Monday 23 July 2012

On the road again

Two weeks ago The Boy and I had packed up our by now too many belongings, handed back the keys to the tiny apartment we called home and hit the road again.
Our mission: to drive south with two friends, S and G, and mosey about for 10 days to celebrate The Boy having a Big Boy Birthday.

The four of us jumped in a car and headed towards Bordeaux with a loose plan of how to spend our lazy days but at first it seemed as though our joint London/Paris bad weather had followed us south, clearing only long enough to walk along the Garonne river and to also celebrate Bastille Day at a street party where we discovered that there is a lot of spontaneous synchronised line dancing in Bordeaux. Unfortunately I'm not kidding, but to be honest it was a laugh to try and follow along with them. And the grey skies finally cleared long enough for The Boy, S, G and I to head out to Mouton Rothschild Vineyard, one of the ritziest in the area which is unfortunately closed for renovations for another year but that didn't stop the four of us from running around the flower-laden gardens and checking out the vineyards.
The Boy chilling out in Bordeaux

Pre-Bastille Day street party

Bare footing it at Mouton Rothschild

Sampling the produce

Beautiful Biarritz followed where we lazed about in the cold on the beach lined with hydrangeas, drank beers while watching the sun set over the water for the first time and generally reaffirmed our love for the beach which got a little out of hand by the time we drove over the border and into Barcelona. 
Beautiful Biarritz

Lighthouse walk

My first taste of beach in months

Sunset beers

Beachy sunset at Biarritz

Melting in the 35 degree heat during the long, sunlit afternoons the four of us were drawn to the beach in between Gaudi trips and tapas/sangria/beer breaks. Both The Boy and I have been to Barcelona before and love it, but it was fantastic to see it again through the new eyes of S and G. The infamous La Rambla still packed at 2am with tourists, hawkers and some of the dodgier types in society, La Sagrada Familia which I still maintain looks like a sand dribble castle, the fantastical Park Guelll and the underwater facade of Casa Batllo, even the best fresh food markets.

But for once I felt like I had all the time in the world, there was no need to rush around and see everything before I moved on and The Boy and I spoiled ourselves by wandering up secluded side streets to discover cool and quiet plazas. But the days were always topped off with a splash.
Casa Batllo

Wandering the quiet streets 

Park Guell

Beach time beers

The last stop was Avignon, a medieval city in south-east France that is still completely intact. This was a nerdy history stop for The Boy who had become fascinated with the city after learning it was home to the Popes for 100 years. Our arrival in the city was at the same time as a month-long theatre festival and the streets were a hive of activity, packed with performers and hawkers and the pale walls were covered in posters. But rather than being a distraction from the city the hustle and bustle actually made me yearn for a few free hours to sit at a cafe and people watch. But inside the Palais des Papes, the actual palace built by the French Popes in the 14th century, the noise of the streets receded and The Boy, S, G and I wandered from room to room, wing to wing. The interior of the palace was cool and quiet with white walls with the remains of a few frescoes dotted here and there but it was hard to picture it in all its former glory. 
The streets of Avignon

Inside Palais des Papes

Avignon

View from the tower
But all too quickly the road trip was over and the four of us packed our bags into the tiny car and started the long drive back to Paris and reality.
Our year of madness may be coming to a close, but for The Boy and I this is just the beginning of another long stretch of travels, and this time we're headed East.
Wish us luck!

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Paris Je'taime

As I write this I'm reluctantly looking forward to packing my bags and saying au revoir to my tiny Parisian apartment as The Boy get ready to hit the road again later this week.

Although I'm excited about travelling again it's also hard for me to accept that it's all over. When we first settled here it seemed like an eternity stretched before me to explore my new home but as my final day draws near there's still so much I want to see and do: picnics on the Seine, long walks through Jardin du Luxembourg, drinks in Abbesses, eats in the Marais, coffee at Pont Marie and museum after museum after museum.

But I'll be back one day so I'll just leave it at this: