Des terres sauvages de Camargue aux Calanques, la Provence révèle ses trésors.
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Des marais de Camargue aux villages perchés des Alpilles, cette traversée des Bouches-du-Rhône dévoile une mosaïque de paysages et d’histoires. Arles ouvre la route avec ses arènes romaines et ses cryptoportiques enfouis, avant que la Camargue ne révèle ses chevaux libres, ses taureaux et sa biodiversité exceptionnelle. Plus loin, Aix-en-Provence raconte Cézanne, ses ateliers et son lien intime avec la montagne Sainte-Victoire. Le voyage se poursuit aux Baux-de-Provence et s’achève face à Marseille, entre Vieux-Port, Château d’If, traditions culinaires et secrets des Calanques. Une immersion complète dans l’un des territoires les plus contrastés et inspirants du sud de la France.
Réalisé par Annalisa Guérin
© MORGANE PRODUCTION
#BouchesDuRhône #Provence #Camargue #Arles #Marseille #AixEnProvence #Calanques #Patrimoine #France
Do you like France? Do you enjoy exploring it,
discovering it, going out to meet it? You even sometimes get
the impression that you know her well. We all have a small beach,
a small cove, a clearing, a hamlet or a path that belongs only to
us, far from the beaten track and that we only want to share
with those we love. This is the France we want
you to discover through 100 things you absolutely must see in your lifetime. Today we’re taking you to the sun
, to the southeast of France. The marshy plains of the Camargue,
fabulous nature reserves, immense and fragile. It’s a place where there are
always birds. In the heart of Marseille,
rich in exceptional heritage and picturesque traditions. When things boil over, there’s Brest. When things boil over, there’s Brest. This trip will allow you to discover
many wonders. These are the famous comrade bulls. Among them is Cézanne’s studio,
in the heart of Aix-en-Provence. This is Cézanne’s real brush. It’s almost like a magic wand. It’s almost like a magic wand. Or even the
ancient secrets of the city of Ard. When were these arenas built? Around the same time as the Colosseum. 80 AD. And let’s not forget, of course,
the magic of the calanques. We live in a region, it’s not
a region, it’s a treasure trove. Treasures that you will discover with those who
love them, bring them to life and protect them. In southeastern France, there is an
almost desert-like region called the Camargue. 150,000 hectares of wild land,
nestled in the arms of the Rhône, the Camargue forms a triangle
bordered by the Mediterranean. At the tip of this vast, full body of water, lies
its capital, Arles, which is 2,500 years old. A dream setting for this
professional photographer. From Lionel.
Lionel Roux is a local boy. Every day, he passionately captures
the terrestrial and underwater landscapes of his region. For this man from Arles, the strength of his city
lies in the memory of its stones. A story he wants to share with us,
along with his friend Pierrette Nouet, a heritage guide. Hello Pierrette.
Hello, how are you? Well and you ? Alright
. Listen, I’m giving a tour of the region. I wanted to start with Arles
because it’s a must-see. Of course, but here
you are in front of the most iconic monument, the amphitheater.
We’re going in. There’s a lot
to say about this monument. The arenas of Arles are the most
spectacular in the Roman history of southern France. Built in 80 AD,
the purpose of this amphitheater, 136 meters long by 107 meters wide, was
to host live performances, essential to the
social life of the Romans. Look at this, Lionel, this splendor. I don’t know about you, but
it always gives me goosebumps. It’s a beautiful viewpoint, in any case. So, this is the site of Roman spectacles
with gladiators, the execution of the gladiator,
the sword Plomme, is it all that or is it something else? It existed too,
but it was a little less glamorous than what the movies have portrayed, obviously. So, in the morning, we would make
the cats regroup. We bring in
exotic animals from all over the place. There are guys who kill them and when they’re
unlucky, they get killed by the animal. The morning. At noon, I’m going to disappoint you, but
people were going home to eat. And they took advantage of this to carry out
the executions of those condemned to death. This is what cinema
and comic books have retained. But in reality,
it’s not a large number of people. And in the afternoon, it was packed
because people came to watch the gladiatorial combat. What
was it? Were they killings with the thumb? I’m stopping you, I’m stopping you. This isn’t
Hollywood. Gladiators, now,
we tend to say that for the most part, they were
volunteers and professionals. So, they weren’t killed
systematically. As for the story about the thumb, it comes
from a 19th century painting by Jérôme. Following this painting where we see
a gladiator extending his thumb and giving it with his thumb down, thumb up,
this legend began. But that’s a legend. The Roman is not a
bloodthirsty, violent, and cruel type. He wants to see a good show. So they were competitors,
it was sport. A bit like wrestling, if you will.
