THE LAST OF LASCAZERES

All good things eventually come to an end!


It took 3 days to wind down from Bob's party, leftovers to be consumed, friends to be farewelled and a very sad au revoir to Alan and Cheryl, Bob and Eugenie, before we headed home. The thought of going home was a torn one, we have had such a wonderful time that, at times, we wished we could just keep going and keep the adventure alive were outweighed by the desire to come home to our family and Tahlee.

Farewell dinner at Alan and Cheryl's

We were up very early and started our homewards trek. Pau to Paris, Paris to Abu Dhabi and then Sydney. No real hassles, Charles de Gaulle a mess and some drink/customs hassles in AD were overridden by smooth and trouble free flights.

On a wing and a prayer as we left Pau 

and the beautiful country below.

The flight seemed an eternal day as we travelled forward in time. Can't remember how many dinners we had on the flights but arrived safely home on schedule as the sun was setting on another perfect winter's day.

A special thanks to Tim for dropping us off when we left and being there when we came home. Even the best limos don't offer champagne on both trips!! And, an executive suite with fresh towels and chocolates on our bed for the night. 

An incredible end to an unbelievable holiday.

How's this for a midwinter morning by the sea?

Goodbye and goodnight folks.

 

I'VE SPIED

We are winding down now. The huge number of celebrations are now over and the guests are departing. We are packing and preparing to head for home tomorrow. Mixed feelings – can’t wait to see family and friends, but on the other hand, it’s hard to believe it will all be over. It will be wonderful though, to understand conversations going on around us again, it is quite isolating to not understand anyone.

The world is a beautiful, awesome place. Would it be embarrassing to say that sometimes the beauty, both man-made and natural, has bought us to the point of tears. We have really seen the most amazing, truly awesome, things. Photo’s are one thing, real life has another dimension, impossible to capture.

We have made so many observations about life in Europe during our three month trip – some are quite unexpected: the most popular drink we have observed is not what you may expect, not wine, not coffee or coke, but bottled water! Everyone carries a bottle, in every country we have been to. The most popular food is also perhaps not what you would think – it’s simply got to be pizza! There are pizza places in every village from Turkey through Greece, Spain etc. to here in France. Pizza has taken over the world!

In Spain, the women have the most fantastic skin – I’m sure it’s because they eat no butter there, but put olive oil onto everything, even at breakfast. There are olive trees the length and breadth, so I suppose it’s not surprising. In Europe, the health warnings regarding smoking seem to have been “lost in translation” as there are smokers everywhere! The litter/dirt in cities is mostly attributed to ciggie butts… and you can smoke just about anywhere. Tattoo’s are the latest fashion statement, lots of them especially on young girls – whole arms and legs covered. We see weddings every weekend and the beautiful bridal effect is (in our opinion) quite spoiled by the back, shoulder or arm covered by tattoo’s.

People are shorter here – Roger sticks out head and shoulders, both because he is taller and bearded, they don’t go for facial hair much in Europe and lots of children stare at Roger. The women don’t seem to have a “body image” problem, especially on the beach there are women wearing quite skimpy cossies when they are quite large and shall we say not in the first flush of youth (not in the second or third either!) It’s refreshing to see because why shouldn’t you be able to wear what you like and not care what anyone else thinks?

The world is also full of STUFF! Everywhere, the shopping is overwhelming. We made the decision before we left that we wouldn’t buy gifts for anyone, we have had to carry our bags from planes, buses, ferries, trains and it simply wasn’t an option to put more “stuff” into our already heavy bags not to mention weight restrictions on planes. We also have quite a lot of people we need to buy for, and I would have to say that not having to find something for everyone has been so freeing. We have preferred to spend our time seeing other things, rather than shops, even though in France at the moment, they are all having “soldes”, and “stuff” is cheaper than it was.

The impressions made on this trip, by the wonderful people we have met, the wonderful things we have seen and the wonderful time we have enjoyed together, will stay with us forever. If we never travel again, we will be content with the memories of this wonderful adventure.

