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 […]
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 – […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
