Collegiate Chapter Treasurer'S Annual Report - Sigma Alpha Iota: Fill & Download for Free

Okay, cool.Those were the last words I heard from his end.In hindsight, I never looked up to him as a best friend; but more like a mentor, a guiding light, a senior and ultimately- an inspiration.We crossed paths via a collegiate club and bonded over writing. He was (and still is) a phenomenal writer and to this day, I enjoy reading his musings. We were the first ones to go over each other’s writings, whatever they may turn out to be-a poem, a short muse, an anecdote or any other genre on paper. He admired me for my flair as a writer (maybe he still does, I’ll never know) and was the one who inspired me to venture into what I termed at that time as a dying art- poetry.Needless to say, with every consequent write-up, our bond grew thicker. We partnered though several collegiate schemes and glossed over each other’s ideas with earnestness and zero judgement. He was there for me when I needed him and I returned this warm initiation in kind- with my irrevocable friendship and assistance.And then it began.A few months on, everything turned haywire. He wasn’t the same and faulted me out for my teeniest mistakes. Apparently, my cheeky conduct had become a matter of concern for said collegiate club and he deemed me unprofessional. The sacrifices I’d made on a personal level were seldom acknowledged and only were my faults brought under heavy scrutiny.That’s when it hurt the most: when the folks you lived for judged you out for pygmy issues which never mattered in the long run.I’d decided that my time with my club would no longer amount to anything.I left.Upon pouring out my views and telling him the reason behind my decision, this is what I was met with:Okay, cool.That’s when it hit me; and boy did it hit me hard.In retrospect, this seems like a really trivial chapter in my life. However, the lessons I derived out of this sentimental episode have irreparably changed my outlook towards life, for the worse.Treasure the moments you have right now, lest they fly without caution, without remorse.

Here is my hand-picked selection of the most charming towns in France.The criteria was to choose one town per "département" (or county) however a few have many beautiful villages like Aveyron, Dordogne, Var and Vaucluse while other "departement" lack interesting or historical landmarks.Please also find my Google Map of each precise location: http://g.co/maps/x35j4Piana / Corse du sudIn Corsica, known as the Island of Beauty, at the entrance to a magnificent pink granite "calanche" or rocky inlet listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Piana looks down over the Golfe of Porto from its idyllic setting. As you wander from narrow street to shady square where the scent of eucalyptus hangs, you will discover the white houses arranged in amphitheatre fashion that are overlooked by the Italian-style church of Sainte-Marie.Sant’Antonino / Haute-CorseSant’Antonino is like an eagle’s nest clinging to a granite peak at an altitude ofnearly 500m. It is one of the oldest villages in Corsica and one of the highest in La Balagne region. Alleyways, covered passageways and houses blend in with the rock. The view of the plain and sea from the remains of the old castello is superb.Bonneval-sur-Arc / SavoieFor 6 or 7 months of the year in Savoie, in the Haute-Maurienne Valley, Bonneval-sur-Arc quilts its stone-built houses with their stone-slab roofs in a thick snowy mass from which only the typical chimneys and church spire emerge.Yvoire / Haute-SavoieYvoire’s stone houses with wooden balconies and its narrow streets decked with wisteria and geraniums are just two of the reasons that have earned it the name of "pearl of Lake Geneva" (Lac Léman in French). The village was once a fishing and boatmen’s port overlooked by a square keep which today is one of the relics of Yvoire’s medieval past. In 2006, Yvoire celebrated the 700th anniversary of its fortifications that were built by Amédée V the Great, Count of Savoy.Saint-Véran / Hautes-AlpesIn the heart of the "Parc Naturel Régional du Queyras", at a height of 2042 m, Saint-Véran prides itself on being the highest inhabited village in Europe. In the village, the wood and stone chalets tiled with slate, the fountains, bread ovens and sundials are all typical of "everyday" local heritage, while the many chapels and mission crosses bear witness to the inhabitants’ beliefs.Hunawihr / Haut-RhinLocated on the Wine Route, right in the middle of the vineyards, this flower-decked village of Alsace conceals a wealth of treasures and unusual sights : its 16th cent. houses, its fortified church and cemetery, which make Hunawihr one of the few examples of defensive religious architecture, and for a romantic touch, its Butterfly Garden.Mittelbergheim / Bas-RhinAt the foot of Mount Saint Odile, surrounded by vineyards, this village is the origin of the Zotzenberg grand cru and bears a definite stamp of its winegrowing culture : from the architecture of its houses opening onto large courtyards flanked by buildings for winemaking to the "Weinschlag", a precious compendium containing a wealth of information about vineyards and wine since 1510 that can be seen in the charming Renaissance town hall.Saint-Quirin / MoselleSaint Quirin is situated in a land of green hills in the Vosges Mountains and has been here since Gallo-Roman times as the archaeological site of La Croix Guillaume shows. In the more recent past, the priory and its twin-towered church each with three onion-shaped domes are evidence of the village’s religious calling in the 13th cent. Traditional glass making and the legend of a miracle fountain are also features of this pleasant stop.Talmont-sur-Gironde / Charente MaritimeTalmont sits on a rocky peak overlooking the Gironde estuary; it still has its original layout as a "bastide", built in 1284 by Edward I Duke of Aquitaine. Towering above the village, the magnificent church of Sainte Radegonde, symbol of the Poitou-Charentes