Category Archives: France

November 26, 2015 · 1:11 pm

Winery tour from Bordeaux

3rd August 2013

Up early today for my winery tour, I’m pretty excited to be spending the day seeing around the countryside and villages, wine tasting, and of course spending time with people! The town is very quiet early, streets nearly devoid of people and shops all closed and shuttered, a totally different feel to yesterday.

Early morning Bordeaux, not a town of early risers!

There was only about a dozen people on the bus, different nationalities and all pretty quiet for the first half of the day. We made stops at a few different wineries and had lunch outdoors at one of the most picturesque. The buildings and furnishings were gorgeous, the owners were so very generous with their time and opening parts of their homes to these tourist buses. The people seem friendlier and more open here than anywhere else I’ve been in France, maybe it’s being in the countryside.

Chateau Siaurac, Bordeaux region of France

We had a little hiccup after lunch when the bus wouldn’t start, it really broke the ice, everyone began talking after that! It was funny to watch, all the guys hunkering around the engine and making suggestions, quite a bit of gesturing going on as well.

I didn’t realize until half way through the day that we’d be going to St Emilion where Stephane from My French Heaven lives, I did message him but was too late to organize a catch up. It was great though to see his area, a very beautiful part of the world.

Chateau Siaurac, Bordeaux region of France

It really was a lovely day and to top it off I even had dinner with someone for a change! One of the guys on the tour, a nice American guy, David, asked if I’d like to share a meal afterwards. We went to one of the outdoor restaurants just around the corner from my hotel and had the worst service you could imagine! It was laughable how up himself our waiter was and that’s exactly what we did, just laughed about it. David’s young teenage daughter has a friend at school in America whose mother lives in France; she had been asked to spend a week there during the holidays so David brought her over and was spending the week in France himself and his wife was home with their son. All I could think when he told me he was a lawyer was how they have such a bad reputation in American TV shows. Just goes to show how absurd those preconceived ideas are, he was a really nice guy.

Next day I was off on the train again, this time to San Sebastion in Spain

Chateau Siaurac, Bordeaux region of France

Wine cellars, Bordeaux region of France

at Chateau de Ferrand, Bordeaux region of France

Bordeaux region of France

Fixing the bus on our winery tour from Bordeaux

Gorgeous setting for lunch at Chateau Siaurac

Pretty lunch table at Chateau Siaurac

Lunch at Chateau Siaurac, France

the grounds at Chateau Siaurac

at Chateau Siaurac

Old bits around the graounds, Chateau Siaurac

Gorgeous setting for lunch at Chateau Siaurac

Chateau Siaurac

the grounds of Chateaux Siaurac

Bordeaux region of France

Chateau de Ferrand and wine tasting in France

Cellar of Chateau de Ferrand, France

Chateau de Ferrand

Learning – winery tour Bordereaux region of France

Lovely light at Bordeaux, France

Ahhhh, french chocolate crepe and white wine at Bordeaux

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Filed under France, Mid-life travel, Solo female travel, Travel

Tagged as Bordeaux, Chateau Siaurac, France, Winey tour

November 25, 2015 · 9:47 am

Bordeaux – home of the flashest Macca’s building ever!

Apparently it’s almost 6 months since I added a post – even worse, it’s just over 2 years since my big trip ended and here I am still trying to add it to my blog!

1st August 2013

Hotel Ariane, Pontorson, France

I spent a couple of hours sketching in Pontorson before heading south for Bordeaux on the trusty trains again. Well, actually I had to go north first to Caen then south, it was a long day but thankfully still plenty of light when I arrived that evening about 6:30.

And………… I didn’t get lost on the way to Acanthe Hotel, Bordeaux on rue Saint-Rémi.

Talk about a good pick, great price, place and so very cute. I was just behind the Place de la Bourse with it’s Miroir d’Eau and the riverfront with lots of cafes, shops and restaurants all round, wonderful spot to spend a few days.

Place de Bourse, Bordeaux, France

Another day, another city and another Hop-on-Hop-off bus – they really are a great way to get your bearings and scope out where you might want to spend more time. I also booked a winery tour for the next day, a tad expensive but I haven’t spent much on that sort of thing; and honestly, you can’t go to Bordeaux and not do a winery tour can you?

I loved the architecture in this city, so many grand buildings and so much history in quite a small area really. It’s not just the museums and theatres that are housed in beautiful surrounds but shops and places like the ubiquitous McDonalds.

Sketch of front of McDonalds building Bordeaux France

Once again I walked my feet off during the first day; visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art, envying those dipping their feet in the water of the fountain at the Monument de Girondins, marvelling at the Pont de Pierre and its light fittings, shaking my head at the Porte Cailhau (it was built around 1494!) and the Grosse Cloche and just generally loving wandering the streets of the city.

