Travels

Paris Day 3 Monday 18th September Took a slower day today.  I explored the area around where we are living for the week – the Marais. It’s quite difficult to describe all the history that surrounds us.  The buildings are old and there are just so many of them. I

Paris Saturday 16th September  After a great night of rest in our lovely apartment I took an easy morning before wandering on down to ‘ile Saint-Louis to meet with my friend Makala. She was in transit from the storage conference in Vegas via London and managed to take some time

Saturday 16th September Coffee in France is a thing. Now to explain the coffee in France – and why I have reverted to the days of old (1983-84) when Geoff and I backpacked through Europe and I had to consume all hot drinks without milk (except ghulvein of course). Back

Traveling from Uzes to Paris Friday 15th September Today was a day of travel and settling into our new home in the Marais district in the 4th arrondissement, on the Right Bank of Paris. We caught a local bus from Uzes to Avignon. All local buses in the area have

Thursday 14th September Today is our last full day in Uzes so we took time out to continue exploring this beautiful village. We met up for morning tea at one our favorite spots. This is the laneway’s resident cat who wanders between the counter of a nearby hotel (where it

Pont-du-Gard Wednesday 13th September I have waited 40 years to see Pont-du-Gard and it certainly did not disappoint. When Geoff and I were backpacking through Europe in 1983-84 we visited Avignon but missed out on coming to Pont-du-Gard. It’s a 15 minute bus ride from Uzes and wow, what a

Uzes to Nimes and return Tuesday 12th September We paid the princely sum of 1 Euro 50 for the bus journey from Uzes to Nimes. What an amazing city. With a population of 150,000 it’s a thriving hub. The layout is magnificent with extraordinarily wide boulevards with water fountains and

Uzes Day 3 Monday 11th September Uzes lies on a relatively tall mountain overlooking land to the east, south and north. The only plains lie to the west. In any case, whichever direction one takes, one has to climb; the city is built onto the rock.”  Thomas Platter 1595. The

Sunday 10th September Uzes We took advantage of the cool morning and after a cuppa set out to explore the village. Being Sunday it was quieter than the busy market day on Saturday.  Although we soon discovered that Place aux Herbes (the main square) was alive with activity due to

Market Day in Uzes Saturday 9th September The Uzes markets are very popular in the region with market stall holders and visitors traveling from far and wide to enjoy a great day out. We made an early start to buy some supplies for the next few days.

Friday 8th September Lyon to Uzes Today was my first experience on a fast train TGV from Lyon to Avignon. A very smooth journey for 80 minutes before arriving in Avignon. We then took a 30km journey by taxi to our French Cottage, l’Olivier in Uzes. It’s a small town

Lyon Thursday 7th September we ventured out early to find some breakfast at a local boulangerie (bakery). Then we wandered, led by Sue who had already been in Lyon a couple of days and crossed the Rhône River to the Confluence. We explored the area before rewarding ourselves with a

Singapore to Lyon, France via Dubai. Wednesday 6th September We had a long night of travel with two 8 hour flights.  We kicked off well sipping on Moët in the Emirates Lounge. We dined well in Dubai, once again in the lounge before departing for Lyon. The journey across the

Today was one of wandering and relaxation. We are staying in the Bugis area and it was alive with activity. We were surrounded by places of worship. A Hindu Temple, the Central Sikh Temple, St Joseph’s Church, Churches of Saint Peter and Paul and the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

After enjoying a fabulous day in Melbourne my friend Diane Clifford and I flew to Singapore on the first leg of our France 23 adventure. It was an 8 hour flight that arrived into Singapore at breakfast time. We were greeted by Darwin style weather – hot and humid. 35C,