There was a more local type of election today and we went up to the village to vote for the mayor. My husband isn’t happy with him and didn’t want to vote for him but, as usual, he is running unopposed. The mayor is a local guy, a farmer, who has some olive trees and vineyards. Maurice wanted him to put in some speed bumps on the road going by our house as it is being used as a short cut by many people. In fact, one day a lady roared by our car as we headed out and hit our side view mirror with hers. Luckily for us, it took off hers, not ours. She was headed up the hill to visit a relative, so she said. Anyway, the mayor doesn’t think we need speed bumps. But he, or at least the village, did do this:

This whole area was completely taken apart and rebuilt, mostly with new stones. It was all torn up the last time we saw it. Not only was it once a source of water for the village but the women could wash their clothes there. The people who live next to this used to use it as their own personal area, setting up their chairs and stringing out a line to dry their clothes on. I’m interested to see if they do it again this summer.

Here is the lavoir. Aren’t you thankful to be living in this day and age with a washer and a dryer? What a chore that must have been although I’m guessing it was a great time to socialize.

A closeup of the fountain. I think this is the only original stone remaining.

I love the shape of this flower pot.

This old olive oil press is inside the building where we voted. It was once outside across the road. This area was a big olive oil area but many trees were lost during a severe frost. There are still a couple of old trees left on our property but they don’t produce many olives.

Sideroads of Europe

We are now in Provence. Our house has been closed since November and sitting in the cold winter without any heating on. To say it was cold when we walked in doesn’t begin to describe it. We turned on the heater, kept our coats on for a couple of hours, started a fire and I even turned on a little electric floor heater that I have and kept it aimed at my feet all evening. I even took it to the bed to see if I could warm it up but it kept shutting down under the covers-probably a good thing. The weather isn’t too bad here right now-in the 50’s or so during the day but it is definitely nippy at night. I have lots to do, mostly housework and pulling weeds and haven’t been out with my camera as yet so I am posting some photos of an interesting part of Paris called Bercy.

We often go to movies here at a place called Cour St Emillion. It is mostly chains stores and places to eat. It used to be the major storage and shipping facility for wine in Paris being near the Seine. They tore down everything which is probably a shame and built a huge park and this area. It’s always really nicely decorated at Christmas.

Another shot from the outside probably following the line of the buildings that were once here.

They have left some of the old railroad tracks around that, while interesting to see, are murder on the ankles if you step wrong.

Nearby is the Bercy Entertainment complex. We’ve seen tennis here before and it is where performers like Madonna perform as it holds a lot of people. I think it is rather strange looking with grass growing up the sides. I’m told that they have to have some sort of special lawnmower to cut the grass, plus they have to water it. What were they thinking?

Some interesting metal sculpture in the park.

Large areas of water are in the park.

The park is split in two by a major road so there are two large bridges which span it and connect the two sides.

Sideroads of Europe

Maurice and I head off for Provence today. I’m not sure when we will be back in Paris. Maybe not until winter. Here are a few photos I took here and there yesterday. I have a new computer without photoshop so I am using a new program I am not familiar with so I am fussing with the photos. I’m so bad at learning new things.

This “suitcase” is covering the renovation of a shop. Right across the street is the original store which sells luggage and other sorts of things for traveling. It has been in business for years and is on rue St Honore and it is not the sort of place I can afford to buy anything.

A closeup of the latch. Doesn’t it look like the real thing?

This photo is rather dark but can you see the angels around this window? It was in the St Roch Cathedral, also on rue St Honore.

Would you believe that this is the ceiling in a Starbucks cafe? It is near the Garnier Opera House.

This is a bistro not too far from where we live. I love the ambience here. I think it looks like a scene in a French movie. It’s called Chez Prosper. There is a framed record on the wall with the title of Chez Prosper. I have no idea what the song is about.

Here is the floor-I like it too. Once, last autumn, they had tied up huge braches of trees with yellow leaves still on them and there were dried leaves all over the floor. It was so cool looking. They have good salads here too, by the way.

Sideroads of Europe

As you might expect, while we were in Colorado there was snow. Not just a little snow but lots-many of layers of heavy snow. You could actually see the different layers on roofs like the layers of rock, looking like folded linen as a friend said. The skiing was some of the best in years. We visited two places-Vail and Aspen. I loved the town of Aspen, totally new to me. While there, we visited the memorial park to John Denver who lived here.

The sanctuary is very simple, rather like his songs. I bought one of his CD’s while there, a complilation of his greatest hits. It was nice to listen to while in Aspen.

Verses from some of his best known songs were carved into simple boulders.

As you might expect, there are Aspen trees every where.

This old tombstone in a nearby cemetery gives you an idea of the amount of snow there was there. Alot of it was rounded like this.

Sideroads of Europe

Almost every French person I have ever asked says that they know who Buffalo Bill is. There seems to have been a real love of the whole cowboy and Indian story in France. In fact, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West was wildly popular in France. The show appeared for seven months at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. A grandstand, campground and even an electric plant were built to support the show for its extended stay. Following Paris, the Wild West played other French cities including Lyon and Marseilles, and then set sail for Barcelona and several Italian cities.

My husband is fascinated that I have Cherokee heritage but I’ve told him that just about every person in the States has some Indian blood. He made the whole story of the West famous and cowboys, who were once looked down upon, heros. Two famous people in his shows were Wild Bill Hicock and Annie Oakley. When we were recently in the States to see the new grandson, we also made a quick trip to Colorado, did a little skiing and made a stop at his grave.

The sign leading to Buffalo Bill’s grave. It is high up on Lookout Mountain. The government at the time said that he requested to be buried here when he died in Colorado (so did his wife) and buried him here with tons of cement on top so he couldn’t be exhumed and buried in Cody, Wyoming where he was born.

The altitude there. Maurice and I were breathless from the climb to say the least.

There was a museum there and a shop selling not only buffalo burgers but all sorts of cowboy and Indian things to buy.

His grave. His wife is also buried here.

Sideroads of Europe