A room without a viewLovely bedding but the rugs are the wrong colour!
We are staying in a beautiful airbnb gite in France, south of Poitiers. We always manage to find interesting places to stay and many of them offer us a little ‘home from home’ in the sense that they are in very quiet locations with plenty of garden and inspiring views. We arrrived at Sommieres-du-Clain later than originally planned, as the over-night crossing did not work out. There were no cabins available, and we cannot cope without a good night’s sleep. Hence we had to leave the UK at the crack of dawn on Friday morning instead. We arrived at our gite just after 8:00pm and found a most delightful home waiting for us. My task was meant to be preparing the dinner; I brought with us non-perishable food to cook, which meant pasta with a can of tomatoes and a can of tuna, enhanced by onion and some mild spices. Paul was bringing the luggage in whilst I made a start on the preparations. However, I went upstairs to choose a bedroom – there were three to choose from. I told Paul that although there was a lovely bedroom with a big window and a view to look forward to, I’d rather go for the other double room, as it had the advantage of an en-suite. It had a velux window though, so no view.
We slept well, but the next morning Paul went and looked more closely at the other two bedrooms. The middle one has bunk-beds. He informed me that there was an en-suite shared between these two rooms! How on earth had I missed it?! He was also lamenting the fact that we were not benefitting from the glorious view from the window. I must have been tired and muzzy-headed, as if I had thought more clearly I might have wondered why on earth a house would only have one en-suite and no communal bathroom or second en-suite. We decided that it would be much better to move into the nicer bedroom; this meant that Paul had to swap the bedding, as it seemed unfair on our host to have two sets of bedding to wash. Although the colours and design of the bedrooms is fairly simple and minimal, we noticed that in fact the rugs in each room match the colours of the bedding. Oh well, another task for Paul will be to swap the bedding back before we leave…. Our domestic division of duties means that Paul changes beds and I do the clothes washing and of course all the cooking!
The first two photos are of the bedroom we slept in first (but after Paul had changed the bedding round!) The next photos are of the room with a view that we moved to!
A Room with a view, with bedding which does not match the rugs A closer look at our view!
To return to our first evening and my attempts to make a quick, simple dinner. I was relying on using canned products and we usually buy cheap cans in the cash and carry with no ring pulls. However, every kitchen has a can opener doesn’t it? Well there was certainly a can opener in the cupboard, but it was well past its life of usefulness and did not work! Paul having already been to visit our host next door to find out where we might find matches or a lighter for the fire, he sent me on the next errand. Just like home, our gite was dark outside, not being on a street, and I was also greeted by very friendly black labradors. Unfortunately our host did not have a can opener as she, like most people, buys cans with ring pulls. However she was able to give me a can of tomatoes with a ring pull. She did not have any tuna, but gave me half a dozen eggs instead, from the resident chickens. So disaster averted and we had a lovely supper of spaghetti with tomatoes, topped with a poached egg.
Pasta salad for lunch made with left-over spaghetti dinner
I failed to take a photo of the first night’s supper, but here you have the next best thing.
Well it is now Monday morning and we have really enjoyed our stay at Belle Vue Gite. It did just occur to me that it was not actually necessary to make up the bed in the first bedroom with the wrong colour bedding, as tomorrow morning Paul will have to put it back on the other bed! Still, it was quite nice for my photo shoot session.
We had a lovely walk by the river and really appreciated the tranquil setting. The village is also absolutely delightful and has a very good alimentation shop with a good range of produce including fresh fruit and vegetables and a deli counter.
Belle Vue Gite The kitchen area at Belle Vue Gite; the downstairs is open-plan
Walking down to the river
The delightful stone shops and houses in Sommieres-du-Clain
This year we spent our long August holiday in Scotland. We spent much of our holiday on the islands of the Hebrides, including Iona, Lewis, Uist and Skye. This was a complete change from our usual jaunt to somewhere hot and sunny. Paul was keen to see this unspoilt part of the UK and to drive along quiet roads with little traffic. It is always a challenge to find somewhere relatively free of tourists in August, but it is possible. Paul is also very keen on archaeology and in particular standing stones; there are plenty of those in the Hebrides! Look at this stone, which is reputed to be the tallest in the UK! Somehow I did not find it that impressive, but you may call me a cynic!
