It was a relief to arrive at our house in the South of France, both after the busy few weeks travelling and in London, and the challenging drive from Carcossonne negotiating detours and narrow alley like roads through tiny villages. We were soon relaxed after finding a small grocery shop open that sold bread, cheese and wine, - the essentials to keep us going until we fully settled in. The house met our expectations with spacious rooms, and good sized deck overlooking the pool, to enjoy the sun. Our first couple of days were spent catching up on sleep, laundry, food supplies and getting our bearings around our little village. It’s a tiny village with only a small grocery (selling everything) a tabac (magazines, book shop), baker, butcher, pizza, pub and post office, and at least ... read more

After meeting Alison on our first day in London, the three of us went to the Chelsea flower show, while Rhonda took Olivia and Sophia for a fun girls day out. Chelsea was very similar to Ellerslie, only a bit smaller, with only one grand marquee, and fewer display gardens, but with more people. We enjoyed looking at the shops but unfortunately there was nothing we could practically buy to bring home. There was an interesting mix of display gardens with the theme seeming to be wild and woolly as most featured a lot of weedy looking plants. The grand marquee was an amazing mixture of full on smells and colour. The only NZ display was a small stand by an English based nursery selling NZ plants. It had won a silver medal but it didn’t ... read more

This is where all the beautiful and the wealthy live. It is a beautiful city with a stunning lakeside location, and bordering mountains, very similar to Queenstown. The lake is amazingly clear - and cold. It made us think of home, looking out over the glittering big expanse of water. There are beautifully sculpted drink fountains all over town pouring out icy cold presumably fresh spring water. It’s just what’s needed in this hot weather. Cars are the main mode of transport here, and no expense has been spared on those cars. The speed boats on the lake are equally as flashy. The majority of the cyclists here are the lycra wearing kind or fully kitted out mountain bikers. The shopping has been refreshingly different although expensive. All the chains we’ve been used to seeing are ... read more

Disneyland was truly magical. It was much better than I’d anticipated. The detail and artistry that went into every building, set display, and scenes on every ride was incredibly amazing. For me the best rides were those in the Fantasyland area which was classic Disney fairytales. They weren’t the high thrill rides (which I do enjoy but can get at any theme park), but more fun little rides through amazing sets, with little surprises, twists and turns. My favourite was probably the Peter Pan one where you were flying over cities and through incredibly detailed scenes of the story. I also really enjoyed It’s a Small World for it’s kitsch pastel displays and old fashioned animation. Again the detail was incredible. We did these two times each and saw so many different things each time. The ... read more

We’ve loved the Paris culture and style. Sitting in cafes for our morning coffee and croissant, in cafes for lunch (always crepes for Sophia), in cafes for our pre dinner drink, before moving to a restaurant for tea. Sitting out on the footpath at the cafes is great for people watching. I’ve discovered that the defining elements of the Parisian locals are; they’re skinny, they smoke, they have little dogs, and they are dressed casually but with so much style and class (and often a scarf). All very iconic elements of the French, but still so true. Paris has a lovely feel, even though it is so busy. Pedestrians, roller bladders and cyclists far outnumber cars as a means of transport. So many streets are wide and tree lined, but even the narrow ones are leafy ... read more