到法國南部普羅旺斯 (Provence) 旅遊,是筆者近這幾年夏天的例行公事。因為一位好友的夫家住在亞維翁 (Avignon) 附近,暑假時她與丈夫會帶孩子回鄉探親。好友的家翁家姑每年都會細心挑選一間合適的渡假屋,好讓從各地來的兒孫們能聚首一堂,渡過一個愉快的假期。每年借探好友為名而到普羅旺斯旅遊,和好友夫家一起在渡假屋小住數天。由於歷年的渡假屋位於不同地方,而離開渡假屋後有時會獨自往別的城鎮觀光,所以這幾年下來,在普羅旺斯已經留下不少足跡。
今年夏天的渡假屋位於普羅旺斯西北部,一處叫 Grignan 的小鎮附近。由於位置偏僻,渡假屋既沒有電視,也沒有無線寬頻上網設施,甚至智能手機也接受不到3G訊號上網(莫說4G)!對手機不離手的人來説可能是個惡夢,但我們卻視之為電子產品排毒的好機會。過了幾天與世隔絕的日子,竟然大家都十分享受沒有上網或看電視的時間。上午沒有那麼炎熱,大家會到附近城鎮觀光,下午炎熱時孩子們跳進泳池嬉水,成人躲在室內,男士們砌模型、玩撲克牌,女士們就邊閒聊邊做點小手工。平時大家都過著忙碌的生活,能夠慢下來倒真的不錯。
Grignan 是個很典型的普羅旺斯小鎮,有著不少沙黃色的小屋,小山丘上有所古舊城堡,城堡的空地在夏天時架起舞台,晚上有表演舉行。有天下午眾人一起到城堡參觀,可是那天天氣炎熱,沒有在那裡待多久便離開。Grignan 和其鄰近地區有不少陶窯,剛巧有天早上在 Grignan 鎮內開設了露天陶瓷市場,眾人趁機到那裡逛逛。市場裡除了碗碟茶壺等器皿以外,還有很多手工精細和考設計心思的擺設,可惜陶瓷實在易碎,無緣買一兩件帶回家。
在市場裡看見一件像湯碗型的器皿,但是底部卻有一個洞,詢問下得知那是做果醬時用的陶瓷漏斗。法國人愛吃麵包,早餐吃麵包時必塗厚厚的一層果醬,而那裡不少人都喜愛自家製的果醬,夏天盛產紅莓、藍莓、無花果等水果時總會買大量回家做果醬。好友的家姑每年也會自製不同味道的果醬,十分受家人歡迎,在渡假屋時總會吃掉最少兩瓶,而筆者尤其喜愛混了少許黑胡椒的草莓果醬。
除了觀光,有天早上眾人到 Dieulefit 的郊區玩 accrobranche。Accrobranche 是個在法國很流行的樹上障礙賽,樹與樹之間或有平衡木,或有繩索,亦可能有鞦韆等等。參加者從階梯爬上第一棵樹上的木板平台後便得通過這些障礙物到達下一棵樹,如是者至終點為止。障礙賽有分難度,從三歲小孩也能玩的幼兒路線,繼而由淺入深從綠色,藍色,紅色,至頗考體力的黑色和超級黑色路線。男士們一開始便往黑色路線,幾位女士不是要照顧小孩便是畏高,只是停留在綠色和藍色路線之間。筆者負責照顧好友的兩名姪兒,豈料這兩個十歲左右的孩子膽色過人,加上從小便玩這種樹上障礙賽,不一會便輕而易舉地從一棵樹通往下一棵樹,累得膽小的筆者連膽怯的時間也沒有便要跟著他們前進。玩了綠色和藍色路線一次便已倦透,但其中一個小姪女還獨自往難度加倍的紅色路線進發,真佩服她的膽量。
待續。
今年夏天的渡假屋位於普羅旺斯西北部,一處叫 Grignan 的小鎮附近。由於位置偏僻,渡假屋既沒有電視,也沒有無線寬頻上網設施,甚至智能手機也接受不到3G訊號上網(莫說4G)!對手機不離手的人來説可能是個惡夢,但我們卻視之為電子產品排毒的好機會。過了幾天與世隔絕的日子,竟然大家都十分享受沒有上網或看電視的時間。上午沒有那麼炎熱,大家會到附近城鎮觀光,下午炎熱時孩子們跳進泳池嬉水,成人躲在室內,男士們砌模型、玩撲克牌,女士們就邊閒聊邊做點小手工。平時大家都過著忙碌的生活,能夠慢下來倒真的不錯。
Grignan 是個很典型的普羅旺斯小鎮,有著不少沙黃色的小屋,小山丘上有所古舊城堡,城堡的空地在夏天時架起舞台,晚上有表演舉行。有天下午眾人一起到城堡參觀,可是那天天氣炎熱,沒有在那裡待多久便離開。Grignan 和其鄰近地區有不少陶窯,剛巧有天早上在 Grignan 鎮內開設了露天陶瓷市場,眾人趁機到那裡逛逛。市場裡除了碗碟茶壺等器皿以外,還有很多手工精細和考設計心思的擺設,可惜陶瓷實在易碎,無緣買一兩件帶回家。
在市場裡看見一件像湯碗型的器皿,但是底部卻有一個洞,詢問下得知那是做果醬時用的陶瓷漏斗。法國人愛吃麵包,早餐吃麵包時必塗厚厚的一層果醬,而那裡不少人都喜愛自家製的果醬,夏天盛產紅莓、藍莓、無花果等水果時總會買大量回家做果醬。好友的家姑每年也會自製不同味道的果醬,十分受家人歡迎,在渡假屋時總會吃掉最少兩瓶,而筆者尤其喜愛混了少許黑胡椒的草莓果醬。
除了觀光,有天早上眾人到 Dieulefit 的郊區玩 accrobranche。Accrobranche 是個在法國很流行的樹上障礙賽,樹與樹之間或有平衡木,或有繩索,亦可能有鞦韆等等。參加者從階梯爬上第一棵樹上的木板平台後便得通過這些障礙物到達下一棵樹,如是者至終點為止。障礙賽有分難度,從三歲小孩也能玩的幼兒路線,繼而由淺入深從綠色,藍色,紅色,至頗考體力的黑色和超級黑色路線。男士們一開始便往黑色路線,幾位女士不是要照顧小孩便是畏高,只是停留在綠色和藍色路線之間。筆者負責照顧好友的兩名姪兒,豈料這兩個十歲左右的孩子膽色過人,加上從小便玩這種樹上障礙賽,不一會便輕而易舉地從一棵樹通往下一棵樹,累得膽小的筆者連膽怯的時間也沒有便要跟著他們前進。玩了綠色和藍色路線一次便已倦透,但其中一個小姪女還獨自往難度加倍的紅色路線進發,真佩服她的膽量。
