Provence - Tuesday 28th June

Today we went to Rousillon.  On the way there we stopped at the Abbey at Senanque.  This place appears in every calendar of Provence and there were thousands and thousands of people there taking its photo (ahem, thousands? – LT)  Well hundred anyway, and some came in coaches.

Here I am at the famous view point.  Some enterprising people have even cut a hole in the fence to stick your camera through:

We weren’t allowed to play in the lavender there though :o(

So we went right down to the abbey where they have some that you can play in.  Here I am on the hedge next to it:

Here I am on the other side of the wall.  LT says there’s usually lavender here too, but it’s not grown up yet as they replanted it all for this year:

Here I am at the other side of the garden near the bell tower:

I wonder for whom the bell tolls (You have been looking a little hunched lately... – LT) How rude!

Next we went inside just before mass.  You may just be able to see the cyclist on the left.  We think he was praying not to get hit by any cars, because he didn’t have a bike helmet when we met him on the road out later on:

Here I am with LT in the lavender, just to prove we were both there:

Our next stop was the village of Rousillon itself.  Rousillon is on an ochre field, which means everything is orange and yellow and pink and red and... (ochre coloured then... – LT) Ha ha, very funny.  They don’t seem to take very good care of their doors though:

We thought this one was especially funny, as there was hardly any door left, but there was a huge new lock on it:

We think this is the evolution of doors and windows:

We waited ages and ages and ages and ages for this one, you’d think she’d at least have lined herself up with the middle, wouldn’t you?  (Hey! – LT) Well really!

Look at all the jumble of buildings and houses in the village leading up to the ochre fields.  And if you look in the top right, you’ll see the dead centre of Rousillon (groan – LT)

This door is ancient, look at the date above it.  We think it’s almost as old as LT’s mum and dad...

Now this is my kind of house window, where the grapes are growing on the vine right the way up the house:

Look, I found an almost Jack-sized door:

Just to prove that the insides of the doors can be as bad as the outside:

We decided this was a very Provencal scene with the colourful houses and the moped outside:

Can you imagine how long it took to paint this?  It’s on the main road through the village, they’d have been running out of the way of the cars all the time, not to mention the tourists!

It was thirsty work tramping all over the village (ahem, tramping, or hitching a lift?! – LT)  It’s very hot outside, whichever way you travel!

Next up was lunch.  This is LT’s favourite place in Rousillon – they sell giant crepes with all sorts of toppings.  They used to do pizza style ones, but the ham, cheese and fried egg one we got today was a good substitute:

I’d also moved onto the cider, I find it more refreshing than the water (uh huh – LT)

Just checking to see that the bottle was really empty:

It was!

We just had to have dessert too of course, and there was a handy artisan ice cream shop across from the restaurant.  First I tried LT’s dad’s one, which had lavender flavour ice cream and strawberry flavour frozen yoghurt:

And then I tucked into LT’s, which was marron glace (otherwise known as glazed chestnut) flavour and nougat flavour ice creams:

One of us got a drip down our front, and it wasn’t the one in the fur suit...    Anywho, in memory of the post by the Blogess that we read about before going on holiday, when we saw this, we just had to take a photo:

On the way home we went past Gordes, and took some photos of the village from the viewpoint.  It seems that every village in Provence is perched precariously on a cliff!

Next stop was Sault, home to Mr Boyer, maker of world famous nougat.  We did battle with the biggest coach party of little old ladies and little old men you’ve ever seen to wrestle out some nougat.  LT said they must be related to her gran’s Monday club, who have similar ‘outings’, but they had filled the tiny shop so it was quite uncomfortable trying to get round (and he was only hiding in my rucksack! – LT)  However outside I got to see that in the window they had meringues that were bigger than me!

And here I am with one of the many Andre Boyer signs:

We went all the way round the back of Mont Ventoux on the way back to the gite, but when we got home we had a lovely feast of salad and fresh goat’s cheese from the deli in Sault, all topped off with some macarons from the ice cream shop in Rousillon.  This was a lemon and chocolate one:

Provence - Monday 27th June

It was market day in the village, but although I went down with LT, I didn’t climb out for a photo op as it was very, very busy, and we thought I’d get lost, and I didn’t fancy trying to speak French for the rest of my life.

In the afternoon we went exploring round the garden.  I found some bright pink flowers, which are all closed up tight at night, but during the day look like this:

Next we went to examine the vines.  The gite is at the edge of a vineyard, but LT says the grapes aren’t big enough yet to make wine.

