Overnight in Paris

October 13, 2024

An overnight layover in Paris is always a good idea. Weekend construction on the airport rail line meant a longer ride to the city center this afternoon with a bus as part of the journey.

There was a poster for a piano and violin concert at a nearby church (1). Unexpectedly, the chuch felt Orthodox; it turned out to be Greek Melekite Catholic (2). A good walk around l'Île Saint-Louis ended the day.

The next morning, I overheard some school teachers from Massachusetts at the Paris airport who apparently flew to Paris on Wednesday. "I took 2 personal days," "I called out sick," "I convinced my principal a trip to Paris was professional development." The others were jealous of the last approach.

(1) A block away there was a poster for a performance of Fauré's requiem I saw later. If I had known, I would have gone there instead.

(2) The Great Schism of 1054 split Christianity into eastern Orthodox (based in Constantinople) and western Catholic (based in Rome). In 1729, disputes within the eastern church led a splinter group, known as the Greek Melekites, to recognize the authority of the Pope (rather than the Patriarch of Constatinople). They have retained the Orthodox form of liturgy.

Église Saint-Julien le Pauvre, with Orthodox altar

Concert end

Icon of Archangel Michael. Note Greek letters at the top 

It takes skilled people to bring Notre Dame Cathedral back to life after the fire

Notre Dame, expected to reopen in December

Tren Banlieue de Sahel to Sousse

October 12, 2024

The Tren Banlieue de Sahel (Sahel Commuter train) goes frequently to Sousse, 35 minutes northwest of Monastir. On the ride, sea salt harvesting was visible to the east.

Walking through the narrow shopping street, the Ribat (1) (fortress) tower guided the way. The fort was built beginning in 821 C.E., when the Byzantines and Arabs were vying for control of Sicily. The platform at the top of the tower offers views of the mosque, town, and the adjacent commercial harbor. Arriving to visit the mosque at 12:02, I discovered that the mosque closed to visitors at Noon on Saturdays. Seeing no reason to linger in Sousse, a larger and more industrial city (2) than Monastir, I hopped on the next train back.

Most of the shops were closed for midday, but the Monastir Ribat and tower remained open. The fortress is the oldest extant in Tunisia, construction having started in 796 C.E. There are narrow stairways leading everywhere, sometimes to a dead end.

The tower sported a red Tunisian flag blowing in the southeast wind aloft in the more open area above the castle (3). The view to the azure sea and the cooling sea breeze invited me to linger at the tower's top.

(1) Ribat is derived from the Arabic word for garrison.

(2) A train station to the south of town is called Sousse Zone Industrielle.

(3) In the golden age of sail (late 1700s to early 1800s), calm at sea level, with a breeze aloft was known as a t'gantsl (a contraction of top gallant sail) wind, the only sail high enough on the mast to catch the breeze and propel the ship.

Harvesting sea salt, view from the train

Wandering through Sousse 

Someone is taking care of the cats

Ribat entrance seems to have repurposed old Roman columns 

Ribat de Sousse

Views from the tower

Roman mosaic on northeast corner of Sousse city walls

Back in Monastir

At Ribat de Monastir

Qaraiya Beach view from Ribat tower

Views of Grand Mosque

One of the Ribat guards

Sunset from Jazirat Sidi al Ghudamisi, once an Island, now a penninsula 

Marabout Sidi Al-Ghadamisi Shrine

Twilight

Lighthouse flash to the northwest

Late day in Monastir

October 11, 2024

Monastir lies on a penninsula on the Tunisian coast and a cheap mid-day flight was offered from Nice. Clearing immigration, I headed toward the airport train station. A blue metal fence blocked the way (1); thankfully, someone had hacksawed off two of the pickets. Chucking my bag through permitted me to duck under and access the station. 

Formerly known as the Phonecian city of Ruspina in antiquity, the Arab city was enclosed by walls beginning in the 700s C.E. Walking from the station through a western gate, the main commercial street was buzzing with activity, and the usual cacophony of cars and shop touts. After passing the large Bourguiba Mosque, the Ribat (fortress) was visible across a park. The hotel was nearby (2) in the marina area.

The Ribat and other building are lit at night, making for a pleasant walk in the city. Scanning the horizon at the sea, I saw a lighthouse (flashing white every four seconds) to the northwest against the background of the lights from the shore.

(1) There is a path leading from a cross street in the other direction.

(2) A variety of hotels span the seacoast between the airport and city center (a). Preferring to walk places, I opted to stay in town (b). As it happened, my hotel caters mainly to French pensioners on package tours. Most guests never seem to leave the gated compound, which functions much like a cruise ship, with meals, pools, and activities, including thumping music until midnight. The reception clerk even put a wrist band on me.

(a) There is a train station called simply "Hotels."

