At the end of October we were saying goodbye to Fiji, our family holiday to celebrate my retirement birthday!
Then it was back to work and kindy for the younger members of the family! Yours truly put on her yoga pants and walking shoes and sweated it out in the yoga studio…wobbling my way through 4-5 classes a week and taking to the hills, beaches and parks to get in some steps….
View from the top of the wenderholm hill…
A couple of weeks later, my BFF hit her golden birthday….and we celebrated in style…as we do with bubbles of course!
A few days after this, she zoomed off to be with her family in Australia! So my party buddy has been absent since the middle of November and things have been quiet on the social front!
I took a trip to Waiheke Island with Daniel… to measure up a job there, for friends, that he is now doing!
Not a bad workplace….with views to die for! It was about this time that I managed to get a spring Flu!
As the sun came out and we had unseasonal spring weather with a two week run of bright sunshine and very warm days!
My sunflowers grew to 7foot and bloomed golden in the sunshine with heads the size of dinner plates…
While sofa bound (yoga and walking on hold) I scrolled the marketplace sites and found this fabulous addition to the family collection – inspired by my Brother in law (Roland) who has an extensive collection on the other side of the world!
Interspersed with my exercise plan I have had lots of grandbaby time …. When they have off days and cannot go to kindy!
Henry playing with Russell’s trucks (his dad made them for him when he was a little boy!) they don’t make them like they used to….standing the test of time!
Luka and his dog….a boys best friend! Floyd is now 9 and would prefer not to have a playful toddler…but enjoys the snacks he can share (or sneak) from his brother!
Tyler…who is 5 in February and off to school, helped me decorate the Christmas vase….he found the Texas Christmas train (what was left of it) and we managed to add this to the creation this year!!
I joined Jax and Steph and their boys for the Orewa Santa parade on yet another summers day…the super hero’s and the grinch featuring largely in the event!
We also took a family outing to Sheepworld in Warkworth….
Feeding the (already) fat sheep, goats, alpacas and ponies – ducks and rabbits also getting in on the act!!
Due to the early summer my sunflowers have been and gone, however my green fingers grandson Luka still insists they need a water when he returns from kindy every day!
And finally Tyler graduated from Kindy this week, in true Tyler Fashion with his back to the crowd…and hanging onto his mother…
He looks like a big owl sitting on Steph’s knee!
And that’s about a wrap as we countdown the 6 sleeps to Christmas Day, December rain and wind returning for the festive week, and for my offspring a much looked forward to holiday! Dan returns from Waiheke today for a couple of weeks break with his Fanily, Jax and Steph have two weeks of coming and going from the cottage, and George and Jess are taking a mini break up north between Christmas and New Year….while Gran’ma babysits the cat!!
Today was a big day for yours truly…after last nights thunderstorm…
Which Luka really enjoyed, dancing in the rain!
After breakfast today, I joined Jax, Steph and the kids for an excursion to Nadi….the others had already experienced this town, we had not! So our $30 taxi ride dropped us at 8.30am at the markets….
Open air undercover fruit and veges for miles…
Volcanic soil and spring time producing abundant growth!
We wandered the Main Street ( diving in and out of airconditioned stores) as we were waiting for the Fijian craft market to open, and trying to locate it….finally a local (Fijian) sent us in the right direction!
After last evenings rain, the humidity was through the roof, and having bought a couple of trinkets for Tyler…we were wet from head to toe! And more than ready for a dip in the pool! We hailed the nearest taxi and for half the price $15 came back to the hotel…to cool off, re dress and get ready for the afternoons excursion to the botanical gardens at the foot of the Sleeping giant (mountain) on the other side of Nadi…
Steph opted out, as she had thrown her back and kept hot and bothered Henry for a long afternoon nap in the air conditioning.
The rest of the team including George, who is now recovered from his Fiji belly episode, gathered at reception at midday for our afternoon tour with Dans new Taxi driver mate, who was ready and waiting!
Tyler looking exceptionally unimpressed … but that was all an act as he was having the time of his life with his favorite Auntie Jess!