Okay it is big, but not that big. Also, it had no pomp and circumstance and no visitor centre. In fact, it was just near a domestic dwelling.
To go back to the first picture, that is me on Iona. It was absolutely beautiful, a really magical place. However, the sea was freezing cold. My thought was, if it is like this in August, then presumably it is always too cold to swim in the Hebrides! I usually like to spend much of our summer holiday swimming, but this was not to be. In fact, the only swim I had was in the hotel pool in Buxton, on our return journey.
Before I dipped my toes in the water that day, I had spent some time sitting in our pod (our accommodation for two nights) trying to decide what to do that morning. Paul had decided to go back to the mainland to fetch his laptop and some other provisions. It was windy and cold and I sat in the pod wrapped in a blanket and listened to an episode of The Archers! Thank goodness for a decent wifi signal! This is the question I posed to my helpful friends in my Archers Chit-Chat facebook group:
‘Paul has popped back to Mull on the ferry to fetch a few more things from the car. He needs his laptop to deal with some business. I have a book, facebook and radio to listen to including last night’s epidode. It is a bit wet and windy and the coffee I can make in a mug (taking the grounds off when it has settled) is not brilliant. Should I?
1) Stay in and have a cosy morning with a duvet over my legs and make more sub-standard coffee?
2) Listen to the Archers then walk to the local gallery and shop and get a decent coffee and some more shopping?
3) Go for a swim in the sea’
Of course there were all sorts of suggestions as to which option I should take, and in the end I decided to brave the weather and go and investigate the various shops and find a decent cup of coffee. Scotland has such changeable weather. One minute there is a gale blowing and you wish you had brought some gloves with you, then half an hour later it is blazing sunshine!
Despite the sea being really, really cold and the frequency of the rain and the wind, it was a really magical holiday with breath-taking scenery. The sea was also a really amazing turquoise colour, whatever the weather. The sand is white, and I assume the colour of the sea is related to the colour and nature of the rocks. These photos are of a beach on the Isle of Lewis. I just love taking pictures of rocks and pebbles.
One big advantage of going on holiday to somewhere which is not hot and sunny is that it is much easier to go for walks and appreciate the scenery. In hot places, I am constantly wanting to stop for cold drinks and ice-creams. So we did do much more walking in the Hebrides than on our average holiday in the Mediterranean. We took high quality walking boots with us, as well as waterproof coats, and a selection of jumpers. My favourite warm jumper is big and yellow and very cuddly (from Marks and Spencer if you are interested!) You can see it in the picture below:
I had not worn this jumper for months, but had the good sense to take it on our Hebrides jaunt. We stayed for one night on South Uist, which I found very bleak. We also hit a very bad patch of weather with wind and rain. In the morning, after checking out from our very pleasant but basic B and B, Paul decided to go for a walk to see some more standing stones. There really was a howling gale, but for me the last straw came when I realised that I had left my cuddly jumper at the B and B! I just gave in to my feelings and weaknesses and decided to stay in the car rather than go for a walk in the rain. I sat and read my book and made contact with my Chit-Chat friends on facebook. The happy ending to the story is that we had not driven that far from the B and B, so were able to go back and fetch my jumper!
Even my daughter Jess, who usually shuns my clothing, which is obviously only suitable for middle-aged people, took a fancy to my yellow jumper. Here is a picture of her wearing it.
Jess joined us for a week on our holiday, staying with us for one night on Skye and nearly a week on Lewis.
I have to mention our two night stay on Skye, staying at the Doll’s House, owned by my Chit-Chat friend Cheryl Mcculloch. It was lovely to meet her at last, and stay in her very well-equipped airbnb accommodation. See her facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/skyebirdsdollshouse
Jess stayed with us for one night at the Doll’s House too, and we even shared a meal in Cheryl’s home. We are not a dog loving family, but Jess fell in love with Cheryl’s dog Raasay and talked about getting a dog for herself in the future! See this picture of us enjoying a meal and getting friendly with Raasay!
