So the last entry should have been reflections on gastronomique delights ... we are not going backwards, but forwards and got good seats in the train from Bordeaux. We were feeling good as we had managed to drive into central Bordeaux, reverse parallel park on the right side of the road, find the car rental return area, return the car, buy tickets, book a hotel and get on the train .... well that was all good until we got to Paris ... where the hotel was a bit on the seedy side and we decided to seek out alternative accomomodation ... hmmmmmmmmm ... not so easy in this week in September in Paris. So - to cut a long story short - 3 hotels in 3 days ... now still in the latter hotel where the ... read more

Alas we are on the train back to Paris. The notion that our holiday is nearing its end is most disturbing, so it is appropriate that we take this time to reflect on our activities whilst in the region. Our first excursion included a vide grenier (empty attic sale in Trebes). It is reassuring to know that car boot sales and flea markets around the world are remarkably similar. I found a couple of bargains including a tripod and some jewellery. Our friend Ingrid found an enormous copper pot for our host and we concluded the day with a quiet drink accompanied by some spanish style music. The next day saw a trip to La Grasse and thanks to some dodgy navigation ... visits to Termes, Couiza, Limoux and dinner of Cassuolet at Castlenaudry. In Limoux, ... read more

The picturesque town of Albi boasts many attractions, spectacular scenery, a warm, convivial and relaxed atmosphere, friendly people, and the Musee de Henri Toulouse Lautrec. Importantly there is fine food and good coffee. Last night’s offerings included an entrée of goat’s cheese baked in an envelope of filo pastry and served with salad greens and tomato wedges dressed in balsamic vinegar. The main course was roasted guinea fowl in a peppercorn sauce accompanied by a finely diced ratatouille, pumpkin and potato mash and garnished with tomato. Mary had poisson du jour (a fish called Colin) in a sauce and served with the same accompaniments. A two-chocolate fondant (dark and white) complete with dark chocolate sauce, fresh strawberries and raspberries and a cinnamon biscuit made up dessert. So in the town, many of its restaurants and streets ... read more

Being in Toulouse is not to lose but to win by a Lot! A picture paints 1000 words and we have many of this terracotta city. Byzantine ceilings, French painters and streetscapes galore ... blended with warm days and nights ... lends itself to cafe sitting and postcard writing or people gazing ... Toulouse is an architectural feast with lots of narrow streets and loads of character at every turn. Whether it be a fancy street lamp, the relief the flat terracotta bricks create or the vaulted ceilings featuring a particular design era the town had us gazing in awe and snapping our little Olympus devices ad nauseum. Half timbered houses, shuttered windows and doors and tiered roof tops demanded our attention. We walked many of the streets (don't our feet know it!) and then rested ... read more

The trip home was a much more moderate affair with speed limits observed. Patrick took some time to show me a couple of sites on the return journey. We stopped off at Chateaudun to look at this impressive building and surrounding town. The photos are more expansive than I can be. Next stop was Chartres where there seemed to be a festival on in the streets. The cathedral was in a paved pedestrian zone and backed on to the Seine. The buildings themselves absolutely reeking of history. Grounds are manicured with beautiful garden beds and well tended gravel pathways. Inside the church people mill about talking in hushed tones. The stained glass windows are very impressive. They cover an enormous expanse and seem to have a lot of details contained in them. I am told that ... read more