Summary including costs
Joan and I have been many times to France including annual trips for the 20 years or so that Jim has lived there. But with an occassional exception the countryside or the beaches have been the focus. I persuaded a rather reluctant Joan that this year we would fly and travel around by local transport as we have done for the passed 25 years in Asia and South America. She was very sceptical that the difficulties in finding transport and accommodation and the cost of both that we would end up regretting that we had left the car behind. She became even more concerned when I suggested we should travel light with only two cases of around 10kg each taken on the plane for free as hand luggage, slightly less than we take abroad for much longer trips.
She would be the first to admit these were unwarranted fears, for although she seriously hurt her left knee a couple of days before leaving (the worst possible start), an injury which gave unexpected difficulty throughout, we, and above all she, coped well if considerably slower than usual.
The decision to take a Kindle and buy an iPad were both good, Joan found reading the Kindle a pleasant experience especially when realising she will never again be restricted on the number of books to carry.
I was impressed by the iPad in spite of learning curve, particularly learning to cope without fine cursor control. Was delighted when by paying for Skype voice to landline/mobile calls to find I had in effect a semi-mobile phone whenever within reach of wifi. Web searching particularly by Trip Advisor to see their readers advice on Hotels, a free two week trial with the downloaded Guardian, Blogging though without mastering editing of previous posts (also linked to cursor control). I was delighted to find the Kindle App downloaded all my current Kindle stock of books so we could both read electronically. The iPad was excellent with Lonely Planet maps which could be enlarged to the limit of their resolution (on Kindle alone maps are virtually unreadable). Joan was disappointed to find that the BBC iPlayer App is not valid outside the UK. Internet banking could have been useful but this trip that was not needed. I was impressed by the virtual keyboard, the frustration of letters and numbers being apart only showed on authorising the link to Jim's wifi for the code was in Hexadecimal pairs, which alternated capital letters with numbers below 0-9.
I learned a lot about railway travel in France. Over 60's can travel as Seniors Decouverte at a 25% reduction for keeping away from a few peak hours (no problem for holiday makers) and the fast TGV trains. Intercity trains were comfortable and fast.
I learnt when buying tickets at Chemille for our return to La Rochelle that I qualified for a two day unlimited distance rail travel for a fixed price of €40 by 'family' ticket (actually called Forfait Tribu or tribe). That price covers 5 people travelling in the 5 Departements which form the 'Pays de la Loire', extended to include La Rochelle to the south and Bressuire in the south east, where Jim & Anne Marie used to live. The cheapest fare, 25% off, for two to La Rochelle would have cost €58.
Finding Seats on Trains
On our first journey from La Rochelle I learned how similar the system was to that used in India. For on enquiring how to find our reserved seats he merely pointed up to the electronic screen above his head on which was the carriage order of the incoming train associated with the physical positions on the platform as indicated alphabetically. On boarding we noted that reserved seats like ours had small 'tickets attached to the overhead seat numbers. We relearned this just in time when getting on our last train for with unreserved tickets we could only sit at seats with no ticket, since the train on route to Toulouse at the end of term was packed we were able to get into free seats before the worst of the rush which would otherwise have left us searching the long train for free seats.
Cities and local buses
La Rochelle, Nantes and Angers were all delightful and gave the impression of wealthy towns/cities with a strong sense of history and plenty to discover and enjoy just walking around their centres. But if the streets were so much more attractive than our own the real star was the local bus/tram transport. New, comfortable, frequent, low price typically €1 with as many transfers as needed within an hour across all forms of transport bus, tram and waterbus. All made possible by the composting units onboard to date/time stamp your tickets. Plus importantly Maps of the town showing bus routes by index and colour. A similar system is used on rail but the composting normally takes place on the platform prior to boarding.
Disturbing Thoughts
I hope this trip does not prove to be the end of a quite magnificent holiday era which goes back to the trip with backpacks to Nepal in 1989, then three to Thailand and one to Sarawak (Borneo) whilst we were both still in full work. We were in fine physical shape at that time as we were on retirement in 1996 and celebrated the first year with two months first in Sumatra and then in North-west of India.
But all this freedom looked to have been ruined by Joan's sudden loss of mobility in 1967 to Rheumatoid Arthritis which quickly became so bad she could not face the pain of walking the 50 metres down the street to her nearest good friend's house and making occasional shopping trips to the centre of Swansea using an electric wheel chair.
