We landed in Paris’s airport, and, while taxiing, the pilot welcomed us with the info that it was 28°F out. Brrr! We walked through the terminal for the usual miles of corridors to Customs and baggage claim (no snags either place), finally reaching the area we sought. We watched the dawn light reach the train station just as we did. Handy to be able to switch from airplane to train under the same (extended) roof.

We saw that the fields were still flooded from winter/spring rains. Some bits of ice-glazing among the migratory waterfowl…brrr.

As always, with fast-train photography, trees hopped in front of the lens at the moment of capture.

We saw this bluff for some miles, seeming like it was urging us southward. We crossed many rivers, and this is before we began crossing the Rhône.

Thanks to geolocation by the Guru, we now know this was Éguilles. That accented e means say “eh,” and usually indicates that at some time long ago, there was a consonant following it that is now “gone.” Gone consonant. Language evolution.

Of course, trains must run along near-level routes, so we saw bridges and cuts.

Aha! Welcome to Marseille. No “s” at the end as in the Midwest. Another case of missing consonants? Perhaps, no, ADDED consonants. The breaks in the letters are deliberate, to look like marble, perhaps?

We walked west from the train station, and by this major architectural feature. In western architecture history, whence comes the arch? The Romans surely loved them. Didn’t the much earlier Sumerians use them, too?

See that corner balcony? That’s off our main living floor. Yes, our apartment has two living floors, the main one, and a sleeping loft. AND above that is a terrace, surrounded by potted plants and incredibly lovely. Let me say that the stairs and ladders are interesting terrain for a recovering foot. [Yes, I holler down to the Guru, I am being VERY careful!

Settled in our apartment, we head out to enjoy the final light of the day, highlighting the facade of the cathedral…

…and backlighting the Giant Ferris Wheel so many cities consider de rigour these days. Curious cultural juxtaposition to have the cathedral and wheel face each other (as it were).

A final stop at our neighborhood bakery for quiche and several dough (dough and cheese—like pizza, tasty sauce; dough and veg and sardine bits—surprisingly salty and yummy) combos. This one is for with coffee tomorrow.

About tomorrow, late post because we have been up since ATL, except for short train naps. My fitness device shows steps for all hours since midnight, except for one on the plane when I was watching “Three Billboards…,” and one when I napped on the train. At days’ end, we managed to download the photos and quickly flip through them, but no dice on the brain-power to get them posted and compose words. So, these words come from tomorrow….

This entry was posted in anthropology, architecture, outdoors, personal on Sunday, 25 February 2018 at 4:22 pm.
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