St Malo

We are on the 4th floor looking out over the beach from a glass enclosed bay window.  The room is small but the view is paramount.  The tide is measured in metres and is currently going out and the beach is 200 metres wide.  Driving rain has just started and everyone has been sent scattering while we are lazing back in glassed protection.  We went down earlier when there was  a bit of sun to get a few photos.

Hotel Alexandra

St Malo

No two houses the same

Cruise Liner Museum

The Germans chose St Nazaire to build a submarine base after they took it over in WWII.  But what to do with a huge concrete construction that will last another 1000 yar?  For one thing there were huge shipyards here where cruise ships such as the Normandie were built in the 1900's.  So they have built a museum for cruise ships in the submarine pens.  There is also a sub still here as well but we didn't get to see that.

Cruising already

Zeig Heil

La Baule Bike Ride

The Hermitage Barriere has a fleet of bicycles you can take out for a ride at your leisure. It was rainy this morning but we took the bikes anyway and end up riding around for 4 or 5 hours.  Initially we went out looking for breakfast as it is very expensive here at the hotel, at $50 per person.  We found a market which Debbie was happy with. She bought a denim jacket and singlety top. Very French!  There is no shabby dressing up around here. Tres Chique.  We bought chicken, potatoes and a baguette at the market as well as picnic knives from the Carrefour.  This ended up being lunch at the local park. So for breakfast we found the Boulangerie for quiches and took them across the road to the coffee shop.  You buy food from one shop and take it to another.

Hermitage

Rainy



Saint Nazaire Drive

Just when you think you are in Saint Nazaire turns out you are in La Baule.  It's a bit like thinking you're in Melbourne when you are in Williamstown. The drive here was eventful. A message came up on our car console which after translation said we are out of oil. Emergency engine overheating etc etc.  We needed fuel anyway so pulled in at the nearest station. Straight away we had trouble. The diesel fuel nosal would not fit into our car.  We double checked the paperwork and this car is definitely diesel only. We checked the pump and the hose was diesel. We fluffed around some more until someone came over and said we had pulled up to a diesel truck pump.  So we backed out and went to a car pump and the nosal fitted.  The oil was the next problem. Having bought some we could not get the oil cap off. Debbie got a guy from inside the fuel depot to come out and between us we eventually got the oil in.  This all must have taken an hour.  After we got going she said he was not a worker just another customer shopping in the station.  Half an hour later there was a four car crash that saw us parked on the road for another hour. We crept forward a bit at a time with endless emergency cars, ambulances,fire trucks going past.  No phasements.

Hermitage Barriere Hotel

Chateau D'Usse

We try not to do too much in one day. Chateau D'Usse was our second stop today after Chinon Fortress and they are only 10 km apart but we spent most of the day checking them out getting back to the hotel at 4:00 pm. This chateau is one of those picturesque versions. It inspired the Sleeping Beauty story by Charles Perrault when he visited there.  This chateau allows you to go right up to the wooden capping on the towers as well as venturing out onto the ramparts.

What a beauty

Fortress Royale

There is a large rock outcrop above Chinon. Three separate castles were built there over hundreds of years. The main characters were the Plantagenets being Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and Prince John.  Chinon was the royal palace of England at this time but Phillip king of France did not like it so he went on the attack and put the fortress under siege for 9 months. Only 20 English soldiers were holding the vast fortress as it was impregnable but were eventually starved out.  500 years later Joan of Arc arrived during the 100 years war and immediately began winning towns back from the English.  This led to a long peace and the castle went into ruin.

Vienne River below Chinon Fortress

Pain not Bread

We are eating a lot of bread.  I have been coping with a knee problem.  It has been building up daily for the last two weeks. My own prognostication is tendonitis which I had a bout of five yar ago in the same place on the inside of the right knee.  Last night was intense pain with any movement however after a few hours with panadol, this morning I can move with a limp.  The new strategy is no more carrying of luggage and no driving.
The restaurant here is your michelin starred variety with waiters outnumbering guests. Everything is done just so. If you don't want aperitifs they will bring something anyway. If you don't want starters they will bring a little starter anyway.  You can't just go to the main course.  The food is art!  We said lets skip dessert but I would try the cheese trolley.  Well did they get excited about that. A mobile table came out with 50 items to choose from. I had already decided on a mild goat's cheese. We got two variety's with some quince jam, apricots and the special bread. They made up a platter but were expecting more choices so they could make a visual splendour.  It was very tasty.  The dessert was the finishing touch to the performance but we did not order any, so they brought us out some anyway. They called it the pre-dessert.  So when in France just run with it.

Goaty McGoat Cheese

Chateau de Marcay

Just had a tour of the facility after an afternoon snooze.  Lots of renovation evident here. We have booked in for the restaurant which looks elegant. The gardens are basic with a pool in the backyard. We are in the west wing. There are a few issues with old chateau such as endless stairs with no lifts and no air conditioning. I have a dodgy knee at the moment and stair borne luggage is not helping.

