Off to Paris from Avignon on a TGV: Checked into our apartment and then off to the Apple Store to fix my broken keyboard:
Big day today. Collect girls from their camp, check in at our hotel in Avignon and drop the bags, then off to see Janine in Issirac, then dinner and then back to Avignon. Google map reckons its 343km and 6+ hours on the road. It felt like it: To get through this gruelling day required […]
If you lust for truffle, then Chez Bruno in Lorgues can give you your fix. This place does 130 covers for lunch and then again at dinner, every day, every week. It’s singular role is to serve truffles in a set menu where the only variation is the type of truffle that’s grated onto the […]
We were recommended to go to a place called Auberge des épis in Saint Martin de Crau. But after arriving and waiting 30 minutes for a menu, drink and order with no service we packed up and left. We checked the trusty Tripadvisor app and saw the closest restaurant with decent reviews was a place […]
Our first morning at Mas du Petit Grava and it was nice to be back in Provence. After breaky it was off to Arles to see the Rencontres d’Arles photography exhibition. The exhibition is spread over multiple venues in Arles but the main location is at the Parc des Ateliers, a disused French railway yard:
1 August is the day for a big drive. Over 400 km: We headed to Montpellier and made it in one stint and found a bakery for lunch: Then it was onto Arles and a bed and breakfast called Mas du Petit Grava owned and run by Jim and Ike. Enroute we saw traffic jams […]
We had no plans for dinner and as the restaurant next door was closed on Sunday nights, Marc suggested a place in nearby Cahuzac-sur-Vère. So off we went to Château des Salettes. What a great place and food – a 1 hat Michelin place no less! (click on the photo to see description)
Went into Albi. Saw the Cathédrale Saint Cécile and a few museums – notably Toulouse Lautrec – and the Jardin du palais de La Berbie:
Back to Castelnau de Montmiral for lunch at the restaurant next to hotel conveniently called La Table des Consuls. And at the end of lunch a wedding party appeared:
Puycelsi is one of the best example of a preserved town dating back to the 11th century. But getting there meant finding the exit through the narrow streets of Castelnau de Montmiral first! Here are some images of Puycelsi:
Friday was moving from Laguiole in the Aveyron department to Castelnau de Montmiral in the Tarn department. A 2.5 hour drive on a mix of highways and country roads: Montmiral is one of the villages listed in the Most Beautiful Villages of France: and a view from the village: But old villages eventually crumble. This […]
The dining room has a great view but on our first night it was raining. However, on this evening we had a great sunset to accompany our meal: Kim had the Aubrac menu and I had a main course of Aubrac beef. But we both started with amuse buche: The black cod from the Aubrac […]
Day 2 at Bras was better weather than our first day. The morning was foggy but the afternoon saw some sun so a chance for some photos: And our room keys are attached to the horns of the local Aubrac cow:
A trip to Laguiole wouldn’t be complete without visiting this world-famous knife maker’s factory – Laguiole Forge: It’s always great to see a business go from a small local business to world domination:
Thursday 28 July. We set off in our trusty steed – an Avis Opel Meriva. It’s a very comfortable car and swallowed up over 500litres of luggage for four people: … For a day of wandering around the town of Laguiole. The town is known for its knife foundries, especially the Laguiole Foundry, but there […]
Our first serious meal this trip is at Michel Bras. He’s a legend in cooking having invented much of what is done today in haute cuisine. In a quote attributed to Wiley Dufresne “he has been copied by every chef in the world. We’ve all taken a page out of the Bras book – the […]
27 July. Travel day from Avignon to Laguiole, about 300kms, where we’ve got some serious eating to do at Michel Bras. Our route takes us south west to Montpellier and then north west on the A75 to Lagioule passing through the beautiful Millau Viaduct. Enroute was “eat in the car” lunch of baguette, serrano ham […]
Despite lots of resources on the web, getting a prepaid SIM card with a data plan is still time consuming and frustrating. The Orange Mobicarte with the Internet Max data plan seems to be the most recommended so here are my tips if you’re going down this road: – Go to an Orange shop and […]
We left Stockholm and flew into Geneva for an overnight and then a 6.40am train to Avignon. This picture from the air isn’t the airport in Geneva but a highway that disappears into the mountain: Next morning we arrived in Avignon, got our rental car and dropped off our bags at our hotel before setting […]
Had to get online in Stockholm to use Google maps and other online resources. Help? There’s an excellent guide called Pay as you go sim with data Wiki and the entry for Sweden lists several options. I went to the local Phone House opposite my hotel and purchased a Telenor plan called Talk More. The […]
Sunny day. Off to see a photography exhibition at Fotografiska: It was 3 stories of wonderful photography and excellent cafes. Had to have a beer called “God Lager“: Wish Melbourne had a dedicated photography exhibition. Some street images around our hotel:
A sunny and muggy day. Enroute to the Vasa museum we walked through the Karlaplan area: The Vasa museum is on its own island, so we needed to cross a bridge to get there: The Vasa is a viking war ship that sank on its maiden voyage: Then it was off for a boat ride […]
Day 2 started wet. We begin at the main train station: After a bit of sight seeing in the main downtown area we stopped at the Bakfickan restaurant at the Operakällaren. This is the #1 rated restaurant on Tripadvisor and it was a good pick. Excellent traditional dishes and a charming atmosphere: The restaurant takes […]
The journey took a cancelled flight and 40 hours… Here’s a picture of us deplaning in Dubai at 5am. No sign of an airbridge in sight. Not a good impression. And when transiting in Frankfurt there were raffles for classic Mercedes all over the place. I guess raffles for vintage Holdens wouldn’t have as much […]
