#My Little Château d’If

[chateau-dilf]

My Little Château d’If doodles

[monte-cristo-incorrect-quotes]

002 - The Count of Monte Cristo himself

How I feel about this character: terrible, terrible person, highly fucked, emotional mess, idiotic revengeful ass, I would die for him

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Fernand, Jacopo and Mercédès (pre-Château-d’If unless it’s in the OT3)

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Maximilien and Haydée, also Luigi Vampa 

My unpopular opinion about this character: doesn’t deserve Albert’s forgiveness but I’m glad he has it 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish he’d just. chill down. you know? just chill.

My OTP: uuhhhh Edmond/Jacopo because like. I need more of them.

My cross over ship: Monte-Cristo/Jean Valjean all the way

A headcanon fact: genuinely liked Hermine and genuinely pities her, because she too has lots of money but little love. Then he looks at Maximilien and Haydée and realises that he, in fact, is so much luckier than Hermine.

[infinitysdecendants76730]

Infinity’s Descendants

“Decisions Decisions “

The girls were still on a high from the recent activities so the overall house mood was more jovial than normal. “Cassius and I will be going out again tonight after work” Céleste said as the two of them were getting ready to start their day. “The two of you have been courting for quite some time now. How long has it been?” Asked Azazelle. “Four to five months or so I believe” replied Céleste. “Five months? Why is it that you have not introduced him to me yet?” asked Azazelle. “Sis, I just want to be sure before I introduce you to him. I want to be sure he’s the one, you know?” Azazelle could tell that her sister was trying not to get too excited or move too fast with Cassius. “I do not like that I have not met him but I will always support you and your decisions. I must be off to work now. Will I see you before your date?” Azazelle asked her sister. “Of course! I expect you to help me get ready” Céleste smiled “Be careful sis” “Of course” replied Azazelle. “Please be safe” Céleste embraced her little sister. Despite efforts to keep the plague out of Marseilles it had made its way into the city. The number of cases were low but it was beginning to spread throughout the city. With Azazelle being a sick nurse she was exposed to those who had the plague so naturally Céleste worried about her. “I will, now let me go I am going to be late”

Céleste left the shoppe a tad bit late but this was not an unusual occurrence. She often lost track of time when she was working on a design she so truly loved. She headed home to prepare for her date with Cassius practically skipping the entire way.

“Zaz where are you? You can tell me about your day while you help me get into my dress” Céleste said excitingly. « Azazelle, Êtes-vous ici? » she asked. Céleste had began walking around looking for Zaz when she saw the paper on the table.

“Cele,

Jane has fell ill and cannot work. I will be filling in for her tonight. I am terribly sorry I will not be here when you arrive. I hope that you enjoy your date. I expect all the details tomorrow morning. We can discuss it all over breakfast. I will prepare it and I fully expect you to be here to eat it...while it’s warm.

Ta sœur,

Zaz”

Céleste frowned at the note; she was really looking forward to seeing her sister when she got home but sadly she no time to be sad. She had to get ready because Cassius would be arriving soon.

Céleste had just sat down to rest after all that work and there was a knock at the door.

White. The purest of whites is what Cassius was clothed in. He was dressed as if he were at court at Versailles. His baroque coat was exquisitely designed with pearls and tiny rubies worked into the embroidery. The Lace of the shirt was of the finest of quality ornamented with gold guilded edges and his shoes were adorned with diamond buckles and gold heels. The sun light coming through the many windows of the house caught the red of the rubies and casted beautiful little red flashes of light around the room. All of the aforementioned things did not compare to when he smiled. He was beyond handsome when he smiled and Céleste wondered how on earth she had managed to be courting a fine gentleman such as Cassius. As she looked at the man before her she could not help but think that this man was somehow going to break her heart. He had showed no signs of this nevertheless the feeling still remained.

“Are you ready my star?” Cassius asked causing her to suppress those unwanted feelings. « Oui, how do I look? » Cassius playfully bit his lip and looked her up and down before replying « délicieux ».

As customary the coachmen opened the door for the couple. “Wait before you sit” Cassius said as he entered the carriage. He hurried and sat where Céleste had intended on sitting. “You mustn’t look at me, promise?” He swirled his finger in a circular motion indicating he wanted her to turn around. “Promise” she replied with a giggle. As quickly as possible he untied his breeches pulled the fabric up, exposing his thigh muscle. “Now you may sit” Celeste gathered the fabric of her dress and sat on Cassius’ lap. He inhaled sharply when he felt her warm heat on his flesh. “Mademoiselle your undergarments” he whispered in shock. “I figured it would be a pleasant surprise” Cassius said nothing he just gazed at Céleste in disbelief. “Well?” She said breaking the silence. “Well what?” he replied. « Êtes-vous surpris? » she asked nervously. “Pleasantly” he replied with a smile.

There was an internal battle going on in Céleste’s head. Half of her thought the no undergarment idea was a brilliant the other half of her disagreed for two reasons. One, after giving it a bit of thought she came to the conclusion that perhaps Cassius was not ready for something like this or perhaps this was out of the ordinary for him seeing that he left in such a hurry the last time they were intimate. After all he hadn’t moved an inch since they set off. Second, she hadn’t thought about how much the carriage would bounce and shake on their journey and the frequent contact had her quite flustered to say the least.

Unexpectedly, during conversation Cassius flexed his thigh muscle which causing Céleste to stammer mid sentence. A small smirk played on his lips. “Ça va?” He whispered in her ear. She cleared her throat and shook her head yes. “Encore?” She knew exactly what he was asking. She bit her lip and shook her head yes once more. He placed his hands on her hips and guided her at the pace he wanted. A pace that was just enough to get her good and warmed up but not enough for Celeste to fully satisfy herself. Just as Céleste was starting to lose herself in the rhythm the carriage slowed and came to a stop. “Time to go mon Cherie” Cassius said lifting Céleste off his lap. She stood and did a marvelous job of appearing as though she was unbothered but in actuality her stomach was in knots and her core was aching for Cassius’ touch.

Céleste and Cassius walked down a small path until their destination became visible.

