Jenni's 2012 Wedding Trip

Contents

The Trip Plan Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Just for the records, here are my plans (bear in mind that the dates below are local & also that my plans are always flexible - except of course, the airplane rides):

• Sat, 11August: fly to Singapore & spend 2 days with Katie, Dean, Sam & Oliver. I'm really looking forward to seeing the family; they've been in Singapore since early January & we miss them
• Mon, 13 August: fly overnight to Paris via Abu Dhabi on Etihad Airways. I have a 2.5 hour layover, so might have just enough time to do a little duty free browsing
• Tue, 14 August: 7:35am arrival at CDG Airport in Paris then make my way to the TGV Station to catch the TGV to Strasbourg at 12:28pm. I should have enough time for my first croissant et cafe en France...yum
• Tue, 14 August: arrive in Strasbourg just before 3:00pm to spend a couple of days with Michele & catch up with her parents, Paulette & Rene who I missed out on seeing during JAMBA's trip last year

I have a few days before the big day, 18 August, & after spending time catching with Louise & Nico, with Nathalie & Denis & Maxime, with Chantal & Alex, with Marcelle, hope to have some time to do some shopping - wouldn't it be great to buy a French outfit for a French wedding!

• Fri, 17 August: Louise & Nico's civil ceremony with family
• Sat, 18 August: Louise & Nico's special celebration in Bischoffsheim, Alsace
• Mon, 20 August: I meet up with our friend from Ulm, Claus for a couple of days of exploring more of beautiful Alsace (& especially tasting more of the delicious wines)
• Wed, 22 August: back on the TGV to travel to Antibes where I'll spend some time

with my sister, Sussie I have 5 days with Sussie & I'm sure looking forward to seeing the changes she's made to her place since I last visited in 2006 as well as seeing more of Provence.

• Tue, 28 August: on the TGV again to return to CDG for my flight to Singapore via Abu Dhabi (this time, the layover is 3.5 hours).
• Wed, 29 August: at 10:20pm, I arrive in Singapore to spend another 2 nights with the

family.

• Fri, 31 August: back to the airport at for my 8:45pm overnight flight back home.
• Sat, 1 September: arrive back at 9:45am to my lovely hubby & hopefully a beautiful springtime Sydney.

One More Sleep Friday, August 10, 2012

Mostly packed, just the usual last minute stuff to add in the morning. I can't believe the trip is already here. Time to say Au Revoir to ...

Zulu & Kasha - Jeff's buddies for the next 3 weeks

The lorikeets who come for breakfast ...and to...

...and of course to my lovely hubby....

Enjoying Selena's 1st birthday last weekend. ..and to say HELLO to Katie Dean Sam Oliver in Singapore...

At The Airport Saturday, August 11, 2012

It's another miserable day in Sydney (only weather-wise, of course). Must be the why the airport is jammed full of people leaving! Just over an hour to take off, then I'm on my way to see KDSO.

And there's my plane Saturday, August 11, 2012

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Flight D7 223 from my seat at the back of the plane Arrived exactly on time in Singapore at 8pm. Gosh, Changi is a huge airport. Air AsiaX flight from Sydney was fine except that I wished I'd taken up the ESO (Empty Seat Offer) purchase I received before I left. The plane wasn't overly crowded but seats small.

Flying over Australia always takes my breath away...the size & colours of the landscape are amazing...

The red centre?? Missed out on the Rock again

KL's LCCT The low cost flights are a good, inexpensive way to travel but they mean what they say - low cost. When we deplaned at KL's LCCT, we walked down the stairs

onto & across the tarmac (same for reboarding). Transferring to the next flight was easy & uncomplicated. The terminal is pretty basic but adequate. And then I was on my way again.

Dean met me at Changi & we caught a taxi to the apartment - the city scape is gorgeous at night & significantly changed since Jeff & I were here ??? years ago. It was lovely to see the family; really miss them. More later...

After swim Ollie Sam & Ollie posing for me - aren't they handsome boys!

