Gorges Du Verdon and learning the French way

People have been complaining that I haven't posted enough. I thought once every 2 weeks was OK. However I guess there is no pleasing some people (right Kim?) :-)

Well I’m all settled here now; the apartment is great (apart from a little street noise) and work is fantastic. I was told that the research group are a fun bunch of people before hand, but I must say they are fantastic fun. At one point, as per the French way of life, I was told off for reading Journals at lunch and then again on The bus after work. Apparently while they do work hard here, work STOPS as soon as you stop work.

Work is looking interesting and the project I have is "ambitious" to put it simply. They have no idea if is going to work and it’s a mash of about 5 ideas and concepts which will be quite a challenge. However, that’s the way I like it I guess and I've got some very good collaborators on the project, so it should be interesting.

I mentioned to some of you guys about how I haven't been blown away by the food over here yet. However, I spent today thinking about it and I am actually very impressed with the food, its not slapping in your face, but its all very good.

However, to really enjoy the food you have to get away from the supermarkets. Every morning the fisherman setup on the wharf selling the days catch. This is basically whatever comes in and is mostly still alive (I was going to get a live octopus but I don’t think my flat mates will believe it followed me home). I quite like shopping at Marche des Capucins which is again a wonderful mash of "life". It’s in a reasonably bad area of town in a set of back alleys and comprises of people selling stolen goods on blankets, fresh fruit markets, tiny crowded Arabic/Moroccan dried goods shops, Arab butchers with piles of meat and is a massive assault of sounds , smells (not all good)and varied foods. Apparently there is also a Garlic Market somewhere too but I haven't found that yet.

The French don’t eat out too much, (its quite expensive) and if you shop at the supermarket its all pretty much like in Australia.
* The cheese and wine are good and cheap, beer is practically free ($4-8 AUD for a six pack).
* Oh and for those who know it, I love Pastice (the powerful aniseed liquor drank in Provence).
*The bread is cooked constantly through the day (warm baguette anyone?) ham and stuff is fantastic.
*I’m the only person who has a baguette for lunch every day pretty much because I’m still not used to having a warm lunch and cold dinner. If I had a warm lunch then id probably still have a big dinner too.

Oh and one last thing, im working my way through the list of Povencale food, and I do not recommend "pied et packettes" (feet and packages). Its basically a pigs foot wrapped in tripe (stomach) and some packets that have bacon I think wrapped in more tripe or something. Not totally disgusting, but I wouldn't buy it again.

Gorges Du Verdon


Gorge Du Verdon from Point Sublime

So anyway, last week I went to Gorges Du Verdon with Stephen and Marianne who were out from Australia and it was mind blowing. Ill let the Photos speak for themselves.

Since not everyone is interested in the walk, its over here.

Amusingly, I only knew the starting town which was Castellane. All my work mates looked at me very strange when I said I was walking at Castellane for three days. This is because in Marseille Castellane is a round about and they thought I was walking around a roundabout in the city for 3 days :-)


Castellane (Marseille) and Castellane (Verdon).


Gorge Du Verdon from Point Sublime


Walking around Marseille

I’ve also spent some time walking here in Marseille.

I walked for a day down the coast to Les Calanques, a huge mountain range full of climbing and walking. The walk took me down through some lovely beach and fishing areas. However, I think I’m more interested in walking in the Calanques :-)


Iles d'Hyeres. Part of the Calanques mountain range

I also walked up to the Cathedral Notre Dame De La Guarde, which is a huge cathedral that overlooks the city with a 10m high gilded statue of Saint Mary. It’s beautiful; with fantastic views, LOTS of gold, and a ton of tourists (that’s what I get for going on Easter Monday I guess).


Basalisque Notre Dame De la Guarde

Tomorrow I'm off mountain biking with my boss (its going to kill me) and then back to work.