Author: Butty

Spent most of the day wandering around Montpellier having caught the tram into the centre of town from our hotel. Very impressed with Montpellier especially the historic area. Great trams.

Left for Nice mid afternoon.

It’s Monday and the party is over but another few days left at the chateau with time to explore local area.
Monday went to Digion with L&M where the local canal is bridged over the River Loire. Had lunch in a small hotel restaurant and walked along the canal afterwards.

On Tuesday it was a but drizzly. Went to Semur to see a Romanesque church of some importance but soon retired to a local restaurant for a spot of Charolais beef as we are in the region.

Wednesday and L&M left for the UK. Nice day so went for a three hour return walk along the canal starting at Digoin. Met some of the others on the way.
Bought our bottle of Burgundy for the wine tasting at dinner time. Ours came third in a blind tasting scoring out of 100.

The tasting started outside before dinner.

Thursday very hot and sunny day so had some time around the pool. We all decided that a BBQ was the order of the day for dinner. We did the shopping with Pete and Julie and Rich and I did the cooking. A nice dinner outside in front of the chateau.

Friday is our last day and again nice warm and sunny weather.
We took off on our own to Dijon for a visit to the very nice town and came back via the ” Grande Route du Vin” between Dijon and Beaune which is the Cote de Nuits-Villages
Had a quick look around Beaune before heading back for supper prepared by Martin. Prawns, nice and light after a very piggy week.

Saturday and we all said our good bye’s after a fantastic week at the chateau meeting old friends and making new acquaintances . The temperature dropped 20 degs overnight and it was raining again.
We decided to make a detour on our way to Nice because we wanted to see the Norman Foster designed bridge at Millau which spans the Tarn Gorge .

Amazing

Too far to get to Nice so stopped over in Montpellier for the night.

Went to the Heritage park where old cabins, houses, grocery stores etc had been moved from their original locations to preserve them.

The old barber shop
Had a spot of rain on the Saturday but cleared up pretty quickly

Went to Cornelia’s mums 80th birthday bash in the evening and met all the friends and family of Nick.

Left just after midnight so it was the 1st, our 40th wedding anniversary so photos had to be taken

We had to vacate the condo on the morning of the 1st. Did a bit of shopping in Clearwater and then went to the beach on the bed chairs under the brollies on Key Sands until mid afternoon.
Had drinkies at the Marriott hotel opposite before driving to Tampa to check into the Intercontinental Hotel for our last night in Florida.

Clearwater Beach

Kite flying on Sand Key

The Marriott Bar

We went out in the evening to the Capitol Grill for our “special” meal and very nice it was to.

A little pampering from the restaurant

On our last day we took a trip to Tarpon Springs which is very Greek. It is a big Sponge diving area. Did the Greek thing and had moussaka for lunch before heading back to Tampa for our 7pm overnight flight back it the UK.

CHEERS to a great couple of weeks in the Florida sunshine

Early morning walk for an hour up the beach but had to get back in good time to travel into Tampa City to meet up with Christina and Jo for lunch at noon ( everything is early) at the Columbia restaurant in Ybor district which is the old Spanish/Cuban area of Tampa. Quite eclectic with lots of bars, restaurants and quirky cafes and bars that also hand roll their own cigars. This is the mecca of hand rolled cigars of Tampa for which, for those that know their cigars, is well known.

7th Avenue the main street in Ybor
Back to the condo for more sunsets. A bit more cloud tonight so it was a little more dramatic we felt.

Lazy day today. Walked the beach for an hour and then took in some rays for another hour before lunch. A cloudless day with no breeze at all and the Gulf was like a mill pond.

Another old couple enjoying the Florida sunshine.

Later in the afternoon we took a short trip to Walsingham Lake and walked around some of the lake and a short nature trail .

Came across a couple of large birds in the trees and have no idea what they are. Look a bit like turkeys with wings or short necked vultures. We will find out. Found out, it’s an American Black Vulture.

A double crested
cormorant doing its thing !

Decided to go back to the Botanical Gardens today, ‘gater hunting’. Actually asked one of the gardeners how many alligators there were there, as there are so many signs around about them, and he said he saw one last year!!! Suggested we needed a small dog to bring them out!
However we saw lots of other birds and the gardens were lovely.

Loved this butterfly chair

Pensive mood!

Calling this a blue heron, but must check later

After walking around the gardens we took on yet another causeway to Tampa to Westshore Plaza. A large shopping centre, and spent a couple of hours checking out their wares. Back home for a sit by the pool

Tonight we are eating out at Guppy’s a seafood restaurant in Indian Rocks. It’s recommended, so hopefully will be good.

Tripped to the small town of Dunedin today which is only about 30 mins away north.
Delightful little place and as its name suggests has its roots from Scotland. It is the first home of the PGA, so they say ! It also hosts the Spring Training Ground of the Toronto Blue Jays which is very important stuff around here.