A Wonderful Wednesday Wednesday, August 15, 2012

After a great night's sleep in a bed, I woke to be greeted by a yummy breakfast of fresh baguette, croissants, juice, fruit, yogurt & coffee...c'est magnifique. We three had a lovely casual breakfast, catching up on each other's news & talking, of course, about the upcoming wedding & Rene's funeral. Nathalie planned a lovely surprise for me - a visit to the Musee Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder. I had hoped that JAMBA could visit this museum last year but we did not have enough time. Another welcome surprise was the news that Michele could join us for the day. The museum is great; it houses a permanent collection of items by Rene Lalique as well as a temporary exhibition, in this case, works by Lalique's daughter. She was an accomplished artist in her own right & was a set designer & costumier for the theatre. We had lunch in a nearby restaurant on the terrace & I had 'un plat du terroir' - Bouchee a la reine (like a vol-au-vent) with some large spatzele (like stretched gnocchi) - it was lovely. Then the girls ordered Cafe Gourmand; I said yes thinking I was to have a cup of coffee but instead received a tasting plate of desserts - yum! On the way back from the museum, we saw a flock of stork in a field; I'd never seen stork other than in nests on the top of buildings. Nathalie & Michele both said they'd never seen as many at the one time; Michele counted 15. After dropping Michele home in Romanswiller, we returned to Neugartheim for a quiet evening & dinner on the terrace with Maxime; Denis made a traditional Alsacian meal -Bibeleskasse - more yummy food.

Driving throughone of the many lovely villages on the way to Wingen-sur-Moder

White cows (I thiink they are lovely, I've never seen them before) The museum's parking lot was full of old Citroens when we arrived

The restored chandelier at the entrance - stunning

A small part of the collection of perfume bottles; Lalaique started making these when he joined up with Coty

Nathalie & michele learning how to make Lalique vases

Cafe Gourmand - yum yum!

Maxime, Denis & Nathalie on the terrace; you can see Strasbourg Catherdral on clear days

A Very Busy Day Thursday, August 16, 2012

Thursday started with another great brekky; Denis went to the local boulangerie & returned with warm baguette..there is absolutely nothing better than fresh French bread. This afternoon, we will attend Rene's funeral & since I have no suitable clothing, Natahlie suggested a visit to the shops in Strassi. The shopping venture was successful; I bought a skirt, a couple of tops & a pair of sandal-shoes. I told Nathalie about Jeff's instruction to me - make sure you buy your Frey Wille this trip - so, since we had some spare time, Nathalie took me to the Frey Wille shop. I was able to comply with Jeff's instruction & purchased my birthday & Christmas gifts (I will test my purchases by wearing to the wedding). Then, it was back to Neugartheim for lunch on the terrace; Denis prepared a delicious smoked salmon salad. After changing, we headed to Romanswiller for the Rene's funeral. I was honored that Michele asked us to sit in the area reserved for family. The church was full & the service very nice. Although I did not understand everything that was said, I understood most. It was very moving. The family invited everyone for drinks & snacks in the village restaurant that Rene & Paulette used to own. I met again some of Michele's friends, including Corinne & Elisabett. After a pleasant hour or so, we left Romanswiller & headed into to Strasbourg to have coffee with Maxime at his workplace, Paul. He works in the one of the Paul's outlets run by his uncle, Nathalie's brother. Denis had to do some fatherly stuff (buy Maxime some new "baskets" ie basketball shoes) so Nathalie & I checked out the shops at Rivetoile, a relatively new shopping precinct beside the river. I managed to buy some white sandals for tomorrow evening's ceremony. We drove into Germany (just across the river) for dinner in Kehl; it was a very pleasant evening in a restaurant not far from the bridge that figured prominently in NATO's 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2009. And then back to France & Strasbourg to catch the light show at Rivetoile. Parking was a challenge because there were so many spectators; however, Denis had some luck & we found a park not far from the display. It was a good show with some really good music; but probably not quite as spectacular as the show at Bellagio in Las Vegas (apparently, the designer for tonight's show works for, or did, the Bellagio Casino). When the show finished, we joined the throngs of people making their way to the light show at the Cathedral. This was also put to music & aimed, I think, to give people a view of the some of the Cathedral's many interesting features that are not so obvious in the 'clear light of day'. By now, it was about midnight, so we three weary (& hot) people headed back to Neugartheim for a well-earned sleep.

After purchase smiles at the Frey Wille shop in Strasbourg; the experience was delightful, the young saleslady very professional, knowledgeable & pleasant. If she hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten all about claiming the tax refund (got back 133Euros at the airport)

My lovely guide, Nathalie

Maxime at work; Nathalie's brother owns a couple of Paul's outlets & Maxime works at this one at Rivetoile

The light show spectacular at Rivetoile; it was a show of water fountains & lights to music & drew big crowds

The light show at the cathedral allowed everyone to see the beautiful rose window in all its glory

