Beautiful Biella

It was with great delight that we arrived in Italy. I have always held a deep fondness for this country, most probably derived from the fact I am 1/8th Italian. The journey through the tunnels from France felt like a home-coming of sorts. This land is part of my ancient history.

We were also very tired after our tour of France and in need of some R&R. Fortuitously one of the golf courses I had pencilled in to play provided accommodation at a very reasonable price, so we immediately headed there. The golf course, La Betulla (meaning Oak trees), is located about 15 minutes from a lovely town called Biella in the province of Piedmont.

Northern Italy is the industrial might of Italy, being the source of much of its tertiary production. Biella is recognised for its production of fine clothing, especially cashmere products. For those keen on dressing well, there are many outlets stores offering such fine apparel at very cheap prices (in NZD terms). For example, the most esquisite cashmere suits can be purchased for NZ$500, approximately 50% of the price paid in NZ.

Biella mountains

Biella town centre

La Betulla is worthy of some detail. It is the home of one of Europe's top 10 golf courses and is the playground of wealthy families living in the region. Given this status we were surpised by how welcome we were made to feel by the club and and by unpretentious nature of the members and the establishment. There are some clubs that exclude by their exclusiveness. La Betulla, on the other hand, is exclusive because of its inclusiveness and gentlemanly conduct. The waiting and room staff were simply wonderful, always responding to our needs before we realised them ourselves. We are learning a lot from the Italians about the meaning of hospitality.

Le Betulla golf club

Le Betulla living room

Le Betulla dining room

Le Betulla bedroom

The La Betulla Golf Course has the best greens I've ever played on. Tee to green I hit the ball almost as well as at any other time in my life, being close to regulation on most holes. If I had chipped and putted to the normal standard then I would have challenged par. But the greens were too fast, and anything not hit in the hole would slide at least two meters past. On down hill putts, the ball would roll some 20 feet past! Chipping the ball close was next to impossible, meaning up and downs were in short supply.

There was something very special about the fairways and surrounding woodlands. Golf was played to the sound of singing birds and leaves rustling in warm summer breezes. Life seemed to slow down to a snails pace, and golf enjoyed moment by moment, shot by shot.

By the time we left La Betulla we were fully relaxed and ready for the next stage of our journey. It was the holiday we needed within our holiday!

David playing golf at Le Betulla

Happy golfer

In the hills (mountains by Australian standards) just above Biella is a lovely catholic sanctuary housing the Black Madonna, a sacred religious artefact from the 4th century AD.  It was a Sunday and so Nadine and I went to mass, experiencing the Liturgy in Italian. Notably, there were very few younger people present, which has been the demographic trend all through Europe. It seems the Church is struggling to attract the younger generations. Discussing this with some Italian friends, it would appear the reason for the decline concerns the apparent inconsistencies between the teachings of Jesus and 'the way' of the Church, with its vast wealth and disconnection  from the everyday man and his or her issues. Personally, I think the problem stems from the separation of philosophy and religion. Bereft of robust intellectual challenge and scrutiny, religious institutions seem to forget their purpose and use the inexplicable to generate power and wealth - a major turn-off to the average Joe. The Church needs more Plato and less Aristotle.

Sanctuary Oropa

Sanctuary Oropa

We took a side trip to Turin (or Torino), a lovely little city. It is famous for two things: Fiat cars and the Shroud. Nadine and I will remember it for its rainbows and lightening! Nadine also had coffee for the first time. It was served up with choculate and cream - simply perfect.

Cycling Italian style

Typical Pharmacy in Italy

Torino piazza

Pizza and coffee

Busker at traffic lights in Torino

Torino market aftermath

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Thunderstorm in Torino

Botticelli strikes again in Torino

Provence

Well it has been a while since our last blog and we have got behind unfortunately - really getting into the swing of being on holiday!

Anyway, after Burgundy we drove to Province, specifically Saint Remy. Initially our impression of the Province region was not positive. It appeared miskempt, scrubby, trees were sparse and it wasn't particularly picturesque. However during the course of our 3-4 days in the region we did see some very beautiful places which we will share with you in this blog.

We got to Saint Remy and our lovely abode, Chateau de Roussan. This place is amazing! It is a historic site and has been in the same family since the 1800's. They had been leasing it out to someone who was running it as a hotel but went through a legal process to get it back because the leasee wasn't looking after it. They did a massive renovation project on it and reopened in April and are trying to build the business again. The place was so tastefully and artfully decorated and the service was fantastic. We were on the 3rd floor with a view over the rustic and romantic gardens and stream running through the property.

Chateau du Roussan

Our room at Chateau du Roussan

Once we had dropped off our bags we headed off to the local golf course at Les Baux. David playing 9 holes on a lovely wee course with another guy, Christopher, who had recently moved to Moussane (about 15mins away) and was working in a pizzeria that he claimed made the best pizzas in the world.

