New Camera...... Yay!

Well the Ricoh has died...... so it was time to go shopping!!! We've joined the world of the digital SLR. A stormy summer's day in London today - but managed to get out and have a play..... fair to say we still have a lot to learn, but looking forward to it.

Ducks on the Thames (x2)

Storm clouds over the Thames

Liz Hurly and Hugh Grant's street (we're neighbours)

Fish and Trips in Cornwall

We had only just caught our breath after our sojourn in France, but it was already time to head off again with Ma and Pa - this time to Cornwall - the southern most part of Britain.

Armed with Tom Tom (who seemed to know her way around the place better than we did) we arrived in Plymouth late on Friday night ready to begin our adventure. A grey morning dawned - but I was up and about early - eager to check out 'The Hoe' which seems to be the pride of Plymouth and was adjacent to our hotel (one of its key selling points in fact).

For those not in the know, a 'Hoe' is a high place - and in Plymouth it is a high place with gardens, a view of the harbour, a bowling green (more on that soon) and a large statue of Sir Francis Drake. It is said that the bowling green is the very same green where Drake calmly finished his game of bowls before sailing to successfully defend England's shores from the full might of the Spanish Armada. If bowls clubs are anything like they are now, no doubt he probably also popped into the bowls club rooms for some discounted ale before he did so too, but that chapter seems to have been omitted from Plymouth history books. Plymouth has a rich naval history - but by breakfast time we had our sights on Cornwall and it was time to go.

From Plymouth we set off south along the eastern coast of Cornwall. We quickly discovered Tom Tom's fetish for incredibly narrow lanes - if there was choice between a two lane main road and a narrow pot holed lane just wide enough for our little rental - we were taking the lane.... happy times...

Our real target destination was Lizard Point but our route took us through numerous small (and sleepy at this time of year) fishing villages. We stopped in Fowey - and it didn't take us long to take this opportunity to test out a real Cornish pastie.... The verdict: Very good - but Grandma's short pastry pasties (which are actually more Cornish than the current day Cornish pasties) take some beating.......... They did hit the spot on a cold day though.

We eventually found Lizard Point - which seemed to be the Southern most point in Britain. We did a nice coastal walk here which took us along the cliffs of this rugged coast. Is is easy to picture the smugglers and pirates for which Cornwall was once notorious working and hiding in the many small coves along the coast. It was great to be by the sea again!

Our base for the weekend wasPadstow a great little fishing village - now more famous for the celebrity chef Rick Stein who seems to own most of the businesses in town - he has a restaurant, a bistro, a cafe, a F'n'C shop, a deli/wine shop, a cooking school, not to mention a heap of accommodation. For all this - it remains an operating fishing port and was a great spot for us. We treated ourselves to Rick's Bistro that night and enjoyed great seafood..... the real find of the night was the Greek dessert wine 'Samos'. This was a hit for the boozers in the group who tried it (Mich, Ma and Pa) and is now on the shopping list for export back to NZ.


Day 2 took us to St Michael's Mount - a rocky little island just off the coast accessible at low tide which is home to a very small collection of houses and an old Castle. It was bitterly cold (snow/hail) but fortunately we could shelter in the confines of the castle and watch the squalls roll in over the bay. It was an interesting spot for a castle and not a bad way to spend a few hours. The rest of the day was spent driving further south along the coast. There were many opportunities to stop along the way - not least of which was the stop in Mousehole for Cornish Cream Tea. We also popped down to Land's End - which also seemed to claim be the southern most point of Britain - but which I think must just be the end of Britain... as it is definitely north of Lizard Point.... I checked.

St Ives commanded a bit more of our time - but to be fair, after a quick wander around Mich and I quickly found a seat in a cosy port side pub bay window, right by the fire and enjoyed a drink and some warmth. Rick was on dinner again that night - this time fish and chips - the best we've had since we arrived.... no skin on the fish and no mushy peas on the side! Yay!