A Civil Matter Friday, August 17, 2012

After another yummy brekky with Denis (Nathalie had to work today), I treated myself to a manicure & pedicure at a salon in Wiwerscheim. With my poor French & their poor English, it was just as well Denis escorted me into the salon. After this, we had a quick catchup with Nico & Alex; they had come to collect the 300+ bottles of champagne & wine for the wedding 'vin d'honneur' & reception. It was great to see both of them & especially to see Nico looking so happy. Denis's friend, Michel, who runs the local supermarket & is a basketball colleague, invited us for a drink. It was very pleasant; I had my first panache - French for shandy. I am understanding more each day, although I cannot keep up with the speed of normal conversation - I guess my old brain can't translate at the same pace. All too soon, it was time to head back home for lunch & to d ress for the civil ceremony. We met Nathalie & Maxime at the Mairie & didn't wait long before the bride & groom arrived. It was so great to see them & to see them so happy. I had only a couple of minutes with them before the rest of the family members arrive. I was very warmly greeted by all family members, many of whom know who I am, partly from LouNco's great blog & from Louise & Nico talking about their amazing trip. Very soon, we are ushered into Strassi's Mairie for the civil ceremony that will be conducted by Nico's Uncle & denis' brother, Serge. He is deputy mayor of Strassi. Once all the family is seated (& I am honoured to be seated with Denis & Nathalie & Chantal & Alex), t he ceremony begins. Unfortunately, I can't keep up with the words but I understand that there are formal words that must be spoken & once these are done, Serge makes some jokes. The whole ceremony is very relaxed & warm. And then...they are married!! All attending cheer, whistle & clap as LouNco celebrate with a kiss - it was truly lovely. After many photos & hugs & kisses, we moved on to dinner at La Marronniere. In this gorgeous traditional Alsacian restaurant, we ate tarte flambee & drank some great wines. Marcelle & Josef, Louise's parents gave me especially warm greetings & expressed their gratitude for all we & Anne & Bob did for their children. Chantal & Alex said the same; Alex said that Australia is especially meaningful for them because of the time they spent with Louise & Nico in El Vanino. When we returned home at 1 0:30pm, we were feeling so full of delicious tarte flambee we went out for a walk; we walked from Neugartheim to Itlenheim & back!! A great day.

The bride & groom arrive Maxime, Nathalie & Denis

Brothers - Maxime & Nicolas

It's official - Louise & Nico are married!

Outside Strassi's Mairie

Family toasts the bride & groom

Kids are the same the world over; Evan is showing the girls the games on his Nanny's (Chantal) iPhone

Tarte flambee normale

Exchanging rings

Pictures with friends

Nico & Chantal

Nico's extended family

The beautiful bride Chantal & Alex - doesn't Alex look great in his Gendarme uniform

Les danceurs

Lunch in Lingolsheim Sunday, August 19, 2012

After our late night/early morning we all slept in & didn't rise until 10:30am. On Friday, Louise & Nico asked me to come along to the family lunch on Sunday at Louise's aunt place. They arranged with Denis & Nathalie for Nico to collect me & drop me to Neugartheim. Denis & Nathalie couldn't come along as they were committed to watch Maxime at a basketball tournament. Nico collected me around 2pm (he didn't sleep until 7am & then had to wake up at 10am to do some cleaning up at the wedding venue)!! It was really nice to have a little one-onone time with Nico; it's such a pleasure to see him so happy. After a drive of about 30 minutes, we arrived in Lingolsheim to join the lunch party at the houses of Francoise & Marie-Claire, 2 of Louise's 7 aunts. All the guests already were enjoying some leftovers from the wedding: foie gras, jambon et boeuf. And then the reason for lunch: Louise Grandpa's spaghetti - it was delicious. After eating our fill in the awful heat, we were offered some of the leftover desserts...oh no, I cannot refuse the scrumptious framboiserie & so I eat some more. I got to spend a little time chatting with Louise but she was so tired she was falling asleep at the table; she took the sensible path & had an LLD (little lie down). I also spent some time chatting with Alex & with Evan (mind you, most of this time was spent admiring Evan's great kicks as he played soccer with his Dad). All too soon, people began drifting away - mostly to somewhere they could have a swim. I had many warm farewells from many people, especially Louise & Nico's families Louise, Nico & I had arranged that they would drive me back to Neugartheim together so we could spend a little more time together. We planned to go to their apartment in Ittenheim but as it was so hot, Josef suggested we go their home because it is airconditioned. Fantastic!! Marcelle & Josef's home is in Wolfisheim & is lovely. They recently completed renovations & opened up the ground floor; it is spacious & welcoming....& air-conditioned! Louise showed me around the garden; Josef is a keen gardener & grows especially beautiful orchids. We chatted for a while, then Celine arrived to join us. It was a very enjoyable time & I even got to cuddle some pussycats - Marcel & Josef have 2 & Celine & Manu's 2 cats were visiting. The cats got on amazingly well. Nico returned with Chantal so we could say our goodbyes. I was sad that we couldn't spend more time together this trip, but we agreed that there's always next year's trip (health & finances permitting). Nico & I drove to Ittenheim to collect Louise & then it was back to Neugartheim. After a lovely chat (& some pizza - poor Nico had been so busy all afternoon, he hadn't had time to eat after lunch), it was time for the newlyweds to leave. They are a wonderful young couple & we (ie Jeff & I) wish them very happiness & a long & joyful marriage.