待續。
Provence has been on my annual to-visit list for several years now. A good friend's husband's family lives near Avignon, and she and her family travel there each summer for a big family reunion. Each year, my friend's in-laws would carefully choose a nice holiday home in different parts of Provence to rent for a week so the grandchildren can enjoy their summer holidays together. I tend to go and stay at the holiday home with them for several days before taking off to do some town-hopping on my own, so over the last few years I have covered quite a lot of ground in Provence already.
This year, the holiday home is situated in the north western part of Provence, not too far from the Alps near a small town called Grignan. As the house is located in a very remote village, there is no TV, no wifi and even smartphones have no 3G connections. So basically we were stuck in a time-warp for days without knowing what was happening outside of the house. It's probably unthinkable for some to not have internet connection for days on end, but for us we didn't mind it a bit and in fact quite enjoyed having a gadget-detox for a change! In the mornings we would go sightseeing, and when it's hot in the afternoons the kids play in the pool while adults stay indoors to play card games, build models, do crafts or simply have a good old chat.
Grignan is a typical Provencal town with many sand-coloured old houses. In the centre of the town, on the hill, there is an old castle which has been guarding the town for centuries. We visited the castle one afternoon but it was so hot that day we didn't stay very long. Grignan and its nearby towns are famous for pottery-making, and one morning there was a pottery market in town, and we all went to check it out. Aside from the usual plates, cups and teapots, there were lots of beautifully made decorative pieces for sale. It was a shame that they are so fragile and at the time I still had days of road trip ahead so it was not possible to buy any to take home.
