travel – FamilyOnAFurlough

Might of the Moher

Whether you’re a world traveler, nature lover, or Harry Potter fan, you might have heard of the Cliffs of Moher.

The mighty sea cliffs are located on the west coast of Ireland, on the Wild Atlantic way and are one of the most visited sites in Ireland.

So naturally it was part of the itinerary on our recent trip to Ireland.

While researching, we came across many reviews and opinions, calling it too touristy and crowded. Now, we the Rajans, steer clear of the crowds and actively avoid any tick marks on touristy, bucket lists. We are nature lovers and like any sensible person would understand, humans and nature don’t go so well together.. too many humans, even less so! 😬

But the cliffs.. or rather the pictures of the cliffs were dramatic, to say the least. We just had to see them.

On Further browsing the internet, we got our solution. So if you are a like minded individual/ family, who do not mind a small (or longer) hike, to stay away from the crowds AND get better views, steer clear of the visitor centre. Or, at least don’t let that be your starting point.

Cliffs are about 14 km long and the visitor centre, is about midway on the cliffs, where the masses usually descend. The southern starting point is at Hag’s head and northern end is at Doolin.

So either one can start proximally, at Hag’s head or distally at Village of Doolin and hike up to the visitor centre (where there’s an option of taking a bus or cab back to either ends). The hikes are beautiful and safe… We can vouch for the one starting at hag’s head.. and even our 6 yr old was merrily trotting along. There’s one official Path, totally safe.. and the other, unofficial goat-track, closer to the edge, also safe but one just has to be careful, at places. Wild pink flowers were in full bloom along the cliffs and sea-gull nests, dotted the edges.

When we started the day, it was downright gloomy with pouring rain, totally a kinda day you don’t want while visiting the cliffs. One should track the weather conditions (for what it’s worth) to ensure there’s no fog around the cliffs, which will make the trip meaningless.

Nonetheless, since we were anyway headed north towards Galway, we started our day, praying for better weather.

The Path.

The friendly gentleman at the reception of Coachman’s Townhouse at Kenmare was very helpful and gave us an important travel tip which saved us a lot of fuel and some hours on the road. So, instead of driving around the strait, via Shannon and Limerick, he suggested we cross the bay in a ferry at Tarbert, barely a 20 minute ride.

Having saved some hours on the road, we reached the village of Liscannor, the closest to southern point of the Cliffs, at about 3.00 pm, while still pouring, but luckily, not fogged-out, took a quick break at the Rock Shop, did some “essential” souvenir shopping and snack-tucking, then drove about 2km to the private parking at Hag’s Head, at a farm, that charges only 2€. Yes, you read that right, versus, 8€ / person at the visitor centre. Need more motivation to park and hike? Then please read on…

Since the land around the cliffs is all privately owned, the tourists who are allowed to visit are expected to respect the locals and close the cattle gates on the path so there is no cattle-trespassing.

Having heard the phrase, “If you don’t like the weather in Ireland, wait for 10 minutes…” many a times, we experienced it first-hand, this day. Parked our car, geared up for the wet and dreary weather, with a woolen cap, rain jackets etc and started walking.

Make sure you close these gates behind you.

10 minutes into the hike and the sun started shining so bright that now I was missing the sun-glasses and a hat!

There were exactly 2-3 people visible to us at any one time, the weather gods couldn’t be more favorable and the views were jaw-dropping!

It took us about 2 hours at a leisurely pace, clicking a gazillion pictures with the cliffs, the cows and the clouds to reach upto the visitor centre.

To further corroborate our decision to hike, we came across hordes of tourists and tourist buses completely swarming the landscape. We forgot to click a picture of the same, wasn’t thinking ahead for the blog, so here’s one from the web…

We made a mandatory free trot through the shop and decided to book a cab ride back to Hag’s head, as the little one was now completely exhausted. A bus ride would have been more economical but the service had closed for the day.

10 minutes to the parking lot, and we were back- on our forward journey to Galway! See you there!

Slán!

Click here for the Wild Atlantic Way part 1- Beara

Click here for Wild Atlantic Way Part 2- Dingle & Ring of Kerry

Our 8 days Irish Road-trip Itinerary is here!

Mumma, Guess why I Loved Chicago?!

The Art Room at the Children’s Museum, Chicago

This November (of 2018), we made a whirl-wind trip to Chicago, for work. Of course the little one accompanied us and we took turns attending conference and entertaining the little one. We all wear the traveling pants in our family, and Mr little pants who is already a pro-traveller contributed to travel planning this time, voting for things he wanted to see/ do /eat in Chi-town.

This post has been based on our little one’s inputs, as have been penciled down in his Travel-journal. He contributed to the trip planning, voting for top things “he” wanted to do in Chicago and once back home, clearly stated what he did and did not enjoy!

Ice Skating:

“I wish we could skate everyday back home, I’ll get so much better with practice “. No surprises there, as he was thrilled at the end of this tryst. Considering that we, the tropical dwellers do not usually engage in this sport, and little one has no skating/ balancing skills, the enthusiasm that he showed to try his hand (oops, feet) at ice skating was commendable. Through the week, we passed by the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink (at the Millennium Park), numerous times, dreamily ogling at the skaters. Both me and the little one were keen while daddy was speculative (having earlier torn his ACL in a freak injury). Anyhow, the last evening, few hours before our flight back home, we gave-in to our instincts and queued up to rent skates. Daddy dear was kind enough to also gear up, helping the little one by the perimeter. Despite tumbling a dozen times while balancing the act on the edge of a skate, the little one was all smiles and never once gave up.

Field Museum:

Place to convert memories to memorabilia

“Wow, mum, Sue was amazing, not at all scary” Sue had already charmed the little one’s heart long before the trip! A Dinosaur enthusiast from the very beginning, he marveled at the chance to view the largest, most complete T-Rex skeleton in the world! Cherry on the topping was the giant Titanosaur, nick named Maximo, the largest dinosaur discovered. Along with him, even we were dazed by the fact that there have been about six “Mass Extinctions” on our planet till date. Makes one wonder, as to when would be our turn?!

The Tilt:

“The Tilt was amazing and the view was so awesome! I was a teeny bit scared though…only a teeny bit” At the 360 Degree Chicago, located in the John Hancock Tower, is where people go to get thrilled (tilted) about 1000 meters over the city, in a glass window. I don’t have Pictures, of the tilt, as typically, photography was not allowed and one is cornered into buying garishly bright, flash bombed overpriced pictures, which we refused to buy. Though the panoramic views and pictures from the gallery were awe-inspiring!

This is the window where we Tilt. I had butterflies in my tummy when we actually inclined, (getting bizarre Final destination scenarios in my head) but the Little one was Rock-solid and enjoyed himself!

Snow:

“I’m thankful that we got to see snowfall in November!” Having never seen a snow-fall, its not hard to imagine the ecstasy that little one felt seeing the cotton-wooly shower from the Sky, the very first snow fall this winter in Chicago, which was in itself an unusual occurrence around Thanks-giving, making it even more fortuitous. The Winter-wonderland that Chicago turned into soon after, was literally icing on the cake. Despite freezing cold, our hearts were warmed seeing the young one’s joy making snow-balls, kicking snow-balls (since he considers himself a soccer player, Ha) and making a snow angel (Brrr)! Truly, simple joys of life!

Shedd Aquarium:

“Dolphins are so amazing and so is the giant alligator turtle, and the sea horses are so cute!” Of course, he loved the aquarium. Who doesn’t?! What’s not fascinating about a largely alien world with such marvelous under-water creatures. The grand slam of the tour was the Dolphin show, Dolphins being such fascinating and jolly creatures! There were sea lions on the show who entertained the little ones and almost all present were squealing in delight!

Bean:

“Its so big, Daddy! It looked so small in the pictures!” Having heard of it while planning and seen the pictures, the Bean or the Cloud-gate, didn’t seize to amaze! When later, in a drawing class, the kids were asked to do a free-drawing, our little one chose to draw this…

…his memory of the Millennium park tree, the bean and the skyline of skyscrapers in the Windy city!

Zoo Lights, Christkindl Market and the Chicago River walk:

Little one is a trooper and though he said it only after coming back, he enjoyed the river walk and city walk and said, “I wish we could everyday walk to breakfast, by the river- side, back home!”

We loved the Zoo-lights, of which, we could get just a glimpse, since it was off-limits, for a private party on the evening we visited. Nonetheless, got few good shots!

Christkindl Market was all twinkling and sparkling and colorful, what with all those baubles and ornaments! It was paradise and not only his favorite, but our’s too!

…& then there was the Food!

Garrett’s Popcorn!

Stan’s Donut’s

Pancakes and Breakfast at Wildberry:

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate:

One thing he did “not” dig (into) was the famous Giordano’s Deep Dish Pizza

Can we blame him? It was just too over-whelming, the size of the slice! Let’s be frank… it was delicious, but let’s call it a pie, please. With two layers of bread, tons of cheese and oodles of filling its not anyone’s conventional pizza. Our little one, like me, is a picky eater and could manage to nibble just a quarter of a slice! All the rest was packed for our mid-night feast, since the jet-lagged family was up and hungry middle of the night, every night!

Let’s wrap up by saying that he had an incredible time. Despite the odds of freezing weather, numb hands, heavy boots, and the massive jet lag etc, he enjoyed the furlough. It was special because he knew what to expect, was part of the planning and the execution. He had opinions and views which as a parent was so forthcoming and heartening. We understand that as they grow up, they may not remember everything from a childhood trip, but having been exposed to new experiences, kids get a wider horizon and gain confidence.

Let me know your inputs. Do you travel with children? How old are they? And aren’t you making memories for a lifetime?

Spring in Da Lat, Vietnam

A cosy hill town, in Lam dong province, in central Vietnam, about an hour long flight from Ho Chi Minh city.

Though located in a typically hot tropical country, residents of Dalat enjoy a temperate year round climate, being a hill station. The ride from the airport towards Dalat is refreshingly green through a verdant valley surrounded by lush green hills.

We reached Dalat in late evening, another 40 minute drive from the airport. Approaching the city, it’s clear, that there’s abundance of electricity, as the town is lit up like Christmas time.. with predominantly floral patterns, no wonder called the city of flowers, or city of eternal spring!

The town is centred around a scenic, man-made lake, originally constructed by the french, who developed the town as their summer retreat. Hence, the architectural design of most of the old as well as new constructions is very french or say European with attics and bay windows!

At any time, the well maintained, promenade is dotted by locals and tourists, walking by the lake, jogging, dog-walking, fishing or just lazing.

In the mornings, it’s easy to spot wedding photographers making their clients pose against the picturesque backdrop. In the Evening, the lake is dotted with boat-riders. Numerous small gardens have been developed around the lake, to enjoy the scenic beauty and a spectacular golf course!

Things to do:

1. Number one for me would be sauntering or just lounging by the lake.

It’s blissful. Maybe get some fishing gear or borrow from a local, set a picnic with sangria, and make it a perfect day, à la, Lou reed.

If walking is a task, try the uber cool buggies, straight out of Cindrella.

2. Da Lat flower garden.

Though one can soak in the site of omnipresent blooms everywhere in the city, the flower garden, on the lake-side is dedicated to the floral bounty and one can saunter for hours appreciating the dramatic landscaped gardens.

Do avoid the weekends for any kind of sight seeing, as this is a very popular weekend destination, domestically, with hordes of tourist buses descending every weekend.

3. The waterfalls.

With so much rain, the countryside is bound to abound with waterfalls, and frankly who can resist the awe-inspiring, spectacle of water cascading down with such might. There are many waterfalls, but the most impressive and least crowded is Pongour falls.

This a broad, multi-step or Tiered fall, surrounded by rocky beds, perfect to get under and get soaked. Being an hours drive from the city ensures that most tourist buses avoid the long trip.

4. Pagodas.

Abound in all of south east Asia, so of course in Vietnam, a predominantly Buddhist country.

There are the scenic ones with access from cable cars (Truc lam pagoda) and the middle of city ones with vividly brilliant facade, like Lang phuoc pagoda. Visit one or many, and if you’re lucky to visit on a quiet day, or quieter hour, enjoy the tranquillity on the offer.

5. Da lat market

There’s the all day market and the night market, the road-side and the covered market, selling vibrant souvenirs, the embroidered art, clothes, flowers and fruits.

6. Street food

Try the Vietnamese pizza, the peanut or soy milk, the grilled sea-food or skewered veggies!