region, is still protected by ramparts. In the village, whitewashed houses and blue shutters peep out between hollyhocks.Vouvant / VendéeVouvant is circled by a loop of the River Mère and stands behind a wonderfully well-preserved fortified wall. The origin of the village is linked to the legend of the Fairy Mélusine, who is said to have given the village a castle overnight. The keep called "Mélusine Tower" is all that remains of that building and it watches over the whitewashed houses. The magnificent 11th cent. Roman church is not to be missed.Locronan / FinistèreLocronan gets its name from Saint Ronan, the hermit who founded the town in the 10th cent. It reached its peak in the 16th cent. thanks to the sailcloth industry, with the East India Company as its biggest customer. The granite village has been wonderfully preserved and still has very fine Renaissance houses and a magnificent 15th cent. church.Moncontour / Côtes d'ArmorThe medieval village of Moncontour has kept its imposing ramparts from the 13th and 14th centuries which protect the city of Lamballe, capital of the Penthièvre region. Just like Locronan, its neighbour from Finsitère, Moncontour was known until the Industrial Revolution for its sailcloth production. From this flourishing period remain rich beautiful houses, theTown hall and the church.Rochefort-en-Terre / MorbihanOn a rocky hill surrounding the valley of Gueuzon, the little Breton town of Rochefort-en-Terre shows a high homogeneity despite the different architectural styles cohabiting: half-timbered houses, gothic monuments, Renaissance hotels, 19th cent. architecture... Stone, which is everywhere, is here the thing in common between all the styles.Saint-Suliac / Ille et VilaineSaint-Suliac offers a panoramic viewpoint of the Rance estuary. For a long time it was a village of trawler men who fished off Newfoundland and the statue of the Virgin de Grainfollet watched over these fishermen. In the narrow streets where children play as they come out of school, flowers grow between the granite stones of the magnificent houses. A tide mill, old salt marshes, a Menhir or standing stone are just some of the local treasures to admire in an exceptionally well-preserved site.Baume-les-Messieurs / JuraNestled in a cirque formed where three valleys meet and boasting an exceptional view, Baume-les-Messieurs has clustered its houses around a Benedictine abbey, which is a magnificent example of Roman art of the Jura and houses one of the greatest polychrome altarpiece in Europe.La Roque-sur-Cèze / GardLa Roque-sur-Cèze was built on a rock peak overlooking the Cèze which spans a twelve-arches old bridge. Dominated by the ruins of the former castle and its chapel, the village with sloping cobbled streets and its houses, made with creamy stones and curved-tiles cornices, offers a breathtaking view of the Cascades du Sautadet, an exceptional natural site.Le Poët-Laval / DrômeLe Poët-Laval is nestled in the Jabron valley amidst lavender and wheat fields. The village was a former Commanderie of the order of the Knights Templar and it has kept the castle, ruins of the Roman chapel of Saint Jean des Commandeurs and ramparts from that time.Lods / DoubsLods, with the River Loue cascading through it, is a village where smithies and vineyards long governed the pace of inhabitants’ lives. The village has kept the winegrowers’ houses of days gone by and has set up a Musée de la Vigne et du Vin (wine and vineyard museum) along with an ethnological museum relating the history of its former blacksmiths and winegrowers.Noyers / YonneCurled up in the hollow of a meander made by the River Serein, Noyers was an important trading centre in Medieval times. Place de la Petite-Etape-aux-Vins, Place du Marché-au-Blé or Place du Grenier-à-Sel (Wine, Corn Market and Salt Storehouse Squares) are all squares which call to mind the village’s flourishing period of farming and trade, as do the fine half-timbered fronts of the 15th cent. houses.Oingt / RhônePerched on a hill and surrounded by the Beaujolais vineyards, Oingt is one of the jewels of the "Pays des pierres dorées". With a medieval past, the village has kept from this time period the ancient chapel of the castle, the fortified door of Nizy, and a dungeon from which you will have a splendid vista on the valley of the Azergues river. In the heart of the village, ocre yellow facades houses are home to craftsmen and artists.Pérouges / AinAt the top of a hill overlooking the Rhône plain, this former weavers’ settlement has kept evidence of its medieval past within its double enclosure of walls : old 15th cent. and 16th cent. houses, unevenly paved streets, and the fortress church to name but a few. Contemporary lighting enhances the exceptional architectural unity.Pesmes / Haute-SaônePesmes used to be a strategic site on the way from Gray to Dole and has had a turbulent history because of the various occupations it underwent before it became French in 1678. Despite that fact, the village has preserved a wealth of heritage : remains of the castle, church of Saint Hilaire dating back to the 13th cent. and gates. Along the delightful river Ognon, the 16th cent. dwellings that used to belong to leading citizens and the wine growers’ houses are reminders of the village’s wine producing past.Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye / IsèreIn the heart of an undulating landscape, the abbey of Saint-Antoine watches over the village. Close to the imposing monument, considered one of the most beautiful gothic heritage of the region, this medieval site shows different sides: the modest half-timbered houses of the suburb, the shopping quarter with its covered market, the small alleys leading to the top of the village and the rich residences with their mullioned windows...Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez / LoireA Carthusian monastery has become a village in the heart of the undulating scenery of the "Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat". Although most of the site’s religious buildings are houses today, the 17th cent. monastic church and its remarkable furniture, the monastery kitchen, cloister and a restored cell are open to the public thanks to the work of the Association for the Preservation of the Carthusian Monastery and Grounds.Semur-en-Brionnais / Saône et LoireThis former stronghold of Saint Hugues, founder of the Cluny Abbey, is the historic capital of the Brionnais region. Heritage abounds in this pretty village as shown by the fortified castle and its square keep dating from the 9th cent., the superb Roman Church of Saint Hilaire with its tower displaying eight arches and columns and its carved gate or the old houses with their almost pinkish hue.Balazuc / ArdèchePerched on a cliff overlooking the Ardèche, the old fortress belonging to the "Lords of Balazuc" has kept many signs of its medieval past : a maze of winding streets and arched passageways have always been part of the village scenery along with the castle, the fortified Roman church and the outer gates.Flavigny-sur-Ozerain / Côte d'OrBuilt around a Benedictine abbey founded in the 8th cent., this Burgundian village not only relates its medieval history through its ramparts, fortified gates, cobblestone streets, houses and mansions but also through its aniseed-flavoured sweets that are still made in the former abbey and the smell of which will welcome you as you arrive !Salers / CantalSalers stands at an altitude of 950 m in the "Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne" and is a site not to be missed in the region. It is a unique 16th cent. architectural whole and its old houses made of dark lavastone and topped with turrets give the village an austere charm. Among the wealth of treasures to be found in the fortified town are the Church of Saint Mathieu with five 17th cent. Aubusson tapestries, an entombment and a polychrome lectern.Usson / Puy de DômeClinging to a volcanic peak looking onto the Puy Chain, the Monts Dore mountains and the Cézallier plateau, Usson and its black stone winegrowers’ houses were once dominated by a castle in which Queen Margot was exiled for 19 years. A path leads to the village’s basalt columns south of the Roman church of Saint Maurice and the Queen’s chapel.Brousse-le-Château / AveyronWhere the Tarn joins the Alrance, the towers of a medieval castle overlook the village of Brousse to which it gave its name. An old gothic bridge spans the Alrance and leads to the flagstoned streets and the 15th cent. fortified church.Conques / AveyronA small village that is labelled a "Grand Site de France" this key stopping place on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela conceals a wealth of treasures: half-timbered houses, the 11th cent. abbey church of Sainte Foy, its 250 capitals, its contemporary stained-glass windows by Pierre Soulages and its tympanum with 124 sculpted figures depicting the Last Judgement, but also a real treasure, that of Sainte Foy, a golden statue covered in gold and precious stones.Charroux / AllierA short break in Charroux in the Bourbonnais, promises great charm and difference. The village is famous for its mustard that is used by several great chefs and exported around the world, but this former fortified village and center of trade has other things to show off too.Mortemart / Haute-VienneThis delightful village is in Limousin country and has grown up around the castle that was built in the 10th cent. by Abon Drut, Lord of Mortemart. It was destroyed by order of Cardinal de Richelieu and all that remains of it today is the tower keep and a few rooms that now host exhibitions. While the Carmelite and Augustinian convents bear witness to the village’s religious past, the old covered market and leading citizens’ houses serve as a reminder that Mortemart was also a prosperous commercial center.Sainte-Enimie / LozèreOn the slopes of a canyon cut by the gorges of the Tarn, Sainte-Enimie sets out its massive limestone houses in tiers at the foot of an old Benedictine monastery, all that remains is a chapel and a chapter house. At its feet is the Burle spring which is said to have cured the Merovingian princess Enimie of leprosy.Arlempdes / Haute-LoireArlempdes is an impressive sight appearing after a bend in the road. The village stands at the top of a volcanic peak that the Loire encircles in a meander and the ruins of its castle serve as backdrop for the "Théâtrales du Velay"drama festival every summer.Yèvre-le-Châtel / LoiretYèvre-le-Châtel is situated between Paris and Orléans and combines the power of its ramparts and 13th cent. castle, which watches over the Roman Church of Saint Gault and the unfinished nave of Saint Lubin, with the charm of its flower-decked streets, its old limestone houses and the gardens that inspire international painters and performers.Angles-sur-l'Anglin / VienneAngles-sur-l’Anglin is on the border of Berry and Touraine ; it gets its name from the Angles, the Saxon tribe that invaded England in the 5th cent., and from the river that separates the upper part of the village from the lower one. Famous for 150 years for its "jours" – a wonderful form of hand-made drawn-thread embroidery. The village is also famous for its 1500 year old Magdalenian sculptures of the "Witches’ Rock"...Apremont-sur-Allier / CherApremont is nestled in the heart of Berry, in a bocage landscape criss-crossed by hedges and copses on the banks of the Allier. The village is overlooked by its castle which is surrounded by a flower garden inspired by Vita Sackville-West’s landscaped garden in Sissinghurst; the village was completely restored in the last century.Gargilesse-Dampierre / IndreIn the leafy valley of the River Creuse, this Berry village that George Sand was so fond of has played host to many painters all of whom were charmed by the romantic sight of its steeply-roofed houses, clustered harmoniously around the Roman church and the castle. Gargilesse still enjoys a wealth of cultural events today that take place in a welcoming, easygoing atmosphere.Montsoreau / Maine et LoireMontsoreau lies between Anjou and Touraine and has the River Loire as prestigious setting. The 15th cent. castle made famous by Alexandre Dumas’ novel "La Dame de Montsoreau" is reflected in the waters of this legendary river. All around, flower-decked streets with slate-roofed, white tufa houses and green pathways lead to the Saumur vineyards.Lavardin / Loir et CherA gothic bridge spans the Loir to get to this village that lies nestled at the foot of a fortified castle that withstood an attack by Richard the Lion Heart but was taken by Henri IV’s troops. Today, visitors can admire what is left of the walls and towers and the 26-metre-high keep. There is a mix of architectural styles and periods in the village, from cave dwellings to gothic and Renaissance houses.Montrésor / Indre et LoireMontrésor stands on the banks of the Indrois which reflects the remains of the double enclosure walls of this old fortress and its Renaissance castle. In the village, the houses with their white tufa walls or half-timbering mix with semi-cave dwellings.Sainte-Suzanne / MayenneSainte-Suzanne is perched at a height of 70 meters above the Erve valley. Known for having faced William the Conqueror, the medieval town has kept remnants from this time. The origins of Sainte-Suzanne are older though. The Erves dolmen (the oldest monument of Mayenne) and recent archaeological excavation prove that the site existed five or six centuries B.C...Castelnou / Pyrénées OrientalesSome twenty kilometres southwest of Perpignan, Castelnou is nestled at the base of Les Aspres foothills and the Canigou, the Catalans’ mythical mountain, is in the background. Vicomtal Castle overlooks the village and had to adapt its pentagonal shape to the sheer, jagged ridges of the rock it was built on.Gassin / VarOnce you have climbed your way up the flower-decked alleyways lined with pastel walls to Place Deï Barri, you will enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Golfe de Saint-Tropez and the Maures mountain range. This is also a delightful spot to stop and savour a bite to eat and a glass of Côte de Provence wine at one of the village restaurant’s terraces.Bargème / VarBargème is the highest village in the Var : perched at a height of 1,097 m, it offers an unobstructed view of the valley. This listed site is overlooked by the towers of its medieval castle, which was partly devastated by the Wars of Religion, and will enchant all those who are fond of old buildings and medieval heritage.Gourdon / Alpes MaritimesGourdon clings to the summit of a breathtakingly steep cliff at a height of 760 m and offers an unobstructed view of the Gorges du Loup and the Mediterranean. Clustered behind an imposing castle surrounded by gardens that were designed by Le Nôtre, the old houses have been well preserved and restored in this lively village where craftspeople are a driving force.Lagrasse / AudeThe landscape surrounding Lagrasse is one of vineyards and hills and is typical of the Corbières wine-growing region. The River Orbieu runs through the village and is spanned by a bridge linking Lagrasse and its old 14th market to its abbey, an architectural jewel from medieval times. Lagrasse is not only known for its Corbières wine, but also for its know-how that local craftsmen will be delighted to introduce you toSaint-Guilhem-le-Désert / HéraultSaint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a stopping place on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela; its church is a gem of Roman art of the Languedoc. The village is situated in a wild spot at the entrance of the Gorges du Verdus and the cirque de l’Infernet. The narrow streets spread out from Place de la Liberté square and its imposing 150-year-old plane tree and as visitors stroll around they can still admire Renaissance mullioned windows, twin-arched openings and gothic lintels.Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei / OrneSaint-Céneri-le-Gérei lies nestled in a loop of the River Sarthe that is spanned by a small stone bridge. Its old houses are clustered around the 11th cent. Roman church that with outstanding frescos. On the other side of the river, opposite a delightful 15th cent. chapel, a miracle spring, which arose following a prayer made by Saint Céneri, is said to have the power to cure certain eye diseases.Parfondeval / AisneParfondeval is in Picardy and its impressive redbrick, grey slate-roofed houses are clustered around a carpet of greenery. The village revolves around farming and its scenery includes apple orchards, pastureland and fields of maize – beautiful unchanged countryside.Le Bec-Hellouin / EureIn a verdant setting made up of fields criss-crossed by hedges and apple trees, Le Bec-Hellouin is a typical Normandy village with timber-framed houses and flower-decked balconies. It gets its name from the stream that runs alongside it and from the founder of its famous abbey, which along with the Benedictine monastery bears witness to the important religious activities at this village.La Roche-Guyon / Val d'OiseLa Roche-Guyon and its imposing castle are nestled on the River Seine and waver between two regions : Île-de-France and Normandy. The architecture is influenced by both as it has pale stone facades and half-timbered ones. You will get the best view of this village by taking the Route des Crêtes or Ridge Path from where you can also admire the Parc Naturel Régional du Vexin Français in which the village lies.Gerberoy / OiseThere is a definite hint of Picardy and Normandy in Gerberoy whose houses are half-timbered or brick and flint and form a charming mix that attracted the post-impressionist painter Henri le Sidaner. The village has some wonderful Italian gardens and the Rose Festival has been organised here every year since 1928, an event not to miss for flower lovers.Beuvron-en-Auge / CalvadosBeuvron was a former stronghold of the Harcourt family and lies in the heart of Pays d’Auge on the Apple Cider Route. It looks just like a picturesque postcard with its