“Is that-“ “Château D’if? Why yes Mademoiselle it is” Cassius smiled and kissed Céleste on the temple. “But I thought it was a military fortress? How can we go there?” Céleste’s beautiful brown eyes peered up at Cassius. “The général and I are close. I assure you we will not be of any bother” Cassius kisssed the hand of Céleste’s that he had been holding as they walked. “Shall we?”

They made their way down to the coastline and boarded a small boat. Cassius held Céleste in his arms while they sailed across the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. “This is beautiful Cassius. You never cease to amaze me” she said happily.

« Monsieur. Thank you for getting us here safely. You may either wait here until sundown or you may leave. It matters not to me I only expect that you are here when sunsets so we may depart. D’accord? » said Cassius. « Oui monsieur » replied the sailor. « Merci, pour vous famille » Cassius gave the man a couple of extra francs as they pulled into shore. “Let me aid you love” Cassius stepped out of the boat and held a hand out for Céleste. Once she was off the boat she took Cassius arm and the two of them headed up to the Château.

“Cassius, I’m pleased to see you made it safely” a man in a naval uniform greeted them from behind two giant red doors. “Yes General, thanks again for allowing us to come visit” replied Cassius. “The pleasure is all mine. I believe you will find that the soldiers will be practically invisible. However should you need anything just ask and they will assist you” said the General. « Merci Général » replied Cassius.

“Well Mademoiselle LeBlanc, how do you like the view from Château D’if? Marseille is even more beautiful from here is it not?” He asked wrapping his arms around her waist. The two of them stood in silence observing the beauty of the city for quite some time. Here they could escape from everything, people, work, city conditions absolutely everything. It was was just them and the calming waves of the Mediterranean and Cassius was especially care free out here. “Would you like a tour?” He asked finally breaking the silence. “I’d love that” she smiled. Céleste enjoyed the sea breeze tickling her skin as Cassius led her through the corridors. They were strolling past another archway when Cassius stopped and pushed Céleste back against the wall.

He gently cupped her face and kissed her passionately. He pulled away and skimmed his thumb over her lip. Céleste leaned in to continue the kiss and Cassius gave her a quick peck on the lips “There will be more time for that later mon étoile. There is more to show you” he smiled so brightly it was contagious.

She returned his smile but inside she couldn’t help but feel a small morsel of doubt. She could tell Cassius had been holding back. Every time the promise of intimacy would rear it head Cassius would come so close to giving into his urges but would then withdraw and apologize. With the exception of that one time they played cards and even then under the influence he still hesitated. He was always such a gentleman, so much so that it was infuriating to Céleste at times. She hoped and prayed that today by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea he would finally give in and make sweet sweet love to her. With the festivities in the carriage it seemed that she may be in luck but the kiss still had her giving way to doubt. “Finally we’re here. Down there lies the second best view on the whole island” said Cassius.

“Second best? What’s the first?” she asked. “The view I have right now of course” he replied. “Aren’t you quite the romantic” laughed Céleste.

“Evening soldiers. Are you not supposed to be en guard?” Cassius asked looking up from Céleste’s bosom. Céleste hadn’t even heard anyone approaching. How was he able to hear them when he was preoccupied she wondered. “We are sir but the General requested that we deliver an urgent message to you” said one of the soldiers. « Excusez moi, for just a moment please » he said to Céleste. He hopped up, wiped the sand from his clothes and followed the three soldiers up the steps and out of site. “What is this urgent message?” Cassius asked very seriously. “The General told us to inform you that the betrothal of Jareth and Mariana is in 5 days time” said one of the soldiers. “And Marius requests your presence at the celebration” another added. “Very well then I shall be there” replied Cassius « C’est tout? »

“Mademoiselle, you look beautiful” a soldier said scaring Céleste. “Pardon me, I didnt intend to frighten you. I patrol these shores to ensure there are no intruders. I was not expecting to encounter anyone let alone a beautiful young lady such as yourself” he said. “Not a bad job to spend all day looking at this beautiful scenery” Céleste replied trying to mask how awkward she felt. “No Mademoiselle, it is not” he replied with a smile. The soldier looked up behind Céleste then back down at her. “If I wish to keep my job I must continue on. Good day to you Mademoiselle” the soldier smiled again and continued walking past Céleste up the staircase Cassius had just ascended.

“Cassius, is that mortal down there with you?” the soldier asked when he reach the top of the steps. “Oui” Cassius replied not turning to face the soldier. “Perhaps when you feed from her you shall let us join? She is the sweetest smelling mortal I have ever encountered” Quicker than the soldier could blink Cassius had his hand around his throat with his feet dangling just above the ground “If you so much as think of coming near her again I will kill you” his tone was cool and his face was serious. “Cassius, calm down. He meant know harm” urged one of the soldiers. Cassius let go and the soldier fell to his knees. Cassius looked each of the four soldiers around him directly in the eyes before saying “Are we going to have any problems gentlemen?” Two remained silent and the other two shook their heads no. One soldier waited for Cassius to be out of site before he said “She truly is the sweetest smelling mortal, I could smell her from the terraces. He can’t take us all” “Stop this foolish talk. He is not one to trifle with” replied the only soldier with some sense.

“I’m sorry mon étoile. Where were we? Ah, I remember I was just about to kiss you here” he ran his fingertips from Céleste shoulder across her collarbone up her neck and softly turned her chin exposing her neck to him. He tenderly planted kisses on her neck occasionally sucking and nipping at the soft flesh. He laid her back down on the shore and took his place her legs. Celeste had patience for many things but when it came to intimate matters her ability to exhibit patience was less than adequate. It wasn’t that she wasn’t enjoying herself she just needed more and he was going a little too slow for her liking.

“Cassius please. I beg of you” she desperately needed friction so to give him a little motivation she wrapped her legs around his waist as best as she could. “I shouldn’t- it’s not- it wouldn’t be...” his words were failing him. He wanted to respect her innocence but he was struggling to fight his desires. His eyes searched hers. What if he lost control? What if he hurt her? He’d never forgive himself. “If it’s my permission you need you have it Cassius, Please make love to me” she pleaded.

