2geonomads

Saturday 30th April 2016

Overnight we have made our way north to the island of Santiago and after breakfast we land at the vast Sullivan lava field caused by by a volcanic eruption 200 years ago. Even in this harsh environment plants such as the low- lying mollugo and lava cactus manage to survive. The lava flow has produced an astonishing variety of patterns when pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava exploded.

We later climb to a lookout on the nearby Bartolomew Island, which together with Sullivan Bay was named after the naturalist friend of Charles Darwin, Sir Bartolomew James Sullivan, who was Lieutenant aboard HMS Beagle.

Snorkelling from the beach later in the day not totally satisfactory as the water, especially close in to the shore which is where I usually spend my time is very murky. To make matters worse my snorkel was continually letting in water.

 However, I did manage to provide some entertainment for my fellow travellers when I charged head-on towards what I thought was the slim, streamlined figure of Chandra from Switzerland when snorkelling only to find that I was in fact on a collision course towards a sea lion. Next time I will remember that the sea lion is the one without the snorkel and the bright blue fins!

However, the preparations on board our vessel before snorkelling did provide some entertainment. I was explaining to some of the other passengers that I would be fine in the water if I could wear a wetsuit, a life jacket and those things that fit under your arms. I was struggling to find the word for them when Gail helped out with ” spaghetti “!  ‘Noodle’ was what I was searching for and I suppose one has to be grateful that Mrs I didn’t come up with ‘gnocchi’ or ‘fettuccine’.

Finish off the day with another relaxing dinner and then it’s off to bed after a quick rundown on the next day’s programme from Sylvia.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Sunday 1st May 2016

Genovesa Island

A decidedly rough passage overnight from Bartholemew Island to Genovesa although in our case this did not prevent us from getting a good night’s sleep.

Our first excursion out takes us to El Barranco where after landing we negotiate some very steep steps and make our way through a huge seabird colony.

El Barranco is also called Prince Phillip’s Steps after he visited this spot and probably made a donation to the wildlife cause. Obsequiousness knows no international bounds!

We gain our first close-up of the red-footed boobies which are beautiful looking birds with their  light teal beaks, Nazca boobies ,storm petrels, swallow-tailed gulls and last but not least the great frigate birds. The male of the last- mentioned species is notable for its ability to greatly inflate the red membrane on its chest during the mating season. This will stay inflated for up to 20 days but if no mate is found it will deflate. Very reminiscent of the human race although the 20 days might be a bit optimistic for most men!

Sylvia takes us a quick detour to a small lagoon where we find a single flamingo standing in the shallow water waiting for his/ her luck to change.

Walking along the 25 metre high coastal rock shelf we also gain sight of a number of fur seals.

The afternoon sees us in Darwin Bay slightly north of El Barranco and we land at a black coral beach where a 750 metre trail takes us through more seabird colonies. It’s fascinating to watch the mating rituals of the red-footed boobies in particular and we spend some time observing a particularly aloof female pretending to ignore the overtures of not one but two males.

More red pouch-laden frigate birds are seen resting on rocks or in plants and numerous mocking birds complete the scene.

Finally, we return to the beach where I try on the snorkel set borrowed from Sylvia and although the water is hardly pristine with so much bird life around it’s an opportunity to regain my confidence after the previous day’s snorkelling debacle.

A minor drama as Maria Isobel, Sara Clemencia’s sister is unceremoniously dumped back into the water in trying to board the panga to head back to the boat. However, no damage done to either Maria Isabel or her camera equipment.

We end the day leaning over the rails of he boat and enjoying the remarkable sight of the fish and more particularly a couple of sharks as they move along under the bows of the vessel and illuminated by the ship’s lights.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Friday 29th April 2016

Neither of us enjoy a really good night’s sleep although I fare better than Gail.

A taxi arranged by Columbus Travel ( driver Javier ) arrives at the agreed time of 4.30 am and we are met at the Quito airport by Sebastian who smooths our path through Immigration and Customs.

We have an amusing moment when we are standing in a fairly long queue waiting to get through Immigration when another tour guide pushes forward and shepherds her charges through and past us in spite of protestations and apologies from a very polite American guy in her group. One poor unsuspecting fellow tags on to  the US group before being verbally accosted by Mrs I who in a none too subtle way challenges his right to be going past us. On admitting his guilt he is directed to his rightful place at the back of the queue.

The last I saw of him he was receiving counselling from airport staff!

As we have some spare time before the flight departure we decide to have coffees at airport cafe. One cappuccino and one double shot espresso find us $ 11.95 worse off. I’m still not sure whether I should have declared the recent purchase of an Ecuadorian coffee plantation among our assets!

