Escapades through Northern France and Belgium

I had always wanted to go to France and just drive around, its a massive country, in European standards and takes a bit of time to do it justice and then some more. We had 11 days, which was just to enough to get down as far as Burgundy and a hint of Brittany if you cut it across the middle. Mark did most of the planning as I was away with Dad and as he had been avidly reading the France guidebook for months he was probably best placed to do it in the first instance.

Mark eating Tartifletter for lunch, a good start

So one fine Saturday morning we stocked up our Volkswagen Passat (never get one stupid handbrake button thingy is rubbish) and headed out of London bright and early, with a 7am sparrow fart start. We took the Euro tunnel across the English Channel, which is rather cool as you pull up at Dover Channel tunnel at your allotted time and line up to drive on the train, yep you pull up and there is a ramp off the side to drive in. There are people ensuring you are in the right spot with minimal gaps between cards, and not across carriages. Then 25 minutes later the train pulls up in Calais, you drive off and done - you are in France. We were pretty excited by that bit. Since Calais was along way from our allotted destination for the evening - 3 hours away - we had to get going. We headed down the coast on the autoroute through the region of Picardie towards Normandy.

We stopped for a late lunch in a tiny little village and just missed its markets for the day, but we did get to have a yummy lunch with wine and Mark got the tarteflette, which is a potato and bacon baked dish. Back on the road again our first stop along the way was across the Pont Normandie, one of the longest bridges in the world, before arriving for a later afternoon drink (and a bit of people watching) in the beautiful coastal town called Honfleur. Honfleur is famous for being picturesque particularly its little harbour with lots of old 7 storey wooden houses. A flower it indeed is.

HonFleur Harbour Buildings, some seven stories

From there we headed a bit further down, about an hour away to Bayeux via Caen, the town where the old Bayeux tapestries about the Norman invasion are kept. It’s quite a nice little town with a massive medieval church, wooden buildings and windy streets. We had a really nice French dinner and our hotel was just gorgeous, think French Château opulence but smaller and in the town itself. The tapestries were good to see and in very good condition considering their age and that they have been pulled from pillar to post through the years, and it’s thought they were actually completed by the English.

Bayeux Hotel...Chateau more like

It was Normandy so they day was a little gloomy, but perfect for visiting the Normandy beaches including the cliffs along Longues sur Mer where we got to see big German guns and lookout points. We drove along the coast and went to Omaha (US) beach, which was closest an easy to get to compared with Gold (UK) and Utah (US) even though one of them had the temporary docks, but we could see them from the Longues sur Mer look outs anyway. We also went to Arromanches where there were lots of bomb craters, I climbed in one and its about 2 stories higher than me. Our drive later that afternoon left us moving into Brittany and with that the clouds began to dissipate. Driving along the coastline was very pretty and we were heading to the coastal oyster town of Cancala.

Cancala Beach, or Oyster beds

Beach at St Malo, high tide though

Mont St Michel

The quaint tiny streets of Mont St Michel

We stayed in Cancala, which was amazing to arrive into as the tide was out and all you could see for miles was oyster beds embedded in the wide beaches. We had oysters and cider by the jetty, with the oyster really cheap at £3 a dozen. We had another really good meal with Mark eating moules and me lovely red bream. The next day we went visiting to St Malo on the coast of Brittany before driving back to St Michel's Mont (the abbey on the island and the big sister to St Michael's mount in England).

Apple Orchards on the Route de Cidre, near Buevron en Auge

Monets House in Giverny

We picked up the cider trail from Bueven en Auge (historic town with only one restaurant - the other one burned down the night before we arrived!!) after visiting the Bayeaux tapestries and purchased much French cider, from sweet little old ladies who only spoke French, then travelled onwards to the Loire valley staying in Vendome before visiting both Amboise and Chenonceaux chataux's. We went inside Chenonceaux and it was just stunning inside and out (apart from the scaffolding!!).

Chenonceau Portrait...

Chenonceau Forest Flowers

Avalon Sunset

Beaune Hospice

Avalon was our next stop before Beaune in Burgundy where we had lunch (beef bourguignon) in the quaint little town after visiting the Hospices de Beaune a 13th century hospital (but pleasant not gruesome - though am sure some of the medical procedures then would have been eek) and purchasing some...well Burgundy wine. So alas we left the Autoroute of the sun (towards the southern coast) and headed back up again towards Champagne, via Troyes.

Town hall at Troyes

In Champagne we stayed in Ay and Epernay (about 5 miles apart) so not much driving and plenty of time for tastings. After a swim in the pool (finally a hotel with a pool) we had an early night but not before a little dinner and you guessed it more Champagne. We had a full day of tastings ahead of us, but best of all we toured (thanks to a lovely couple from Melbourne) the next morning Billiecart Salmon champagne house. It was brilliant and the champagne fantastic, we got four full glasses and some vintage, also it was free.

Here lies Louis Roederer....