He pulled her dress down freeing her breasts and arms from the confinement of silk and lace and she pulled her dress up exposing herself to him. His teasing touch became much much more purposeful. He Took her nipple into his mouth while he pushed his clothed member against her providing that delightful friction she needed. Quickly he sat up to remove his shirt and looking down at her he finally he freed himself. Her mouth watered as his thick cock sprang to life. He ran the head of it up and down her folds covering himself in her juices before burying himself inside her.

Céleste had known others but Cassius reached a place within her that was still untouched. No one had ventured this far; Cassius reached a place within Céleste that she never knew existed.

He groaned at her earlobe and took it between his teeth as he delivered slow deep heavenly strokes. Céleste’s nails dug into his firm ass cheeks pulling him even deeper inside her.

Cassius rested his forehead on hers just enough for their noses to barely touch. She tried to hold his gaze but her eyes would flutter shut when he rolled his hips into her just right. « Regarde moi » he commanded after grabbing her face. Her moans fueled his need for her as she kept her eyes locked on his while he continued to thrust himself balls deep in her. With each and every stroke her walls gripped him and Now it was Cassius who was struggling to keep his eyes open. This was the best feeling Cassius had ever felt, second only to feeding.

The sound of his balls slapping against her soaked core echoed in Céleste’s ears. The pleasure was too much, Céleste threw her head back and her back arched off the sand. Cassius decided to switch up the pace. He sat up on his haunches and pulled her close to him. He ran his cock through her folds once more and teased her entrance before slowly pushing himself back inside her. With one hand his thumb toyed with her clit while the other had a firm grip on her ass and was pulling her into each of his strokes.

Unbeknownst to Céleste she had been biting her lip so hard to refrain from moaning that it started to bleed ever so slightly. Smelling it Cassius stopped immediately and stared at Céleste in a way she had never seen him look at her before. “Do not quiet yourself, I want all of Marseille to hear you” Cassius kissed Céleste once more and bit her lip just enough for more of her blood to spill into his mouth.

Céleste could feel that his passion had new resolve. His strokes were faster, harder and deeper like something had came over him. It was delightful he was catapulting her to her peak. The walls of the cove and the continuous crashing of the waves providing enough sound dampening for her to express her passion as loudly and as freely as she pleased. “I’m close” she moaned. He smirked at her and placed her legs on his shoulders and began pounding into her. “Fuck ye-ss Cassius, right there please don’t stop” He didn’t stop. He gave it to her just how she wanted until she couldn’t take it. She muttered incoherent babble as her orgasm sent spasms down her spine and her legs shook. Cassius slowed his strokes again allowing her to ride out her high he didn’t want to overstimulate her, not just yet. « Mon étoile, je n'en ai pas encore assez de toi. Êtes-vous prêt pour plus? » he asked once Céleste’s breathing had settled. She was more than ready for whatever else Cassius had in store. She had been waiting for this since the moment she laid eyes on him. « s'il vous plaît, ravissez-moi » she replied.

“Our shift here has ended will you grant us passage back with you to the city?” the same soldiers from earlier were standing before Cassius and Céleste. “Sure” he replied begrudgingly. Cassius held Céleste close while they sailed back. Céleste struggled to keep her eyes open as the sun set on the city. To Cassius’ liking the soldiers leave the couple alone while on the journey.

Once back on shore Cassius walked Céleste back to the carriage. “I shall join you in just a moment. I have a small bit of business I need to tend to then I have another surprise for you” he said with that beautiful smile. The soldiers were still lingering around but Céleste thought nothing of it.

She watched Cassius as he spoke with the other gentleman. He looked so dashing. Almost as if he could feel her eyes on him he turned and smiled at her then went back to his conversation. The soldiers approached the carriage. “Madame, Cassius would like for you to accompany us” one of the soldiers said kindly. Céleste looked at them apprehensively. “It is part of your surprise, please” another soldier opened the carriage door and held his hand out as assistance. “This way” as she followed Céleste began to realize that these man played no part in Cassius’ surprise for her. “I think I should head back to the carriage. I am sure Cassius is looking for me” said Céleste. “Nonsense Cherie” one soldier. “Cassius can wait” said another. “Who does he think he is bringing someone like you around the likes of us. Parading you around” “Fucking you the way he did. Not even asking if we’d like a peice” the soldiers took turns speaking.

Cassius looked back at the carriage and saw the door ajar. “Un moment” he walked towards the carriage. “Céleste?” he called out.

The three soldiers had Céleste surrounded. One of them took a knife from his boot and pointed it at Céleste. For each step he took forward she took one back until she backed into a soldier behind her. With one hand he grabbed her wrists. The other covered her mouth. The soldier who seemed to be in charge smiled. Céleste winced when she felt the tip of the knife Pearce her skin. The soldier had sliced across the top of her breasts. “Let’s see what you taste like Mademoiselle” Céleste was struggled to process what she saw next. Something was approaching. It was moving so fast it could only be perceived as a blur. Suddenly she was freed and behind her she heard loud pops. When she looked down the soldier who had hold of her was laying prone but his neck and face were towards the sky.

She felt protective arms wrap around her. Cassius was standing between her and the other two soldiers. Both soldiers looked very different from just moments ago. The third in command clearly had a broken arm and the the leader was bleeding from the head. “You have two choices here Cassius” he spat out a mouth full of blood on the ground and picked up his knife. “You either let us have her or we will tell Marius what you have just done here” the soldier placed his knife back in his boot. Céleste stood behind Cassius speechless. What would he do Cassius thought to himself. After a brief moment of silence that felt like an eternity to both Cassius and Celeste the lead soldier spoke. “What shall it be Cassius?”

[nic-and-annie-in-france]

Marseille

We needed to travel to Annecy for an appointment for Annie’s visa. The appointment was scheduled for a Thursday, so Annie thought we could use it to get an early start on our weekend. It also put us an hour farther inland from the Alps. We used that advantage to travel to the Mediterranean, to Marseille!

Prisons!

