Of Mice & Men – Éguisheim, Alsace, France

“For breakfast, they have a massive bowl of coffee, like a cereal bowl, and they dip in pieces of a huge, bell-shaped cake, called Kugelhopf!”

These were the awed observations of cultural differences, relayed to my parents, following my first ever trip abroad. Aged 14, I had been on a school exchange to Alsace to learn French.

As if cake for breakfast were not enough! Alsace is a magical place of wine, castles and culture tucked next to the Rhine in north-east France, right on the German border.Continue reading “Of Mice & Men – Éguisheim, Alsace, France”

“I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Cluny” – The City of the Horse, Bourgogne, France

Since the caravan brakes didn’t fail and we’ve already used up the stress-making options of a Kamikaze Lorry and towing a caravan through the Mistral, Mark tried to add a different layer of excitement to our departure. As he loaded the bikes on to the van, he tried to amputate the end of his finger on my spokes.

Stemming the flow of husbandly blood is always a fine prelude to a road trip.Continue reading ““I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Cluny” – The City of the Horse, Bourgogne, France”

A Week in Provence – The Penny Pincher’s Guide to Pont du Gard

pont-du-gard-533365_640
The Pont du Gard

Nous Sommes Citoyens de France – We Are Citizens of France! The Fab Four are now officially Le Quatre Fabuleux. Following our trip to the vet, they got their DHPP vaccinations, French passports and a pipette for leishmania, a mosquito-borne disease to be wary of near the Med. On American Independence Day, they gained the freedom to travel throughout Schengen, which is more than we will be able to do at the end of the Brexit transition period. (For more information on why we put  The Fab Four on French passports, see this IMPORTANT POST BREXIT PET TRAVEL UPDATE.)

As a treat, we took Le Quatre Fabuleux to river for a stick chase and then drove around to find a back way into the Pont du Gard.Continue reading “A Week in Provence – The Penny Pincher’s Guide to Pont du Gard”