Brittany - As We've Never seen It Before!

I have just plopped myself back in the UK after having had a brilliant holiday! Which first of all means that the last few days have been all about trying to play catch up. It's taken a few days but normality is just about in reach. Thankfully, I still feel fantastically rested and I have returned with...wait for it...some colour to my usually pallid complexion.

This is not normal. For starters, we returned to Brittany, to exactly the same region we visited last year. However, this time around, we had two weeks of blue skies and hot sun. And we were based only a ten minute stroll away from a beach. We don't do beach holidays and we are both somewhat shy of the sun, given that we both have fair skin. So it's been a novelty to have experienced a "sun, sand & sea" holiday.

Enough preamble! On with the obligatory photos...

This is the Gite where we stayed. The owners lived next door but thankfully gave us our privacy. I vowed that if we caught them lurking around, I'd start sunbathing in the altogether and ensure we never saw them again. Thankfully I didn't have to resort to such extreme measures.

The reason we love this area of Brittany is that we can be near the sea but we are not limited to sitting on beaches. The geography is wonderfully varied and for the most part, quite rocky. And when the tide is low, there's even the chance to go check out the caves. At high tide, where I'm standing is completely underwater.

There are plenty of craggy rocks to scramble over and go exploring around the rockpools, hunting for shrimps and crabs. Or just sitting on and soaking up the rays. I am in utter bliss listening to the sea crash against rocks. It's the most soothing sound in nature.

We bought a pair of Paris Brests everyday from the local patisserie. They were the best we've ever tasted. Utterly moorish.  The shop' owner told Nick that he also sold over 30 different flavours of Chocolate eclairs too.  Thank goodness we don't live here. I'd be the size of a house within weeks.

Me paddling in the sea. It's something I love to do and very seldom have the opportunity. Just to stroll along the shore line with waves lapping my toes. Bliss!

I had to include this shot as it was so unusual. On one of our coastal outings, this large moth (butterfly?) flew straight onto Nick's hand and stayed there long enough for us both to photograph it. Gorgeous colouring.

And yes, more insects. We visited a garden on one of our excursions and they had a pond the size of a lake. It was swarming with dragonflies. It was a beautiful, serene spot and we couldn't tear ourselves away. Nick was busy clicking away with his fancy large DSLR camera and I had my pocket sized one. I dislike having to carry my large camera around. Especially on holiday as I know I'll just take snapshots. However, I was astounded at the quality of the photos my little camera took. Like this one. Yes, I took it! I have now fallen in love with my camera.

Here's Nick buying deliciously ripe and ready to eat avocados. Something he masters incredibly well and I fail at hopelessly. I can speak the language. In fact, I know more French than Nick. But I fail to make myself understood. I love and envy that he can go around the market stalls and speak with the locals. I just end up frustrated and coming away with a kilo of pate or a litre of honey.

One of our coastal walks took in four or five different bays like this. Every time we rounded the corner, we came across another. We found a shady spot and ate our lunch around here.

What can I say! Shoes and socks!!!!! Good job he doesn't care (and neither do I) about such fashion faux pas lol.

Finally, just a few of the colourful snapshots I took. Whether we were visiting towns,  cities, or beach resorts, we came across so much more colour over in France than we see over here in the UK. Even just ordering a cup of tea in the dingiest bar, I noticed on the red table top in front of me, was my crumpled green teabag sachet, alongside an orange biscuit wrapper and a pink block of sugar. Europe seems such a more joyful place for all the colours they surround themselves with. Back home, all I can see are muted palettes, browns and greys. That's why my project this year is to bring a rainbow of bright colour into our home. I've caught the European bug. And of course, I'll share my progress as and when I do.

Right, I must go and make that salad for dinner. I need to undo all the naughty sweet treats of the last couple of weeks

A Fortnight in Les Hogues

Hello there one and all - yes - I'M BACK! Two weeks in Northern France have zipped by in the blink of an eye and I'm back to reality with a crash.