Gluttons for punishment - we started our 3rd and final day with... guess what.... a trip to a small fishing village! Port Issac - which is said to be the quintessential Cornwall fishing village - and with this reputation, how could we miss it? It didn't disappoint - parking on the beach at low tide, fresh fish on sale by the sea and fishing boats unloading in the bay.

Having done our quota of fishing villages we set off for the jungles of South America. I kid not. The Eden Project is a series of huge domes - the largest greenhouses in the world and which recreate various climates from around the world - tropical jungles, Mediterranean olive groves and lot's of information on deforestation, eco friendly food, climate change etc. Built in an old China clay quarry around 10 years ago this is an incredible project - and was more impressive than we had expected. It was very surreal to walk in from a cold wintery day straight into a humid tropical jungle....

We had a great time exploring Cornwall and it was great to be back by the sea again. Unfortunately the weather was unseasonally cold - but that didn't hold us back. I imagine it must be packed full of people down there in the summer - so is definitely a good place for a visit in the off season.

Family Fun in the South of France

Well - its been a busy time - but we have finally got round to writing up our trip to the Cote d'Azur and Provence. The trip spanned Easter - so we managed to spend about 11 days exploring this great part of the world with mum and dad. We all flew into Nice and after a couple of days there hired a car to carry on travelling around. Here is a bit about what we got up to and the places we stayed.

Nice and Monaco

Our flight into Nice was fairly spectacular - we flew in on a beautiful clear morning and as we came into land we did a flyby of Monaco and Nice then into the airport on the coast to the south of the city.

Parking trouble in Monaco

We had big plans to cram a fair bit into this holiday - so no sooner had we found our hotel - were we on the train for the short trip along the coast to Monaco - the 2nd smallest country in the world (after the Vatican city). Monaco was everything we expected it to be - lavish, spectacularly located on the coast and oozing wealth. It was off season so we saw it at a fairly quiet time and it was actually very beautiful place. We spent the afternoon watching the super yachts park before doing a self guided walking tour of the city which ended at the famous casino in Monte Carlo. It was a long day - but a great entree into the culture of the Cote d'Azur.

Day 2 saw us collecting our rental (a brand new black Audi A4 which would be home for the rest of the trip) and heading up high on one of the three famous Corniche roads which head north out of Nice at differing heights on the steep coastal hills.

First stop was Eze - a tiny hill top village perched on the cliff - which attracts the rich and famous (U2 included) and plenty of tourists, but somehow seems to retain a quaint feel. There are no cars - the narrow cobbled streets would not take them. The highlight of Eze are its gardens - at the top of the hill. They are filled of exotic cacti and sculptures of Greek goddesses, each named and with an accompanying poem. It was an incredible spot - and perched on top of the world - the view out over the Mediterranean was breathtaking. We also visited St Paul de Vence a very famous hilltop village - and which must have more artists/art galleries than any other town I have been in. It was a nice spot - but unlike Eze - had the feel of a large tourist attraction.

Breakfast on the beach in Nice

We also spent some time exploring Nice - which was a very nice spot (no play on words intended...). The markets there, in hindsight, were some of the better ones we saw - lots of great fresh fruit and vege as well as cheeses, meats etc.

The road to St Tropez

The next day saw us taking the slow road to St Tropez - avoiding the direct motorway, opting for the winding road that follows the coast and takes you through the many small and not so small towns which line the coast. The trip was very picturesque - 2 places stand out (well, actually 3, but one was some pretty place we drove through between Cannes and St Tropez.... unfortunately I have not idea of its name - so probably not worth going into....): Antibes which we didn't stop in (but we did manage to accidentally drive through its old town district, before looping through Cap D'Antibes, a peninsula which is home to huge (and very expensive) mansions and villas.

Second was Cannes - the place we are all so familiar with from its famous film festival. We were too early for the festival crowds and the celebs that flock here - so didn't get to see Lily Allen slip off any superyachts in the buff. Nevertheless we enjoyed wandering along the bustling foreshore which was kind of what I would imagine South Beach Florida would be like - but with fashion as its theme and without the overbronzed muscle bound rollerbladers.