David playing golf at Les Baux golf course

We went up to the village of Les Baux which is an old village carved out of the rocks on the mountain. Apparently it is one of the most visited places in France by tourists. It was 5.30pm by the time we got there so most of the tourists had gone, so we got to wander the streets in relative peace. There are very few residents in the town now and most of the buildings are shops peddling food and other wares that tourists must absolutely have!

Les Baux town at sunset

We did fall victim to one of the shops that sold only biscuits and chocolates! It was amazing. We couldn't resist buying a few....just to try. I thought they looked and smelled better than what they tasted.

Les Baux lolly & biscuit shop

It was a beautiful time to be in the town as the sun was setting and we got to see an amazing sunset over the hills and the land below. Very romantic!

Les Baux region at sunset

The Les Baux and Saint Remy regions have many olive tree farms, vineyards and other produce. The photo below is of the general region from the Les Baux town.

Les Baux & St Remy region

We then headed back to the golf club for dinner as it had been recommended by Christopher, and we were not disappointed. The food was fantastic and the vino with it. Once again great service in an elegant and relaxing atmosphere. The french are really classy.

The next day we headed to Mousanne for lunch to try the best pizza in the world.......and Christopher was right. The pizza was extraordinary and massive! We still managed to finish it though, you couldn't leave one scrap of it behind. Mousanne town itself was really lovely too and we enjoyed a wee walk around. It was a Sunday and many of the locals were enjoying a sunfilled afternoon in the town square. It is wonderful how the Europeans congregate like this. enjoying their city and time spent with friends and family.

We then headed to Arles which was recommended in the Lonely Planet (some crap recommendations and major gaps in the France book) and was fairly average. However it was the place that Vincent Van Gogh painted many of his paintings, particularly the "Stary night along the Rhone". It was nice visiting a gallery exhibiting some local artists celebrating Van Gogh.

Rhone river near where Vincent Van Gogh painted "Starry night over the Rhone"

The highlight in Arles was a shop that sold lots and lots of chookies! We thought of you Lynn and this photo is for you.

Shop of chookies

The next day we went to Camargue along the south coast of France. The river mouth is a huge wetland, some of which is protected in a national park although I don't think they have the same level of protection as national parks in NZ as there was a lot of land reclamation and horses grazing in the wetlands. We went and sunbathed on the beach for a wee while with an ice cream which was a bit of a novelty. We were entertained by the topless, tanned and ageing patrons also visiting the beach! No photos of this sorry.Although we did get a photo of a guy in a dress getting changed on the beach.....

No comment necessary!

After that excitement we went and chilled out at the Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau which was a beautiful wetland home to many resident and migratory birds including pink flamingos, herons, royal spoonbills, various ducks and other interesting birds that we didn't see. We mostly ogled the pink flamingo's of which there were many and they were funny to watch and strikingly beautiful.

Pink flamingo in flight



Pink flamingo flock





David at Parc Ornithologique



Nadine at Parc Ornithologique


We decided to drive 1 hr to Avignon to see the Palais de Royal at sunset and have dinner in the city. Avignon was the home of various Popes when there was a split with Rome. When the Church tidied up the power struggles Avignon remained as Papal city until reclaimed by France in the French revolution. There was a chap playing beautiful music that reverberated across the city square and was a sound track accompanying the wonderful sunset. The sunset and the dinner did not disappoint us and we had a really lovely evening in this romantic city.



David in front of the Palais de Papes




Palais de Papes at night

The next day we headed south to Aix en Province where David played 18 very disappointing holes at the Pont de Royal (do not recommend this place to golfers) and where I spent 2 hours trying to find our hotel, Chateau L'Arc (do not recommend this place either as a place to stay, it is very very tired). We went into Aix en Province city for dinner and went to a restuarant that Lonely Planet recommended at Le Formal whcih was fantastic. The food as 'acrobatic'! Tasty and very interesting cuisine.




Entree at Le Formal

 The next day we headed off to Grasse where we were quite excited to go after all the recommendations we had heard. We were imagining fields of lavendar and other aromatic herbs that they use in the perfumes made in Grasse, only to be sorely disappointed to find a dirty, noisey and crowded city. Not a field in sight. So we cancelled our accommodation in Grasse and headed for Italy!!!
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Burgundy

Its Mrs Botticelli here for a change. I get to write this post because I loved the Burgundy region so much. It is so green with lots of trees and space and there are a few hills to give the landscape character. But most of all there are these cute little ramshackle villages everywhere that seem fairly run down and deserted until about 6pm when everyone seems to come out on the streets talking to their neighbours and perhaps tending to their colourful wee flower gardens.

We drove to Beaune (pronounced bone) on the 15th after our lovely visit to Chartres. We arrived late at night and stayed at a rural hotel, Hotel de Clos, which was cute, and then did a quick explore of Beaune the following morning.

Hotel de Clos

The one notable place we explored was the Hotel-Dieu des Hospices de Beaune which was founded in 1443 and used as a hospital until 1971. It had a chapel right next to the beds so the sick didn't have to stumble far to pray, and its own pharmacy. Parts of it are still used as a retirement hospital.