Lady Muck

Flowers and Towers

Raising the Bar

Chinon

We rode bikes to Chinon Castle on Lake Geneva a few years back.  Here is another Chinon on the Vienne River which also has a Fortress that we will check out tomorrow.  We spent a rainy day getting here to the Chateau de Marcay. This is an upper class chateau renovation. I think I preferred the last one which was more rustic and not renovated.  This is the Loire Valley home of the spectacular chateaux. The Chinon town itself is medieval and predates all the nearby chateaux.

Tower from below

Orne

Orne is a local region surrounding our village of Villeray.  We drove for around 120 kms today stopping off at various spots.  Two very old towns were Belleme and la Perriere. These have walled fortifications but still typically picturesque french.  We had lunch at an ancient cafe in La Perriere. A local delicacy is pork penis (see picture below).  We made our way back to the Flour Mill for a swim but we had the 5 O'clockers at the back of the Chateau.

Pork Penis

Champagne Chateau

Airbus A380

I think I've said it before but those A380s are the best.  You are fiddling in your seat making sure everything is just right then glance out the window and the plane is in the air already.  We have just finished 21 hours flying time and I only watched three films.  The Story of Z, Allied and Life. This last one is an Alien copy.  The head phones are good but I get a headache if I leave them on for too long.  There are plenty of games that don't need head phones. We walked off last night's dinner in the village.

Chateau de Villeray

Bonjour

Domaine de Villeray

The houses of Villeray.  Sometimes it is worth going out of your way to find the small places.  It has been an 18 hour day getting here from Dubai this morning.  This village of Villeray is unkown, hard to find but completely intact.  We are staying in the waterwheel room which was part of the original flour mill.  The chateau is up the hill about 200 metres and is also part of the hotel.  The gardens are extensive but we haven't seen those much yet.

Swim up Bar

Flour Power

Wild Wadi revisited

We checked out Wild Wadi two years ago and it hasn't changed but on a 47 degree day floating around the pools is the place to be.  These floaty rides have water jets that take you up up up then you slide back down again. The creepiest thing is the feet fish. Our timer clock did not start counting down so we sat in the fish for 45 minutes, now my feet are a bit sensitive because they have lost a layer of skin.  We have retreated indoors for the 1:00 to 4:00 pm time slot. Tomorrows  forecast is 48 degrees but we are out of here.

7 Star Athlete

Need a date

Go North for the Sun

Yes we have made it to Dubai and we have found the warm weather, 45 degrees in fact.  As I look out our window at the Burj Al Arab I can see a workman with a blow torch who is melting some kind of joins for a new tennis court. As  if it isn't hot enough. I can also see plenty of people walking past between our pool and the water park next door.  The flight here took exactly 14 hours but we gained 6 hours so we arrived at 1:00pm.  We have duty free champagne in the fridge so Debbie will be happy when she wakes up.

Jumeirah Beach Pool

Heat on Heat

Packing Euro 17

Yes one of us is packed but you are not really sure until both suitcases are zipped up but there is still a few hours to go.  Mine comes in at 23kg. The carry on is good at 3.5kg.  I am taking an extra camera and a new coat which together must be 3kg.  There are three formal dining evenings where coats, collars and ties are mandatory. For the first time I have got this properly covered.  A few years back there were French chateaux we stayed at where dress codes were high and we are using chateaux again. I have been consulting my packing checklist which has around 150 items all up.

GOT Season 7 Dragonstone

Checked out the first episode of season 7 last night. I can say that we have been to Dragonstone.  This location is in the north of Spain out of Bilbao at a place called  Gaztelugatxe.  They have juxtaposed a castle at the top of the staircase but there is actually a church there.  As soon as we saw it, the scene seemed familiar.  Certainly a good place for dragons.

Gaztelugatxe

Imagine Dragons

Rama for Two

I previously mentioned how some of the Hugo winners are part of a series of books. So that if you are following the Hugo trail you may have to stop at a turning like Rendezvous with Rama. Fortunately I found Rama II recently so I read it while the first volume was still fresh in my mind.  I should have known!  The stories are self contained but now the titles go on and on. There are 10 volumes in total. Rama II was a collaboration so now the two authors Clarke and Lee are writing their own separate stories. I may just settle for the Clarke titles but there are still two more of those and three more secondary books.

Those Ramans

Flower Power

I bought some flowers a month ago for a 59th birthday.  They must have trunk like stems as they are still standing proud as the day they were cut.  All the leaves have dropped off but the petals have kept their shape and do not look as if they are drying out in any way.  The Lincoln Rd flower man retired so I had to look around for another flower source when I remembered the one out the front of Woolies in Keilor Rd.  Get your blooms there.