A short 38 minute flight brings us to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and after a short stop we are on the 1 hour 45 minute flight to Baltra Island.

We are greeted at the airport by Sylvia and then taken by bus to the mooring where we find our home for the next week Tip Top 2.

There is a slight delay as some work is carried out on cabins recently vacated by the previous group of tourists. Once on board we are given a briefing by Sylvia Panchana who is the tour leader before lunch at noon.

Sylvia is of Swiss origin but after many years on these islands she speaks fluent Spanish to go along with her English and Swiss- German.

The cabins are vastly superior to those on the Aurora Polar Pioneer which took us last year to Antarctica.

The afternoon sees us at Playa Las Bachas on the north shore of Santa Cruz Isla where as an introduction to the Galápagos we take a stroll along the beach and come across an array of birds including frigate birds, pelicans , a solitary flamingo and blue heron. Sally Lightfoot crabs, warblers and marine iguanas complete the picture.

On the beach we come across remnants of one of the World War 11 barges which give this beach its name.

A quick dip in the ocean by some of the group rounds off a splendid first day in this far-flung part of the world.

Back on board the boat for dinner at 7.00 pm and then a quick rundown by Sylvia on the next day’s programme.

First impressions on the boat and crew bode well for a great adventure on Tip Top 2 and we seem to have a very pleasant group of fellow travellers with whom to share this experience.

Sylvia is very much across her brief and the whole operation is very professional.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Thursday 28th April 2016

Wake up decidedly less jet-lagged than the previous day and Gustavo duly arrives at the hotel right on time and we head north out of the city, past the impressive Parque La Carolina and through suburbs of variable quality, covering the full gamut of socio- economic groups. As always there exists a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor.

Our main target destination today is Mitad Del Mundo, located in the equinoctial valley and reputedly the most visited tourist site in Ecuador.

However, Gustavo first takes us to a the crator rim of a long-dormant volcano Pululahua. This vantage point offers us a superb vista over the very fertile area inside the crater which is home to about 40 families ( 120 people ). Whilst there is a road access from the far side of the crater many of the local people face the daunting long climb on foot from the floor of the crater to source all manner of supplies.

We now return to Mitad Del Mundo which comprises the Ciudad Mitad Del Mundo, a large complex seemingly run mainly by the State. The large monument with a globe perched on top dominates the skyline and lining the avenue leading up to it are statues of significant figures representing the history, culture and ancestry of this site.

However, before walking through this very touristy, commercial complex Gustavo takes us to the centre Latitude.0,0.0 which is run by the local indigenous population and supposedly marks the more accurate GPS location.

We are able to stand astride a marked equator line, try to balance an egg on the end of a nail and observe water emptying from a bowl into a sink ( in different  directions depending on which side of the Equator  one is standing.)

Some of the demonstrations and the validity of the experiments were met with some scepticism by the numerous tourists. Nevertheless it’s not every day that one can straddle Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Time to head back to the centre of Quito and to visit La Capilla del Hombre and Museos de Arte, Precolombino,Colonial and Moderno.

Oswaldo Guaysamin is one Ecuador’s finest painters but also an activist who strove for accord among nations in South America and denounced dictators.

This lead to Unesco honouring him for dedicating his life to peace.

In 1976 Guayasamin, in collaboration with his sons established a foundation bearing his name . The foundation provided a vehicle for him to promote his work, ideas and beliefs and ultimately donate his entire art collection and house to his country, Ecuador.

The property is located in Bellavista and in keeping with the name affords superb views of the city of Quito.

In 1996 Guayasamin began work on his architectural masterpiece ” Chapel of Man” and this was opened in 2002. He died before it was completed but today it stands as the master’s tribute to unjustly and cruelly treated peoples of Latin America. He remains today one of the most iconic figures in Ecuador’s cultural history.

We return to the hotel by taxi and then set off on foot to find a restaurant in the local area. We eventually find a suitable establishment on Reina Victoria where we enjoy a very fine meal. Surprisingly, given the quality of the food, we were their only customers but some peace and quiet didn’t go amiss as far as we were concerned.

As we had. 4.30 am taxi pick up the next day we are in bed at a very civilised hour.

