Great European Tour 2013

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Sorry for taking so long to get this out but being on holiday in Europe is a busy time let me tell you. So to anybody that might be interested, read on. If not so what.

Saturday morning London, an early start to the day – our holiday was officially starting. We were travelling by train from London to Avignon. The Eurostar was taking us there, a fast train that reached speeds of just on 300kph. (I have screen shots of the GPS to prove it if anybody is asking). On reaching Avignon Brad & I scooted off to the TGV station to collect our people mover, a 9 seater Mercedes that did a great job for us during the week. Travelled about 500km I guess.

We had a great week in the South of France at a small 13^th century village called St Maximin. It was great to have Emilie there with us and we had a fantastic time. The local Carrefour (supermarket) made a fortune out of us in wine & cheese, (if you want French lessons just talk to me). The local boulangerie had the most fantastic bread and I obliged by going down each morning and getting a few baguettes for breakfast (A good reason why he went, the end of the bread was always missing). I spoke wonderful French to the assistant, then after getting it all out the woman answered me in English, what a laugh.

So the three of us plus our friends Jane & Simon their two boys and Brad’s wife Lucy plus Scott’s girlfriend Cleo were there, 9 of us in all. We had a ball, from canoeing down the Gardon River under the Pont du Garde to going to the local market at Uzes, a true French market in the centre of a medieval town only 2km from St Maximin, visiting little French villages oh and not to forget we went around every narrow street in Nimes a number of times squeezing between cars and sometimes even going on the footpath just because Sean the irish speaking GPS kept giving us wrong instructions or maybe the driver thought he knew more that Sean. Whatever general consensus was that Sean had had too much Guinness.



On our first night there we had a chef cook very French fare for us. How about radish tail soup or foie gras as a starter followed by duck breast or salmon and finishing with Maison de Matrisse mess or a totally delectable chocolate mousse. That went down a treat and set the tone for the rest of the week. Food and wine in a round-a-bout way seemed to be the theme for the week. The chef made such a statement the first time round that we booked her for a second meal on our last night there. The cold tomato soup starter was enough to get anybody on to cold soups. There was also zucchini with flower attached which was stuffed with a sheep’s cheese and deep fried in a tempura batter. All I can say is wowee!!!! The main was a choice of either a rabbit or a chicken dish. There were a number of people a little hesitant about the rabbit but upon tasting were soon converts. Dessert was the famous Tira Misu. Chef might have been cooking French but owned an Italian restaurant in a past life. One of the highlights of the week was on our last evening together we had to say what we felt was the best part of the week. That was great too.

Two of Emilie’s flatmates from London also came to stay with us for two days and they had a great time too & fitted in well with life at St Max. They were from the Hawkes Bay and were heading home soon after a short tour of Europe. The pool at St Maximin was utilised and in the heat was a welcome cooler offa, nice and crisp.

That week appeared to be so short for everybody, it just flew by and before we knew it we were on our way to Marseilles to catch a flight to Venice. The young folk carried on from Marseilles to Monte Carlo and Monaco for the day. They had lunch at Cafe de Paris, apparently very expensive but good never the less. They headed back to St Maximin from there because their week was over too and Emilie was heading back to London the next day and the others were heading to Spain for the week. Great times were had by all.

We arrived in Venice after dramas at the Marseille airport by Steve…….. not the first time, he seemed to be good at doing something wrong every time he walked into an airport and the train was no exception. New Zealand he misplaced his wallet with money and our passports a good start. We had to run around the airport looking for it as we thought he had left it on the check in counter, oh eventually he found said wallet in one of the pockets in his bag. What happened in London at the train station? Oh just a full search of his bag everything unpacked with everything drug swabbed just for good measure. Clean as a whistle just as you would expect and then he starts skiting that he is officially drug free. On our last trip he had picked up a bone handled ‘Languiole’ knife in Spain that he loves and carries around for making lunches cutting bread tomatoes etc. Well they wouldn’t tell him what they were looking for but eventually all was good and sorted, we were on our way. Marseilles, oh no Steve couldn’t let us down there either, in the hand luggage, the favourite knife is found along with all his toiletries. The bag was also too big to go through so down to the check in – they wanted 120 euros for this small bag, we spoke nicely to the Frenchman in charge, got a photo and hey he loves the All Blacks so how could we go wrong – another crisis averted, while the staff were saying no we must pay, our Frenchman quickly sorted them and the bag was on its way with no cost and the knife still in Steve’s possession and so were we, but one more hitch – we arrive at departure gate and no seat for Steve, we stood waiting once more. Finally sorted we were on our way to the wonderful Venice.