Taylor's Lakes Hotel

There's that Taylor name again.  This is an old fave, a large food barn in someways.  As usual, how come there are so many people out and about as this place was really busy for Friday lunch. We did get a lesson in Pokie Machine usage even though it was only a 5c game.  We may give the pokies ago on the up coming oceanic merry go round.

Will start coming this way to bypass the Whitten Bridge

Collendina Report No 2689

Haven't been to the van much over winter however some summertime accessories were needed to be retrieved for the Northern heat.  I noticed one of the vans at the back has been completely removed no doubt getting ready for a new delivery.  As well school holiday work bans were being ignored with lots of pre-summer projects on the go.

Men at Work

Vacant Block

Rose Street Paper Culprit

I went into the newsagent in Rose St and asked him whether he delivered papers to our house. He looked up the address and confirmed he was delivering them.  I said our street was traditionally zoned to another paper round. He started to look a bit concerned and said it wasn't him, he was just following orders from Head Office.  So you are really a Secret Agent, I said. I am 61 and I have never met a secret agent, I said.  He was getting confused now.  I said I need the paper cancelled and no questions asked about catchup payments or I will report you the "Paper Round Boundary Disputes Commitee". The paper was duly canceled.

No more papers at the door

Gwardium not Gaudium

Somewhere around 1977 a few singers got together for a song or two. Then someone said maybe we can get paid for this.   So if you are going to sing at weddings then we'll need a name.  So 40 yar later the Gwardium troupe had a leisurely lunch at the Great Northern Pub.  No one had aged a day since. Well maybe a couple of days.  Once a muso always a muso. The connection with music was alive and well with most.

Jesaulenko you bueaty

5 Stones

This is literally a stone building exercise  where two teams have to either rebuild or prevent from building a stack of 5 stones.  First of all the stones are dislodged using a ball then the building team scatters over the field as they can be run out if hit by the ball.  While the defending team is busy trying to run someone out, another rebuild member can sneak into the building site and try to restack the 5 stones.  Can get very energetic.  I will opt for Finska next time.

23 different snags for Molly's 23 birthday

Beware the VAT

Just had a session ordering tickets over the internet.  The first lot were Shakespeare 'As You Like It' . This theatre is like a Spiegletent but without a roof, although these seats are under cover.  Since I was on a roll I had a go at the Queen tickets for next March.  I ended up on a Resale site which had a pair of tickets for $1000 which was a bit steep so I aborted.  I went to the official site called 'viagogo' which had a pair of seats for $500 but by the time I had got through to the final payment they told me it was now $922.65 which was mostly VAT (value added tax) so I aborted for a 2nd time, however I got all these emails about how to download tickets etc.  The bank said that the transaction was started but did get cancelled.  So don't buy anything via a UK web site like 'viagogo'.

Hugo (Book) Weaving

Rode over to Northcote armed with my Hugo list.   Went through the Allsorts SciFi shelves which were a bit of a mess but I found two more titles.  A few doors down is the Brown&Bunting store which is highly organised, I found three more titles.  The musette was getting a bit full so I will have to go back to see if there are any more titles.  I have  spread out over three stores now and $8 seems to be the average price.  Wilburs is a cafe/hamburger  business that I stopped at on the way back. Try a different one next time.

Well organised

To Your Scattered Bodies Go

What if everybody who ever lived could all be resurrected onto a planet all at the same time?  My estimate of everybody who ever lived is 80 Billion. In this book 36 Billion people are resurrected to live beside a very long river and they all remember who they are and at what time in history they lived.  The main character is Sir Richard Burton whom we ran across in Trieste.  Many aspects of his real life are mentioned in this tale.  The question pursued by the swashbuckler Burton, is why bother with all this?   I never got the answer because this is book one in the River World series.  When they give out Hugo awards, its only for one volume, so the rest of the books are not on my Hugo list.

Resurrection Bubble

Austen Tea Rooms

We revisited the Austen Tea rooms for an 82nd High Tea celebration. It was Shirley, Gordon, Violet, Trevor, Leanne,Mitchell,Debbie and Neil. We had to show some Sense and Sensibility about how many sandwiches and cakes you could eat in one sitting.  It's a good thing we did not have any lunch. The three tiered cake stands were in use on multiple occasions and all coordinated in design with the tea service crockery. First pies and cucumber sandwiches then after that they reappeared laden with macaroons, merengues and slices, all washed down with as much tea and coffee as you wanted.  Just when it was all finished out came the plates of scones, which were huge.  Just when all that was finished out came the even huger Black Forest cake for the birthday song.

Vernier Cake Measurement

High Cake

A Case of Conscience

This is no 7 on the Hugo list.  The book gets into the  religious aspects of sci fi and asks if God had time to make other planets as well.  So much so that a priest performs an exorcism on a whole planet just in case. Turns out that one of the offspring from the planet shakes up the culture on earth by becoming a combined evangelist/shockjock of sorts. All very deep.