In preparation for the 2014 Alsace tour

On my way back home, I visited the Alsace area in preparation for the 2014 tour. This is part of the 'Little Venice' in this German-influenced Alsace region town - close to the wine route where you will find plenty of wonderful white wines which grow well in this cooler climate.

Another part of the 'Little Venice' where on the left of the photo, there is a large market hall with fresh bread, fruit, vegetable, cheese, fish and meat market - in fact you can buy almost any food you want in order to prepare a sumptuous meal or picnic.

On the right is part of the old centre of Colmar with many restaurants, bistros, cafes and bars. One of the local foods is the Tarte Flambante. If you are not sure of what that is, maybe that's an excuse to go there! Click here to find out more about the 2014 tour.

Auray's old port of St Goustan

After a perfect lunch at the port of St Goustan at Auray we watched the kayaking where the current was obviously causing a lot of fun for the children. The tides are so large here that owners of larger boats have to make allowances for there being no water at all. The large blue boat above has a standing post attached to each side which is used to keep the boat upright when the tide goes out. Great technique!

Provence at its finest

The Provence tour in June was fabulous - glorious weather, wonderful food and wine, fantastic cooking school and lots of fun with some great people. Some of the highlights were:

* a canoe trip along a cool, clear river under the shade of some beautiful trees. Very refreshing on a warm day
* lively markets with fresh produce, local musicians and vibrant ambience
* the spectacular art of Picasso projected onto cave walls and accompanied by music designed for the images
* a concert and evening buffet on the ramparts of one of the Luberon's finest chateaux
* peddling on a boat up a stunningly beautiful gorge
* the amazing sight and smell of fields of lavender against the backdrop of beautiful mountains

The accommodation and local village were absolutely gorgeous. The group were continually searching for superlatives as we felt we had used them all many times over!

Many thanks to all those who shared some time with me in Provence - some memorable and magic moments.