The tropical gardens after the rain…
A lot of green and Red…
A snapshot of the orchids- which obviously grow well here too..,
At this point the path turned to gravel and a few steps…so Lexi ditched the pushchair and Luka took off on foot!
Fish ponds and lily pads….and green everywhere… we continued to follow the track to the lookout, which our driver had informed me was a few minutes….he lied….
Luka tackled the uphill steps like a little mountain goat…
I tackled the steps….and more steps until we opened out to the final uphill climb…in the open sunshine, as the sweat pores opened up once again….for the final climb! Gran’ma bearing up the rear!
The look out, thankfully had a roof and a couple of wooden benches….. where we swallowed the last of our water supplies…
George and Jess leading the charge and still looking remarkably refreshed…
Dan, Lexi and Luka framed by the sleeping giant….thank goodness the track ended here…as the energy levels had run out for the arvo!
Gran’ma catching her breath but still managing a smile!
Luka determined to walk until it got too steep
Taking it easy so as not to slip…
There’s always the bunch of tree huggers
Green spaces…
And lily pads…. Back to base camp where we were rewarded with a fresh (sweet) mango and pineapple juice!
Back into the air conditioned van and the next stop was a Fijian village….where we were charged $10 each to enter and dragged around the village from souvenir table to souvenir table….rather a stitch up..,, but resisting the temptations of tacky momentoes we once again sweated our way around the village showing due respect!
Chickens and babies, Fijian toddlers shouting bula (hello) run down shacks, apart from the chiefs house…. Where George and Jess were jumping for joy!
Then a quick visit to the Methodist church – seems this is one of the main religions of choice….
Evidently it is ok to show shoulders but not legs, Lexi, Jess and I were wrapped in lava lavas as we all had shorts on….another reason to escape – this extra wrap was extremely hot!
By now it was around 3.30pm and our driver suggested the boat shed at Vula Marina for lunch( on the north side of Nadi..
The view from the garden restaurant…
Which also looks back at the marina!
And the dining Bures…. We all had lunch/Snacks and decided with two very hot little humans and 6 hot big humans it was time to head back for a swim! The girls had planned a sparkly dress night but with sore backs and tired legs, a couple of cold beers, kids to bed and booking reading were the order of the night!
We have one more glorious day of summer to soak up before all head back to reality!
As I mentioned in my last story, we had endured a high powered sales pitch to earn our (cheap) afternoon trip to Southseas island!
A small white coral sand island about 35 minutes ride by catamaran…
It was a very warm steamy midday when we arrived at port Denarau to check in and board the air conditioned Cat!
Leaving the port, we enjoyed the half hour of coolness, before landing on the Island, which was to be our home for the afternoon…I’ll just say here one of the team (George) had had a night of Fiji belly and needed a quiet day to rehydrate and recuperate!
Upon hitting the sandy atoll, Henry made a beeline for the first ball he could see! While we were introduced to the afternoons, bbq plan, and activities available…we all enjoyed a great BBQ with lots of salad! And the complimentary beer and wine started flowing! However for yours truly….there was not a lot of time to sit and relax…
Tyler and I circumnavigated the island, barefoot, which in hindsight was possibly a mistake as the sand was full of crunchy coral…
However…between rock hopping and the sandy patches, we completed our walk in about 30 minutes…just in time for Jess, Lex and I to jump on the snorkelling boat and Steph and Tyler to catch the fish feeding boat!
While the boys looked after the sleeping babies…
Evidently there were no fish to feed on that expedition, but the snorkelling was a success…lots of bright coloured fish clinging to the coral formations….until I spied a bullnose (or reef) shark mooching along the bottom below me! I decided I had seen enough and (quietly) hightailed it back to the boat! The Fijians were unfazed by this guy, but they were in the boat!!!