You know the terrible weather you've been having over here in the UK? Well, it wasn't too different over there in Europe either lol. The day we travelled to our Gite, we drove in some hairy conditions, let me tell you. At one point, the rain was so heavy, our visibility was virtually nil and we pulled over until it improved. I mean, we were on foreign roads, looking for signposts we couldn't see, in conditions which even the locals thought extreme.

However, we eventually arrived at the small community of Les Hogues in Normandy, amid their flooded roads and were welcomed into our home for the coming days. It may have been wet, but it was incredibly tranquil. Very little noise, hardly any neighbours and acres upon acres of deer-filled forest behind us to go and explore.

 After our first day, weather did improve. It was wet for the first week, but just light showers. And the second week was nothing but sun. So we didn't do too badly. Luckily, we took advantage of the first sunny day we had and headed for the house and gardens of Monet. You know, the impressionist painter with a fondness for ponds, bridges and lily pads.

As you'd expect, it was heaving with tourists and everyone wanted to take photos of the famous water gardens. Us included. And it was the first time I witnessed someone taking photos with an iPad.  It certainly causes an eyebrow to rise when someone in front of you holds this board up and takes photos. What the dickens happened to quaint little cameras & apps on phones??? It just looks wrong!

When we booked our holiday, we had no idea how rich the region was in art. On our doorstep were two brilliant sculpture parks. Over seventy pieces of beautiful art in each.  The first one we visited was filled with pieces sculpted by a single artist. Needless to say, I could inundate this post with photos and with great difficulty, I've limited myself to showing you these two. The top photo is Gaia, in gold, atop the earth shaped frock. The second is a modern piece which stood out from the more conventional (& by that I mean bare-breasted nubile women) sculptures, chiefly for the casual air she has and for the mobile phone held to her ear.

The second park was much more outre. With pieces by Volti and Dali, it certainly had heaps of surprises around each corner. The top photo is entitled a "Bisexual Dragon with it's Children". I loved the idea that it was bisexual and not hermaphrodite. The second photo is one example of the picnic tables here. Each had a sculpture attached to it, in this case, a stone egg. It's smooth, shiny surface contrasting against the worn, lichen-strewn stone table and benches. A perfect place for sitting down and ripping into your baguettes and cheese.

In another park, on another day, we came across this beautiful white peacock. Not sure if it's a particular breed of this species or whether it's albino. I've certainly not seen such an exotic example like him before.

As I said earlier, we did have some fine, sunny weather in the second week of our stay and just to prove it, here's a shot I took of the beach at Dieppe, the seaside resort the Parisens flock to.

Food photos! The bain of holiday snaps. It wouldn't be the same if I didn't come back wanting to delete every photo Nick takes of me, no more so than those which include food. However, I gracefully allowed him to snap me seated in front of this heavenly meringue dessert, seconds before I devoured it.

Mind you, this holiday was a little different in how disgracefully healthy we were. We ate mostly salad - BY CHOICE! We nibbled on only small quantities of cheese and most shockingly of all, when visiting the beautiful old port town of Honfleur, amidst all the shops laden with chocolates and patisseries, I dragged Nick into a juicebar. I had a celery, lime, mint and apple combo. Nick had nearly every different fruit and vegetable in the shop, in his, including coriander leaves (blerghhh!)

Finally, a trip to France wouldn't be the same if it didn't include Macarons!!!! And yes, we found a quaint little shop in Giverny, which sold the classier versions of my favourite mini treats. The above selection included salted caramel, strawberry with basil, liquorice, violets, coconut, rose, apple, pistachio, lavender and chocolate. Total bliss! They could certainly give Laduree a run for their money.


And now we're home, thoroughly rested and enjoying a brief spell of sunshine too. Nice to be able to continue eating olives in the garden, with an aperitif before supper.

It normally takes me a week to acclimatise back to reality again. I'm itching to create something. Anything! Just need to tackle all those jobs and deadlines first which have mounted up whilst I was away. Plus there's all those wonderful creative blogs to catch up on too.

Whatever you're up to this week, I hope it's a fun, busy and creative affair.

Px