In conclusion I’d say that the holiday was a complete success, even despite the incredibly cold boat trip we took whilst staying on Lewis. Jess had headed back home by then. It was wet from the sea splashing up all over the boat and then it started to rain. I could not understand to start with why we had to wear waterproof jackets and trousers borrowed from the boat hire company, as well as our own waterproofs. By the end of the trip, Paul said that he could not feel his feet! Actually it was a lovely trip and, as always, we had a very informative guide to point out all the birds and wildlife to us. Here is a picture of Paul before we set off on our trip, looking cheerful as he had not yet lost the use of his toes!
By the way, Paul and I both got hooked on Peter May’s books whilst on holiday in the Hebrides. They were recommended by one of my Chit-Chat friends. Many of them are set on Lewis, and I particularly enjoyed ‘Coffin Road’ and ‘The Blackhouse.’ I am on part two of that series, and Paul is reading part three. Peter makes the scenery come alive, with very evocative descriptions of scenery and places.
Yes the holiday was a success, but as an antidote we have booked 10 days in Croatia next August!
The pattern of our long jaunts in Europe for the past few years has been to spend a week travelling and staying in hotels (we did try camping a few times, but have reverted back to hotels now!), two or three weeks in a self-catering villa or apartment and then another week travelling home staying in hotels.
I am always responsible for booking the self-catering accommodation, as I have exacting requirements regarding the kitchen and swimming pool. Paul plans our routes using the Atlases and Google maps, so he books the ferries and hotel accommodation. He always books a range of hotels, some of which are very cheap and some of which are mid-range or upmarket. Booking several months ahead means he can find some excellent deals and discounts. He has been in the habit of booking somewhere really special and more upmarket for our last night. For instance, last year we stayed in a Parador in Spain, which was an incredible experience!
We arrived at Maison Ailleurs late afternoon on Friday 25th August. We could tell immediately that this was going to be a completely different kind of experience. Yes it was our treat, our posh hotel, but this was not a hotel with a restaurant or bar or grand public areas. There was no pool or spa. This was truly a home-from-home, although nothing like our modest cottage! Madame Valerie Genique came out to meet us, and we were able to park the car very conveniently in the courtyard. She explained to me the next day that they do not believe that it is good practice in a small hotel to have reception staff sitting at a desk, rather that the greeting process should be more personal.
The Staircase at Maison Ailleurs
Valerie showed us our suite, which is one of three in the hotel, Chambre Le Jardin. As you can see in the photos, the decor is beautiful, and the colours happen to be my very favourite, a blue/turquoise reminiscent of the sea. The suite comprises a large bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe, a separate toilet, a dressing room/shower room and a kitchenette. The ceilings are very high and the beautiful turquoise curtains are floor-to-ceiling- maybe about 15′ high. As we live in a cottage in which we can touch the ceilings without standing on a ladder, this was a bit of a novelty. There are such beautiful, personal touches everywhere: proper glasses and a welcome bottle of water by the bed; large towels, dressing gowns, a choice of seating and a writing table and beautifully wrapped soap. In the kitchenette you could make yourself a decent cup of coffee with the machine provided, or even prepare some simple snacks before going out for dinner. I do welcome fridges in hotel rooms. It amazes me how many hotels in the mediterranean provide extra blankets, but no fridge. What I really want after a hot journey is a long, cold drink and the facility to chill more drinks.
The Dressing Room in Chambre Le Jardin at Maison Ailleurs
The Bedroom at Maison Ailleurs
Valerie explained to us that breakfast would be served either in the room or out in the garden if the weather was fine. She also told us that in Chartres throughout the summer season there is an amazing festival of lights around the city, and pointed out on the local map the best place to look for restaurants.
We had a wonderful night’s sleep, and were pleased to make use of the excellent shower twice; many hotel rooms have really inadequate showers, and many a time have I flooded floors or stood under a freezing or too-hot jet of water. By the morning Paul had persuaded me that I should interview Valerie for my blog piece. I was feeling more confident about my French speaking skills, as always happens when we stay in the country. In fact the owner of the previous hotel had complimented me on my language skills.