Her left knee was replaced in 1999. Then a break with two trips to Thailand in quick succession one with almost the whole family but the problem came back so and her right knee had to be replaced in 2001
Following after which normal service recommenced with by 2 month trip to Peru in 2003.Then yearly to Mexico, Guatemala, Morocco, Spain, China, Chile/Argentina, Yukatan (Mexico), Bali, Turkey, Tamil Nadu & Kerala, Karnataka, Sri Lanka and now a first successful attempt to reproduce the travelling style, if not the mobility in France.
Costs
Holidaying by travelling around Europe was never going to be cheap after Asia.
We had a considerable bonus from flying on cheap days and from eliminating the cost of hold luggage, cross channel ferries and petrol, not to say a considerable time saving, much of four days, in time spent motoring. Not to mention the cost and problems in locating suitable car parking.
We could have regularly got well situated hotel from €60 double a night, breakfasts of pain de raisin/croissants and coffee at a bread shop for €2.50, three course lunches for say €17-21 and a long afternoon tea break for say €5. There was no need to book ahead and no price disadvantage either.
All in Costs for two
13 Nights B&B £741 or £57/night
Travel including Bus and taxis in UK, Airfare, 4 Train journeys in France, most by card £256
Cash, ATM withdrawals £414
Cash Banc Postale withdrawals £255
Other credit card £40
Travel insurance just £0
Less costs for 8 days in Chemille including Jazz tickets (£250)
TOTAL for 13 nights £ 1454 or £112/nightFerry cost alone would have exceeded the whole travel cost incurred and taken much longer. Even so costs far exceed those for equivalent accommodation and living in Asia or South America. Forgetting Joan's leg problem, which would have greatly affected any type of holiday, replicating our style of world travel was a great success.
On the other hand for a direct comparison with long haul to Asia you would have to add at least £1200, or in this example £92/night, to allow for travel insurance (ever more expensive with increasing age), visas and above all much more expensive airfares.
OUR STYLE of TRAVEL
Means, pay as you go, travelling light, slowly, relaxed and controlling costs so as to be able to afford the long stays abroad this approach needs. Carry easily washed/dried clothing, minimise advance booking/detailed planning so as to be able to play by ear. Sight seeing for sure but above all try to experience lifestyle of country, use local transport by bus & train, eat local food, use their hotels, talk to wide variety of fellow travellers and locals, visit good museums.
La Rochelle
Initial writing 30 May 2012
Struggling to blog and get used to my brand new iPad, hurriedly purchased two days ago and not yet used outside the Apple shop. Main problem was over positioning of cursor accurately with my stubby fingers - never in fact resolved is there a way of cursor control without backspace deleting , maybe the answer is to buy a stylus.
Left Swansea by taxi at 6.30 by taxi and arrive in La Rochelle 7.5 hours later (3pm) French time. Hard to beat Easyjet from Bristol, 7am National Express for Bristol arrive 9.30, then bus to airport every 20 minutes, arrive airport just before start of checkin at 10.40 for flight at 12.40. Arrive La Rochelle 15.00 (French time) after hours flight.
At improving airport at La Rochelle the ATM was nevertheless out of order and I had left my euros behind so how would we pay for the bus to town. Luckily there was a member of the U3A French Group (Elisabeth Sears) on the plane who was delighted to swap a £10 note for €10 which was enough to pay €1.30 each for our short local 14 minute bus ride into the city centre bus station at Place de Verdun. A short visit to the information desk and I returned with a book of 10 tickets at €10 (30% discount) more importantly flourishing a map of the 30 plus bus routes colour coded over a map of the city, the like of which I haven't seen since Bangkok - though they were to prove common in France. The helpful woman at the bus station suggested I walk to the Tourist office, an interesting stroll through the heart of the city to the old port.
At the Tourist Office a very helpful young man provided us with several brochures and offered to book accommodation for a €2 fee. The brochures contained good coloured maps of the city streets as well smaller scale maps of the immediate surroundings. He complimented me on my French and said he wished he could speak English as fluently which made me feel at home. Using the map which showed the location of the main hotels including the cheapies like the Etap for €50 double bed per night which we booked ahead via Internet, plus an extra €5 each for a good continental breakfast with many styles of bread including brioche but not croissants.
The station building was very impressive, we learnt later it was the last the grand style incorporating station hotels to be built in France, started in 1910 and finished in 1922, fours years either side of WW1.