I had no idea there were 15,000 champagne houses and appallingly we only managed to get to 4 (William Santot, Henri Goutorbe, G Tribaut (amazing views) and Billiecart) to actually taste, it’s a bit more un-inviting to taste, but that is probably more the French attitude (upturned nose) than anything, though no one was unfriendly at all.


Epernay Champagne Shop...the choices

Vines at Tribaut Winery

We went past a few others including Louis Roederer, Laurent-Perrier, Moët & Chandon and Nicolas Feuillatte to name a few. So on from there a quick stop in Reims our final Champagne stop before the more sombre end of our tour.

Champagne view to Reims

We headed to the Somme for the Australian war memorials (including a small museum) and one of them was brilliant with a large tower to climb to view the whole of the Somme Valley, very beautiful and hard to picture what it was like back in the early 1900's during the war. The area is covered in various memorials, so many graves, and it’s the same in Belgium.

We were to stay in Gent (it’s like Bruges, my assuming you’ve been there – haven’t we all; but prettier again) and our hotel was amazing an old Flemish townhouse that was more like a French Châteaux, gorgeous.

Ieper...or Ypres...Last Post

Australian Memorial - Cobbers at Fromelles

Vimy Ridge Trenches

We looked around there in the morning including visiting the 11th century castle before heading back to France to go to Vimy Ridge (Canadian war memorial and WW1 trenches) then on the Ypres for the last post ceremony (its done every evening at 8pm and has done since the end of WW1).

Gent Buildings

Moules in Gent...yum yum

Our final day was spent wandering around the now cooler Gent (just a reminder that summer really had ended) before heading back across to Calais for our tunnel ride back to London.

Merry Christmas London Style

Well what has now been and gone is our last (and first) Christmas in London, a quiet little dinner for two with a goose for 7. Whew, she was a big bird, and probably much offended that I kept calling her a turkey. In the end I banned the use of the Turkey Xmas hat, to cease my trigger to say the T-U-R-K-E-Y word...

It was delicious and needy, requiring much de-oiling during the cooking, thus whilst most of the afternoon I sat watching children's cartoon movies. Though The Incredibles is the only one I made it all the way through. Poor Mark was up and down like a yo yo to the Goose getting her all good to go for dinner.

We ate eventually at about 5.30pm, and it was definitely worth the wait, all the trimmings, potato's, sweet potato, carrots, beans, broccoli, parsnips, Yorkshire puddings, full cranberry and apple stuffing with delicious goose fat and red onion gravy...mmmm; your mouth watering yet, mine is and its 10pm at night and I have just had peppermint tea, which does not go with any of the above!

Below are a couple of photos from our Xmas day;

Festive Flat
Breakfast - eggs, salmon, Irish potato bread with Champers

Champagne...yummy!
Chef carving the goose
Dinner - Goose was good!
Our presents
Merry Christmas from me

And Merry Christmas from the Tourists on the Weekend xx

Xmas No.1's in the UK

And interesting play list if I do say so myself, maybe one day when I am bored at Christmas i will download and have a listen....
http://sharemyplaylists.com/every-christmas-number-one-ever/

This train terminates at...Bushey Heath ...

My fascination with the tube is never ending and I was quite chuffed to find this random installment about the Northern line that never was, nor will be. I had been mildly intrigued as to why the line has a little bit that is Mill Hill then it disappears into nothing. So now I know.

I am going to keep my eyes open for new videos, as of course this is not an isolated case. If you have a bit of time have a watch.

Babies....Amelie and Nina

Well this year, like every other for the last 5 years has been another with the births of some beautiful bonny babies. Most recently I would like to welcome Amelie Mohammad and Nina McGregor; both December babies and Sagittarius to boot.

This is wee Amelie, less than a week old...

This is the space for the picture of Nina, when lovely Avy sends me some pictures, I cannot wait to see, and its not long now till I meet her too.

Oh Christmas Tree

Our tree
It's not much but its so festive over here we just felt a tree was the order of the day, since these photos have been taken, we have a couple of more Xmas cards, a Poinsetta our Xmas friends (the turkey and reindeer hats) on display and a bowl of clementines under the tree.
Just a few decorations
A close up
Next year....the real deal

Band Camp November

Tonight the Arctic Monkey song "I bet you look good on the dance floor" was rated the greatest song of the noughties, whilst I was hoping The Killers "Mr Brightside" would take the title I wasn't unhappy with it coming 2nd.

Anyway, putting that aside we were lucky enough to see The Arctic Monkeys perform live at Wembley Arena in November, one of the final bands we were to see for this year. Their lively sharp lyrics smacking us with words of a Northern reality, full indie rock gritty rawness, with the young Alex (you just want to pet him on the head, he is so young) having definitely found his performing feet, was all that we expected.

They gracefully banged out all the favourites, with much of the audience performance that comes to be expected at their shows with a few new tunes thrown in for good measure. Sadly I forgot to take my camera, such as an impossibility as that is these days with it practically an extension of my own hands, but alas it was to be so no photos that night.