Cooking sgetti in the garden

Eating sgetti in the garden The tired but happy newlyweds

The garden at Marcelle & Josef's lovely home

The rear view of the house

One of Josef's gorgeous roses

Scherwiller

Scherwiller

Dambach la Ville

Obernai

Alsacian countryside

Alsacian countryside

Lac Blanc

Kaysersberg

Kaysersberg

Keintzheim

Just looking

TGV-ing to Provence Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Claus & I met in the Caveau's dining room for breakfast again; this time was different, however, because we had a special treat - Paulette & Michele's mirabelle tarte. Not your usual breakfast treat but we needed to eat some this morning as I couldn't take it on the train with me. After breakfast & paying the bill, we headed upstairs to my room so Jeff & Claus could have a 'Skype' chat. Since we had to check out by 10am, we decided to head off to Colmar for my 1pm train. We had a lovely chat in a nearby park, an ice cream in the station brasserie & all too soon, I had to say farewell to Claus. We had enjoyed a terrific two days together; Claus enjoyed Le Coeur d'Alsace so much, he plans to spend some more time there. And so, the first of my 3 train rides started. This leg was on the local TER from Colmar to Mulhouse; then I joined a TGV to Lyon where I caught another TGV to Antibes. Total trip time was about 9 hours. The most challenging bit of travelling on French trains is your baggage; moving it in the station area & then onto & within the trains. For these 3 train rides I had an additional 'challenge' - 3 bottles of wine: Denis gave me a bottle of champagne from the wedding & Michele have me a couple that Claus & I didn't get a chance to drink. Lyon is a huge station & really busy; it seemed to me that there was a train arriving &/or departing at least every minute. I grabbed something to eat & tried, unsuccessfully, to find some free wifi. Onto the next TGV for the final leg; it was just after 6pm when I left Lyon & about 10:30pm when the train arrived in Antibes. Being the novice I am, I was really surprised at how busy Cannes & St Tropez were...I had expected the train to become emptier the further it went, but not so; it filled up in Cannes. And then I was there...and my lovely sister Sussie there to meet me. It was great to see her. We drove straight back to her place for a chat & a shower (the latter badly needed).

Skyping/Skype chatting with Jeff

A last look from my window at Caveau Brunstein

In the distance, you can just see Claus leaving the Colmar station; he was such a gentleman, insisting a carrying my suitcase all the way to & onto the train. Thankyou, Claus :-)

My last view of the Vosges

You can see another TGV next to the end of this one

Graffiti is a popular form of expression at every railway station

Somewhere between Marseilles & St Raphael

A Lazy Day in Biot Thursday, August 23, 2012

After the long day's travel yesterday, I slept & didn't wake until about 9:45am. Sussie had come in to see me before she left for work but said I was sleeping very soundly so she left me with lots of notes...where to find things, etc After showering (what bliss) & washing my hair (even more bliss), I had a lovely, lazy day catching up on emails & my blog posts. I can't believe I've been away from almost two

weeks; in some ways, it seems like hardly anytime; in other ways, I can't believe all the things I've done... Sussie planned a bbq dinner with a few friends tonight...she'd prepared some of the food already, so I was able to help by getting the table ready...Sonia, Sarah, Anne-Marie & Tandy all arrived & we had a lovely evening...delicious food, great wines & interesting conversation. It was another late night but well worth it!

Sussie's kitchen. Note the marble statue on the bar...one of Sussie's...she's a very talented sculptor, see www.slkidd.com

View from "the pit", a cosy reading area in front of the fire. The stairs to the upper level are just beyond the dining table.

