OUR TRAVELS
Photos of sightseeing enthusiasts
A TRIP ROUTE
CURIOSITIES FROM THE PAST
Few people know that crusades were also organized in medieval Europe, directed against heretics and pagans. One of them were the Cathars (Cathars), also called Albigenses (after the city of Albi). The dualistic religious movement of the Cathars was directed against the feudal system and the church hierarchy, so the reaction of the Church was not long in coming. In 1208, Pope Innocent III announced a crusade against the Cathars. He promised everyone who took part not only complete indulgence of sins, but also the possibility of taking over the heretics' property. This second incentive was much more attractive to many. French knights led by the cruel Simon de Monfort, spiritually supported by Saint Dominic Guzman of Toulouse (founder of the Dominican Order) attacked heretics. The main Cathar centers of Beziers, Carcassonne, Minerve, Montsegur, Queribus and Peyrepertuse were captured and thousands of heretics were burned at the stake. The actual end to religion was put by the decades-long activity of the Inquisition. Zbigniew Herbert devoted the essay "On Albigenses, Inquisitors and Troubadours" to the Albigenses in the collection "The Barbarian in the Garden".
INTERESTING FACTS
The city of Cannes, located on the French Riviera, is known around the world for its international film festival. It takes place every year (with some exceptions) and gathers people associated with the film industry and crowds of fans. During the festival, an award is given for the best film, the so-called Golden Palm. Most often, this award was won by American, Italian, French and British artists. The only Polish films that received the Palme d'Or are "Man of Iron" by Andrzej Wajda and "The Pianist" by Roman Polanski (Polish-French production). After the end of the festival, without stars shining on the red carpet, hundreds of reporters, enthusiastic crowd and all this setting, the Festival Palace looks very modest, to put it mildly. The only attraction is the famous Walk of Fame with the handprints of famous people associated with the film industry. A nice Polish accent are the handprints of our countrymen, film and theater director Andrzej Wajda, film producer, screenwriter and actor Roman Polański and director, screenwriter and actor Andrzej Żuławski.
INTERESTING STORIES
Every year, on May 24 and 25, Roma (Gypsies) from all over Europe gather in the seaside town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to honor their patron, saint Sarah. According to various accounts, during the persecution of the first Christians, Lazarus, his sisters Mary Magdalene and Martha, Mary Salome (mother of the apostles John and James the Greater), Mary of James (mother of the apostles James the Less, Jude and Simon), her servant Sarah and Saint Maximin stayed in 42 a.d. sent out to sea in a boat. They sailed safely to the southern shore of Gaul to the place named later Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. In the mid-15th century, remains were found in the crypt of Les Stes-Maries and identified as Sarah, Salome and Mary, the mother of James. During the celebration, the Roma recreate Sarah's arrival in France and her figure is carried to the sea. Some researchers point to the similarity of the ceremony dedicated to Sara with the cult of the Hindu goddess Kali, as it is known that the Roma come from India. The authors of the book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" suggest that Sarah was the daughter of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. This concept was also popularized by Dan Brown in his novel "The Da Vinci Code".
IT IS WORTH KNOWING
St. Benezet bridge, more known as the Avignon Bridge, was built at the end of the 12th century. He connected the city of Avignon with a settlement on the other bank of Rhone and was an important point on the trade route. Legend has it that its construction was started by st. Benedict, when God in a dream ordered him to connect both banks of the river. The structure with a length of 900 m consisted of 22 spans and was rebuilt many times. The bridge often destroyed floods, and after one of them, which took place in the 17-th century only 4 spans and a romanesque chapel remained. The Avignon Bridge is very much popularized in european culture. A well-known children's song `Sur Le Pont d’Avignon` (on the bridge in Avignon) treats about him. A poem by Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński 'Sur Le Pont d'Avignon` (written in 1941), who with the music of Andrzej Zarycki entitled' On the Avignon bridge in Avignon' brilliantly sang in 1968, Ewa Demarczyk. Certainly everyone has heard the chorus of the song `Gentlemen are dancing, ladies dancing on the bridge in Avignion`. In fact, the fun did not take place on the bridge but on the islands under his spans.
