Something happened here yesterday that made nature turn off the freeze button. I don’t know what made it flick the switch, but whatever it was, it made it a very pleasant day. The last few weeks have been bitterly cold, with snow, ice, hail and even ice rain, that hideous weather event that literally turns … More Off the beaten track in Provence
Today was always going to involve an early start, but as ever we managed to wake before the alarm and were dressed in minutes, heading out of the hotel to walk to the Gare de Nord for the start of what will be Andy’s busiest travelling day yet. Our plans this year have shifted, settled … More There are advantages to being a ‘morning-person’
Realising our long-held dream to have a 2CV to take to Provence … More Say hello to Rose the 2CV
Today started early, with my body-clock waking me at 3.57am, rather than the alarm, which was set for 3 minutes later… In fact I am starting to wonder why I bother to set an alarm in the first place. I must admit though, even 3.57 felt like a lie-in, as after many years of having … More Travelling to Provence is never boring… A mad dash through the streets of Paris…
Ever since Andy and I first visited France together on our honeymoon so many years ago, we have always had our bikes with us. Not the sleek road-bikes we have now… … but a real hodge-podge of a collection, from Andy’s well-used commuting road-bike he had had for about 10 years, to heavy old mountain … More Saddlebag of Memories – we have a cycle ride to plan
A few weeks ago, when I was back in the UK and Andy was in France he did a ride that he was particularly excited about. He told me about it and yes it sounded lovely, until he said it was about 110km and had nearly 1500 metres of climbing. At that point I was … More Beyond the Véloroute #14… Sault and back the long way round… On a bit of a mission
Time is a very strange thing indeed, I have been back in the UK for less than 4 weeks and although the time has flown by, it feels as if I have been away from France for so much longer. I am sure there is some psychological explanation for this, but I wouldn’t have any … More Settling in after a few weeks away…..
After a great day in Portobello Road, we arrived in Paris to a dramatic downpour, with the roads and pavements turning into rivers as we walked to our hotel in Montmartre. Hardly the balmy, sunlit stroll along the Parisian streets that we had hoped for…. More a saturating dash, ending with us wringing the water … More Day 2 & 3.. 24 hours in Paris…. Footsore, but what a day!
I honestly thought we’d tried all possible options to get back to Provence, but it appears now that we may have found another route that is a bit bonkers, but seems (so far) to have been quite fun. This time we have incorporated a couple of market visits into the trip, which has not only … More Back to Provence…. Day 1… Exeter to Paris via Portobello Road Market
A few years ago, if Andy had suggested watching the sunrise from the summit of Mont Ventoux, I would have worked out how long it would take us to drive there, set an alarm and enjoyed the drive across and up the mountain. But that was a few years ago and things change. So a … More Chasing the dawn on Mont Ventoux
Vaucluse Dreamer 