We had a delicious breakfast; yoghurt, granola, a superior strawberry smoothie, a small, delicious cake, croissants and plenty of good quality bread with butter and jam. We turned down the offer of eggs. Oh, and not forgetting a generous cafetiere – I do love my coffee! This was all served by Monsieur and Madame in the garden.
Paul enjoying his Petit Dejeuner dans le Jardin de Maison Ailleurs
I chatted to Valerie in French for about 20 minutes after breakfast. We sat in the beautiful garden. What is most appealing about the garden is that it is divided into little rooms, rather than having an expanse of lawn with beds. It was a great compliment to me that it emerged from the conversation that her husband is in fact English! He made some coffee and left us to it, and she did not speak in English at all. Maison Ailleurs has featured in magazines and guides, including some of the Alastair Sawday guides (excellent source of high-quality hotels and B and Bs).
The couple have four young children; we did not see them at all. They obviously take up a lot of time, but Valerie still has time to run an amazing establishment with her husband. They bought the house in 2012, and started living there in 2013. They completed many renovations and redecoration of the house and have three rooms for paying guests. Chambre Le Jardin, the suite we stayed in, is in fact the smallest. There are two other suites, Chambre L’Eveche on the same floor as ours, and a family suite, Chambre Charles V. This suite apparently occupies most of the second floor and is very extensive and ideal for a couple with a baby.
Maison Ailleurs is open all year round, but there is a quiet period from November to May. Usually the family takes a holiday for one week in July and one week in August.
Valerie and Sarah in the Garden of Maison Ailleurs
During the conversation, the other English couple who were staying came over to say good-bye, and I had a friendly conversation with them. I felt I had to tell them that I had photographed their car, as for us it was a rare event over our 4 week holiday to see another GB registered car!
Obviously the Geniques employ a housekeeper and gardener, but it is clear that they are very hands-on and that this is what makes the hotel so personal and unique.
By the way, we did go to the Lumieres show, which was spectacular. See the pictures below.
Chartres Cathedral – Les Lumieres
Les Lumieres by the water in Chartres
If you travelling through Chartres or even plan to stay for longer, I cannot reccommend this hotel highly enough. It is a little bit of luxury that I think we all need from time to time! Have a look at the website to make a booking: http://www.maisonailleurs.com/index.html
Some Roman Bridge or other in Alghero with a bit missing
Whenever we drive right into the middle of a city along a cobbled street which looks as if it should not be accessible to cars I always say, ‘oh well we’re tourists!’ Not that anyone has ever challenged us. We once famously drove right under the aqueduct in Segovia, Spain, completely unintentionally. Although there seem to be fewer pedestrianised streets in Southern European cities than in the UK, driving under the aqueduct was not meant to be an option! We think that locals are so bemused by seeing a UK registered car in such unlikely places, that generally they take no notice and do not challenge us!
Anyway, back to my original question. I decided that my best place for research would be amongst my Archers Appreciation friends on Facebook. They are such a lovely, witty, intelligent and friendly bunch of people that I often turn to them for ideas. Okay, I am a librarian by profession and know about the value of reliable research and what a wide range of sources there are. However, this article, like most of those on my blog, is meant to be fun and light-hearted. I shall not be referencing using the Harvard system.
At the end of July, the beginning of our long summer holiday, I asked them: ‘What is the difference between a tourist and a traveller?’ I agreed that I would quote their comments and mention them by first name. These are some of the responses I had. I shall then decide whether on balance their responses can prove definitively whether Paul and I are indeed tourists or travellers!
‘Travellers are nice people like us, tourists are other people.’ (Andrew)
‘A traveller is a pretentious tourist.’ (Jean)
‘Delusion.’ (Gina)
‘I travel, you are a tourist, he is a day-tripper.’ (Kate)
‘A traveller thinks they are better than tourists and thinks they are keeping it real! Travellers may wash less often – unless I am travelling! (Niki)
‘We like to think of ourselves as travellers – probably a bit pretentious I know – because we tend to travel for long periods and get close to the lives of real people as we go, rather than just going to see some attraction. I usually take the trouble to learn at least a little of the language if possible.'(Les)
‘A tourist is someone else, making the crowds bigger and the queues longer; a traveller is me, not part of the crowd or queue, just caught up in them.’ (Jamie)
‘A tourist pays for their holiday, a traveller has it paid for by their parents.’ (Dinsdale)
Reply from Helen: ‘Even in middle/old age?’