After Annie’s appointment, we had the whole afternoon in Annecy before our train left for Marseille. We used our time to go to a prison museum! There was an island in the middle of a forked canal running through Annecy that housed a prison. The prison was build in the twelfth century, but housed prisoners as recently as WWII. But this wasn’t the only prison we’d visit that weekend. We also visited the Château d’If in Marseille.

The Château d’If was a prison-fortress on an island off the coast of Marseille. We rode on the top deck of a boat to get there and faced the cool Mediterranean wind (all of the seats inside were taken). I didn’t realize it until we were on the island, but it was the prison featured in The Count of Monte Cristo. A large part of the prison museum featured the story of Alexandre Dumas and his writing. The prison was mostly used for political prisoners to hold them until they died. It was also used to hold Protestants during the Wars of Religion in France. The cells were bigger than I expected and each had their own hearth.

The Château d’If

Churches!

In Marseille we visited the basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Cathédrale de la Major, and the Abbey of Saint Victor. The cathedral was a stone’s throw from the water and the basilica was on a large hill overlooking the city. I love visiting cathedrals and basilicas in old cities. The architecture of the buildings is beautiful, but the vast emptiness inside is a holy experience. I know the outside is big, but when I enter these buildings the openness makes me feel so small.

After visiting the Notre-Dame de la Garde and getting a wonderful view of the city, Annie and I went to the Abbey of Saint Victor to visit the crypt. The abbey was built over the grave of Saint Victor, a Roman soldier who denounced idol worship and kicked over a statue of Jupiter. Rome consequently tried to grind Saint Victor to death with a mill stone, but the millstone broke. They then decided to just behead him, and he was buried in Marseille. The abbey set up an altar in their crypt over where Saint Victor was buried.

The Cathédrale de la Major 

Notre-Dame de la Garde overlooking Marseille.

You can see the Château d’If (the smallest island) and the other islands in the background.

Nature!

This trip gave me my first glance of the Mediterranean. I didn’t think it was anything special until I saw it; it was sooo blue. It was shockingly blue.

Very blue water by the Château d’If.

There were two larger islands adjacent to the Château d’If. Our boat dropped us off on one after our visit to the Château d’If. Large sections of the island were set aside as nature reserves. Despite being let off with a boatload of other people, the island was mostly deserted. We passed through neighborhoods of vacant summer houses. It felt like walking through a country club ghost town. Further on, we found a halfway renovated historic hospital and the ruins of other buildings. According to the signs posted by the hospital, apprentice craftsmen train by restoring it, but no one was there on that day. On far end of the island, we were completely alone save for a massive flock of seagulls.

A cove on one of the islands, where soon after we were swarmed by seagulls.

Another afternoon, Annie and I rode a bus out of the city to nature preserve. We walked on a gravel path through the trees as the descending sun turned the woods a golden green. It reminded me of Kentucky. But that quickly changed. The path we walked took us over craggy hills to a cliff jutting out into the glassy blue of the Mediterranean. The temperature was a little warmer this day, so we left our coats at home and just wore sweaters. We thought we would be fine. It was warm enough for the first leg of the hike, but by the time we were walking along the spine of the seaside ridge, the cold wind blew right through us. Our eyes watered and our bodies shivered. In this region of France the cold Mediterranean wind even has a special name: le mistral. Both the view and the wind were breathtaking.

The path on our way to the Mediterranean.

Where we stood, pierced by the cold mistral.

Protests!

In contrast with the nature preserve, people crowded the sidewalks of Marseille. Our hotel sat on a street running perpendicular to the main thoroughfare. This was convenient for our access to the port and other parts of the city, but it was not as convenient when that main street one block away become the site of the yellow vest demonstrations.

In the evening after our island visits, Annie and I tried to find a roundabout path back to our hotel that would keep us out of the excitement. We found a promising alleyway to take and were just one block from our street when we saw ten or twenty people fleeing from the direction we needed to go. By this point, my gait was more limp than walk and I knew there was no way I could bob and weave if I needed to. We ducked into a doorway in the alley to get a better read on the situation. After we composed ourselves, we made a break for it, carefully navigating the crowd to get to our hotel. The burn of tear gas was in the air, but we made it into our hotel safely. 

The next day we left for our small, uneventful mountain town. While still feeling French, being on the Mediterranean made Marseille feel different from all the other cities we’ve been to before. It also made it smell a lot fishier. It was certainly enjoyable in the winter, but I’d be interested in seeing it again in warm weather.

[vapaus-ystavyys-tasaarvo]

Revenge Sandwich week two

I’m late, oops. This is going to be super rough, just a warning.

Villefort and Noirtier

I actually really love the relationship between these two. This is an amazing dynamic between two people who are ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES and yet still help each other and rely on each other and trust each other. How can I not love that? Even though I hate Villefort, and Noirtier doesn’t seem like a great guy either.

The Second Restoration

HOW DOES EVERYBODY KEEP PREDICTING THAT IT’S GONNA HAPPEN? DUMAS STOP GIVING YOUR CHARACTERS SUPERNATURAL POWERS.

Also I’m glad Dumas explains how Edmond wasn’t released during the Hundred Days because I was wondering about that... except I’m still not sure if I buy it. How did the jailers not react at all to Napoleon returning to power? This was a prison for political prisoners, wasn’t it?

On the other hand, while I don’t know if this is true but I do buy Napoleon being stricter about prison management than Louis XIV. That sounds about right. Because screw Napoleon.

The Villains

“Villefort shuddered at the idea of the prisoner cursing him in the darkness and silence.” GOOD. YOU SHOULD.

“For Villefort, Marseille was full of memories that were soured with remorse” AGAIN. GOOD.

Also something that came to my mind: I find it notable that even though it was a plot started by his peers, Edmond was ultimately ruined by an authority figure. This isn’t just about villainous plots and revenge, it’s also about power and corruption. Same goes for what happens in the prison; the jailers abuse their power over him.

“Danglars knew fear. At every moment he expected Dantès to reappear, a Dantès who knew everything, a Dantès who was strong and who threatened every kind of vengeance.” YES GOOD. YOU DESERVE TO BE SCARED.

Same for Fernand.