View across the terrace to the medieval village of Biot where Sussie used to live

Another view across the terrace; the village is beautiful. I didn't visit it this time as I just ran out of time (& didn't have the energy to climb the stairs to the village in the heat)

Antibes & Beyond Friday, August 24, 2012

We both slept in a little after last night's dinner & then headed into Antibes. Sussie had to call into the office (on her day off) to try & sort out a few client issues (her phones never stop ringing). I walked down to the Vieux Ville & wandered through the streets with the other gazillion tourists; I'd only briefly seen this part of town when I came over for Sussie's birthday, so it was interesting to get a better look. The old town area is really nice, filled with cafes, galleries & gelaterias (& guess what I treated myself to...). I found my way to the Musee Picasso; what a great location. The upper level has a really good collection of his works & a fabulous series of photos of the man - he had a fascinating face & dark, dark eyes. The lower levels houses collections by a couple of modern artists, some of which I liked. When I left the museum, the Cathedral's bells were ringing...I was in time to see another just-married couple appear on the steps of the cathedral. Like the other gawkers, I took a couple of pics before moving on. When she finished at work, Sussie called & we agreed on getting out of town for lunch; we went to the pretty village of Mougins. It is an artist-centric hilltop village; we had a lovely lunch (I had melon au jambon...I just love the melons here...so juicy). Then, at my request, Sussie took me to Grasse...sort of a disappointment because it's not at all what I imagined; crowded, large...not at all the romantic placed I'd envisaged. Then to Valbonne; Sussie had saved the best til last...Valbonne is a gorgeous village -Sussie describes it as lived in. We wandered around the village after a panache or two; I bought some poterie including Sussie's birthday gift. We visited the Lakavanou wine bar owned by her friend Karin; it was really nice, very friendly & very relaxed. Karin recommended a restaurant, La Coin de la Rue, for dinner & it was great. After a lovely day of sightseeing & eating & chatting, we headed back to Biot for a good night's sleep before venturing out again...on the agenda are Musee Renoir & Rousselin.

Old Antibes near the square

Haven't translated this yet but thought it might be interesting or funny! Isn't this stunning! The tower houses part of the Musee Picasso

This is one of the smaller boats around the Cote d'Azur

This puppy made me think of Kasha - this is her classic pose Antibes rooftops from the Picasso Museum

Marche Provencal in Antibes

This building, looking a little worse for wear, is opposite Sussie's office in Antibes

Part of the port area & one of the reasons there are a bunch of Yacht Brokers in Antibes

While waiting for Sussie, I realised that the train station (the reddish building in the distance) is just up the road from her office

Driving through Grasse

Sussie can't escape the work phone

An olive oil mill; this wheel is decorative but there is a working one The old granite crushing wheels; the base is also granite

One of the many Provencal village pussycats Panache time in Valbonne

Just love the windows & doors in Provencal villages

Me'n'my gorgeous lil sis

Love the colours of the fruit & vegie shops

Saturday in Provence Saturday, August 25, 2012

I slept in again; & it's w arm again. We had a nice, leisurely start to the day. The plan was to visit St Paul de Vence (on my must-do list for this trip) & also the Musee Renoir. We took the scenic route that included Sophia Antipolis; Sussie told me that Sophia Antipolis is the Provencal equivalent of Silicon Valley. It's quite pretty & I noticed that the the buildings are a little reminiscent of California's hi-tech areas. We had to stop here to pick up some some stuff for me from the pharmacie. As we leave Sophia, I notice that it's hot again...today, I remembered to bring some sun screen, especially important driving around in Sussie's cute car. We drove through Vence on the way to St Paul de Vence. Sussie told me that Vence holds a great music festival each year. Vence is also where one of Louise's aunts lives. I wish I'd have enough time to contact her. Oh well, next visit. When we arrived at St Paul de Vence, we joined the line of other tourists trying to find a park in the undercover parking lot. Sussie said she'd never had to go down so far before (to the 5th level). But when we got out of the lift, I understood why this village is so popular: it is beautiful. This hilltop village has heaps of galleries & interesting shops (nothing junky or schlocky at all) & a great choice of restaurants. W e walked around for a while & Sussie showed me some of her favourite galleries. Eventually, we found our way to a restaurant for a late lunch. Sussie had been trying to surprise me with lunch or dinner at La Columbine d'Or, an historic & ultra-popular restaurant, & her favourite place, but she was unable to get a booking. Our lunch was lovely anyway - sitting on a terrace, eating great food & enjoying a glass of Provencal rose is a pretty good way to go. We took another walk around the remparts for some photos & then went on to the Foundation Maeght, a wonderful art gallery run by the Foundation Maeght (established by the Maeght family in the 20th century). The gallery holds works by Giacometti, Miro, Leger & Chagall (as well as other artists I am not familiar with); the gallery & gardens are lovely. It was too late for the Renoir Museum (another item for the next visit list) & I was feeling a little weary, so we went back to Sussie's place for a quiet evening, chilling out & enjoying the fact that the temperature dropped a little. Tomorrow's plan is now in place: head off to Roussillon tomorrow; it's about a 3 hour drive (& in fact, not far from Grambois where JABA stayed last year). Hopefully, we'll find somewhere to stay Sunday night & have a leisurely drive back on Monday.