Quito, whilst not totally unattractive , certainly does not live up to the hype contained in reports and travel brochures on the city. However, this judgement is made after arriving in Quito well and truly jet- lagged and having insufficient time to do justice to this city. Unfortunately we will only have one night in Quito when we return from the Galápagos Islands and Guayaquil.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

Wednesday 27th April 2015

Up at a more reasonable time and after another good breakfast at the hotel we have a chat with Daniel in Reception about a possible walk down to the historic centre of Quito. He advises us against such a lengthy walk at this altitude and he introduces us to Gustavo, the resident hotel driver who takes us first to Columbus Travel where we meet the delightful Maria Soledad Loaiza who has been Gail’s contact all along. Gustavo waits while we have a chat with Maria who gives us a small gift of Ecuadorian dolls as a memento of our visit.

We then head off back to the historic city centre where Gustavo drops us off at the impressive Plaza Grande ( also known as Plaza de La Independencia ) where a local brass band entertains us in front of the Presidential Palace.

In common with so many ‘latino’ cities the square is very crowded but as always middle-aged and elderly males account for the greater part of the assembled masses with hardly a female in sight. Emily Pankhurst would be turning over in her grave!

All the tourist guides had told us that the real ‘ must see’ in Quito is the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus and once you get past the singularly unimposing facade the gold leaf -laden interior is simply breathtaking, if only for the obscene opulence on display. The contrast between the unbelievable wealth on display in the the cathedral and the daily struggle of so many Equadorians raises so many of the age-old questions about the Catholic Church. No photos allowed.

We continue our walk in this southern end of the historic part of the city taking in a visit to the interesting if unspectacular Museo de la Ciudad and the El Panecillo Monumento de la Virgen de Quito. Whilst not quite the Christ the Redeemer of Rio fame this statue of the Virgin Mary nevertheless dominates the Quito skyline as one looks to the south-west.

Parquet Floor Museo de la Ciudad

Museo de la Ciudad (formerly a hospital)

The other major church in Quito, the Basilica del Voto  Nacional , is our last port of call for the day but on the way we find a restaurant near to the Plaza del Theatro which provides us with a more than acceptable lunch.

The final walk up to the Basilica is a real tester with Gail in particular feeling the effects of Quito’s 2800 metres  above sea level.

The Basilica is a fine example of a classic Gothic Cathedral but observing the ever more threatening skies we decide to limit our time there,hail a taxi and head back to our hotel.

The body clock is still well and truly out of sync but hopefully we will both be ready for a 8.30 start the next day with Gustavo.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Tuesday 26th April 2015

Not surprisingly we have a late start and it’s after 9.oo when we get down to the breakfast room. We enjoy a very good breakfast and then spend until 4.00 pm just relaxing in our room having decided to write off this day.

We finally venture out about 5.00 and find a nearby restaurant offering reasonable fare although the staff provide us with ample evidence that charisma-bypass surgery has gone global!

In bed by a reasonable hour, hoping that the Termazapan will do their job on both of us.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

Sunday 24th April 2015

It’s time for the Obese Ferret to be off on his travels again and to tick off another couple of items on our Bucket List, the Galápagos Islands and Cuba.

Craig takes us out to Perth Airport and we duly take off at 7.30 pm for the 6 hour flight to Auckland. This is something of a ‘Midnight Horror’ but Business Class softens the blow somewhat!

On arrival we are fast-tracked through Immigration but then face an interminable delay through Customs as 8 flights arrive about the same time.

As we are faced with a 10 hour layover in Auckland we decide to take the bus into the city only to find that the locals do not emulate their Aussie counterparts and party on after the solemnity of the Anzac Day Dawn Service and Parade. In fact we struggle to find any coffee shops but after walking the mainly deserted streets around the harbour we do come across a pleasant breakfast bar to while away the time.

The effects of the overnight flight soon kick in and we find ourselves back on the bus to the airport.

The Air NZ lounge is truly superb with some great food on offer so we spend the remaining hours before the flight enjoying the catering and the very comfortable flat bed loungers.

Another overnight flight ( 13+ hours ) during which Gail manages to get 7-8 hours sleep and I have to be content with about 4, often the norm for me. Midway across the Pacific we encounter some fairly severe turbulence this skuppers any chance of my getting back to sleep. Otherwise, we have nothing but praise for the crew, the meals and service all of which were of the highest order.

Another 4 hour stop, this time in the KLM lounge. I am now feeling well and truly jet-lagged but the in-lounge entertainment come in the form of an American guy having a very personal Skype conversation with his obviously long-suffering female friend. In true American style he speaks loudly enough for all in the lounge to hear and the subject covers a wide range of issues including whether to start a family. Judging by the knowing looks and body language of the other guests we were united in our advice to the poor girl ” ditch the SOB as quickly as possible and procreate with a more suitable member of society”

The united Airlines flight to Quito lives down to its reputation and we are happy to get into a taxi and off to the Hotel Zen Suites just north of the historic centre of the city.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Monday 2nd November 2015.
As coffee at the hotel is 5 pounds and full breakfast is 24.50 we walk over to the airport terminal and 7.50 pounds gives us very good coffee and pastries for two!