Mercédès and Papa Dantès

:(((((((

I do feel increasingly sympathetic towards Morrel tho. He seems like a good guy for a capitalist, despite how he was introduced.

Prison

Okay tbh most of what I have to say is just a lot of AAARGH and a LOT of hatred for the prison staff and the inspector and everybody involved. And I don’t even know how Edmond survives this... and it’s hard to blame him for anything that comes after this because he went through hell to get to the Consumed By Vengeance stage. And Dumas does a good job at getting that across. “When I was still a man” God, Edmond :( ALL OF THE HUGS, I WANNA GIVE THEM TO HIM.

‘Of course,’ the inspector remarked, with the naïvety of the corrupt, ‘if he had really been rich, he would not be in prison.’

Oh snap

Faria and Edmond (under cut)

First I want to appreciate the scene where Edmond brings Faria news of Napoleon’s defeat that are already years old. Which just underlines just how isolated these characters are and how little the jailers tell them. It took years of digging to accidentally meet another prisoner so Faria could hear about the news. Not even the inspector bothered to say anything to him despite specifically noting that Faria’s understanding of the political situation in Italy was outdated.

And it’s SUCH A RELIEF to have them meet finally. It was starting to get too painful to read about Edmond’s loneliness and I’m actually shocked that Faria almost dismissed the chance to have some company. It’s just so important for human beings to have at least some other living creature around.

Irrelevant side note: how the hell did Faria know anything about the surroundings of Château d’If, much less the specific names of nearby islands?

Also I have trouble believing he seriously managed to do all the things he did in prison and never even ran out of soot for example or nobody wondered were all his shirt fabric kept disappearing etc. etc.

The part about being productive specifically because he’s in prison though... yeah, as an endless procrastinator I can definitely relate. Not that I want to go to prison just so I can be more productive mind you. :p

Faria’s distaste towards killing seems very significant too. I was a bit shocked about how quickly Edmond was ready to jump to that option but then again it does seem consistent with his characterization. It’s just not something I’m used to with characters who are supposed to be innocent.

‘while all handwriting written with the right hand varies, all that done with the left hand looks the same.’

I call bullshit, Dumas. This is actually one of the things that I remembered about this book. Really vividly even. I think it was because even as a kid I had a certain fascination with left-handedness and also even as a kid I called bullshit on this claim. :p

And again with the superpowers: Faria can somehow guess that there were two people plotting against Edmond despite Danglars being perfectly capable of executing the whole thing on his own.

Oh boy, revenge foreshadowing though...

The book sure went above and beyond to justify the treasure thing btw. :D And managed to tie it into historical events and all! I appreciate it. 

‘You are my son, Dantès!’ the old man cried. ‘You are the child of my captivity. My priestly office condemned me to celibacy: God sent you to me both to console the man who could not be a father and the prisoner who could not be free.’

;__; <3

By the way, the way Edmond escapes was another thing that was foreshadowed already. I lost the specific line but Faria definitely said something about how successful escapes usually happen when you take advantage of an opportunity rather than careful planning. That’s exactly what Edmond ends up doing. Of course the work they did wasn’t useless but it didn’t free either of them until the opportunity came along. Even if it was the worst possible opportunity since it meant Faria’s death.

(Sorry for the rushed post, this is the problem with reading ahead and then trying to remember all your thought about the thing later on... I made notes but notes only get you so far.)

[cbkendall]

SOUTH OF FRANCE

I'm a HUGE traveler and never seem to get enough of it. I know for each person going on vacation is different. Some people like to go to a tropical destination and just relax by a beach. Well for me that doesn't always work because I'm pretty pale and within 15 mins I'll look a lobster. So I'd rather exploring the new city/town and the culture and atmosphere it has. I would much rather get up, get moving and seize the day instead of just lounging around. Even though those types of vacations are also super fun too. 

So with that being said this trip my boyfriend, Jose, & I headed to France for two weeks. We landed in Paris, and caught the TGV directly to Avignon in the South of France to start our 2 week trip. After exploring the South of France we headed to Bordeaux and back to Paris where we concluded our trip.

Since we had limited time in the South, (6 full days), we had to cram in as much as possible. We stayed in the quaint town of St. Remy, which it is super slow paced and gorgeous place. Having St. Remy as our hub was super convenient for us to explore the area. We chose to rent a car so it made it easier to travel between all the different cities we wanted to visit. When I looked into the South of France I was inspired by the gorgeous imagery of lavender, endless open fields, olive trees & of course the food & wine. The Provence region is super well known for making all types of wine but mostly Rosé, which honestly wasn't really ever on my radar till this trip. Now I can't get enough of it especially Miraval. With the weather being so warm and sunning during the summer I'm not surprised that most people drink it here to help cool them off. I also just wanted to share a site I found that was super helpful in planning our trip and picking the places we would like to visit.

Day 1: Marseilles

We headed to the city of Marseille with our rental car and grabbed a quick breakfast to start our day. Coffee & pastries were the best way to get the morning off right. We started our walk through the Castellane district to get a birds eye view of the city from the Notre-Dame de la Garde (Basilica Lady of the Guard), which is atop the highest hill in the city. The interior is gorgeous filled with colored marble, murals and the best part is the view.

After enjoying the view and taking plenty of photos we walked back down towards the Saint-Victor back down by the Vieux Port (Old Port). We admired the Abbaye Saint-Victor from a distance and enjoyed the the super picturesque port filled with fishing boats and yachts. As we walked around the Vieux Port we walked under this amazing Mirror art piece that was covering part of the port. The waterfront is super gorgeous filled with tons of restaurants, bars and a great view of the port. We stopped by and grabbed a little bite to eat and a quick drink since it was rather warm out.

We then visited Fort Saint-Jean which also had a great view of the city and an awesome art exhibit. There is also the MuCEM right next door you could check out. If you just go inside the fort it's free entrance but if you wanna go inside the actual museum you'll have to pay. We then continued walking passed Cathedral la Major which was sadly under construction. We were able to spend more time walking around the Saint-Lazare & Le Panier area, which was super artsy and had lots of unique cute stores to explore.