Reply from Jamie: ‘Oh god no, those yoof backpackers are decidedly tourists.’
‘A tourist takes a photo every 5 minutes, a traveller is content just to look.’ (Joan)
‘Travellers never stay at all-inclusive resorts, they are strictly for the tourists.’ (Louise)
‘I would say a tourist wants to look at places, and a traveller wants to experience places.’ (Sarah)
‘We are travellers; they are tourists. Probably working class. Or American.’ (John)
‘Tourists go where they are led. Travellers go where they will. Tourists seek comfortable situations. Travellers put up with whatever comes their way.’ (Di)
‘I spent 7 days in Petra and visited the site 5 times from different angles and loved talking to the Nabataean; they realised I wasn’t going to hire their donkey so used to just chat about life and drink mint tea.’ (Rachel)
‘Round here, travellers set up their caravans in the local park and leave mountains of rubbish and human poo behind when they depart several weeks later.’ (Deb) – As Les pointed out, this could be the wrong sort of traveller!
Thanks for all the helpful suggestions and contributions from my lovely Archers’ friends. In a way I think that Andrew, Kate, Jean, Gina and Niki have hit the nail on the head. I don’t like to think that we are better than other people. Paul and I talk about ourselves being ‘travellers’ in a jokey way. I do like to visit the attractions of the city, the places that everyone else wants to go to. For instance, when we arrived in Bilbao at the beginning of our journey, we spent several hours in the Guggenheim museum. According to Joan, I am definitely more of a tourist than Paul, as I do take a lot of photos. For our 4 week holiday this year, I have probably taken about 1000 photos, and it is going to take a long time to sort them out! I also like to do silly things, such as standing in the same pose as a statue and getting Paul to photograph me!
Flowery Dog outside the Guggenheim
Sarah with Garibaldi in Palau
We do like to plan our holidays, and always book accommodation in advance. We wash every day, and always eat in restaurants or I cook proper meals in our villa. We do not eat street food or walk around eating – something to do with my upbringing I daresay! I actually love the look of street food, but just want a table and chairs to complete the experience! The planning is partly because we like home comforts, and partly because we often travel at peak times – getting decent accommodation in August last minute is not easy! We also like self-catering, and this is really not practical or even possible to book last minute.
Louise points out that a traveller would never stay at an all-inclusive resort. Okay, at this point I had to make my confession to my friends that we did do this for our honeymoon in Cuba! (July 2004)To be honest, I think that most of the hotels in Cuba are all-inclusive, and it may have been difficult to do otherwise. We did love the holiday, but it is the only time we have ever stayed in a hotel for 2 weeks and not done any cooking at all! I am not sure we’ll ever do it again, although one of my ambitions is to go on a cruise; my dream holiday is a world cruise for several months! If Paul reads this, there is a great one advertised in the back of the Radio Times – 120 nights departing in January 2019. Passenger 1 pays from £15,999 and passenger 2 goes free!
Rachel’s comments about her experiences in Petra sound very much like our idea of making the most of a place. We often return to a favourite city, and sometimes just wander the streets, not visiting any museums or cathedrals. My favourite activity is to sit in cafes and restaurants and watch the world go by. When we went to the Alpujarras a few years back, we went to Granada several times at different times of the day; once we went early morning, and another time we went in the evening just for dinner. On another visit we did go to the Alhambra Palace, although the intense heat nearly defeated me!
However, when it comes down to it, I know that I am more of a tourist than Paul is. I adore tourist shops and buying souvenirs and gifts to take home. I send about a dozen postcards to friends and family whilst we are away. Paul is in his element when visiting archaeological sites, and has a particular passion for Visigothic sites (okay, my little joke! I believe there are not actually that many Visigothic sites world-wide!) I am convinced that an interest in the Visigoths is not common among tourists! This summer there were many interesting archaeological sites to visit in Sardinia, and I do enjoy these experiences, just not in the heat! Paul very kindly found places for me to rest and amuse myself whilst he went exploring. Luckily he was usually able to find me a beautiful beach with crystal clear sea, and my favourite activity on holiday in August (yes, it even comes above going to the shops!) is swimming. Now, would you consider swimming to be a tourist activity? Certainly on our travels, we came across very few UK visitors, and we did not see another GB registered car for many weeks (not until we reached Chamonix). However, there did seem to be a lot of local tourism.