St Tropez

St Tropez had proven to be the trickiest place for us to find accommodation over the Easter period - and as a result our 'hotel' was out in the countryside surrounding the town. It was pretty basic and I think was was actually once a commune.

St Tropez was a highlight of the Cote d'Azur stage of the trip. I was expecting glitz and glamour (and even a hint of tackiness), but although the shopping and superyachts gave it these qualities - there wasn't an ounce of tackiness - instead it retained the feel of a classy, small seaside town.

We had the best part of a day to wander around here - so took in some more superyachts, explored the fortress on the hill overlooking the town, enjoyed a huge slice of the cream filled sponge (Tarte Tropezienne) which is famous here... for breakfast, watching the old men play boules in the large town square and of course, some of us did a spot of shopping. Before we left St Tropez, we also did a nice walk along a coastal path - which takes you through a large seafarers' cemetery on the water's edge, before winding its way around the coast past exclusive seaside properties. The only other thing to mention here is was a great meal at Le Cafe which sits on the edge of the boules square - super fast - but incredibly tasty steak.

Avignon and around

Avignon was one of the larger places we stayed - but still had a small historic town centre in which we stayed. It is rich with history and was once home to a series of Popes, when Rome was in political upheaval.

From here we did a day trip out to Fountaine de Vaucluse - the world's 5th most powerful spring - 315m deep. It is renowned for its clear water which has an intensely blue colour when it is at its best. On the way we passed through L'Isle-sur-la-Sorge which was a very pretty town with a small river running through it. It also happened to be host to an international antique fair - so it was difficult to extract ourselves from it as it would be have been easy to pass the time looking through the many roadside stalls full of treasures and nick-knacks. We did manage to get to Fountaine de Vaucluse, which although was not particularly full - was still a beautiful spectacle and it was easy to see why it has attracted tourists for many many years (1.5m p.a. these days!?).

While in Avignon we also visited the Pont d'Avignon - the partial remains of an ancient bridge that once crossed the Rhone River which runs by the city. The bridge was interesting - but for me it was more interesting to be standing over the middle of the Rhone river, which runs through the Rhone valley - home to much of the red wine we enjoy over here.

After here we explored the nearby Palais des Papes - home to a number of Popes over the years. The history here was very interesting, and there was much more focus on the history of the building and the different personalities of the various Popes who lived here, what they did the building and the way in which they lead the Catholic church. We also stumbled on a choir comprised of travelling students who were doing an impromptu performance in its large Chapel - which made it even more impressive. What better way to top off a long day? An informative wine tasting to introduce us to the wines of the region - including, arguably its most famous - Chateauneuf du Pape.

Chateaneuf du Pape

The south of France has a great reputation for wine, and Chateaneuf du Pape is a small town which is both a highly regarded appellation itself, but that also provides a great base to explore some of the other nearby regions. We did a rambling (fairly ad hoc) self driven tour of the region - starting off in Chateaneuf with a visit to two of the local Chateau. The wines here are permitted to use 13 different varieties of grape in their blends (some have all 13?). They are full bodied and pack a punch - and are required under the appellation rules to be at least 12.5% alcohol. They sell at a bit of a premium, but we thought the additional price was generally justified.

From there we went on to Gigondas (famous for GSM blends) - and where we struggled to find something to our liking, before finishing at Beaumes de Venise - famous for its sweet white wines and where we could also try both its reds and the reds of nearby Vacqueyras. With sweet wine on offer, the girls had no trouble finding several wines they liked - with Mum putting a couple away on her own (to take home that is......). During the course of the day we got to drive through the countryside and visit the odd small town - and it was a nice way to spend the day. The icing on the cake was a beautiful meal at our hotel (http://www.hotel-la-sommellerie.com/) - a nice place with very friendly staff, situated just outside Chateaneuf overlooking the stony dry vineyards.