All right. These fights attract 21,000 Romans
every week. Depending on their social standing,
spectators are seated at the top for the less wealthy or
closest to the arena for the wealthy. Pierrette now invites Lionel
to travel back in time through the old town. Since its construction
by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. J. C, Arles acquired a plethora
of prestigious public monuments, such as this ancient theatre built
a century before the arenas. Arles is full of remains from that era. Amazing works of art,
hidden even in the basements of the town hall. Where are you taking me, Pierrette? Oh dear, in the lair,
in the mysterious cryptoporticoes. Yes, that’s really very deep. And
what does “cryptoportiques” even mean? It comes from Greek,
it means hidden galleries. Was there a purpose to it? Of course, originally,
it was only to reinforce and level the subsoil so that it could be
built on top of it. Cryptoporticoes are one of the
earliest urban achievements of Roman colonies. These galleries, of which only 120
meters remain, then served to support a vast terrace on which the Romans
built their Forum, the central square of the city. The Forum, in a Roman city,
is like the heart. It’s like the lungs of a city. You know, that’s where
all the decisions are made. So, it needs to be solid. The foundation needs to be solid,
because these are monuments. Today, we would say
ostentatious, you know. Because it is proof in
stone of Roman domination. Look, you see, one of these stones,
especially that one, those two there, are the most important stones,
because it is the one that supports the weight of the two galleries. And there you see the quality of
the Romans as masons and engineers. Solid and at a constant temperature of
16 degrees all year round, the cryptoporticoes became, over
the centuries, wine cellars, and even lapidary reserves. So here, still drums,
but with a pretty circus tent head. What era is this from? So that’s the Corinthian order.
It’s marble. And it is thanks to these small triangles, there,
in the leaves, we have the same ones almost everywhere,
that allowed the archaeologists from Harles in the 60s to give the date of these
monuments, that is to say 20, 21, before Christ,
because it is the same style as in Rome, in Italy, on the Forum
of Augustus, by comparison. These galleries, long forgotten,
reopened to the public in 2008. An unusual visit not to be missed
if you are passionate about Antiquity. The Romans were the first
to tame the Camargue in order to build their city. As soon as you leave the city,
nature reclaims its rights. Vast stretches of
arid land follow the marshes. Water has always been
the primary concern of the Camargue people here. To understand this,
we followed Lionel to the Vigera marsh
to meet Jean-Laurent Luchezi. Hi Jean-Laurent.
Hi Lionel. How are you ?
It’s good and you ? How are you. For 20 years,
Jean-Laurent has been looking after the largest nature reserve in the Camargue,
a protected site of 1,200 hectares which is home to a multitude of
wet and wild landscapes, only in appearance. So now we’re going to enter
the Marais district a little bit. We are in this pond called
Clos des Montures, which, contrary to what people here think, is
not salt water, but fresh water. It is water from the Rhône that has been pumped
and which, mixed with the substrate which is of marine origin,
will draw up this salt and which will, depending on the location, be more or less salty. Somewhere, we talk about space. It’s
the natural remnant of natural environments, but it’s not so natural after all. So, the soil is natural,
the habitats are natural, but the water is controlled by man. All this happened over centuries
and from 1856 onwards, all the water that enters the Camargue, whether from
the river or the sea, is pumped out. Controlled water now enters
the Camargue lands at will thanks to a network of canals called rubine. How does water work? Is she going, is she coming? So, we’re going to pump this water
into the canals fed by the river. And then,
with these sluice gates, these sluice gates that we see in front of us, we will be able to
send it to the right or to the left. So, by opening or closing
the sluice gates, we can direct the water to one pond or another. The result is that,
with this control of the water, we have a choice of natural habitats
for wildlife, and we manage to create the most optimistic conditions
for birds. So basically,
we’re creating the hotel and restaurant for these birds that we’re trying to protect. The reserve is home to more than 2,000
animal and plant species. More than 300 species of birds
have been observed here. Pink flamingos of course,
but also cranes, ibises and up to 35,000 ducks in winter. There, we can see a stork not far away. So, there are birds
of all sizes, I imagine. So, there are large
ladder-climbers like storks. We are in a marsh,
so these are water birds. So here, the storks, which had almost
disappeared from France in the 70s, and which today number several thousand
in France, and especially in the Camargue, where we have almost a hundred pairs,
are very beautiful, there, with very red beaks. Ah, you can hear them being spat out. The marsh also offers an
ideal refuge for mammals. Five herds of bulls and horses
graze year-round on the estate. We’re going to cross the Clos des Jumands from here. The Judge’s Handler’s Twins. They are twins, they
are comrade horses. They are twin brothers, comrades. And so, their role
for us is to graze. So, these are our
eco-friendly lawnmowers; they will eliminate vegetation
in order to keep open environments. Jean-Laurent now invites Lionel
to join Pauline and Robert, the coachman, for a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. The best way to admire
this semi-wild herd. Go ahead, gentlemen.
Ah, it’s you, have a seat. Hello Robert.
Good morning. Hi Robert, hi Pauline.
Welcome. Good morning. Rueil, devastated, let’s go.
Walk. Come on. These Camargue horses are
a breed that has been here for a long time. What’s so special about it? They have been here for a long time,
probably for thousands of years. It is a small breed,
similar to the wild horse. It’s an animal that doesn’t
need much maintenance. It lives in the marshes,
it drinks water that is more or less fresh, more or less brackish. It has the ability to live in these
humid environments without disease. So it’s a robust, hardy species. And then I see a young
mare who is a little grey. It is important to know that the foal that is born
is brown or black. And it is after three to four years that it
will have this white coat, also called grey, which is
characteristic of the species. From February to mid-December,
the marshes offer their bounty to curious visitors. If you would like to discover them,
Rustet and Ravage will be happy to guide you through the reserve. Camargue horses have always been
the most faithful companions of the manadiers, the bull breeders. Raoul from Lyon continues his journey along
the Rhône, and now takes us to meet the guardians of the Mayan herd. Hi Raoul, hi Pascal.
Good morning. Good morning. I’m doing well ?
It’s okay, it’s okay, yes. Are the horses ready yet? That’s it, it’s ready, yes.
Well, great. Do you have a horse for me? Of course, it’s ready now.