But do sit on the tiny stools, set on the road-side, to enjoy the goods, feeling, at home!

If you’re not averse to sweet, try the Ca phe sua da (traditional vietnamese iced coffee served with condensed milk), sitting by the street, popping roasted sunflower seeds, as accompaniment.

7. What to get back, or not to miss!

Markets are full of souvenirs, but Embroidery Art is very specific to Vietnam and is stunning. XQ house has some stunning, hand embroidered pieces, though very steeply priced. The local Da lat market on the other hand has reasonably priced options, maybe machine embroidered, but still beautiful.

The Nón lá, or the Conical hat! its not only unique to South -east Asia, is part of the national dress of Vietnam and is very functional for protection against sun and rain! And makes for an ideal Souvenir!

Tea & Coffee! The Artichoke Tea is very popular here with a whole lot of health benefits!

Though most coffee exported is Robusta, the Civet Coffee (similar in terms of enzymatic process to Kopi Luwak) is gaining momentum.

Nuts and Seeds!Cashews, walnuts, and the quint-essential Sunflower seeds are high quality and less pricier than many parts of the world.

Being a city of flowers, Flower seeds are a perfect souvenir for a horticultural enthusiasts, to bring back home, and remember Da Lat by!

Tam biêt, which is goodbye in Vietnamese.

Cote’d azure and Provence- 4th leg of the French summer holiday

Arrived by air, from Bordeaux to Marseille, just before noon, from a place with torrential downpour to the land of sunny blue skies, fascinated by the azure Mediterranean coastline, while descending from the sky.

Wanting to see more in the available time, we planned to not stay on the coast, but do a drive through (we had already been to Paris, Bordeaux and Burgundy, on this french summer holiday, and still had Provence, Loire valley and bit of Normandy, on the itinerary).

The ambitious, original plan was to drive from Marseilles to Nice, with a stopover for lunch, in a coastal town and then drive up to L’isla’sur’la Sorgue, our local stay for next 3 days, in Provence.

The deviation from the plan was only that we did not drive all the way to Nice, but part of the way, and took pit stops along many smaller coastal towns with awe-inspiring views of the Mediterranean Sea.

After picking up our rental car, we navigated through the Old port of Marseilles, considered to be one of the most picturesque parts of Marseilles, and a harbour for cruise ships, as well. The view was spectacular with boats moored along the quay, cruise ships in the distance and the magnificent fortress, Château d’lf perched on the island of Lf in the distance, made popular by Alexander Dumas’, Count of Monte Cristo.

We meandered through the popular, Rue de la Republiqué, teeming with tourists, including those from the cruise-ships, with a picturesque promenade, dotted with cafes and restaurants.

We didn’t stay in Marseilles for long, as the plan was to have lunch at Bandol. Here, the challenge was to map our route, to be able to drive along the coast and soak-in the blue hues, as far as possible, and avoid driving, in-land. Unfortunately there isn’t a coastal highway, à la, Highway 1 pacific coast. So we mapped our route from coastal town- to town. Our first stop was Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, then La-Ciotat, latter a smaller port with similar promenades that dot most coastal towns.

The beaches are pristine white, contrasting with the shimmering azure blue seas and the sunny blue skies. Our breaks included finding a parking spot which was always a task, walk/ sit along the promenade, have an ice- lolly or a beer depending on the age, and click lots of pictures!

We reached Bandol, about 4 pm and had a late lunch here, paired with a Bandol Rosé, a product of Mourvédre grape, specific to this region, blended with Grenache. Bandol is amongst Provence’s increasingly popular wine regions, known for its young and crisp Rosé and spicy Reds.

From Bandol, we started back, at 6:30 pm, the shortest route via Marseilles again and then inland, reaching L’isla’sur’la sorgue at 9 pm.

This small picturesque town is also known as the Venice of Provence, with the shallow, clear steams of river Sorgue, forking through the town, lively cafes and restaurants lining the river side and picturesque bridges connecting the right and left banks. Colourful flowering shrubs along the river side, vibrant boats on the shallow waters and the eclectic lighting from the cafes, are a Photographer’s delight making for splendid pictures.

The town itself is very lively, bursting with tourists and locals alike, exuberant restaurateurs, eclectic shops and street musicians contributing together to make a perfect holiday atmosphere.

Our homestay (Air B& B) here, hosted by Olivier, was another of those great finds (of course not unexpected since DH researches a lot to find us the perfect spot). Perfectly situated, in a quiet by lane, just two minutes walk from the main market and the most happening foodie streets of the town. The apartment itself was eclectic in decor and fun to explore.

First evening was spent loitering about the town, soaking in the vibrant scenes and clicking away, at the perfect time of the day, twilight! Found a nice Italian restaurant who sweetly offered the patrons, cosy comforters, seeing us shiver in the evening breeze, along with delicious food, of course!

Next day was an ode to lavender! Since this french trip was timed perfectly to coincide with lavender bloom, we had travelled to Provence to see this natural marvel.. my dream since forever. Also, being an ardent fan of L’occitane products, and knowing their origin in Provence, had thought of visiting their production site, which we finally decided against, since that trip would have taken up much of a day. Eventually I shopped from their local store in town, at much discounted rates, compared to home.

Finding blooming lavender fields was the agenda of day 2 in Provence and made easy by the online “Lavender routes of Provence” Maps. We charted these on our google maps and headed for Gordes. On the way, did some roadside shopping for freshest of cherries and peaches, the bounty of Provence!

Spotted a cicada, another regional symbol, which chose poorly, to venture into our car and made for all the ensuing mini-frenzy!

French countryside like most of Europe is dotted with the most picturesque little towns, and the region of Luberon is dotted with these charming hill-top villages, known as “Les plus beaux villages de France”.

Gordes is one of those awe-inspiring spots, reminding me much of Andalusia. The photography began long before we meandered through the narrow winding and steeply uphill lanes, which was an adventure in itself, in our minibus!

After a short break here, we headed for the most photographed spot in the region, the fields of Abbey Senanque, in Vaucluse, with its perfectly manicured rows of lavender, pictured against the timeless Abbey, in stone!

Though the lavender bloom was not at its peak, it still was one of the most dramatic sites, vivid in shades of lavender and violet! Thank god for digital cameras, else we would have spent an entire roll of film here!

