Leaving Home, New Zealand

We returned to our home in Nelson for a few days to check things before we go overseas. Our tenants for the last 6 months left things very clean and tidy, so we got stuck into the garden and cut back some of the bigger trees that had a growth spurt over the Summer.

I arranged a couple of visitors for the period we are away, using LoveHomeSwap. We really do love this home swap thing; some nice couples and families have stayed at our place, in return for free stays of our own in Oz and Spain.  

Some friends stopped by for a catch up, and as we gazed out at the big sky view across the bay, we reassured ourselves that it will all still be here to enjoy when we return. 

We feasted on figs, and crumpets drizzled with local manuka honey tonight, then polished off the last of the gin, with tonic, and juice from our lemon tree.

Feel ready to launch now. After all, leaving home for an adventure or two only makes you appreciate it more...

Lizzie 

Bergerac

We arrived from Paris via Bordeaux feeling a bit jaded as the past week had caught up with us. In Paris for the first two days we walked a great deal and got caught in several showers, but it was worth it, especially the Musee D'Orsay. But then Mario got a pinched nerve in his back and I got a headache which just wouldn't go away.

Bergerac became a place to chill out and relax. A perfect place, curving gently up from the wide Dordogne River and made up mostly of golden sandy coloured buildings and narrow streets. We felt we could easily find our way around and just start to enjoy the sunshine and wine. We booked four nights at the Europ'Hotel; a pleasant little place on the edge of the old town with about 20 rooms and a lovely clean swimming pool.

Now two days on we are less frazzled and we've stopped looking at our watches. The market on Saturday was really buzzing with more varieties of tomatoes, radishes and asparagus than I have ever seen before. Today there was some sort of town fete and they strung a hammock type netting alongside the Pont Vieux (quite a stretch, five arches). Locals were lining up to struggle across it, each crossing taking about 20 minutes.

Each afternoon and evening we sit down in the foyer and watch the World Cup games and try and figure out the French commentary. Our friendly hosts can't understand why we are supporting or interested in so many countries - NZ, Italy, Spain, Australia and England. Our French (with bits of Italian and English thrown in) is hopeless, so we cannot explain these things very well, it took us two days to get a good cup of tea sorted.

Lizzie