Palais des Papes
With two public holidays coming up, I'm taking a few days off and will be away until Monday night. Till then, I'll leave you to take a stroll through the Popes' Palace amidst the wonderful rose garden - memories of the alterarosa rose show that took place last weekend.
Je fais le pont entre les deux jours fériés qui arrivent et serai absente d'Avignon jusqu'à lundi soir. Je vous laisse jusque là flâner dans le cloitre du Palais des Papes au milieu des roses, souvenir de l'expo alterarosa du week-end dernier.
"Sweet love" featured above is the rose that received the "people's choice" award. It was my own favorite, I voted for it. This soft peach-cream coloured rose has the most exquisite scent, reminiscent of baby powder. It's the one featured on the first photo of my previous poste about the alterarosa show."Sweet love" que vous voyez ci-dessus a reçu le prix du public 2008. J'en suis ravie car c'était ma préférée. Cette rose aux tendres couleurs pêche-crème a un parfum poudré délicieux qui fait penser au cou d'un bébé. Retrouvez-la aussi sur la première photo de mon précédent billet sur alterarosa.
I hope this overdose of roses doesn't make you ill with Stendhal's syndrome, a pyschosomatic illness which can affect individuals exposed to art and exceptional beauty on a large scale in a single place. First described by French writer Stendhal when he visited the beautiful city of Florence (Italy) in 1817, it is now a recognised illness, whose symptoms are rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations. Are you OK ?
all photos copyright avignon photos
all photos copyright avignon photos
J'espère que tant de beauté ne vous rendra pas malades... Je pense au syndrome de Stendhal, cette affection psychosomatique qui atteint les personnes exposées à une trop forte concentration d'art et de beauté dans un seul lieu, et qui cause palpitations cardiaques, confusion, vertiges, voire des hallucinations. Citons Stendhal visitant Florence en 1817 :
« J'étais arrivé à ce point d'émotion où se rencontrent les sensations célestes données par les Beaux Arts et les sentiments passionnés. En sortant de Santa Croce j'avais un battement de cœur, la vie était épuisée chez moi, je marchais avec la crainte de tomber. »
« J'étais arrivé à ce point d'émotion où se rencontrent les sensations célestes données par les Beaux Arts et les sentiments passionnés. En sortant de Santa Croce j'avais un battement de cœur, la vie était épuisée chez moi, je marchais avec la crainte de tomber. »
Absolutely no parking for aeroplanes in rue Petramale.
The city really switched into high tourist season mode last weekend: not only was there a rose show on inside the Popes Palace, but also a potters' market just outside it, on Palace square (Place du Palais). A great variety of pottery was on display, from dishes and mugs to vases and pots. Here a live demonstration of a potter's work. When you look at both photos, do pay particular attention to the looks on people's faces. Three different ways of showing intensity.
The mother-to-be watches the vase taking similar round curves to her own. It was made especially for her. When it was finished her husband and herself left the imprint of their hands on both sides.
Every Saturday morning there's a market in Villeneuve-lez-Avignon. Seeing this man wearing gold and green sent me thinking of my Aussie friends. I am fortunate that some of my blogging friends will actually be visiting next summer.
You could buy yourselves a couple of extra ancestors...
Or perhaps a gilded garden furniture set...
... or else a boat that you could sail home in? As you can see my selection only includes items that are lightweight and easily fitted into a suitcase! All right, perhaps you could just go for that set of red tins on the right: sucre, farine, café, pâtes, thé - do you understand all these words? That would help you practice your French on a daily basis in your kitchen... All of you, do you enjoy antiques and flea markets? What kind of thing do you look for when you go?
te antiquités provence
In rue Philonarde yesterday, the Men at work sign revisited. White collar and cuffs, sexy underwear, Playboy rabbit ears. The painted eyes could also be a way of representing his interest in beauty and skin care products. The tiny sticker near his face reads 'L'homme moderne' (the modern man) : is the modern man a metrosexual?
Yesterday ended in rain. Let's take refuge in the cosy and luxurious comfort of one of Avignon's best hotels, 
This judas tree grows at the foot of Fort St André's massive twin towers. Last winter when it was no more than a dark naked silhouette I had no idea what tree it was... until April when it burst into this gorgeous explosion of pink. These photos were taken last week but unfortunately the blooming season is almost over now and a bright green foliage is taking over.
I think I could live there... Could that be your dream house ? (not quite mine; mine would have sea views)
Photography is an interesting thing : a photo is never neutral. The angle you choose, the distance, light and perspective all contribute to giving it a special character, power or meaning. Here are three takes on the same graffiti I found in various parts of town. The top one is by far the most powerful in my opinion.
Meet the workers paving Avignon's main square, Place du Palais. Well, not the whole square; they're restoring part of it after some work on the underground parking lot was carried out. They were kind enough to let me take some photos. The traditional paving technique in Avignon doens't involve square stones cut out from a quarry but big river stones cut in half. The heavy duty quartz stones rolled in by the river Rhone are much more suitable for paving that the local limestone, which is far too tender. On average a worker paves 5 to 7 square metres a day, this man explained. Up to 7 to 9 square metres if an assistant prepares the work for you by cutting the stones in half and bringing them over. Despite the kneepads, the knees are pretty sore at the end of the day. "It's Roman slave's work" said this man with a big smile. 
The stones are embedded in a thick layer of dry mortar. At the end of each day the mortar is watered down and it sets around the rocks. For a view of the final result, see below. The workers are in the fenced off area you see at the back. There's three of them (two pavers and one assistant) and they will be there until the end of the month.