Next stop on the map was the village of Rousillon, known for the dramatic Ochre hills, and the village itself theme-painted in earthy tones of ochre, red and pink.

We had a routine lunch of pizza here, having reached later than usual hours, followed by delicious gelato and then lazily loitered through the shops, selling the perfect souvenirs for the tourists. Bought the most aromatic candle here infused with the Herbs’ du Provence!

Then we navigated towards Sault, the plateau around this town, is lush with lavender for miles. Just before reaching Sault, we had our first glimpse of lavender fields next to the road and we literally jumped out of the car to roll amongst these!

Unlike the Abbey Senanque, where venturing into the lavender fields is not allowed, here we could roll, bath and tumble amongst the river of lavender! It was all that I foresaw in my imagination and more and a thrill for everyone! We lolled around here, clicking pictures and collecting sprigs of lavender for a while.

I cannot say that we had our “fill” of lavender, but we were satiated for the moment.. and though we did go upto Sault, we enjoyed the lavender panorama, unfolding on the drive.

We were late for most of the lavender farms or factories, which were closed for the day, but without worry, as the towns sell enough of everything a traveller can need… and more! Back to town, we bought loads of lavender soaps, lotions, pillows and candles! … ummm, so aromatic and delightful!

Day 3 in L’isla’sur’la Sorgue, we did nothing. And as a result.. soaked in so much more of the town and it’s beat. We could have made a day trip to Nice.. as earlier planned.. but then, would we have stayed in bed till lunch time? Could we have had a lazy breakfast, strolled through the lanes and along the streams, ogled at the vivid sky and speckled clouds, at ducklings paddling in the streams or colourful buntings adorning the already vibrant town? Definitely not. Sometimes doing nothing, especially on a holiday, is the best thing to do. We’re anyway not the “big town” loving folks, already residing in one.. and if given an opportunity, we’ll always be found, in some nook and cranny of a lush countryside.

DH & dad & me did some wine and cheese tasting at Chez Stéphane.

& tasted the venerable, Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

Last morning in Provence, we marked our attendance at the weekly, farmers market in town, known widely for its arts and eclectic crafts section, along with the usual bounty of foods and such, not wanting to leave, but had to advance our journey onwards to central France, on to Loire Valley.

Repose in Bordeaux-St Emilion.

We visited the region of Bordeaux, in the south-west France, in July 2017, as part of our french summer holiday. After landing in Paris we stayed on for a few days, showing the basic sights to the little one, including the Eiffel Tower, the lit up pyramids and Seine river cruise. (The entire trip was planned around his obsession with Eiffel Tower souvenir back home)!

The second leg of the road trip was Bourgogne (Burgundy). We stayed in Beaune, thoroughly enjoyed the road trip despite having met with a road accident, which delayed us by a day, shortening our furlough to Bordeaux…the details in the previous post, A ride to remember, in Bourgogne.

I titled this trip as “A Repose” to Bordeaux, because that is what it was. Resting time. Repose time. After the mis-adventure in Beaune, the consequent delay, and the long drive between Bourgogne to Bordeaux (nearly 8 hours), we just wanted to relax. The Air B&B that we booked at St Terre, a 5 minute drive from St Emilion, was just what the doctor prescribed!

We chose to stay at the outskirts of the town to be able to stay amidst the serene lush vineyards, away from the touristy Hum-drum, get into the feel of the countryside and still be in close proximity to the beautiful town of St Emilion.

We were hosted by Sabine and Jean Baptiste, in their Gîte (french country house), amidst the Vignobles Daniel Mouty (vignobles meaning vineyards in french), the latter being a well known Bordeaux wine producer. Jean Baptiste is a charmer, and received us with wide arms and pleasant smile, making us feel welcome, at once. He showed us around the beautiful property and the two storey house, all open to us, the vineyards, the small plunge pool and the gardens, equipped with a TT table and even a sand pit for the little one! The Gîte was very well equipped with all basic essentials, and some more. He bought along a delicious deep Pomerol from their vineyards, as a welcome gift and welcomed us to visit their winery for a tasting, anytime!

We immediately settled in, feeling at home in our beautiful surroundings, uncorked a bottle of wine and parked ourselves on the lounge chairs in the garden, (which was nothing but a large, cleared patch within the vineyard), commanding a spectacular view of the verdant landscape.

The raw grape vines swayed gently in the cool breeze, as the evening sun still shone brightly and the little one squandered about checking out the property. No one had any intention of moving from this otherworldly nest, even for dining out, since we were well stocked with essentials, thanks to a prior detour to Carrefour- Liburon.

Day after, was another lazy morning with staggered breakfast almost amounting to brunch, when we all voted to finally venture out of this blissful country existence.

Of course, DH had wine tastings lined up, and we started by visiting Chateau Gueyrosse, in adjoining Town of Liburon, at the edge of the river Dordogne. DH, is a meticulous planner and always takes into consideration, every member’s needs. That is inclusive of the youngest, who’s 5 yr old. There are many wineries and Chateaus which provide activities to engage the younger ones. Chateau Gueyrosse has beautiful gardens, a river flowing by and an overall picturesque property where the little one could wander about and explore.

Here the grown ups learnt about the organic farming methods and manual harvesting techniques. We took a tour of the vineyards, the grounds of the chateau as well as their winery, tasted some great wines and bought a 2011 Ch Gueyrosse.

This would be a good place, to touch-upon the unusually complex topic of Bordeaux wine classification system. For a generic wine enthusiast, like moi, this was an engaging discovery!

It is a convoluted system, especially enigmatic for the New-world consumers, since here, the wines are classified according to where the grapes are grown i.e the “Terroir” and not by the grape varietal. A bottle of Bordeaux wine will detail the Region/ Chateau, Year and appellation, but not the grape varietal, that one usually expects.

Bordeaux produces red wines in majority and they are always a blend, usually of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, in varying proportions.

The Bordeaux region is divided broadly into the “left bank” and the “right bank” by the river Gironde and its tributaries, the Garrone and Dordogne. While the left bank (the Medoc and Grave region) enjoys an elite status following the famous 1855 classification, and mainly highlights Cabernet Sauvignon (with blends of merlot and Cabernet franc); the Right bank relies more on the Merlot with blends from the others, and follows different appellation systems, most prominent being the St Emillion appellation.