We caught a water taxi from the airport to our hotel on the Grand Canal, what a beautiful hotel, only about 20 minutes’ walk to St Mark’s square. The weather has been great and every day well into the 30s, bright sunshine and clear blue skies. We spent the day exploring the streets of Venice and people watching. Unfortunately we have started a new trend that has followed us where we go. Out for dinner Friday night the boys pick a restaurant under a bridge. The girls weren’t that keen – they had a bad feeling, yes we were perched on the side of the canal, we felt like trolls under a bridge. No the girls wouldn’t have this and said lets go we don’t like it and we want to leave, this did not impress the waiter he wanted to know why we were leaving, the boys answer was ‘women mate’, he knew exactly what the boys meant. Our next attempt was not much better once again we walked out, we went back to a lovely little café by our hotel, sorry Simon we did really want to get you a canal side table but it didn’t happen this time, lots of laughter!! We arranged a water taxi to take us to the port to catch our cruise boat the Seabourn Odyssey, Simon was in heaven as we had a beautiful varnished 1950s Rivera, 9m long by the way, a brilliant afternoon as we sped along the canal to the cruise terminal, the atmosphere was buzzie & fun. Embarkation was a dream, no queues just walked up to check in and they were waiting for us. Faster than a speeding bullet as they say. Not a big ship but seems just right, only 450 passengers and 6 star. Everything is laid on and you want for nothing, there was even a bottle of French champagne waiting in an ice bucket for us in our cabin. Whatever drinks you want are brought to you anytime and wherever you are on the ship. Our cabin has a full marble bathroom including full sized bath, separate shower and double vanity plus a full walk in wardrobe with more clothes hangers than you have ever seen in your life. Fresh towels and a full clean twice a day with our bed turned down each evening too with a couple of chocolates to finish the day, (like we really need them). A fully stocked fridge and whatever you want in it just appears. Simon asked for a bottle of Gin and a bottle of white rum, two 1125ml bottles turned up. He was expecting smaller bottles. Just dial 9 and your dreams become a reality.

Meal times are a treat with a number of restaurants available. If there happens to be a buffet breakfast or lunch, you don’t even get to carry your own plate. There is someone standing there waiting to carry it and escort you. Cutlery is all silver at every meal, (no stainless steel here). The wine is fabulous. The first two evenings we have dined on Lobster and other fantastic ingredients such as eye filet steak, (on the same plate, surf & turf the fancy way) hard work but someone has to do it.

The following evening we had a black tie dinner with 5 courses. Ladies were escorted to the table with Simon and I dragging along behind. Janet & Jane looked stunning in their evening attire and I am sure that their escorts raced to get to them first. Choices from the menu were many but my dinner was a starter of potato croquet and caviar. It was to die for…………, enough said. Next course was white asparagus soup followed by confit duck on a micro salad. My main consisted of a whole Lobster tail with other fantastic ingredients that just melted away. The wine was matched by a sommelier for us and not normally known to drink much, if at all I seemed to get through a fair bit I must say. I went so far as a sticky with dessert and that disappeared too. Dinner each evening, apart from formal nights is trousers, button up shirt and jacket. Dinner this evening………….. I think that I will give the Lobster a miss for a change.

We left Venice Saturday afternoon along the canal past St Marks Square with an Italian operatic singer, serenading us out of Venice and overnighted to Sibenik in Croatia. The crossing of the Adriatic was so smooth one could have water skied all the way. Sibenik very nice, but not my choice of European city. Next day we were in Kotor, a city in Montenegro. Montenegro was a former part of Yugoslavia but split relatively recently and is now run as a democracy. We took a private taxi and did our own tour across to Budva and St Stefan, just beautiful. From there on to Corfu and that too was great (the boys very patient while the girls shop). Next stop Argostoli a dirty little Greek Island but as hot as the hobs of hell. We waited in a restaurant for lunch exhausted and thirsty, we eventually gave up through lack of service (we are getting good at leaving restaurants). They were horrified at our departure and could not believe their eyes when we left. Global financial crisis, we were there to spend money and they could not be bothered taking it. Obviously no GFC in Greece, next stop is Pylos.

Broadband is sooooo expensive here and slow. So slow that you are unable to Skype. Cell phone charges are another reality and one needs to be careful.



I have attached some photos, we have some stunning shots from around the various places we have been.

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Photos

St Max
Last dinner

Rivera
On Simon's wish list