The Canucks lost? So what!

One of the things so great about travelling is that it gives you the opportunity to put things in perspective. Things that seem overwhelming, terribly important or insurmountable at home turn out to matter not so much in another environment. So, this morning when I was listening to the play by play of the end of the Canuck game (around 6 a.m. local time) I thought to myself (had to as neither Karol nor Gail were up nor do they care about hockey), great; here we go again!  Another season of excuses and frustration!  Then I looked out my balcony doors across the bay at the sunrise and somehow, in the midst of all this beauty, hockey just didn't seem to matter!  Now, ask me again in November and I might have a different perspective!

Just a few hours later, we were visiting Villa Kerylos, another of the famous houses in the area.  It is modelled in the Greek style, both in terms of architecture and furnishings.  Both Karol and Gail liked it a lot more than Villa Rothschild but I still prefer that latter. Kerylos means "kingfisher" in Greek and the bird is considered a good omen in Greek mythology. The villa was built by Theodore Reinach and his wife who was a member of the Ephrussi family. The family continued to live in the villa until 1967 when it was subsequently classified as a "Monument Historique" and made accessible to the public.

 We then walked to Beaulieu sur Mer (not far) where we had lunch at Le Port looking in awe at the abundance of luxury yachts. Although the weather was a bit cooler and cloudy, it was still a perfect day!

A Day in the Life . . .

Okay, what did we get up to yesterday?  After we went to the open market to buy roast chicken, potatoes, vegetables and fruit for our dinner, we wandered down to the quay for a late breakfast. There wasn't a cruise ship in so the streets were pretty quiet, unlike the previous day. We sat in the sunshine at the edge of the water having our Cafe Americanos or orange juice and our croissants or pains au chocolat.

After our "petit dejeuner" , we walked along the Promenade des Marinieres around the bay to Cap Ferrat.  By this time it was 11:30 and there were lots people on the beach and in the sea.

 We walked over the hill and down to the port of St. Jean for lunch at the Bar du Port. Not recommended - either the village or the restaurant; long story!  The villas we managed to get glimpses of behind their intimidating gates along the way there were amazing!  So much money it is almost obscene - but maybe I'm just envious!  From St. Jean, we took the bus the short way up the hill to the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. I had been there two years ago and loved it so I was delighted when Karol and Gail expressed an interest in going.  The interiors are amazing and the gardens stunning. It is a true gem - and, thankfully, upon her death, Beatrice de Rothschild bequeathed the villa to the Academie des Beaux Arts so it will forever be publicly accessible.

From there, we headed back to our apartment where the only thing similar to the villa are the stunning views!  We had a light dinner sitting on the terrace. Such is life on the Côte d'Azur!

Better than advertised!

This morning I checked out of my hotel and headed down to the Cosmos Bar in La Vieille Ville  to pick up the keys to our apartment. Then I hiked back up the hill (there are lots of steep hills here!), got my bag from the hotel and then hiked further up the hill to find the apartment. It (finding the building, not the walk up in the heat) was easy. When I opened the door to this 4th floor flat, I was stunned!  I expected it to be lovely but it is even more lovely than it looked on the website. There is a large terrace off the sitting room and master bedroom facing the sea with breathtaking views. Both the other two bedrooms have smaller balconies overlooking gardens at the back. The building is almost directly across from the Hotel Versailles where I stayed two years ago but the views are slightly better as we are that much higher up. I'm already trying to hatch a plan on how to come back here before too long. Karol and Gail arrive this evening and, after a sortie to the local epicerie, the kitchen is now stocked with cheeses, several Provence wines and baguettes for us.

Let the party begin!

Je suis arrivee et c'est parfait!

Those of you who know me well know I struggle to figure out where I belong. Well, I'm not sure I actually BELONG here all the time but I'm certain I need to be here some of the time!  This is one of the loveliest places I've ever been to!

It was 12' when I left Zurich midday and 50 minutes later we were descending over the azure blue Med to Nice airport.  It was sunny and 23' when we landed. What a difference in that short time!  Shortly after my arrival, I was in a taxi heading for Villeframche sur Mer. Given that I'd been hearing almost nothing but Schwietzer Deutsch and trying to speak German for the last 4 days, I was quite "chuffed" with myself that I managed to chat in French with the driver during the entire 30 minute ride.  He was great and gave me lots of good information.

