Latest posts
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La Cloche
Somehow it wouldn’t seem right to end our adventure without a final homage to the food of France. Last night, we went to a restaurant called La Cloche – it specialises only in dishes devoted to cheese (displayed under the enormous cloche in the picture). Needless to say, we barely made it home alive! We…
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Strasbourg
We arrived in Strasbourg yesterday afternoon and headed straight out to explore. This city is absolutely charming – distinctly Germanic in character – with ancient half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets. It’s built around the river Ill which winds picturesquely through the old town, adding to its storybook feel. The proportions of the cathedral are simply…
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Back to Beaune
We came to Beaune in 2023, and we had such a good time that we decided to stop here again for a couple of nights on our way to Strasbourg, staying at the same hotel – L’Hotel de Beaune. Beaune is right in the middle of the Burgundy wine region and L’Hotel de Beaune is…
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Mediterranean Beach Culture
It’s definitely not Bondi. To start with, there are no waves, and the water temperature is a brisk 18 degrees. So “Mediterranean surfing” (as we call it, and which seems to be the go here) involves walking out to about waist deep and just standing while you chat and enjoy the view. We can highly…
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Sole Meuniere
When the plat du jour (the dish of the day) is sole meuniere, there is no discussion. A very simple dish, whole sole pan fried in a brown butter sauce finished with lemon and parsley, this is irresistible. Other highlights have included moules Roquefort (mussels in a Roquefort cheese sauce) and seiche al la plancha…
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A Bit of Trivia
One of the first things that strikes you about the Mediterranean is the colour of the water – an almost unreal, shimmering blue. It turns out the Mediterranean’s deep blue comes down to a mix of science and nature. The sea here is incredibly clear, with very few particles or algae floating around. That means…
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Relaxing at the Beach
I’m afraid the next few posts will be rather boring – we are happily settled on the Mediterranean coast and enjoying walking on the beach in the morning, eating far too much for lunch, swimming in the afternoon (it’s not true that you’ll get a cramp and drown if you don’t wait 30 minutes after…
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Tour de France
It is now Friday evening, and we have arrived in the Occitane region on the Mediterranean coast. Our last day in Provence was spent in the village of Menerbes where author Peter Mayle sought refuge after writing his very entertaining book “A Year in Provence” (highly recommended) and then paying the price of fame by…
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Santana
After a quiet weekend wandering around local markets, Monday was a step up in pace. In the morning, we drove to the Saint-Paul de Mausole, the (still working) asylum where Dr Theopile Peyrone treated Vincent Van Gough during his 12 month period of internment. I have added pictures of his office, and Van Gogh’s room…
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Cassis
Today we decided to drive to the seaside town of Cassis, just south of Marseille, and have lunch at a little place that we have been to before and love. We sat under the red awnings you can see on the right in the photograph. Took “the road less travelled” on the way home, via…