On the way to Vence; a glimpse of the gorgeous white cliff faces so prevalent in this area

I'm not sure what village this is, but isn't it beautiful

A quaint chapel near the main entrance to St Paul de Vence

This is the restaurant at which we later lunched. The statue of the horse in the background is made of horseshoes.

I never tire of the twisty cobbled streets Closed shutters help keep the heat out

This door fascinated me; it looked older than the village.

We both liked these dresses; Sussie bought the orange & grey version. The shop owner makes the dresses & her father paints the fabrics (we later checked out his gallery).

Sussie & her lunch (the prawn salad is served on a plate of watermelon)

My warm goat's cheese salad (I will try replicate this at home)

Some views from the remparts of St Paul de Vence Some rather lovely looking (& large) homes over there

Sussie has made some amazing fish sculptures, so she naturally gravitated to this interesting piece on display

Just in case you need to know...

Last look at St Paul de Vence

The walls in the background are covered in mosaics

Just love the colours in this stained glass (I paid an extra 5 Euros so I could take photos; I thought this was better than banning photography, as do many museums & galleries)

Flooring in many of the galleries rooms; the design & construction of the gallery is almost as artful as the works on display

Sculpture by Giacometti; mural by Miro (I think)

Water & sculptures feature in the gardens

There is a very small chapel in the garden & this stained glass window is just one of four

Kinetic fountain - mesmerising to watch

On our way, the beach is still buzzing

That's the Med back there

Sussie's local fruit & vegie shop

Sunday in Roussillon Sunday, August 26, 2012

After sleeping in (yet again), I was greeted with a fresh lemon juice to get me started for the day. Fresh fruit (I guess I haven't yet raved about the magnificent melons here) & a coffee, bags packed & we were on our way to Roussillon. Sussie's friend, Angleika, suggested we see this village, renowned for the red ochre in the surrounding earth; when Sussie mentioned Roussillon as an option for the weekend, I jumped at it because JABA missed out on seeing it last year. Sussie decided we'd use the Autoroute to get there quickly, so we headed off & joined quite a bit of traffic returning to other parts of France (in July & August, people from all parts of France, especially from Paris, spend their summer vacation in the South of France). All was going well until George (the TomTom) decided we should go in a direction that Sussie didn't agree with; wham, we hit a huge traffic jam. This time, it wasn't just traffic; we later found out that a huge bushfire near Cavaillon had caused closure of (or at least delays on) the Autoroute & delayed trains for a couple of hours. George wasn't too popular, so like Claus's navigator, had to earn back some brownie points; he did this by helping us find a scenic way to Loumarin for lunch. It was lovely to revisit this beautiful village; it has special memories for me because I met Michele, Francis & Simone in Loumarin in 2006 & JABA had a great time there in 2011. But, we could not dally as the day was rushing by (thanks to the traffic jam), so back in the car & on to Roussillon. Sussie had booked us into Hotel Reve des Ocres, so we decided to check in first & explore second. When she booked the hotel, she read the Trip Advisor reviews about the hotel & they were very mixed. What we found was a quaint, very clean hotel with very nice rooms & friendly & helpful staff (must remember to put such comments on Trip Advisor). We found our way to Le Sentier des Ocres &, after the paying the huge entry fee (just joking, it was a mere 2.5Euros each), we began the walk. It was a bit challenging in bits for me with my dodgy knee & feet as well as the late afternoon heat; but it was well worth it. I'll leave the pictures to speak for themselves. We rewarded ourselves with an icecream: mine was a scoop of lavendar (OMG) & a scoop of raspberry-rippled yogurt (OMG x 2); Sussie had lemon-basil sorbet (she loved this boule) & mango. Then we explored this beautiful village some more. By now, it was around 7pm & we were pretty tired so we chose a restaurant for dinner & had a great meal (including a great bottle of red wine as a special treat) on a terrace in the sunset. It was an early night for us; only 11pm by the time we returned to the hotel, me to load photos & then to sleep, Sussie to try & sort a work problem for a while.

On the motorway; it's a pay road &, like us, Sussie uses the tag system (in France, a large t signifies the t-lanes at the payage points)

I love the white rock formations (must find out what it is)

The traffic jam. We were stuck in this for 20kms before the next turn off. We later found out that the fire that caused the traffic snarl was started by schoolkids - seems bored kids on holidays are world-wide phenomena).

Aqueduct near Aix en Provence Approaching Loumarin

Hey ABA, does this look familiar?

