LYON and the NORTH

Bonjour,

North to France's second city, Lyon. A bit odd that with all our travelling over the years we have never been to the food capital of France. We are staying a bus ride away and the public transport llsystem, including buses, trams, metro, trolley buses and funicular,in Lyon is excellent and cheap. Pauline particularly likes the City and it is somewhere we would come back to. Lyon straddles two major rivers, the Saone and the Rhone which Pauline is standing next to below.

 

It has a brilliant indoor food market, excellent range of restaurants and a huge Art Museum which is really too big to take in. Paintings old and new, sculptures, ceramics, Egyptology stuff; you need 4 different museums to appreciate it all. Lyon also has an Eiffel Tower impersonator in the photo below.

 

The main square has this amazing sculpture of horses which 'breathe' spray through their nostrils which is a great sight not particularly well captured in the picture below.

 

After 3 days we moved north to a a small ite just south of Saint Quentin. Very pretty, standing on a series of lakes (below) where there is, I am told, great fishing. Although the village has probably 4000 people the last shop shut this summer so even for bread you have to rely on the mobile bread man who arrives each morning at the campsite at 10:00 and leaves at 10:00 + 30 seconds. You've got to be quick to catch your croissants. First signs of winter now as the temperature drops from mid 70's to mid 40's and a frost at night. Still very sunny but told of snow to the east.

Last leg of the journey takes us to Wimereux between Boulogne and Calais. It has been snowing here but melted when we arrive. Very wet overnight and the next day so shut in van. Tuesday though is sunny so we walk into town, below, and I complete my trilogy of foods, the Bouef a la tartare. Absolutely delicious and seeing as over half the other diners were having the same I think we chose the right place. Pauline, not being a raw meat kind of girl, opted for the veal kidneys and damn tasty they were.

 

And finally, Dunkerque to Dover, overnight stop in rainy Birmingham and home for tea today. Another excellent trip and thanks to all for reading the blog. Now over 1000 hits since we started. Our next trip will probably be in Jan & Feb to southern Spain, all things being equal, and I may well blog again if people want it.

 

We'll be in touch with everybody in the next couple of weeks so goodbye from us both for now.

 J&P

 

 

NICE

Bonjour,

Thanks J&A for your comment. Indeed, the sculpture is a bigger relation to our doorstop!
It's great to be in France. The food is great, I can understand the language and the atmosphere seems happier than the rest of the countries we have visited so far. Our campsite in Villeneuve Loubet Plage is pretty cramped but does have a 20m heated swimming pool open all year. They shut the roof in October just in case the weather deteriorates (Polish FA take note) though the weather whilst we were there was in the 70's for most part. We are a 30 minute walk from the village which houses the very interesting Escoffier museum (below) in the home where the great chef was born.

We are also a 30 minute bus ride from Nice, below is the Promenade des Anglais. On our extended jaunts we have a rule of 1 meal out per week but in France there are no rules. We feel we are there after our first pastis and I need to eat (not at the same meal) escargots, a plateau de fruits de mer and steak tartare. I'm two thirds of the way there. Meals in France are far more leisurely than in Italy or elsewhere and 2 hours is the norm for the simplest of menus. Frenchmen take an age to read about, discuss with the waiter and order their meal - a lot longer than anywhere else which adds to the experience.

We visted the modern art museum in Nice which was excellent - a Gilbert and George below.

And also work by the fascinating artist one of whose external installations is pictured below. The last thing I wanted to do was forget her name and, true to form, the last thing I did was forget her name! Nikki somebody or other. There was also a special exhibtion of the artist whose name before we came away seemed to be the answer to every art quiz question on TV - Anish Kapoor.