half-timbered houses, its market and country houses scattered around the countryside.Barfleur / MancheBarfleur was the Anglo-Norman Kingdom’s leading port in the Middle Ages and is still a big yachting and fishing port today. Its grey granite houses jut out over the Channel under the watchful eye of the semaphore and Gatteville lighthouse.Aubeterre-sur-Dronne / CharenteOn the borders of Charente and Périgord, Aubeterre, with its entangled roofs and castle, clings to a grassy cliff on the banks of the Dronne. The monolithic or rock-hewn underground Church of Saint Jean, the Collegiate Church of Saint Jacques and chapels and convents are evidence of the village’s significant religious past and pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela used to stop here.Autoire / LotAutoire has nestled its square pigeon lofts, its brown tiled roofs and its country and small manor houses in the hollow of a natural "cirque" on the limestone plateau between Figeac and Gramat. In this arid landscape, only the Autoire, a fast-flowing stream that lends its name to the village, brings freshness from its waterfalls.Auvillar / Tarn et GaronneOn the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, on the banks of the Garonne, Auvillar is revealed through one of the 3 gateways that cut through its fortifications and lead to the square where a circular corn exchange can be admired – the only one of its kind in Southwest France.Castelnau-de-Montmiral / TarnThis “bastide” or fortified village near Albi overlooks the Vère valley and lies in the heart of the Gaillac vineyards. It was founded by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, and its church is home to the "Cross of the Counts of Armagnac", a reliquary adorned with 310 precious stones.Collonges-la-Rouge / CorrèzeThe matchless red sandstone is the hallmark of this former stronghold of the Counts of Turenne. It is everywhere : beneath the "lauze" stone-slab or slate roofs of the impressive 15th and 16th cent. houses, and adorning the corn and wine market and the Church of Saint Pierre too.Domme / DordogneDomme is perched on a breathtakingly high cliff with exceptional view of the Dordogne valley and the neighbouring La Roque-Gageac. This creamy-stoned "bastide" or fortified village boasts a successful combination of architectural, natural and gastronomic heritage typical of the Périgord Noir.La Roque-Gageac / DordogneIn Périgord Noir, at the foot of a south-facing cliff, the creamy stone houses with their "lauze" stone slab or brown-tiled roofs are mirrored in the waters of the River Dordogne where the famous "gabares" (traditional flat-bottomed boats) laden with goods used to pass in the 19th century.Fourcès / GersBuilt around a castle which has today been replaced by a tree-shaded square, Fourcès is an original "bastide" with a circular ground plan whose houses form a dramatic setting of half-timbering and arcades. In addition to some must-taste gastronomic delights of this Gascon land, the village also attracts visitors with several key events such as its Flower Market in April or "Marciac in Fourcès" from the now famous jazz festival.Lauzerte / Tarn et GaronnePerched above the valleys and hills of Quercy Blanc, this fortified village founded in the 12th cent. by the Count of Toulouse is on the "via Podiensis", one of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Many traces of its historical and religious past still remain intact : the main square and its cobblestones, stone-built or half-timbered houses, and the pilgrim’s garden to name but a few.Les Baux-de-Provence / Bouches du RhôneLes Baux-de-Provence lies perched like an eagle’s nest in the heart of the Alpilles and is a must-see place in Provence which artists, craftspeople and makers of local produce keep alive all year round.Moustiers-Sainte-Marie / Alpes de Haute ProvenceMoustiers has established its houses and bustling streets in the indentation of a rock, right beside the Lac de Sainte-Croix and the Gorges du Verdon. It is famous for producing pottery (faïence) and the village still has some twenty workshops devoted to that craft today.Lourmarin / VaucluseLourmarin sprang up at the foot of a gash that the River Aiguebrun cut in the Luberon and it stands amid vineyards and olive groves. Its fountain-lined streets thread their way around the Castellas and a charming Roman church and lead to the magnificent castle. It was built in the 15th cent. by the Agoult family and today houses a large collection of furniture and objets d’art. Lourmarin is an artists’ village and, among others, attracted Henri Bosco and Albert Camus who are both buried in the cemetery.Gordes / VaucluseThe houses of Gordes cling to the side of the Vaucluse plateau, overlooking the Cavaillon plain. They are arranged in tiers around the imposing Renaissance castle and church and narrow cobbled streets wind their way through them. Gordes is a village of artists and has been extolled by Marc Chagall, Victor Vasarely and Pol Mara ; it is a must on the Provence’s cultural trail.Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges / Haute-GaronneBertrand, bishop of Comminges, had Sainte Marie Cathedral built on a rocky outcrop as if it were keeping watch on the Pyrenées. Although the village is famous because of this fabulous building, other treasures lay behind its walls and entrance gates such as the noble houses dating from the 16th to 18th century.Saint-Lizier / AriègePerched on a steep hill, Saint Lizier Cathedral, which is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site along with four other monuments in the village because they are on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, has made this small village in Ariège famous. Inside the Roman walls, the narrow paved streets lined with 17th cent. houses are an added attraction to a pleasant stroll.La Bastide-Clairence / Pyrénées Atlantiques"Bastida de Clarenza" was founded in 1314 by Louis I King of Navarre and future King of France because he needed an outlet onto the sea. It still bears the marks of the different peoples and religions that came here as a result of its position. White facades striped with green or red are typical of the Basque country architecture.And here is the full map showing each location in France: http://g.co/maps/x35j4Link to the Google Map: http://g.co/maps/x35j4

Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort.—Daniel 3:29The Beastie Boys were like a wonderful party, to which everyone was invited.This answer is an attempt to write about them with some of the band’s spirit.It’s a long answer. It’s got too much stuff in it.Just like their albums.Reading about them, especially in the excellent Beastie Boys Book (out now y’all), one of the most striking things about them was how collegial they were.They had a genius for getting people involved. The book is credited to the two surviving members, Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond, but entire chapters of it are written by friends, colleagues, commentators. What other bands do that? (Probably a lot, sez you.)Kate Schellenbach, who was once their drummer, contributes a bittersweet chapter on how the band, apparently under the influence of Rick Rubin, shut her out—and then, over the years, she and they hung out, repaired the friendship, and her band Luscious Jackson ended up as the first group signed on their label Grand Royal. (I bet I’m not the only person who fondly remembers ‘Naked Eye’.) And, in fact, before Luscious Jackson came along, Grand Royal was little more than a trademark. Luscious Jackson gave the Beasties their demo EP and asked them what they thought. The Beasties liked it, and after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, decided that it was so good that they would start their own record label so that they could release it.That’s what I mean by collegial.When they decided to make a concert movie, rather than hire an expensive camera crew and a hotshot director, they handed out camcorders to fifty audience members and got them to shoot it, then they edited the footage together and synced it to their own live audio into 2006’s Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That!Perhaps the Beasties’ gregariousness had a little to do with their identity as white rappers, in a genre of music in which the majority of musicians are black. Not wanting to seem standoffish or superior, or, in a word, racist, they made the effort to be friendly and easy-going. They never pretended to be anything other than what they were: three white Jewish punks who were having fun.Or perhaps they really were just that friendly.Horovitz begins the book with a warm tribute to the other member, the late Adam Yauch (MCA), who died in 2012.Of the three of them, Yauch was the one most determined to do more than just sit around talking about what to do. He was the one who would think up crazy schemes, and then actually carry them out. He was slightly older than the other two, and Horovitz still marvels at his energy and determination and capacity for making things happen.If the Beastie Boys became a band, it seems to have because when they first wondered if they should form a band, Yauch was the one who said Fuck yeah, and made them do it.One of the effects their easygoing nature was that they absorbed and reflected the attitudes of their collaborators.This had a downside. It was Rubin who apparently persuaded them—temporarily, yo—that girls couldn’t rap, and he encouraged the kind of laddish behaviour that caused the working title of Licensed to Ill to be Don’t Be a Faggot. Rubin, who isn’t a total fool, persuaded the guys that this was a teensy bit homophobic. Schellenbach notes that although there’s always an element with the Beastie Boys of being in on the joke, during the later Def Jam years of go-go dancers in cages, the boys may have forgotten that it was a joke.But on listening to Licensed to Ill for this answer, I was surprised with how well it holds up. ‘Hold It Now, Hit It’, ‘Rhymin’ and Stealin’’ and ‘Time To Get Ill’ aren’t quite the glorious collages that they would later achieve, but they’re really good fun.They got off Def Jam, which at least in those days paid its artists in magic beans, i.e. not at all, and moved to Capitol Records.As we now know, they came close to breaking up after the fuss made over Licensed, but Horovitz discovered the Dust Brothers in LA while making the film Lost Angels, and that was what pulled them all back together to make the fabulous Paul’s Boutique. I remember a guitarist friend of mine raving about the ‘new Beastie Boys album’ when I was 19: I was surprised that they’d made one at all, because I’d assumed that they would be a one-hit wonder.My love affair with the Beastie Boys truly kicked in during the 90s, as their great mid-career trio of albums came out: Check Your Head, Ill Communication and Hello Nasty. They seemed to live in an endless present of grooves, riffs, in-jokes, and jazz organ albums, three dudes bouncing around a stage, interjecting, talking over each other, raving about whatever cool thing they’d just discovered, shouting out the names of their mates, their collaborators, DJs, whatever the fuck.On ‘Sure Shot’, MCA came out front and apologised for all their late 80s dickishness, and it was still awesome, because you believed him:I want to say a little something that's long overdueThe disrespect to women has got to be throughTo all the mothers and sisters and the wives and friendsI want to offer my love and respect to the endThey were popular music at its finest: exciting, infectious, fun, full of joy. Their music is like a huge all-you-can eat buffet: so much thrown in, so many jokes and references and nods and quotes, so much more than the average white-guy rock band dares to put in. The Beastie Boys wanted to have a good time, and did.