Though the elitist wines from the 1st to 5th growths, on the left bank are clearly un-affordable, there are many very well priced Bordeaux wines in the market.

Coming to our day out. Next we steered towards St Emilion! Typically google maps, on the “shortest route available mode” navigated us through vineyards and narrow lanes towards the town.. though not the best possible approach, it was quite picturesque!

From far we spotted the church spire first… which loomed large as we reached the town centre.. where expectedly there wasn’t any parking to be found. So we drove some distance, parked next to a restaurant and walked the short distance to town centre.

St Emilion is one of the best looking small towns we’ve ever been too.. closely competing with the Andalusian towns of Cordova and Ronda. When I picture it, I see medieval, pale yellow ? lime stone buildings, lining narrow cobblestoned streets, sloping down to the town periphery and rising upto the bell tower and winding alleys meandering through the town.

The architectural highlight is the church and bell- tower, towering above the beautiful town and its surrounding acres of lush country-side. The views from the bell tower are breath-taking!

Spent couple of hours just sauntering through the town, the boutique shops and eateries at a leisurely pace and soaking the views.

Then literally walked down to nearby Chateau Cadet Bon for another Grand Cru tasting where the no-more- wine inclined folks just enjoyed another view of the town from this side of the vineyards.

We wanted to really go easy so didn’t venture to the left bank at all. Visit to the city of Bordeaux was originally on the itinerary for the this evening…but we forgo it to relax at “our” wine-stay! 😊

Did visit the winery at Vignoble Daniel Mouty, a really short walk from the Gîte, for one last tasting in this wonderful wine country!

Adieu Bordeaux.

Maybe, not just yet…

The trip out of Bordeaux, next morning was nothing short of a thriller movie- an early morning flight from city of Bordeaux, so an even earlier departure from St Terre(an hour long journey to Bordeaux Mérignac airport) at 5 am; driving the country roads and eventually the highways, in torrential downpour; couple of detours thanks to poor visibility and GPS re-routings… when we finally approached the airport, the GPS, as usual, lost it, and couldn’t direct us to Avis Rental car drop. By sheer poor luck, we entered a long term car parking.. and could not exit!! Literally.. it was like the song “Hotel California- you can enter but you can never leave! “. As we later understood., with long term parking, one parks the car, collects the ticket, flies out, on arrival, one gets the ticket validated inside the airport and uses that ticket to exit the car park. Since we were not that smart to begin with, we tried to exit using this ticket when the machine flashed ” validation required” in french.. translated it using google translator, tried to ask around for help but there was nobody to ask! Once we figured things, one of us went running to the terminal, a good walk away, tried to validate the ticket, but failed as the machine pointed out.. “this ticket has been already used to exit”!! Now what? .. in the cold weather we were sweating Bricks, couldn’t leave the car there, couldn’t exit, sure to miss the flight!! Made one last effort to talk to Avis rental at the airport who directed us to Avis drop off facility, ran from one place to the other.. and I guess it was the panic on our faces.. and the convoluted way that we tried to explain the situation which garnered sympathy from those officers who told us to leave the car where it was, and walk out with our bags!! Phew. Even then the ordeal was far from over.. we had to lug the heavy duty luggage from the farthest available parking slot in the pouring rain to be able to reach the boarding counter .. just in nick of time.

A ride to remember- in Bourgogne.

Beaune will be etched in our minds, amongst other merrier reasons, forever, as the place, where we met with our first ever Road accident, internationally.

To get that out-of-the-way, it was a low velocity impact.. being on country roads, close to Beaune, thankfully the metal took the brunt and the bodies involved were all safe, this incident highlighted the attitude of french..

1. The other party involved who were local french family were much more worried about us, than being bothered about their battered car.

2. The “french” locals as well as the Gendarmerie, won our hearts, with their sympathetic and uber helpful attitude helping us with everything including language constraints.

3. It’s highly advisable to get comprehensive car insurance! Can’t speak about it enough. This made the aftermath so smooth with pick ups and transfer to Dijon, the next big town, and smooth transition to the next car, all arranged by AVIS.

4. Never drink and drive. Especially take care to spit and not swallow if you’re wine tasting in a wine country. A lesser mortal might be tempted to take in a few swigs.. especially if there are Grand Cru and premiere Cru wines from the worlds best wine country, on the offing! But not dear hubby!! I already had enough confidence in him which only peaked after this episode. We were incidentally returning from a wine brunch when this happened. His breath analysis for alcohol came out negative.

5. Never give up, keep faith. Some of the members wanted to give up on the trip.. (imagine!).. but no way were we going to shelve a wonderfully planned journey and we carried on!

Beaune is a beautiful small town in Burgundy (Bourgogne) and also considered its wine capital, nested amidst the lush vineyards of Côte d’Or region.

We travelled from Paris on a Saturday morning so we could visit the weekly market at Beaune centre. Started from Paris about 10:30 and reached about noon.

The market area is divided into a large food plaza and a clothing / home decor section; sifting quickly through the latter we lazily strolled trough the food section, sampling local delectables and picking up freshest of baked goods and veggies, cheeses, mushrooms etc. Bought a whole lot of Truffle and truffle infused products, the regional delicacy of Bourgogne. A quirky thing on sale was dried onion flowers which is crisp and flavorful when sprinkled on salads and dishes.

We unfortunately missed out on the yearly wine fest in village of Volnay on the same morning, held every year about this time. So those travelling in end June should check this out.

Lunch was pre booked at a wonderful restaurant, recommended by a good friend, and is called L’ô à la Bouche. And what a recommendation.. for a perfect sunny brunch, by the side of a tiny brook and a pond with ducklings.. straight out of an Enid Blyton book! Only thing missing was a picnic basket, the lack of which was made up by the delectable lunch in the offing. This reminded me of the song The Perfect day, by Lou Reed!

After lounging about for an extended meal, we laggardly headed to our B&B within town, having chosen this for its proximity to the town centre as well as the bike rentals. Since we’re the “go-getters”, we headed straight out to “Bourgogne Randonees” to pick up our bikes which were previously reserved, since they’re much in demand!

The gentleman at the shop was very helpful but somehow we muddled up the directions that he gave for the bike path. We went round the town at least twice..had some not so serious falls, (first mom, then dad).. which pretty much shelved biking plan on that day!

