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Date: Saturday, 18 October 2003 15:44 (midnight in France)
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Hello to all,
I have arrived at the halfway point in my journal, and the time is flying. Here I am now back in France to explore the south before going to Italy. I am writing from Montpellier and everything is going very well up to now, I am even three days ahead of schedule. I prefer that, because I want to have at least one day for skiing in the Alps in November. I finished my incursion into Spain and fell in love with Barcelona. The environment there is magical and the modernism exhibited by that city completely conquered me.
I was not familiar with Gaudi before this trip but I adored seeing the audacity of his creations. I am rather conservative by nature but his creations inspired me. I loved most of all Guel Park and the Perdrera. Unfortunately, the temperature was unseasonable and I had scarcely enough time to climb up on the roof and admire the chimneys. And to think that his work dates from the beginning of the 1900's, a true genius! I also visited the Maritime museum which was very good and many other sites on that famous double-decker bus. I used it as transportation, and it was easier than the underground trains.
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As for Barcelona itself, La Rambla was boring with its great crowds and its public performers. I was going to go there one last time on Thursday morning before my departure, but the clouds dispersed and that's when all the magic of that street is palpable. The public market connected to La Rambla where one can find anything, displays from fish and meat to all manner of sweets. But it was most of all the vendors of poultry (chickens and roosters live in cages), ducks, pigeons, and every other bauble that gave it an air of festival. And to say that this was a cloudy Thursday morning in autumn, it felt like we were completely transported into summer!
Thus I left Barcelona with regret to turn toward France. I chose a highway and crossed all the hills between Spain and France except one. I was obliged to take a tunnel (with a toll) from Cadiz, 5 km long, because I believe that there the government got discouraged and preferred to dig rather than to make another goat-road. As for the temperature, it was more than 22 degrees (71 F.) in Barcelona, and only 7 (44 F.) in the Pyrenees. I followed the road until 6:30 in the evening when I arrives at Aix les Thermes. This is a charming little village especially known for its hot sulfur springs and its proximity to prehistoric caves. This was a good place to stop on this glum Thursday evening.
Friday morning, the clouds were very low on the hills, and I was so high up that I could nearly touch them. In any case, one could not see very far. I made a detour to see the famous caves but they are now closed, since it was outside the tourist season. No tragedy, I continued through the hills and stopped next at Toulouse. I visited the old city, its cathedral and museum of antiquities which showed the various finds made by the archeologists around Toulouse. There was a lot of material dating from Roman times at the beginning of the 1st century, truly fascinating. I then took the road toward Carcassonne but it began to rain heavily (literally: rain nails). It was very disagreeable and I arrived about 4:30 at the hotel. I really wanted to see this city and I only hoped that the temperature would be more mild the next day.
I was in luck, because it was beautiful this morning. Better yet, because it is Saturday, there is less traffic and I could really visit at my leisure. This medieval walled city has been very well restored, and Marie, the different styles of architecture -- the people who have lived here have left their mark: the Romans, the Muslims, the Visigoths, and the others. They have jealously garded its medieval style, in contrast to Barcelona where the emphasis has been placed on the modern. Two approaches completely opposite, that I was privileged to witness in scarcely two days.
After Carcassonne, it was a tour around Montpellier and another enchanting decor. I arrived early because I wanted to make my report. This is now done, and I am getting ready to go to bed. A little TV to relax and nitie-night, a big day is waiting for me tomorrow.
Til next time
Paul
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