Fortunately the collection contained no Pollocks!
Onwards to Lyon.
A bientot
J&P

OUT OF ITALY

Ciao,
We left Venice on a warm, sunny morning and headed across the country towards Pegli, just south of Genoa. We found the sign to the campsite but there was a lively market in progress and the access road was double parked. Italians have no respect for rules of the road - always double parked, often driving on the wrong side usually because their take on the hands-free law is one hand on the mobile and the other gesticulating wildly out of the window!
Plan B (our contingency rather than the rapper) took us to a small site 20kms further south. An old crone approached us and said the proprietor had gone to lunch at 12 nd not yet returned (it was 5pm). We could not find a suiable pitch so after an epic 27 point turn we were on our way.
At this time of year few campsites are open and after another 50kms of driving down crowded narrow roads, the rain started. It was the worst I have experienced while driving and there was simply nowhere to stop.It shouldn't have been dark but the thunder, lightning and rivers for roads made or a scene of biblical proportions. Eventually, we spotted a campsite sign in Ceriale (too far to visit Genoa) but at least we were safe and sound. After reversing into a couple of trees we hooked up and had a warm beer at the barely open bar - they were not expecting any further guests that night.
We always make sure we have emergency rations in tins and plucked out one such bought in Germany. It depicted a smiling Bavarian, foaming beer in one hand and a hunk of bread by his side. Probably a warming sausage casserole.
Pauline announced it had an unusual taste. Indeed it did.Judicious use of herbs and citrus did little to mask the taste and texture. I haven't told Pauline but next day I translated the ingredients. We won't be having another lung stew any time soon!
Ceriale in sunlight the next day had little to tempt us so it was onwards to France and a small site at Villeneuve Loubet. Much happier and a view of a fish sculpture along the promenade at Cagnes sur Mer.

More next week.
Au revoir
J&P

BESIDE THE SEASIDE

Ciao,

We are still on the same site by the Adriatic but have chosen this week for a bit of walking, cycling and swimming. A long (for us) ride, about 30 moles, took us to Jesolo along a river bank and Pauline looks suitably tired below.

 

These are the fishing nets used along the river.

 

We moved our van so we could finally see some tele. A view of the van from the beach below. The start of the new 'Strictly' season is upon us, and Pauline, as those who know her well will appreciate, is particularly looking forward to the Vietnamese waltz.

 

The water is still warm, that's me in the distance but we are now moving into Autumn with daytime temps dropping to the mid 60's. Many of the campsites are closed or closing and there is a lot of end of season feel. The farmers are picking their grapes and cutting trees in anticipation of winter.

 

We are moving on in a couple of days to Genoa and then to the south of France. An early post this week and I'll see how the internet access is next week but there will be a post at some stage. Thanks to all for following our progress and look forward to seeing some of you next month.

 

Cheers

J&P

EVERY DOGE HAS HIS DAY

Buona Sera,
Venice is fantastic and approaching by ferry is the perfect way to start. St Mark's and the Doges Palace, iconic symbols both, show you have arrived.

With river taxis, gondolas and vaporettos criss-crossing the waterways you could have arrived in any century. Having seen many of the sights on previous visits we spent much of the 3days wandering the back streets and taking vaporetos around the city. a one-day strike by the ferrymen (trying for an extra hour for lunch, no doubt) meant that an extra day exploring last week was not possible.

I know many conspiracy theorists think I write this from a basement in Tooting, so rare are my appearances - so here I am to prove you wrong.

We had some good meals out, great pasta as you might expect, although had we read the reviews in advance we probably wouldn't have gone. What some people see as rude service (probably Yanks) Iwe perceive as quirky. Despite their generous tipping, I think most restaurateurs are not so pleased to have Americans as they are invariably loud, discuss various gynaecological problems and keep customers away. Similarly the Japanese turn up en masse and share 1 pizza between 12.

The Rialto Bridge.

We visited a couple of new places. The Ca D'Or pictured below 

and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The latter had a diverse collection of 20 Century art including Piccasso, Chagall and Magritte but as so often with modern galleries, the rest was mainly Pollocks!

Have I mentioned the Germans? Didn't think so. Our campsite, on the Adriatic is huge with over 500 of the 550 pitches occupied by Germans. We thought we had found an English motorhome but when we approached with the aim of swapping DVDs and books the owners turned out to be German. In a GB registered van. Flippin' cheek!