We returned to our patch on the Island…
Travelling with babies is always fun and messy! We allowed half an hour gathering time before the Catamaran was due to pick us up at 5pm… the last trip off the islands for the day, and as first boat was full…we waited a bit longer for the second less crowded one…arriving back at Port Denarau at 6pm…
As the sun was setting on the harbour…
Orange skies and live bands…
So what could we do, a cool drink, food for the kids…a taxi home, babysitter organised while the adults (minus George and Jess) headed to the adults only cocktail bar….
Peace and quiet and good cocktails to complete the evening…
Then room service burgers and sleep time….a few tired kiwis today!
The last couple of days have been interesting, to say the least, in the land of Fiji…where a resort is out to take your last penny and the locals have the gift of the gab…..Almost sucking us in!
The girls stand united at our first dinner at one of the resort restaurants!
A walk into the port, found some of us at a hole in the wall travel agent…promising us (Daniel in the lead) a super deal for the 10 of us…half day boat cruise, lunch, drinks, snorkelling all included for a mere $25 FJD per (7) adults, kids free! Instead of $235 each, if we did a small promotional tour of a resort further down the island. 90 minutes they said!
Easy…morning entertainment the next day! However the 90 minutes turned into 3 hours…the free shuttle bus collecting us half an hour early! And here we were at the WYNDHAM…
Waiting patiently for the “little” seminar to begin….
Next minute…a choir of floral Fijians burst into song and banging etc….
At this point we were still unsure of the journey we were about to take…herded into a conference room separated into couples, and it began… a barrage of information and sales pitch lasting 2 hours, with a push to buy into a timeshare! For thousands!!! A walk around the “Resort” cemented our decision to never return….old and tired, state housing like apartments, no beach, and a bunch of miserable holiday makers jammed in a dirty pool!!!
Another hard sell on return until we all said no…but having done the time we deserved the reward! We had to get the kids out of there so we left Dan and George pushing for our Island tour tickets! (Which took another hour!)
Funnily enough our free return shuttle never turned up…and we walked the 2 kms back to our lovely Hilton rooms and pools!
A cool off and nap for the babies was long overdue!! Oh well…we had our cruise booked at the said price!
Or so we thought! Upon Daniel and George’s return they hadn’t included the pick up and drop offs from our hotel for today’s excursion!
So yesterday, after a swim
Jax, the kids and I ventured back to the original travel agent…which turned out to be a front for the WYNDHAM timeshare…not a travel agent at all and they directed me to the tour operator…legitimate one this time!
The very nice receptionist took about an hour to find all our names as the WYNDAM booking people had booked everyone separately and not as a group! She added on the shuttles and grouped us all together… thank goodness we went through this process yesterday as today we would surely have missed the boat!
This further effort deserved a cool drink and a snack at one of the port cafes!
And a return (by taxi) for another cool off!
We all decided on an early night, restaurant takeaways for the baby families and Gran’ma and George and Jess an early dinner at the Asian restaurant, as we have a big excursion today to the much anticipated island!
The takeaway dining experience all round was not flash…and nothing like we ate at the venue (but for the same price) … small example … no chicken on my chicken Caesar salad! Daniel went to battle with the restaurant manager who reluctantly agreed to a refund… but this was not the end of the Bonnici dinner fiasco…George’s and Jess’s early dinner turned into a late one as they had to wait two hours for food! So second Bonnici was off to complain! They will think we are all just trying to get free food…but that is not the case, we are happy to pay if we get what we order!
So a day of challenges ended with a hot bath and book reading for yours truly…until a knock on the door…
Produced a complimentary fruit platter for our dissatisfaction and half an hour later George and Jess received the same! It will remain to be seen if the promised credits come through at checkout!
Oh well ….
Today is another day…sunrise looks promising, breakfast is good and we have an adventure this afternoon (courtesy of the WYNDHAM team) we are all positive!
So 65 is a big number in NZ – retirement age- but instead of a party I bought all the fam to Fiji for a “Spring Break” …. Yesterday we left NZ for a three hour flight to our island paradise!