Check out of the hotel at 12.00 am and take the Heathrow Express to the correct terminal.
Flight to Dohar leaves at 3.20 pm and we enjoy a very smooth trip. I hour stopover in Dohar and then on to the 10 hour flight to Perth. Get a few hours sleep in spite of about 30 minutes of fairly severe turbulence of which Gail has no recollection at all.
In-flight entertainment mediocre at best but a great documentary on the All Blacks and their legendary jersey. No wonder they are the Number One team in the world when all roads lead to Rugby in the country. According to the Kiwis the Rugby WC is by far the most important in the world. Seemingly the Olympics and the Football WC are on a par with the Busselton Jetty Swim!

Cheers until the next time

The Obese Ferret

Sunday 1st November 2015

Up early again as we have to pack our bags, hand in the car and catch the train to St Pancras. In the meantime there is still much to see.

On yet another beautiful day we return to Thiepval where on 1st July 1916 100,00 inexperienced soldiers( Pals Battalions) went over the top with disastrous results. At the end of this first day of the Battle of the Somme ( known as ” the bloodiest day of the British Army) 60,000 British soldiers had become casualties. The German losses represent about 1/10 of this number. Thiepval was finally captured on 27th September 1916, retaken in March 1918 and finally recaptured by British troops in August 1918.

The British army suffered more than 420,000 casualties during the Battle of the Somme.

The magnificent Thiepval Memorial at 45 metres high is the largest British war memorial in the world and it commemorates more than 72205 men from British and South African armies who were declared missing in the Somme between July 1915 and March 1918. Either the bodies of these men were never found or the body could not be identified.

A 45 minute video at the Thiepval Visitor Centre gives a great overview of the Great War.

Pozieres is another name which resonates with many Australians and a village in Queensland took the name after the war.  At the Pozieres Milititary Cemetery 2700 soldiers are buried and 14,00 are commemorated on the surrounding walls.

It is also the site of a grassy hill called ‘ The Windmill’ and it was here in July and August  1916 that Australian troops lost more men than on any other battlefield during the war.

In the midst of all of the brutality of war it was heartening to read of Percy Cherry, an Australian captain, who took from the hands of a dying German officer a packet of letters to be sent to his family in Germany.

Before driving north to Calais we visit the understated but moving memorial  to the New Zealand Division who launched a successful attack on Flers in September 1916 and it is here that commemorations are held around Anzac Day each year.

We say farewell to the Somme area by visiting Rancourt which has the dubious and sad distinction of having three cemeteries, French ,German and British within its boundaries. The first two alone contain the remains of  20,000 soldiers, a very sombre note on which to end our unforgettable tour of this area.

It’s toll road time again for the drive up to Calais and we arrive at the TGV station and the Avis office in spite of our having been given incorrect directions. Finding a service station to fill up the car is a totally different matter and after driving down a number of minor roads and my passenger becoming very stressed out we decide to drop off the car with the tank only 3/4 full.

Waiting to go through Immigration we end up in the queue next to a drunk who looks, sounds and smells as if he has had a very long liquid lunch or perhaps week. However, he obviously sobers up enough ( or is very Oggy actor ) for the Immigration officials to let him through.

Unfortunately, another guy is not so fortunate and has a very tough time selling a convincing story to the officials.We last see him being taken to one side for further interrogation and  we suspect that he may not be leaving French shores today.

Arrive at St Pancras after a very speedy and comfortable train journey and then it’s on to the tube and Heathrow.

The Airport Sofitel is fine and we enjoy a very good light meal in the restaurant.

Before turning in I think back to our European sojourn and whilst nothing can outdo ‘ Rudey Leg Lies ‘ a few other things spring to mind.

Smoking- an incredible number of French and Spanish smoke, and the habit is particularly among young women.

Grenoble- this town was a huge disappointment as we had expected a pristine large ski centre servicing the surrounding resorts. Instead we saw pollution at a level seen nowhere else on our travels and a population seemingly lacking any pride in what could be an attractive city.

Autumn colours and the Champagne region- I had probably forgotten how glorious the Autumn colours can be and the rolling hills of the Champagne area were an absolute delight. Definitely must re-visit this region in the future.

The Futility of War- never have we been confronted by so many examples of the futility of war. However, we were constantly amazed by the way in which the French nationals expressed the huge debt of gratitude owed to the soldiers from overseas by never allowing the many memorials to deteriorate through neglect.