Not losing hope, we strapped ourselves in the car seats and drove to the nearby village of Pommard, instead of cycling to it.. to meet for an appointment at a winery called Domaine Rebourgeon-Mure. Have to say that the owner, completely floored us by patiently waiting for us to show up for a tasting, beyond usual hours, at least 2 hours after our appointment… thus breaking the ‘myth’ of snooty uptight, french wine makers of burgundy, worlds oldest wine country! Here we could venture into a true vine cellar, centuries old with moldy dusty walls, cobwebs and candles, thankfully did not bump into any vampires!! Picked up couple of delicious Premiere Cru wines from this winemaker.

Day 2 was devoted to visiting nearby villages and their famous wine makers. These include Puligny Montrachet, Aloxe-Corton and Meursault.

Serendipitously ventured into an amazing restaurant in Meursault called Chez Richard, where we sampled the famous Epoisses cheese and the regional delicacy, the escargot!

After sating our appetite, and not sure about the next plan.. we decided to again give cycling a go. Having experienced other wine countries on a bike, we didn’t want to miss out on this experience in the french country.

So instead of renting the bike in town centre, we researched and reached Bougogne Evasion, located very close to the entrance gate of the Véloroute (bike-path) and thus minimising chances of our getting lost again!!

A pillared gate welcomes cyclists to the -Véloroute of Voie des Vignes, and right after entering, one is transported to serene, lush wine country surrounded by pallisading rows of verdant green vines and clear blue skies.

The stillness is interrupted only by the whirring of the bicycle wheels, chirping of the birds and the camera clicks! It’s a perfect detox for an urban dweller.

Being later in the day and considering the fitness levels of all, we chose to bike the shortest path from Beaune to Pommard, a short 20-30 minute ride, the terrain being mostly flat, with mild undulations. Path to village of Volnay is quiet steep and we skipped it. Do remember that wine countries are hot and sunny so be prepared with caps, sunscreen and lots of water, as there are no pit-stops between villages. Another point to remember is that cycling/ walking path is through vineyards but there’s no wine tasting rooms in between. Tasting is localised at abundant wine shops and in cellars in the villages or available with meals in the restaurants, latter being a wonderful idea after a bit of exercise 😊

Done with cycling, we had only managed to touch 4 o’clock on the watch, with the sun shining brightly and too early to call it a day. Guess what? We decided to visit Dijon, a half an hour ride away from Beaune. Despite knowing that Dijon is a big town, we were quite overwhelmed by its size and the traffic on the roads. I guess we were lucky that it was a Sunday and there were no major traffic snarls!

Since we were running against time, we headed straight to the town centre to see the Notre Dame cathedral and to follow the famous Owl Trail.

Within the city centre are many owl plaques, engraved on the pavement with numbers, guiding the tourists around many important landmark including the cathedral. One can buy a book from the town centre or easier, can download a mobile app, which tells in detail about every structure/ monument on the trail.

Saying goes that if you spot and touch the owl on a corner wall, at the end of the trail, it’s supposed to be lucky in getting you back to Dijon!

Another incident to remember, happened in Dijon, where for some reason our parking ticket was defective and we were sort of trapped in an underground parking. Again, a helpful local Frenchman, who didn’t understand a word of English, came to our rescue!!

We started the next and last day in Bourgogne, on a spicy note by a visit to the famous, Edmond Fallot Moutarderie, a mustard factory/ shop.. famous for the Dijon mustard! Bought few varieties of mustard and other products.

Following this, we set course for the adjacent commune (region) of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits-Saint-Georges are the famous wine regions in Burgundy (Bourgogne) with the former popular for its Chardonnay and the latter for its Pinot Noir wines!

bourgogne map — map obtained from this “website”

It’s fascinating trying to understand the French wine appellation system. Breaking it down very, very broadly, the lowest in class would be a Regional wine (for example a bottle saying Bourdeaux or Burgundy), followed by Subregional category (example Côte de Beaune), followed by Village wine (example Pommard in Côte de Beaune) and finally the top most category is a single Domaine or vineyard. Then ofcourse there are Grand Cru (Burgundy regions best wines) and Premiere Cru (second best wines). Best refer to THE INTERNET for the same!

We did another wine tasting in Vosné Romanée, at Domaine Bernard Rion and bought some more wines for consumption! Hubby dear believes in bringing some back and I’m always worried about the Packing!

DH had earlier reserved a 4 course wine lunch at Olivier Leflaive. They serve a basic lunch menu to highlight the wine, but despite knowing this, ‘the vegetarians’ were disappointed with the serving of Boiled beans and cheese. At least, dear hubby enjoyed the Beouf Bourgogne with the paired Grand Cru andPremiere Cru wines.

One can also do Truffle hunting with tasting in this region, but the same wasn’t available on the dates when we were in the region.

To summarize, Burgundy was wonderful; the highlights being the cycling through the vineyards and the Pinot Noir! Hoping we’ll be back soon, especially with the blessings of the Dijon Owl.

A “hot” Parisian summer…arrival, stint at Disney and feta de la musique.

So by the time we kicked-off the 2017 French summer trip.. the usual blistering heat of Delhi was giving way to rainy spells, heralding the monsoon season. Our friends joked about it being a European weather in Delhi and were envious about our upcoming sojourn.

As we were landing at the Charles De Gaulle airport, the pilot announced an unusually hot day with temperature of 37 degree, welcoming us all to sunny Florida… or so it seemed. And there I broke into a sweat!

The Paris of my memories was the Paris of dreams.. cool, breezy, with blue skies speckled with fleecy clouds.. sauntering lazily along the seine… But Paris of today was as sunny as tropical Maldives, minus the sea and as hot as New Delhi. Worse, since the Parisians don’t believe in the fans (ventilador in french) or the air conditioning (apparently bad for health) we felt like being back home with a power cut! Soul sapping heat, sweaty sleepless nights. And this is us who should be used to this weather.. the Parisians at least braved the heat much better than us!

On Day 1, we decided to face head long., the exhaustion and sleep deprivation (that happens after a long journey) and against popular advice, went to Disneyland. Thanks to prior planning, this first night we had checked into an apartment in Serris, literally next door to Disney theme park.

We went with zero expectations in terms of what we wanted to achieve, rides that we wanted to get on.. etc.. because the basic purpose was to acquaint little one with this charming place called Disneyland.. full of his favourite characters.. Mickey Mouse being on top of that list.

