+PARADISE ON EARTH+ >the dukes & counts de savoy-gruyer -bress & valentinois knew where to go in the dead of winter. **************************** >as winter approaches< +FLAMINGOS FLY TO AFRICA+ (heading south) +(RADIANT GRUE/GRUY)+ >magnificent formations< +dusk over cap ferrat+ ********************* >magical genus-loci< +RESERVE HOTEL /BEAULIEU+ >did i ever tell you about the 35 euro ( ABOUT 50 DOLLARS ) >marianne and i were charged for a cup of coffee (apiece) just because we love +PIANO MUSIC+ *************** +"MEMORY" from "CATS"+ >( we had met in the la valencia hotel in lajolla listening to the great +"PHANTOM OF THE OPERA"+ +on a baby grand piano. ) ************************ +THE 100 DOLLARS COFFEE+ (it did have amaretto) >i have decided was worth it because +ONE CAN WATCH THE FLAMINGO+ (the radiant gruy) +MIGRATE BACK TO AFRICA+ >from the reserve hotel ! +(unforgetable)+ ************* +THE DUKES OF SAVOY+ (and gruyere counts) >were very smart when they took +THE LIGURIAN RIVIERA+ >as the southern extension of +THE DUCHY OF SAVOY+ *********************** +THE VALENTINOIS DUKES+ >let us not forget that the grimaldi (PRINCE OF MONACO) >dukes of valentinois also once owned much of this +" ROMAN/GRECO RIVIERA"+ >(romantic troubadours)< *********************** +deGRUY DARK/CURLY HAIR+ >the painting i saw of the count of gruyere in the castle was >VERY ROMAN GREEK< >although michael was fair >(BURGUNDIAN)< >as was his devirgy mother *************************** +ANCESTRAL RIVIERA REF.+ >(beg, borrow or steal the book of +"THE GOLDEN RIVIERA"+ >by roderick cameron) also +"MENTONE AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD PAST AND PRESENT" by george muller >( is actually the book i want >to be buried with ) ***************** > the original british edition is 1910 and if any one of you want to figure out the complex political (OUR PEOPLE) >maze of the dukes of savoy & (ALSO BRESS) >valentinois it is found here. >(REPRINTS MAY BE FOUND) +(check the internet)+ ******************* >ORIGINS OF BRESS< >i have written about the origins of my great grandmother catherine bress ray's family to this ligurian coast of genoa / villefranche-sur-mer and ultimatly to the savoy +DUKE de BRESSE+ >where they had originally come from the french town east of the gruyere castle named +BOURG-EN-BRESSE+ ******************** >their rise to power is found in mrs dekoven's monumental book +"THE COUNTS OF GRUYERE"+ (close to jean degruyere) ************************ >george muller in his wonderful book on the french ligurian riviera gives the etymology of the word bress. +BRESS ="BERCEAU"+ >apparently this is a form of rock outcropping found >in the "alps maritime" *********************** +KNIGHTS TEMPLAR GIANT SHIP+ >muller describes how in 1522 the harbor at villefranche-sur-mer was the scene of the construction of a giant war ship clad in lead by the KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ******************* >this ship with 6 decks, a chapel, bake house & powder store had a crew of 300 men & was successful at >THE SEIGE OF TUNIS< ********************** +bresse/degruy navel history+ >ONE CAN COMPREHEND HOW THIS HISTORY MIGHT INSPIRE JEAN (king's ship captain) >BAPTISTE deGRUY 200 YEARS LATER TO BECOME HERO OF "MANON LASCAUT". *********************** ( "histoire du chevalier des grieux >et de manon lescaut" by abbe prevost ) ***************** gene ray, san diego, california (google) eugenerayart.com