Another part of the city which we sadly didn’t get to see was Château d’If and for me that has no significant meaning but for those fans of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ you’d all be jumping at the chance to see it. My boyfriend really wanted to go but by the time we realized the island was here we were too tired and there was a long wait to go over there. So if you’re fans I would totally make the time to see it. We also didn’t make it to the Musee des Beaux Arts which has lots of Italian and Provincial paintings and sculptures from the 17th and 21st centuries. Again it’s another beautifully designed building no harm in taking a look. 

Well that was our day spent in Marseille overall it was a gorgeous sunny, warm day. Don't forget to pack the sunscreen and hat. It is a city worth visiting but I wouldn’t say you need to spend more than one full day there.

Day 2: Pond du Gare, Nîmes & Beaucaire

We're still in awe about how beautiful it is down here! Anyway after a good nights rest we had breakfast at home on the porch admiring the view eating fresh fruit and yogurt. We then drove about an hour to check out Pond du Gare, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a gorgeous ancient Roman aqueduct that was built over 2000 years ago that grosses that crosses the Gordon River. I’d always wanted to see it and when we got there it was just magnificent. It was free to visit and when we were there they had a car show happening at the open park area near the aqueducts. It was pretty cool because there were so many classic cars. You could bring a little picnic and sit on the grass or grab food, drinks & gelato at the restaurant in the area while you admire the Pond du Gare. We walked across the bridge on the lowest level as well as walked to the top to catch the spectacular view.

It’s honestly a pretty quick stop but totally worth seeing. We then got back in the car and went to the town of Remoulis which was about a 10-15 minute drive from the Pond du Gare. We just walked around the town it was honestly super small with some cool architecture and buildings. We sat down at a restaurant we stumbled upon located on the main road leading into the town. We decided to order a small carafe of rosé & and amazing prosciutto pizza. We really wanted to try a local wine so we asked the waiter to recommend a rosé which was from, Domaine le Clos du Bailly. It was right around the corner from the restaurant but it was sadly closed when we were there. 

We then headed to Nîmes, which is known as the French Rome because it was once controlled by the Roman Empire. It again is a very small town and easy to walk around. Several of the Roman Empire architecture and sights are scattered throughout the city in amongst some of the newer buildings. We took a look at the exterior of the Nîmes Cathedral and then headed to the Esplanade Charles-de-Gualle to look at the beautiful fountain (Fontaine Pradier) and Elise Sainte Perpetue. Near by was also Cour D'Appel de NIMES or the Court of Appeals which was also a gorgeous Roman style building. On our walk I kept noticing images of a crocodiles chained to a palm tree. My curiosity got the better of me and I searched the background behind it and found out it is their Coat of arms! Which I thought was super funny and cute! Anyway as we continued our walk around we went to the Roman Arena, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We didn’t go inside since its was pretty expensive but we did walk around it and admired how stunning it was. We also looked at the Maison Carree and The Gates of the Roman Town. We didn’t make it to the Temple de Diana or The Jardins de la Fontaine but both looked stunning. 

Our final stop of the day was Beaucaire. Another ancient town on the banks of the Rhone river, & a canal boat basin running down the center of the city. The town is filled with nice squares and ancient churches. There isn’t a ton to see here and not everyone would really wanna visit but It was close by and on the way home. I really wanted to check this town out because I wanted to see the Chateau de Beaucaire which is a 11th-16th century castle. The ruins are still pretty and i can only imaging how magical it was at its time. It still had a great view of the city as well as the area around there. We were able to admire the beautiful blue cloudless sky and admire the Rhone river that ran on one side of the castle. We even drove passed the Aqueduct Les Archades which are also aqueducts that cross a valley on very tall arched pillars. 

After a long day of exploring we just wanted to come home cook dinner & watch football.

Day 3: Les Baux & St. Remy

Our day started out by heading over to Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum which is where Van Gogh admitted himself for his last final years of his life. Being in this area really inspired him and he even created a few of his final pieces while he was inside the asylum. The grounds were beautiful filled with lavender rows and a ton of poppies. We then headed over to Les Baux, a castle & village, located on top the hills with small squares, well-shaded terraces and narrow streets. Grabbed a bite to eat in the town square enjoying some great french food and rosé this area. 

We then headed over to Carrières de Lumières located inside the heard of the Alpilles. The exhibit is projections of specific artist's work onto the inside cave walls to fully immerse the viewers. We happened to see Chagall’s, Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’ve never seen anything like this before and no pictures I could take would do this justice. It was such a different way to view art and it felt like I was on a journey of his career.

We continued on to the Chateaux located at the highest point of the mountains which gives one of the best view of the countryside. It may have been a super hot day but that view and the wind that blew through made everything worth it. We explored every nook and cranny, every high top tower we could climb and enjoyed the view. 

After that we continued to the 17th-century Mas de la Dame winery for our first wine tasting in France. It was a beautiful and the wine was amazing we ended up buying a couple bottles. The grounds were so pretty with 132 acres of vines throughout the property and 60 acres of olive groves. Everywhere in this area including where we stayed had groves of olive trees so most wineries did olive oil tastings. Van Gough even did a painting of this winery while he was staying in St. Remy. The next winery we went to was Domaine des Terres Blanches which was the first organic vineyard in Les Baux Nimes. 

Day 4: Aix-en-Provence

We enjoyed our typical French breakfast on the patio and drove to Aix-en-Provence (about 1 hours drive). Aix-en-Provence is a dream destination filled with elegance, constantly bustling streets and squares. It is a city filled with joyful impressions, colorful festivals, provincial markets & lovely countryside walks. 

First things first we hit up the tourist office to get a little more of an idea what there is to do here & grab a map. Then we wandered around the town and headed to a Cézanne's house which was a little outside the town center. We were able to see where he got his inspiration and how he live back in the day. The town itself was lined with gorgeous cobble stone streets, classic romantic architecture gorgeous squares filled with lovely cascading fountains. 

