Gramping. It’s becoming a trend where grandparents travel with grandchildren. It can be fun, but it can also be disastrous for some especially if there are no shared interests and food preferences. I have taken trips with the “apos” (grandchildren) before — once to Madrid to stay with a niece, and another time to Sydney to visit our relatives. But lately, we have taken trips together on our own, staying in hotels or apartments, charting a travel itinerary based on what the 3 of us wish to do and deciding each day on what and where to dine. Mostly, we ended up visiting museums and cultural attractions but we also managed to squeeze in a concert in each of the trips. The very first gramping was in 2023 starting in Amsterdam where we literally exhausted as many museums we can cover, checking out the bars and sleeping in most mornings. Our days started late unless we planned some day trips and we almost always managed to eat well. From Amsterdam, we took trains to move around and based ourselves in Brussels, Brugges, Nimes and Avignon before moving to Paris. Food porn all the way without minding the calories as we burned them just walking all around. It was a wonderful trip and we delighted on our food discoveries while tracing Van Gogh’s provençal life. Wrote many blogs about this gramping adventure but here’s the blog summary.
It has been under a year since that gramping when we found ourselves haphazardly planning a 2nd gramping. This time to Italy. An invitation for my nieta to join a few other Filipino artists to exhibit their works in Venezia is simply too difficult to pass up. And so it went that I caught up with them on their last day in Venice, as I was coming off another trip. The plan was to train from Venice to Florence where we based ourselves and did day trips to many other Tuscan spots before settling in Rome where we flew back to our Manila nest. Just 2 weeks. Too many places we wish to visit but not enough time. As I came off another trip, the apos crafted our travel itinerary right down to where and what we’d eat as well as some time for a cafe crawl and bar hopping. Once more, we had a wonderful time. Never thought I’d pile up so many journals for this rather short trip but the memories just overflow and required some “order” for proper safekeeping!
By this time, we 3 are pretty sure we travel well together. Apos are now quite adept crafting travel itineraries, hotel bookings, train reservations and dining options. The last item is important. With only 3 of us, it is nearly impossible to share meals if we don’t have similar food preferences. We also share the same passion for a good brew and gelato breaks are a given whenever we’re traveling. Happy hours are delightfully enjoyed and this is when we love chatting about our favourite spots and plan where else to go. We have also mastered the art of grocery shopping for some lazy dinners and breakfasts while doing our laundry.
And now, we’re off again. The full activity in UK beckons so watch this page for updates. Ciao for now.
I’m home now. The fond memories of a recent trip still make me smile with gratitude. Happy Hours 24/7 for 3 weeks with my Nieto and Nieta. Obviously I am not yet done writing and posting (on FB and IG) about the trip, especially the last leg in Provence and in Paris. But that is not to say we didn’t enjoy Amsterdam, Brussels and Bruges. Each of the cities visited holds fond memories of the sights and experiences. Forever etched in our memories that even a croissant can easily evoke happy thoughts!
Our first croissant in Joordan, Amsterdam.
Those 3 weeks taught these young adults how to craft their travel itinerary, book walking tours, shop for online museum admissions, register for concerts and cluster/sequence our travel activities. I know this entailed some research including where to find accommodations and timing our train schedules. But way over this trip planning, the young adults learned how to use a laundromat, hand wash some items, press clothes and dealing with hotel front desks for a few demands. Google map has made navigating the areas a cinch, and Uber for transport and food deliveries made life much easier.
A Laundromat Experience
We didn’t scrimp on our meals. Enjoyed our Dutch, Belgian, Provençal and French meals. Even our beers! We spent on food whatever we saved on laundry expenses. I refused to pay €10 for each pair of pants that needed washing. The laundromat was our best friend, at only €6 for wash and €2 for a quick spin/drying per batch. In Provence, we used the hotel’s laundry services for only €15 each machine. Except in Amsterdam and Bruges, we skipped the €18 breakfasts and instead bought our breakfasts off supermarkets (fruits, salads and wraps) and boulangeries. Those fresh pears, peaches, strawberries and white asparagus gave me “highs” and started off my days. Nieto and Nieta ate more veggies (salads) too on this trip. Swell 💕
A new Instagram account (Jolli.belly) chronicled our dining adventures.