Oh, great. What’s his name? His name is Nahomey.
How are you ? Is he nice?
Is this horse quite calm? Because, well, me, the horse… Well, we’ll see, but it’s been
a while since I’ve ridden one. This is the horse that is from Spain, it is
now. He is kind. That was my first horse, Nahomey. The Mayans have been raising
Camargue bulls for five generations. 400 head of cattle
on nearly 1,000 hectares. At the entrance to the pasture,
our riders join Henri, another guardian of the herd.
Hello Henri. Hi. Hi Henri. So here are the famous comrade bulls. So. It’s good.
Beautiful horns. It’s the horns that point towards the sky.
Black dresses. So , what exactly is a herd? What does that represent in the Camargue? A manade, in fact,
is simply a bull breeding farm. We don’t select bulls
for meat or anything like that. For us, it’s really about
camaraderie and racing. It is really for this tradition,
in fact, that we select the bull, which is the best character,
in fact, for the camaraderie race. There’s no question of bullfighting here. The animals are bred,
selected and trained for a rather spectacular traditional sport. Since the Middle Ages,
throughout Provence, the camaraderie race has been contested
in the arenas of the region. At the center, a star: the fighting bull. Around him, two or three bullfighters
try for 15 minutes, for money, to remove a ribbon
or a cockade fixed between his horns. So, among these bulls,
you have bulls that compete in the arenas, then? Among these bulls, there, in fact, here,
are the young bulls that we have. Do you also make a living from these races? How is it organized for you? We rent the bulls. Our main goal
is to have a star bull. If you want, it’s the bull that
the bullfighters fear and at the same time, create a spectacle. You know, when there’s a good bull
in the ring, everyone knows it because people react. It’s a spectacular bull,
it needs emotion. Bulls need to be
managed like athletes. That’s why we don’t fatten them up . They need to be muscular
and able to move easily. And when you fill the arenas with your
bull, of course, you rent it out for more. Can you give us a price range for a
bull that will compete as a beginner or as a champion? How much does that go for? Of course, if you want, the range
is 150 euros, for young bulls, you see,
those that start out, let’s say, rarely 5,000 euros, that’s
a maximum, for the stars. These arena gods, the links
have raised about ten of them in 60 years. Among them, Ramy, twice winner of the Bion
d’or, the highest distinction in this discipline. Regardless of which bull is the star
of the herd, upon its death it is given a dignified burial,
and a stele commemorates it. Having barely dismounted, Lionel
now joins a strange Hacienda. El Pacio de Camargue is the meeting place
for gypsy music in the Ard region, a festive venue conceived by the famous
founder of the Gipsy Queens, Chico Buxiqui. This is where you can taste
the traditional Camargue recipe. Hi Kevin. Oh Lionel, how are you? Listen, it’s going well. And that’s perfect timing because I
knew you were cooking this afternoon. Lionel dons the apron of an apprentice
cook to prepare the famous bull guardian. So, right now, I’m… This is what
I just smoked. Camarga bull meat too. We are talking about a meat,
bull meat, which is a little stronger than beef. You can find similar stews
in other regions of France. The bull meat was marinated for 24 hours
in a local red wine, with sliced onions,
carrots and some herbs. And now, we’re going to cook it. To fully respect tradition,
Kevin cooks with olive oil and over a wood fire. We’re going to add
salt. Salt is good, but we’re
going to add salt with anchovies. Anchovies are better.
It adds even more flavor. All right ? Since I don’t feel like getting my
hands dirty today, and since you’re here… So far, so good, yes.
The small anchovy. All right.
So, fish with the bull? Yes.
Okay, your turn, boss. Here we go . I cut off the head, so far, so good.
Cut off the head. So far, so good. So I open it like this?
Yes. I’m spending money, but don’t worry. I’m counting on you. That’s it
, nothing more. Now, you come and
place your finger in the middle. To remove. Let’s continue like this. However, it shouldn’t take longer
than the cooking time for the babysitter. We’re going to put that in the pot. We’ll let those melt a little bit. Once salted, it’s time to add
the marinade wine to the cooking. Okay, I’m going. Don’t
burn yourself. So, how long are you going to let it
simmer? I’m telling you two
and a half hours, three hours. All of that.
It has a great scent. So. To accompany the bull herder,
Kevin prepared small marinated vegetables and Camargue wholegrain red rice. And now, let’s eat.
Come on, shall we try this? Okay, let’s go.
Come on. You’re going to tell me a little. Okay
Ben, listen, yes. I’m not promising I’ll make
one tonight, but maybe tomorrow. Listen, your guardian, she is divine. But here, you don’t leave
the table without celebrating. In Elpacio’s courtyard,
Kevin and Lionel join the rehearsals for a lively Catalan evening hosted by
Tchipo’s children, his son, son-in-law and nephews. Well done. Bravo, great.
Thank you so much. Thank you for
joining us with the Palmas. With the Palmas,
it’s going to be an average pace. What is the essence of this music? Where did it originally come from? Actually, this music
comes from flamenco, from Barcelona, but we play rumba.
It’s the Catalan rumba. It’s the Catalan rumba. So, there’s a background like that, you read. So.
That’s the start. It’s the Catalan rumba. That’s the basis of everything.
