Arrival in Normandy

Early morning at our chateau/hotel and a light mist softens the atmosphere. Close to Bayeux but away from the traffic, our first evening here was enjoyed in the dining room with Normandy food - local oysters and seafood with delicious sauces, topped off with fresh fruit and local ice cream.

Ile aux Moines

Our Friday excursion for the last day in Brittany was excellent. A boat trip across the Golfe du Morbihan to Ile aux Moines (Monk's Island), a brisk walk through the quaint village and along the coastal walking trail brought us to this little sandy (almost deserted) bay. The point of interest was in watching the process of extracting a boat from the bay with a tractor. It took so much discussion, removal of trousers and shoes, putting on of same and more discussion by two local men, we had a distinct impression that they had all day to complete the task. Lunch in a village creperie before walking to the port for the return trip completed a beautiful day.

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!

Western Brittany

Tristan island near the port of Douarnenez on the western coast of Brittany. We took some time out for a good walk along the coast with views of the port and many boats. Everywhere in Brittany there are pleasure boats and fishing boats. Fish gets sold directly from the fishing boats - so you know the fish is fresh straight from the sea. We've been eating fresh fish every day with fresh locally grown vegetables along with some of the most delicious sauces and we all agree that French cooking is really fabulous!

Springtime in France

It's that time of year when France is usually getting to the end of the winter weather and on the 21st of this month the magical Spring season begins. If you have seen the news from France, you would hardly believe that Spring is around the corner as snow has fallen even in the south!

I'll soon be on the French Riviera for two weeks getting ready for this year's tours. There is no availability for the springtime May/June tours, but plenty of room for the late summer September tour of Brittany which I am really looking forward to. Living in Brittany was one of the highlights of my 6 years in France and it will be a real pleasure to show guests some of the beautiful scenery and ancient history of this wonderful region.

Price for the 10 day tour is A$5445 (per person shared room), with a 10% discount if paid in full by May 31st. The brochure can be downloaded from the 'Tours' page.Hope you can join me for some French food, wine and amazing hospitality! Carol

End of another tour

The tour of Southern Provence (Var area) ended well with beautiful sunny weather and lots of time spent near or on the sea. Beautiful islands, peaceful bays, medieval villages and right in the middle of vineyards. Accommodation and meals were really excellent and the cooking class revealed some wonderful secrets of our chef, Patrice. Definitely a tour which will be re-run in years to come.

Photo is of some of the beautiful pottery which is made in one of the villages we visited.