We had a good run. We missed out on a few spots and activities for lack of time or because we didn’t want to exhaust ourselves crazy (we’re on holiday!) but we enjoyed good weather even if the temps rose in Provence. We only encountered 2 “mishaps” but nothing that can’t be remedied. We just ended up feeling very annoyed but a good meal quickly took care of that. There were many pleasant surprises and we are very thankful for all these blessings. We prayed before stepping out of our hotel or apartments and expressed our gratitude every so often. In my heart, I know a good habit was reinforced and our faiths were fortified. “Thank You, Lord”was and is our mantra. 🙏
We could have covered more in Provençe in 10 days. In 2003 and 2004, I managed to include Le Baux, Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles. All very beautiful destinations. The kids wanted to go to Nice and Cannes (French Riviera) too but we decided to just cover Luberon and the Van Gogh trails. No regrets. The rest can wait for another trip. But there were highlights to this Provençal trip. Before we left the area for the City of Lights (Paris), we talked about what thrilled, surprised and pleased them most. Guess what — they loved all the food, ice cream/sorbet and even the grocery purchases in Provence. We even made sure my Instagram account (jolli.belly) chronicled all our food and snacking adventures!
Le Cheval Blanc in front of the Arenes de Nimes. La Dolcezza (Nimes) is one of our 2 fav gelaterias. Restaurante Mercadante in Nimes
Since we stayed longer in Avignon, we had more meals here. And more ice cream / sorbet where Regal Glacé with its 74 flavours won hands down. Twice a day we’d troop to this gelateria after lunch at any of the bistrot along Hotel de Ville (City Hall) area. First off, we tried La Grande Brasserie Le Cintra nearer the walls. Salad, entrecôte and pasta composed our first lunch in this walled city. The next day, we hopped on a train to Tarascon and found a tiny, family-run cafe/bistrot and enjoyed the best chicken burger, dorade and a big chunk of steak. On our way back to the train station, we stopped by an oyster stall — happiness in a shell!
La Grande Brasserie Le CintraLe Bistrot des Anges de Tarascon
Around the Hotel de Ville area, there’s a row of restaurants just past the carousel. We tried the Restaurant Le Venaissin (the paella and Magret de canard were 👍), La Civette Avignon (try the Boeuf Charolais — that French breed of cattle), and Le Citron Vert (I should have tried their Moules Frites than the very dry and grilled entrecôte and sauce-smothered dorade). “Jolli.belly” on Instagram has snapshots of the food we ordered. Had to load/post them photos right away lest we forget where we ate. Naturally, we failed to do this each time and yes, promptly forgot the Resto name.
Paella and Magret de Canard at Le VenaissinSteak Charolais, risotto and fillet mignon at La Civette AvignonWhat we stuffed into our mouths in Provence! (Check out jolli.belly on Instagram)
The trips to Carrefour and the desserts at Regal Glacé or that other gelateria in front of Palais de Papes have become rituals during our stay. So with “a proper lunch” in a brasserie or Bistrot, and a salad and wrap/ sandwich off the Carrefour shelves for dinner in our hotel room. Trips to the Boulangerie or Patisserie for our croissants and pain au chocolat and ahem, let’s not forget the occasional crème brulee. On a Saturday Market Day in Avignon, we had a home cooked lunch of pasta and pizza at Mama Rossa who gladly wrapped our leftovers to take back to our hotel. The portions were so generous that I had them for dinner and breakfast the next day!
Mama Rossa’s Pizza at the Saturday Market in Avignon That bowl of Bolognese was hardly touched and saw its way back to our hotel room for an eat-in dinner. Soft-serve, gelato or sorbet in a cup or cone, granitas to cool off!
So, yeah. Food is always a big part of our travels. And we never hesitate to repeat or head back to a fav restaurant and order the same stuff. My 2 young travel buddies love their meat while grandma prefers seafood. They eventually got hooked on salads (for dinners) which are quite filling — think salad nicoise and some other Mediterranean salad with pasta shells and big chunks of grilled chicken, or with couscous or quinoa. Somehow, we managed a “balanced diet” with delightful purchases of fresh white asparagus, peaches, strawberries, etc. as in-between snacks. 😊 Eases the guilt off the sugar spikes from the ice cream and crème brûlée.