Well as seasoned travellers know not all goes to plan….yep we sat (locked and loaded on airplane) for an extra two hours while some technical issues got sorted! While I am a fan of sorting technical issues before hitting the sky’s…. With two 17 month old babies it was a trial to say the least!
However we arrived safely …. A few hours later to a nighttime Fiji…. Got to our rooms and settled in for the night around 9 pm…. Not knowing where we were or what we were looking at!
This morning ( no daylight saving ) we all woke early to a blue sky day!
And headed to the expansive buffet breakky around 7.30am
So much for the dreaded week of rain predicted…. The morning ramped up with beach exploration…
First in the pool…
A walk to the port for fridge supplies….and a taxi back to our abode!
An afternoon relaxing outside our rooms enjoyimg the local beverages….
Number one grandson….
Number 3 grandson! Then the fun began….
Number 2 grandson and his family took the plunge!
And the family celebrated…. While the kids played, the music played and the team enjoyed a few local bevvies!
Then the promised rain came down around 5pm and we all scuttled back to our rooms to shower and change and off to a much needed dinner….….a good solid pasta for the tummy lining… and and Irish coffee (cold one Fijian style)
Russes shirt joining in the celebrations (on Jax… birthday pressie from Kev n Rols) And now in bed ready for tomorrows adventures!
Seven weeks since returning from the European summer has flown by, filled with babysitting sick kids, garden maintenance, house maintenance and admin…
First and foremost it’s a golden year for me, the big 65…. When one finally gets some payback for the years of contributing to the government coffers…
50+ years ago as I was embarking on life’s journey at Muriwai beach…I would never have thought I would be this old! But here we are…still doing life as a mummy, grandma and happy healthy retiree!
Arriving back in NZ to a still wintery climate, the heat pump worked overtime, the layers of clothing escaped the wardrobe and the Gran’ma hat slipped back on!
The odd day of sunshine….has given us hope for the sometime soon arrival of spring!
Babies are growing up….
And grass is just growing, but getting a window when it’s dry enough to cut is challenging! I won’t get started on the spring weather…although the vege garden, sunflowers seeds, and bean seeds seem to be adhering to spring traditions and are all growing well, with the water from the sky not the hose at this stage!
Needless to say my garden is all set for the summer, having combated the slugs and Floyd who all took a liking to my newly planted vege seedlings….until I put up a big fence!
We celebrated five family birthdays within a week late sept/early October…quietly with shared cakes! As everyone is shredding for our family holiday next week!
As I have embarked on a bit of a fitness journey, I have noticed the spring flowers blooming on some of my walks (which are not as often as anticipated due to the weather) However I have taken the leap of faith and rejoined a hot yoga studio….sweating my way through at least 4 classes a week for the last month! My body is certainly telling me this activity is long overdue….as I wobble my way through the exercises! But the old adage…”Use it or lose it” has brought back the muscle memory, albeit slowly!
So this is what a 65 year old Gran’ma looks like (taken a couple of months ago) when following the sun…so next week we are wandering off to catch some more rays….and retouch the winter tan!
Last day in Paris was filled with packing, lunch with Sally and a very fast uber ride to our airport hotel…130k in a 50k area! Then a little issue of the driver adding an extra charge…which super sleuth Sue found and argued until refund was paid back! A trap for virgin travellers…always check the uber charge!
A very comfortable night in the Ibis airport hotel and I left my travel buddy to head on my journey home…she was leaving later in the day!
I arrived back in NZ (home) around midnight on Wednesday….and spent Thursday unpacking my life out of a suitcase and catching up with family!
Friday I launched into the list of jobs to do…WOF and Rego on my old cortina – and my first sick baby day, Saturday a Tyler Gran’ma day….cooking a roast for a family dinner! and polishing the Cortina for its first spring outing on Sunday!
A cruise to coffee and Cars in Snells Beach and a Father’s Day Breakfast…
A little Chilly as a cold westerly wind blew in, but the girls (mine and Dans cortina) were glowing….My co-pilot (Tyler – mr 4 year old) riding shotgun, with his shades!