At the pottery market I saw this shallow bowl-looking thing with a hole at the bottom. Upon enquiry I found out that it is a funnel specially for jam-making. The wide hole in the funnel is for the fruit bits to pass through. French loves eating bread, and when they have bread for breakfast they always eat it with a thick layer of jam on top. Many people like making their own jams, in summer when berries and figs are in abundance they would buy boxes of them to make jam. My friend's mother-in-law makes her own jam as well and they're a real hit with the family with at least two jars getting polished off within the week at the holiday home. My favourite is her strawberry jam with a hint of black pepper.
Aside from sightseeing, one morning we went to this adventure park near Dieulefit to do accrobranche. Accrobranche is a very popular outdoor activity in France, it roughly translates as tree-top climbing adventure. One climbs onto a wooden platform of the first tree by a ladder, then between trees there could be two ropes, or a wooden beam, or a swing etc. The aim is to cross from one tree to the next till the end of the course. There are different courses for everyone, from baby ones which even three-year-olds can do, to green, blue, red, black, and the ultimate, super black course. The boys headed straight to the black course, while us girls were either too chicken or had to mind the kids that we stayed in the green and blue courses. I was minding my friend's niece and nephew, and I felt so ashamed that they were so much better than me at it! Having done it many times before, they were pros and just crossed from tree to tree with ease and in fact they would turn around and asked if I was okay. I was barely catching up and had no time to be scared of heights. After finishing the green and blue courses I was knackered already, yet the ten-year-old niece decided to go on to do the red course on her own! Hats off to these fearless French kids.
To be continued.
This year, the holiday home is situated in the north western part of Provence, not too far from the Alps near a small town called Grignan. As the house is located in a very remote village, there is no TV, no wifi and even smartphones have no 3G connections. So basically we were stuck in a time-warp for days without knowing what was happening outside of the house. It's probably unthinkable for some to not have internet connection for days on end, but for us we didn't mind it a bit and in fact quite enjoyed having a gadget-detox for a change! In the mornings we would go sightseeing, and when it's hot in the afternoons the kids play in the pool while adults stay indoors to play card games, build models, do crafts or simply have a good old chat.
Grignan is a typical Provencal town with many sand-coloured old houses. In the centre of the town, on the hill, there is an old castle which has been guarding the town for centuries. We visited the castle one afternoon but it was so hot that day we didn't stay very long. Grignan and its nearby towns are famous for pottery-making, and one morning there was a pottery market in town, and we all went to check it out. Aside from the usual plates, cups and teapots, there were lots of beautifully made decorative pieces for sale. It was a shame that they are so fragile and at the time I still had days of road trip ahead so it was not possible to buy any to take home.
At the pottery market I saw this shallow bowl-looking thing with a hole at the bottom. Upon enquiry I found out that it is a funnel specially for jam-making. The wide hole in the funnel is for the fruit bits to pass through. French loves eating bread, and when they have bread for breakfast they always eat it with a thick layer of jam on top. Many people like making their own jams, in summer when berries and figs are in abundance they would buy boxes of them to make jam. My friend's mother-in-law makes her own jam as well and they're a real hit with the family with at least two jars getting polished off within the week at the holiday home. My favourite is her strawberry jam with a hint of black pepper.
Aside from sightseeing, one morning we went to this adventure park near Dieulefit to do accrobranche. Accrobranche is a very popular outdoor activity in France, it roughly translates as tree-top climbing adventure. One climbs onto a wooden platform of the first tree by a ladder, then between trees there could be two ropes, or a wooden beam, or a swing etc. The aim is to cross from one tree to the next till the end of the course. There are different courses for everyone, from baby ones which even three-year-olds can do, to green, blue, red, black, and the ultimate, super black course. The boys headed straight to the black course, while us girls were either too chicken or had to mind the kids that we stayed in the green and blue courses. I was minding my friend's niece and nephew, and I felt so ashamed that they were so much better than me at it! Having done it many times before, they were pros and just crossed from tree to tree with ease and in fact they would turn around and asked if I was okay. I was barely catching up and had no time to be scared of heights. After finishing the green and blue courses I was knackered already, yet the ten-year-old niece decided to go on to do the red course on her own! Hats off to these fearless French kids.
To be continued.