It was the last stop for the day. My recollection of my 2003 visit here was driving through Roman and Greek ruins which are the iconic landmarks of this ancient town. Think Julius Caesar. But we didn’t come here for these archaeological sites. Nor did we visit because it’s the birthplace of Nostradamus. We came for Van Gogh. That genius of a man had himself admitted in Saint-Paul de Mausole’s psychiatric institution as he sensed his mental health deteriorating despite the hospital treatment he was getting in Arles. Arles and Saint-Rémy-de-Provenceare nearby towns not too far from Avignon and Vincent stayed in the monastery cum psychiatric clinic here for a good one year.
The Greek and Roman ruins of St. Rémy de Provence. This is the image in my mind from my 2003 visit. Saint Paul de Mausole along Van Gogh Avenue
While he only stayed a year here, his 150 or so paintings are among the popular pieces spread and displayed in prominent museums all over the art world. His lonely and desolate rooms were painted on canvas — the bed, the chair, the window, the landscapes and blooms viewed from the window. Since he stayed a year, his works captured the seasonal changes including the mistral as well as the dry spells brought in by the Provençal summers. The farms, the peasants, the flowers and trees — all these were reflected on the 150 inspired works of art. Walking around Van Gogh Avenue, there would be repros of Vincent’s artworksagainst a backdrop of the actual scenes. One can say Van Gogh simply never stopped painting. Whether art was his therapy or not, it certainly occupied his mind 24/7.
The monastery garden and courtyard provide enough inspiration. Very beautifully laid out. Amidst arcades, fountainsand beds of flowers, one feels compelled to sit for a few moments and space out. The gardens behind the monastery can be viewed from Van Gogh’s room and studio, so it is easy to imagine how the blooms change with the seasons. More so how the landscapes changed as viewed day or night. A pity we were a couple of weeks early till the lavenders fully bloom. That must be a pretty sight. The flowers were just starting to sprout when we visited but we can already sense a faint smell of the soothing buds.
The monastery courtyard. In summer, this field is littered with lavenders!
Our driver guide gave us enough time to linger. We made a second pass of the artist’s quarters and the back gardens before settling down in the courtyard. Seeing my nieta open her sketchbook and watercolours, I gingerly turned back towards the museum shop. Heaved a sigh of relief that the weather cooperated so we can enjoy the sunlight rather than the forecast of showers and gray skies. While loitering around gardens, I spotted a young man with an easel seemingly looking for a quiet corner. His search ended with a good spot amidst the arcaded passageways between columns but a perfect view of the courtyard bathed in sunlight. Bless these artists for cheering us up with their creations!
A dream come true for Nieta y Nieto. For their abuela too. Prepped ourselves good with an afternoon visit of Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, read up on countless books and articles on this genius, and checked out his many artworks both popular and not so. There were many of the latter too. After all, Van Gogh was such a prolific painter (over 2,000! — nearly half of which painted in Provence in his short life’s last 2 years) that countless works didn’t earn as much distinction as those made into posters, postcards and other merch. Being big fans of Vincent, we made sure we didn’t miss the Van Gogh Tour as a day trip from our Provençal base in Avignon. The driver guide we had for this adventure was named after the artist. His namesake, another Vincent. He wasn’t the best driver and the 3 of us had vertigo spells as Vincent weaved through the traffic and hardly stepped on the brakes. We leaned left, right, forward just like Van Gogh’s sunflowers caught in a mistral. But he was a good guide, and obviously loves the place of his birth, Provence. In Arles, he brought us first to the garden park where Van Gogh painted many landscapes. The “lighting” and bright colors he was searching for, he found in the south of France. The trees have grown since over a century ago, and the layout must have changed. But the sheer thought that we are treading on the same soil and may have stood on the same spot as the great artist is mind-blowing. The apos were thrilled!
Espace Van Gogh
A marker stands by the park’s frontage. A loving dedication to a most venerated visitor-resident who moved from Paris to this Provençal town. He may have been “chasing the softer light” in Provence but I suspect what he found as well was something to “quiet” his soul and pacify his troubled mind. Away from the city chaos, Vincent painted away madly in Arles, as he did in St. Remy de Provence while in asylum and finally in his last residence in Auvers-sur-Oise. The exhibit we viewed — “Final Moments in Auvers” — at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam prepared viewers to the artist’s mind’s turmoil as he moved from Arles to St. Remy to Auvers. In today’s world, science may have tagged him as bipolar or suffering from ADHD. Who knows? What’s known for sure is that he painted a lot in a very short period of his artistic life. Darn, he painted madly in his short life. Dead at 37, he left behind many sketches, etchings, paintings of landscapes, nature, still lifes, peasants, and quite a pile of self-portraits. In all this, he proclaimed: “Art is to console those who are broken by life.” Poignant message. Pierces the soul.
