Planning Autumn Travel
September and October are busy months in our travel schedule. These two months are perfect for traveling and also for hiking, but also staying home in our wonderful Provence, visiting markets and festivities in small villages . This year I booked a road trip to Dordogne for September and a hiking trip to Italy, Cinque Terre for October. Dordogne is a nostalgia trip as we are returning after almost 15 years to this region. There are many chateaux in this region which have been transformed to hotels and it is always an experience to stay and be treated at such a historic place. We will visit Cahors, known for its deep red wines, Perigueux for its fois gras, Limouge fot its china production etc.
In October we will go to Liguria in Italy, particularly Cinque Terre for a hiking trip. The Cinque Terre ( which means "five lands") is a series of villages clinging to a remote stretch of the Riviera coastline and linked with a hiking trail between. We have friends who made this trip last year and I hope that we will be just as overwhelmed as they were.
Picnic in Ardeche
We just returned from an afternoon trip to Gorde d'Ardeche. The weather is still sunny,around 27°C and the tourists have not arrived yet. So we enjoyed empty roads and magnificent nature sceneries. We have also decided to come back next week and to rent a canoe for even more experience.
A Sunny Day in Stockholm
It is still cold (-3°C) in Stockholm but the sun brought today a little of the spring atmosphere. There are so many beautiful spots here and it is so easy to get close to the nature. I walked many hours and after my morning session in the gym I am now tired but satisfied.....Macky and I are sitting in her cozy flat and watching Master Chef on TV.... happy days.
Aix en Provence
Today we decided to make an excursion to Aix en Provence, the city famous for being home for Paul Cezanne. Aix has always been a rich city. There is a high contrast between Marseille (only 30 km and half an hour away). Whereas Marseille is one the poorest French cities (but still an unique and not to be missed town), Aix is perhaps one of the richest. It is a quiet, clean and comfortable city. The city center is mostly pedestrian and, though it is quite small, offers long hours of nice walks. As in all Provençal towns, the city center consists of narrow streets, lined with interesting buildings from 17th century This sunny afternoon the streets were full of people strolling around and the caffe's and restaurant's were bursting with life.
On our way to Aix en Provence we passed the chateau Vauvenarques which was the last domicile of Pablo Picasso, but today the proprietary is private and closed to public. We got at least a sight of the beautiful chateau with the Montange Sainte- Victoire in the background( picture above)
Bingiza
Bingiza is a tropical storm passing far north of Mauritius but we feel it ....it's raining cats and dogs here. This is a new experience in a resort living because you do not know what to do. Luckily, we have books, DVD and internet but anyhow we would like to be outside. For tomorrow we booked a trip around the Ile aux Cerfs island with a visit to watterfal, snorkeling and a BBQ on the beach. I keep my fingers crossed.....
...and also I have finally cut my hair and so far I feel good about it, but I know that I will be longing for longer hair soon or later......
And this is our life during the sunny days.....Ilot Mangenie, privat island governed by the hotels own Robinson and his assistant Friday.....
Our Island life
Relaxing on Ilot Mangenie (Hotel´s privat island)
My breakfast...smoked marlin beneath the salad leaves
In the hotel's garden
Bird in the palm tree
Ile aux Cerfs.....
Restaurant on the "deserted" island Ilot Mangenie.... 5*service included
Catch of the day.......
Life is hard but bearable......
Now we are here..in a paradise and everything I wrote in my earlier comment is true....we have a wonderful room with a bed 2m wide and a terrace with a view over the Indian Ocean. So far we have only stayed on the hotel beach but there are many other options: a deserted island which is exclusively reserved to the hotel guests and also the public island Ile des Cerfs. There is a shuttle boat on a set schedule departing from the hotel jetty every 20min. As soon as we have got a little sun tan as a protection, we will explore these islands. The food is very light and delicious, tropical fruits for breakfast and the catch of the day to lunch. For the dinner there are three restaurants and we have tested two already.
Unfortunately the ADSL connection is very slow so I may not be so frequent ......