All right. What was the song you
performed for us about? This story shows that in our community,
we always have a joy for life because we are very realistic. We only live once,
we must enjoy life and everything that this music brings us. And in the Camargue, people enjoy
life by dancing. So if you are passing through Arles,
like Lyonel, come and take your first lesson, Catalan Corumba. Let us now continue our exploration
of the Bouches du Rhône with its former capital. 80 kilometers east of Arles,
here is Aix-en-Provence. A spa town in Roman times,
Aix was considered in the 15th century by notables and wealthy merchants
as the Florence of Provence. Originally from the island, Delphine
settled in Provence 20 years ago. A sculptor and painter,
she admires this city which has inspired the greatest names in literature
and painting: Stendhal, Mistral, Zola and of course Cézanne. To help us discover the hometown
of this painter, who is still the pride of the people of Exos today,
Delphine meets up with Frédéric Paul, heritage guide and great
admirer of the artist. Aix-en-Provence is a city with a
lot of history. It is the second city in France in terms of the number
of historical monuments , after Paris. 140 listed or classified monuments. So, there is a lot of history,
a lot of things to discover in this city. Fountains, lots of fountains. Fountains, it’s
the city of a thousand fountains. And then, there are lots of
small hidden heritage sites. For example,
these balconies, the phallic balconies that can be seen here, which have this
rather particular shape of male sex. Are you showing me something new?
Yes, yes, yes. There are about twenty in Aix-en-Provence
where you can find this type of balcony. It is believed that these were places
where people lived and had extramarital affairs. There are the seedy backstreets
and the official thoroughfare. Cours Mirabeau, opened on the site
of former ramparts, became in the evening in the 17th century the chic avenue
of Aix en Provence, where nobles built their elegant residences. Here too, it’s good
to see and be seen. It was a carriage promenade
and the ladies of the bourgeoisie could stroll here in the afternoons. They went up, they went down,
they went up, they went down. So, it hasn’t changed much because
on Friday and Saturday nights, there are cars going up
and down. And this café, it’s the oldest café
in Aix-en-Provence and Cézanne used to frequent it . And so here we are,
entering the Salon Antoine, and this is a famous room in the Café des deux
garçons, because this is where Cézanne used to spend his
afternoons with Emile Zola. He came to have a drink
and play cards. What is touching about this place
is that nothing has changed since that time. The gilding and cornices are listed as historical monuments. The mirrors are from the period; they are
old-fashioned, tin-backed mirrors. If Cézanne, if Zola were to return to the café
today, it would be the same. He would recognize the place because that’s
really how it was. Cézanne’s footsteps now lead
Delphine and Frédéric towards the artist’s true refuge. His workshop is now
owned by the city. It’s magic. His place.
This is the master’s lair. Okay, let’s go see what
it looks like from the inside. I’m eager to see it. Gabrielle Maginier watches over this house
that Cézanne had built in 1901, according to his own plans, to house
his creations. Cézanne’s Studio, Gabriel, there. Yes, it’s
quite a magical place, indeed. This is the end of Cézanne’s life. And Cézanne used the studio
to paint still lifes and portraits here. And he painted, above all, the large painting
of the Large Bathers, which he painted on this easel, in particular.
That easel? Wow. Huge.
But it was a large painting. Yes, the painting was 2.51 meters by
2.08 meters, for the largest version. Despite everything, Cézanne painted these large paintings
inside this studio,
with this large glass roof, because he felt inside
as if he were outside. Since he couldn’t put those large
canvases out in the garden, and since he had gotten used to
painting outdoors, he’s going to have the wall demolished. I’m going to show you one of the little
secrets of the workshop. Indeed, he was actually passing
the large bathers, the large canvas ones,
through this slit, through this door. He actually slid them
from the easel into the garden, where he painted them directly facing
nature, drawing inspiration from the forms of nature. Here, during the last four years of his
life, Cézanne painted with frenzy. With the large bathers created
in 1906, he took as models all the everyday objects that surrounded him. Like this vase, this
ginger jar, or this bottle. Even these human skulls
inspired the artist. Objects and personal belongings
carefully preserved for over a century. For example, you have the hat,
which is a very symbolic object. Cézanne’s hat. This is an object of
particular importance to Cézanne. Do you think so? That’s
moving. In
this studio, where Cézanne’s presence is still very strong, another
treasure is rarely revealed. Even today, paintbrushes are still kept in this
paint box, for example. The real paintbrushes. Yes, Cézanne’s real brushes. Are
you going to give it to me again? With which he painted, for example,
the last 15 mountains, Saint-Victoire, 11 oils,
4 watercolors of the summit of the Colline des Loves and Les Dernières Grandes Bénaises. It’s a magic wand, isn’t it?
It’s almost like a magic wand. It’s almost like a magic wand. I don’t know if I’ll get
better at painting afterwards. Sainte-Victoire, painted 87
times by its donkeys, here it is. Its shapes, colours and
treasures continue to fascinate. For Delphine, the richness of the
Exoise mountain lies in its vegetation. With Stéphane Cataneo and Antoine Verdi,
two young naturalists, she sets off to explore this very mysterious emblem. In front of us, you can see,
just to your right, the summit of the mountain which is at 1011 meters. It continues to grow because it is
pushed simultaneously by the Alps and the Pyrenees. How much do you think they
grow per year? Okay, one centimeter.
