L'Auberge des Montagnes Pailherols

Took us a while to find a park last night as we were aiming to stay in Le Rozier which is close to the start of Gorges de Tarn as that was the drive we wanted to do today.

Unfortunately roadworks stood in our way and we took the next best option of the drive through Gorges du la Jonte.

Stunning is the best way to descirbe this drive. I got the ...

Errff -- I can't remember which town I wrote about last time. Guess that's the trouble with doing most of your travel writing once you're actually home from your trip! On the other hand (I'm scrambling for a lure so you'll want to keep reading) by the time you've been back for a while, you have more perspective on your trip -- you know what's really memorable, because you needed some time to see what you remember. If that ...

... in suthern france and visit avignon and Nice using Marseilles as my base camp... I go to the bathroom and the instant I open the bathroom door, it is decided. Back to belgium I go. They had a turkish toilet, but a real one, all you had was a bucket of water and a hole... I ended up riping up pages of my journal.

alright, our first rest day. I apologize to anyone who finds a typo in my writing first of all. the french use a different keyboard layout and i'm not very adjustable apparently. So where to start? so far our trip has been wonderful, and having a day of rest only amplifies our feeling. today, while resting, we've managed to meet with a friar of the local cathedral and monastery dedicated to saint ...

... because his bag is too small as well as his marked and loud noting that his body weight is much lower than mine, has not been afflicted with any painful blisters, and other than the usual figuring out how to wear the pack pains, has been pretty pain free. I have been pretty pain free as well, minus a small blister i developed on the second day on my left achilles tendon region, and which underneath the moleskin and a european remedy ...

... there are several hitch-hikers hanging round at the next stop. Ride with a quiet young Morrocan. Lond ride. Nice car. However Chris and I concur that his music choice ranks bottom out of all rides. Dropped off in the dark by the motorway. Climb over a fence to investigate what´s growing. Grapes galore!!! Chris looks on with pity as I stuff grapes into my throat. Set up camp nearby and feel a bit ill.

... Puy. Relief. Le Puy is a beautiful town. It has a crumbling castle perched on a comically craggy cliff in the centre. Find the internet and realise that Betabet is not in Le Puy. Take a bus to a little town nearby then catch two more lifts off kind souls and finally. Arrive.

... was to come ... when, again through good fortune, we managed to get a waterside table at a wonderful restaurant in what has to be the prettiest port in the world - Portofino. Blissful is the only word - simply grilled swordfish for Chris and a fresh made ravioli served with a lightly curried seafood and herb sauce for me - in the late afternoon sun, with the boats swaying nearby and perfect weather ... it was all sublime. More soon. Lots of love - Kip and Maureen x x x

... fera et garder en tête que cela peut changer subitement. Ayez donc avec vous un foulard et une tuque pour les matins. la vie en vendanges; 1- Toujours avoir plusieurs cadrans pour se réveiller le matin. 2- Calculer le temps qu'il vous faut entre le réveil et la fin du déjeuner afin de maximiser le sommeil. 3- Ne JAMAIS se lever trop vite ou vous pourriez le regretter. Le dos peut être très malin. 4- Ne pas trop manger au déjeuner car il n'y a pas grang temps pur digérer ...

... half dressed in freezing temperatures are just hoping it's a "cold spell" that will pass. I remember the tradition every fall when mom would bring out the bags of "winter clothes" and I would re-discover my favorite scarf with the mittens on the ends. Maybe that preparedness is one of the plusses of having more pronounced seasons. In any case, I am definitely looking forward to seeing the sun more. Cahors is a little ...