Day 11: Going home

We had a long last day, not helped by the weather.   Rain all day and some of it heavy. 

We packed up and left Angers early and headed in the direction of Rouen.   We stopped in Alençon for coffee.   We parked in what looked like a reasonable part of town and couldn't see any cafés so popped into an open Charcuterie for advice.   After some pondering, they directed us further into the town and so we left the car and hoofed it through the rain.  The centre of Alençon was being dug up, all the paving had gone and 'pavements' were improvised from rolls of green plastic grass which were spongy with rain!   At last we found an open café, which of course was buzzing!   Even the tables outside were taken but we found a table in the back and were amazed at the efficiency of the staff.  We got served our coffee quickly and settled down to watch the inhabitants.   Clearly a popular Sunday place to meet and talk.

Back in the car we drove to Rouen where we salivated in anticipation of a lunch at the Art Museum.  We parked in an underground carpark of mysterious layout and emerged in a side street.  Art museums, in our experience, offer nice surroundings and interesting food.   We were wrong!  The 'restaurant' in this case was a snack bar and it was empty of food at 2.00pm.   We set off again through the rain and found a café open which had many menu items unavailable.  We opted for the fish dish, without much enthusiasm, and it turned out to be delicious - fillet of bream with vegetables and creamed potato in a light cream sauce.

Back then to the art museum which also had a mysterious layout.  We really wanted to skip the pietas and the agony and the ecstacy and go straight to the impressionists and the modern stuff.   It took a lot of floors and rooms but at last we began to enjoy ourselves!

It took a few attempts to get out of the car park and then we were on our way to Calais and the tunnel.  At the terminal the signs told us that there were delays on crossings.  There must have been earlier cancellations of trains because there was hardly a parking place to be had and the terminal building with it's loos and food outlets was heaving.   We bought coffee, used the loos and then gave up on finding somewhere to sit and eat our 'picnic' and retreated to the car where we showered the seats with baguette crumbs!   Good homemade sandwiches though of cheese, tomato and lettuce.

Then it was into the tunnel to Folkestone and a drive back to Norwich where we arrived at about midnight and emptied all the dirty washing on to the floor of the scullery - a depressing sight - and had a cup of tea!  

A very good holiday though.   A nice balance of time on our own and time with friends.

Day 10: Angers

I was up first this morning having had a bad night!   I was woken at about midnight by someone trying to open our front door followed by various people coming home late and making a noise in the corridor outside!   I was the one to go and collect the bread from the baker three doors away and we had breakfast and planned the day.  First stop was to check out the café Peter had seen online and it turned out to be the one we have been passing on a regular basis at the corner of the road.   We marked it for supper later.   We went to the grocer opposite and brought some walnut vinegar, which makes a great dressing and is very hard to find at home...and some greengages for our picnic on the way back to Calais.   Then off with the map to find the sights.  We started with the Opera house, which turned out not to be open, but we happened on a student demonstration of some kind - perhaps to do with the start of the university term.

The work of David d'Angers

At about this point we realised that we had been too optimistic about the weather and needed to go back to the flat for jackets.  We took the tram using the free tickets that came with our museum passes. We warmed up first with a cup of coffee in a café and then hopped back on a tram.  We wandered back again in the general direction of the centre and came across a flea market where we managed not to buy anything!   Then we realised we were getting near lunch time so we explored away from the centre.  Peter was quite keen on going down a particular street which I thought didn't look promising, but he was right.   We found a little old fashioned Italian restaurant and had an avocado and tomato salad followed by the best tagliatelle we have ever had - and a huge portion to boot!    We had thought to follow our meal with an affagato but we didn't have the room!    Then to the Musée des Beaux Arts which was a confusing building with a strange layout and a plan we couldn't follow.   At one point we got 'told off' for going the wrong way round the museum and the security woman followed us everywhere!   It wasn't very relaxing.   From there we went to the David d'Angers exhibition which contains the plaster casts of statues and busts of the famous by a sculptor called David.   It was housed in an interesting building and we learned a bit about the carving and casting process.  We took a rest over a cup of lemon tea in a small tea shop.

The castle and the drawbridge

Next stop was the Chateau and the Apocalypse tapestry.  It was vast and wasn't easy to understand until we saw the film just off the gift shop, which is where we should have started.   That was just about enough for one day and we wandered back for a bit of a rest before going out for dinner to the Gustave on the corner where we had a good meal.

Day 9: Bordeaux to Angers

We left Bordeaux and let the SatNav do the work of taking us to Angers.   It only went wrong a little bit!   We stopped at Parthenay for lunch and hit upon just the kind of small, provincial French restaurant you always hope to find for lunch.   Lovely, friendly, smiling waitress, warm atmosphere, brown decor and full of French!   We had paté Maison followed by omelettes and sauté potatoes and coffee.  We were very happy!