One centimeter? Ah, that’s a bit much. So no, they
actually grow by 7m per year. This limestone massif, 18 km long and 5
km wide, offers exceptional flora thanks to its exposure, climate and rich soil
. 900 flowering plants have been recorded there. Among them are all the
legendary spices of Provence. I’m already looking, there’s
one that immediately interests me. So we’re going to pick a tiny bit of it,
the young shoots, obviously. It is called the Small Flame Clematis,
or flamula. It is also called the garrigue pepper. So I’m just advising you… It’s a plant that doesn’t digest
very, very well, and should be eaten in very small doses. It’s just the
spicy aspect that’s interesting. You put it on your tongue,
you put it on your tongue, gently. And the more you bite it,
the spicier the flavor will be… There you go, you’ll chew it a little, and
then don’t hesitate to spit it out a little. You just need to bring out
that spicy side a little bit, you’ll see.
At first, you don’t feel anything? No. And then, at some point,
you’ll see, it’s going to come very strong. Yeah, I see. There, you can spit. I can spit, OK. Especially if you don’t really like chili peppers
and all that. I like to let people taste this.
Okay, chili pepper. We have this aspect a bit… So here, we also have… I think Antoine has
found something. Here we have a very interesting plant
called sumac, or coroyal. The plant is absolutely toxic
in all parts, except the seed. And it is the seed that will
interest the cook. You can already taste a little one…
Yeah, you’re not going to kiss it. There is a hard core inside,
but what interests us is the taste that surrounds it. It is used as a spice which is very,
very widely used on the Mediterranean porton, which bears the same name. It’s
called sumac. It is widely used in Lebanon,
Armenia, and Türkiye. But we never really used it much. It’s a forgotten spice, even though it
‘s there, it’s everywhere. Plants forgotten, except by Antoine. A former chef,
he suggests to Delphine that they improvise an aioli in the middle of the garrigue. Egg yolk, olive oil, garlic and
a medicinal plant called helichrysum. It’s a vegetarian curry. Well, look, I crumbled mine really, really, really well
. And there you have it, we get a
nice result by mixing it well. And
now, you take a small raw vegetable, a nice little
emulsified sauce, well dressed. Listen, this is a big surprise
for me, a great discovery, because I didn’t think that by going
into the victory room like that, we would do something this far. And we’re really far from
thyme and rosemary. Add hiking to the herbs of Provence
. At the foot of Sainte-Victoire,
numerous trails await you. And if they are not open to visitors, it is
also an opportunity to admire the Château de Vauvenargue. Also fascinated by the Éxoise mountains,
Picasso bought it in 1958. He is now buried there. Among the iconic images of Provence,
there is another one that is essential: the santons. Delphine now takes us
to the oldest artisanal factory. At Fouques, this
unique know-how has been passed down since 1934. Emmanuel Fouques is the fourth
generation of santon maker. Delphine, I’m going to show you what
I make with my molds. So right now, I’m working
on a model that is very important to us, since it’s the
emblematic model of the Fouques company, it’s the Coup de Mistral,
which was created by my grandfather in 1952. My grandfather did a lot of cycling. He was truly a Provençal,
a lover of his region. And one day, while returning from Arles by bicycle,
he saw a shepherd struggling in the wind. And the idea came to him
to accomplish it in 100 years. Each piece is meticulously sculpted
over nearly 5 hours, using numerous tools. So, I use my eyes a lot,
you see. Among the tools I need. Is that your eye? That’s my eye, actually. It’s a small piece
of iron that is coiled. And that’s very practical. This allows me to cut
directly into it. Much like a sculptor uses his
chisels, we will use the pick to
dig and remove shavings of clay. In the family workshop,
everyone has a well-defined role. The men work the clay
and sculpt the figurines. The women, for their part,
are in charge of decorating them. An art that Caroline has mastered perfectly. Here Delphine,
sit next to Caroline, she’s going to show you how to paint a santon.
Hello Delphine. Good morning. So, your little wine cup. So, we’ll always start
with the face and hands. So there, you hand over your brush,
you take some paint. That’s a dear tone.
That’s what we call the expensive tone. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, don’t hesitate. It’s water, it’s oil, it’s…
It’s acrylic. All right. So, for small pieces like this,
we use acrylic. And you smear, yes, your face.
You’re going too far, especially. I’m overtaking, I’m overtaking, I’m overtaking. Don’t hesitate to extend
well beyond the sides. Go ahead , don’t be afraid. It’s quite an art, it’s quite an art. You can feel the paint as it glides. It’s nice. Above all, you can feel the paint;
it brings the character to life. In these small sizes,
painting adds a lot. It makes the character feel real. We have a feeling of calm,
it’s like we’re doing a yoga session. In total, seven steps are required
to make a santon. A tradition that originated in Provence
during the French Revolution. Faced with revolutionaries who close
churches or shelter nativity scenes, a hundred tons are made so that every
Catholic can recreate the Nativity scene in their own home. One hour west of Aix-en-Provence, there is a village where the
Christmas tradition is still very much preserved. Nestled in the heart of the Alpilles Regional Natural Park
, here are Les Baux de Provence. A gem that Delphine wanted to
show us with Benjamin Houdan, guide in this amazing Provençal village. Hello Benjamin.