Loumarin is a beautiful & popular village

Back on the road on our way to Roussillon, we came across Le Pont Julien The road has been diverted to ensure the bridge doesn't fall down

Roussillon, walking up towards the village from our hotel

Many of the village walls & houses use red mortar - very attractive Sorry, I can't resist the cute windows

Cliffs near the start of Le Sentier des Ocres (the walk for which the village is famous)

It's a popular walk, despite the heat of the day The colour & texture of the ochre is amazing

Sussie told me that this is the fruit from the chestnut tree

I admired this plant's fortitude Some cliff faces are lighter ochres...whites, yellows & pinks

Back in the village, we head towards the viewing areas

The village church tower I love the detail on some of the houses...the birds are porcelain

Looking out from the high point of the village

The bare mountain in the background is Mont Ventoux, one of the Tour de France challenges

More rooftops, from the terrace of the bistro where we sipped an aperitif (mine was a pastis - yum)

Decorative trompe l'oeil

Next trip, I might buy a painting

Beautiful glassware - just as well the shop was closed The church tower in the evening light

Our restaurant selection for dinner

Loved the potted hydrangeas

The upper terrace of the restaurant (by the way, we had the cutest waiter - he was charming & helpful...& handsome!)

Last Day in Provence Monday, August 27, 2012

Woke up to a beautifully cool morning in Roussillon. We had a simple French breakfast (croissants, baguettes, juice & coffee) in the hotel's dining room. Chatted with a young Australian couple who were on a 4-day cycling tour of the Luberon area. We admired their fortitude. A last look at Roussillon & we were on our way to the L'Occitane Museum at Manosque. The road there took us through Apt. When we arrived in Manosque I thought things looked familiar & as we got closer to the Museum, I realised that we JABA drove through Manosque on the way back to Grambois from Moustiers. The L'Occitane Museum & Factory is in a ZI (Zone Industriel); not exactly a romantic location for such lovely products. Nevertheless, the museum was really interesting; we found out that L'Occitane has a foundation that aids people with sight problems & women in difficulties. They also work with women in Burkina Faso; these women produce the ingredients L'Occitane use in their shea butter based products. Since we were on a bit of a deadline (Sussie's friend, Angelika, had invited us for lunch), we left L'Occitane & headed for Aups, a village Sussie wanted to see. The drive took us over & beside the Durance River, over the Verdon River & through some beautiful fields of sunflowers. We didn't have enough time to stop in Aups, a fortified Provencal village, but I think it'll be on the list for my next visit. Angelika lives on the outskirts of Vidauban & welcomed us with a great smile, despite our being a tad late. Mind you, Angelika had to wait while her gorgeous dog, Dante, greeted Sussie - what a smoochie dog. We had a lovely lunch on Angelika's patio while the breeze wafted over us & the water in the pool tinkled & Dante tried to entice us into playing with him. Sussie & Dante had races in the pool while I just relaxed. We left about 5:30pm & are now back in Biot, both on laptops - Sussie (unfortunately, having to work on her day off) & me trying to catch up on the blog. I can't believe that tomorrow I'll be starting my trip back home...I've had a great time with Sussie, she's a very special person.

The two upstairs windows are our rooms

One of many plane-tree flanked roads we travelled on

Front of L'Occitane's museum. You can visit the factory as well but you have to book ahead.

Les tournisols (sunflowers) We stopped at one of Sussie's favourite wineries for a few bottles of rose

Lunch - Angelika made mussels, watermelon salad, potato tart & bbq meats

Angelika & Sussie hard at work at the barbie

The swimming pool sparkles

Angelika & her husband own this beautiful stone farmhouse. They rent it out during summer for a couple of months. Any takers??

The living fireplace adorned with one of Sussie's fantastic sculptures (the sculpture's name is Judy)