—Let’s digress for a moment. How many mentions of food and drink are there in their lyrics?The literary critic Walter Benjamin noted that it was the special privilege of epic writers to feed their heroes. On that measure, the Beastie Boys were freakin’ Homer:Heublein’s Brass Monkey cocktail mix on ‘Rhymin’ and Stealin’ and, indeed, ‘Brass Monkey’White Castle burgers on ‘The New Style’ and ‘Slow and Low’Vodka and mixers and also hot dogs in ‘Posse in effect’Pints of ale in ‘Hold it Now - Hit It’Chivas Regal whisky in ‘Time To Get Ill’Thunderbird fortified wine in ‘Johnny Ryall’Ballantine beer in ‘High Plains Drifter’Chicken gizzards in ‘Sounds of Science’Fried chicken in the title of ‘5-Piece Chicken Dinner’Cheese on rye with ham and prosciutto in ‘What Comes Around’KFC (‘Colonel’s got the chickens’) and buttered popcorn in ‘Shadrach’Dunkin’ Donuts and of course Bouillabaisse in ‘B-Boy Bouillabaisse’Pasta with pesto, plus an allusion to KFC, in ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’Blue Nun wine in ‘The Blue Nun’Macaroni cheese in ‘Get It Together’Spam in ‘Heart Attack Man’Coffee and pannenkoeken (pancakes) in ‘Super Disco Breakin’’French toast in ‘The Move’Fudge and caramel in ‘Just A Test’Chateaueneuf du Pape wine in ‘Body Movin’’Coffee with sugar and cream in ‘Intergalactic’…Well, you get the idea. The Beastie Boys Book is the only rock memoir I know which comes with its own cookbook section, provided by LA taco van maestro Roy Choi: his recipe for chicken gizzard tacos, a tribute to ‘Sounds of Science’, is something I’m going to have to make.Paul’s Boutique was massively expensive in the sheer volume of its samples. For ‘The Sounds of Science’, the Beasties used samples mostly from the Beatles, and when Capitol A&R man Tim Carr pointed out to Diamond that he wasn’t sure if they would get away with sampling the Beatles, Diamond replied 'Yeah. I know. But what could be cooler than being sued by the Beatles?'Nevertheless, for Check Your Head, the group wanted to do things cheaper. They recorded the album in their own studio, G-Son in Atwater Village, a Los Angeles suburb with a small-town feel that they liked.Yes, the interior of the studio had its own skateboard ramp. (From YouTube.)Instead of using samples, they wanted to go back to playing their own instruments so that they could sample themselves. They may have been influenced here by Public Enemy, who’d been their support band on the Licensed to Ill tour: Flavor Flav may be the band’s clown and hype man but he’s also a highly able musician on guitar, bass, drums and other instruments, who can play what they need as required.They had new collaborators. producer Mario Caldato had engineered Paul’s Boutique, but in the course of fixing up the studio they hired a carpenter, Mark Nishita, who was also a keyboard player, and he joined in the writing and playing in the evening while fixing up the studio by day. (According to the interview with the band in Brian Coleman’s book Check Your Technique, G-Son was basically constructed during the recording of Check Your Head.)On the Check Your Head track ‘Pass the Mic’, they wanted to use one of their favourite drum sounds: John Bonham’s huge, echoing sound on Led Zeppelin’s ‘When the Levee Breaks’. They’d used a sample of it before, but because the whole point of Check Your Head was to play their own instruments, they resolved to recreate it.They moved Diamond’s drum kit away from its booth and into the middle of the main room in G-Son. It was echoey, but not echoey enough.Yauch had an idea. He constructed a large cardboard tube, and put one end of it against Diamond’s kick drum, and then put a microphone at the other end. This will work, he said.The result was truly worthy of Bonham.The others didn’t know why it worked and didn’t know why Yauch thought it would work. But it was, apparently, a typically Yauch thing to do.The reader will be wondering, by now, why I don’t get on down (gonna kick it root down) and name my favourite Beastie Boys track.Yeah, see…I suckered you in this far.I don’t have a favourite one.It’s all good.Who couldn’t like a track such as ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’, which has a different set of beats for each verse, and at the end of which a brilliant dropped-in line from ‘Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues’ means that Bob Dylan got to be a Beastie Boy:(Mike D) I can do the Freak (MCA) the Patty Duke (both) and the Spank(MCA) Gotta free the funky fish from the funky fish tanks(Mike D) I’ll sell my house (MCA) Sell my car (both) and I’ll sell all my stuff(Bob Dylan) I'm going back to New York City I do believe I've had enough‘Hey Ladies’, the only single from Paul’s Boutique that charted, was the first sign that there was life after Licensed.It’s built on a sample of the Commodores’ majestic ‘Machine Gun’:Just wanted to draw your attention to Walter Orange’s drum part. From 1:40–1:47 he plays a cool variation: instead of kick, kick-snare, kick kick snare, he goes kick, kick-snare-kick, kick kick snare.I show this performance from Soul Train because the Beastie Boys were on it, twice, and regarded it as a highlight of their careers. Horovitz recalls that they all brought their copies of Soul Train Super Tracks for Don Cornelius to sign, which he did, although Horovitz suspects to this day that Cornelius thought they were taking the piss, which they weren’t.Or how about ‘Root Down’? It follows on from ‘Bobo on the Corner’, a brief instrumental with some spirited percussion from Eric ‘Bobo’ Correa, who regularly performed with the band at this period. It kicks off with someone—not Adrock, Mike D or MCA—exclaiming ‘That’s a record—’ before the bass line enters: it’s Wilton Felder, sometime Crusader, who played the athletic bass line on the Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’.Here, Felder is appearing in his capacity as the bass player on Jimmy Smith’s ‘Root Down (And Get It)’, recorded live in the Bombay Bicycle Club in LA in 1972. Over the top of the bass, one of the Beasties is making a long and pensive groaning noise, then interrupted by an echoed ‘Huh’ from Mike D.Paul Humphrey’s subdued but edgy drums enter, and after a warm-up ‘Yeah’, they’re off:I kick it root downI put my root downI kick it root downI put my root downMCA: So how we gonna kick it?Adrock and Mike D: Gonna kick it root down!MCA: Yeah, how you wanna kick it?Adrock and Mike D: Gonna kick it root down!MCA: So how you gonna kick it?Adrock and Mike D: Gonna kick it root down!MCA: Gonna break it on down, gonna kick it [All] root down!Adrock takes the first verse, with his naggingly whiny voice that goes up slightly at the end of each line. Here, as ever, part of the fun of the Beastie Boys is in figuring out just what the hell they’re on about, following their trail of delicious musical crumbs.