France - southern, Andorra, Monaco
July 2023
I had been planning to visit southern France for several years, but I never had the opportunity. During the trip, I used different ways of moving and staying overnight than usual. Everything worked out perfectly, and the BlaBlaCar rides and overnight stays in a tent gave me full freedom to explore and relax.
Unlike Paris and the castles on the Loire, the regions on the Mediterranean Sea, such as Occitania and Provence, are underestimated by tourists. Completely wrong. Apart from the picturesque landscapes and the opportunity to swim in the sea and sun, I visited a lot of places and monuments, many of which are on the Unesco list. In Albi, Collioure, Arles and Aix en Provance I followed in the footsteps of the most famous painters of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. I visited Monaco, one of the smallest countries in Europe. Unfortunately, I also had some mishaps. At the station in Marseille, due to my inattention, my charger and camera batteries were stolen.FRANCE
Lourdes
My first stop on French soil was Lourdes, a marian sanctuary and a pilgrimage destination for millions of believers. In fact, at every step you can feel the religious excitement of pilgrims coming here for various intentions. The pilgrimage complex is truly impressive, but that's not all you can see in Lourdes. The medieval Chateau Fort offers a wonderful view of the city and the sanctuary.
Toulouse
The capital of Occitania, Toulouse, has a lot to offer to visitors, as I saw firsthand. In the medieval streets, churches and cathedrals you can see traces of the city's turbulent history. I was most impressed by the basilica of St. Sernin which is an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. It turns out that in the 1920s, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the author of The Little Prince, set off on mail flights from Toulouse to Africa and South America.
Albi - city of heretics
Albi is known for the religious movement of the Albigenses and a wonderful collection of paintings by the painter Touluse-Lautrec, born in this city. The powerful, fortress-like Gothic cathedral of Ste-Cecile was built after the defeat of the Cathars at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries and was intended to dazzle with its splendor the townspeople who supported the heretics. The idea was certainly a success, as the cathedral was included on the Unesco list.
Carcassone
I visited Carcassone during a real siege. However, it was not an enemy army, but crowds of French families with children and tourists who, on Sunday morning, decided to visit the largest medieval city fortifications in Europe, inscribed on the Unesco list. The high walls and soaring towers of Chateau comtal made an incredible impression on me, but I must admit that sightseeing in such conditions was a real "the road through torment".
Perpignan and Collioure
Perpignan is the capital of Roussilon, a historical land called Northern Catalonia. This is a place rich in monuments, However, picturesque Collioure, located right by the sea, is much more popular. The city gained fame at the beginning of the 20th century when its colors captivated the fauvists Henri Matisse and Andre Derain. However, I was enchanted by the beach where I was relaxing and admiring the old town and the medieval Templar castle.
Cathar castles
The castles of Queribus and Peyrepertuse were built in the mountainous areas that once marked the border between France and Aragon. Both fortresses still command respect today, and climbing to the peak of Peyrepertuse through narrow and winding gorges is quite a challenge. However, Queribus, located on a 700 m high rock ledge, was the place of the last resistance of the Cathars. From both peaks I had the pleasure of admiring the picturesque panorama of the area.
ANDORRA
Andorra
Andorra is a small country in the Pyrenees on the french-spanish border. The capital of the country, Andorra la Vella, did not impress me as much as the trip itself, which turned out to be an interesting experience. However, a visit to the picturesque town of Canillo was a great idea. After a rather arduous climb, I reached Mirador del Roc del Quer, from where I admired the breathtaking panorama of the Pyrenees.
FRANCE
Nimes
Apparently the sun shines in Nimes for 300 days a year. I don't know if it's true, but on the day I visited this city it was lit all day long. There are many monuments from Roman times preserved in Nimes, but what impressed me the most was not the amphitheater, but the Maison Carree temple, i.e. the Square House. The contrast between the modest interior called the cella and the impressive façade with Corinthian columns turned out to be quite a surprise.
Pont du Gard
The Pont du Gard inscribed on the Unesco list is part of the roman aqueduct supplying water to the city of Nîmes. I won't be too original when I write that the bridge made an incredible impression on me. I had the opportunity to observe it at different times of the day, which somewhat reminded me of the experiences of Claude Monet, who painted the cathedral in Rouen in this way. I used my free time for lazing around, sunbathing and swimming in the Gard river.