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| Grand Railway Station, La Rochelle |
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| Remembering the Holocast |
We have just enquired at the B&B Chain slightly nearer the station which are €75 plus €7 each for breakfast, this is normally rated the best of the cheap chains which we intend to book for the night before flying home. Later we found they reduced prices for the weekend like most other hotels whereas Etap finds it can charge 10% more. Found code free wifi in the hotel Etap and phoned Anne Marie to ensure I could use Skype as anticipated, a big relief to have a semi mobile phone as our disposal.
Today we took the Les Muettes bus from the station to Isle de Re, which wandered its way via the bridge to Sablanceaux, Rive Douce Plage, La Berniere, La Noue, La Flotte, to St Martin de Re where we got off having spent 70 minutes. Our day return ticket entitles us to travel to other parts of the island by bus and to return from any place on the route which would be great if there were many other buses. We intended to have a look at La Flotte which seemed a pleasant but smaller port but didn't find the time after a leisurely lunch of Moules Frites and Muscadet.
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| St Martin de Re |
Whilst waiting for the bus at the station in La Rochelle and checking the timetable we had met two ladies, a little younger perhaps, who came from Montreal. I told them I had commissioned the St Lambert lift bridges over the Seaway and also the one at Valleyfield where Joan first stayed with me in 1958. Then from the printing which validated our bus ticket Joan noticed the date, it was our wedding anniversary, she wanted a lunch to celebrate and it just had to be Moules.
Tonight after checking availability at the B&B we decided to book Etap for two extra nights having already added a day making five in all. We were happy with what we had which included compact ensuite, all rather cramped but good use of space, all in all a thoughtful design. We may not be able to get such cheap accommodation at a central location in Nantes or Angers city centre.
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| Harbour Entrance, La Rochelle |
Final Thoughts on La Rochelle
Saturday2 June.
I still haven't learnt to navigate on this iPad, I wanted to edit the previous posting but all I seem to be offered is to write a new posting so here goes.
Nantes has its trams but la Rochelle has it's yelo (yellow)buses. You have to compost (date stamp) your €1.00 ticket on boarding a bus and then your ticket is then validated for one hour within which you can change buses as often as needed from the selection described earlier which includes a bendy bus travelling north south through the city.Being flat bicycles are a preferred way of travel, even the postmen use them. There are locations of yelo bikes marked on the map, very secure ones such as Place de Verdun and Le Gare where there are racks to clamp them into, as though putting on a headlight. Elsewhere many purpose built strong steel bicycle racks to secure your bicycle with the conventional sturdy wire combination lock supplied with each hire bike. There are also modern bike rickshaws with young drivers and I think a taxi service with prices standardised on three radii from the city centre.
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| La Flotte, Isle de Re |
La Flotte we thought was charming and liked it far better than the more vaunted St Martin de Re. Beautiful port and adjacent beach, superb market for those self catering, 'to cook or not to cook' is obviously the question for holiday visitors here. Plenty of restaurants along the sea shore, the cheapest offering Moules and a glass of cider, or a desert for €10, plus enough shops in the small shopping street. We went for a walk along the flat coastal path. There was a far better tourist office than at St Martin with a large number of addresses for all kinds of accommodation from hotels to apartments to Chambre d'Hotes with a wide range of specified prices from around €50
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| Medieval Market, La Flotte |
Today our last in La Rochelle we took the bendy bus ILLICO to the Plage de Minimes, where we watched a group of young people divide into two teams for a relay race in three stages, stage one race to the first paper cup on the floor and down it, then on to the second cup and down that, finally a sober team member races back to the start and the second a stage of the relay started again and so on. The air was pervaded by a smell of Anis, this was obviously just their way of taking an aperitif for the next stage was a get together on the beach for lunch. We had intended to return by sea bus from the Port de Minimes, with the same ticket, but forgot once we found the bendy bus stop for the return. The Anis must have to us too.
So far we have little but wander on foot around marvelling at the charming town, unfortunately a painful activity for Joan for she hurt her first knee replacement badly two days before leaving home. Probably caused whilst getting up from sitting, an increasingly regular occurrence, which we hope does not imply the artificial knee is starting to fail. Past it's worst we live in hope it will be back to normal soon, walking often seems to improve it and sitting down to start it off again, I often have the same problems with my hip on weight bearing after getting up. We are getting too old!!