Unfortunately, the spring flu got him too and I had both the Boys (Tyler and Henry) on Monday and again Tyler yesterday!
However the sun shone for a bit and with one kid, did manage to tame the lawns !
Again today on Gran’ma duties….this is a nasty cold that is hitting the troops around here…but will do an early morning run to stock up on gardening supplies …. In case we get a break in the weather…yes it’s raining and chilly!
So my return has been a whirlwind of life at home!! Babies, cars, gardens, washing and cooking (that’s a bit of a shock after not really cooking for three months)
Thursday in Fumel found us dodging rain showers – as we walked to the weekly monsempron – libos market….full of produce and other market items….luckily we had just taken shelter at the cafe for our coffee break as the inky rain of the day came down…then back home to tackle bag packing, ready for our departure on Friday!
That done…yawn…we once again set off on foot for a final shop at the Fumel commercial centre….I know we will kick ourselves when we are back home having resisted the fabulous shoe purchases!
A grand finale with Kevin and Roland at the pizza restaurant in Fumel….treating ourselves to a pina colada before sharing a pizza and lashing out on a desert!
The next morning we did the final pack and went with Roland to purchase our lunch for the train and a coffee, and embarking on our last Train journey to Paris…..little train from Monsempron to Agen, time for a coffee and then on the 359km per hour train to Paris….leaving Monsempron at 1.17pm ETA Paris 7.07pm!
View from the window!!!! Rainbows and windmills….somewhere between Bordeaux and Paris!
Thunderstorms predicted for the day, we smugly congratulated ourselves how, in our travels, we had avoided the promised downpours! …… that was a “spoke too soon” moment….even though time wise all had gone to plan and we arrived on schedule…but weather wise our luck had run out!
We emerged from the Paris Montparnasse station as the heavens opened up….scrabbling for the plastic ponchos, trying to find shelter with about 500 other people on the street to order a taxi, while traffic jams ensued, rivers ran down the streets, ponchos ripped and every uber or bolt we ordered cancelled on us as they could not get near the train station!
Tired and drenched….bags and humans….we decided the best plan of attack was to get away from the station and try again for a taxi!
An hour after arrival we finally had some success and were collected by a very kind driver, who understood our (wet) misery and cranked up the heater for our ride! Arriving at my friend Sally’s two hours after setting foot in Paris by 9pm!!! After a dinner and drink with Sally it was off to bed….dry and relieved to be at our Paris home for the weekend….Carolyn’s first visit to Paris, weather permitting, a busy couple of days were planned….
Saturday, we sorted, with Sally’s help, a day transport pass and off we went by bus to our first attraction….The Arc de Triomphe del’Étoile, often called simply the Arc deTriomphe, it is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs Élysées —the étoile or “star” of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues.
We consequently set off down the Champs Élysées (road) with all the star studded branded shops, posh cars, and expensive cafes…
The wind had come up (but no rain) and Carolyn found even the plants were having bad hair days!!!
The Louis Vuitton store….a silver treasure chest of fashion….encompassing an entire block!
We reached the end of the 1.9 Km street to be greeted by ….
The Grand palace known as the Grand Palais, a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex ….and opposite….
The Petit Palais which is an art museum. Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts
Colourful art work….
Ladder on the Grand Palais and tulips in the gardens behind the Petit Palais….in these quiet gardens we took a moment to sit and enjoy our pre bought lunch sandwich’s….in an otherwise hectic area of must sees for every tourist in Paris, these gardens were very quiet and uninhabited!!!
As we stepped out to the….
Place de la Concorde, the largest public square in Paris, France. Measuring 7.6 ha in area! Teeming with tourists, buses, taxis and bikes! All foot traffic making a beeline for the Tuileries gardens….
Created by Catherine de’ Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was opened to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution….it currently hosts the large Olympiad cauldron, monument produced last year for the Paris Olympic Games!
As one emerges from the gardens you are treated to the spectacle of The louvre (art museum) the home of the Mona Lisa….and finally out to the water…
The Seine river and one of its many bridges which span the river at regular intervals..
