The French aristocracy knew how to live. The palace of Versailles provides a testament to this - either in restored or renovated formats. The palace is located on the edge of Paris, and going there by train meant the way was easily observed by the throng heading in that direction. Not only that, as we turned the corner to the vast building, we also see the throng of buses indicating the masses already there! Versailles is synonymous with excess, indulgence and luxury. The immense size of this building, and the detailed decor are amazing. There were chambers and antechambers and ante [View Full Entry]

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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 ... [View Full Entry]

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The Lot - The Dordogne Leaving Languedoc-Roussillon means taking on the freeway towards Bordeaux, into the Lot and Dordogne regions. That means, duck, goat's cheese, Cantal, gesiers, foie gras etc etc etc We have given up fighting the food and wine regime. We eat. We eat well. We eat 3 courses. We start the day with breakfast and it just gets better. This part of the journey is no different. Rocamadour We head to Sarlat and caves. We know that there are some amazing cave paintings found and it is our objective to find them too. We go there via Rocamadour [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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12-17 September We are in Montlaur, in the Aude River area, the occitane region. Known for its charcuterie (saucisson etc), fromage de mouton (sheep’s cheese) and naturally some ‘fromage de chevre’ (goat’s cheese) too. Moreover it is known for its cassoulet … in particular in Castelnaudry. We are in a typical medieval stone village. Our gite is a renovated cottage which overlooks the local river (although it has been cemented in and is now a mere trickle). The locals are very friendly and assess in the first 5 minutes of meeting - oh those &lsqu [View Full Entry]

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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 calle [View Full Entry]

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Thursday and we are a week away from Australie, children, school lunches, CPD, Milward et al ... and it sure seems it ... it so warm ... in a lovely comfortable gentle way. There is absolutely no need for cardigans and jackets at this stage of the journey ... and sitting in cafes having a beer or a mineral water (guess who that is?) at day's end has become very attractive ... Toulouse on this day was at its best. The movement of people down the little streets and about the town was not brisk and business-like - more relaxed and [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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2 Cups of coffee at a local cafe began our day, then a trip by metro to sort out tickets for Toulouse on the SNCF. Please be assured French bureaucracy exceeds any frustrations we endure at home. Our first attempt to catch the metro was prevented by a bureaucrat who refused to sell anyone tickets and walked out of the ticket booth when people began knocking on the glass to gain his attention. Consequently everyone had to walk to the next station to catch the metro. Fortunately, I don't speak french and am oblivious to many of the frustrations Mary endured [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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