I booked our tickets to Nantes yesterday and found I obtained a 25% discount for being a senior (over sixty) after the useless information desk told me I needed a card. Not true for if you stay away from a few peak hours Monday to Friday these are 06.30 to 08.00 and 17.00 to 19.30m and avoid the fast trains TGV (increasingly difficult). I feel quite pleased to have elicited all this information from the booking clerk whilst the English speakers around me were waiting for service at the desk speaking English. I asked if I could have got that ticket from the automatic machines and was told yes by choosing the categorie Senior Decouverte, I would have to carry a form of ID confirming my age, simple since we always carry our passports or security whilst travelling.
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| Relaxing with Kindle |
Writing Tues 5 Juin.
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| Chateau des Ducs |
Several times today I have heard the day described as 'temps merde' which about sums it up. This is our third and last day in Nantes tomorrow we leave for Angers by train at 11.18 where we will be staying in Hotel Continental until Sunday morning when we expect to get a train to Chemille.
The first day we arrived looking for a hotel as usual and found the first two leaving the station were full so we expected trouble, but the third Terminus had one room left, is OK and proved surpringly well located. The first afternoon we found the Tourist Office had moved last week from near St Pierre cathedral to a new location on the west side of the Chateau des Ducs de Normande where we got a good tear off map and lots of information booklets but were informed that the two the best museums were closed for renovation, Les Beaux Arts and the mused Dobree, so we settled for a walk through the centre of town and found our previous hotel Pommeraye and round the corner the hotel where I temporarily lost Jim's key a couple of years ago. We settled for The Time (tea time) at the Cigale, the well known art nouveau restaurant at 6 pm before heading back to turn in. The bed was softer than previously and we slept well but I truly had not expected to be attacked by mosquitoes in this civilised country, one left a large hard swelling on one cheek!
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| Botanical Garden, Jardin des Plantes |
The important thing for the first time this holiday was that Joan could walk without pain this trip. After breakfast at the hotel we strolled to the Botanical Garden, (Jardin des Plantes), just opposite the station. We remembered it from our previous visit but were again delighted by this 'English' style garden deliberately so designed by a French botanist with huge trees, lawns, water and colour. Delighted this time by the constant streams of school parties, many of very young children. I guess there were never less than three school groups. The garden itself was reminiscent of those in Kandy this year and three in India at Bangalore and above all in Munnar and Ooty.
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| Kids play in the park |
Just a footnote about the trees in the botanical garden many of the large trees were Tulip trees, which we learnt today was the wood chosen for the machines because it was light in weight and without nots. Others were Kusas in flower (as Joan hopes hers will be one day), Ginka Biloba, a huge Copper Beach. Off to Angers tomorrow for four nights before Jim and Anne Marie at Chemille on Sunday 10 June as planned.
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| Ladys use des Mots |
Going in we had noticed that at 12.30 there was to be an event 'Japan aux Mille Visages' described as Spectacule de Lecture. We were directed by a park keeper to a small circle of chairs in the middle of a circular hedge, a location described on the poster as Fer a Cheval for a reason we still cannot fathom. There a dozen French people of ages similar to ours had gathered to hear a lady reading first exerts of books by outsiders following visits about Japan and then translations from Japanese authors and poets which lasted just over an hour. The reader was known to us simply as Ladyseuse de Mots who writes a blog ladyseusedemots.blogspot.com She had excellent diction and a small amplifier and Joan, who unusually had no problem hearing her, and I were both surprised by the amount of the French we understood, though in many ways Joan had a more complete understanding of a couple of the pieces. One of the pieces was a French translation of letters from Japan by Rudyard Kipling.
Towards the end singing entertainment started nearby to add distraction, but as the group dissolved we listened to two professional singers entertain a group of around fifty older schoolchildren. It's a lovely park and a delight to see it in so much use. The Lady obviously gives one lecture a week at the moment, the next entitled Le Bonheur est Le Potagerie, happiness is a vegetable garden, I should remember that!!
By the time we left it was passed two o'clock and lunchtime had passed so we settled for a Croque Monsieur of Smoked salmon and Anis, which was huge and tasty for €8 each with a beer which we enjoyed on a sunny afternoon in the open air. Museums close in Nantes not on Mondays as usual but Tuesday, but the Elephant machine is open Mondays so the attractions do not clash. Back at the hotel, with a number of cheerful friendly receptionists the one on duty wanted to get our opinion of the queen since he had been watching her anniversary of 60 years on the throne on French TV. He obviously thought highly of our queen as does Joan, who filled him with information. I said little except that I was a Republican.