I visited here during my first trip to Europe in 1979. I returned in 1984 and have come back several times since, including two years ago. There is something magical about this place. Ever since I started planning this trip, I pictured myself wearing a certain outfit, even down to the necklace, having dinner by myself at the water's edge - sort of my own version of Shirley Valentine sans l'homme, of course!  So, after checking in to the Hotel le Provençal (2 stars - okay if not a little "tired" but my room has a view of the sea!), I wandered around "la vieille ville" then went down to the quai for a late lunch. Later, I went back and had a fabulous dinner at L'Oursin Bleu where I spent over 2 1/2 hours enjoying my table only about 1 1/2 metres from the lapping, gentle waters of the Med.  It was perfect and exactly what I'd dreamed of!  Oh yes, I wore the outfit but wasn't important to anyone but me!

Die Kurbis Ausstellung in Seegraben

Who knew that pumpkins and other squashes were popular in Switzerland?  Every year in Seegraben, a village near Lake Pfaffiker in the canton of Zurich, there is a "Kurbis Ausstellung" (squash exposition or exhibition) which is the largest in Switzerland.  I guess there must be others!  Today, for the third time, I went to it with Kathrin and Roger along with their two young children. Now, this isn't just about a few pumpkins, believe me!  There are hundreds and hundreds of them and each year I've been there has been a different theme. All I remember about the first time was that there were bales of hay stacked to make a huge pyramid. The second time had a dinosaur theme and this year it seemed to be legends - Robin Hood, Elvis (yes, a statue of him made from miniature pumpkins), Lancelot, the frog prince and the lion, legendary king of the jungle. There were displays of giant pumpkins, all kinds of squash for sale, tastings, games for children, bales of hay for children (and some adults) to play on, and a beer garden. Like so many festivals at this time of the year, it seemed to be about celebrating the harvest.  So, here are some photos including the Elvis one!

Good times in London

I've spent the last day and a half in London and, while there is a lot about this city I don't like (crowds, noise, traffic congestion), there is much I love, especially spending time with friends and family.
  The first evening I was here, John (who, with his partner, Pedro, has the flat where I'm staying) and I walked to Little Venice, a short distance from where they live.  We ate at The Summer House, a lovely restaurant right on the canal. Later, Pedro and their other houseguest, Denise, joined us.  It was a fabulous evening.

  Yesterday, I'd made arrangements to meet my second cousin, Vivienne, in central London.  Years ago, Paul introduced me to this lovely restaurant right on Piccadilly Circus called The Criterion. If you don't look closely, you might miss it and, believe me, it is not to be missed!  The interior is amazing (Art Nouveau, if I'm not mistaken) and the food is wonderful.  The best thing though is that you step off the frenetic pavements around Piccadilly and Regent Street into this quiet oasis of calm. It is lovely!  Here are photos from my lunch there.

  My afternoon finished with a walk with Pedro to the iconic crosswalk from the Beatles' Abbey Road album.  I'd waited quite a few years to get that photo.

A Quintessential Thatched Village

One of the many charms of Devon is the number of villages containing thatched cottages and pubs. Otterton, Newton Poppleford and Chidmouth, to name just a few, are full of them. For a North American, streets lined with these cottages just don't look real - more like a set for a movie!  Today, we drove to the coastal village of Branscombe situated between Lyme Regis and Salcombe Regis for our lunch.  It has been a year since I've driven on the extremely narrow lanes Devon is famous for (or is that infamous?) and they always provide quite a challenge (meeting a very large Land Rover on a single track was quite a thrill today!).  Anyway, I didn't get to take many pictures on the way there as stopping on these roads isn't easy.  It would have been wonderful to record the flower bedecked cottages and the Devon patchwork fields but . . . well, that will have to wait for another time. We did stop for lunch at the Masons Arms, an adorable partially thatched pub in the village, and had lunch sitting outside on the patio in the warm sunshine. It's tough to beat a homemade chicken liver and wild mushroom terrine served with fig chutney and, as well, have two Beardies (my favourite dog) laying under the table beside you. So, as I didn't get pictures of the quintessential thatched cottages, the photos at the pub will have to do.

The next question, now that I'm back in Budleigh, is do I really need another cream tea?  Perhaps not!