after rain time was special.






The view of the Rhone from Savasse to the direction of Rochemaure.
The Rhone in this place is being divided to two rivers - the natural one, and the canal.










The Drome from Savasse - farming land, hills and little villages.

Mazal Tov!

The phone and computer connections of this house to the world are modern and efficient, so the good news of Merav giving birth to a new baby boy in Harduf arrive fast, and we are well informed!

Mazal Tov to all the happy Chamula!

The view from our window towards the Rhone changes from minute to minute: it was completely foggy a while ago, and just now the fog has cleared. Today is going to be rainy, at least until the afternoon, so we will stay at home and enjoy reading books.
Tomorrow will be sunny again, so we will continue our exploring mission in this beautiful area.

Pictures of the cleaning project - Rochemaure

All the pictures in this blog were taken by my brother Yonatan, since I will be able to unload mine only at home. Since he is a very good photographer - it's a very good compromise!!

You can press any picture to enlarge it

Sunday: Working with the neighbors

It's Sunday today, and the weather is not sunny as the 3 days before. We got up and looked through the windows towards the Rhone - it was all foggy, and the balcony was wet. Some very gentle rain has started later, although it was not cold. We have learned by now that the coldest days are when the Mistral wind blows, and on those days you have no rain.

Anyway - instead of taking the car for another travel (we had enough of this yesterday), we join the neighbors for a Sunday project - cleaning the little neighborhood of the castle.

As I wrote - there are about 15 families living by the castle up the Rochemaure hill. Most of the houses are joined to each other, so the neighborhood is very small. The initiative of the residents to keep the place clean is impressing. Not that there is so much trash around - the place is not flooded by tourists, and those who climb the hill to see the castle and the view are not littering, but the people who live here have their loacal pride and sense of commitment to the place, and they come willingly to collect whatever is found in the few streets, between the yards, in the ruins and around the castle.

The work takes about an hour, and after that everyone comes to Yonatan & Elizabeth's house for lunch: everyone brings some goodies to eat - breads, cakes, meats, cheeses and lots of wine - and then the real buisness starts... This friendly gathering lasts more than 3 hours. The people are friendly and take their time, and the world is wonderful! It seems that Yonatan & Elizabeth have already become welcomed residents, and feel here at home.

Shabbat visit to the Drome & the Provence

Cencerned a little about the forcasted changes in the weather, we started quite early our drive to the Drome, expecting to come back at noon or afternoon. Luckily - the day was not more than cloudy from time to time, so we added more and more to our program, and finally got back to Rochemaure in the evening.
The Drome is the region to the east side of thr Rhone. Unlike to Ardeche - a great part of the Drome is low hills and vallyes, in a way very much like the Provence. So we enjoyed landscapes of much more farming - grapes, olives and lavender. There are many pretty villages there, some still preserve to ancient center, and in the summer they seem to be much more visited by tourists than the Ardeche villages.
A picnick lunch followed by a nap on the grass provided the energy to continue.
The south of the Drome is connected to the Provence, and we went there too. We drove up the beautiful road that climbs Mt. Ventoux, and the day was clear enough to show us the beautiful views to the far distance.
By the end of our trip we went west of Mt. Ventoux close to the very beautiful ridge of the Dentelles. The roads became more and more narrow, until we found ourselves an a dirt road. Since our car is not a Jeep - we gave up and turned back. Still, it was worth entering this region and winding between small valleys and hills.

A day in the Drome & northern Provence

The Dentelles, a very special ridge of mountains in the Northern Provence - as seen from the fields of the tiny village Suzette.













These mountain streams, that look now peaceful, can turn into very dangerous flooding rivers on rainy seasons.














Mt. Ventoux, at the elevation of about 1500 m. The road to the summit (1900 m) is still closed because of snow.














An old bridge, only one arch, but a huge one!
















Pines on Mt. Ventoux are not very high, but have a very strong structure. They must struggle with the Mistral winds. Junipers (Ar-ar) at that elevation become very flat bushes.

Shabbat Shalom!

After practicing how to post texts and pictures in the blog -now is the time to start writing in more details what happened to us in the last 3 days.