At least this little chappy seems pleased to see us.

Ciao

J&P

GARDA TO VENICE

Ciao,

Mostly snaps this week as we complete our stint on Lake Garda and move on to Venice.
In answer to 'Little Sis' it is well worth a visit and if you stick to pizza and wine it is not too pricey. It will be good, I hope, to stop being spoken to in German. If I try to speak Italian it would be nice to get a reply in Italian rather than German. I'm wondering whether I've missed some vital news in the last few weeks and the price of the Euro bailout is for signs to be in both languages and natives to be bi-lingual. Also while I'm on the subject I wonder if I would want to lend money to a country which shuts all its' shops and businesses from 12 - 4. A nice lunch hour if you can get it!
Lets try some photos:

A view along the Lake down to Garda.

The old town of Lasize.

One of the many expensive ferries which run between various towns on the lake.

Garda town.

A long hike up in the hills behind Garda offered some great views.
We took a bus (cheap - 8 Euros return) into Verona which is a really lovely city. Beautiful piazzas and narrow cobbled streets and some great food on a splashout meal.

The Romanesque church of San Zeno which was plainer inside and much more to my taste than the Baroque. Below the man himself.

Dante had many things to ponder during his exile in Verona;

but choosing between the Margerita and the Quattro Staggione was probably his toughest decision.
We have now travelled the 150km or so to Cavallino outside Venice. More next week. Thanks for reading.
Arrivederci J&P

STILL HERE

Hi,
I will be leaving photos till next week when I hope I get a better signal. The problem is that we are in an old fashioned campsite, no wi-fi, very small pitches packed together not really catering for the larger vans. We are surrounded by lemon trees, pomegranites and olives (hooray!) but these all serve to block our satellite signal (boo!) so no TV. We are right between Garda and Bardolino on the eastern Lake Garda and the lake is warrm enough to swim in. I am writing this in a so-called wi-fi zone overlooking the lake in the afternoon sun but the signal comes and goes. I have tried to use my roaming profile but the rascals at 3G charge around £1 per minute!
Unlike our last European jaunt there is no question about the winner of the Motorhome Country of Origin League. Germany have got the title sewn up after 3 weeks. Out of nearly 300 pitches probably 270 are German, 15 Dutch, 5 Danish, 2 Austrians, 1 Belgian, 1 Czech, 1 Swede, 1 Norwegian and 2 GB. We have not seen any French or Spanish on all our travels. But in the immortal words of Barry Davies, frankly, who cares?
We will move on to Venice next week having spent this week walking, cycling and visiting Verona. everything here is very expensive which probably accounts for the number of Germans who are the only people who can afford to come. Because of their dominance we are addressed everywhere in German by Italian and German alike. I try to reply in bad Italian which throws them a bit as Germans speak to the Italians in German and expect them to understand. Actually I try to reply in good Italian, it's just I can't speak it.
All the towns on the lake are very pretty and pretty packed but the season is drawing to a close. We've been to a couple of markets with hundreds of stalls packed with things you don't need which seems to mirror ourist markets all over Europe. How many handbags and leather goods can people want!
Ciao
J&P

LAKE GARDA

Ciao,
The latest leg of our journey takes us to a campsite between Bardolino and Garda on Lake Garda. This post may be curtailed because my laptop keeps crashing. I'll try a few pictures.
No I won't - not working.
The site is packed, mostly with Germans, and the area is amok with tourists and prices to match.
I think this fascinating post will have to wait for another day!
Arrivederci
J&P

REGENSBERG TO INNSBRUCK

Guten Tag,

Our guide book (up to date this time) describes Regensberg as having the only intact medieval centre in Europe (which it has) and is ignored by tourists (which it is not). This is probably because it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site which means the town is now overrun by tourists and has all that involves. It is rarely uncluttered and most of the major sights haves buses, vans and cars parked in front. The 1000 year old bridge offered a fairly clear view although you will see that the famous sausage restaurant in the foreground is full and was every time we visited.