His high points, in a nutshell, were the carousel ride, the Mad-hatters cups..and the ice-cream. I guess, he was too young and we too pooped to do much. In all a very expensive kind of “experience”.

Next morning we checked out the outlet malls close by (Val d’europe) and stocked up on essentials from Auchan (pronounced “Ossan”).

Had booked a cab to ferry us and our gigantic baggage to Paris downtown, for 70 €, which was economical on the physical front.. sparing us the task of lugging bags to the metro station and beyond.

Once in Paris.. we settled in our (actually Laure’s) apartment (Air B&B), walked down to nearby patisserie and got something to munch on.

Then ambled along the streets of Montmartre and collected our food passports (https://www.le-food-trip.com/en).

Did few tastings in Montmartre including olive oil (Huile’d’ olive) at Ecomusee L’Olivier and Confiture tasting at La Chambre Aux Confitures.

In the evening after dinner and settling rest of the family members, me and mine, decided to walk towards Sacré Couer, a small walk from our apartment. We were aware that 21st June is the day Parisians celebrate Fête de la Musique. This is one day when the entire city comes alive with music and free gigs happening at every corner and plaza.

The residential area around our apartment was pretty much asleep but as we ambled closer to Sacré-Couer, we could hear melodies floating in the air.. and soon the streets were full of life, music and revellers.. bands performing everywhere and depending on your taste you could enjoy a different genre of music. The best performance of the evening was a band of drummers, some 20 odd gifted drummers beating away to glory and the crowd swaying to the beats. A serendipitous, great night!

Sun and Tan- in spectacular Maldives!

This impromptu Trip to Maldives with family in the month of September was a totally theatrical act with last day confirmations by busy bodies and last minute flight bookings. We were flying through Colombo (Srilanka), deciding to spend three days there, as a night stay in Colombo becomes mandatory, according to flight timings (More about the Lanka journey in a subsequent post). Funnily, we began the first leg of the journey in Lanka while still researching our options in Maldives.

Finding a suitable stay in Maldives is not anything like researching other trips to Mainland’s – say Europe/US etc..(this was reiterated and rubbed, by my dear brother on whose shoulders had befallen this mammoth task) him being the “originator” of this trip! He had a “task sheet” dictated by all…to find a beautiful, secluded resort, on the off-beaten path, without too much tourists , only water villas, throw in a seaplane also, and accommodate 5 ½ bodies.

This, trust me is a humongous task. First of all, accommodating odd numbers is always a pain in the ***, as finding suitable villas/ family rooms with odd number of beds can be only managed through direct phone calls to the resort. On top of that, trying to find a resort, which allows a two year old, in a water villa is difficult as most resorts will try to place such a family on beach villas. And then try getting some sort of a “Deal” and deciding half board vs full board; A single resort island (more of an island secluded feel) or a larger island with multiple resorts (with some more dining options but a generic feel to it).

The journey began with an early morning short flight from Colombo Bandaranaike Airport, starting at about 7:20am, reaching Male International Airport on Hulhule island (right opposite Male) in about 45 min with a daytime temp of about 39 degrees.. Hubby got a free upgrade to business class- lucky for him! In general, we found the Srilankan air crew very hospitable n friendly… Good job guys!

After finishing immigration formalities.. We checked at the “Gangehi” kiosk where the coordinator effectively got us checked in for our next Sea-plane ride to the Gangehi island via Trans Maldivian airline. Carrying Booze into Maldives is strictly prohibited so don’t bother trying to stock up for days ahead- be ready though, to shell out loads of USD!

The Seaplane ride was underwhelming…It sure is great for pictures and ticking an experience, but on the whole a slightly claustrophobic ride, in scorching heat (the cabin being open to the exterior without any air conditioning) and very noisy.

Some sights do make up for it all, like the numerous island and atolls sparkling on the vast expanse of Indian ocean! The 30 min journey ended with a short boat ride to the island itself…followed by welcome drinks n easy check-in.

Gangehi is a small island and the only resort on this island. .. So self contained, beautiful functional villas.. We had a deluxe water villa (for three) and a normal water villa between us.

Georgina, the local marine biologist, told us about the presence of small baby (reef) sharks n Sting Rays, abounding the water here.

Small island resort does mean that one is dependent on their restaurant only, but these guys did not disappoint! Both for the vegetarians and the sea food lovers there’s plenty to eat with a loads of variety. We were booked, full board (all meals inclusive) so that we didn’t have to think about the next meal, and could just relax and enjoy the serene blue! As for me the veggie lover, the sheer number of fruit-veggie combos was mind blowing and I enjoyed a hearty, healthy, carb-free meal, morning, noon and night!

Icing on the cake were the desserts, especially the seasonal ice-creams churned out by their Indian origin dessert chef, everyday! From coconut to cashew-date, amaretto to passion fruit sorbet.. All simply delicious!

The first afternoon, we just crashed, after a sumptuous meal as all were sleep deprived. In the evening we decided to check out the premises, walking on the beach, circling the island.

Our villa, no 31, according to me was perfectly situated with just enough depth of water to wade in… Good for baby n us.. With a beautiful sand bank right across and perfect view of the setting sun!

This was one place we spent every evening, smitten with the awe-inspiring landscape, the gorgeous colors of the evening sky, against the darkening waters, the endless expanse of the horizon and of course the beautiful sand bank meandering into the depths of the water, taking us a little closer to heaven with every step! Also a delight for photography enthusiasts!

The li’l one had a blast, splashing in water, spotting sting rays, reef sharks (babies) and other smaller fish, swimming in these waters and making sand castles, while we bid adieu to daylight.

Incidentally the wind makes this eerie howling kind of sound at night over the ocean which was a bit waxing for me initially, but then somnolence took over.

Day 2:
I opened my eyes at about 7:10…and the first thought was “oh god, I missed the sunrise n it’ll be too bright by now”… But then I decided to peek through the curtains… the vista was jaw dropping.

A bit of cloud cover on the horizon changed the colors from stark white to shades of crimson n orange against the austere blue! Aah, what a perfect morning! I spent a few solitary moments on the deck, absorbing every moment, then woke up dear darling and went for a short stroll again on the perfect sand bank!
For breakfast, the chef n his team did a spectacular job of keeping everyone happy and content!