Street Scene in Arles? A Roman Arena in Arles
Who can say what he found in Arles while he lived there? Stayed 15 months, created over 300 masterpieces. Just like Picasso, Arles ignited his passion and provided him innumerable objects of inspiration. He loved painting nature, and painted it in bold, dramatic hues. He may have exaggerated the “force” of the howling wind from the Mediterranean, brightened up several notches the starlights and the moon and the sun, deepened the blue hues of the sky. My apologies — I’m rambling. No art expert here. Just a regular fan’s musings. Indulge me. 😊
Espace Van Gogh
For sure, he found time to indulge himself. The Cafe de Van Gogh is marked as a tourist trap but how can you dismiss nor ignore this place? He painted Cafe Terrace at Night with this inspiration. The starry night background started a series and it is reported that Van Gogh has developed a stargazing habit which may have been prompted by some religious attachment. He proceeded to paint more star-filled skies after this, the most epic of which is “Starry Night”. At the same time, his stay in Arles was marked by an ear-slicing incident that brought him to a hospital just before Christmas. He had a serious altercation with Gauguin who lived with him in Arles briefly in a two-storey yellow house immortalised in a painting. Sadly, this incident marked the start of the artist’s deteriorating mental health. It won’t be long after this hospital stint that Vincent volunteered to be admitted in an asylum in St. Remy de Provence. Amidst all this turmoil, he created many works of art. The hospital courtyard is now called “Espace Van Gogh” and is included in every typical Van Gogh Tour around Arles.
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Van Gogh
We are at least 2 weeks early. Those lavender fields when abloom make postcard-perfect sceneries. Yeah, I’ve seen the postcards, the posters, the photos. I’ve even watched the video clips! But we’re too early. Abbaye Notre Dame de Senanque drew out cash from our pockets as we enjoyed their shops but no luck with those lavender fields. Just the same, this 12th century abbey near Gordes, is still a functioning abbey run by Cistercian monks who hold spiritual retreats and pray 7 times a day. We prayed that next visit we make, the field of lavender would bloom so profusely for us.
What we dream of vs reality
But Gordes was truly a surprise. Apos each love Ménerbes and Roussillon but their grandma favours Gordes more. We even chanced upon a wedding in the local church at the time we visited.As Italians proclaim “La dolce vita”, the Frenchies say “La vie est belle”. Life is beautiful indeed. And the locals here in Gordes exude that relaxed way a la Provençal!
Namedone of the most beautiful villages in the Luberon area — alongside Ménerbes and that red city Roussillon — it is quite an experience weaving through its narrow, cobblestoned streets while spotting a Renaissance castle, some fountains, a flight of stairs to get from one level to another, emerging onto tiny plazas and a spotting of impressive maisonor mansions and chateaus here and there.
Oh, Provence! Have I actually romanticised you or are you really such a beautiful province of France? Between the Rhone and the Mediterranean, I “hear” and sense your cultural identity speaking much louder in the countryside than in the big cities. Luberon Valley is truly a gem and we can just imagine how even lovelier you must be in July when those fields of lavender are abloom in all its splendour. For now, we’d settle for poppies, the fragrant jasmine flowers, some other spring blooms and the occasional sunflowers. The young lavenders, we smell you as you start to sprout, and that’s enough for now.
Our day excursion to Luberon covered 4 hilltop villages. Just when I dropped my trainers, and donned my wedge espadrilles, our day tour included many uphill climbs on uneven paths. Not the best decision. In Ménerbes, we walked around winding roads in this rocky outcrop named after the Roman goddess Minerva. Home to only 1,000 inhabitants, this village retained its exceptional old world charm with its architecture and character.
La Vie Est Belle. Life is Beautiful. Ménerbes is a walled village atop a hill in Luberon.
La vie est belle. Life is beautiful. Many of the windows of these stone houses look out to a panorama of green meadows and pastures. Driving along the winding roads can be a chore, more so the parking, because of the narrow and steep inclines. We spotted the huge stone building acquired by Picasso and given as a gift to one of his (many) mistresses Dora Maar, who is an artist herself, but more popular as Picasso’s muse in many of his weeping lady paintings. She died at a very old age and was reportedly so invested in the Provençal lifestyle when still alive. After her death, the property transferred ownership and is now used as a retreat house for artists, poets and novelists.