Hello Delphine. Thank you for welcoming me to this
beautiful village of Les Baux. My pleasure. One of the most beautiful
preserved villages in the region. Yes, indeed,
we have 22 architectural elements that are listed or classified as
historical monuments. So, this building,
which is one of the oldest houses in the village, therefore Renaissance 16th century,
which is the house of Constable Anne de Montmorency, who was a little bit
the right-hand man of Francis I. So we see this house made of
dressed stone, since the stone comes from here, it comes from Les Baux,
so it is limestone from the Secondary era. So there are quarries
right there, down below. We’re going to get closer . The village is situated
at an altitude of 250 meters. A rocky escarpment called bahou
in Provençal, which, through deformation, gave its name to the pot of Provence. Starting from Dégages,
you have an extraordinary view of the surrounding area, all the way to the
Mediterranean Sea, indeed. And so, this eagle’s nest,
as Frédéric Mistral said, will allow the populations to
protect themselves and to see the assailant coming from extremely far away. Yeah, a very strategic position. Absolutely
, completely. This is what will allow us
to preserve the monastic buildings of this magnificent place. And by the way, if you’re interested,
I’ll take you to see the most beautiful Renaissance mansion in the village.
We’ve left. 900 meters long by 100 meters
wide, this village, among the most beautiful in France,
hides a maze of narrow streets and shaded terraces. A site classified for its
authenticity and its remains. So here we arrive at the Hôtel de Manville,
which is the most beautiful Renaissance private mansion in the village,
dating from the end of the 16th century, in 1971, and which was in fact the seat
of authority here, since it was where the viguet,
the governor of Ébault, lived, who was responsible for ensuring
security in the absence of the king. Claude de Manville, the governor
of Ébault, was a Protestant. A religion frequently practiced
in Provence in the 16th century and tolerated by the lord of the village. As evidenced by the inscription
engraved on the lintel of this window. We have this Calvinist inscription
which is engraved in the stone. There you have it, post tenebraslux, which in Latin
means after darkness, light. And it is believed that in the rooms,
in the foundations of this private mansion, there was a temple
or at least a place of worship for Protestants. This really attests to the presence of a
strong Protestant community in the area. Yet, even today,
Les Baux is renowned for its Catholic worship. Benjamin now takes Delphine
to the square of the Church of Saint-Vincent, in the heart of Provençal traditions. So, here we are, arriving at the Place
de l’Église Saint-Vincent-des-Baux. The central square of the village of Les Baux.
Exactly, yes, absolutely. So, with the Church of Saint Vincent
and the chapel of the White Penitents. This is where everything happens, I imagine,
at Christmas, the pastoral traditions. Yes, absolutely, completely. It is in this Saint-Vincent church
that one of the most popular midnight masses in the region takes place. At the end of midnight mass,
there is the ceremony of the shepherding, the offering of the last lamb born in
the flock to the newborn Christ child. The little lamb is placed
in the cart and the procession goes out and crosses the entire church square. Strong Provençal tradition. Yes, absolutely,
which may have been lost a little elsewhere, but which, here, in the beautiful,
generally endures. This ceremony, in which the fields express
the joy of the shepherds, is a highlight that you should not miss
during your next stay in Provence. With pastoral tradition,
the Bouches du Rhône preserve their maritime history. 90 km southeast of Les Baux de Provence,
we reach Marseille, the oldest city in France. Above the Old Port,
Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. The Good Mother,
as the people of Marseille like to call her , watches over her sailors. Yannick Lont is one of his sailors. A former molecular biology researcher,
he gave it all up to now live his dream by offering sea trips
to tourists passing through the old port of Marseille.
Yannick has always been passionate about the islands facing the city of Marseille. His friend Éric Hommeau
is a heritage guide. How are you, Yannick? So, is there a swell or not?
Are you there? It’s ahead of schedule , I’m so happy about that.
Come on. Ben, you’re giving me a hand, or
you’re leaving me in front? Of course.
THANKS. Eric holds the keys to a
500-year-old fortress. Head towards the Frioul Islands,
and one of its most famous monuments, the Château d’If. Built by Francis I in the 16th century,
the Château d’If is the first royal fortification of Marseille. Its strategic location,
in the center of the harbor, allows it to protect the coasts from invasion. A major concern at the time. Come on, go home. There, you see, we find ourselves
in the inner courtyard of the castle. We have the central well. This cistern will store rainwater
and will allow the occupants of the castle to simply have the
water reserves necessary for their survival. The occupants are prisoners. In the 18th century, the
military fort became a state prison. Nearly 5,000 prisoners will be
incarcerated here until 1914. On the ground floor, the prisoners
live in deplorable conditions. Overcrowding and lack of hygiene
leave men with a life expectancy of less than nine months. Others, however,
seem to be much better off. On the first floor,
you see, there are cells. Later, we will call them
pistoles. Why pistole? This was the currency of the time, the pistole. We pay the price and we’ll
get a privilege. It’s about being locked up, but with dignity. Only wealthy prisoners
have access to these cells. They are more spacious, have
windows and are heated. Push on the door, you’ll see. This cell is quite large. There’s a large fireplace, by the way. And as you can see, it’s quite dark. Yes, it’s breathing, at least. It was very cold inside
those cells, by the way. Some famous names were said to have been imprisoned
here, such as the Count of Mirabeau in the 18th century, imprisoned at the request of his father. But Yves’ castle is above all
the setting for the epic romance of Edmond Dantès. The Count of Monte Cristo,
imagined by Alexandre Dumas, manages to escape from the fortress
after 14 years of captivity. This is the cell of the Count of Monte Cristo,
who was locked up in the Château d’If for years, and who is going to meet Abbé
Faria, who is locked up in a cell below. And through this passage that appears,
Abbé Faria will meet Edmond Dantès, and then Edmond Dantès will be able,
during the night, to use this passage and escape from the castle of Ifre. He swam to Marseille. And he swam to Marseille. Classified as a historical monument,
the Château d’If attracts 100,000 visitors each year. Located 15 minutes by sea from the Old Port,
it undoubtedly offers the most beautiful view of the harbor of Marseille. Here, history is reflected
even in the food. Back at the Old Port,
Yannick is getting ready to take his first traditional regional cooking class
in one of the city’s largest restaurants. Hello, I’ve come to see the boss. Hi Christian. Is everything alright ? We’re here, we’re doing
a little bit of cooking this morning. What a lovely tray. That’s for the bouillabaisse. I’m preparing one for myself,
if you want I can explain. Very gladly. If I explain it to you,
you’ll have to put on an apron. Chef Christian Buffa is one of the most
fervent defenders of this ancestral recipe. In 2008, he even created
the Bouillabaisse charter, an art of Greek origin that
arrived in Marseille in the 7th century. Bouillabaisse, originally,
was a bit of a poor man’s dish. The fisherman would go out to sea, he would
go and catch his fish, he would come back to the quay,
he would sell the best fish, and he would have left over some small,
slightly damaged fish. He would go home and give them
to his wife, she would prepare a broth for him,
we would add two or three pieces of stale bread with a slightly
spicy mayonnaise, and that became bouillabaisse. Today, this quintessential Marseilles specialty
requires much more precise ingredients, starting
with the choice of fish. I’m putting in six fish.