Bro n I went snorkeling.. First on our own.. Wary of the sting rays which abound in these waters.. and then again in the evening with the local expert who hails from the UK.. There is enough coral and sea life, just ½ km from the beach at the drop-off point into the deep dark sea!

In the evening, again on the spectacular sand bank, we saw a washed up jelly fish!

Next day arrived with spotty clouds, first indicator in 3 days that we were visiting during the wet season! During my customary, solitary morning walk around the island, I saw this spectacular rainbow.. Adding that perfect touch to the perfect holiday!

After breakfast we again, lounged in the common room for some time, some of sitting on the deck surrounded by the turquoise waters! Once again, rented some snorkeling gear and decided about doing a longish stretch in the afternoon… But …heavy clouds n a massive downpour, washed away those plans.. Luckily the skies cleared in the evening for a lazy saunter on the sand bank…I know its by now clichéd, but yes… the highlight of the trip was the sand bank!

There are other paid activities on the island like deep sea-diving, which we skipped this time, having seen a lot, snorkeling. There is sunset fishing, dolphin spotting n kayaking etc.. But just lounging on the deck on your own water villa.. Surrounded by pristine waters and watching the sun go down was the ideal “activity”on a holiday to this tropical paradise!

Blissful three days! Will be back for sure.

Tit-bits about driving in this part of the world- Germany/ Austria

Drive from Neuschwanstein (Füssen) to Montreux (Switzerland-CH) was a straight 6 hour long, exhausting drive, motored mainly by DH. Only high point of the ride was the Autobahn, one of the only roadways in the world where you can drive as fast as you want!!

We needed to buy a vignette (akin to a permit) to pass via Austrian motorway, available at most border towns, in this case, the German town of Lindau.

Austrian are known to be finicky about this, casting heavy fines for an otherwise cheapish 10€ vignette. In both Austria and Switzerland every user of the highways is required to pay this road tax instead of a toll, and prove the payment by a sticker called a vignette. The Austrian 10€ vignette is valid for a week, while the swiss permit costing 40€ is valid for an year!

So while driving we kept seeing boards saying Lindau 20km ahead, then 10, then 5.. And we started panicking.. And then I saw a board, “Wilkommen Australisch”… shucks…and then at the last moment we saw an Ausfahrt (an exit in Germany) so we rammed our van down it.. Phew! We finally got to a petrol pump and bought the vignettes..

Some of the nations in the european union expect an IDP -International Driving Permit, in addition to a valid Drivers licence, some of those being Austria, Greece and Italy. So just because we were meandering through Austria for small stretches, we applied for the same from our country- why take a chance.

In comparison to the Awesome Autobahn, the French Roadways allow a maximum speed of 130 kmph.

…and keeping in spirit of everything French and arty, the Exit signs in France (Sortie) are in Italics… 🙂

Schloss Neuschwanstein & a beautiful afternoon in Füssen

Day 4-

We spent the night in Füssen, a small boutique town just 5 min drive away from Neuschwanstein castle. During the planning stage, we couldn’t get a decent accommodation in Hohenschwangau, a small town at the base of the castle, also the home for the original and smaller, Hohenschwangau castle.

So, Füssen was seen as the second best option. But reaching the town, we were pleasantly surprised by its quaint, old-world charm, cobblestoned streets lit in an orange glow. The Hotel Sonne Füssen was an icing on the cake, which went beyond all expectations, which were already high, after having read great reviews. This was a beautiful hotel, decorated in a quirky and eclectic manner!

This morning we ambled to the restaurant and feasted on a lavish breakfast, definitely one on top of the list during all our travels! We gorged ourselves, then set course relatively early by 9 ish, for Neuschwanstein castle, …the fairy tale castle celebrated by Disney..
DH had visited the castle 10 years back, on a tour starting with a train ride from Bahnoff station (Munich) till Fussen, then a bus from Fuessen to the base of the castle, followed up an uphill hike with a Japanese student guide. He remembered that the inside tour of the castle was pretty boring (by our point of view), just like all other palaces and castles, with the routine of gold inlay everywhere… So this time we decided to skip the indoor tour and decided to head straight to the best vantage point for spectacular views of the castle from the Marienbrücke (Mary’s bridge).

So we started walking uphill from the bus stop, a very steep hike and saw this regiment of German army passing us, using this path for rigorous training!! As we hiked up, we were overtaken by huge horse drawn carriages, with 15-20 people sitting in, some of whom gave us…the breathless sweaty mortals’, supercilious looks. That lasted till the half way point beyond which everyone has to walk up…Huh!!

We just motored on and reached the bridge meeting a pleasant young Frenchman who insisted on talking to us in impeccable Hindi.

The views of the castle from Marienbrucke, are Classic with the majestic turreted Castle rising amongst dense woods surrounding it. Obviously, traveling during the Fall season is even more beautiful with the verdant greens interspersed with hues of orange and red! This I know because I bought a magnet with such a picture!

The bridge can get a bit crowded, very windy and younger ones need to be firmly taken hold off.

After taking the mandatory pictures, we walked down, and drove back. There is an alternate adventurous hike down to the stream, at the back of the castle, which DH had loved last time but in company of younger and elderly, we went the routine way. …And yes we, the non-drivers, tried some Glühwein (just like Mulled wine), on the way down, which tasted heavenly after the strong winds on the Marienbrucke!

Coming back to Füssen by 12 noon, we first went to a super market to stock up on essentials for our long road journey ahead.
Then we went down cobble stoned streets led by Sriram who was looking for this Vegan restaurant called Casa Veda…which had tremendous reviews on Tripadvisor. This was a self service restaurant with funky decoration.. We tried the soup of the day (smoked pumpkin, coconut, curry leaves and veggies) and the meal of the day with tasty vegetables, greens including asparagus & mild spices ( without the heat). The meal was so good that we ordered seconds. For dessert we had Chia seed pudding with fresh strawberries, and a Johannisberry (Redcurrant) cake…In all, a Delicious, heavenly affair! Sriram got a lot of thumbs up and pats on the back for his excellent choice of hotel and restaurant.

To call it a perfect afternoon, we shopped at the gift shop of Hotel Sonne Füssen which was again loaded with eclectic lamps and other curios. Happy Me!

Rest of the Day was spent in a long, pretty dull and dreary road journey to Montreux…more about it in the next post… Guten Tag.