With riverboat sightseeing cruises whizzing past continuously! Quite a water highway in the summer season!
We walked a couple of kilometres along the river to our next destination….the Notre Dame Cathedral…
This Gothic style Roman Catholic Church, sits on the end of the Ile de la Cite (an island in the middle of the Seine river) Its construction began in 1163, completed in 1260….and through the centuries was modified and maintained until a fire in 2019 severely damaged it and forced its closure (for extensive repairs) until December last year….consequently a very popular tourist attraction now it has reopened, with crowds of humans queuing for hours to get inside….these two humans were happy to view from the outside as the afternoon was waning, we were still dry despite the threatening black clouds….and we still had one more crucial site to visit!….
The Eiffel Tower….still the most outstanding monument in Paris!
We were bag and body searched and gained access to the land beneath the tower…choosing not to test our vertigo and climb or ascend to its high viewing platforms!
Bearing in mind there is a link here to the sleepy country town of Fumel (where we had just spent the last week)….and this is the steel!
Some of the steel for this magnificent construction was supplied by the now closed steel mill (in Fumel) which opened in 1847 and closed in 2018…..and at its peak, in the 1970s, employed 3000 workers daily!
Enough of the history spiel….it was nearing the end of the day and we still had a two bus ride back home….10 kms footsore and ready for some R&R!
Carolyn’s R&R meant chatting to her new boyfriend Bert (Sally’s budgie) who instantly fell in love with her and chatted away for the evening!
Day two in Paris….again threatening rain, but again not eventuating…..meant plan B was not needed…and after a stroll around the local market and lunch, Carolyn and I took the bus to the Place de Clichy at the foot of the famous perch of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, which sits on the top of Montmartre and overlooks all of Paris city…
Opting for the final climb to the top by cable car, we joined the crowds, once again, to soak up the views over Paris….
Even on a cloudy day….this is impressive….a little more excitement than we anticipated, as we happened to be in the path of the illegal hawkers selling there wares, who, we gathered, had been alerted to police presence and scooped up their blankets and tacky souvenirs and fled (on foot) weaving in and around the surprised tourists (us included) at breakneck speed!
The romantic notion of padlocks has migrated(from the Seine river bridges) to the fences bordering the plaza surrounding the church!
We walked around the cathedral and down through the busy cobbled streets of the hilltop town of Montmartre…
Stopping for a beer, toilet and people watching at one of the street side bars!….
The place (terrace) where, 15 years ago, was full of budding and struggling artists painting and selling their work….has now been mostly overtaken with cafe seating and only a small area designated to artists ….. mostly offering to draw or sketch your caricature or portrait! Kind of sad really as this area was dedicated to the art culture of Paris and now houses mostly souvenir shops and eating places….a total tourist trap! While still cute….it does retain its quaint buildings and architecture!
Meandering down the cobbled streets once more to the Place de Clichy we caught our bus home…to watch the Sunday inorganic collection from the terrace…
Not really a focus to be honest, but interesting that every Sunday any thing from large furniture to appliances to broken suitcases etc can be dumped on the street to be collected!
It now off to sleep to enjoy our last day in Paris tomorrow!
Exploring the Lot and surrounding villages in the south west of France has incorporated a varied experience of eating…or so it feels as our tummy’s are extending with the lunch time menus followed by pastries, cheese and baguettes for an evening snack….
However this has meant visits to many of the surrounding villages …. And seeing the place while we are here!
Monday was threatening rain…slightly overcast as we set off towards our luncheon destination….
Across the newly restored (red) bridge into the small village of Touzac
This being a one lane two way, plus bicycles and walkers bridge….meant Kevin had to stop clear of the bridge and I walked back onto it…
The calm before the storm? looking back up the river towards the lock…
And sharing the bridge with numerous vehicles racing across….red means go as fast as you can here in France!
