Year: 2014

  • Saturday 18th October to Thursday 6th November – Nice

    Arrived in Nice to very sunny and warm weather at the start of a three week stay
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    This little chappy stayed at home

    Sunday 19th October
    Lounged about, Lazeret in the evening with Chris and Martin, Ron and Ingrid

    Monday 20th October
    Shopping in the morning,long walk in the afternoon, Chris and Martin for dinner in the evening. Weather still sunny and warm

    Tuesday 21st October
    Walk with Ron and Ingrid around the Hospice, Cap Ferat with lunch after in St Jean

    Thursday 23rd October

    Walked the Prom and back to Garbaldi for a spot of lunch, shared a charcuterie platter and salad
    PM walked back to Place Massena and signed up for a veloblu bike. Took one along the Prom to the end and walked back to the flat.
    Weather still great
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    Friday 24th October

    Bus to St Jean and walked around Cap Ferrat.
    Lunch after at the Restaurant du Port in St Jean on the terrace overlooking the Harbour. Nice spot. Good sardines.
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    Saturday 25th October

    Met Ron & Ingrid at Biot Gare and went to the Musee National Fernand Léger in Biot. A temporary Exibition of some of his work recently curated. Visited the rest of the permanent Exibition as well. Nice Gallery.
    Lunch after at La Spiaggia in Cagnes Sur Mer. Nice food and very friendly
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    Saturday 1st November

    Hired a car for a few days
    Up to Grasse to Richard and Joelle’s for lunch
    Stopped off in Cagnes sur Mer for coffee and a walk along the Prom.

    A lovely coffee stop
    A lovely coffee stop

    Sunday 2nd November

    Took a drive to the perched villages of Pigna and Castel Vittorio in Italy. Great lunch at the very popular Ristorante di Pigna. Good bottle of the Rossese, the Ligurian wine produced locally in Dolce Aqua. Stopped off in Dolce Aqua to buy some Rossese.
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    Monday 3rd November

    Drove down the coast and inland to the perched villages of Callian,Tourette and Fayence. Had lunch at the Farigoulette restaurant in Fayence. Good lunchtime Menu.
    Drove south to the coast to Frejus and had a drink before returning to Nice.

  • 27th June

    We booked for lunch at the Michelin rated Les Fontaines restaurant in Reole. Had a wander around the town first, visited the Abbaye and had a beer near the river. Very nice three course lunch washed down with a nice Pink and a Medoc.
    Returned about 3pm for last swims. Slim treated us with a bottle of Tattinger to wet Delfi’s head and to toast us all for a wonderful week in the Lot.

    THE END

    The oldest Hotel De Ville in France
    The oldest Hotel De Ville in France

    Old Town  Reole
    Old Town Reole

    At Les  Fontaines avec ELF Duck
    At Les Fontaines avec ELF Duck

  • 27th June

    Took a trip to Monsegur and walked around the Ramparts and visited the church. After some minor shopping returned to the a Gites for lunch. Met our host who invited us for drinkies at hers.
    Slobbing about around the pool after lunch. Wandered around to Heathers, our host, at 6.30. Some other guests at another gite also invited. Heathers two daughters,Kate and Sarah, also came. Nice nibbles and chat. Paella at home to round off the day.

    Awaiting Paella
    Awaiting Paella
    Dieulivol village at sunset
    Dieulivol village at sunset
    Evening walk to Dieulivol village
    Evening walk to Dieulivol village
  • 25th June

    Visited Pellegrue for the market, load of rubbish. Pretty square with partially ruined church. Then to Ste Ferme and visited the Abbey. Great acoustics so Slim gave a short rendition, lovely. Back for lunch and lazy pm around the pool.

    Monsegur from the a Gite
    Monsegur from the a Gite
    A lady from Pellegrue
    A lady from Pellegrue

    A not so melodic rendition from Slim

    Oh dear !!
    Oh dear !!

    Went to Monsegur in the evening to the night market/food bash. Foodie stalls all around the square, pick what you want, find a drink and sit down somewhere. Great atmosphere.

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  • 24th June

    Trip to Ste-Foy-La-Grande 30 mins away. Wandered around the centre, had a beer and a snacky lunch. On the way back stopped off at Leclerc for goodies.
    BBQ in the evening to sample goodies and wine bought yesterday at Le imagePuy
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    The only small car to have!!
    The only small car to have!!

  • 23rd June

    Boys went off early to buy the croissants for brekkie. Morning trip to Duras and the market. Bought goodies for various meals. Afternoon around the pool. Boys visited Chateau La Tuilerie du Puy, just down the road. Lovely lady gave us a quick tour around the winery and a tasting after. Bought rose and a couple of bottles of their Bordeaux Superieur called Le Vigneron Innconu!
    Out in the evening at La Terrasse in Duras for dinner.

    Storm brewing
    Storm brewing
    Nougat  purchasing!!
    Nougat purchasing!!
    1st beer of the day
    1st beer of the day
    Chateau de Duras
    Chateau de Duras
    Dinner at La Terrasse
    Dinner at La Terrasse
    Sunset at Duras
    Sunset at Duras
  • 21st & 22nd June France/Lot

    Left from Bristol flying to Bordeaux for week in the Lot en France. Fred and Wendy, Slim and Stevie flew from Exeter to Bergerac. Arrived within half an hour of each other. Baking hot around 34 degs. Nice alfresco dinner of cold meats, salad etc washed down with a few bottles of Rose.

    After a little morning shopping for lunch and a BBQ dinner this evening, back for a lazy day around the pool.

    Our Gite
    Our Gite

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    An awful lot of snoring going on Sunday afternoon, main culprits Slim and Fred, they will refute this I’m sure.

    Good start to the week.

  • April 28th – 1st May – Rotary Trip to Berlin

    Trip to Berlin for a few days with the Rotary crowd, 17 in all.
    Weather great, good choice of restaurants we went to. Open top tourist bus for two days. Visited the Holocaust Memorial and Museum, Berlin Wall Exhibition, Reichstag, etc. Great hotel.

    That Gate!
    That Gate!

    Lunch
    Lunch

    Reichstag Dome
    Reichstag Dome

  • March 2014

    The boys week-end in Madrid to watch Real Madrid footie.

    European Cup
    European Cup

  • January 11th to 18th – Skiing

    Back to Fusch for the annual ski. No Irene this year, stayed behind for Jacob’s 1st birthday. Good crowd from France, Liz & Thiery, Peter and Chantelle etc.Julia and William enjoyed their walking.
    No snow in the valley at all and generally very mild. Runs to resort bare and rubbish. Good skiing up top. Med crooked his shoulder and Roger his knee.