We went straight to the tourist office in Angers, situated right by the Chateau, which looked vaguely familiar.   We are not sure if we have been to Angers before or not.   We got the map and a bargain ticket to all the museums and a pass for the tram so we are all set up for a day of sightseeing tomorrow.

We found the apartment, but couldn't make the key work until we alerted the owner, who called his friend the artist who's workshop is next door!   He came out and helped us.  The apartment is bijou!   Small and tasteful with an excellent bathroom and just enough in the way of things in the kitchen to be able to make a simple meal.  We decided this would be a good idea after all the eating and drinking we have done over the last week.  We went shopping and then had a glass of wine in a café and then came back to the apartment and made salad with cheese, bread and fruit.

The apartment in Anger

Compact! 

Day 8: Bordeaux

BORDEAUX

Joelle and Patrick were up early...Peter and I less so, but eventually we all had breakfast and set off in their car to explore Bordeaux.  We drove to a car park at the university and took the tram into the city.  We wandered round impressive streets and admired all the restored buildings, the wide expanse of river, an infinity pool that spouted water vapour, and many fine squares.

We stopped for coffee and made our way in the direction of lunch at la Cité du Vin.  We went up to the 7th floor and admired the view over the river and an unusual bridge that goes up horizontally to let shipping through.   We had a very good meal and a good bottle of wine to celebrate Patrick and Joelle's wedding anniversary.

Monument aux Girondins

The four of us at one of the city gates

When we came out it was extremely hot!   We took a tram to the opera and went inside to look at the entrance. Then on to the cathedral.   Joelle took pity on me and she and I went to the cathedral by tram.   I was wilting in the heat!  On the tram on the way back to the car a young man engaged us in conversation.  He was keen to use his English I think and wanted to know what we liked about Bordeaux and France.   We have noticed how much friendlier people are in Bordeaux in comparison to Paris.

On the way back to Patrick and Joelle's we did a little shopping and then arrived back at the house for a cold drink and a rest.   Joelle made another tasty evening meal which we ate outside.   There is always plenty to talk about!

Day 7: Rodez to Bordeaux

 

Clos de Gamot

We got up early in order to get to the vineyard of Close de Gamot in good time before they all disappeared at midday...I had phoned the previous day and learned that it was arrive by 11.00 to 11.30 or miss the boat!    We drove from Rodez via Cahors and found it very difficult to find our way out of Cahors.   After a few false starts we found the right road and arrived at the vineyard to find a smiling son-in-law of the owner who took us to the tasting room.   We made our choice (some to drink now and some to store) and stowed the wine in the back of the car. We ordered an extra bottle of wine to give to Joelle and Patrick and then he also presented us with another bottle for our wedding anniversary!

We drove to Agen for lunch and found a parking place by the town hall and spotted a small cafe with tables under the trees.   We had a starter of beetroot with goat's cheese and then steak frites!  The steak was tasty...but the service was terrible and after asking for water three times, Peter went into the cafe and collected it for himself!

Then back in the car and off to Bordeaux where we arrived at about 5.00.  It was lovely to see Joelle and Patrick and admire all the work they had done in their house.   We sat outside over a glass or two of rosé and later had supper and more wine and it was good to catch up.

Day 6: Rodez

The Cathedral

Inside the cathedral

Today we spent exploring Rodez - two museums, lunch in the park and a lot of walking.   First we explored the streets around the old town (really looking for restaurants) and stopped for coffee.   Then  in to the cathedral right opposite our hotel.  From there we walked to a park where we had a picnic lunch.

The museum cafe and the fig tart! 

After lunch we went to the Musée Soulages - an iron clad building covered in rust, with metal floors inside.   The perfect setting for the dark pictures of Soulages.  Then into the museum café for a cup of lemon tea and a slice of fresh fig tarts.  Delicious!   On leaving the park we spotted a possible restaurant for tonight.

On then to another museum with a preserved 14th century courtyard at the Musée Fenaille.    By this time we were tiring and returned to the hotel for a siesta!

The old courtyard

Brochettes of various kinds.  

In the evening we went to a restaurant on the edge of the park near the Soulages museum.   The food was OK but not exceptional.   We had tried to do some research during the day, but so many restaurants were not open in the evening.   Gastronomically, we have not been very successful!

Day 5: Uzès to Rodez

In the morning Barrie took us on a walk in the Eure valley outside the town, which was quite stoney and challenging in places, but energising!  We had lunch in a cafe (all three choosing paté followed by cabbage stuffed with prawns and vegetables in a cream and parsley sauce) and then went back to Barrie's to freshen up, pack and say our goodbyes.   Barrie gave us one of his memorial books about Marion to give to my cousin David in Florida and a print from the original woodblock of an engraving that Marion was very fond of and which is used in the book about her.  It was a lovely gift.

