Paco's Bar

Well, Tony soon got sick of the blog he suggested, didn't he? Anyway, it was cloudy today, but warm. We slept in by mistake, and had a late breakfast, and then went to look at the new market. It's a big modern, unusual structure, with the market underneath. I didn't like it, as it was too big for the old market square. But Tony liked it, and it was intersting, to say the least.
Then it was off to the Cathedral. It's very imposing, with lots of the usual Spanish gold on the main altar. The most interesting thing was Christopher Columbus' tomb, which was four gigantic figures carrying a coffin. All very different. We both liked the orange grove left over from when the church was a mosque.
We had a picnic lunch in the park, which is very tropical and lush, and which smelled heavenly (the park, that is, not the lunch). All the parks seem to be laid out in the Moorish style, with long straight paths leading to fountains. I really love it.
Next stop was Plaza Espana, which was built in 1929. Although relatively modern, it is again reflective of the area's Moorish origins, with bridges, water, tilework, and Moorish arches. It's huge and impressive, and would be great for photos on a sunny day.
This evening we thought we would try the local tapas bar where all the locals seem to eat. It's in the square near to our hotel, overlooked by a small church, and lined with orange trees. I've made that sound very exotic, but it's actually very ordinary. The bar is owned by a man called Paco, and it's very plain and down to earth. The tapas are simple snacks obviously made by Mrs. Paco, nothing like those I've had before. We had a great time watching the locals, trying to understand what was being said to us, and trying the food. We ate inside, though, as it was coolish outdoors. That's what we both love best about travelling, doing things that are culturally very different for us.
So it's been another good day, and so far it's thumbs up for Seville.

Scary Marys.

We arrived in Seville to find it sunny and hot. All the orange trees are in fruit - they smell so lovely. Our hotel is set around a Moorish-looking courtyard, with bright plants, and coloured tiles. It feels like being in Morocco.
We wandered past the Cathedral and into the Old Town today. Getting lost there is lots of fun, because you get surprised by nice little squares, or children coming out of school in old fashioned school uniforms. We have also been taken by surprise by several rather scary Marys in shop windows. The are larger than life size and rather gruesome. They are in Spanish clothes, black, and they clutch real silver daggers to their hearts. They do give you a shock! Seville is really getting into gear for Holy Week.
You could die of thirst in this place, though. Everywhere you go they expect you to eat. We haven't yet caved in and gone to Starbucks, but who knows about tomorrow.
Tonight we had paella in a nice little square, and then sat in another square near the hotel, which was full of Spanish families eating tapas. We were still in shirt sleeves at 10 p.m.
Well, I hope we have made you sufficiently envious. Sorry, I can't post any photos at present, as I forgot to bring the USB wire for putting the pics onto the computer.
So that's all for tonight. Check in again tomorrow for more adventures.

Plans for 2011

It is time to start the travel blog again for another year. The plans for this year are in place, well in my head for the most part, and if we fulfil them, we can count ourselves very lucky.

We are starting with a weeks trip to Seville in Spain on Monday 4th April. We are not taking the camping car, of course, but flying with RyanAir from Liverpool. You hear so many bad stories about Ryan Air so it is fingers crossed that they get us there and back. The hotel in Seville says it has wifi so we will take the netbook and keep you posted.
We have wanted to go to Seville for quite sometime now, but it has proved to be difficult to get to easily from Manchester. It is Manchester - change at Heathrow and then change again in Madrid. The other alternative was to fly direct from Manchester to Malaga and then take the train to Seville, and that seemed an attractive alternative. However, we heard that RyanAir flies from Liverpool direct to Seville beginning in April each year. I think we are on their first flight out of the year at 6.50am on that Monday morning.
We are hoping for some sunshine and a quiet week in Seville. Chris will take lots of photos and I will read and watch the world go by. We may fit some time in for a little tapas and an odd glass of vino tinto. One day, at least, we hope to take the train to Cordoba to see the great mosque.

At the beginning of May we are setting off on a six week trip to Germany and France. Our friends, Peter and Liz are coming with us for the first few weeks. We are heading for Arnhem in Holland first and then to Berlin. Berlin is a city we haven't visited before and we are looking forward to it. We then plan to come back to the Rhine and the Mosselle before spending the last couple of weeks in Alsace.

On August 31st. we will be on the train through the tunnel again, this time heading for Provence in France. We hope to spend sometime in Uzes which really impressed us last time we were there. Then we might make it to Arles for the festival du Riz sometime in September and then we are heading to the Med and Sanary-sur-Mer. We hope to explore the coast around Toulon. On the way back, we might have time to stop off in my favourite french village, Beaumes de Venise. It will be grape picking time if we get there and that should be interesting to watch.

The wobbly woman

Camping in the vineyard.

Well, we stayed in the vineyard, and it was a really strange experience. We were made welcome, and shown to the spot above, where we could spend the night. It was very peaceful, and the sun was in and out, so we sat in it for a while, but it felt like a very long afternoon. We went into the wine cellar to taste the wine, and I found that very interesting. After buying some, we settled down for a very quiet night in! It was a cheap way of doing things - no charge. Just 37 euros for wine and honey! What suckers!

When we arrived at the village of La Rosiers the next day, it seemed so lively after our night in the country! We sat outside a bar in warm, hazy sunshine (and traffic fumes) watching all the locals having their aperitifs and buying bread. The next day, Monday, there was a nice market, and we had a lovely wander.

Today, however, it is gloomy and damp. The only answer to that is to hire a bike! Yes, I have ridden a bike for the first time in years! I hope you kids are proud of me! At first I wobbled about the campsite for a bit, but then I went off into the countryside. The last time I did that I was a teenager. If it wasn't for the pain in my legs, I could almost imagine myself 12 years old again. OK, not really. But I did enjoy it, and now I feel I can hire one on future holidays when there is an opportunity for some cycling along nice cycle paths.

