Lovely Lyon

What a wonderful time we had, all thanks to Graham and Megan. Thank you so much for an excellent and exciting adventure.

The tale starts on Friday afternoon where we met Graham and Megan at the train station. We got a tour of town, walking through amazing market places, where there were endless number of different cheeses. There were meats and fish and wonderful fresh fruit and veggies and still more different cheeses. Yummy and it didn't stop there as there where glorious lolly shops, chocolate shops and pastry stores on every corner. It was very hungry making.

We first headed for their hard won flat. It took Megan and Graham about three months of arguing with the French to get a flat that is only a holiday rental normally. I don't think either of us would be that brave, I think Ben and I would say they don't want us and leave. But they won, after putting money down only to find out the flat had been given to someone else. They have a cute little place like the one we had in Newtown. With the loft bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and joint lounge/dining area.

We set down our bags and headed off on a shopping adventure. Here we got our first try on the metro, it is amazingly easy and fun. I would recommend it to all even if you don't speak or read french. Most of it you and figure out and the ticket machines usually have an english option. We went over the lovely rivers running through Lyon to the biggest supermarket I have ever seen. You could barely spot the far wall it was so big. It did not just sell food though, you could buy a stove if you happen to lack one or maybe some building material if you fancy knocking out some bookshelves or even redo the wiring in your house, which just between you and me I think much of Lyon's wiring needs doing, not to mention some plumbing.

The shop..


They do love their roller blading here, they have organised groups roaming the streets at night..


After stocking up on cheeses, pastries oh and some healthy stuff for dinner we went back to catch up on all the gossip of moving to and living in France. Quite a tale of adventure and adversity but with a triumphant ending. We even tried out some french wine with dinner, always an experience when you know little to nothing about the areas. It was ok! and dinner and dessert was wonderful. Once the pastries were polished off we went to sleep, gathering energy for our new day.

Exploring Lyon, we set of with our all day metro tickets, love the metro. Headed for the very top of Lyon where you can see for miles. We got a cable car up to the top, even the stations are steep..


There is a stunning Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière at the top..


as well as an ancient Roman ruins. Lugdunum, as this area was known, was officially recognized by the Roman senate in 43 BC. Parts of it live on today on Fourvière hill, and can be reached by a funicular or on foot. There is a large theater (oldest in France), which is still used for events today.


We finished the area with a tour with a walk through the streets of the old Lyon. They also have these great little tunnels down the city that were used by the silk traders. They were a bit to spooky for me though.


Walking around we got to see the very surprising walls about the city. They have taken advertising to a new level. Companies sponsor the works but they are truely groovy as you will see


We broke up our adventuring with a pastry stop with coffee and the contiuned after dinner with a night tour of the lights. Very beautiful..


They have something very interesting called touch parking, I think I could come up with more colourful language then touch if it was my car...


All too soon it was time to say goodbye. After a super tasty pastry brekky we were off to the train again. We would also like to say thank again to our lovely hosts for a wonderful holiday and hope to see them soon.

Not alone with weird weather

The folks received their share of sudden weather in lovely Bathurst as these pics from Laurence will atest...

Real snow this time

Yes that's right, we though we weren't going have a real winter. We did get the playful bit of snow a few weeks back. Now the snow this week did a proper job though again Cambridge itself did not get a lot. We had two days of the snow before the warm weather returned, it was great.

Here is the car, house, front yard and driving...


Next is my wanderings through Cambridge before my yoga class. Once I had finished my class at about 2pm all the snow had gone. This is the park we walk through from parking the car..




The college here is Kings...


Lastly we have the lake near Ben's work and is office building..

Welcome to the new member

Chelsea and Brenton have a new family member and a very cute one at that. Please say hello to the as yet unnamed baby ferret.



Very sweet

Heading South-ish

Last weekend we headed off for an explore in the vague south west of England.

First stop was Forest of Dean where it is said that Tolkien wandered many a day, getting inspired for his work. We saw amazing amout of birds and squirrels and even a herd of wild deer that you maybe able to make out in this next pic...


The forest has lovely little ponds, huge trees and heaps of walks to do of which we tried a few.



Once we finished our picnic lunch in this lovely setting we travelled on towards Gloucester to see the very old cathedral there. It has been a place of worship for over 1300 years. Quite incredible, it is so huge with so many famous dead folk buried there, you're not sure what to think or feel being there. It is very impressive, for its history as well as its skill in structure.



We were lucky enough to be around when they were practicing the organ. A beautiful creation with hand painted pipes. We also got to sit in while the choir was practicing, the sound of angels, truely.



After our wondering we headed to our accommodation. So lovely, it was on a working horse farm and had a cute pet pig called Hamlet.



Next morning we arose early to head off to the Cotswolds. We can't rave enough about this wondeful area. Sweet villages set in valleys with all the building made from the same honey coloured stone local to the area. There are so many excellent locations but our pick so far, as obivously we could not fit them all in, in one was Lower Slaughter.



Should be even prettier in the summer when the flowers and leaves are out.

We also checked out Cheltenham itself, which has a famous shopping area along a promenade.



We finished up with a lovely hot chocolate and a look at a very groovy clock. It actually has a duck on the top of it laying the balls that go around it. Every now and then the snack on the middle moves too and mice keep popping out. Hypnotic.