home again

After an exhausting flight from Helsinki, Alan and I arrived home last Thursday.  Alan managed to pick up a little something on the flight and is suffering from the flu, or something similar.  I am still a little jet lagged, but its great to be home again.  We do have a nice apartment!  And lovely family to welcome us! Sigh!

Mallorca

This is a  very pretty island and Palma, the capital, is a beautiful city.  It helps that the weather has been lovely and warm and we have been swimming at the city's nearby beaches.  Alan has hired a bike and been riding and today we hired a car and went to Trenc, a clothing optional beach on the Island's southern coast.  We had lunch at a restaurant recommended by Tony but we all agreed that the paella Alan cooked the other night was much nicer and way cheaper.
The top photo is the Cathedral, which is enormous and dominates the city.  The beach is Playa de Palma, and short bus ride from our place.

A swim in the Mediterranean

Do you know that the last time I swam in the Mediterranean Sea was in 1975?  I think I was overdue for another dip and today was the day.  We are staying in a beautiful apartment in Palma, Mallorca.  That's an island off the Spanish Coast.  We have a two week home exchange here in a lovely apartment in the old city.  We have 7 windows overlooking 4 different streets and each one has a wonderful view.
But that's not telling you about my swim.  We took a day trip to Soller on the island's west coast.  We caught a vintage train there from Palma - that made Alan happy - then a vintage tram from Soller to the Port - then a boat to a small village called  La Calobra.  That's where I had my swim in crystal clear water that was the perfect temperature.  There was a small taverna on the beach where we had drinks and something to eat afterwards.  A beautiful day.  This picture is of Port Soller.

Down the Dordogne in a canoe

This morning was idyllic!  We hired some canoes and paddled down the Dordogne River from Lamothe, near where we are staying, to Castillion La Batteille, about 6 kms downstream.  It was a beautiful morning and the river was " plus tranquille" according to Alain, the canoe hire man.  The river is still tidal, even up here which seems miles from its mouth past Bordeaux.  I was , of course initially a non-starter,  as I am fearful of things aquatic, but Alan persuaded me and I am so pleased he did, as it was just perfect.
The pictures show Penny and Trish on the river and the Dordogne River bridge at Castillion, with the canoe pontoon in the foreground.  You have to wish you were here too!
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The Vendange

We were lucky enough to be invited to participate in the Vendange, which is the grape harvest.  Some friends of the lady who owns the gite where we are staying has some vines and always asks around for assistance in the harvest.  The payment is a long lunch afterwards with wines from previous
harvests to be tasted.  Some of us ( not Alan) eagerly agreed.  Let me tell you - "there's no such thing as a free lunch!"  It was darned hard work and two days later I still know I picked grapes!  Altogether, between about 30 people we picked just short of 7 tonnes of grapes.  By hand!  It was a terrific opportunity though and one I was pleased not to have missed.  We also got to meet a lot of other visitors as well as local residents.  One lady we met is writing a book on oral histories of people who have stories to tell about the Resistance in this area.  We have invited her to dinner on Monday to tell us all about it.

Bordeaux

I know you all wish you were here with us.  Bordeaux is full of tourists because its one of the loveliest places I have been in France.  We are staying in an old barn that has been converted into a number of self-contained apartments.  There are 16 people in our group - which is a lot to co-ordinate into any activities!  Today the others have gone off on a bus to a chateau somewhere quite far away, so Alan and I have chosen to explore the village of St Emilion and catch up on the internet, aas there's none in the house.
We went to St Emilion on Sunday and it was so full of tourists you could hardly move.  It was much better today and we have had a lovely morning.  We are currently upstairs in a bookshop in Castillion La Battaille, which is the nearest village to our place, which is out in the vineyards.
We have already been to two cellars - the first of a Grande Cru vineyard ( more than 30 euros a bottle) and the second was some cellars run by an English company, known as The Wine People in Australia.  ( 6 - 12 euros a bottle)  We met the winemakers in both places and had quite different experiences - both very interesting.  While we only bought only one bottle at the Grande Cru place - we bought 8 at the other and plan to go back this afternoon for some more!
Last night we went to 'the duck restaurant' - a local institution.  No menu - just eat and drink what you are given.  After the 4th course I was stuffed and had to pass on the cheese plate and desert.  I tried all the wine though!  Tomorrow we have been asked if we want to pick some grapes in the morning as picking started here on Monday.  I will, but Alan is going for a ride instead!

Guernsey in the Channel Islands

We have been here five days now and have really adapted to Island life, that is, we have slowed right down.  I have to say though I hate driving around here.  The island is pretty small - about 8 miles long by about 5 wide, I think and there's about 67,00 residents, and most of them seem to own a car.  The roads are very narrow and appear to be one way but they are not and always there's a car coming towards you very fast!  We have bought our rental car over from France, so Alan, the driver, is in the ditch and I am in the middle of the road.  I have my eyes shut half the time.

The Island has always held a strategic position and so every point on the coast has a fort, or ruins of one, or a Napoleonic tower or a German gun emplacement.  The tides are enormous and seem to be either way out, with beached boats everywhere, or right in and splashing against the sea walls.  So you can image its very pretty.  And of course there are cows too!  And toffee.  And scrummy apple cider.