Regatta in Bandol

When I opened the curtains covering the French doors to our terrace this morning I was surprised to see the table set and ready for Monsieur Honey and I to enjoy our first "petit dejeuner" at Les Quatres Saisons.

Now today is Thursday and way past the requisite Tuesday "laundry" day, so we asked our host to direct us to the nearest "laverie".

 

With verbal directions we headed to the nearby village of Le Beausset in search of a laundromat ... no self serve found!

We left our bags of dirty clothes at a pressing to be washed, folded and picked up tomorrow.

Then we were set to head off to the seaside town of Bandol.

I had no idea what to expect in Bandol, all I knew was that it was situated right on the Mediterranean and read that it was a popular coastal town in a region that produces great tasting wines.

We walked into the centre ville heading to the Quay along the coastline. 

It was a sight to behold...

And today it looked like there was a regatta underway ... Sailboats heading out of the marina in to the harbour, lining up for their starting place.

Tonight at dinner, Monsieur Honey said that he really enjoyed Bandol and maybe we should consider this location for a long stay! 

   And they are off!

Sojourn to Seté

#TossadeMar#Sete#lepetitbistro#Risotto

Tuesday morning we said "Adios " to Tossa de Mar starting our travels north out of Spain into the south of France.

A window to the Mediterranean ...

A last view of the old castle ...

We had pre planned our stays for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ...(more about that in the following posts) but only decided the previous evening to have a one night stop in Seté.

And it was Tuesday after all ... Monsieur Honey's line ... "It is laundry day!"

Checked in to our Hotel for the night and enjoyed a cool beverage on the terrace... Then wandered done by the water, discovered the laundromat and decided to do the wash before heading out of Seté in the morning.

We asked the barman for a restaurant recommendation and we were told to go to " Le Petit Bistro"... Ah yes we walked by it's closed doors. 

After some inquiring we learnt that it opened at 7PM, and we were advised to make a reservation by the hotel receptionist.

"Really, do we need one?" We both asked in disbelief.

"Oh, mais oui, Monsieur!" ... a table for two for 7:30PM was reserved.

At the appointed time, dressed for dinner we sauntered down the street ... Only to find an empty restaurant with the owner/ chef and waitress eating their meals. 

We were told to take a table and soon they would be with us.

Patiently we sat and wondered if we were the only ones for the night ... by eight thirty every table in the house was occupied.

As it was so busy ... we only took one photo so as not to disturb the other clientele.

The food was delicious and beautifully presented...

Here is Monsieur Honey's choosen dish ...

A creamy risotto with mushrooms, shrimp, green asparagus tips ... the shrimp were more the size of baby lobsters.

When it was served we both looked into each other's eyes and Monsieur became Grandpa for moment saying ... I know what our Mason would say ........."It's Bug Night, Grandma!"

The boys like to give their evening meals a themed name ... i.e. If we are having ham, it's "Ham Night".

Next morning after our petit déjeuner, we were off to the laundromat only to find the machines out of order ...

Welcome to France!

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!

Soon...More Postcards from the Lot

As in the words of Norah Jones' song ... "Come Away With Me", follow us via our blog as we have another Rendezvous with France.

Our experience in France last year was so remarkable and exceeded all of our expectations, that it wasn't long after we returned that plans for our 2013 adventure were in the works.

Accommodations, flights and car rental have all been arranged and finalized.

This year we have rented a charming 17th Century Barn that has been lovingly converted into a cottage located in a small village near Gourdon (where our home base was in 2012) in the Lot Valley.

Our mode of transport will be via a Peugeot 207 (or similar) for the duration of our stay.

We will again fly with Air France from Toronto to Toulouse via Paris; service is great and we say goodbye to our bags in Toronto and they are in Toulouse when we arrive.

Of course our passports are up to date...so we are ready to go and immerse ourselves full throttle with all our senses into the French lifestyle.

Now it's just the packing and the unpacking as we decide what to take and then what we really need to take or more accurately what we don't need to take.

Stay tuned for more updates about our Rendezvous.

Upon returning from our last trip, I made a " Shutterfly " photo book that captures some of our special memories and postcards.

This painting hangs in our dining room, and was our souvenir purchase in 2003 during our very first vacation in France.
It is titled " Le Rendezvous ".
Some of our grandchildren think this is Grandma and Grandpa...oh to see the world through childrens' eyes!