Today was our time to visit Les Machines de L'ile but unfortunately this was the start of a planned week of general maintenance on the elephant, 12 metres tall, 8 metres long which normally gives 35 minute rides to many seated in the 'hotel lounge' it carries on its back. That provided Joan with her perfect excuse for avoiding the ride she never intended to take. Nevertheless less we saw the Heron fly with two workers seated on its back, with two teachers seated underneath its wings, obviously they were preferred over their pupils.
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| Heron Flying |
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| Kids look into sky |
Our visit hardly counts as a ticked box as the Elephant had neither leg covers or walked. It would be my delight to avoid all the box ticking of the dedicated tourist and we are making a fair job of it this time!
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| Caterpillar made to crawl |
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| Elephant working parts revealed |
We left intending to take lunch in a restaurant Number 1 as recommended nearby but passed a pub/restaurant, which was obviously doing a good trade with nearby workers and decided to wait for a free table along with several other groups of four or six. A table at last so we walked inside to the marvellous selection of 'serve yourself entrees' and hence saw the small inner room chocker block full of small square 4 seater tables. Inside and out there must have been seating for a hundred diners and almost half that number waiting, chatting or drinking. The main course we chose was beef Steake de Hampe served with either chips or carrots, then since they had run out of one of the original selection of deserts Joan opted for a chocolate cake served warm which was one of those with the runny chocolate centre and deliciously made. Finishing with coffee, we are getting used to expresso cafe, I guess it's addictive. Not bad for €10 plus €1 for coffee!
Six workers sitting at a nearby table, five looked every inch established employees of heavy dirty industry, maybe machine shop workers all wearing scruffy plain coloured clothes, but no jeans. Five were a mixture of sizes from slight to heavy but the sixth, taller younger and fitter than the rest, had a coloured Mohican haircut, an assortment of rings pierced into nose and lips, and a fine array of tattoos, he seemed to be surprisingly popular and the core of discussions. On the table aside ours were five young men slightly smarter but not much than the others, they shared a note pad of small yellow squares and were obviously in a competition at drawing which I took as their attempts to design new machines for the Machine Factory we had both visited. On leaving the last handed us a brochure of the art work 'Over The Wall' (l'exposition graffiti a ciel ouvert) which would be exhibited in various locations across the city on one of the recommended tourist walking routes, from memory it was to open on the 15 July 2012. He explained they were graphitti artists.
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| Le Point Bar for lunch |
By this time the day was distinctly merde but since we were proud owners of a 24 hour bus/tram ticket we went in search of the Le Grande Blottereau gardens we had visited last time. A school of horticulture which was originally founded in the nineteenth century to train students in tropical agriculture preparatory to emigrating to French colonies. The greenhouses are available only for 90 minute visits at specified times on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, so we could not enter. This year instead of flower displays the long narrow beds outside were being used to grow tropical vegetable plants - far more in keeping with the greenhouse and the ethos of the history of this large establishment which is well off the usual tourist path (not entirely because of the rain!). Joan thoroughly enjoyed discovering one plant after another inspite of a continual drizzle, I must admit the vegetable gardens were impressive and very well tended.
On the wayback to the hotel we picked up a couple of tarte aux pommes, not raisins this time, which I intend to eat as a late evening snack. We are living happily on one main meal a day on this trip and this was just the first late night snack - to compensate for the wet!
ANGERS
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| Place de Ralliement, Angers |
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| Poster exhibition in Theatre, Barrio in Brazil |
For the first time on this trip we used Trip Advisor on the iPad to investigate the popularity of hotels in Angers, giving especial importance as usual to a city centre location and followed through with a credit card booking for 4 nights.
The Continental hotel at €78 is the most expensive so far though there is currently a 28% discount (€64) for weekends (Fridays to Sundays). It had a more comfortable feel and sports a hair drier which neither of us use except for defrosting freezers, but has a fine bath in a newly fitted bathroom. It suited me but not Joan a bath without a lift is a no go. Also having no shower curtain there was no high location for the hand held shower which made it impossible for her to shampoo her hair comfortably.
