Patricia Sands

Author

General Travel

It’s worth the drive to Arles

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If it’s Friday, it must be France …

We’re taking a little side trip today to Arles, just  a 2-1/2 hour drive  from Antibes and the French Riviera to the area (département) known as the Bouches-du-Rhône (great info and pics on this site). The changing scenery from La Côte D’Azur,  through the dramatic red rock hills of Le Massif De L’Estérel, alongside vineyards and farmland in the Var, guarantees the time on the A8 autoroute passes quickly.

Wow! You’ll be glad you came along. Arles is a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the 7th Century BC when it was a major Roman-Gallo city (Arelate). Built on the edge of the Rhone River where it branches into two parts to the sea, established its importance as a port.To say it is a treasure trove of well-preserved  Roman sites would be an understatement.

Charmingly medieval streets, narrow and winding, pass between ancient buildings. Who can resist them? Not me!

The major Roman sites, such as the Arena and the Theater, are uniquely integrated into the houses and buildings of the town, and used today for concerts, plays, and even bullfights … gulp, yes still … more on that next week and modern changes to the ancient sport. Also I’ll fill you in on Van Gogh’s stay in Arles – as colorful as his paintings, let me assure you!

I’ll just include this teaser now . One memorable evening, Vincent Van Gogh chased his friend, artist Paul Gauguin, down the street holding a razor. Um … there’s a reason for the bandage in this self-protrait.

Van Gogh’s stay in Arles was relatively short but he still managed to complete over 200 paintings while there.

Here’s a quick look at the Arena. I’m going to figure out how to include a slideshow for next week. I hope you will plan to drop by for that.

 

 

 

Have you ever been to Arles? You know I love to hear from you so please share a memory or two. À bientôt!

Summer’s over? How did that happen?

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Well that’s it, right? Labour Day (or Labor, for our friends south of the border) weekend, no matter where you live in North America, is the signal that summer is over. In Toronto, the Canadian National Exhibition (fondly referred to as The Ex or the CNE) has been a feature during the last two and a half weeks of August beginning in 1879. When the Ex is on, you know the bell is tolling!

Of course there will still be nice weather (hopefully) but students are in their classrooms, summer holidays planned and anticipated for so long are in the memory bank, and fall/winter clothes are in the shop windows.

Did you take a lot of photos this summer? I did. Well, okay, I’m always taking photos no matter what the season or the reason.

What images from this summer will stand out for you?

Digital photography has had such an impact, I only know one person who still buys film for her camera. Do you? Do you print some of your photos and keep them in albums or do you store everything on disks or post them on a blog? Do you have a camera or do you take all your photos on your phone? I’ve been astounded by the quality of some cell phone photos.

I’m really interested in hearing how your approach to photography has changed in the last few years so, if you have a minute, leave a comment and let me know.

In the meantime, I’ve attached a terrific photo slideshow of summer images compiled by The Denver Post. Just click on the link below to see it. Afterwards, make a slideshow of the favourite photos you took this summer!

Captured: The Last Days of Summer | Plog — World, National Photos, Photography and Reportage — The Denver Post.

A hex on Hurricane Irene!

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If it’s Friday … well, this Friday, we need to be thinking about everyone who will be affected by this terrible storm!

I simply can’t bring myself to post about another wonderful day on the Côte D’Azur when so many people on the East Coast of the United States and Canada are waiting to see what this massive storm may bring in the next day or two. My thoughts are with them.

I’ll bring you back to France next Friday.

In the meantime this inukshuk is here to point the way to safety as Hurricane Irene approaches. An inukshuk (also spelled inuksuk, plural: inuksuit), is an Inuit word that literally translated means “stone man that points the way” and is symbolic of the human spirit.  They are stone cairns that were originally erected by Inuit at prominent locations throughout the barrens to serve as guideposts or markers. The Inukshuk symbolism is far reaching – they were a beacon to those looking for the right direction and a safe passage. I hope this one guides you and yours safely through the storm.

 

The hands of many and the efforts of an entire group were required to build these massive sculptures. They are the result of a consensus of purpose, of focused action by a united group, and teach us that as good as our individual efforts may be, together we can do even greater things.

Together we are all focused on your safety.



More about TBC characters- Jane


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Wow! It’s been fun to hear how many of you related to the Sea To Sky Highway, Jane’s favourite drive (Chapter 3). It’s an awesome drive from Horseshoe Bay, just north of Vancouver, along the coast and then carved out of the steep cliffs overlooking the always breathtakingly beautiful Howe Sound, up past the in-your-face monolith The Chief in Squamish, to the abundant pleasures of Whistler and beyond to the open valley spaces of Pemberton. The Duffey Lake Road takes over from there to Lillooet. It’s all part of Highway 99 and prior to the major improvements for the 2010 Olympics, this section has a checkered history. Fifty years ago it was a two-lane undivided highway with no outside barrier. White-knuckle driving, I well remember! In those days, a number of motorists lost their lives due to inclement weather, poor visibility, speeding, passing slower vehicles, or drunk driving. Local media have called it variously the “Killer Highway”, the “Highway of Death”, and the “Ski-And-Die Highway”. Not infrequent rockslides have also added “Sea-To-Slide Highway”. Negativity aside, this drive is often in the top ten of “beautiful drives you must do” in travel magazines. Click here for photos

I knew when I began my novel that somehow I would work this drive and skiing in Whistler into the story. It’s a passionate part of my history. So I gave those same passions to the character Jane whose zest for life grew from her childhood summers in those spectacular surroundings. Perhaps it was that same zest for life that allowed her to come to terms with her sexuality and recognize who she was with grace and ease. Some might say surprisingly so. I have no doubt it was that same zest for life so appreciated and admired by the rest of The Bridge Club that helped them overcome the shock of her announcement and support her on her journey. Friendship at it’s finest, although not without some hurdles – that’s the women of The Bridge Club.