Road to St Remy

From the wine heaven we travelled to St Remy - our next stop, but did so by taking a long detour to take in Orange, the Pont du Gard and Arles - in what was a day dominated by Roman ruins. Orange is home to Theatre Antique a 100m wide, 40m high stage wall thought to have been built during Caesar's rule (sometime after 27BC). It is apparently the only one in the world which still stands in it entirety. It has an interesting history - was once home to lewd theatre, was at one time used as a wall against which housing was built and has been excavated and is still in use for performances today.

Pont du Gard was next on the itinerary - a huge, 3 tiered, 275m aqueduct capable of carrying 35,000 cubic metres of water a day which towers 50m above the River Gard below it. Built around 19BC, its size and the engineering and skill that must have gone into it are quite mind blowing. Humbling to think that all that time ago - they were clever enough to build a series of aqueducts to bring water from springs to the north. You can do walks along the top tier - but unfortunately not in off season - so we had to settle for the lower tier - but still pretty impressive.

From aqueducts to Arles... home of more Roman relics (including another theatre....), but most well known for its most famous resident, Van Gogh who painted around 200 of his works here. We did a self guided walking tour of the city, which was really well set up, with information boards and pictures of his paintings in certain spots around the city where he painted them. It was great to see today the same sites and scenes that he saw and painted all those years ago.

St-Remy De Provence

St-Remy was probably the best of a good bunch of towns we stayed in. It is famous for its food (olive oil, chocolate, sweets are all made in the town) as well as being a fashionable and pretty town to stay in, without being overrun with tourists (in the off season at least!). Our accommodation here was incredible - Hotel Gounod (http://www.hotel-gounod.com/) a small boutique hotel with an interior which was cluttered and crowded with crucifixes, statues, flowers and other bits and pieces - which anywhere else would have seemed tacky - but here managed to pull off designer classy.

Near St-Remy is Les Baux de Provence a small hill top village at the peak of which sits Chateau des Baux - the ruins of a castle which once sat here. This was a highlight for many of us - both because of the panoramic views from the hill top site and also due to the interesting sites and history of the ruins and the features that remain - old sinks, ovens, pigeon holes and water tanks.

Our other day in St Remy was taken up with (another) Van Gogh walk (the asylum he admitted himself to remains here) and relaxing. We explored the olive oil factory (which also sold beautiful truffle oil) and the famous chocolate maker Joel Durand's store - which was similar to Schoc back home - with rosemary, thyme, Earl Grey and other interestingly flavoured chocs. Yum.

The road to Aix en Provence

We turned our drive from St Remy to Aix into a sightseeing extravaganza. First stop was Abbaye de Senanque.... the famous abbey which features in so many Provencial postcards surrounded by fields of purple flowering lavender. We weren't in lavender season - so couldn't replicate the photo.... but was a pretty spot all the same. Next was Gordes - one of the trendiest hilltop villages, where the rich and famous from Paris might holiday....

From here we went to Roussillon - famous for its red ochre earth. The whole village is made from the stone - and thus the streets are lined with reddish stone buildings. We did a short walk here through the ochre valley and spent some time exploring the small town.

Final stop was a countryside winegrower's trail.... this 1.5 hour walk lead us through vines, across fields and through olive groves. It was a really nice walk and along the way we saw real people pruning vines and olive trees - a labour intensive industry.

Aix - The End

Aix was our final destination before flying out of Marseille. It was the most cosmopolitan town we visited - it sort of felt like a mini Paris. It a great spot to spend a day or so just relaxing, soaking up the sun, listening to students busking, admiring its many fountains, shopping in its markets, exploring and of course eating and drinking!?

It was the end of a great trip - which had been a series of different chapters - sun and sea, hilltop villages, Roman ruins and food and wine. We had been looking forward to exploring the South of France and it was nice to share the experience with Mum and Dad.