meanderstravels

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

Old Town Reole

At Les Fontaines avec ELF Duck

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

Dieulivol village at sunset

Evening walk to Dieulivol village

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

A lady from Pellegrue

A not so melodic rendition from Slim

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.

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 Puy

The only small car to have!!

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

Nougat purchasing!!

1st beer of the day

Chateau de Duras

Dinner at La Terrasse

Sunset at Duras

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

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.

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!

Lunch

Reichstag Dome

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

European Cup

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.

Arranged for a 2pm check – out so had a last minute wander around the local malls. Chilled out back at hotel before we transferred to the Concorde Inn hotel 5 mins from airport.
Last Asian fodder tonight. No rush in morning as we are so close to airport for 9.50 flight to Dubai.

Reading my book now

Started early on the last of our hop on hop off ticket, and travelled to China Town. Weather looked a bit threatening, so I took my little brolly and Paul got one from the concierge as his had fallen apart earlier in the trip.
We wandered up and down the streets of China Town. Some interesting food outlets, but not for us as we’d only just finished breakfast.

Damp China Town

We then walked on to the Central Market, part of the British legacy to KL, great as it was air conditioned. Paul picked up a few tips about Malay food from stall by the entrance. Great selection of goods and food, bargains to be had!
From here we walked the streets to find a Taoist fen shui temple and a Hindu temple. There were preparations under way for a wedding tonight, which they said we could go and watch. Unfortunately it’s the other side of KL to our hotel, and traffic here is terrible between 4.30 and 7.30 pm.

Hindu Temple

Girls setting out desin in coloured rice, for the wedding

Taoist Temple

We stopped for a break and then trudged on to take in Independence Square and many old colonial and Moghul style buildings in the area. Finishing with a visit to KL National Gallery. Unfortunately this wasn’t art, but development of the city and state, especially after the old colonialists had left!

Old railway station

Selangor Club, still has a gentleman only bar

Greenery in front was the Cricket Ground, but today it was hosting a tag rugby competition

Old and new City

Independence Square, the tallest flagpole in the World apparently.

Huge model of the city in the gallery, our hotel is the red building towards the front and left with a tower behind.

Last night in KL city. Singapore Slings at the hotel and then off to the swinging area of Butik Bintang with all it’s upscale shops, hotels and Malls, just a five minute walk from hotel. Full of Xmas lights and decorations in all the shops and streets, strange for a predominantly Muslim country, even Xmas carols being sung. Streets packed with cars and shoppers.

Decided to eat as last night in an area called “Hawkers Row”, all outside restaurants, very low key but great atmosphere and all sorts of food

Slings at hotel

On our way

Dinner in Hawkers Row

You can chose what you want

BBQ what you choose

Even frogs

We chose off the menu washed down with a couple of beers

Took a “hop-on hop-off” bus as all good tourists do to get us to some of the spots we wanted to visit. It is a 24 hour ticket so we can use it for some of tomorrow to get to a couple of other places.
Our stop off today was the Botanical Garden area about 45 mins into the tour. It is within a very large area of green belt that the city is very proud of, justifiably so as it is a very pleasant area.

The Old Railway Station

Planetarium

Hibiscus Garden

Wildlife spotting over a coffee break

Wildlife during a coffee break

Partial view of the City, Petronas Twin Towers and the Telecom Tower

Orchid Garden

The bus took quite a long time in the nightmare traffic to get back to near our hotel. Needed a nice cooling swim.

Hotel pool deck