The breakfast, all but double the cost of the perfectly adequate one in Etap La Rochelle, features a tank of toaster like dimensions full of boiling water for eggs, though I screwed it up by failing to locate the egg holder properly and ended up fishing for my egg at the bottom of the bath with two of the egg holders, a skill which took some time to master, just as well as the eggs were perfectly cooked. Also featured was a small bowl of prunes and another of sun dried apricots, several superior jams and rolls, croissants and pain chocolate, in fact perfectly planned to spoil our attempt to lose weight and to spoil our apetite for a superior 3 course lunch.
Joan is now listening to the BBC production of Pride and Predudice in French and HD on the Art Channel. As for tomorrow we are hoping for blue skies again and will take the tram to see the Musee Jean Lurcat for contemporary tapestry. It features a well regarded 20th century one, a second box ticked - damn.
Writing Thursday 7 June
Today we have ticked our first box for we have visited the Chateau des Ducs and seen the famous 14th century Apocalypse tapestry. We wondered what to do with another temps merde but sought refuge in the St Maurice cathedral when rain changed to downpour and arrived just as they were tuning the great organ with a deafening sound which resembled heavy metal rather than church music, once they had sorted it out we rather enjoyed the organist practicing.
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| Cathedral, walk down to Chateau |
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| Chateau d'Angers |
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| View from remparts of Chateau d'Angers |
Our stay continued with a visit to see his 20th century version of the Apocolypse had inspired Lurcat to revive the art of tapestry, using just a few colours making vivid lines deliberately without any attempt to see it to match the fine shades of colours in paintings. We spent a whole morning viewing the set of a dozen tapestries which commenced with one representing the catastrophic destruction by atomic bomb at Horoshima, with the flight of animals in an Noah's Ark pursued by the radioactive cloud. The second depicted the resulting desolation but the following tapestries depicted the gradual recovery of the world, including symbolic references to the sputnik and the moon landing. Five more cartoons exist continuing the set but unfortunately he died before they could be completed. A death possibly related to his injuries in the first world war. Unfortunately these are not even provided with his notes on the symbolism used, so helpful to a viewer.
We have planned to spend all day at a Jour de Fete in Hautes de St Albin a district of the city, having seen an lovely poster for this in our favourite tea shop I enquired for details at the large Tourist Office but they hadn't heard of it. So Joan took then to see their own copy of the poster, after scrambling about they found a leaflet with events and times to their embarrassment. The Angers Tourist Office is motivated only by the need to sell as many entrance tickets as possible for motorists intending to tour the chateaux of La Loire and not by tourists interested in making the most of their own city. Compare the excellent one at La Flotte and the good one at La Rochelle. The one at Nantes had obviously no knowledge of the tropical gardens/greenhouses though was admittedly of minority appeal.
Le Jour de Fete of Hauts de St Aubin was washed out almost totally by the rain, all the stands protecting themselves by drapes of plastic, just a few kids pedalling go carts and very few people. A local event which might have been so different on a nice day and even matched the quality of their poster.
But cutting our losses we went back to town on the next tram and lunched at our tea room, which on request I found not surprisingly had been open only just over 12 months. Quality is what I associate with it and Anne Marie intends to try it out on her next visit to Angers. They had sold out completely of my discovery of Milky Oolong Chinese green tea Jin Xian, or we would have bought a packet. A nicely thought out sale of china mugs led to the discovery of one set made in Corby, Northants, the desolate one time steel town of the then giant ore digger which I visited on a school trip. Joan had preferred the design on a mug in Adam's house but although porcelain it was rather too thick to suit, we were thinking of a present for Anne Marie in both cases?
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| Maison d'Adam |
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| Our First Visit, the Oolong is mine |
The lunch menu looked unprepossessing being mainly starters and specialist salads, I opted for quiche of the day and the plat of the day chicken and legumes, both were superb the chicken pieces having been smoked. Joan meanwhile tried the first salad on the list (a plate of tapas) which included salmon smoked as in haddock, prawns, pate and small sweet peppers filled with cheese, she too was rightly delighted.
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| Tapas for lunch |
We went back just before they closed 7.30pm and Joan had the tea and cake I promised her when she refused dessert. Outside a bus and a car had collided, the car ending up bent back and front whilst the bus had veered into the plate glass window of a nearby shop. It was a commotion with about half a dozen police, fire, and ambulances flashing blue lights.
For the first time ever I succeeded in remembering the right code for my La Poste card and thus extracted 300 Euros. The final afternoon we spent at the cities two main museums, first Galerie Pierre-Jean David a prolific and nationally acclaimed sculptor in the first half of the 1800s who obviously made his name by creating then handing the sculptures to famous men. There were few sculptures of women and the majority were the result of commissions, from their husbands?