Les makes a really good point about learning the language. I do feel less of a tourist in France because I speak French (could be fluent if I made the effort!) In fact, I was very pleased to interview our host at our final hotel in France, conducting the entire conversation in French (watch out for my future blog post about Maison Ailleurs). Paul also speaks French (not as well as I do!) and has a smattering of Italian. We both speak a few words in Spanish and can just about manage menus in Italy and Spain. We picked up a bit of Portuguese too, last year. Sometimes I get utterly confused and have spoken short sentences partly in French, Italian and Spanish!
Our mode of travel is probably unusual to some. We very rarely fly (I cannot remember the last time we went on an aeroplane – maybe 7 years ago?) This year we went on 5 ferries – Portsmouth to Bilbao, Barcelona to Sardinia, Sardinia to Corsica, Corsica to Genoa and finally Caen to Portsmouth. On ferries 2, 3 and 4 we were the only UK travellers as far as we could make out! Ours was certainly the only GB, right-hand drive car on these ferries, something which did confuse some of the ferry staff! Now, I ask you this, would a tourist travel all that way by 5 ferries and hundreds of miles of driving?! My daughter came to join us in Sardinia for a week, taking the more conventional route from Heathrow to Olbia!
So, what do you think? Are we tourists or travellers? Does it really matter?!
Salmorejo, as I am sure you know, is a Spanish recipe, but that is no reason for not making it when on holiday in Italy. I used to wonder what the difference is between this soup and the more commonly known Gazpacho. I have come to the conclusion that salmorejo includes bread, whereas gazpacho does not. They can both be smooth or chunky, and have essential ingredients of: tomatoes, olive oil, a bit of spice and some fresh herbs. They should also be served very cold with some toppings for extra texture. I give you below my latest version for Salmorejo. If you are making gazpacho, you can include other finely chopped salad ingredients such as cucumber and fennel. Some people may protest that this recipe is not authentic, but who cares?! It tasted good and used up some of the stale bread.
Recipe to Serve Two People
First cut up, or hack or tear your bread, depending on tools available. I used half of an average-sized crusty loaf. Blitz it in a blender or food processor, although large crumbs are best. If your loaf is not as stale as mine was, you could just tear it into small pieces.
Skin 6 large, juicy tomatoes by pouring boiled water over them and pulling off the skins with your hands. Add these to the blender with the bread still in. Add half a can of tomatoes, a glug of olive oil, half a handful of parsley and the same of basil, a teaspoon of hot, smoked paprika, some rosemary leaves and some tabasco if you have it. You could add a splash of any type of vinegar. Add a can of water and plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend it all together until it is not too smooth. Put into a jug in the fridge and add a few ice cubes if you have them. Chill for at least an hour. Meanwhile hard-boil two eggs, fry some chopped bacon with some cubed bread and chop a few cherry tomatoes. Chop some more parsley and basil. Serve the soup in bowls with the chopped garnishes on the side for people to help themselves to.
You will have noticed that this soup contains a little meat. The good news is that if you remove the bacon, it becomes a vegetarian recipe! Furthermore if you remove the eggs it becomes a vegan recipe! So simple! Enjoy!
Make sure you repump your airbed every night, and even then you will probably end up with a crick in the neck Don’t pitch your tent next to people who snore…. (this one is tricky!) Keep loo rolls and a torch by your bed If you need water in the night, keep it in a bottle rather than a glass And if you wear glasses, don’t leave them on the ground for people to tread on….. Take a spouse or partner who is good at putting up tents, or if this is not possible, have the patience of a saint….