Hotel Dieu des Hospices de Beaune

Hospice beds

Pharmacy

David was desperate for a game of golf by the afternoon after no golf for about a week - poor boy was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. So for both our piece of mind we set off on the 16th for a game of golf at the Chateau de Chailly. We met up with 3 other guys at the course and David played 18 holes while I walked around and admired the scenery and played official photographer. One of the players was the Pro for the club and we got on really well with him. He was so sweet and gave us a bottle of his home made pickled cherries! Perhaps this was because David beat him (David told me to put this bit in - cause its not every day you beat a pro golfer! I think the Pro must have been having a really bad day). We swapped cards with the promise if he ever comes to NZ David will take him on a golf tour around the country (any excuse......).

David playing golf at Chateau de Chailly

After golf we headed to our next abode, Chateau de Roches, on a hilltop amongst a ramshackle village the Mont-Saint-Jean, restored and run as a B&B by a couple of guys, Marco (German) and Tobias (Swiss). This place was heaven on earth! Marco cooked up a wonderful 4 course meal for dinner and we shared it with two American guys and Jaroline (a lovely Canadian women having a break from Moscow where she and her husband are living). The next day was a bit slow, starting with a wee sleep in and getting into the swing of the relaxing atmosphere of the region.

Chateau de Roches

We then headed off to explore another local hilltop village, the Chateauneuf, where we had (escargots aside) a terrible lunch (serves us right for eating in a touristy place) before heading off to the Cote d'Or vineyards. There are so many of these wonderful medieval hilltop villages dotted around the Burgundy region, its just fabulous.

Chateauneuf

Chateauneuf

We did some wine tasting at the Grevelly-Chambertin village (very famous wines from there) before deciding it was all above us and our limited wine knowledge. So we headed back to Beaune and bought some yummy food from the little specialty shops there (I have not seen one big supermarket in France) that we took back to our room and ate for dinner.

After an early evening we got up early to a spectacular sun rise in the morning and headed off on our long journey (4 hours) to Saint Remy in the Provence region.

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Escargots at Chateuneuf

Its just like NZ really

Chartres Cathedral

On 15 Sept we visited Chartres Cathedral, one of the World's great medieval churches. Chartes is considered one of the high places of Christendom, and has been a cradle for European pilgrimage dating back to the 4th century. The Cathedral currently standing was completed and consecrated in 1260. There have been a number of other church buildings on the same site, probably starting with a Roman christian temple - parts of which still exist today.

Chartres cathdral from front

Chartres cathedral from back

Chartres cathedral south side

What sets Chartres apart from the other great medieval churches, is that it has survived into the 21st century almost intact, not only architecturally but with its vast iconographic program in 12th and 13th century stained glass and sculpture. It has the greatest number of stained glass windows than any cathedral in the world with over 150 different windows.

Stained glass windows in the ambulatory



South Rose window

Medieval art was not just to embellish the church building but to instruct people, for there was no printing and many people could not read. Scholars could therefore teach there students, the clergy preach sermons and parents read the lives of saints to their children using the texts represented in the stained glass.

Chartres is often referred to as the Lady of Chartres and is based on the veneration of the Virgin Mary. They have a fragment of the silk shroud that Mary was believed to have worn when giving birth to Jesus.

Mary's shroud

Most of the cathedrals in France are owned by the government, not the church. Chartres is currently on a 5 year program of restoration and cleaning. The discrepancy between the cleaned and uncleaned parts is incredible. But unfortunately the Royal Portal on the west front of the church was obscured by scaffolding, nevermind we will just have to come back many times over the next five years!

Cleaned upper versus uncleaned lower part

Cleaned roof of ambulatory

Uncleaned roof of ambulatory

If you visit Chartres be sure to book into the tour given by Malcom Miller, a guide at Chartres for over 50 years and whose knowledge of Chartres is perhaps second to none. Mr Miller's tours are immensely informative and amusing.

Mr Miller interpreted a number of the stained glass windows for us, which opened up a new world as there are around 150 of them and being able to at least try to understand them is like learning to speak a foriegn language - the experience is enriched. Did you know that iconographic stained glass windows are read from bottom up and left to right? The windows at Chartres do not merely present parables and scripture, but through symbolism provide a commentary on the parable or bible story presented.

Two of the many stained glass windows

We also did a tour to an 11th century crypt under the cathedral that combined romanic and gothic architecture. They still do mass in the little chapel in the crypt.

Chapel in crypt

Visiting seven monumental Catholic churches within the space of 4 days has reconnected me to my Catholic heritage. The Catholic Church, despite its many failings, now and in the past, has provided and continues to provide a space and means for human beings to connect to something infinite and metaphysical. Bereft of the human failings derived from dysfunctional ego - selfishness, fear, desire, greed, abuse of power, religion provides a platform to experience the divine aspects of life - love, wisdom, generosity, devotion, kindness, justice, and beauty.

Chartres, and other monuments like it, are there to remind us of and connect us to the divine. We thank our forebears for their erecting them, recognising the time, skill and cost of doing so.

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