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
I had yesterday planned out in my mind and very lovely it was going to be too…. An early start, with my silver-buying head on, to go to the Deballage (Unwrapping) at Avignon. This is a regular event run for professionals only to buy from dealers and I had finally got the necessary paperwork to … More When the day doesn’t go as planned……
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…..
Sometimes it takes me a while to get round to doing something and this week I finally decided I would go and try out the Spa at Montbrun Les Bains. I say finally as our lovely neighbour had mentioned it to me 3 years ago, just after we bought the house, saying it was a … More An afternoon at The Thermal Spa in Montbrun Les Bains
Bizarrely we sense and feel the changing seasons more in Provence than we do in Devon. Back in Exeter the proximity to the sea seems to soften the edges of summer as it shifts into autumn and likewise, autumn into winter. That’s not the case here and today it was almost as if someone had … More The sweet shift of summer towards autumn….
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
Sometimes the best laid plans have to be cast aside and that was the case last Tuesday. After taking the dog for an early-morning walk and getting everything ready for a cycle out to Roussillon for breakfast, we started to get the bikes out, only to hear the rumble of thunder coming from the valley … More Market Day in Banon
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to hold a couple of pop-up events with my jewellery Vintage Silver Workshop in the pretty hilltop village of Saignon, which was great fun to do and just a good experience. I should have booked others for last summer., but I must admit that my time … More Popping Up in Provence
Postcards from Provence and beyond 