The farmhouse is surrounded by maritime pines

Biot from the road, my second last view of this gorgeous village

Back to Singapore Thursday, August 30, 2012

The start of my long travelling day began with a brekky chat with Sussie. She had to get to work to resolve her 'client issue', so we agreed that she'd come back for me around 11am. This gave me time to repack, have a leisurely shower, do some washing for Sussie & finish photo updates & maybe some blogging. Well, that was the plan. 11am rushed up & Sussie was there, so we piled my bags into her cutie pie car & drove to the station. For some reason, I was really edgy...& felt as though I would not settle until I was on the plane at 10pm that night.... We had to say our goodbyes very quickly as the station was really busy...so all too soon, Sussie was gone. The platform was quite crowded so I was pleased to find that my place on the platform was right by the station entry (you have to wait at a designated area on the platform where your carriage is expected to stop; if you don't, you will never make it in time). I had arrived in plenty of time, so I was a little more relaxed now...but became somewhat re-stressed when the departure time for train passed & I was still on the platform. Bugger!! A train delay; the train had a technical problem & was 'retarde indeterminee' ie late, no expected time available....now I started to worry...although my plane wasn't leaving Paris until 10pm, Paris was still a 6-hour train ride away. I eventually found out that they expected the train to arrive within an hour (it did) but this did not ease my nervousness. I let Sussie & Jeff know what was going on; Sussie organised her PA to find out about flight alternatives should things worsen. Anyway, the train did arrive & I had a great seat thanks to Michele (a single seat in first class). I didn't have any trouble getting my bag in the baggage area (Antibes is only the 2nd or 3rd stop after the start, so there was plenty of space). Dozed a little, got some lunch, took some pics...basically, whiled away the 6 hours until we arrived at Paris CDG. When I grabbed my bag, I noticed it was upside down (I'd carefully put it right side up so it'd be easy to get out) & then found that the cable tie I'd locked it with was gone: bugger, the bag had been opened & ??? I was pretty angry about it but no-one at the station was interested, not even a little. I subsequently found out the nothing important was missing; my jewellery was the only thing of value in the bag & it was safe. CDG is huge so it too me about 20/25 minutes to find the Etihad desk & check in. I had checked in online (& changed my seat) but wasn't able to print the boarding pass; so had to collect that piece of paper at the check in desk. Then I went to the Customs office to claim the tax refund; this meant waiting in 1 line to get a stamp on the paperwork & standing in another line to get the money. The latter line was a pain & I saw all my spare time tick away while unprepared, painful tourists gave the workers a hard time. Finally, I had my Euros & went straight the boarding area to find it full of people!! When I changed my seat online, I had hoped the seat beside me would stay empty....no luck. Another passenger joined me; so I asked one the flight attendants if I could move. She kindly found me another location....next to 2 lots of babies! Oh well, at least I had 2 seats to myself. It wasn't a great flight...sore legs, sore feet, crying babies...so I was glad when the flight landed in Abu Dhabi a little early. Wow, what an amazing airport & unbelievably busy at 7am! I went straight to the transfers desk & asked if I could change my seat & gain a little space. The woman at the counter moved me towards the back of the plane in the centre & said I had the last row of 4 seats - yee hah!! The airport has free wifi, so I was able to Skype Jeff & let him know I'd made it to Abu Dhabi. A little shopping, a little breakfast, a bit of waiting around & then onto a bus to be taken to the plane (a badged plane - Manchester City Football Club) & into my 4 seats. I didn't realise how tired I was until I sat down; so I stretched my legs across 3 seats & promptly fell into quite a heavy doze. After take-off, however, I lay down & fell asleep. Another passenger thought better of trying to share my 4 seats, so I spent the whole flight (almost 8 hours) stretched across the four seats & pretty soundly asleep. The plane touched down in Singapore exactly on time at 10:18pm. By the time we taxied to the terminal & unloaded passengers, it was around 10:30pm. Dean was flying into the same terminal about 11:40pm after a business trip so we'd arranged to meet & taxi home together. It was great to see his smiling face at the airport & we had nice time chatting in the taxi before arriving at the apartment about 12:30am. A bleary-eyed Katie appeared to say HI before we all fell into bed...I was asleep before my head hit the pillow...& no wonder, by the time I reached Katie & Dean's place, I'd been travelling for over 30 hours!

Cote d'Azur - pretty hard to get good photos from the train, but I try anyway

Cote d'Azur (might be Cannes or St Tropez)

There are boats everywhere

Brief glimpse of an aqueduct (some of these are used for canals now; Rick Stein's barge trip through France had him barging on an elevated canal something like this)

Palais des Papes in the distance - brings back memories of a great day in Avignon last year with ABA

Middle of France - all the countryside is lovely to see

My last views of a French village...

...and now something completely different, the departures lounge at the terminal I arrived in, Abu Dhabi International Airport - spectacular

Shopping in the terminal

The walkway to my departure gate...it reminded me a little of the mosque Jeff & I visited in Malaysia. I had the same sense of space & serenity - amazing given the business of the airport

Another busy departures pod - the airport seems to be designed around the concept of tents used by the nomadic desert peoples...very attractive

How's this for a control tower - wish I could have managed a clearer, closer photo

Tropical surroundings

Before the downpour Spidey Ollie in his French cap

Singapore

It's a very green city

Let the games begin...

...practicing karate??

Brekky time

Good time for a chat

Downtown