Ian's 60th Birthday Bash

Finally had some time to post some photos about our weekend away in Fayence, France to celebrate Ian's 60th Birthday. We had a fantastic weekend exploring the vineyards, golf courses, mills and pools of Provence and eating and drinking our way through wonderful French food and wine.

We rented a house with Bex, Rob, Nic, Steve, Austin, Mom and us. The house was gorgeous - and of true Provence style. The couple who owned it lived right next door and had a beautiful golden retriever Tess who was more than happy to come around and visit in the morning and evening.

The first day we set out for a couple of vineyards where we were given tours of where they make and store the wine. It was interesting since we were expecting old dark and damp cellars but instead found ourselves in front of large stainless steel tanks - even the French are modernising their old ways. We got to try several types of wine at each vineyard and were taught the tricks of wine tasting (so now us amateurs can at least attempt to look a bit more wine savvy when required). After the wine tasting at the first vineyard we were seated to a wonderful lunch outside, where of course, we were served their house wines.







Day 2 took most of us to the gorgeous Four Seasons Resort where we played 18 holes of golf. Considering we hadn't played in absolute ages (and had only barely managed to get a hold of golf shoes before going) - I, in particular, was a bit worried about how the day would play out, literally. Hitting the ball off the ground and into the air, isn't so much a problem, in fact it often goes quite far. The trouble is, the ball seems to prefer taking a 30 degree direction to the right which inevitably means my ball ends up in the water (what is it about golf courses and water on the right) or woods. Thankfully we were playing a Texas Scramble where each team member must have three or four (depending on the size of the team) drives count. The best ball is always played from there, so for those of us whose balls tend to end up in the woods or water, it was a very good thing. CW didn't have too much of a problem though and played quite well! All in all, the golf, scenery, weather and company were all fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves!






After a day of fresh air out on the golf course, we went home and freshened up for the event we all came for - Ian's birthday dinner. The dinner was held where most people were staying in a beautiful old mill they had restored into a hotel and restaurant. They kept most of the original features and added some unique ones to add to the ambiance of the place. My favourite was the old mill tools they had cemented into the ground in the entrance and the old wood beams everywhere.

Dinner was wonderful and followed by some very amusing speeches which practically had Ian in tears. It was definitely a nice sight to see him so happy and relaxed and enjoying himself - most often Ian is seen at home on the couch after a long day at work or sport doing more work. Dinner, toasts, venue and company again were all very enjoyable and made for a lovely evening.






The day after Ian's birthday dinner, we all went to the Stopps' new house for some Sunday brunch. It was quite a spread, complete with some fantastic French meats and cheeses and of course French wine.


After we were all well fed and satisfied we took advantage of their pool and great views to relax for the rest of the afternoon.

And finally, once everyone had gone home, Ian, Alex, Pat, Les, CW and I relaxed in front of a beautiful sunset which ended a perfect weekend of birthday celebrations. Thanks everyone for a fantastic weekend, and again Ian, happy 60th!


More pictures are on my website here (password 'fayence')

Guinness and Friends

Morning kisses
The Three Stooges
Who said cows can't talk... here they are planning their attack

Stand off - 'now what do I do?!'
Don't leave us, please! You were so much fun!

Provence

Awaking the next morning in the shuttered darkness of our bedroom at the end of the tiled hallway, we both felt infinitely more relaxed. We spent a lazy first morning around the pool and summer kitchen, which is where we had almost all our meals for the five days. It was nice to feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun on our skin and to enjoy the peacefulness of a dip in the pool.

We spent the afternoon looking, rather fruitlessly at first, for the Gorges du Vendon, a stunning piece of geology. The lake and river that flows into it and forms the gorge are a magnificent shade of turquoise, one that has to been seen in person to truly be appreciated. Renting two kayaks we set off up the gorge, sweeping past towering cliffs that made you truly understand the power of nature (see the small tiny white speck on the second photo below - that was a raft with two people - just to give you an idea of how immense these cliffs really were).

With the afternoon sunlight filtering over the hills and mountains on either side, the gorge itself took on a coolness that had not been present so far that day. We paddled aimlessly, well CW did at first until rightfully corrected by Cora, up the river, stopping several times for quick dips in the inviting clear water. With the competitiveness that can only exist between sworn enemies, Team America/England defeated Team France in two out of three impromptu races.