Gorges de la Vis

We had an interesting journey from Uzès to Rodez using the SatNav.   It was going well until we hit a road block.  We then hared off down lanes and tracks eventually arriving back a bit further down the original road,  beyond the road works.   We took a cross country route, which included a very long section through the Gorge de la Vis with its hairpin bends and narrow roads with almost no passing places and nowhere to stop and take a picture...so here's one I pinched from the internet! I was glad not to be driving on that section.   The scenery in this area of the Cevennes was fantastic, with huge towering rocks and narrow roads clinging to the sides - very dramatic!  We emerged from the Gorges into a little town and found a roadside shack selling drinks with a public loo in the car park behind.  Comforted, we continued to and crossed the famous Millau viaduct.  Of course we stopped to take a photo in a very elaborate parking area with museum.  It was quite difficult to see much of the viaduct but we took a photo anyway.

Viaduct de Millau - by Foster 

Then on by motorway to Rodez.  We found the hotel and the eccentric parking arrangements (we are parked in concrete 'sheds' under the hotel, each box taking two cars one behind the other).  Our room is fairly basic but clean.  We went looking for dinner and made a rather poor choice of restaurant but the atmosphere was relaxed and we had a good bottle of wine to wash down our mediocre food!   It was our 51st wedding anniversary!

Day 4: Quarré-les-Tombes to Uzès

After breakfast we lugged our bags down the two flights of stairs from our attic room and repacked the car.  M. Salamolard, the owner/chef, came out to say goodbye and we had a short chat during which I told him that we had visited twice before, the first time in 1989.   He was full of apologies about our room and told us to ring ahead next time for a ground floor or first floor room.   He scurried off to the cellar and came back with a bottle of wine for us and a free pen and thanks us for our fidelity!

Anton, Mimi, Peter and Barrie outside Anton's house

We drove off in the direction of Saulieu and the motorway south, stopping in Saulieu to buy a picnic. It being Sunday nothing was open but a small supermarket in the Casino chain.  The choice was limited and we decided on two slices of paté en croute (a French version of veal and ham pie) and plastic tubs of grated carrot and pasta salad.   We had this picnic at a brief stop on the motorway and arrived at Uzès and Barrie's block of flats at about 5.0pm.  Barrie was there to open the gates for us.   He gave us a warm welcome as usual.  When Barrie and Marion moved to Uzès from their large house in Stafford they found the flat too small, so they bought the flat next door and put a couple of doors through.  The flat is full of wonderful photos of Marion and we felt her absence.  Barrie is a thoughtful host.  We sat down with a cup of tea and caught up on family news from both sides.   Then we strolled through the streets to Barrie's eldest son Anton and Mimi's lovely town house where we had a glass or two of rosé wine before going to a restaurant in the square.

Peter and Barrie after dinner

Barrie has 10 grandchildren and while two sons are in or near Uzès, he has a daughter in Israel and a son in Dusseldorf so the cousins are scattered in various. parts of the world and speak a variety of languages.   It is always interesting to hear what they are up to.

We took another route back after dinner.  Uzès is a beautifully restored with fine buildings and creamy coloured pavements.   And so to bed.

Uzès

Day 3: A walk in the forest

Day three started with breakfast at the hotel, taken with the other guests, the couples talking to each other in muted tones!   We had fresh squeezed orange juice, croissants, baguette, jam etc, yoghurt and coffee.   We packed a haversack, took our maps and drove off to the start of a walk that we found among some old papers about this region.   On the way we stopped at a little village, hoping to find a charcuterie to buy lunch.   All we found was a small epicerie with a little counter of pate, pizza etc.   We took two slices of something called 'Italian...' I forget the second word.  It looked like pizza. When the girl handed over the package, I was taken aback by the weight!   We had water and fruit so, satisfied we had enough for lunch we went to find the start of the walk which was by the village wash house in Bonnetré.

The washing place, bottom left, and on the walk

The wash house was hard to find as it turned out to be more of a trough with green water in, the washing machine having done away with communal al fresco laundry.  A kind woman directed us to it and we found a wide verge to park on.   Booted up and carrying two maps and a compass, we set off at about 11.00 am.   The weather was perfect.  Sunny, warm but not too warm, and with a slight breeze now and again.

The circular walk through the forest was varied with some ascending and descending stoney paths, some flat sandy paths through woodland and some sudden glimpses of the countryside and rolling hills and the odd lake.   The walk was supposed to be 7.5KM long but a small mistake made it at least 8KM.  Fortunately, the missed path brought us out to a road which we could recognise on the map and we were able to re-orient ourselves.   We stopped for lunch on a narrow path between hedges and perched on a bank and tackled the 'pizza'.   The topping was thick with ham, cheese and tomato and the pastry was like lead but it filled a hole.  We left some of the pastry and when we deposited the remains in a rubbish bin it hit the bottom with a loud clunk!