These houses can do with some scrubbing but I’m not sure if the charm rests on its worn-out look. In Menerbes, we saw the huge building Picasso gifted his mistress, Dora Maar.
Roussillon is just as sparsely populated but as the guide promised, it is so different from Ménerbes. It sits atop one of the largest ochre deposits in the world and these deposits give the village its natural reddish brown appeal much like how Colorado in USA is. Unfortunately, my nieto suffered a vertigo spell here so after viewing the cliff side views, we sat it out by the pharmacie waiting for the meds to run its course. Besides, the heat was really getting to us. Tropical babes that we are, it was just so hard to walk uphill with the sun shining fiercely and sweating profusely as the walks generated heat against this onset of summer temps.
The ochre cliffs of RoussillonRoussillon Pharmacie
Tourism is alive in the Luberon area. There were many groups who came in vans good for 8 pax. No big buses , perhaps because of the narrow roads in the area. It’s always a good idea to visit Provence. Though Provence has been a part of France for well over 400 years, it has retained its cultural identity much like the Catalans and the Basques in Spain have. Same, Same but different. And I wouldn’t even venture to clearly define the dividing line here. La vie est belle . 😊 Smile!
We are spending 7 days, 6 nights here in Avignon. That’s after 3 nights in Nimes. Soak up a bit of Provençal life and do day trips from this walled city to explore other parts of Provence. My 3rd trip here, actually. The first time, a friend and I drove from Paris through Tours and Lourdes to Provence before meeting up with friends in Barcelona. That was in 2003. Soon after, I headed back after visiting Lourdes, hopping on a train to Toulouse then boarding an onward train all the way to Avignon. In both trips, I felt shortchanged that I didn’t spend as much time as I could. All rushed, busy with day trips to explore Arles, Nimes, Aix en Provence, Le Baux, Saint Remy de Provence and Marseilles. All touch and go. Just “sightseeing”. I’m not doing that again. I’m spending a whole week in Avignon!
Palace of the Popes best viewed & enjoyed with sorbet on a hot day. Having my Quiche Lorraine in my hotel room.
This time, we checked out the Saturday Market in Avignon, did some retail therapy, dined in French restaurants and a pizza parlor in the city center and ate a lot of ice cream and sorbet! I love Provençal cuisine as it blends French with Spanish dishes with a sprinkling of Italian from its being under the Romans for some time. South of France literally means near the border of Northern Spain. Also, Avignon is NOT exactly that provincial — the city vibes are there, in the shops, in the many touristy stalls, cafes, theatres, gelato bars and restaurants. But so much more relaxed and milder in temperament or character than Paris. Easy to cover the entire walled city in 2-3 days but it’s a convenient base for excursions to explore more of Provence. We enjoyed the spacious hotel room we booked, unpacked with comfort, claimed the 3 closets in the room and made good use of the sitting room for our dine-in dinners while our laundry dries.
The Papal Palace GardenAvignon has many “old” and modern spots.
The ticket costs only €13 for the Palace, Garden and the Bridge. The tablet guide they give you is so high-tech it took some time to figure out how to make it work. Took an hour and a half but going to the viewpoint for St. Benezet Bridge or Pont de Avignon requires some uphill climb. If you don’t care to walk or climb, just hop on the tiny, silver Choo-choo train for €10. I won’t tire you with details on the Papal Palace and the Avignon Papacy. Suffice it to say that 7 popes lived in Avignon rather than Rome from 1309 to 1376 because of conflict with the French crown. Thus, Avignon holds that distinction of being the papal capital for some time.
Avignon Bridge or Pont d’ BenezetInside the Palais de Pape
We enjoyed our twice-a-day ice cream sessions here. And the punishing summer heat (29C) must have worked up our appetites too. The outdoor cafes and restaurants offered many options. Paella, steak Charolais, fillet mignon, salmon risotto, entrecôte, salad nicoise, Magret de canard, pizza and pasta. And some ice cream and granita bars offer as many as 74 flavours! You can’t go hungry in Avignon. C’est La vie!
We enjoyed many good meals here. No French portions; the servings overwhelmed me!
lifeisacelebration 