The delightful marina.

Sympathetic architectural buildings which seems to be a rarity in general!

An old railway line is now used as a cycle way called the Pinellas Trail which extends for 34 miles south oh here .

A light lunch and Paul is now very happy with a beer overlooking the water!

For Slim as he has to have a foodie pic.

After lunch onward to Honeymoon Island over yet another causeway. Not a great name but in fact this island is a State National Park with an 8 dollar price tag to enter(worth every cent)

We walked the “Osprey Trail” which as it names suggest takes one through the typical Florida Fauna which is a natural habitat for nesting Oprey’s.

It also hosts a few pairs of nesting Bald Eagles and although we saw the nests we didn’t spy any eagles , but we come across a few of these.

Back to the condo for BBQ steak, Cab Sav and one of these

Decided not to travel far today being a week- end, not to say that would necessarily make a difference but probably some may travel to this part of the coast to their condo by the sea.

Coffee and toast for breakfast and then we saw a swim past by a pod of dolphins.

Plastered ourselves with sun block and went off for a walk along the beach and got as far as we could go towards Clearwater town this side of the causeway, about an hour and a half walk.

Went into the Marriott for a beer, iced tea and shared a few shrimps ( prawns to us educated folk) and watched yet more dolphins.

A long walk back.

Shopped this afternoon for prawns and squid for dinner, then took the causeway to Clearwater in search of restaurants we’d looked up on the internet. Gave up after 30 mins in traffic, we should have stayed at the condo. It’s spring break and Saturday night through a keys area with only one road!!! Stay in at the weekend I think.

Decided to get out of town and head south down the coast to Sarasota which is about and hour and twenty away according to the SatNav. About right going but hit the Friday night commuters on the way back so it took longer.
On the way we had to travel over the “Skyway” toll bridge to save a huge trip around Tampa Bay.

Love it.

From Sarasota main town we crossed over the “John Ringling Causeway ” to Lido Key and the St Armands shopping area where we had a very nice lunch.
Then off to the beach for an hour before heading home via the very impressive “Longboat Key” with all it’s very luxurious houses and resorts along both sides facing the ocean or Sarasota Bay. It is only about 100 m wide with a road up the middle and the properties either side. All private access for about 5 to 8 miles with not a bar or restaurant in sight.
Good day out finished off with a bottle of pink and the marvellous sunset

Spent the day organising a bank account, which went very smoothly, thanks to an introduction by Chris Yarnold to BB&T bank. So now we are up and running with a USA bank account.
En route to the bank we visited the Florida Botanical Gardens

We only had a brief visit so will go back again to explore some more

Cool bench

Cool shades ? Er doesn’t think so.

In a parking “lot” for lunch and a few typical sized cars tried to crowd me out. The looks we get driving this thing around is amazing. People have come up to us asking what it is. That’s what you get when you rent a category “A” car. My only defence is that I would not have believed that the US had such a thing to rent. It is a ” top of the range “!! Fiat 500 auto with sunshine roof, radio, 4 wheels but is does have cruise control. It’s great.

Waiting for the fishing fleet

Great sunsets from our patio

Arrived OK after a slightly shorter flight than expected due to no big headwind across the Atlantic.

Immigration a nightmare as usual, took about an hour and then another 45 minutes to get the car and eventually arrived at condo in the dark at about 8.30.

Awoke the next morning a bit early and it was still dark.

Once light we went shopping to the “Publix” supermarket over the local causeway and then back for a little brekkie and then a walk along the beach towards Clearwater.

View from our patio

Belleair Beach

Local wildlife

And more

We had a friend for breakfast

We have had trips to St Petersburg , Clearwater and popped in to see our Condo at Itopia

Sun is shining and about 85 degs

Bay Watch ??

Off to Gatwick this afternoon to Acorn Lodge for the night where we can park the car for a couple of weeks before our flight to Tampa for our 2 week stay at Aldea Condos on Belleair Beach, Florida.

Flying out from Gatwick at 12.55 on BA arriving 18.45 at Tampa International.

A couple of weeks ago at Emsworth, Hampshire

Another beautiful day so took another trip inland to Peillon , a fabulous perched medieval village. Hairpin bends all the way up from the floor of the Paillon Valley. (spellings are correct) . The village has a church at the very top and a chapel at the base , both were closed .
Stunning views again towards the coast.

The perched village of Peillon

L’eglise

Chapelle des Penitents Blancs with it’s very old and rather deteriorated frescoes completed by some Italian.

Great but rather misty views towards the coast.

Richard and Joelle coming tonight for a bit of supper so did a little prep.

Beautiful day so decided to head inland just a little a way and went for a 2 hour walk on the ” Tour du Mont Gros” which is behind Cap Martin near Menton.

Cap Martin in the foreground, Menton in the middle and Ventimille in Italy in the distance.

On the other side of the ” Mont” super views over Monaco.