La vie à Grenoble: Via Ferrata and Eating my way through Provence

Via Ferrata and why I nearly killed my coworker

My french coworker, Denis, said that it was "hiking with metals things". The rather innoccuous name "Via Ferrata" is actually a terrifying thing. You don't have to sign anything, there are no instructions. There aren't any people watching to help you either, you are on your own.You just hope you've attached the ropes to yourself correctly and climb up a vertical cliff. Then suddenly you realize that you can't turn back and that it's much higher up than you initially thought. At one point you have to traverse a single steel cable blowing in the wind across a 30 foot wide 100 foot down drop between two cliff faces. I think it was at this point that I threatened my coworker (all in good faith of course). I rewarded myself afterwards with homemade macarons and alcohol. I had bruises left on my arms from how tightly I was holding on for days afterwards.

Climbing up part of the Via Ferrata.

On a different and very beautiful day I climbed to the top of the Bastille and decided to try one of the many additional trails that led off from the top. I ended up going down the path to the Mandrin Caves but I think it would be more appropriate to call it Shelob's Lair. This was seriously freaky. Even though it was entirely bright outside, this cave, which was constructed by French troops in 1844, was completely pitch black. There wasn't a single sound inside accept for my own breath and heartbeat. I had to use the flash on my camera to make sure that there weren't huge spiders chasing me in the dark. The legend goes that there is a treasure hidden somewhere in the depths of this cave but no one has ever found it.

Shelob's Lair!

Eating my way through Provence

Last weekend, my roommate and I headed to the city of Arles in Provence where my roommate's mother lives in a gorgeous villa. Upon arrival, there was some of the most amazing lamb I've ever had. This lamb was roasted with french rosemary and whole garlic cloves by my roommate's Maman Chantal. We had lamb, salad verte, haricot verts, a cheese course, lots of wine and bread. Our provencial lunch was followed with a dessert of local fresh strawberries and cream.

Breakfast everyday consisted of fresh baked bread, croissants, good coffee, local lavender honey, fresh butter, and homemade apricot preserves. Can you say heaven?

A most welcome pool. This got a lot of use.

A lot a lot of honey! Very expensive. I'll be bringing 6 of
these back to the states, somehow.

Lunch Day 2: Crustini with tapenade and caviar,
white wine and very very rare steak.

After lunch on Day 2 we went to Nimes to see the Feria festival. It was loud, crowded, expensive and smelly. There was trash everywhere, lots of drunk people and far too much smoke. Another thing is that I think someone needs to tell middle-aged to older europeans that they need to dress their age. I saw wrinkly old ladies with tube tops and drag queen grade makeup. There were gross old frenchmen with spiked hair, popped-collar abercrombie polos and gucci sunglasses everywhere you looked.

A roman colliseum in Nimes France.

Back in beautiful Arles, we profiter de la sunset. Went for a swim and I read some more Harry Potter in French.

The view from where I was staying.

After lunch on our final day in Arles we went on a nice bike ride to some roman ruins. My bike was made for someone half my size and who likes seats to be as hard as diamond. Couldn't walk afterwards. Provence is exactly as you would imagine it to be. Long, low hills fields of grass and dotted with trees. The skies are impressive with ever-changing clouds. Wildflowers were in bloom everywhere you looked.