Avignon - city of popes
In the 14th century, Avignon was the seat of the popes during the so-called Avignon captivity. The Papal Palace, included on the Unesco list, is the city's greatest attraction. The monumental gothic building made a huge impression on me, although during the tour I often lost orientation in the thicket of rooms, chambers and corridors. On the Avignon Bridge, I witnessed a spontaneous performance by the Polish tour participants, who danced and sang Ewa Demarczyk's famous hit.
Orange
The Principality of Orange took its name from the city Orange, from which come the representatives of the Orange-Nassau dynasty who rule the Kingdom of the Netherlands to this day. Here you can admire the Unesco listed Arc de Triomphe of Tiberius and the roman theater with the surrounding buildings. I was particularly enchanted by this second monument due to its monumental skene, which has almost entirely survived to this day.
Arles - city of Van Gogh
My expectations before visiting Arles were very high and I must admit that I was not disappointed. It is here that some of the best works of the Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, were created. Following the footsteps of the places where he painted his paintings was real fun. I also visited the Unesco listed cathedral of St. Trofim and the roman amphitheatre, where the final scene of the cult film "Ronin" with Robert de Niro in the main role took place.
Saintes Maries de la Mer
I came to Saintes Maries by accident. Once there, it turned out that the small town with a long name had many interesting monuments, interesting traditions and picturesque surroundings to offer. I really wanted to see a bullfighting show (feria) at the local arena, but it was not possible on the day of my stay. To wipe away my tears, I went on a walking tour through the alluvial areas of the Little Rhône, admiring salt lakes, marshes and lagoons.
Aix en Provance
Paul Cézanne, a french post-impressionist painter, whose work is a bridge between impressionism and cubism, was born, lived and worked in Aix en Provance. I had the pleasure of seeing the master's atelier and admiring his paintings in the Granet museum. However, what impressed me the most was the St. Savior cathedral, built on the ruins of a roman temple. The monumental building houses naves built in different periods - romanesque, gothic and baroque.
Marseille
My stay in Marseille did not leave me with pleasant memories. Shortly after arrival, at the Saint-Charles train station, I lost my batteries and camera charger. This unfortunate event made me very depressed. The bitterness was added to the news that on that day there were no ships to the island of If, popularized in the novel `The Count of Monte Cristo`. My well-being improved only after a visit to the Catalan beach, where I relaxed and bathed in the sea and sun.
St. Tropez and surroundings
I started my adventure in the picturesque town of Port Grimaud, called the Venice of Provence. Saint Tropez, located nearby, owes its international fame to the film industry. It was here that the film 'And God Created Woman' with Brigitte Bardot, a symbol of sex appeal of the 1950s and 1960s, was shot in 1956. From my childhood, I also remember the comedy The Troops of St. Tropez with the show-off role of Louis de Funes, and that's why I wanted to visit this place.
Cannes
During the visit to Cannes the weather was not good. This is probably why this place, known to all cinema lovers, did not make much of an impression on me. In the off-season, Cannes is very similar to many other french cities on the French Riviera. During the day, I lazed a bit on the beach, wandered around the Esplenade Pantiero and old town, took a few photos, and in the late afternoon I continued my journey without any regrets.
Nicea
Nice, the unofficial capital of the French Riviera, absolutely enchanted me. What I liked most was wandering around the narrow and winding streets of the old town, which have not changed much since the 18th century. Equally pleasant was a visit to the vibrant Jean Medecin district, full of elegant boutiques and fashionable bistros and restaurants, part of it at Place Massena looked absolutely amazing in the afternoon sun. I would love to come back here again someday.
MONACO
Monaco
Tiny Monaco is commonly associated with casinos, Formula 1 races and the Grimaldi princely family, which has ruled the principality since the 13th century. What I was most interested in seeing was the famous casino and the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Prince's Palace. Unfortunately, the ceremony was canceled on the day of my visit. I successfully compensated for this by visiting the impressive Oceanographic Museum and admiring the picturesque panorama of the city.
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