Zenrat's Flying Circus

[scooter]

Stayed in the same Hotel (Relais Godefroy) we stayed in last time we were there in 1996.  The host is still miserable and this time the room was like an oven with only one small window we could open for ventilation. 

A relation of Basil Fawlty, perhaps?

[NARSES2]

Anyway, we have been in Bouillon for two nights.
Stayed in the same Hotel (Relais Godefroy) we stayed in last time we were there in 1996.  The host is still miserable and this time the room was like an oven with only one small window we could open for ventilation.  Also no wifi.


Tomorrow it's on to The Dordogne to meet up with friends for what I expect will be two nights of heavy drinking (or as heavy as we can manage at our ages).

Two of my favourite parts of France. I think I may have well stayed in that same hotel given your description of Le Patron  I swear they have to go on a special course before they get their licence ? The thing that get's me is that their spouse tends to be the complete opposite 

[zenrat]

Sybil was quite friendly serving us our breakfast.

After two nights in The Dordogne with my good friends (not long enough with people I hadn't seen in some cases for 15 years -  we dropped straight back into the old ways) we are now in Carcassonne.  Medieval walled town and board game.
Le Tour comes here in a week or two.
We had a quick walk round and a meal and then France won a kickball game and the place went crazy.
Tomorrow we have a better look round the citadel before heading East to see the Mediterranean and then North towards
the Massif Centrale.

While in The Dordogne something fast and grey went over but I didn't get a good look at it - it was too low to get a decent silhouette - but it was a single seat jet.

[zenrat]

St Etienne.
They used to make guns here according to wikipedia and apparently they have a good soccer kickball team.
For us it's really just somewhere to sleep before more driving tomorrow.

[NARSES2]

St Etienne.
They used to make guns here according to wikipedia and apparently they have a good soccer kickball team.

Yup, that whole region could almost have been described as "the Arsenal of France" at one point and no I'm not talking about their football team 

[zenrat]

Saw the football last night.
Nuff said.

We are now at Le Tholy in The Alsace - the part of France which has switched back and forth between France and Germany over the ages.
The hotel is built into the hillside and from our room we have a view of forested hills and can hear running water.
There are Roe Deer (I think) in the paddock (a long way) below our balcony.
The roads would be amazing to ride on a motorbike (a lightweight torquey flickable one - 500cc 4 broke single maybe).  Not so much fun in a hire car in which i'm still not comfortable driving from the LH side. 

Mrs z is taking me to look round a garden tomorrow and then we go back into Belgium (leaving France just in time for Bastille day).

[Old Wombat]

You're not a Cats supporter, are you Fred?

[NARSES2]

We are now at Le Tholy in The Alsace - the part of France which has switched back and forth between France and Germany over the ages.
The hotel is built into the hillside and from our room we have a view of forested hills and can hear running water.

Yup loads of history to see  I've always thought of Alsace as being the slightly more Germanic part whereas Lorraine is definitely the French part, but others would disagree.

Bastille Day can be fun. 

Have you caught any of The Tour during your travels ?

[ericr]

being half french, half belgian, half dutch, I can only rejoice on your travel choices 

The 14th of july is festive, and sometimes, according to places, it is on the eve, on the 13th (tonight!) that you can have the "bal du 14 juillet", with accordion music

enjoy 

[zenrat]

You're not a Cats supporter, are you Fred?

Dogs.

Mrs z goes for the Blues so we are not mentioning footy today...

Went to see a fantastic garden today.  Le Jardin de Berchigranges.  Fabulous stuff.  I fear I will have a lot added to my To Do list when we get home.
Driving through the Alsace had me singing excerpts from Sound of Music due to the scenery.
So to save my embarrassment and Mrs z's ears we fired up Spotify and cruised to a combination of The Wonder Stuff and Bluegrass instead.
Added a new country i've been to the toilet in to my list - Luxembourg.  While briefly passing through we stopped at a freeway services which seemed to sell mostly fags and booze.
And now we are back in Belgium.
Staying at a mostly finished hotel in Le Val de Poix.  It'll be really good when it's done but I expect then i'll pay a lot more than we are now.
Worth putting up with no carpets or paint on the walls for a cheap price.  Just as long as the builders don't start work too early tomorrow...
...when we are going to Bastogne.

[NARSES2]

Driving through the Alsace had me singing excerpts from Sound of Music due to the scenery.

Right that is it, you are now on a final warning ! 

Seriously I have never been able to watch that film all the way through. Once that nun starts singing I have to leave the room/cinema as I just can't control myself and burst out laughing  . Strangely I've seen it on stage a few times, both "Up West" and supporting family members in local productions and have enjoyed it 

...when we are going to Bastogne.

Stayed there overnight with American friends, one of whom's father had fought there. We were only meant to be driving through, but the weather was so bad, and this was June, we ended up sorting out rooms in a small hotel/restaurant/bar on the main square. It really opened my US friends eyes as to what their fathers etc had been through and I had to keep reminding them they'd done it in the winter ! If memory serves there was a Sherman parked on the main square opposite the bank, but this was 25 years or so ago.

[zenrat]

That Sherman is still there.
We drove through the middle on our way to the Museum and the memorial.
Both impressed.
It's a typical modern museum with an interactive audio device included in the entry price and with some fancy audio visual rooms as well as the more traditional displays.
There are two Shermans (one gutted by something - an 88?), a Hetzer and some smaller vehicles as well as plenty of guns and uniforms.
We then went and visited the actual woods where the events of Band of Brothers took place.  They were very quiet and peaceful but one can imagine what it would have been like in a fox hole in there in the fog and snow and darkness...

Off to the Uk tomorrow on the train (Eurostar followed by Pendolino).

[PR19_Kit]

Driving through the Alsace had me singing excerpts from Sound of Music due to the scenery.

Right that is it, you are now on a final warning ! 

Seriously I have never been able to watch that film all the way through. Once that nun starts singing I have to leave the room/cinema as I just can't control myself and burst out laughing  .

I've NEVER seen it and never will if I have anything to do with it.

When I was 5-6 we lived in a flat in Weston-s-Mare right above Julie Andrews and her parents. They were doing matinee performances in the local theatre and Julie was practising her blasted piano (and singing!) every day when we got home from school. I've heard enough of her for a whole lifetime already! 

[NARSES2]

Off to the Uk tomorrow on the train (Eurostar followed by Pendolino).

So walking from St P to Euston ? Seriously if your luggage is wheel based it might be easier ? The walk from the Eurostar terminal at St P to the platform of St P/Kings X underground is quite a stroll anyway.

I'm not a great Virgin fan, but I have to admit that the West Coast main line is quite well run, at least as far as Manchester. Mind you it's not really Virgin they just lease the name for 10% of the business or so.

[PR19_Kit]

So walking from St P to Euston ? Seriously if your luggage is wheel based it might be easier ? The walk from the Eurostar terminal at St P to the platform of St P/Kings X underground is quite a stroll anyway.

I'm not a great Virgin fan, but I have to admit that the West Coast main line is quite well run, at least as far as Manchester. Mind you it's not really Virgin they just lease the name for 10% of the business or so.

If ever there was a need for an airport style travolater between two stations, that's one!

Of course  travelling by Pendelino (known as a '390' by those of us in the field  ) you get to experience proper tilting train travel. 

Not that the 390s use the best tilt system around, but it surffices.