As all restaurants in France open sharply at midday and close at 2pm – there is a small window for eating, we were a little early at the riverside venue for today’s degustation, so we stopped and strolled through the village of Grezels…
The Main Street was partly closed as road works are happening (but not on a Monday!) and the town was almost like a ghost town…
The church….high on the hill…
And steps devoid of handrails…
While many old stone buildings are showing their age, this house stood out as having been given some love recently….however, the only sign of life here we saw were…
Butterflies and bees…and a very old lady on the stone bridge as we headed back to the car….praying for us….bless her….maybe she was telling us not to overeat!
We now were on time for the lunch rush….and arrived at the riverside cafe….in the middle of a field along with other people who seemed to come from nowhere…but first a cappuccino….
Carolyn made the mistake of asking for a cappuccino not Cafe crème…and of course received her coffee Sunday!!!
Here there was a set lunch menu…as with a lot of French lunchtime options…mushroom soup, followed by a charcuterie plate, main course of a stuffed tomato, and dessert! All devoured within a very short period….the sun had come out…
As we ate and watched kayakers racing down the river….needless to say we rolled out of the restaurant and into the car….for a scenic drive home…through the old town of ….
Puy l’Eveque….with its colourful umbrella Main Street…again very quiet after the holiday period now nearing the end of August.
The view from the terrace at the top of town
We then headed to supermarket and home for an afternoon nap after our huge lunch…
Tuesday was BBQ day at home with friends of Roland’s from Australia…which meant another trip to the supermarket …. Hoping the predicted storms held off, which they did until a slight shower in the late afternoon…
Yesterday was lunch outing (no surprises) with another friend in the area …. Carolyn and I decided to take a walk before eating and walked along the riverside to Fumel town…poking around in a couple of shops until Kevin and Roland collected us at 11.30am
Fumel once again under the threat of storms…
Lunch was in a Thai restaurant at Prayssac…another village closer to Cahors…on the menu Ondina (their friend) chose frogs legs….
A lot of work and lots of legs!
We then dropped her home to her village of Castlefranc and had a grand tour of her garden…
Red sunflowers!
And 3 metre high sunflowers – one stem with many heads!!!
Castlefranc is on a subsidiary river that runs into the lot river….and a wander from Ondinas house took us through and past some very picturesque quaint (and old) lanes and bush and houses.
The main road and bridge through this village is about to be closed for refurbishment…can take a few years….
So that means Ondinas sleepy little lane will become the main route!
Upon leaving Ondinas we headed up the other side of the river to the village of Albas…perched precariously high on a rock cliff above the river…
Albas highs…
And lows…at water level the dam
And beach area…there are a few designated swimming areas along the riverside where there is no current!
Once again the promised thunderstorms had held off and arriving home at 5pm, we spent a pleasant couple of hours in the garden…until it wasn’t….the rain has come down overnight and the thunder is still rolling…this doesn’t bode well for the weekly market in the nearby (walkable to) town of Monsempron!
Leaving Toulouse (Friday morning) on the regional train with all our luggage, the first ride was uneventful…until we arrived at Agen, the station where we change to the little train to Monsempron libos and back to Fumel familiarity, for me at least! Carolyn’s first foray into France and out the windows were the fields of, now ready for harvesting, tournesols (sunflowers) ….. bending their drying out heads in the still slightly overcast day. I still cannot imagine how sunflower oil is extracted from these dry old seeds!
So after a seamless, on time, two hour train ride we disembarked in Agen, and (due to line maintenance) our little train for the final leg was cancelled! Lucky I am aware that if this happens (as it can do quite often) a bus is put on as replacement… however no one at the train station could provide any information as to which bus or where it exactly left from. So we hung around the bus terminal for a hour with a number of other confused passengers…asking every bus (driver) that pulled in if they were going to Monsempron-Libos…. Eventually we struck gold and along with three other passengers, boarded the full size coach….taking a very scenic (longer) route to our destination…
Seeing the other side(from the road) of the train stations, this was the war memorial at Penne station….the one that tripped me up on my way to Malta a couple of months ago…when the homeless man disrupted the journey!
