The Clock is Ticking!

#countdown#itinerary#TossadeMar#Bandols#Uzes#Compostela

#LaBelleFrance

Tick tock ... tick tock ... We are starting to count the days until our departure!

            

Our itinerary is all set ... at least as much as we want it to be!

And wow it will be a busy adventure.

We will experience seeing many new sights in many villages, towns, and cities that are new to us and also revisiting some favorite places.

We will be tasting new foods and wines, adapting to different cultures and customs while travelling in both Spain and France.

It will be a wonderful way to celebrate two special events ... 

... Our upcoming 25th anniversary ...

oh yes, Monsieur Honey can you believe it has been that many years, and of course to celebrate the "changing of my front door" birthday.

Unlike the past two years' rendezvous' with our beloved France, we are not staying in one location for the duration of the trip.

Our flights are confirmed ...  

Our car is rented ... so what will Monsieur Honey be driving this year? 

Most of our accommodation is booked ... from our airport hotel on arrival in Toulouse to the seaside resort in Tossa de Mar, Spain...

Photo credit to Hotel website ...

                              

And then back across the border to the South of France where we have a three day stay planned at another charming hotel located in the countryside in the Bandol wine region, a week in an apartment in Uzés, and then various places during our adventure in the North of Spain when my friend and I will be walking part of the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, while Monsieur Honey and his ami Monsieur Guy search out the local sights and restaurants for our afternoons and evenings together.

For the last three weeks we will finish our adventure in our beloved France!

Lily of the Valley (Wordless Wednesday)

#1stofMay#Lilyofthevalley#goodluck

                  

Packing for the Dream

#caminos#chemin#Spain

Time is flying by quickly now after all these months planning for our next great adventure.

Now we are fine tuning our itinerary (will be subject of another post) ... I am making final to do lists, doing imaginary packing and unpacking and then making another to do list, just to be sure I haven't forgotten anything. 

Since we are going to be moving almost everyday for the two weeks during my "Walk", I have had to think of some extra necessities.

This week, quite a bit was accomplished ... 

Monsieur Honey found me the perfect backpack (not too heavy or too big) just right for extra socks, my second pair of walking shoes, my water bottle, my camera, raincoat in a pouch, a toiletry bag of sunscreen, lip balm, blister stick, band aids, etc. and if I wanted to it has a padded slot for a laptop/ iPad but I won't be doing that for this trek ... a notepad and pen for my thoughts instead.

Bonus ... a compass toggle as a zipper pull ...

Do you think Monsiuer Honey is worried I will get lost?

Luckily, we don't have to carry everything "in our packs on our backs"....

Thanks to our dear partners who will be driving the "Chase Car" and moving our luggage from one hotel/village to the next.

Yesterday, we made a quick trip to the city with one of my "To Do Lists" in hand.

I felt very accomplished when we finished our shopping and I was able to cross off a number of items...

I found my favoured women's socks by Fox River at the MEC Mountain Exchange Cooperative.

What a wonderful store for an active lifestyle!

Plenty of research was done on the internet, reading reviews and recommendations to find the perfect fitting, cushioned, non blister causing socks for long distance walking/ trekking.

Eureka! I think these will be the ones ...

            

I have been a bit of a sock hoarder over the past few months, purchasing various pairs to pamper and treat my feet because they will have to be my best friends while we are walking the Caminos in Spain. 

    

   Oh how I long to walk "les chemins" in France and "el caminos" in Spain!

Mediterranean Lookout

#Lloret de Mar#Spain#Costa brava#Mediterraen 

This week in my news feed there was another beautiful photo of a Spanish village on the Costa Brava.

This village was on our short list of places to stay when we were planning our itinerary.

As we won't be too far away from this location, we will be sure to add a road trip to "Lloret de Mar" to discover some of it's history and Mediterraen colours!

Photo credit ... See Spain Facebook page.

Over the Hill

#Birthdays#milestones#doors#walkingtrails

Well it is no secret that this year (next month) I will be celebrating a special birthday ... 

My personal odometer is rolling over into a new decade.

Last year I celebrated while I was in France with new and old friends with many meals out, aperitifs and of course some good tasting wine.

My friend, Madame M. explained that in her area of Belgium they have a saying when you celebrate one of these birthdays ... You must "Veranderen uw voordeur" which literally translates to "Change your front door".

At first you might think it refers to changing your looks which it can if you want it to, but I think it has more to do with your outlook on life and other goals you may want to set for yourself.

So I have tweeked my looks a bit with a new hairstyle and some colour, but my real changing of my front door is the addition of walking in my daily life...

And in June, my goal is to walk a section of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella ... along side a dear friend!

This will be the real changing of my front door!

                        

And I don't think it will surprise you that I have taken many photos of doors during our travels...

A Window with a View

#CostaBrava#SpanishEyes#Spain#Mediterranean

Day dreaming ...

Hope I can capture some photos and views with my eyes like this one while we are enjoying the Spanish life in Costa Brava on the Mediterranean.

               

            Photo credit to See Spain (official Facebook Tourism page)

Almost Time to Return!

The days are starting to tick away... soon we will be back in the city where last year's adventure ended.

Today, I spent some time fine tuning our planned itinerary.

We have decided to spend our first night in Toulouse as we will be arriving late in the afternoon...so we will have a relaxing evening, enjoying our first French dinner of many with a glass of Cahors wine and a good night's sleep.

    Toulouse...

The next morning we will make our way from Toulouse to the Costa Brava, Spain and our first destination of Tossa de Mar.

Remember When?

#Beaucaillou#Degagnac#frenchmarkets#Cafes#brocantes#videgrenier

A year ago today after months, weeks and days of planning our 2013 adventure, we finally arrived in France after our long day of travel from Canada.

 This morning I sit here enjoying my coffee with my memories of that trip.

I am remembering ...

Our arrival at the rented cottage "Beaucaillou" in Dégagnac...

Our first alfresco lunch on the terrace...

The early spring flowers decorating the village homes... 

Market shopping...

Becoming a "Brocante/ Vide-Greniers" groupie...

Monsieur Honey in a reflective mood while hunting for treasures...

Our many excursions where we discovered many new places which will have to be a story for another day!

Getting reacquainted with some of our favourite restaurants and cafés and their delicious offerings... We even attended some special soirées at two favourite restaurants...

Café Le Diablo-Fraise - Nabirat where we enjoyed wonderful surprises each time we visited!

Le Caillau - Vire sur Lot set in the vineyards of the Cahors wine region, another favorite!

The reconnecting with old friends and making new friends... 

There is so much to daydream about right now but I must get back to reality and do some household chores!

A bientôt!      

Wine Wednesday

# WineWednesday#Spanishwines #CostaBrava

Our plans are falling in place for this year's adventure which I am sorry to say is still a few weeks away.

And as you know we have had to bear a very harsh, cold and snowy winter ... Good news is that Spring may have finally arrived which should make the time go quicker.

In preparation for our time in Spain we have been taste testing some Spanish wines...which has given us a flavour of things to come.

I am so looking forward to sitting a at café sipping a glass of wine and nibbling on some tapas.

    French Cafés lining the beach in Collioure... 

Will there be cafés lining the Mediterranean Sea in the Costa Brava region of Spain?