This is our third holiday in Spain together, although the first one on our own with no offspring. Jessica made the decision during last year’s four-week jaunt to Spain that she no longer wanted to come on holiday with us. As we decided to try a different season and take a shorter, two-week break this year at Easter, it was probably a good thing that she wanted to stay at home, with the pressure of AS exams looming on the horizon.
I run a school library and so am tied to school holidays, despite no longer having young children. This suits me fine, as it is the only way I can see of having regular holidays and longer ones if we wish to. It also means that some holidays can just be spent lazing around at home without rushing off on a holiday as such. Add to that the prospect of not having to bring any work home or do any marking, and I think that I have the perfect job; okay, I’d be better paid as a teacher, but who wants all that stress? Twelve weeks holiday a year, with eight of them unpaid, suits me well! I am also good at finding good deals on holiday accommodation without it costing a ridiculous amount of money! My main source is ‘Owners Direct’ which we have come back to again this year, having not used their website last year.
Spain has so many advantages, and once we have brushed up our Spanish it will be even more fun! We are at the stage of being able to read menus, road signs and information boards to a reasonable level – reading is so much easier than understanding locals! We can say a few words, but we really need to study that language course. Now that we are in Catalonia, Paul is also trying to learn Catalan too, as not all Spanish people in Catalonia have Castillian as their first language. The language is actually easy to learn; it would have been easier when we were younger though! I passed ‘O’ Level at school and then seriously neglected it.
So, to the advantages of this wonderful country. Well, it has an agreeable climate, and if one owned a property in the South it would be pleasant all year round. This is something to consider if one is considering buying property in Europe – more letting months available. Visiting in August it was as hot as we expected, if not hotter! You just have to accept this and pace yourself in a sensible way. April is a good month to visit as it is warm enough to walk around in shirt sleeves, but you do not tire out as much when walking over the hills or round Roman or Iberian ruins. For me, the one disadvantage of April is that the water is not really as warm as I’d like it to be, and I do love to swim! August is fantastic, as you arrive home hot and sweaty and there is nothing better than immersing yourself in cool water. This year we have a property with a pool, and I have been swimming, but it does not have quite the appeal that it would later in the year. May and June would be perfect, so that will have to wait until retirement…..
Everything is so cheap here, especially the food and drink. Eating out is a pleasure, and is not something we do very often back in England. Why eat out, when the food at home is so much better and better value too? On holiday we have many lunches out, and this time we have found some really fabulous places for tapas, paella and so on. I still do not find that the Spanish are great at making a salad or providing a wholesome plate of vegetables to accompany your meal; however, the food is good value and we can always eat copious amounts of vegetables and salad back at the villa.
This time we have also found that the petrol is ridiculously cheap; the cheapest so far has been 117 euros, which at the current exchange rate works out at 87.75p! Now if only there were some way of bringing some home with us…….
We love the environment and scenery; there are mountains all over Spain, and if you have a willing chauffeur husband to drive you round them (as I do) or you like driving, then you are in seventh heaven in my opinion. There is something uplifting about being able to see the sea and the mountains at the same time. Roman and Iberian Spain is also fascinating and there are so many ruins and old city walls to enthrall a historian like Paul, and an amateur enthusiast such as myself.
The best thing about Spain is that it is not too far away. As I have mentioned in my other postings, we have a serious loathing of aeroplanes and flying, so at the moment are enjoying Europe – travelling by sea and land. Future holidays could involve some long rail travel, and we have dreams of going to New York by boat. Paul is not quite so sure about trying to get to Australia by boat….. This year we travelled by the 24-hour ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao. To be honest, with all the hanging around and delays at airports, I can imagine that on occasions it could take as long to fly to Spain! With the boat, you have a lovely cabin with proper beds, a choice of restaurants and menus, and it is all so spacious. We had the same seats by a window for the whole journey; we spread out and played Blokus, as well as having time to read and do crosswords. It was not crowded though, and we did not feel the need to save the seats, as there were plenty of others available.
Our return journey will be via France, so more hotel stops and lovely scenery, returning on the boat from Caen to Portsmouth. Just a shame that I’ll be back to school on Monday, the day after our return…..
Make sure you repump your airbed every night, and even then you will probably end up with a crick in the neck