After the day we headed back to St. Remy before we went out to a nice dinner. We drove through les baux again and watched part of the sunset overlooking the lovely view of the countryside. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Le Bistro du Paradou. (Reservations required) It was absolutely amazing. This place is also set in the very traditional Provancial eating style which is a full 5-6 course meal paired with a lovely French red wine. I got to try escargot again and as much as I may not like the texture the flavor was absolutely amazing and I almost changed my opinion of it. We then ate our entrée which I got chicken with potatoes. Then dessert and ending with a giant assortment of cheeses. 

Day 5: Arles, Gordes & Abbey Senanque

After a good nights rest we headed to St. Remy’s town center for breakfast and to check out the farmers market that happens three times a week. Most of the food and wine are locally grown or made; as well as a few souvenirs and other items from bags, hats to sheets & knifes. There was so much lavender from soaps to actual lavender bunches. If this is your scene I would recommend getting there early unless you don't mind crowds. I personally hate when it gets too busy so I’d rather get up early and then leave when it gets busier. 

After we finished buying tons of souvenirs and nick-nacks we went on a hunt for lavender fields. Not going to lie finding fields of lavender was super hard especially because when I did research I read the best time was mid June to early July to see the fields in full bloom. But if you're coming to the South of France to see it I'd go towards mid or end of July. We did get to seem some fields but they weren't as gorgeous as I've seen in other photographs.

Either way we went exploring in search of lavender fields. We ended up driving up into the hills in the direction of Norte-Dame de Senanque Abbey. On our way there we drove through some smalls towns & ended up stumbling upon the beautiful town of Gordes. It really reminded me of the towns they show on Game of Thrones. The buildings live on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Provencial area with a stunning view. The town itself is very quaint and filled with small cobble stone streets. We did a quick drive through so if we go back I'd love to explore it more on foot. 

We left and continued our drive to the abbey, which is located at the bottom of a valley surrounded by fields of lavender and trees. It's been around/open since 1148 and is one of the oldest churches around. The building was beautiful and they do French speaking tours of the inside on the hour and they are very strict with the dress code. The monks give the tour and we sadly missed the tour by 15 mins so we just explored the exterior instead. I wish the lavender fields were in full bloom because it would have made the area so much more beautiful being surrounded by purple flowers.

Once we were done here we headed over to Arles. Arles is another roman town filled with shady squares, gorgeous colorful houses and lots of culture. Most people know Arles because of Van Gough and all the paintings he painted here. We walked around the whole town starting at the tourist office and ended at a restaurant in the Place du Forum square right by Café Van Gogh, which was one of the most well-known paintings from this area. We admired all the unique stores throughout the city and admired some of the biggest tourist attractions like the roman amphitheater called Les Arènes. It is one of the few arenas besides Nîmes that is still standing. During our visit they were doing restorations on it but it was still a cool place to see and had a wonderful view of the city. 

Day 6: Avignon to Bordeaux

Woke up and relaxed in the house for a bit before heading out to Avignon. Once there we went and checked out the castle and the view of the area. As well as walked quickly down the main street to see some of the main architectural buildings and monuments. Sadly we ran out of time because our train was leaving at 1:40pm. So if I could go back I would go check out more closely the bridge that is so well known if here and any of the other sites around.  

Our train ride was about 5 & a half hours to Bordeaux. We stayed in the Saint Michel area just a few blocks away from the Basilica of St. Michael & Place Meynard. Since it was pretty late when we got there we just headed to our Airbnb to drop our stuff off and then headed back out to the square. There were lots of restaurants and lots of little cafe’s around there however arriving so late there was very limited amount of options to eat at. So we settled for the one restaurant that had a the soccer matches on and some really good French food & wine. 

To continue reading check out my next blog post on Bordeaux and Paris.

[chateau-dilf]

What if Ink Potts was still haunting me to this day and I made my own pony design of Villefort. What then.

[nic-and-annie-in-france]

Marseille

Normally, we aren’t able to go to Marseille on a weekend trip because it takes too long to reach by train. However, I got a slightly longer weekend a few weeks ago thanks to France’s bureaucracy, and used it to visit the seaside city.

The last step in finalizing my visa is a medical exam, where I prove that I am not carrying a dangerous disease like tuberculosis into the country. Once I had proof of residence, I sent it off in the mail, and then received a date (again by mail) for a medical exam in Annecy. I had been warned that I needed to do whatever necessary to honor this appointment because they are extremely hard to reschedule. Mine was scheduled for a Thursday afternoon, when I usually have work. Because of the sparse public transportation in my town, I’d have to leave before school started to arrive on time, and I’d get back with fifteen minutes left in the school day. So, I just *had* to miss the whole day. Shucks!

I always have Fridays off, so my “weekend” would begin on Thursday when my appointment was over. So, once I received my date in the mail, I saw the opportunity to take a trip somewhere further away, and decided on Marseille.

Nicolas and I went to my medical exam in Annecy, which consisted of only a chest x-ray, a vision exam, measuring my height and weight, and answering a few questions about my general health.  We were also able to go to one of the museums that had been closed when we took a daytrip to Annecy before, and we browsed their Christmas market. The museum had a temporary exhibit about religious art and artifacts from the Haute Savoie region, which I really enjoyed.  

We left for Marseille in the evening, and arrived around 10 or 11 at night. When we arrived at the station, we noticed right away that it was warmer in Marseille than up in the mountains, and we could smell a hint of the Mediterranean in the air.  Marseille has a reputation of being a little rough around the edges (while also being culturally rich), so I was worried about being out at night, but our walk to our hotel was quick and nothing about it seemed particularly threatening.

When we arrived at our hotel, we received our room key without paying anything (?), and then headed up the steep staircase to the top floor. We had a tiny little room under the eaves with a window facing the street below.  It was nothing special, but I enjoy the “attic” rooms a little extra because of my French education. In one of my classes, we learned that in apartment buildings in the 1800s, rich people lived on the ground floor, and poor people (including lots of poets and artists who ended up famous later) lived under the eaves.  I imagined someone like Ernest Hemingway or Charles Baudelaire having this sort of hotel room.

In the morning, we were stopped by the desk clerk on the way out, and we had to give him our keys back until we came back again in the evening.  It was then that we paid for our weekend too. This was fine but bizarre, and felt a little bit like living in a dorm with an RA.