From the conger eel. There, you have the rooster. Yeah, a pretty face. I
like it. The lively one. Besides, the head
looks a bit like a snake. That doesn’t intersect.
So, Saint-Pierre, this way. The Saint-Pierre, that’s it. It seems that one day, Saint Peter came
down to earth, he did like this, tap, he left his mark. Next comes the rase la cacasse,
which is also called the chacon, and finally the lotte. According to the charter, bouillabaisse
is prepared in two stages. First,
we prepare a soup, okay, with the ingredients that are
there, and the small rockfish. So, you’re going to help me
chop some of the vegetables. So, I put a small knife in there,
I never know if he might cut his finger. Watch out, thumb. So, we’re going to put everything in there. There you go , just like that. The vegetables will now
return to the olive oil. So. We’re doing well here. The chef then adds
sun-kissed spices, such as fennel seeds. Oh my goodness, just there. What a smell, what a smell, my god. It’s pure bliss. So, we’ll take the small fish. Watch out, there’s singing going on. After a touch of saffron and some
tomatoes to deglaze the sugars, Christian adds the Marseilles touch. You’re going to move over a bit.
No, it’s fine. Things are going to get heated. So. Are you ready? We’ll see.
We’re going to add a little bit of pastis. Okay, it’s fine. So. Look at this. So. Once blended and filtered,
the soup is ready for cooking the large pieces of fish. You put the biggest fish
and the firmest flesh in first. The Congo.
The Congo? So, bouillabaisse,
why bouillabaisse in fact? That’s where you’ll understand everything.
You turn on the oven. Suddenly, boom, it boils. Well , you’re going down.
When it boils, he lowers it. When it booms, he lowers it. And there you have it, it’s become this place. And that’s how they
created bouillabaisse. When it boils, he lowers it. Who said French
was a difficult language? To accompany all of this,
Christian and Yannick will now devote themselves to the famous
rust of Marseille. Milk, but we’re missing the croutons. Three egg yolks for one liter of oil. Next, we’re going to put some garlic on. So, a little garlic. We’re going to add, look, a little spice. So, if it’s in season,
you won’t eat much of it. That’s what you call a little bit of spice. A little bit of spice, that’s it. Well , it’s a shame the camera does
n’t have a nose, because otherwise… Now that’s a flavor. There , that smells good. We’re not going to put mustard on it,
because mustard is up there, up there, in the Far North, up there, towards Dijon. We’re going to add some water. Tac, we add a little water and that will
allow it to bind with the oil. That way, after the bouillabaisse,
you can make room for the cake. All that remains is to mix
vigorously before adding the oil. Half olive, half peanut. That’s the secret of the
bouillabaisse master. You give it a little burst of acceleration. Now, what we’re going to do is…
I’m going to taste it. That’s my favorite part. I’m going to try it too. Cheers. A bit salty, I suppose. Oh no, it’s delicious.
It’s good, though. Just a little bit, a hair, a hair, right?
How are you ? This simple, family-style dish,
perfected over the centuries, is taught by Christian Buffa once
a month in his kitchens. A secret that is becoming less and less well kept. So hurry up and register
before you enjoy it on the terrace. Among the strong symbols of Marseille,
there is of course the soap made here since the 13th century. To discover their secrets,
Yannick now takes us to one of the 15 soap factories in Marseille. A 1,000 square meter workshop in the heart
of the city where Serge Brunat is the third generation of soap maker. Hello Yannick. Are you doing well ?
Yeah, perfect, and you? And look, of course she’s following
you, it’s going very well, look. I’ll give you
a blouse and then we’ll go. Oh yes.
It’s mandatory. I’m looking forward to seeing this product made. In this vat, a mixture of
olive oil and soda heated to 100 degrees. A corrosive liquid at first,
whose danger will be neutralized by the fatty acid in the oil. A chemical reaction that produces
this legendary soap. We’re going to retrieve our gutter. So this is a container for pouring,
it’s a pouring container. Yes, absolutely.
And there… So in this tank,
there’s the mixture, the oil-sower. Yes.