Exhausted from our exertions, we retreated to the quiet mountainside village of Moustiers. This quintessential Provencal village was oozing charm and since it was still not high season, we had the village streets and alleyways largely to ourselves. As little shops closed up for the night and people huddled around TV’s in street-side cafes, the four of us meandered around the enchanting village, finally settling into a courtyard bistro for a light alfresco meal.

The next day dawned bright and sunny and we made our way for the Ile de Porquerolle, just a fifteen-minute ferry ride from the mainland at Hyeres near Toulon. This old army outpost now is populated by just 350 full time residents, but many thousands flock to it for day trips on largely uncontaminated shores. While renting bicycles is an option, we chose the slower but more thorough method of walking. We set out for the old fortress on the far corner of the island and after a pleasant hour and a half walk/hike, we found a nice secluded cove set out of the wind. A quick bout of swimming gave way to a casual picnic and then to a rather spirited series of rock throwing games, namely skipping rocks. After a well-spent couple of hours we traversed the interior of the island before ending the day on one of the sandy beaches by the harbour. It was an excellent day spent out in the sunshine and was capped off by a barbeque of Moroccan style sausages, merguez.

Our one morning of rain blotted out any thoughts of going to one of the local markets, so instead we spent the time running errands in anticipation of the following day’s birthday event for Adeline’s mom. Food was bought in large quantities and daughter and son-in-law were proudly displayed, whether they wanted to be or not. Luckily for us the afternoon brought sun and dry conditions, perfect for spending three hours in the trees. We went to a ropes course, which is a series of stations from tree to tree during which you swing, glide and clamour over the drops of up to 15 meters (45 feet). It is a lot of fun, especially the last section that is all over 10 meters (30 feet) high and contains the trickiest obstacles, not least of all when you drop the tool that allows you to zip down the decent lines (as CW managed to do at one point). At the end of the entire course you are greeted with a 120 meter long zip line through the trees, which is just about the closest thing to flying I have ever done outside of a plane. It was a tiring experience, but one I would gladly do again and highly recommend to all those who do not have a debilitating fear of heights, sorry mom.

With our muscles largely overworked, certainly the arm muscles which almost never get worked in a 9-5 office job, we had a more relaxed end to the holiday. After taking Thierry to the train station, Adeline took us to the old city of Hyeres. It is built up a rather precipitous hillside and the old narrow lanes and alleyways made for great exploring in the late afternoon, even if my 5 Euro flip-flops from Finland struggled to keep my feet in one place on the descents. We had a very enjoyable couple of hours wandering this way and that, including up to some of the old ruins of a hillside manor way at the top of the old town, which afforded very nice views out over the Med.

With our trip at a conclusion, we said some rather tearful goodbyes to Adeline at the airport. This was the first time since mid-April that Cora and Adeline were going to be apart, with the exception of our long weekend in Paris and the few days between Jyvaskyla and Provence. I can only say that the last two months have been great experiences for the both of us and we have to give our heartfelt appreciation for all that Thierry and Adeline have done for us. We thoroughly enjoyed the time Adeline lived with us in Waterbeach and the week Thierry stayed as well. Your help with Guinness and the offer of your flat for the weekend in Paris was so generous and it meant a great deal for us to get away like that. I know Cora had a great time living with Adeline in Finland and then certainly everything you did for us in Provence was so much fun! All the activities and also inviting us to stay at your mom’s home was so wonderful - a big thanks to her of course for hosting us! It was a great holiday and for that we are very thankful. As for the next holiday blog, who knows where it will find us, but next autumn look for the one from Oman visiting Adeline and Thierry in their new digs! With the best of luck to them both and gros bisous!!

Four countries and three time zones later...

It all started at 645 in the morning and after four countries, three time zones and countless hours sitting in strange and loud places, we arrived in the peaceful surroundings of Provence, at midnight. While my passport got a workout being stamped and prodded by numerous customs officials, Cora's remained largely unscathed, merely glanced at and passed back without so much as a cursory nod. Ah, to be an EU national. The definite highlight of the day was our twenty minute dash through the historic medieval city of Tallinn. We had been hoping to spend a day in Tallinn, but were thwarted by the thousands of Baltic Metallica fans that had converged for a concert the night before. So, we contented ourselves with a passing glance of the cloistered, cobbled streets and technicolour buildings of the Old Town.