Us at the Enemy

A couple of weeks later, one of my favourite rather new Indy bands The Enemy were playing down the street, at the Kentish Town forum, a mere 10 minute walk from home. They are hard punky rock with serious heavy handedness on behalf of the bassist and guitarist, which is made stronger by a rumbly deep heavy Brummy accent of the lead singer Tom. So much so I could barely sing along, as I simply could not make out the words.

Though the crowd was pumping and we managed to find our selves, Mark, Kerry, Michael and I, smack on the edge of a mental mosh pit. Its very much a band that boys love to through themselves around to, quite literally too. I have never been quite so beer drenched, I didn't smell of pee (trust me that is a good thing, better beer than piss) as I was that night, good thing I was due a hair wash. A fab night made better by the fact that I have the official set list of the night, which I will eventually frame for posterity.

And yes I did have my camera....hoorah!!

Tom at his best...
Kerry and Michael pre beer drowning...
The mental crowd
Tom again
And the set list...

Xmas Shenanigans and a bar called the Walkabout

Our Team at Xmas party, dinner at Smolensky's on the Strand
Me later at the Walkabout
Amy, Brien, Rachael and I at the Walkabout in silly mode

Legally Blonde... The Musical

Last night I had tickets to the theatre to see the just released "Legally Blonde" the musical, I had been itching to see this since April when it first was announced because one of my favourite British comedy actresses - Sheridan Smith - was taking the lead starring as Elle Woods herself. At the time I bought two tickets unsure of whom I would go with, but last minute saw me inviting my lovely friend Alex along for the ride (Mark was pleased he got to play XBox instead). We had a quick tipple at a very cheap and cosy old pub on the Strand before getting ourselves lost in musical land.

Me and Alex

I was slightly nervous, what to expect, could they pull it off would it be funny!? Well I was not disappointed, it was everything it should be, screaming girly audience, bright colours, pink and more pink, chirpy, dazzling, glitzy, refreshing and cheesy all rolled up into one. Sheridan was such a bubbly character and sported a dazzling smile throughout. It was cute too, as how could you have the show without Elle's little puppy Bruiser or Paulettes chubby British bulldog, oh they were adorable!

I could not stop grinning and Alex agreed it really was a fun show and of course at the end Elle saves the day and wins the man, sigh, I will have to watch that on DVD again soon. That was not all, wait there is more.

A true fan waits patiently at the stage door after the show and awaits the stars of the show to exit to sign the much coveted programme; ur, yep me. Alex was ever patient (and found it odd being on the fan side herself...she works for TV) and was in charge of the camera, while we waited for the stars to exit the theatre.

Sheridan Smith

Turns out, lucky for me, I was guaranteed autographs as it was a night specifically set aside for it; so out came the Professor (Peter Davidson), then one of Elle's friends (Ibinabo Jack), Emmett - Elle's new man (Alex Gaumond), Paulette (Jill Halfpenny), the old boyfriend Warner (Duncan James, who was in boy band Blue) and then finally the star herself Elle - Sheridan Smith. Sigh.

Me and Sheridan...she has stage makeup on still

Well I got a little star struck but she was adorable and didn't mind the attention from so many adoring fans at all, she chatted briefly to me, signed my programme and Alex papped me with her. I was very well pleased and was most excited, in fact I was buzzing I didn't get to bed till after 1am. Ahhh...to fun times!

Bingo, and its all the threes...

Yes on Monday I celebrated my 33rd birthday, the birthday that I had mislead myself to believe I was having last year (yes I do have trouble with counting and numbers, its why I am an accountant - god bless spreadsheets). It finally came around.

Sunday I was lucky enough to have friends who don't mind crossing London in monsoonal tourential downpours wearing wellington boots - yes they did wear them - to enjoy a cosy pint and sunday roast. Bless them all it was a lovely cosy afternoon.

Me at my birthday lunch at our local - the Dartmouth Arms

On Monday Mark and I went ice skating at the Natural History Museum, as its my favourite rink of all the ones in London. Luckily for us a Monday night is relatively quiet, though you always get the odd crazy skater, ie the person who cannot skate and attempts to throw themselves from end to end and usually in front of anybody who might fall. I got a bit of backwards skating in, so I have remembered my lessons and they were not wasted at all.

Me skating around the Natural History Museum

After that we went for a wander in the ice cold conditions to the Winterwonderland. On passing a chatty Christmas moose, we admired gorgeous mini wooden chalet houses in the German markets, watched crazy people on the rides braving the cold, Mark devoured a German sausage and me a roast pork roll. We could not finish without a warming drink, so on failing to find the Winter Pimms stand hot chocolate with Baileys was in order. We had pannekoeken for dessert to finish of the evening - yum yum!

Winterwonder and the talking Moose....of course!

Winterwonderland, my attempt at another award winning photo; what do you think?

Us at Winterwonderland