Category Archives: Personal stuff

Senese Sojourn

Posted on October 5, 2011 by EllieGee

Siena is another Tuscan power house of Renaissance art and architecture with its own key characters – perhaps the biggest names being Jacopo della Quercia and Beccifumo – as well as featuring some of our usual suspects from the Florentine … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Culture stuff, By Country - Italy, Food stuff, Personal stuff, Travel stuff | 3 Comments

A quiet place on the banks of the Arno

Posted on September 20, 2011 by EllieGee

Adrian Garraway Kingsley was my father’s cousin, someone he had looked up to during his youth and spoke of fondly. We visited Adrian’s grave in the Florence War Cemetery for British and Commonwealth forces killed between 1943 and 1945. It … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - Italy, Personal stuff | 1 Comment

Cinque Terre

Posted on September 19, 2011 by EllieGee

Cinque Terre refers to the area around five villages which are wedged into coves or perch on cliff tops along the dramatic coastline between Levanto and La Spezia, east of Genoa. They are largely only accessible by train, boat or … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - Italy, Personal stuff, Travel stuff | 1 Comment

Expectations versus Reality

Posted on September 8, 2011 by AdrianC

It’s been a most educational leg of the trip, to be honest. It’s not that we’re exactly neophytes at this lark – bimbling along, finding our night’s accommodation as the afternoon starts to turn into evening, and figuring out day-by-day … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - France, Personal stuff, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Oradour – two personal reactions

Posted on August 27, 2011 by AdrianC

Adrian says… Now we’ve been there, what did we find? Well, the broad reality was everything we expected and more. It’s a ghost town, with a terrible story to tell. It does that – with the help of the visitor … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - France, Personal stuff | 11 Comments

Oradour-sur-Glane

Posted on August 27, 2011 by AdrianC

Early June, 1944. It’s the week after the Normandy Landings. The German Army are desperately trying to mobilise as many troops as possible, to reinforce those attempting and failing to quell the invasion. Troops across all of France, especially the … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - France, Personal stuff | 2 Comments

Killing time in the Correze

Posted on August 21, 2011 by EllieGee

We didn’t intend to visit this area other than simply driving through. Our 10 or so days at Sarran, near Égletons – although far from planned – has passed in a most pleasurable and laid back way, tempered by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Culture stuff, By Country - France, Food stuff, Personal stuff, Van stuff | 5 Comments

Are we making your forecourt look untidy? (part 2)

Posted on August 15, 2011 by AdrianC

For part 1 of the saga, see this post… After the van was left at the VW dealer on Monday afternoon, awaiting “diagnosis” and attention, communication dried up somewhat. Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, we called ADAC periodically – to be … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - France, Personal stuff, Van stuff | 3 Comments

The elegance of the hedgehog

Posted on August 10, 2011 by EllieGee

Spoilt for choice for places to visit in France, we didn’t quite know which direction to head in on leaving Salbris. The day we finally left the weather was as uninspiring as it was on the day we first headed … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - France, Personal stuff, Travel stuff | 1 Comment

19th World Meeting of 2cv Friends, Salbris, France

Posted on August 10, 2011 by EllieGee

As we were driving east and northwards across Spain and up through France, I was imagining all the thousands of 2cvers busily packing their cars in preparation to head to Salbris from every corner of Europe or even flying in … Continue reading →

Posted in By Country - France, Personal stuff, Travel stuff, Van stuff | 1 Comment