After that I came back to have a rest with my friends Bearracht and Becca that came with LT’s mum and dad:

That evening LT and her dad and I went out to get some photos at sunset, but there were no places to rest my little furry behind on for a photo op, so you’ll just have to trust I was there.

When we came back later though I was nearly bearnapped by a giant moth!  (Really?  You’re going to go with that?! – LT)  It was HUGE, I saw my life flash before my eyes!  (Seriously?!  You’re sticking with this story? – LT)  Look, it’s not every day in a bear’s life that a ginormous thing flies in and nearly steals you!  If it hadn’t been for Bearracht and Becca I would have been a goner... (Right, whatever you say – LT)

Provence - Sunday 26th June

We had a lazy morning at the gite, enjoying the sunshine before we headed into the village for Sunday lunch.  Here I am enjoying a pastis (the local aniseed aperitif – LT) and guarding the wine that was going to go with lunch.

That pastis has quite a kick!

LT and I started with a crab and langoustine soup, then we shared the sweet and sour grilled prawns (he made me take the heads and tails off – LT), which were very messy, and we had to ask for a wipe to clean our paws afterwards!

We think the waiter was trying to tell us something, because when he cleared the plates for the main course away, he left us two prawn tails and the wipe that had fallen off the plate, along with a bit of celery.  We wondered if we were going to be in the running for a messiest place setting competition at the end of lunchtime.

Still, we didn’t let it hold us back from the cheese course.  Cue cheesy photo (groan! – LT)

Lastly there was my very favourite course, dessert!  We had three locally made fresh sorbets, apricot, blackcurrant and lime flavoured, along with a crunchy biscuity thing.

After that we put our feet up all afternoon, as you always should following a good Sunday lunch.

Provence - Saturday 25th June

Well, talk about ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’, I think we travelled on everything going!  First we walked to the station, then we took a train into Glasgow city centre, then we walked up to the other main train station, then we took another train to Edinburgh, then we took a bus to the airport, then we flew to Lyon, all the way over in France, then we got ANOTHER train to Avignon, then LT’s mum and dad picked us up and we drove all the way to Bedoin.  Phew, I was absolutely exhausted!  (Err, hang on a minute, I carried you everywhere! – LT)

Anyway, here I am at Lyon airport, waiting for the train.  Hang on, waiting at the airport for a train?! (It’s all combined – LT).  I didn’t get out before this as it was very busy on the trains and plane, and I didn’t want to get lost.  As it was dinner time, we had some quiche, washed down with some coke, because LT doesn’t like wine, and she wouldn’t get me one so that I could go native (well I didn’t want you singing on the train – LT)  I happen to have a very nice singing voice thank you very much!  Anyway, I’m also reading our Kindle, a John J Lamb teddy bear mystery, of course:

Here I am on the TGV train watching the French countryside whizz by, and trying to ignore the two bullet holes in the outer glass above my head! (We didn’t like to ask – LT)

I started to get a bit travel sick after a while though, so I went to hang out in the back of the seat in front – isn’t first class luxury?

When we got to the gite we all went straight to bed as it was 10:30 and people and bears were tired.

Perthshire Exploration April 9th

I'm so sorry this has taken nearly 2 weeks to post, you just can't get the staff these days!

Anyway, I hitched along with LT and her dad when they went up to explore rural Perthshire nearly 2 weeks ago (okay, you don't need to keep rubbing that in! - LT).

Our first stop was to the Hermitage just outside Dunkeld.  This is a really cool forest with a funny old bridge across this really deep ravine, and a funny wee house above a waterfall.  Here I am sitting on the balcony of Ossian's Hall overlooking the falls.  Aren't you glad I didn't fall in?

The I hitched a ride walked down the steps to the hermitage bridge.  This bridge is reeeallllly old.  It was built in the 18th Century - that must have been about when LT was born (oy! -LT).  I don't know how they did it though, it's really deep.  Here I am sitting on top of the bridge:

Then we went down to go underneath it, and found a perfect bear-sized perch on the side:

Here's my new pal Gregor, who LT's dad brought along.  Doesn't he look like he's striding purposefully along?

While they were both playing about with photos of silly flowers, look what I got left sitting in!  What a lot of junk these photographers need...

Here is me, with Gregor.  My legs don't let me look like I'm striding purposefully anywhere, so I just had to perch.  Purposefully of course, I always perch purposefully...