(b) Checking in, the clerk told me (in French) that he was upgrading me to a fancier room. Later realizing my limited French, he asked if I understood. I replied in my pidgin French that he was giving me a fancy sea-view room. "No," he replied in French "a room with a view of the cemetery," he said with a mischevious smile.

Olive groves, view from the plane

The train arrives at Monastir

City gate 

The Monastir Ribat

Ribat at night

Bourguiba Mosque entrance

Square minaret on the Great Mosque of Monastir

A rainy afternoon in Nice

October 9, 2024

After finding Nice Gare de Sud (1), from which my train departs tomorrow, my intent was to explore Nice old town. Heavy rainfall dissuaded me. Thankfully, the rain let up in time for dinner and a stroll along Le Promenade des Anglais at the seaside (2). Planes appeared below the low clouds heading into the west wind to land at the seaside airport. On a headland further west, a lighthouse displayed two flashes every 8 seconds.

(1) Despite the name, (Nice South Station), the station is north of both central Nice and of the main railway station.

(2) Named after the traditional enemy of France (a) because the British expatriate community, wintering in the city in the late 1800s, paid for it.

(a) The French and English were at odds almost continuously from the Battle of Hastings (1066) to Waterloo (1815).

Water overflowing onto the sidewalk

A slightly drier Promenade des Anglais at dusk. The beach was closed due to the accidental release of untreated waste water.

Tren des Pins & Les Grès d'Annot

October 10, 2024

Le Tren des Pins (1) was opened in 1911; the meter-guage line follows the Vars River up from Nice through the hill towns of Provence to Saint-André-les-Alpes (2). A tour group was riding up the valley on the train and sat near me. Their guide Carmela explained that the name Nice is derived from Nike, the Greek god of victory.

While I had a ticket through to Saint André, I decided to get off a few stops early at Annot. The sun was burning off the morning fog, and multiple hikes were on offer at Annot. 

The station has a large sign promoting the trails available at Les Grès (sandstone) d'Annot. After stopping for provisions in the town, the trail leads back towards the station and through a tunnel under the tracks. 

The climb follows a long series of switchbacks up the south side of the escarpment. Due to yesterday's rains, there were some slick and muddy spots. After a little more than 1/2 hour, the trail leads left at a finger post to the Jardin du Roi (King's Garden). The garden was a steep-sided canyon with walls towering high above, a rock perched at the top in one spot. Approaching Le Chambre du Roi (King's bedroom), I encountered some helmeted rock climbers. The narrow, natural tunnel funneled the wind through Le Chambre.

Walking further along the top of the bluff offered sweeping views to the valley below. A number of rock climbers were here, ascending the cliff face over the trail. No, thanks!

Descending back to town, I was pleased not to slip. Les Meteores trail turns right off the main trail above and north of the railway tracks. The overgrown trail was hard to follow, and the reason became apparent after a while. The path was blocked by a gate before arriving at a lane leading to town. Doubling back, a trail soon led down to the station.

In search of the railway viaduct above the town, I encountered vivid tiles in stone niches depicting the stations of the cross on the way to a hillside chapel. The viaduct was inaccessible, so I headed back to town, and the 2:10 train back to Nice (3). Total distance about 5 miles with 1,275 feet of vertical rise.

The ballet Copellia was offered tonight at the Nice Opera House. Somewhat surprisingly, the back of the Opera House faces the sea. After the performance, a stroll along the sea provided fine views of the setting quarter moon.

(1) "The train of the pine cones." Two stories exist about the origin of the line's name: 

-The train ran so slowly that passengers could alight to pick up pine cones.

-The crew would gather and burn pine cones as fuel for the steam engine when coal ran out.

(2) A tunnel collapse a few years ago closed the line further on the Dignes-les-Bains. Repair work is ongoing.

(3) Trains are infrequent, running about every four hours.

Ready to leave Nice

Ride up the valley as the fog burns off

The Mairie (town hall) at Annot

Trail map posted in town

Local patois below standard French

Annot Station. Note the water tower to the right for steam engines, which still run frequently in the summer

Slick rocks on ascent

Finger post

Chestnuts were falling; one of the spikey pods fell about a foot from my head.

Right turn ahead

Jardin du Roi

Unexpected graffito "Glory to Ukraine"

Chambre du Roi

Overhanging rocks

View south up the La Galange Valley

Along the trail past Le Chambre 

Views east down the Vars Valley

Descending

Holding the trail in place across a mudslide

Indistinct Meteores trail

Back at the station

Up from the village

Station of the cross en route to Chapelle Notre-Dame

Chapelle Notre-Dame

The railway viaduct at Annot

Back to town

Waiting for the train; the rain yesterday made the trail muddy 

View of Citadelle d'Entrevaux from the train

Grey water from storm runoff

Vars river gorge

Back at Nice

Dusk approaching, Plage de Nice

The Opera House

Final bows

First quarter moon setting on the Mediterranean