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| Gallerie d'David of Angers |
The next morning after another breakfast at La Cocagne of their delicious Pain aux Raisins, which we agree was the finest we had ever had and un grand cafe (not cafe grand I discovered) in a break in the rain which allowed to eat it once more at the few tables on the street. We noticed how good a trade they had as every passer-by that Sunday morning, sporting umbrellas, seemed to enter. Their bread was obviously the source of bread for our favourite tea shop. One last tram ride our tenth trip though I think there are still left a few on the ticket from lack of skill (inadvertent failure) in validating at the composter on the bus. We also forgot to compost our tickets before boarding the train to Chemille, though I had remembered at the last moment to get our tickets changed to include the 25% discount as Seniors Decouvertes. The conductor accepted my embarrassment and simply signed them to prevent re-use.
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| Frequent Trams |
CHEMILLE and all that jazz
Because of the rain I had used Skype to phone Jim and Anne Marie to ask for a lift from the station, something we had not intended to do, but because the screen was upside down at the time I succeeded in calling Arnold first by error though luckily he was only eating his breakfast.We were welcomed as usual and given super food, though they explained that was the left overs from the night before when they had entertained Martine who was a bridesmaid/witness at their wedding at Bressuire. Her son Arthur was staying with them for the week whilst he carried out a project for his degree course, producing a web site for a local school.
Jim who will be 50 at his birthday in a few weeks time was out for the afternoon attending a master class in jazz given by Romane, a progressive gypsy guitarist who will be giving Wednesday's concert. He was explaining improvisation as a playing of songs held in the head, not as an intellectual interpretation of theory, with the motto 'don't let the fingers get in the way' - of direct transmission from songs in the head to realisation on the instrument'.
Alice, just finishing her first year at university in Tours, has four days of exams this week, and full days they are often till 6 pm. She will be home in a week's time for the end of term.
Hazel, next year will be her last at Lycee in Cholet, is off school today to study for her exams next week but she has obviously gone out - maybe to study with friends. She was explaining the difficulty of completing the History & Geography Baccalaureat syllabus in one year instead of two following last year's national decision to complete it one year early, a decision since rescinded after protest from pupils and teachers alike. This leaves French (language and literature) and Maths as the early completion. Although taking a Scientific Bacc she still had to take Philosophy as a minor subject, though it would be a key subject in the other stream. Interesting differences because Joan and I had to choose between History and Geography courses for O Level and English was treated as two subjects, Language and Literature, both taken at the same time as the rest of O Level exams, and there was nothing remotely equivalent to philosophy.
Anne Marie as usual during the jazz festival was overloaded with end of term school work, which makes it a very difficult period for her even to the extent of missing occasional pre-booked concerts. But for us there is the focus of an event outside the house every evening, there is just one evening concert per day.
Tonight, Monday, there is the inauguration of the painting exhibition by two young local artists on the theme of jazz or pastel portraits of its musicians, the pastels were by the son of a friend. Such an exhibition has always accompanied the jazz festival but previously by established artists. An interesting quartet in the foyer played some of the only good jazz of the week. Then to the opening concert in the Theatre Forail by the 'godfather' of this years festival by Ibrahim Maalouf a renowned 30 year old trumpeter and his sextet, which to my ears was not jazz and wide enough band from Louis through Bix and Sidney Bechet to the tenor saxophones of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster and the big bands of Duke Ellington and Count Basie to the sea change of high speed/energy of Bop from Charlie Parker's alto and Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet to the jazz of today's classically trained youngsters.
PS. I have just received a CD of Ibrahim Maalouf for my birthday and played it just once, enough to see it as Middle Eastern World music. His record is largely a multi-track recording of him playing his own compositions on trumpet, piano (equally excellent), marimba, guitar, occasional vocal effects and over loud 'frame' drums assisted by violins, a Baluda whatever that is, and the occasional saxophone as needed. There is no doubting his talent but quite apart from a total absence of jazz rhythms the biggest difference would seem to be the lack of experience in ensemble playing with others.
I thought at the time it was more of a talent show than one of music from the well played softest and simplest of solos to the loudest non-music with sextet blaring. But he got a full standing ovation at the end which led to three reappearances so I was obviously in a minority of one. They clapped so much he was forced into three returns which made the pattern of expectation for the week.
