Another vacation thought: Barging through Provence

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Saturday, March 27. 2010

Another vacation thought: Barging through Provence

Mrs. BD is now considering this idea for an August trip: barging through Provence on the Rhone and the canals.

I told her the choice was between that trip and finishing getting my teeth fixed. It's called Fun With Implants. (Of course, if Obama would pay for my teeth then I could do both. Maybe I should write a note and cc Reid and Pelosi and tell them I'm ready for my new choppers right now.)

My Mom and Dad took one of these trips a few years ago. She said their plump Chef decided to try the balloon ride one time, got about 10" in the air and leaned out to tell the Sous-chef some last minute cooking detail and fell out of the basket into the canal. Hilarity ensued.

Also on my bucket list: Sailing cruise down the coast of Turkey. Yes, I do want to visit Turkey again - with digital camera this time. I like the people, the food, the landscape, the markets, the history, the ruins, and their fruit and wines.

Carpe diem. Cave canem. Gnothi sauton, too.

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 16:24 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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the ruins that litter Turkeys landscape are in many cases pretty unknown to most travellers...good choice.

#1 Thud (Link) on 2010-03-27 18:08 (Reply)

Not unknown to me. Mostly Greek ruins. Crusader stuff along the coast.

#1.1 Bird Dog on 2010-03-27 18:10 (Reply)

I'd bag them both on cost grounds. France is going to suck money out of you this summer at a rate you will not believe possible. I don't care what you think it is going to cost "at the most" add 30% to that and 15% to that total. Also Turkey can be iffy in the political sense and it can happen fast.

If you simply must Europize, check out Portugal and the Posada system. Then splurge at the Lisbon Ritz. (Hidden advantage: English is Portugal's second language.)

#2 vanderleun on 2010-03-27 20:41 (Reply)

You are too negative, Vandy.

#2.1 Bird Dog on 2010-03-28 06:50 (Reply)

It's "Gnothi Seauton"

#3 treefroggy on 2010-03-27 22:31 (Reply)

I have seen several variant spellings of the translation from the Greek.

#3.1 Bird Dog on 2010-03-28 06:52 (Reply)

My wife and I did the barge thing in Provence, and it was great. The restaurants along the way are fantastic, and if you eat fairly early as we in the US tend to do, you never have any trouble getting a table.

A few years before the Provence trip, we did a narrowboat trip in the UK, starting in Cheshire and ending up in North Wales. Although the food wasn't as spectacular, I think I liked England trip better. It had lovely bucolic scenery, friendly, easygoing natives, and great beers along the way. And -- a BIG plus for me -- in England you get to operate the locks yourself. I'd say the England canal trip was my favorite vacation ever.

The boats in both countries cruise at a brisk walking pace. If you get tired of being on the boat, you can turn the tiller over to a traveling companion and have a nice stroll on the towpath.

#4 SJChannel on 2010-03-28 00:21 (Reply)

My wife and I barged through south west france in the Midi area a few years ago. We and four other couples we know took the whole boat that was manned by a pleasant group of young Brits.

There was a bad side to the trip--We had waited till end of September because it is so hot there--Even then it was hot and the air handling in boat kept bedrooms stifling. There was a problem down below in bilge so our rooms stunk. Some nights we went up and slept on deck in chairs to escape heat and smells. The Boat goes slower than walking pace--very boring unless you read and drink a lot.

There was good stuff too-- day trips to local vineyards, castles, etc. Good food, good staff, good company. But the British canal trip sounds better

#5 bill greene (Link) on 2010-04-12 08:52 (Reply)

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Saturday, March 27. 2010

Another vacation thought: Barging through Provence