Wednesday: The flight to Marseilles, the train travel of 2 hours from there to Montelimar, in the Rhone valley, and we meet with Yonatan, who comes to pick us from the train station, and takes us on a 5 minutes drive to his home in Rochemaure. In the evening Elizabeth arrives after a very exhausting travel from Brasil back home...
Yaeli enjoyed the wonderful clear view from the plain's window over the Italian and French coasts. The train route, passing Arles, Avignion and Orange, reminded us our Provence trip years ago, and the climax of the day was the wonderful view from Yonatan's terrace to the Rhone. This view is going to change every day, and is never boring - mists, clouds, sun, shades, towns, fields, hills and mountains.

Thursday: is a market day. We went all the 4 of us to the nearby village to do some food shopping. The market is very quite - it is not 'Machne Yuda', but you can find there good and cheap vegetables, fruit, bread, cheese, olives & meat. Above all - Yonatan and Elizabeth have friends there, who greet them and offer them good stuff and friendly conversation.
In the afternoon Elizabeth goes to sleep - she has the jetlag to overcome, so she needs lots of sleep. We went to see a nearby area, a part of the Ardeche region. The highlight was Sceautres (pictures are down). The weather is good for hiking. We enjoy 2 sunny days, though the Mistral wind is very cool.
The house is very very very big - lots of rooms for different activities, and except for the problem of warming it in the winter - it seems to be the dream palace. It has the combination of old traditional character and the comforts of music, views, garden, quiet neighborhhod, friendly neighbors, books, computer etc... Yonatan & Elizabeth are realy hoping they will be able to find during this year (they have an option for a second year in this rented house) a house to buy in this area. The Ardeche is still quiet, the prices are lower than the Provence, and it seems almost ideal.

Friday: Elizabeth wants to get back to her weekly routine - she has a streching class (some physical activity) in the morning and a watercolor drawing class in the afternoon. We do with Yonatan the climb to the Chenavary mountain in the morning, and a visit to 2 small villages close to the art teacher's home. I help Elizabeth turning the soil for planting in the garden. In the evening we have a Shabbat meal, speak on the phone with Ima, Aya, Shauli, Sharon and Elizabeth's mother.

Shabbat: It is morning now. Yaeli goes by foot down the hill to buy the daily bagguets. Yonatan is cooking for the evening. Elizabeth is still sleeping. We will try to enjoy the sunny morning and go to see the Drome - the region behind the Rhone - east to the river, and north to the Provance. Afternoon will be already cloudy and maybe rainy.

Love to all of you!
Mani

The climb to Chenavari

Chenavari is a mountain just above the village of Rochemaure, a climb of about 400 meters. Yonatan, Yaeli and me climbed to the Shenavari - a hike of about 3 hours. The day was sunny, and the wind wasn't too cool, so we enjoyed the hike and the clear view to the Rhone valley and to the castle of Rochemaure.

Here's a look on the way back - where the castle of Rochemaure can be seen, and the Rhone valley is behind.



Enjoying the view from the top. It's a sunny day, but the wind is still quite cool. The locals call these cool winds MISTRAL.












St. Vincent - a tiny village in the Ardeche, one of "the villages with character", as the French call those villages that keep the old and traditional look.











The Hawthorn in bloom - is a close relative of our UZRAR. The flowers are small, but abundant.












A siesta in a Dandelion field - some water, a banana and apple, and all is fine!
















Yaeli enjoying the warm sun.

sceautres

The small village of Sceautres is in the Ardeche region, in a valley between the volcanic plateaus. The giant rock that towers above the village is very impressive - it is the center of a volcano. The volcano itself crumbled and was eroded ages ago. The whole hill is one big rock, built of beatiful columns of Bazalth in many different directions. The climb to the top, and later - the hike around the rock, under the steep cliffs, was a very pleasing experience.

Rochemaure - first impression

This is the neighbourhood where Yoanatan & Elizabeth live. It is small - about 15 families live here - all French. This is the most ancient part of Rochemaure, and the old castle is close by. It is on the hill, with a beautiful view to the Rhone. The greater part of the village, including more modern houses, is down in the valley.

Shalom!
We are in France, visiting my brother Yonatan. He lives with Elizabeth in Rochemaure, a village in the Rhone valley.
I will try posting some pictures and stories about our visit.
We are flying back to Israel on April 18th.
Mani