Tuesday 12 June, Ceux qui Marche Debout (what other way of walking is there).
As usual the festival was spread around the various communes od Office Municipal de Culture (OMC) of Chemille. This night it was in the Cultural Centre of St Lezin. It was the audience who had to stand up and jig in rhythm and the band including tuba occasionally walked down to join them, marvellous what wireless sound amplification can do. It was very lively, little but up tempo, I described it as Rock my son thought it was Punk - I bow to his greater familiarity of his own era. Anyway it was good fun for me though unfortunately Joan's knee problems meant she had to stay seated.
Wednesday 13 June, Theatre Forail de Chemille, Romane (quintet)
The only true jazz of the week, Romane who teaches music at University in Paris? and who ran the Sunday Master Class comes from a tradition of Gypsy (Manouche) jazz so there was some Django Reinhardt but far more of his own excellent compositions in a far removed more classical style keeping only the rhythm guitar as a replacement for drums. He played all the solos. It attracted a far smaller audience in the large modern theatre, but he too got a standing ovation and many recalls. Joan and I enjoyed this concert the most.
Thursday Maison des Loisirs de Melay, by Drew Davies from Paris but originally from Neath.
Another evening of rock sung and played energetically by Drew Davies who sang almost every number as well as soloing (short without development) on his tenor saxophone. Too much the same style tempo throughout without the release of being on ones feet as per Tuesday. Jim spoke to him during the interval and found they were both born in England though brought up in Wales, Drew's parents were Welsh as is obvious from his surname. Since both had lived in France for years they conversed in French. Drew obviously appears at La Huchette jazz club in Paris.
Friday 14 June Theatre Forail de Chemille, by Yuri Buenavntura and his Salsa band.
I love Latin rhythm and am intrigued by Latin American Dance styles, nothing added as much to our enjoyment of Mexico as the outdoor dances in the squares around bandstands in the evening, challenged only by the Marimba bands in Chiapas, then that suberb night in a nightclub with ??? and parents in Lima.
There had been a Salsa workshop on Sunday and a large section of the floor was given up to a dance area with plenty of sign it is a thriving interest amongst the young couples in the area. I saw plenty of examples of the steps we U3A members do at Jive in the Monkey Cafe in Swansea. Though I must say it looked more vigorous than for us oldies.
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| Yuri Buenaventura signing autographs |
Saturday 15 June in the streets of Chemille for Fete de la Musique
This day, nominally 21 June, was set up in parliament around twenty years ago by Jack Lang then minister of culture with the idea of a free day of 'faites de la musique' in the streets and bars of France, amateurs and professionals alike. Jim has always been very active, was Honary Treasurer for many years in the Music School, there where school children and adults pay to learn to play a wide range of instruments from drums to Oboes.
The Music School always stage well attended concerts outside, in past years Alice has played flute there, but this time was still in Tours (she now plays piano and harmonica) whereas Hazel was this year on the very front row of the Accordion band The jazz big band, in which Jim used to play guitar, have moved on and this year included music by Weather Report as well as the American big bands of 30's - 60's. Several band stands had been set up around town and in spite of the third successive year of bad weather (at least this time it was simply cold). There was a animated crowd outside Albert's Bar (Portuguese) with a band featuring at least 10 trumpets plus other instruments. The animation featured a long line of seated rowers moving in sympathy who then started passing punters overhead from front to back of the 20 man 'boat'.
Sunday 16 June, Jazz au Park on two temporary bandstands
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| Not Five and audience |
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| Parc de Cloitres and church tower |
Four groups followed by an invitation to all musicians present to join in for Boeuf Jazz. We missed the first big band whilst we ate lunch but the second Not Five featured Herve Rollard, originally from gypsy style, accordionist d'Olivier Rimiac and Londoner Tony Baker on keyboards.
The first session of Boeuf Jazz was particularly good.
The news of the day was that Francois Holland had won in the second ballet, it caused great rejoicing. But will he win over Angela Merkel and make a real difference to Europe and the Euro?
Monday 17 June La Rochelle for tomorrow's flight to Bristol
Joan and I were both worried about her ability to put in the walking required, especially in view of the fact that she had to opt out of the walk round the streets for Fete de la Musique with almost unbearable pain.
Jimmy came back for us in his lunch hour and took us to catch the bus/train in Cholet. In fact she coped well on both days and we arrived home in good spirits.
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