Hong Kong

Hi All

In HK, its is very hot and humid!. Hotel is great, good view of the harbour,  tram stop right outside, mrt 1 min walk, small supermarket across the road and a few of the small bakeries that they have here that make lots of savoury bready things that are good for breakfast. This morning breakfast was a bread roll with a savoury meat filling, for 4 it was only $15 hk, which is about $4 nz.
There also lots of neighbourhood type restarants, will try one tonight.

We are exploring on the tram, as you get a good view, the mrt is fast and efficient, but you dont see anything along the way. The bonus with the mrt  is that at least its air conditioned. At the moment we are in a small cafe most of the way up the mid levels, having a break in some airconditioning, a late lunch and using the free wi fi. Wi fi at the hotel is an exorbitant 130 hk a day! Lots of the free wi fi is linked to a hk cell phone acc, so without that free wi fi is hard to find.

Cheers, am going to find a market

B & J

Paris night photography class

Julie shouted me a night photography class. I was the only student to turn up for the evening which made it so much better for us.

The tutor was a professional fashion photographer that did a lot of top level magizine work for the fashion industry.

Inside Versailles

Check out the inside of this place. These guys knew how to blow some bux on the out landish lifestyles.... no wonder it helped spark a revolution.

Versailles ques

We had to que for about half an hour to get t ticket then get into the ENTRY que which I reckon to be as long as 5 football fields long.

Check out the pix of the tour busses, at least 2 hundred of them.

We arrived by double decker train, which was jam packed on the way back into Paris in the evening.

If someone had told me that 200thousand people visit Versailles everyday, I would have not believed them, now I think they would be understating the volumes of tourists. We left to head home about 5pm in the evening and there were still people arriving and the entry que was down to the width of a footy field.

Versaille

Gallerie Lafayette

Shopping in Paris

Hi All

Thanks for the comments. Shame to hear that its still raining in thr bay, hope it fines up before we come home! We arent used to rain any more. Went shopping at Galarie Lafayette today, one of the grand magasins of Paris. Amazing, all the high fashion labels for clothes, shoes, make up. Bought a wallet, shoes and a top, and had lunch in the tea salon. Insides its really amazing with an enormous glass dome in the centre of the roof and all the floors  circular below.

After that back on the hop on hop off bus for a tour around the Bastille and Marais areas. Its school holidays so there are lots of teenagers on the streets.

Brett is having a sleep, apparently hes a bit tired!! He will post some photos of the galarie when he has downloaded them. Flea market tomorrow am, Versailles, and in the evening Brett has a photography class.

Cheers all

J  

Paris

Hi guys

Great day out in Paris. We hopped on one of those tourist hop on hop off buses, and saw Sacre Couer (climbing the steps wasnt as hard as I had been told!). went all the to the top
Of the dome for a great view. Then Notre Dame, and the Eiffel tower. Didnt go up the tower, but got a great view from across the river in the Trocadero park. Drove down the Champs Elysee, but didnt go shopping as lots of shops closed on sunday.

Tomorrow we will go to Galerie Lafayette and then a wander around the Marais.

Post some comments, would be great to get some feedback

Cheers

B & J

Day out in Paris 3

Eiffel tower

Day in PARIS 2

Notre Dame and Moulin Rouge

Day in Paris

On our way to Paris

Just sitting a/t the Marseille TGV station waiting for our train, and have found a decent internet connection, so have taken the chance to do a catch up of the blog.

Julie and I went out to dinner last night in to Contignac for a great meal at a restaurant called Le Table de Fontaine. Was a great setting in the village square, with all of the restaurants having their tables out on the street. The temprature was still 34degC when we headed home to the gite, so a little hard to get to sleep. The gite has been great, Alex and Nadine are friendly and helpful. We have posted some photos but if you want to book its at gitesnl, and then search for le petit mas cotignac.

At 2pm yesterday afternoon the temp guage in the car read 40degC...  yeah totally roasting hot....  we made a fast track to the swimming pool.

We were up at 5am this morning and had a good trip into Marseille to return the rental car. Still takes a bit of getting used to... that if you are doing 140km/hr you keep in the slow lane :-)

Paris for the next 4 days, and it is the end of the sales..!!

Will keep you posted

Au revoir

B & J

Cntignac at night

Inside our Gite

Breakfast at the gite

Sitting outside our gite planning our busy day

Village of Entrecasteaux

If you have dined at La Chat Noir in Greerton, Tauranga, this is the village of Freddy the owner.

Provence

Hi All

Arrived here yesterday. The gite is everything we expected, delightful small cottage, looking out over the pool and the olive orchard. Alexandre and Nadine are helpful and friendly. After settling in and unpacking we went into the village to find dinner. Turns out they were having a "Cotignac rocks"concert and we had to go to 4 restaurants before we got a table! The band played an ecletic mix that ranged from the Doors to the Cranberries, stopping off in the eighties on the way. There was only one song that I didnt recognise. The evening  was mild, and it looked like the whole village was out. Lots of families all enjoying the night.

The village is just like in the pictures. Old houses tumbling down the cobbled st, blue shutters and geraniums.

Today, sunday we went for a drive and found a village market. I made aioli with garlic, oil and eggs that I bought at the market by hand with a whisk. Really nice, but I might have been a bit heavy on the garlic. We had that with a selection of veges, also all bought at  the market including what must be the last of the asparagus. We are about to have fresh strawberries for dessert.

Tomorrow we will have a quiet day, explore the village some more. Brett wants a haircut, and I need a pedicure......In the afternoon plan to read and work on my tan, in between swims. Then dinner in the village.

Brett will keep posting photos, the other 2 planned activities are a trip to Avignon and to the gorge Verdon north of here, picking up a picnic at a market on the way.

I know, its a hard life!!!

We have just seen the news about the flooding and rain in the district, sounds like terrible weather. Be safe.

Au revoir

Julie and Brett

Milan

Milan

Damm... too late

Annesy camping