Hendaye

After leaving Royan we took the ferry over the river and made out way down to Bordeaux on a new Peage Motorway not in the 2013 atlas, it's only just been finished.
Great driving, not very busy on the road and getting warmer despite the heavy showers.

Got to our destination of St Jean de Luz which is now unrecognisable since we were there 20 years ago.  It was packed with French people and the crowds were unbelievable.  So here we are down the road in a lovely mansion style building with Basque history right on the Spanish border, but still in France.  Going in search of a gin and tonic after being a bit stressed as to where to find for a bed for the night - with parking !  It's so lovely here we may stay another night and the weather is great.

1900

There's not much around here but we have been recommended a restaurant close by the hotel.  After a couple  of weak gins we did a bit of a walk about, found a few restaurants near the marina but they were a bit on the expensive side. Not sure now whether we will stay here but go into Spain tomorrow but drive just for a short distance.  I'll take some photos before we leave.

2200

Well went to the restaurant recommended, I chose the duck breast with the cherry sauce it was lovely.  Had a by nice bottle of local Basque Country wine.  Bill had grilled squid which was ok once the lemon had been added.  We shared profiteroles for afters.  It then proceeded to pour down with rain so our stroll into the town and back didn't happen.

We will be on the road again tomorrow but only for a short while, we want to spend some time in one place for a couple of days before we blade down to Portugal.

Royan - 4th October

Decided to go further than planned.  First idea was La Croisic, but too near, then La Rochelle.  Got off the peage motorway and then decided to go to Royan where we are now.  The sun is shining and the rain has stopped and its just lovely here, very French.  We have a room looking over the bay not too expensive and have tried a couple of bars for an aperitif and now decided to go to a really nice looking fish restaurant as I fancy a sole meunière tonight.  Bill has recovered at last I think from his tummy troubles as he didn't eat anything last night but managed a good breakfast in the hotel in Avranches this morning.

So this a lovely view from the balcony a bit basic hotel but as its only one night it doesn't matter.  Plan is to go to St Jean de Luz tomorrow we haven't been there for some 20 years now and then on to Burgos, which I shall probably book as it will be Sunday and a lot of places close then, but as its a chain and reliable should not be a problem.

No pictures as yet as the weather has been so overcast no point.  Tomorrow may bring something.  They have a lot of lovely shops here and I think I'm allowed an hour to look round.

More later......

Off to France, Spain and Portugal via ferry - 3rd October 2013

Well here we are on a dull Thursday morning crossing from Portsmouth to Caen on what promises to be another good trip to Alan's in Tavira Portugal.  We intend to take a week to get down there so there is no hurry.  We are also meeting up with Pete and Min in Tavira who are staying in Estopona and travelling up next week..

Our first destination will be Avranches, which has views of Mont St Michel which just happens to be the name of the ferry we are on.  Although I looked at some hotels and B&B I haven't booked anything as we usually leave that to fate and stop somewhere that just looks right.

So more at our destination.

So after getting slightly lost on the Caen circular and back tracking we finally got on the right road the A84 to Avranches.  After circulating the town and finding nothing of the 10 hotels I'd seen online we finally after looking at a dingy place for 40 euros and refusing (no en suite) politely, here we are at a lovely little hotel restaurant Place del la Jardin at the top of the hill.  Lovely rooms if not quaint with French furniture, but shabby chic it is not.  Parking no problem.  Menu looks ok and as we arrived after checking in a huge thunder storm ensued but all cleared now and the forecast looks better for tomorrow.  We will make a decision on our plans tomorrow after a well earned sleep as neither of us slept well at home last night.  Cats know when they are going to be left and both slept on our bed last night feeling insecure.  Coupled with the fact I had serious indigestion from the lovely meal we had out on Wednesday night at the Brickmakers and Bill has a tummy bug from eating too many mussells that didn't agree with him the night before we are a right pair.

One thing about the French is that they don't know how to pour a gin and tonic like the Spanish do and consequently a large bottle of tonic takes 2 measures of gin.

So maybe more tomorrow before we leave.  May go into town tomorrow to get a couple of things, like Imodiums !!

Weymouth to Lulworth

Just having a cup of tea and deciding what to do as we can't set off until 1pm today to get the tide up to Portsmouth, so we are going to have breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs in Lulworth Cove.  The meal last night in the Ming Wah chinese restaurant was fabulous, best meal we've had all holiday.