PARTY TIME

It's one of the reasons we travelled 17,000 kilometres and 58 days for, Bob's 80th birthday party. Friends and family started to gather 3 or 4 days prior with the gatherings growing in numbers 'till Tuesday night. 

Welcoming flag

Tables and decorations were a group effort and presented a magnificent sight for the guests when they arrived. 

Happy work gang

Table seating!

work done

The first of many

Happy birthday Bob!

The first of many speech's

Drinks and canapes before a magnificent spread.

one more speech

... and dancing the night away

It was a wonderful party, the time flew by and the last faded into the night at 3 am.

Wednesday saw us all gathering again, this time in Aydie, for the famous cep omelet - amongst far too many other courses.

Today we have been trying to pack, sadly, for a very early morning start. Farewell dinner later, with the last of the party guests - what an amazing time we have had. Au revoir France, Bonjour Australia! 

LAZY LASCAZERES

After something like about 29 days on the road around France we are safely back in Lascazeres. An uneventful day on the way back, some interesting scenery that 'Helene' found unintentionally for us. We must say here that we simply couldn't have done what we have, without Tim's Garmin. We have ventured into the huge cities, highways and byways of France and she has never let us down. Yesterday however, whilst she didn't let us down, we found ourselves in a tiny village, the only route out in the direction we were headed was "barre", so we had to rely on 'Helene' to find our way out, which she did but hours along a very narrow, windy but beautiful road down the Tarn Valley. We realised just how vulnerable we are as we simply wouldn't have been able to explain where we wanted to go in French. We were very glad to be travelling in our air-conditioned car, as it rose upwards of 33 degrees!

The last Roman ruin for this trip!

Happy to get here in the late afternoon and catch up with Al, Cheryl, Bob and Eugenie, and have a swim in the newly lined pool. Such a relief too, to have dinner prepared and not have to try to work out what's on the menu! We have spent today at a very large local market (what else) and just generally catching up. Other party guests are starting to arrive in Lascazeres, so I guess we will get busier and busier, not sure how much we will blog in the next few days.

Harvest time for their winter crops

Almost there!

MIGHTY MILLAU

But first a farewell to Lyon, a city almost too large for us. We got the hang of it in the end but have decided we’re small to middle sized places to visit people. We stayed in a nice apartment in the ‘Bohemium’ part of town, read slightly sleazy for that! But very handy to all other parts of Lyon.

We spent the morning window shopping, and the evening in the old part of town visiting the city Cathedral before having a lovely meal and a refreshing ice cream on the way home! It's got hot, hot, hot here.

Well, what can I say! Anne has wanted to see the Millau Viaduct ever since she saw a "making of" programme years ago. We made it today, it’s soaring seven towers visible from over 30k’s away as we anxiously approached.

An extract from Wikipedia follows;

The Millau Viaduct is a cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the river Tarn near Millau in southern France.

Designed by the French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster, it is the tallest bridge in the world with one mast's summit at 343.0 metres (1,125 ft) above the base of the structure. The viaduct is part of the A75-A71 autoroute axis from Paris to Montpellier. Construction cost was approximately €400 million and it was formally dedicated on 14 December 2004.

A stop at the viewing area and the awe was obvious. Anne had organized a night nearby with views. It turns out to be a converted Chateau – beautiful and a special treat towards the end of our epic tour. Especially as it's air-conditioned - it's 34 outside today.

Anne's viaduct!

Millau town and the valley the bridge needed to traverse.

Our Chateau de Creissels

The viaduct from our front lawn.

The drawing room

We just returned from a pre-evening stroll through Creissels,

a pair of Swans enjoying the peace of the town pond.

A LITTLE RESISTANCE

We're having a quietish day, some time this morning in the shopping district off the 'Place Bellecour' where there's a magnificent statue to Louis the XIV and some thoughts about the French Resistance after seeing references to it throughout the city.