We found a café for our breakfast, and they served us croissants with the tiniest coffees. They literally served it in paper dentist cups! We had been able to avoid tiny coffees up until then in France, but it was bound to happen sooner or later.

After breakfast, we strolled around the district of Marseille called “Le Panier” (or “The Basket”). It had lots of narrow streets, cool architecture and graffiti, and stoops adorned with potted plants. I enjoyed the way the morning sunlight hit the soft yellow façades—it doesn’t quite look like that where we live.

We went to a museum at midmorning, and didn’t leave until around 1pm. We were starving and very ready for lunch, but I had planned for us to visit a fort and a cathedral before we ate. We hurried through the stops and then made our way to a noodle restaurant. In our enthusiasm about the warmer weather, we had foolishly gone without coats, so the warm meal did us good.

We used the rest of our sunlight that day to venture outside the city to the Parc National des Calanques. This was the only time that we planned to use public transportation here, so I was apprehensive about figuring out where to buy tickets, how to buy tickets, and where to get on and get off. But everything went as smoothly as possible and we made it to the park without a hitch. We took a short out-and-back trail to one of the calanques (pronounced kah-LONK), a steep valley that leads out into the Mediterranean. The hike was absolutely lovely. We saw white limestone cliffs, the navy blue sea, and plants the exact color of olive green you imagine when you think of a Mediterranean climate. And to top  it all off, the late afternoon sunlight turned everything gold.  When we reached the coast, we also got our first taste of the mistral, a strong, cold wind blowing inland from the sea. We loved the views at the coast but didn’t stay long because it was just too cold!

We took the bus back into the city and went to get our coats before heading back out for dinner.  We got pizza at a quiet restaurant in the Old Port quarter of the city.  The pizza was oddly like a salad, with rocket greens and balsamic vinaigrette on it. It wasn’t what we had in mind, but it was tasty nonetheless.

Our first stop on Saturday morning was a basilica on top of a big hill. It was a steep climb, but we got lots of nice views of the city and the sea on our way up.  Inside the basilica, we spent some time admiring the altar, the stained glass, and the architecture. Most of the religious art was boat-themed—the paintings in the alcoves depicted some of the scenes from the bible involving water and boats, and there were even small model ships suspended from the ceiling.

Most of the rest of the day was to be spent touring the islands just off the coast of Marseille. We went to the grocery store to buy picnic supplies for the island. On our way there, we saw that one of the main roads had been blocked off by the police because of the gilets jaunes protestors. We bought our lunch, then looked for the ticket office for the ferry that would take us to the islands. We had a little trouble finding it, and ended up talking to a very nice man who took me at my word when I said I only spoke “un peu de français.”  He went to get his French/English dictionary and did his darndest to explain that we needed to go to the opposite side of the port.  He apparently met lots of people like us, because he had a hand-drawn map of the area ready to show us with labels in English. I really could have done fine with the conversation in French, but he was so enthusiastic about using his dictionary that I let him continue in English. Thanks to his help, we found the right spot, but ended up having to wait a while for the ferry. We went ahead and ate our lunch in a park and soaked up the sunshine (can you tell I’ve been missing the sun in the mountains???). 

The ferryboat took us first to a small island that is home to the Château d’If, the prison featured in The Count of Monte Cristo. The visit would have been a lot more interesting if either of us had read the book before, but it was still a fun visit. We learned more about the prison as it was used throughout history and about Monte Cristo’s author.  We learned that some of the architectural features of the prison had been altered after the book became popular so that the prison looked more like it was described in the book. A case of life imitating art rather than the other way around.

The second island we went to was bigger and had more room to explore. We spent about an hour and a half walking to one end of the island and back, discovering a rocky inlet, a small beach, and an abandoned hospital along the way.  We didn’t see very many people while we were there; it was nice to get away from the crowds a while.  It was hard to believe that we could be walking along a sunny beach less than two weeks away from Christmas.  In my enthusiasm, I got my leather boots soaked by getting a little bit too close to the waves on the beach.

When we were back on the mainland, we headed towards our final stop for the day, a museum about the history of Marseille. We were diverted a couple times by the riot police.  It didn’t look very likely that the museum would be open. Sure enough, the museum was closed, as were the vast majority of shops and restaurants in the area. Even the Starbucks was closed! This left two empty hours in our day before it was socially acceptable to eat dinner.  We decided to find an open grocery store and buy some things we could eat for dinner without a refrigerator or microwave, and then headed back to our hotel. 

I knew our hotel was not too far from the main road where the protests were happening, so I was worried that it would be difficult to get inside. To make matters worse, Nicolas’ knee was sore from all the walking, so he couldn’t really be too quick on his feet if he needed to be. As we got closer to the turn onto our road, we saw maybe a dozen people running the opposite direction that we needed to go. After we confirmed that there was really no other way to get to the hotel, we plucked up our courage and made a beeline for the hotel door. As it turned out, there weren’t as many people on the street as I expected, but there was a haze all around—tear gas. We covered our faces with our scarves and kept going. In the short time it took us to get to our door, my throat had gotten a little itchy, and Nicolas’ eyes were tingling. but those effects wore off within five minutes. I was relieved that nothing worse happened, and relieved that we wouldn’t need to leave any more in the night.

On Sunday morning, we gave the history museum a second shot, and this time it was open. It was a little disappointing, though. We had our first encounter with stereotypical French rudeness: at the audio guide counter, I said (in French) to the employee, “Hello ma’am, which ones are in English?” but she didn’t acknowledge my existence whatsoever.  We just picked up two headsets, but had to spend several minutes in the first room trying to figure out how they worked, because we had no help from the lady at the counter.  It’s probably not fair of me to blame it on “French rudeness” though, given that it took us three whole months to run into a rude person. Just one ordinary person just having a bad day, I guess.

We spent about an hour looking at Greek, Roman, and Gallic artifacts before it was time to head home. When we made it back to our apartment, I was tired and apprehensive about everything I had to accomplish in the next week. I had to jump into my next week at school, and on the weekend we were due to leave on our two-week trip. All in all, though, it was nice to get some beachy sunshine before really diving into the Christmas season.