The secret to winning Petanque!

Thats right we are back in Aix and back to school. We are learning more french, actually in my case I am learning the same french over again. Yoly of course is speeding off into the distance learning about advanced usages of the language. While I might understand what the train conductor in upset about, Yoly will be able to able to explain our interpretation of the rail pass contract. She should at least be able to talk her way out of a fine, I think these french lessons are money in the bank!

I was still shaken from the last time I played against Yolanda. As you recall the men's team was resting on the laurels of winning the first Partie of Petanque and were well ahead in our match with Yolanda's team when she started to play her game and trounced us. Well this time around I was paired with a super competitive Australian lady. We handily beat the first team to come our way and I was quite confident of the outcome of our Championship Partie against Yolanda's team. Once again my team and I were trounced. 

The secret to winning Petanque? Three things, first and foremost you need to be close to the ground, Yoly had us all beat. Second you need to get control of the Cochonnet, Yoly' team started with the 

cochonette (the small jack ball that serves as a taget). Once Yoly has the cochonette all she has to do is use her advantage of being close to the ground to play the cochonette into the parts of the Pétanque terrain where she can see the lay of the terrain. Since we are taller and can't see the nuances of the piste we have no idea why our balls do the things they do. Third, short arms improve the accuracy and consistency of the throw. So to summarise, be short, have short arms, and use your head. I think it is the use of her last strategy, where the rest of us are too far behind.

Oh!, The little fine print! 

I guess this day had to come. I promise myself a pair of sexier glasses for when I get back home.

We tasted the traditional and most delicious Gallette du Roi with tea and had a great visit with the owners of our previous appartment.

Have you ever seen a cooking competition on TV? Al and I took a cooking class in 30 minutes and I have a feeling that included eating it. We prepared a Thai Style Prawns with noodles. We were shown how to cut the snow peas, pumpkin, radishes, mushrooms, clean and undress the prawns, grate the fresh ginger, squiz the lime, chop the cilantro and finally sauté the prawns and add it all together adding  soya sause and agridulce salsa verde.

This is what suppose to look like. 

This is Al's creation. We both had a awesome time at this workshop along with other fellow students. But the best was yet to come.

We did a great job following directions and preparing our quick lunch.

L'atelier des Chefs is a great place to learn and broad your cooking skills. They offer regional, traditional, and international cooking classes including the art of pastries. There are classes that take 30 minutes to 4 hours.

Some of my dreams have come true, during our 30 minute school recess we go to the outdoor markets for fresh and local produce.

Sorry, I could'd help pointing at my winning ball. My team partner also agrees.

Al's desperate strategy is to knock some of my balls away from the cochonnet.

We used a purse strap to accurately measure the distance of the balls. 

Oh, oh! Looks like i've done it again. Yoly's team wins! 13 to 6

Well, at the end it's just a fun game. Shake hand and move on. Until the next time.

Cool brass sink.

Plaza of the Four Dolphins

One of these days, we are going to follow the Paul Cezanne Route here in town.

Jan 13 Montpellier

We spent the whole day touring around Montpellier. It rained for the whole day so we didn't take many pictures and the ones we got seem a little depressing. It sort of fit our mood because we miss Hugh. Good news though Hugh made it back to Calgary and found Xela to be in good health and good spirits. Thanks John and Betty and everyone else who lent a hand. Montpellier is a pretty town but it looks like the economy has been unkind to many of its inhabitants and perhaps to the tax base of the city. Like Marseille it appears to need some TLC like triming trees, picking weeds and cleaning streets.

This is an aquaduct from back in the day it is still carrying water to a big water tower in the center of Montpellier.

More aquaduct.

The faculty of medicine at the University.

Hugh was looking for this statue at the Museum of Louvre but it was not on display because it was being restored. This is just a rusty replica.

This is the regional office building.

The camera is unkind to these dancers. They actually looked like they were all dancing to the same song when we were watching them.

This guy has it tough his horse got too tired and he had to carry it.

Dec 11. Perpignan.

We went to Perpignan because we hadn't seen it and it was on the way back to Aix. That is the same reason we plan to go to Montpellier. These pictures are from the Dali Museum, Figueres and Perpignan. 

One more picture together at the Barcelona train station before we parted ways.

A picture of Dali on one the plazas in Perpignan.

Inside the Dali museum. This is no ordinary car, it makes rain inside when a euro is inserted on the a little box.

This is what the car looks inside.

A strange bedroom and furniture but very unique.

A painting on the ceiling

A large acrilic paint at the entrance

Oh, no! What, three Allans. Which one is the real one?

Dali's jewlry expensive creations in gold, silver, gems and cristals.

In 1961 Dali had an idea and he drew it.

Then, he created this piece.

This elephant has been recreated in Marseille's Port in a large scale without the cristal on top.

Outside walls of the museum. We learned that Dali built this museum on the ruins of an old theater that was destroyed during the second worl war.

Outside of the Dali Museum

An empty castle, fort, citadel in Perpignan.

Lord Aragon from the Hobbit movie/book. He is sleeping in the catedral in Perpignan. Or ...

Tall girls in wedding dresses throwing confetti 

Once upon a time this was the entrance of Perpignan. Then it became a prision for many years. Now it is a good place to have a party on Saturday afternoon.

Jan 10 We are back in France and Hugh is on his way to Calgary

We all left Barcelona on the same train, but in different cars and with different destinations. Yoly and I got off in Figueres and Hugh stayed on all the way to Paris. 

We went to the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres and didn't understand it. I got a laugh out of a convertable Cadillac that had a rain storm inside the car when I put one euro in the coin slot. Dali also had a nice colletion of art and designed interesting jewelry. 

Hugh went to Paris and got lost, that is of course the reason one goes to Paris, he found himself again in time to go to bed early so he could catch his plane back to Calgary.

This is what a castle looks like from the train when it is going very fast. We took the spanish high speed AVE to get back to Barcelona.

300 km per hour fast!

The terrace at the Batilló house in Barcelona.

This house was designed to have as much sun light and ventilation throughout the five levels. On the light well the tiles at the top are dark blue and gradually they become white at the ground level allowing natural light to be uniformly intense.

There were no straight lines in this house.

A beautiful and unique house to visit

This hallway is well lit and ventilated 

We took a gondola to a castle on top of a hill in Barcelona. Montjuïc castle.

There was a bird having a dust bath.