We went up to Kenmore next for lunch, didn't I get a lovely seat in the sun when we were at the cafe?

After lunch we headed up towards Glen Lyon.  On the way we stopped to see the big old yew at Fortingall.  There it is behind me next to the church.

Once we got to Glen Lyon LT and her dad spied a waterfall from the road, so they just HAD to stop to take photos.  And more photos.  And more photos...  Anyway, here I am sitting at the top of the falls where we found these funny wee piles of rocks, so I had to pose beside some:

Then of course I had to do the obligatory shot beside the waterfall:

We were meant to do more, but we ran out of time, so LT and I will return together over the next week or so.  I've heard rumours of going on a bike - I hope she has a bear sized cycling helmet...

Doolin - Day 4

The final day, and driving home :o(  We had to get up very early so that we'd be back in Derry in time for the flight home.

We waved goodbye to the cottage and to Stephen and Martin (Pete had already run away somewhere) and headed north again.  Phew, no roadworks this time, so we got to stop in Donegal town for lunch on the way back.  Chris knew this pub we just *had* to stop in.

I perused the menu, but it all looked a bit much for me, so LT said she'd share hers:

Man, this baked potato is bigger than me!

Still, we managed to finish all our lunch and made it to the airport in plenty of time for the flight home.  I wanted to look out the window on the train, but we ended up getting on at rush hour, so I had to just hang out in LT's pocket.

I wonder where the next adventure will be...

Doolin - Day 3

And so to the last full day...

As the boys were enjoying a lie in, I went for a wander round the village with LT after breakfast.  First we stopped at the scene of Friday night's crimes...  It's not open at 10:30 am, I wonder why?

 Look at all the bright coloured shops at our end of the village:

We stayed at the end down by the pier, but this weird village is really strung out, it goes for over a mile in funny little pockets of houses and shops and pubs!  This is at the middle clump.  Can you spot me?

What do you mean no?!  I'm sitting on the black sign in the middle!  Okay, so then we turned round and saw the signs point up the road behind where LT was in the photo above.  This is the main crossroads in the village, so many choices, so little time...

Did you spot me this time?  No again?  Sheesh, okay, here's a close up:

After this we wandered back to the cottage to meet the boys again, and we decided to head to the beach at Lehinch for ice-cream and to see the surfers.  There's nothing better than getting ice cream for lunch on your holidays just because you can.

On the way we stopped at this old ruined church and graveyard.  Isn't this a really pretty graveyard?

(Err, I'm not sure graveyards are meant to be classed as pretty - LT)  Of course it's pretty, who wouldn't want a view like this, dead or alive?  (Well, I suppose so! - LT)

This is the church part, look at the wee door, it's almost little bear sized - see, I'm sitting on the shelf above so you can see the scale.  LT had to bend in half to get through it.

Anyway, there was a hand wee bear sized entrance too:

Next we headed round to the beach to laugh at all the surfers that couldn't.  Surf that is.  They couldn't surf to save themselves!

That was halfway along the front, and there were hundreds and hundreds of surfers and a few canoeists, and then some weirdos standing up and paddling on something way out in the distance.  We never did figure out what that was!

Our next stop was at the cave in Doolin to see the great Stalactite.  I didn't get out to play here because it was soooooo muddy, and it just looked too sludgy and gooey for little bears to wade around in, so I just peered out of LT's pocket.

Finally we raced back to the Cliffs of Moher for sunset.

I bet you didn't know there were totem poles in Ireland!

I love that LT took a photo of me in front of this sign, and then totally ignored it half an hour later, I mean really, what kind of example was she trying to set?!

Then we turned about 45 degrees left and looked down at the cliffs one way

Please note that I was sitting safely on a wall with a grassy back behind it at this point...

Then we rotated about 90 degrees to the right to look up to the little castley thing at the top

And then we went back down the hill and onto the cliff edge.  LT has photos of her feet, along with Chris' and Mark's, hanging off the edge of the cliff entirely!  She didn't make me do that, but I was very close to the edge here, so I sat verrrrrry still...

Finally I got to try and blend in with the rocks that make up the cliffs, aren't they a pretty colour?  They match me so well:

Finalyl we all scrambled back up to the path and went home to watch some DVDs on the wall.  Bet you didn't know you could watch a dvd on a wall did you?

We saw Quigley Down Under, which was quite odd, and then Withnail and I.  LT and I agreed that now we could say we'd seen it, and never speak of it again.  The boys are all older than us, we think it fitted in with their youth better...