In what percentage? Well, what we’re saying is 72 percent
oil and 28 percent soda. Is that what will actually give it that
high quality, that 72 percent? This is the tradition of Marseille soap. So, how many liters do you actually put
in this box? So the tank can
hold up to 600 litres. And this box, it holds 50 liters. That’s 50 one-kilo bars of soap. The boiling liquid is then
cooled in the open air for 24 hours. The time required to harden
and lighten before being cut. A delicate operation
for our apprentice soap maker. Yannick, if you want to continue. Come on, I saw the maestro do it. So here, it’s really about
breaking it up, getting it out. It’s a little… Yes, it’s a little lacking, it needs to
dry a little longer. All right. So, the raw soap will
then be passed through a mill to homogenize it. And this machine, by the way, dates from 1902. It made a lot of soap. These are granite rollers,
and we have the catalogue. 1902?
Yes, over 100 years. So, in fact, she had to
supply soap for both wars? 14, 18 and 39, 40 for the soldiers.
Of course. Finally, they gave a piece of
Marseille soap to the soldiers. So, indeed,
this machine, 1902… It contributed to the hygiene of the soldiers. Regarding the hygiene of soldiers. In this historic machine,
dried soap is ground into flakes. It is then transformed into flakes,
flavored and colored before being molded. We’re going to put these glitter flakes in the
extruder to produce the soap roll. Serge makes soap the old-fashioned way,
60 tons a year which he sells all over the world. Okay, so I’m going to cut you
a 300-gram bar of soap. Is that little piece of wire there what we
call the butter-cutting wire? Yes, absolutely. It’s a piano wire that will
allow for a very clean cut. That’s the key to cutting butter. So now, if you want, you can
take the tampon, 72 percent extra pure. You center it here and you give it
a whack in the middle with a mallet. And here we are, certified. So. And a soap, a soap like that, actually, does it
have a lifespan, does it deteriorate, does it lose its
qualities over time? No way. Look, this soap is about
a hundred years old. One hundred years? Yes, indeed
. And you can wash with it. It will be all the more effective. That is to say, if today
I had exactly the same qualities, that is to say, in terms of cleanliness. You’re going to have baby-soft skin. 72 percent, guaranteed. Can you guarantee me 72
percent baby-soft skin? I’m interested. But the true source of rejuvenation
for Yannick remains the sea, his passion. He is now keen to reveal to us his
little corner of paradise, just 40 minutes from the city centre,
the calanques of Marseille. 20 kilometers of limestone cliffs,
sometimes over 500 meters high, plunging steeply into the sea. 4,000 hectares classified, which became
a highly protected national park in 2012. Sormiou is one of the few
inhabited calanques. A hundred or so cabins conceal
a small port sheltered by a breakwater. That’s where Yannick meets
a local celebrity. How are you, Jean-Claude?
The fisherman Jean-Claude Bianco. It makes me wonder why you’re still here, doesn’t it?
You know what? I need to gain a few kilos. Yeah, well, if I could lose a
few eggs, I’d gladly give them to you. Keep in shape.
Ah, a stunning form. You know what? It’s a time for
a trip out to sea. And I think…
Well, we say it. That we’re going to dump. What do you
think? Shall we drop everything? Come on, let’s go for
a little trip out to sea. Jean-Claude has always
lived in the calanques. He was born here, by the water, and his
boat is like a second home to him. A traditional boat,
built by his father, who passed on to him from a very young age
the passion for fishing and the secrets of the calanques. Like the well-kept one in the
Caussecaire cave, discovered in 1985, and which bears the name of its discoverer. Do you see that little arch over there?
Yes. Well, below, at 30, 32 meters,
you have the entrance to the cave. Yes. And then you have a 150-
meter tunnel that goes under the hill. And then you arrive
at an ornate cave. The Caussecaire cave is
a cave decorated during the Paleolithic period. On these walls, 200 paintings dated
from 27,000 to 10,000 years before our era for the oldest. The water level must have
been much lower. Exactly. It must be said that the Mediterranean Sea level has risen by 100 meters since that time. This meant that at the time,
the entrance to the cave was outside. The cave, now a listed building,
is closed to the public. Too dangerous for
amateur divers. It seems to me that you too have
discovered something quite fantastic. They were trawling me from
the island you see over there. We pull up a bracelet in the nets,
in the middle of the fish. There it is . That famous bracelet.
The famous bracelet. And only that small link
protruded from the concretion. I wet my finger, I rubbed it and there,
I saw Antoine’s name mark. I rub a little more and there it is,
Paris by Saint-Exupéry. And below, Reynald & Hitchcock,
386, 4th Avenue, New York City, USA. I am no longer aware that Reynald &
Hitchcock was the publisher of The Little Prince who had offered this gourmet in 43,
in New York, when Saint-Exupéry created The Little Prince.
It’s thanks to you. We know what became of Antoine
de Saint-Exupéry, otherwise he would have been reported missing. He had been missing
since July 30, 1944. This crucial discovery in 1998 made it
possible, six years later, to locate the wreckage of the plane piloted
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry during World War II. We live in a region, it’s not
a region, it’s a treasure trove. Exactly. There you go
. A breeding ground for treasures. Quite. Treasures and legends
that we leave with regret. This journey between land and sea ends here,
in one of the most authentic sites in southeastern France. Another secret spot that you should definitely
visit at least once in your life.
1 Comment
Ma France a beaucoup changé 😞