‘Like Sweetie Pie by the Stone Alliance’ leads us to this 1976 jazz-funk classic:Horovitz admits in the book that he doesn’t even think that that track is all that great, but aren’t you the better for hearing it?‘I’m electric like Dick Hyman’ puts us in mind of that great jazz piano master, who when not appearing with Charlie Parker or releasing albums of ragtime piano, also took the time in the late 60s and 70s to make some seriously funky stuff, including this freaky version of James Brown’s ‘Give It Up or Turn It Loose’:…And that’s in just the first few lines. The other guys take it in turn to step up (Mike D: We're talking root down, I put my boot down / and if you want to battle me, you're putting loot down; MCA randomly talking about his passion for snowboarding).And so it bowls on to the end, only interrupted by its delicious organ hook (which I hear as Bbdim, Gmaj/B, Cmaj, C#dim, Ddom7+9, but I might be wrong) when in mid-Yeah, ‘at’s a rec—The DJ slows the record to a halt, and in comes one of the drop-dead, snarlingest, filthiest bass lines ever conceived by man or (brass) monkey, Yauch’s part on ‘Sabotage’, which is more or less the whole point of the song.And, I will now play it for you.0:00-0:30The song was written around that riff, and for a long time during the making of Ill Communication it was an instrumental called ‘Chris Rock’. Nothing to do with the comedian: there was a junior engineer on the album named Chris, who was doing his job but was visibly not much of a hip-hop fan. As soon as they started to play ‘Sabotage’, Chris jumped up and exclaimed ‘That’s it! That’s the song!’Yauch wanted it to remain an instrumental. But one day, Caldato was trying to find the source of a buzz in the studio audio and in the middle of his rage he threw a power line out of the window. Horovitz joked that he was trying to sabotage their recording, and from that he worked up the lyric, the naggingest, most troubled track I think they ever recorded, something on which the listener can project whatever discontent they want. It’s the Beastie Boys track that no rock fan could resist.Spike Jonze’s very funny video for ‘Sabotage’ is one of the things that people remember most fondly about the band, but with hindsight I think its cheerful 70s cop-show vibe softens the rage of ‘Sabotage’ and makes it seem jokey.As they grew older, so they became wiser. ‘The Negotiation Limerick File’, from Hello Nasty, is a favourite, with its message and peace and love bawled entirely in limerick form over a gorgeous, loping beat:At the risk of sounding crass I would like to mentionThat I am well aware of your wack intentionsTo usurp my prose / You so and soIt's my primary bone of contentionBut maybe their ultimate track is Paul’s Boutique’s ‘Shadrach’. From the Book of Daniel:Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.ז וַיָּשֶׂם לָהֶם שַׂר הַסָּרִיסִים, שֵׁמוֹת; וַיָּשֶׂם לְדָנִיֵּאל בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר, וְלַחֲנַנְיָה שַׁדְרַךְ, וּלְמִישָׁאֵל מֵישַׁךְ, וְלַעֲזַרְיָה עֲבֵד נְגוֹ.And the chief of the officers gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.Unto Adam Horovitz, he gave the name of King Ad-Rock; to Michael Diamond, of Mike D; and to Adam Yauch, of MCA. ‘Shadrach’ is based on a sample of Sly Stone’s great swansong, ‘Loose Booty’, from the hardly-ever-listened-to Small Talk.Who’s the Daniel in the Beastie Boys’ story? I’m not sure there is one. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego seems to be a standalone legend imported into the Book of Daniel, which is itself a collection of stories rather than a single overarching narrative.Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—as I’m sure you’ll remember—are three pious and virtuous Hebrew men in the service of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who refuse to bow down to the king’s image. The king orders his ‘burning fiery furnace’ to be stoked seven times more than it’s usually stoked (Dude! I am stoked!) and for the three of them to be thrown into it, but the burning fiery furnace burns the men who were guarding Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but leaves the three Hebrew men untouched.Nebuchadnezzar is understandably impressed:Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king's word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.The Beastie Boys did indeed worship their own god: friendship.Hospitality radiates from their music: it brings in Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Welcome Back, Kotter, Miles Davis, bossa nova, obscure jazz-funk classics, absolutely anything that they wanted. One reviewer of their Book noted that the multiple playlists in it could provide the soundtrack for several seasons of a good TV series. You gotta hear this, the Beastie Boys are always saying, isn’t it dope?!They negotiated their way through Babylon.And the only thing that stopped them was death.In the defiant last lines of ‘Shadrach’, they set out their stall:Ride the wave of fate it don't ride meBeing very proud to be an M.C.And the man upstairs I hope that he caresIf I had a penny for my thoughts I'd be a millionaireAmps and crossovers under my rear hoodThe bass is bumpin from the back of my FleetwoodThey tell us what to do: hell noSHADRACHMESACHABEDNEGOGentlemen:You dug up buried treasure.You didn’t rip people off.You held onto your friends.You made us feel more alive.Namaste.