Notre Aventure Française, 2013: 18th September

We have been living our village life for nearly two weeks with all of its modern conveniences - except television. Our house owners do not have TV (we wouldn't understand too much of it anyway) but we do have a home entertainment system and a BIG screen to display the images from a projector. Thank heavens for Downton Abbey, Series 1 to 3.
Despite these modern appliances, we remain intrigued and captivated by those things ancient and Vienne does not let one down in this regard. Vienne is our nearest large "metropolis" with a population of some 450,000. The region has been populated since ancient times, from the Gauls in the 3rd century BC. The Gauls' loyalty to Rome earned Vienne the envied title of Roman Colony in 40 AD. Its subsequent history is quite varied including religious, cloth making and metallurgical industries, until today the City of Vienne is mainly centered on tourism and the service sector with a few high tech industries.
Relics from the Roman era remain including the Théâtre Antique, the ancient ampitheatre that overlooks Vienne. It is 130 meters in diameter and is thought to have housed 11,000 spectators. Built in 40-50 AD this stunning monument to the past has regained its original purpose, since its reclamation and resoration between 1908 and 1938, as a place for cultural and artistic events such as the annual international jazz festival.
It was to Old Vienne that we came today to see these relics and look at 12th Century churches, cloisters, temples, Roman earthenware, bronze age tools, one of the oldest churches in France, Saint Pierre, now an archaeological museum and of course the ampitheater.

Roman earthenware Pots

Saint-Maurice's Cathedral (can you find Ann?)

The Temple of Augustus and Livia, 20-10 BC

The Cloister of Saint-Andre-le-Bas, 12th Century


Théâtre Antique looking up from the stage (Bob has a prime position)

Adventuress like today's require plenty of fuel to keep the Maccas going and this evening was food gathering time. Our wonderful neighbours had invited us to accompany them on a legume (vegetable) harvesting expedition to an organic vegetable farm on the outskirts of the closeby village of Pact.
You pick and dig your own selections and carry or wheel your harvest to the man for weighing and payment. Can't get much fresher or cheaper than this and they are organic. The range is from spinach, lettuce, onions (all types), leeks, tomatoes, potatoes, herbs and whatever else Woolies and Coles have on their shelves plus more - and flowers.