Not So Boring We need to go back to Normandie at some stage before the Americas to pick up a vehicle. Depending on time we hope to have a chance to have a look at a couple of places we missed, even if it is only a quick look.
Notts? hi guys, just read your update. enjoying the weather in blighty?lol.
noticed you intend to visit nottinghamshire......any idea where? sheila is living just 8 miles from the border so there is the chance of a catch up, and should you be en-route a feed and a bed for the night if required. let me know.
watch the blisters,
Jona
Beautiful Brittany and Not boring Normandy I totally agree that the right bits of Normandy are not boring and Brittany certainly has more to offer than Mont St Michel (although it is pretty spectacular). If you get back there, I have 2 suggestions for you - Honfleur in Normandy and St Malo in Brittany. Also in another part of France completely but somewhere I think you would find pretty amazing is Verdun - you can drive to the forest and see the trenches which still have (or had when I visited, over 30 years ago now, I feel so old) bits of old boots etc - eerie and somewhat disquieting but a place i can still conjure up a picture of in my mind when I think hard. And I of course agree with your choice of France for the villages and farmland.
We should have you research the in-laws as well Pat and David,
Your scholarship is to be admired. perhaps one day Andrew and I may have a similar adventure. We have information about one of my English ancestors, possibly because they too came here as convicts but I know very little about the English woman who married my Italian great grand father. That Italian part may provide the key to my getting Italian citizenship and if I do Tess and Georgia as also eligible - an EU passport would be great for them for future travel and work. So if you have any "loose threads" for the Coles' side we may be able to continue the search.
Just when I get used to the idea that, oh yeah, you're travelling the world for a few years, whatevs... I realise again what that really means and I can't move for jealousy. x
great stuff shame you never made it to the mother country. posh bev and deaf bird were looking forward to seeing you again (as was I of course).
enjoy the americas. in a million to one chance, if you bump into the drago truck in south america say hello to michael glover for me.
alex
Hello you two :-) Hi Slowfeeters,
Just a quick hello to say I really enjoy reading about your travels and seeing some pics along the way.
Stay safe and keep enjoying yourselves, what a wonderful thing to be doing! Good on ya's :-)
Love Kokie
Not So Boring Not really boring at all and even then only flat and not so dramatic in parts. Even when it is flat the French still make it all look pretty good
Traveler vs Tourist I am perhaps the only American who visited Normandy and visited only German cemeteries (we were with a Canadian couple, the wife's father was a German soldier who had died of appendicitis the year before the invasion, and she wanted to find her father's grave). Anyway, if being a traveler means that you can't stop to see the historic, cultural, and scenic sites in the country you are passing through, then I would rather be a tourist than give up such to qualify as a traveler. In your area we visited Mount St Michal, St Malo, Dinant, and cut across Brittany to the southern coast to Karnac, with its dolmens and menhirs from the same age as the Stonehenge. Returning in the direction of Paris we stopped in Anger with its massive fortress, and saw the best of the chateau on the Loire, and Fontainblue before Paris. As a traveler, you should be able to visit these sites, but the difference between a traveler and a tourist is that you can take your time to savor each site, and not just check them off your list.
Don't let us stop you! If you feel like settling down in some idyllic village in France, please go ahead! Just be prepared for a steady stream of children and their partners camping out in your spare room...x
Not so boring For a supposedly flat and boring part of France, your photos make it look really very appealing. Must say that I think you have taken your best yet with In Goldent Tent - brilliant composition. Perhaps your inner Celt may have something to do with your evident affinity for the area. If so, you had better stay clear of the realtors windows in Galway!
Thanks for the congrats - although this is just for the first six months as we work on a calendar year. The result of a lot of hard work by a lot of good people.
Great blog Great report, brought back memories of our trip last year to Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Cordoba, Toledo and Madrid. We dromve from Granada and yes, there are alot of olive trees!!
Wet Brussels I've been to Brussels quite a few times - rained every time... Your comment about their excellent English hits the point about their political problem. Whereas the Walloons' second language used to be Dutch/Flemish and the Flemish's used to be French, the predominant second language for both is now English. While you would think they would then just speak English to each other, this has apparently led to the increasing divide between the two - which were only joined together for convenience in the first place. And no, you haven't been to Scotland - or Ireland for that matter - yet. Rains a bit there too!! They have compensating benefits - and a similar expertise in producing alcohol. Must be a connection.
fabulous stuff Excellent stuff (as ever). Particularly liked turning up in beyreuth during wagner week; am gobsmacked they let you in.
Also the French motorways. I remember driving at 129 behind a police car in the inside lane when two beautiful cars overtook us at 180 with no more than two metres between them. The cop in the passanger seat pointed and applauded.
Do try and visit ieper when in belguim.
Andalusia Hello Donna and Peter. Nice to hear from you. We will be on our way to the UK shortly and will try to catch up with you.
Prices for camping in Andalucia for a tent, car and 2 people in were 25 to 30 euros but we have visited in high season and it might drop. The standard of camping grounds in Spain was higher than some other places. We have found that using the car and a tent is a good option. Allowed us to be more flexible and we weren't so worried about getting caught on skinny little roads. We have debated the fridge question constantly. Doing it again we would probably get a small one but a lot of them only bring the temp down and don't actually cool things much. We buy perishables every day or two and not too much. It has worked OK.
We were pretty warm in Seville but Granada was very comfortable. Most expensive camping we have had to date was in Barcelona at 41 euros a night. Noisy and pretty dusty but not too bad. Look forward to catching up, Patricia and David
Fountains I reckon it would definitely be possible. We should put up some of the photos we have of the racks of solar panels. Through Europe they use them to cover car parks, acres of them. That plus the wind farms and Spain in particular seems to be really going for it.
Our travels over the years have often sought out those places that we haven't yet experienced. We have loved chasing new places, but there is a change underway. We continue to enjoy experiencing other cultures along with their food, beverages, history and ways of life but now, having a little more freedom, we will also make more effort to seek out out such things as music events and festivals, particular natural attractions that we have missed and places where we can better appreciate the history of a place and its people.
The attraction of the road less travelled and the place less visit... full info
Slowfeet
Slowfeet
Not So Boring
We need to go back to Normandie at some stage before the Americas to pick up a vehicle. Depending on time we hope to have a chance to have a look at a couple of places we missed, even if it is only a quick look.