Alas, it whetted our appetite for a return trip at some point, preferably when not carrying so much luggage and frantically looking for a taxi to the airport. After such a long day we could have easily fallen asleep on a bed of red hot fire pokers, but luckily we were welcomed into the relaxing warmth of Adeline's mother's house, Ker Adeline, and stumbled into a very deep and rejuvenating sleep.

Footie, Fortresses and Food

After the peace and quiet of Eastern Finland, we re-entered the "civilised" world in the guise of Helsinki. We dropped off our bags a plenty at our friend (and Cora’s summer course tutor) Marika's flat and then returned the rental car. Finding ourselves mere pedestrians once more, we ventured into the blazing mid-afternoon sunshine. Stopping briefly into a stone church, yes I know first wood now stone, very practical builders these Finns, we meandered back towards the waterfront from which we had driven by.

As it was Helsinki Day, which is apparently to commemorate the beginning of the building of Helsinki many centuries ago, there were several stages throughout the public squares, each filled with live music and throngs of sun-soaked people. We enjoyed a light dinner and then led on by a rather excitable CW, went to a sports bar to watch the US' first group game at the World Cup. To those who don't know much about football, soccer to ye heathens in the States, you are not alone. After watching the embarrassment that was our 3-0 loss to Czech Republic, I came to the conclusion the US' own players don't even know much about the sport. Although they do apparently know more than Bruce Arena, the coach, who showed amazing smugness and stupidity throughout the tournament and is now probably going to be looking for a new job. Sorry, World Cup tangent over with. (Photo from Tracy Press Online by Elise Amendola/AP)

The next morning was filled with the sounds of a city, something Cora and I are not used to after our nine months of country village living. However, it was another gorgeous day, something that apparently is rare for Finnish summers, and we headed out early for the waterfront market. Doing the obligatory shopping for family and friends took a bit of time, but only the male member of our triumvirate seemed bothered by this turn of events. Of course we were all made happier by our purchase of fresh cherries which we enjoyed on the short ferry ride, past sailboats and tankers alike, out into the Gulf of Finland and to an old fortress island.

Actually to be precise it is six islands all in very close proximity to one another and currently populated by 850 people, many more of course on sunny days in summer. We had a nice picnic surrounded by layabouts, such as young mothers, students and other aimless souls. After lunch we wandered out and about past the dwellings and old battlements to the outer reaches of the island complex, which is rather rocky and pockmarked with old tunnels and cavelike areas. Strewn about the rocks beneath the cliffs were bodies re-enacting a ship wreck. Well no, actually they were sun-bathers, I swear the Finns see sun and they just stop doing whatever they were doing to soak it in. Not that I can blame them, I would be desperate for the sun too if I had to endure such long dark winters.

Anyway, after a very refreshing soft-serve ice cream, we returned to the mainland and ventured up to the main Lutheran church in Helsinki. This starkly white structure is set above a large public square and is easily seen from not only many of the surrounding streets, but also far out to sea. It was glistening in the late afternoon sun in much the same way that Sacre Coeur on Montmarte does. We traipsed past the remnants of the sand castle built for Helsinki day and up the rather precipitous stairs to the front doors. Upon entering we were once again greeted by the silent simplicity of Finnish Lutheran churches. However, unlike Kerimaki, this one was crawling with cruise ship passengers on their day furloughs.

With the afternoon fading imperceptibly into evening we wandered towards the inner waterway close to Marika’s flat and spent a pleasant hour or so with beers and a baguette. While we could have easily passed out from the day’s exertions, we did not want to imitate the couple twenty feet from us; utterly intoxicated and laying unconscious in the grass. Of course the guy had his priorities straight. One arm cradling his girlfriend, one hand ensuring that the still half full bottle remained upright. We retreated from the less than idyllic lovers to enjoy a quiet meal at home and a rather hellish fight to get all our belongings into our baggage. In the end Cora triumphed over the luggage, as only she can. If it were me doing the packing we would have had to buy another couple of suitcases to get it all home. While it was a quick visit, it was a good one and Marika was an excellent tour guide and a very gracious host to whom we must give our hearty thanks.