We enjoyed the town though as it was a nice bike ride along the Danube from our campsite, the sausages we bought from the local butcher were great, we found the local brewery (hooray!) and the town is now free of plague and leprosy. So onwards into Austria and one of the many examples of Baroque, in this case the tomb of Maximillian 1 in Innsbruck.

I wouldn't go as far as Cyrille Regis (I think) on a pre-season tour of China was asked why he didn't join the team visiting the Great Wall replies if you've seen one wall you've seen them all. However, I have now had my fill of Baroque.
We are staying at a great mountain campsite in Nattersee high above Innsbruck which can be reached by free bus or on foot.

The city is lively and the people regard themselves very much as Tyrollean rather than Austrian. All the museums we visited emphasised this each with a history of the Tyrol on audio guide. Each museum, five in total, was huge and the audio guide for each museum lasted (should we have let them) over 5 hours! Tyrollean history 1600 to the present day would now be my Mastermind specialist subject.

The famous Golden Dachl above was one of the many sites we took in although, surprise, surprise we also found the local brewery during Happy Hour, twice! German and Austrian beer is pretty average should you choose the ubiquitous pilsener but the wheat beer has been decent wherever we have been.

A bit more Baroque in case you're getting withdrawal symptoms.
Innsbruck is another city we visited on our 1988 trip and we shall compare our old photos when we get home but I reckon it is much the same.
Our time here is now up and tomorrow we move to the banks of Lake Garda. Not bad, this retirement lark!
Auf Wiedersehen until next week and trust this post finds you all hale and hearty.

J & P

GHENT & HEIDELBERG

Hi Everybody,

Our adventure continues in Ghent, including the interesting Psychiatry Museum which we now learn is still a working mental hospital. There were plenty of worrying exhibits including treatments of (I hope) a previous age and, as one might expect some fairly scary paintings and sculptures completed by the patients. There was also a strange cubicle which I could not resist. I answered a series of questions and performed various tasks as requested. At the end the very least I expected was some fairground printout saying I was bonkers but instead the screen simply said "your data has been recorded. If you are concerned please consult a doctor." If I wasn't concerned then....
Otherwise Ghent was a delightful city with plenty of historic sites and interesting bars with beers seldom seen outside the country. As Andy pointed out in his comment it is not just in Belgium where changes of usage exist but at least here we had plenty here to choose from.
A last view of Ghent:

before making the longish motorway journey into Germany and down to Heidelberg. We had been here 24 years ago in our rather basic motorhome on our 88/89 sabbatical. We will have to look back at our old photos to see what might have changed. Some things remembered, others not but we both seem to recall bad weather last time we went whereas this last few days has allowed us to see the city at its best.

We stayed on the banks of the Neckar  which was only a 5km cycle ride into town and a slow 15 minute walk up to the castle.

Considering the amount of travelling we do, my grasp of German is pretty shoddy, i understand about 50 words excluding numbers and greetings. This is however 48 words more than my knowledge of Flemish. The two words I retain for future use are for shop (winkel) and chicken (kip). Should there be a sudden explosion of the number of chicken shops in Belgium I will have no problem identifying them. Otherwise, I will continue to speak loudly in English.
Our cycle route back from Heidelberg took in a pretty riverside 'biergarten' where we quenched our thirst with the local Heidelberger Weisebier:

 before going home for a well earned soak.

I'll have to trim my beard again!
Next post will see us in Regensberg before heading south into Austria.
Toodle Pip.
J&P

A NEW TRIP

Hi Everybody,

So we're off on our travels again. Scarcely been at home this last year. This time we are taking a couple of months going through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, France and home. We arrived yesterday in Ghent. Driving the van is becoming second nature as is living in it. You will notice our satellite is finally working.

Enjoying the sights of Ghent as well as the beer. Yesterday, we looked at our Belgium beer guide and headed for 2 bars in the suburbs. Must remember to buy up-to-date guide! First bar was shuttered when we arrived after 2 hour walk and second bar appeared to be derelict. Looking through the grimy windows the inside was gutted. As indeed were we! Finally an hour later - beer.