Lovely day today, a few clouds but sunny and warm.  There's a huge Grand Banks boat here moored in front of us must be 50ft long, we met one of the crew yesterday, right old sea dog he was!

 

These are some views of the Jurassic Coast from Weymouth to Lulworth.  The scenery here is stunning.

And whilst we were in Lulworth I could just see the beginnings of a Galleon !

 

 

Torquay to Portland

30th August 2013

Last night in Torquay

Booked a restaurant we have been to before in the past called Man Friday overlooking the harbour.  I ordered the seafood pancake and Bill ordered the brill fillets with a lemon style sauce.

My pancake turned up and the size of it was bigger than my iPad surrounded with numerous mussells in their shells and a handful of elasticated bands called squid.  The mussells were OK and the pancake was ok but the filling was probably a cheap white fish, maybe ling but tasteless.  The sauce definitely was not thermidor in my book but more of a white sauce with wine in it, and it was clingy. Bill's fish was described as baked in the oven but in actual fact had been cooked from frozen and it was hardly cooked.

We were tired, didn't complain, voted with our feet and didn't leave a tip.

So, fast forward to breakfast.  To die for, yep, you'd die waiting for it.  Run by kids, this cafe located overlooking the inner harbour we'd been to before 2 years ago - don't bother.  A gimpy looking waiter hardly 16 years old must have gone to every table with my egg and bacon roll by the time it got to me it was cold.  Bill's sausage bap took 3/4 hour and at least was hot but the place needs managing and sorting out.  Everywhere was busy otherwise it would have been empty, the service was that bad.

But hey we are on holiday !! I have my own bacon and our fresh eggs from home  - just sometimes we don't want to wash up in our tiny galley.

So now we are here back in Weymouth as the swell is too much for the night in Lulworth Cove, and guess what , we are going for another Chinese meal at the Ming Wah, our usual place we go to.



Clouds have formed over so it's Jeans time rather than t-shirts and shorts.  More when we get home tomorrow and sunday I'll be able to upload some pictures.

On passage to Portland now then deciding where to go for our last night.

The swell and wind came hurling at us just before Portland Bill and the Morena was weaving in and out of the dips in the waves making the journey slightly uncomfortable.  Here's a picture of a trip fishing boat that followed us in :

 

 

 

 

Decided at the last moment to go back into Weymouth.

Dartmouth, Dittisham -> Torquay

29th August

Last night in Dittisham pumped up the dinghy went ashore to the Ferry Boat Inn for a meal.  We booked as it was very busy (01803 722368) but managed to get a table without any problems. I had seafood linguini which was lovely and Bill had the Haddock, chips and mushy peas, a right old traditional dish.  Great night out.  Lovely and quiet here, even the seagulls in the morning were absent.

Here's a picture of the castle at the entrance :

 

Just left the Dart River on passage to Torquay where we will be plugged into the shore and my hairdryer will work !

Unfortunately the weather has become overcast for the first time since leaving but it's still warm. Nearly at Torquay now.

Voyage to Weymouth

Because of the state of the tides we ended up here rather than Lulworth Cove on our latest travels, where we now have to wait for the tide until 1pm to get to Portland to get the west going tide down to Dartmouth, which means we probably won't get the until about 8pm tonight.  It's that or we would have had to leave at 3 am this morning.  We forgot the milk but luckily remembered in time before we left Portsmouth.  It's all to do with lists - I forgot it on the list.

                                                       The classic harbour of Weymouth

So, after a chinese meal last night overlooking Weymouth Bay - a new one we haven't tried before (we prefer the Ming Wah) going round Portland Bill essentially has to be timed correctly : 4 hours after high water Portland.  Here's a picture of the Lighthouse from the sea :

Arrived Dartmouth at dusk last night and anchored up - only to be told that we had to move up river 500 yards, because we were anchoring in a "trots" area whe there are underwater chains linked for permanent  moorings.

Woke up to a lovely sunny day and went ashore in the dinghy to find the Regatta in its preliminary stages, it starts on 29th (tomorrow) so we decided to come up to Diddlesham for the night as last night was very noisy with loud onshore bands until 1am.

 

This is a little picnic boat that takes out people to eat on the water - for small parties only.  We all held up our glasses high and wished them a nice day.

 

 

 

Lovely and peaceful In Dittisham, where we have a very nice meal in the Ferry Boat Inn (above - the pink building on the LHS) on shore that evening. 

 

Here's a picture of a paddlesteamer that takes punters up the river :