A mounted Louis XIV with Notre Dame in 

background - a long walk up, but worth it

St Pierre - shades of Chartres with its different spires

I noticed reference to the museum of the 'Centre d'histoire de la résistance et de la déportation' when we arrived. It wasn't high in my priorities, but while here there have been other visual commemorations. A street near where we had coffee one morning had the following plaque

 My french is not great but basically I think it commemorates

the life of a resistance member, Antoine Fonlupt, who was assassinated

in 1944 at 24 years of age.

And over the road from our hotel there is a restaurant named after 'The White Rabbit" 

Lapin Blanc!

We have not made the museum but it is located on the former site of a French military health school (École de Santé Militaire) and opened in 1992, it chronicles the French Resistance. The school was occupied by the Germans in the spring of

1943, and used by Lyon's Gestapo chief, Klaus Barbie, to torture resistance members.

Whilst we have made an emotive pilgrimage to Gallipoli and The Somme to remember relatives and Australian heroes on this trip, we often forget the extraordinary efforts of others and our own Nancy Wake, the 'White Mouse'.

A footnote too as we unwind, a true test of your explorations is the condition of the tourism maps - freyed on the folds and almost in pieces at the end of your visit!!

LOVING LYON

Yesterday was a shortish trip from Dijon to Lyon. We drove through the Rhone and Saone valleys, another picturesque scene of vineyards and rural villages with the re-emergence of substantial Chateaux along the way.

These glazed tile roofs are a feature in this area

 Just 'crusing' ..

Makes a grown man cry!

We stopped in Beaune, pronounced 'bon', the wine capital of Burgundy.There were wines in the window we have only dreamt of drinking. Nuits St George etc etc.

The market place, but not today!

Lyon is the second largest city and is considered the food capital of France. There are more three hatted restaurants in this area than anywhere else! So it was compulsory that we visited the restorated 'Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse', perhaps France's most famous chef who hails from these parts. Very upmarket, the range and quality of the food was amazing.

Knocking on Heavens door!

Tuesday was a quiet day

Pol who? Good company eh?

It was nearly lunchtime so we indulged ourselves a little, a dozen oysters - six each of two types washed down by some Tattinger Champagne. Bliss, is all I can say!

Nothing better!

For you Tim, note the collar!
(MOF, Meilleur Ouvrier de France,
  is Frances highest food honour)

The Rhone and Saone rivers meet in Lyon, the city divided by the rivers with beautiful bridges and barges tied up at the docks.

Riverside

The magnificent Hotel de Ville ...

and Opera house were on the way to the markets today.

We have more to explore, the nearby bohemian area, Crois-Rousse and the old part of Lyon, St-Jean and St-Paul are saved for tomorrow.

DIJON DONE

We have been so surprised and overwhelmed by Dijon. We arrived on a Friday afternoon, pouring rain, roadworks, and traffic hassles everywhere we looked. We had time, others didn't! The first full day though, and since, has been lovely sunny weather, brightening up our and the city's spirits no end.


We blogged yesterday on the food situation here, today we've consolidated the cities architecture and historic side. The city is largely in its original state having escaped the legacy of both world wars.


Lots of photos to share, hope you can appreciate what we have seen while we have been here.

Port Guillaume welcomed us.

There's an Owl under Anne's hand that brings the "rubber"

good luck. He is also the theme to an original way of guiding people around the

city with brass copies and arrows on the pavement.

Notre-Dame, a 13th century masterpiece of Burgundian architecture.

The remarkable facade is composed of false gargoyles and the 

"Jacquemart" or clock, a war spoil of Philip the Bold.

The Jacquemart (man) was given to the city in 1383, in 1651 he 

was given a wife, Jacqueline, and in 1714 and 1884 they were given 

children - quite PC really! 

The cities piece de resistance, the ducal palace.

It was started by Philip the Bold in 1366 and enlarged

by future Dukes, including Philip the Good!

 Hotel Aubriot, a 13th century house that

was used to store the cities monetary reserves.

The roof is made or glazed tiles, featured on 

several other buildings nearby.

A statue of a winegrower with stained legs

after a day treading grapes. He became known

as "bas roses" or red stockings!

On a more personal theme ...

We both had admirers!

Finally, I couldn't resist a picture of this little character

looking for a home in the markets today.