Pont de Pierre, Bordeaux, France

Water mirror at Bordeaux, France

Maison du Vin, Bordeaux, France

Roman architecture near the Place de Republique, Bordeaux France

Which one goes where? Bordeaux, France

Inside the Museum of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux

Grosse Cloche, Bordeaux, France – “Great Bell”

Porte de Bourgogne, Bordeaux, France

The Grosse Cloche

The fountain at Monument aux Girondins

Ummmm, Bordeaux, France

Pontorson sketch

Markets in Bordeaux, France

Grand Theatre, Bordeaux, France

Look at those doors! rue Saint-Rémi, Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux, France

Modern sculpture at Bordeaux, France

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Filed under France, Mid-life travel, Solo female travel, Travel

Tagged as Bordeaux, France, sketching

May 7, 2015 · 10:21 am

Mont St Michel

30th & 31st July 2013

France is actually a large country when you’re trying to decide where to go and what to see – bit obvious I know, but I just hadn’t realized before how big it was. Anyhow, I decided to leave Belgium and the Netherlands for another time and start heading down towards Spain and Portugal. Also, since I’d been to St Michael’s Mount in England I decided to visit Mont St Michel here and that was on the way – sort of!!!

Hotel Arianne, Pontoroson

Once again my choice of accommodation was more or less guided by proximity to the train and price – of course, but being a popular tourist destination in France prices were a bit steep even in little Pontorson. Although the hotel was fairly close to the train station I still managed to have trouble finding my way, not hugely lost, just a little off track – bewildering!! But, once I found it, the Hotel Ariane turned out to be a good find; lovely people, a bar and a nice leafy outdoor area just to name a few of it’s charms. It wasn’t difficult to find where to catch the bus to Mont St Michel either.

Main thoroughfare of Mont St Michel

Totally surprising is how I’d say I found Mont St Michel! I was so not prepared for the number of buses and tourists. I’ve found out since it is the 3rd most popular tourist destination in France!! Needless to say the island was quite crowded, more so around the shops than higher up and in some parts of the abbey itself; but with a little effort I found a couple of quiet spots to have a picnic lunch and a sketch or two.

The entrance to the town is through an ancient fortified guardroom and gates with a huge porticullis – all chock a block with tourists and modern day trappings but still very intriguing. The narrow main street through the village is crowded on both sides with shops and restaurants. If you keep following along behind the people in front eventually you get to the Grande Staircase leading to the Abbey.

Mont St Michel ponticullis

The first church on the island dates back to the year 708 with the abbey, monastery and fortifications being added through the next few hundred years. It was also used as a prison for political prisoners during the French Revolution. The cloisters and refectory, the views from the ramparts, as well as the giant tread-wheel down in the foundations were highlights. I’d love to have been able to stay on the island and enjoy it after dark with-out the crowds, but we can’t have it all can we.

Construction, Mont St Michel

Squeezey, squeezey on Mont St Michel

Old and new on Mont St Michel

Mont St Michel

View of work on the causeway/bridge, Mont St Michel

Sketching on Mont St Michel – good thing I ve improved since then!

Tread wheel at Mont St Michel

Mont St Michel

A quiet spot on Mont St Michel

Away from the crowd, gardens on Mont St Michel

Old fireplaces, Mont St Michel

Cloisters, Mont St Michel

View through a window, Mont St Michel

Refectory (I think), Mont St Michel

Looking out from the cloisters, Mont St Michel

View from the top. Mont St Michel

Cloisters of Mont St Michel

Abbey of Mont St Michel

Mont St Michel

Crowded much? Mont St Michel

Cemetery on Mont St Michel

Mont St Michel

Tread wheel, Mont St Miche

A decision to make – to go north or south?

26th July 2013

French counrtyside Boulougne sur Mer to Calais, (shame about the sign!)

Well this part of my travels was a bit like wandering in the wilderness – couldn’t seem to make up my mind. From Paris to Arras, on to Boulougne sur Mer and Calais then back down to Rouen before heading to Pontorson to see Mont Saint-Michel. Just no real plan and almost feeling like I’ve wasted at least a week.Then again, it’s all new and different so I just need to plan ahead better in future!

A few new summer clothes in Boulougne sur Mer have helped lift my spirits a tad, a couple of skits and a top. A bus ride, (because the trains weren’t running), between Boulougne sur Mer and Calais, was a nice change. We called in to all the little train stations on the way, seems I saw more than I usually do on the train.

Poster in Musee Memoire 1939-1945, Calais, France

There’s an old fashioned WW2 museum at Calais set in the middle of a lovely park that was well worth visiting. Among other things I found a few newspaper articles about the North Africa campaign of WW2, where my Dad served at Torbruk and other places.

Also found this poster that’s been reproduced massively in recent times, pretty sure I’ve seen a pic of P!nk using this pose.

One of the huge differences between Europe and Australia that always strikes me is the architecture. The town halls in Australia are barely noticeable in most places but here they’re like a palace. Calais has a particularly special one I think, at least from the outside, It’s one of the prettiest I’ve seen and the gardens surrounding it were spectacular.

Hotel de Ville, Calais, France

Rouen was just an overnight stop on the way south again, so I didn’t see much. After arriving I headed to the Musee des Beaux Arts, which wasn’t far from the train station and little hotel where I was staying, but was disappointed to find it shut. It was on my way back from there I found myself feeling quite unsafe for the first time since leaving home almost 4 months ago. Taking a different route I seemed to be in a bit of an unsavoury area and closing in on evening it just felt wrong and a little scary. Quicker steps, tighter clutching of my bag while trying to appear nonchalant (I read somewhere you’re supposed to try and not look worried, lol), and five minutes later I was back on busier streets. Wow, that was rather weird and totally unexpected but maybe a good reminder as I’ve probably stopped being quite as vigilant and careful as I was at first.

My room in Rouen was a little gem, almost right next to the train station but absolutely no noise – how cool is that!! Check it out here – Hotel Le Depart