Well….by the time we arrived in Monsempron-Libos….we were the only two passengers on this massive bus….our fellow travelers having left en route!
We were pleased to arrive at Kevin and Rols house for a late lunch and settle into our abode for the week….
Yesterday, there was a planned road trip…..Gourdon in the Dordogne area, north of the Lot region, is a small city that originated during the Middle Ages ….and, as with all medieval villages, built on a hilltop! Kevin and Rols dropped us (Carolyn and I) in the centre of town while they zoomed off to check out some car parts….
First stop was to find the pubic loos (signposted as WCs)…. Which were a steep climb up through cobbled streets and were rather unsavory…but needs must…we then relaxed and wandered around the town…
Fascinated by the local wares, none of which we needed, until we stumbled on the Saturday street market…eureka!
Carolyn having a poke around in one of the many handmade jewellery stalls…as we wandered the closed streets…then the second half of the market was local produce….cheese, bread, fruit and veges, condiments….and many other unfamiliar eating options…again nothing we really needed (mindful of the heavy bag journey ahead of us at the end of the week!)
We had just sat down for a (very nasty push button machine made) cappuccino when the boys contacted us to say they were back…so we met up and explored a bit more of the older town…
Church doors…very old ones!
And of course a church…another very old one!
Tall fortresses…yes you guessed it old!
Narrow streets…donkeys are smaller than cars!
Not so narrow streets (to accomodate the more modern vehicular transport mode) and finally lunch on the market street at one of the many cafes!
Our hosts….post lunch, enjoying the trip to this town that they also had not visited before..quite amazing where old car part hunting takes you really!
Back to the car and home for an afternoon siesta, as the temps rose to the mid thirties! Roland was off to work in the evening and us three: Kev, Carolyn and Sue enjoyed the evening in garden chewing the fat …. Actually sipping cool drinks!
As the sun went down around 9.30pm…
Waking up this morning to another glorious summer day (cool morning) , breakfast done, washing done, Rols off to work and the terrific three went to Le Clerc (supermarket extraordinaire)….stocking up on wine, beer, nibbles and pastry treats….yes several options! Kevin then dropped Carolyn and I to the Fumel Castle….for Carolyn’s first real view of the village and the lot river…
The giant untouchable deck chair in the middle of a grassed area that one cannot walk on or consequently sit on!!!
The gardens of the castle very green and lush despite the very hot summer behind them…I suspect a very efficient watering system is at play!
There she is…from the castle terrace overlooking the Lot River and the environs of Fumel…just like a postcard!
And east towards Cahors were the river continues to meander through a number of villages, both east and west… covering a distance of 485kms…
Not to get lost in the greenery, Sue sporting her new (€1) red shorts soaking up the sights of the peaceful valley…
Meanwhile, Carolyn is enjoying the artistic floral planters full of dahlias and petunias! …. And blending somewhat more into the greenery and environment!
We left the castle and wandered down to the Brit hotel through stone archways….
And rooftop terraces….meeting Kevin (who had dropped our groceries home) for lunch on the hotel terrace…
A mere Lunch Plate…with chicken, salad and scalloped potatoes….no not to share! We had one each!
After which I suggested a riverside walk…however Kevin suggested (a less energetic) tourist visit to bonaguil castle…not far from town …. But a drive….
We rounded the corner and stopped for the photo opportunity as she rose up the hill in front of us….another medieval piece of local history!
Kevin dropped us at the top (lucky us as we saw some very hot, puffing people making the trek uphill) and we only had to walk down through the village….
Being careful not to slip on the shiny cobblestones!
Half way down a big gate was open and we sneaked in to view the castle ruins from the front field…and take in a view if the village below from the stoned wall…
Kevin was waiting down there somewhere to collect us…and we headed home, mid afternoon, for a feet up as the day had heated up and temps were well and truly, once again, in the mid 30s!
My tour buddies, I suspect, have been napping…while I have been writing you this story….its now 5 O’Clock in Fumel and I’m sure most of you know what that means!
All who wander are not Lost girls 