Monday, 12th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
And we were leaving. A short drive ahead just to get us to Le Couvent – an old convent turned into a bijou chambre d’hote. On the way we visited Clermont L’herault for old times sake. We went there first about 10 years ago to visit a close friend . Then we went with the […]
Sunday, 11th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Last day here – washing cleaning etc s have to say cant get much enthusiasm up for it. Around 8.30 sun rises again throwing a golden glow over everything and we realise again why this part of the world is so appealing. Freedon, egalite fraternite – this is what has horrified everyone about the shooting […]
Saturday, 10th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
To Aubagne to look at a huge potery- Ravel. Took under an hour and was well worth it. In spite of articles to the contrary Aubagne turned out to be pleasant enough. There was a good fruit and veg market and lots of outdoor cafes which were well peopled as it was windy but warm. […]
Friday, 9th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Today I took Neil into Brignoles centre. He loved it – was thinking there would be a market but tomorrow so might repeat the performance then. Had a café au lait in a small bar still with all the Christmas decorations up. If you wanted a croissant – you went next door and brought it […]
Thursday, 8th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Funny how when you get to a place you like for a holiday it is always tempting to want to live there permanently. Might lose its attraction once there and dealing with French beaurocracy and taxes but neither of us feels particularly glued to anywhere although after 40 years in Suffolk we have a lot […]
Wednesday, 7th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Disappointed about not seeing the Dali exhibition in Spain – the museum and house closed from 6th January, so instead we went to Antibes to the Picasso exhibition. Turned out that Picasso had spent just one summer there with Françoise Gilot but there were enough sculptures, paintings and pottery to make it worth going. Antibes […]
Tuesday, 6th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Left early to go to Montpelier– so far my favourite French city. Was going to meet up with sister Maggie, and a friend of hers – Delia for lunch at Le Jardin Des Senses. Maggie and Delia are staying in Collioure about 2.5 hours away and we are 2.5 hours this side of the city.. […]
Monday, 5th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Long walk in the sunshine up behind the town. Saw a maison for sale – lots of land but the house not too big. Good air under the pines crossing the railway track and walking back anther way. Railway tracks are an obsession . I photograph them wherever I go – cant really explain it […]
Sunday, 4th January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Walked into Ste Anastasie and bought freshly baked baguettes and a croissant which we ate an hour later with local apricot jam, and good coffee. Heaven on earth. Song completed and sent, Neil was happy to leave the house for a trip to La Lavendu on the coast for lunch, and we sat in a […]
Saturday, 3rd January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Market day in Brignoles. Walked quickly through the still closed chilly streets to a large open square to discover not a flea market but a typical English town market – cheap clothes , handbags and serviceable shoes. The foodie bit, however, was a lot better as they always are. Huge beef tomatoes, intensly aromatic parsley, […]
Friday, 2nd January 2015 in France - 2014/15
Woke up to a gallery of Neils iPad sketches which will be used on his new website. They are so good – fabulous one called H’ello Dali ‘– inspired by the DVD the other night. Sun shining so went to Brignole to have a look around. In spite of having been there many years ago […]
Thursday, 1st January 2015 in France - 2014/15
After an almost alcohol free night we were up with the birds. The first day of the new year has to be inspiring. So starting with coffee to blow your socks off we worked for about an hour – Neil on some lyrics for a musical version of…. –me catching up on emails and checking […]
Wednesday, 31st December 2014 in France - 2014/15
We left for the last long part of the journey south in good fettle. Took an age to get past Lyon – an accident brought the bypass to a standstill – felt almost like home. Eventually we passed the problem and drove without any other holdups along the great river Rhone past Vienne and Valence […]
Wednesday, 31st December 2014 in France - 2014/15
Slept well and up early to start the drive to Lyon – or Lion as the sat nav called it. Reims was rhymes and later Nice was nice as in ‘nice day’. Let me say for a start it was cold but not quite the finger – numbing teeth chattering cold of the UK – […]
Tuesday, 30th December 2014 in France - 2014/15
Driving south on a sunny winter day, reaching Folkestone, pootling through the tunnel, we emerge like burrowing coypus in Calais. The sun still shines as we finally stop for coffee in the first French services we see on the A16. Seemed like a bonne idee spending the first two weeks of the New Year in […]
Saturday, 11th June 2011 in US Tour 2011
We have a day in Seattle. We skip breakfast and go early’ish into the city. We had been told about Pike Street and there is a market selling all good things to eat – best cheese, wine, cold meats, bread etc. We sat for breakfast in a small red Parisian- type café, and after about […]
Friday, 10th June 2011 in US Tour 2011
Another four hours to get to Seattle. Today the weather is not good – not rainy but overcast and cool. We have listened to all our talking books so now decide to listen to one of them again ‘Our Kind of Traitor’ by John Le Carre. The reader does a really convincing job with the […]
Thursday, 9th June 2011 in US Tour 2011
Started off well. We walked past the Fisherman’s Wharf and along the docks to the ferry building where Ricky had suggested we met for breakfast. There was a heavy mist over the bay obscuring the end of Bay Bridge and the cranes on the other side. I took a few photographs and then we walked […]
Wednesday, 8th June 2011 in US Tour 2011
Have to get to San Francisco today and the weather is all doom and gloom. Cold temperatures, fog and even unstable hurricanes are mentioned. So around 10 am we climb once more into our showmobile fearing the worst. Gradually the morning mist burnt off and the sun came out and it just got hotter and […]
Tuesday, 7th June 2011 in US Tour 2011
Wake up early and look across the pantiled roof half covered by an huge Eriobotriya (loquat tree) of the sort I can only get to grow to five feet tall in Suffolk. We chatted and coffee’d and then, realising we had another long drive we said our goodbyes and hit the road….again. This time we […]