Ready, Pack and Go
This is a trip which I have planned for many months. We have been on Mauritius 4 times already but I never get enough. This is not an adventure trip, this is an evasion. The days we will spend on the beach by reading, walking, swimming, taking lunches and naps. At the sunset we will return to our room for a short relaxation and perhaps a glass of champagne before we will enjoy the dinner. During the day we will be simply dressed but in the evenings we will dress up, as everybody else in those chic hotels....and I love it. I have already packed my dresses and high heels shoes as well as simple shirts and hats for the beach. Both my husband and I have chosen a pile of books which will be read in the shadow of palm trees and between the swims, naps and lunches. We also may rent a car for a short exersion but as this is 5th time we visit the island, we already know it pretty well. Perhaps a fishing trip this time......
Sahara
Riads in Marrakech
A Riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. In Marrakech have many of those houses been transferred to small hotels and they are very beautiful. We stayed our first night at La Sultana and our two last nights at the Villa des Orangers. The contrast between the outside busy and dirty streets and the peaceful atmosphere of the riads is difficult to describe. Villa des Orangers has a rich history as the Royal palace is situated across the street and it says that the king when visited Marrakech used to go to the Villa for lunch. Now the proprietor changed and the riad is run by French. However the kitchen is excellent and the food was one of the best I ever tasted. I have made some notes and will share it later on. Below are some of my favorite pictures from the atmosphere of the two riads:
Paris in Christmas time
When visiting Paris, we usually stay at the Hotel de Buci, one of the few hotels on the Left bank of Seine. The location is perfect, in the middle of Saint Germain with walking distance to all these nice restaurants, bars, chic shops and art galleries. It is also close to Louvre and many of Paris' attractions. However, the rooms are small, very small and it doesn't come cheap. We like the atmosphere of the Rue de Buci and somehow it feels like coming to a second home.
During the days we made long walks, we stopped for a coffee and cake, later for lunch and then walked again. We made some shopping, visited Claude Monet exhibition in Grand Palais which was very special. I learnt that Monet was a very productive painter and often painted the same motif with different light settings. All these paintings have been now collected to this exhibition and you could see it all together.
One day we walked to Montmartre and were surprised by snow. It was a real Christmas feeling.
On our way home from Montmartre we shortly stopped at Galerie La Fayette and took this picture of its enormous Christmas tree. The store was so crowded, buses with people arrived all the time ......and we hurried out.
Oysters were in season and we enjoyed them almost every day. Delivered from the coast of Bretagne they tasted lovely and we completely fell in love with them. Otherwise the food at restaurants was a little disappointing but we have been also lazy and after walking the whole day we choose the brasseries on our street. Next time I will do more research about WHERE TO EAT.
You never say Good Bye to Paris because you somehow know that you will be back.....
Regards from Sweden
There is a gray and frosty Sweden we met. Sidewalks are so slippery that it is difficult to get around on foot. Out with the hat, gloves and shawl .... and ice scraper. Around town, the shops have already started with Christmas decorations and I understand why. They do what they can to make it brighter and cozier in these gray November days.
Avignon
Today we went to Avignon to see the exibition of the Spanish painter Miquel Barcelò, amazing sculptures and paintings. Hungry and exhausted from strolling and watching the art we found a lovely bistro where we enjoyed our lunch. The bistros in France are busy and noisy and there is nothing more French as their cozy atmosphere. Avignon is a beautiful historical city, the former residence of popes and therefore a perfect spot for sightseeing, particularly in sunny weather and 18°C. ....and we saw it all before we drove back home to our hills.....tired and happy.
Chateau EZA
This Summer we visited Côte d'Azur, particularly the village EZE and its Chateau EZA which has been transformed to a luxury hotel. I red about this ancient place located high above the Mediterranean Sea and with a fabulous view many years ago and since that it has been on my wish list. Chateau EZA is a former monastery and in spite of the transformation to a luxury hotel you can still feel the tranquility and serenity of the place. We only stayed one night but I will remember this place for the rest of my life....
Road trip to Pays Basque
2 weeks ago we made an amazing trip to, for us, unknown part of France...the Pays Basque and found a beautiful countryside, coastlines and fantastic food. We started in the medieval city of Albi and ended up in Biarritz. The beginning of October is a perfect time for traveling with few tourists and the weather is still warm and sunny. 