A bit of sightseeing today including the old fishmarket

and various canals

followed by some truly excellent Trappist beers. Boon Oude Gueze being particularly special for those interested in that sort of thing. Tomorrow, we will try to find the Museum of Psychiatry housed in the country's first lunatic asylum. If they let me out, more news next week.
Please feel free to join the blog and comments are always welcome.
Cheers
J&P

AND FINALLY

So now we're home after 7 or so weeks on the road and back today to the awful weather we endured during the first few weeks of our trip. The last few days we enjoyed great weather as well as fun and profitable racing at Fakenham which was preceded by a couple of pony races.

It's been a great trip, catching up with so many old friends and something I'm sure we'll do again in a couple of years.
It was also good to see the real ale scene thriving with so many different micro-breweries opening up and providing local pubs. Also, a bit quirky, is bread. We usually buy granary bread from Tesco/Sainsbury but noticed that as we went south the bread became sweeter. It suppose it must cater to local tastes but it is a bit odd.
Anyway, thanks to everybody who has entertained us over the last few weeks and thanks to all who have read the blog. Next blog will, we hope, cover our trip to Italy in September/October which I trust will be more interesting to the casual reader who do not share all our friends.

Until then,
J&P

HYPOTHERMIA TO HYPERTHERMIA

Hi,

Penultimate blog today. Last week in Crystal Palace the temperature rarely moved above 10 centigrade. Since then as we know it is in the mid-twenties and it is absolutely true that the English countryside looks so fantastic when the weather is decent.
I had a bit of a nostalgia trip last week visiting pubs and places near the old school.

Happy Days? Went to the Dulwich Woodhouse which some of you will recall and the Crown & Greyhound (aka The Dog) in the village. Not much changed except they both major on food but both stll serve real ale at bargain prices (not!). We had to buy some rice and went to the local store - £6.95 for 500g of Basmati. Londis up the hill charged under £3.
Anyway, we left on Monday for Thurston in Suffolk to see Pauline's younger sister Jane and nephew Troy, who I'm glad to say is a CPFC supporter.

Visited the local vineyard courtesy of Jane who ferried us around to sample and buy some wine and had some nice country walks. Some good topiary:

and because the weather is so fantastic we have decided to extend our trip for a few days and have arrived at Fakenham to take in some racing. Final blog next week.

Cheers
J&P

ISLE OF WIGHT TO WORTHING AND BEYOND

Good Afternoon,

We finished off our visit to the Isle of Wight listening to our friend Deb sing in a concert with the Camerata Chamber Choir and the music of the composer Patrick Hawes who was there in person to present his music and conduct. Sadly, for me, his name meant nothing but he is, as I'm sure many of you will know, quite famous and was resident composer for a few years at Classic FM. Anyway we all enjoyed it and afterwards the whole family went for a curry.

On Sunday we were invited round for an enormous and lovely lunch. So many thanks to Mike and Deb. We enjoyed ourselves very much on the Island and it is a really good place to spend a wek or two.
Off then to Worthing and to see cousin and Godmother Jo who entertained us to lunch - we are doing well with our invitations! Fine food and wine and lots of chat later we strolled back to our campsite.
Next stop Crystal Palace and a fine site next to Crystal Palace Park. We met there some of our old ski-ing chums, Mary, John and Tracy. We hadn't seen them for 25 years and in all the excitement I forgot my camera. For those of you who are reading this and may know them I can assure you that they haven't changed at all! Next morning we saw Mum and Dad's old neighbours Sally and Malcolm for coffee. Great to see them again. Their new neighbours do seem a bit of a nightmare, though.

Crystal Palace area has got a bit gentrified since I was last there with lots of cafes, delis and bars. A couple of good real ale pubs too offering discounts to Camra members. On the way back to the campsite I thought I must be in a timewarp and travelling back to 1970. The line-up at the next Concert in the Park - Rick Wakeman, The Strawbs, Barclay James Harvest, Hawkwind and Focus. Just need Edgar Broughton to turn up and the transformation would be complete!

Until next week
J&P