[Idyllchat] Provence

[Sonny Culverhouse]

Hi Idabelle,
We stayed in the Bernal apt in Pernes (a great town for untourists) back in 
'03 (I think?), and it was splendid.  While the landlady didn't speak 
English, she was a jewel.  If we had a question that she read as important 
by our body language, she would get her youngest son who was living with 
her at that time to come to us when he got off from work to ask if he could 
assist.  While she lives upstairs, the entire downstairs of a great home 
was ours.  For untourists, it had its own gate, parking area, and wonderful 
terrace w/table and umbrella, all amongst a garden of flowers and trees 
that Ms. Bernal kept in daily care.....never a petal left on the 
ground/stone.  The home had very easy working shutters which we could close 
in the mornings when we left and return in the late afternoon to a place 
seemingly to have had a/c, which it didn't.  It was well furnished, 
although the coffee maker was contrary at times (probably been replaced 
since then) and the shower did indeed prove difficult, only because the 
curtain wasn't either long enough or wide enough (can't remember 
now).  However, the beds seemed to fit me okay with no length problems and 
I'm only 5'7" now (shrinking by the day!).....perhaps it/they have been 
replaced.  And it's only 1 block to the local supermarket w/its own bakery 
as one enters, with all of the daily fresh breads.........ah, the memories 
of that!  We would stop there late each day, pick up our breads for supper 
and breakfast; we had our main meal about 1 each day so that we could enjoy 
that fresh bread, fantastic French wines, cheese, tuna salad (we took 
several packs of the kind in sealed bags w/o fluid) as well as other 
tidbits, and we'd sit out on Our terrace, prop up our Grundig sw radio 
tuned to a local station playing only U.S. music (only kind we could 
get).  The end of each day has to be the best of the memories of that 
untour.  The village has a market every Saturday am, plus, it's only 9 
miles (or was it km?) to Isle sur Sorge, which was our favorite of all the 
French towns (it is actually on two lengthy islands; the river Sorge was 
divided at the beginning of the town and came back together at the end, 
creating a wonderful canal system to enjoy sitting/walking around). Please 
make sure that you go very early (to get a parking place w/in walking 
distance) every Sunday in Isle sur Sorge; it's an amazing market, the 
largest that we've ever seen and one can see/purchase just about anything 
to eat, wear, bring home, etc. that one can imagine.  Around the main 
downtown area is this beautiful several-block area around the river with 
many, many restaurants w/outdoor tables/umbrellas, and a great place to not 
only have our mid-day dinner (the plate(s) of the day), but also nice for 
people watching.  There are water falls here and there on the river, and 
over on the other branch of the river, right at the entrance to the 
university is a laundromat that we used.  There are also some restaurants 
w/outdoor serving there, and it's not that far to walk over to the other 
main area of the village if you just follow your notion of direction around 
the quaint architectural wonders of the many older buildings and through 
some wide and some very narrow cobble-stone streets.

Well, all you asked about was Bernal, but old and very fond memories come 
back and inflict themselves on my fingers as I'm typing; I wish that we 
were sitting on our Bernal terrace tonight for summer.  Btw, Max, while 
seemingly a little abrupt...with his English humor...., is a host who puts 
on a perfect orientation and is responsive to other concerns/questions one 
may have during their stay; his wife, who's name I cannot recall at this 
moment, is also as good as he is at details/knowledge, a very nice 
personality and is a local school teacher.  Max also had internet access 
available for a small fee.  He thinks of everything.

Okay, get that apt and go and enjoy life, for it is good.......both life 
and the apt.     ....sonny in Virginia

At 09:20 PM 7/31/2006 -0400, Bert and Idabelle wrote:
>Thinking about the Bernal apartment in Pernes Les Fontaines.  Wondering if 
>those who have stayed in the apartment and the town have any information 
>that they would like to share with us.
>Idabelle