The wobbly woman rides again.

We have decided to leave tomorrow, and head for Chartres to look at the cathedral. We are also doing another France Passion night, this time on a farm. I wonder how much it will cost us? But this will probably be the last blog of the holiday.

So thanks for following our rather boring ramblings. Off for another wobbly ride on the bike now. Take care everyone.

Rivers and chateaux

Le Chateau de Montsoreau

Well it is near the end of the holiday and we are slowing making our way back to Calais. We are spending the last week in the Loire valley; the land of rivers and chateaux. The village of Montsoreau is about 12 km east of Saumur and we are camped right on the edge of the great Loire river itself. The river is literally 10m from where I am writing this. There are actually two rivers here. Just on the other side of the village the Vienne joins the Loire. The village is very pretty and built from the very white, soft stone of the area which which I think they call tofa. The whole south bank of the river has troglodyte houses dug out of the cliff side. I have a lazy routine of walking to the cafe in the village after breakfast, buying a french paper and sit reading it with a grand creme. Not a bad life!

The Chateau de Montsoreau was an excellent visit. The displays explaining the castle and the way of life in the middle ages and the renaissance on the Loire are really well done with lots of son et lumiere. The Chateau is the setting of an Alexander Dumas novel, "Chateau de la Dame de Montsoreau". I found it in a book shop in Saumur and it is in two volumes and I don't think it is my type of book.

A street in Montsoreau

Yesterday, we took the local bus to Saumur and it is a beautiful little town. Of course it has its own chateau which we didn't bother with. We wandered around and drank coffee and then wandered some more. As the local bus didn't run very often we had to do some more wandering and drink more coffee and eat icecreams. All very tiring!

The Chateau in Saumur

We are moving on Saturday morning and we are going to try and stay in a vineyard. There is a camping scheme called "French Passion" and for a small annual fee you can stay free of charge on farms and vineyards listed in the book. There are no electricity points or facilities, but you can only stay one night before moving on. We have picked out a wine place on the other side of the river not very far from here and we are going to give it a try on Saturday night. Although there is no charge, you are expeceted to buy some of their produce. I wanted to chose a farm where we could buy some eggs and butter, but Chris insisted on the vineyard. Oh well! After that, we have another camp site further west along the river before heading for Calais.

Goodbye to all that.

Well, we have been in La Venise Verte for a week, which is a good long stay for us. It has been very pleasant, and we've been very lazy in keeping with the laid back atmosphere of the place. Yesterday we went on an intriguing walk, which turned out to be longer than anticipated, due to one of Tony's famous short - cuts. But it was a happy accident, because where we ended up was very quiet, and lonely. At one point, a deer popped out, but when it saw us, it retreated. It was fleeting but special. Sadly, we also saw a buzzard attacking a moorhen. We were really close to it, and frightened it away. No doubt it went back to finish the job when we had gone. The place was full of wildflowers, with the most lovely scents. As you know, Tony saw an otter! I am very jealous. There are also lots of fat Koypu here (a bit like beavers). Koypu pate is a local delicacy!

Are you sure this is a short - cut?

We also went to what was billed as a circus, but we got there late, and so we must have missed the clowns. We watched musicians acting silly, but playing well actually. The square was full of French families enjoying food, drinks and plenty of fun. It was a beautiful evening, too. Very enjoyable.

Hamming it up.

But now, sadly it's goodbye to all that! We are heading for the Loire vally, to stay in a vineyard, and a couple of villages that sound nice. Hopefully we will find WiFi. Until we do, au revoir.

Hayfever and sun stroke

The market in front of the church in Coulon

We are in Le Marais Poitevin next to village called Coulon, which is just south west of Niort. The country side is fascinating. It is flat and marshy and crisscrossed by canals - hundreds of them. The camp site is right next to the main river which runs through the marais - Le Sevre. There are flat bottom boats everywhere (like punts) and well into the last century they were the main means of transport. We saw two women and a child crossing the Le Sevre to their house and my photographer managed to get a picture of them.

Ferry across Le Sevre

We are not supposed to be here; well not yet. We set off from Concarneau to drive to La Rochelle. When we were nearly there, Chris looked up the directions to the campsite and said that it doesn't open to the end of June! Bad planning Dolan. Our next choice was closed when we got there because of the very bad storm last spring which killed so many people on the coast here. So we fast forwarded some plans and arrived late in the evening in the village of Coulon.

The area is known as La Venise Verte; and it is very green and full of wildlife. I saw an otter on my evening walk last night! The site is about 2km from the village. Our late morning walk tends to be the same. A stroll beside the river into the village; buy a paper and head for the cafe. Then pop into the church for some reflection and decide what to do with the rest of day. Normally, we will walk for an hour or so before returning to the van for a little rest and perhaps a nap. It's a dog's life, but we don't complain.

Thursday - There is wifi on the site and we have just read in the Guardian of the terrible shootings in Cumbria. It is unbelievable. It was also front page news in the French paper this morning. We went for a long walk along the banks of Le Sevre and had a picnic lunch. It was very hot and when we got back Chris felt ill with too much sun and I had a touch of my childhood malady - hayfever!

La blogger at work

Friday - another very hot day and so we are staying at the site in the shade. I walked into the village on my own to get a paper and have a coffee. I also bought a euro millions lottery ticket for tonight. You never know! There is some entertainment on in the village tonight. It's advertised as a circus, but there is no big tent or anything. They were setting up in a little square by the river this morning; so we will walk in tonight and see what's happening.

I think that this blog is long enough, and I will leave tonight's entertainment and further adventures until the next one. I have also included some more photos at Tom's request.