Dun Les Place war memorial

The shop where we bought the 'pizza'

The rubbish bin was in the same village where we had bought the lunch, Dun Les Places.  We had hoped to find a cafe for a cold drink, but everything was closed until 4.00pm.  Instead, we looked round the church and stood, sombrely, in front of the war memorial.  Dun Les Places was one of the martyred villages of the liberation in 1944.  The retreating German army terrorised the village for several days and then shot several men and the priest.

Inside the church and on a bench outside

Siesta time for some

French humour? A corner in Dun Les Places

We returned to the hotel and had a cold drink in the garden and then a long rest before dinner.  
Tonight we had: an amuse bouche of something we couldn't identify and which didn't taste of anything.  Assiette de crudité for me and oeufs poché for Peter, then calves liver for Peter and lobster for me.  The lobster was a little disappointing.  The cheese cart did not fail us however, and the ice creams were good.   And so to bed!

Day 2: Folkestone to Quarré-les-Tombes via Calais

Up at 5.15am and down to breakfast at 6.00 and then off to Tesco's down the road to buy a picnic lunch to save ourselves time on the journey.    We departed through the tunnel at 7.50.  The interior of the Eurotunnel is looking a bit the worse for wear and probably hasn't been updated for years, but it's still a quick and efficient way of getting to France.

We belted down the autoroutes and stopped at a service area to eat our lunch.   Then on towards our destination, stopping in Chaorce...source of one of our favourite cheeses.   We took a look in side the church (rather heavy organ loft on carved pillars and interesting painted chapel) and then spied the Cheese Museum.   Apparently it was closed to individual visitors and only open to groups of 10 or more.   As a group was about to arrive, the man at the door took pity on us and let us in.   We had guide books/folders in English which were incredibly detailed...the origin and date of every cow bell faithfully recorded.   There were several rooms full of historic cheese and butter making equipment in woods of every type and hue.   It was fascinating.  There was supposed to be a film and a cheese tasting at the end, but we didn't have time to wait for the group to work their way round the museum.  

We had a cold drink at a café and drove on to our hotel, Auberge de l'Atre, stopping in the village of Quarré-les-Tombes to suss out provisions for a picnic lunch tomorrow.

This is our third visit to Auberge de l'Atre and the patron is a little greyer and walks less steadily and he probably would say the same of us if he remembered us!   We have a nice light and airy room up two flights of stairs (we're going to have to start asking for ground floor rooms!) and time for a nap before dinner!

We had a pre-dinner drink in the garden - the aperitif du Maison.  A bit sweet for us!  Then, after consultation with both the chef and the waiter we ordered a salad of smoked goose to share as a starter.  Then Peter had lambs kidneys with mushrooms and I had sweetbreads with mushrooms - both delicious.  I was planning to photograph the food, but it wasn't that sort of dining room!  Out came the cheese trolley.  We both had a selection of three cheeses  served with a bowl of walnuts, and then shared a pistachio ice cream.   All washed down with a bottle of Morgon.    I have to admit to taking a Rennie's in the middle of the night!

Day 1: Norwich to Folkestone

This is the really boring bit!   We left Norwich after lunch and drove to Folkestone.   The traffic was not too bad and we found the Holiday Inn in Folkestone without too much bother.   The room was clean and had all the essentials.   The menu in the 'restaurant' wasn't too great and the fish pie was a bit 'school dinners' but it was hot food and tasted OK.   We were surrounded by people on a package holiday - all very friendly, being northerners, and rushing round introducing themselves to each other. We buried our heads in the crossword and ignored the jollity (being southerners!).    And so to bed.  An early night in anticipation of a very early start.

Off to France!

Travels begin again tomorrow!   The chief car packer is working on logistics - what goes where in the car - and we have discovered a drawer under the passenger seat that we did not know existed!   We have also worked out how the CD player works after owning the car for a couple of years!  Who knows what else might be revealed...

We are off to France on a round trip taking in 2 nights in a small inn in Burgundy where we have been twice before and know the food is very good.   Then a night in Uzès near Nimes staying with an old friend Barrie Liss.  On from there to Rodez via a vineyard to pick up some wine that we particularly like (Clos de Gamot).  We are staying for two nights in Rodez before heading on to Bordeaux to stay with old friends Patrick and Joelle.  From there we head back north via the Loire and two nights at Angers before taking the tunnel back home.   A clockwise round trip which we will complete in 10 days. 

Peter is sorting out every guide and map on France that we possess (a large bagfull) - let's hope there'll still be room for the wine! 

Temperatures are forecast to be around 30° so we will be returning to summer!   On y va!