The Obese Ferret.

Friday 30th October 2015

Start the day checking the match prior to our journey into the Somme region. Gail has marked one of the maps with various symbols and/or notes but she is not sure if  one particular site is a museum or a hotel. It should make for either very substandard accommodation or a decidedly boring museum.

Come what may Isabelle duly arrives at the agreed checkout time of 10.00 am and we say goodbye to this very stylish lady and her superb country house which we would have no hesitation in recommending to others.

We soon  find ourselves on a number of minor roads as we head north, bypassing the towns of Soissons, Chauny, and St Quentin. The early misty weather gradually clears and given the fairly mild temperatures we enjoy a pleasant, if unspectacular drive through the French countryside. By this stage we are both suffering from caffeine-withdrawal symptoms  but we have to wait until we reach the town of Peronne before we get our fix at the cafe close to the magnificent museum Historial of the Great War.

As we have to wait until the museum re-opens at 2pm we relax and enjoy the afternoon sun and our homemade salad roll outside the entrance.

We could not have asked for a better introduction to Somme area and we spend 3 very informative but thought-provoking hours at this great museum. The Historial unique collection  allows the visitor to see not only how the soldiers lived on and behind the front lines but also how the civilian population lived. We are taken into a special Australian section where a 30 minute self- guided tour complete with a virtual map and some very graphic footage shown on large screens certainly brings home to us the suffering of the soldiers and the horrors of war.

The museum was opened in 1992 and is still something of a work in progress but never was the futility of war better illustrated than in this memorable site. This visit certainly takes us back to a previous visit to Auschwitz Concentration Camp when the weather had been truly awful. Today it somehow doesn’t seem fitting that we should be viewing the hundreds of memorials similar to this one and the vast cemeteries that dot the countryside on this glorious sunny autumn day.

We eventually leave Peronne in a suitably sombre mood and make our way to Hotel de la Paix in the small town of Bapaume, which will be our home for the next two nights.

After dinner in the hotel restaurant we finish off the day by watching SA v Argentina. It’s one game too much for the Pumas and the Springboks prevail.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Saturday 31st October 2015.

Up earlier than usual as our first destination is Villers Bretonneux, the large village which entered the history of the war  on 24th April 1918 when Australian troops finally halted the German offensive of March 1918.

The imposing white stone Australian National Memorial  was the last of the Great War national memorials of the British empire and Commonwealth to be built in France or Belgium and is composed of a central high tower and two corner pavilions linked to the tower by plain walls that bear the names of the 11,000 missing Australian soldiers who died in France.

The Anzac Day Dawn Service is held here every 25th April at 5.30 am and one can only imagine the intense emotion felt by the many who make this pilgrimage each year. In the stairwell of the main tower we find on a board the wording of a truly memorable speech by Prime Minister Paul Keating on a visit to this site. As he did with his Redfern speech he managed to encapsulate all the emotions and feelings associated with this memorial and its significance to so many Australians of all ages. What a contrast with the current crop of so-called statesmen.

A short drive takes us to Le Hamel where a memorial commemorates the Battle of Le Hamel in which a victorious General Monash led  his Australian and American troops into a tactical battle which lasted only 93 minutes! For the first time their attack combined infantry,artillery, tanks and parachute troops, a forerunner of modern war tactics.

After stopping briefly at Fouilly where a very friendly bikie club allows these two grey nomads to use their loo we proceed to Corbie Plateau and a field near some brickworks where the legendary Baron von Richthofen ( The Red Baron) was shot down by a Canadian pilot on 21st April 1918. Buried with full military honours by the Australians his body was eventually taken back to Berlin in 1925. He is now buried in Wiesbaden

We now have one eye on the clock as the Rugby World Cup Final awaits but on our way back to Bapaume we do stop off at Beaumont Hamel, the site of the Newfoundland Memorial and a remarkably preserved network of trenches.

Men from the Newfoundland Regiment left their trenches on 1st July and were immediately trapped by German machine gun fire. In one of the bloodiest actions of the Somme and within the space of only half an hour only 68 soldiers remained unscathed and all officers had been killed.

A very quick stop off at the largest memorial of all at Thiepval but we decide to return the next day when we also plan to visit Pozieres and view the Ulster site.

Dinner at the hotel is very tasty and we then settle down to watch the Match. A match worthy of the final and clearly the two best teams have got through. In the event the All Blacks are deserved winners 34-17 with the Wallabies putting up a great fight but Man of the Match Dan Carter clearly the difference.

As we are heading over the Channel the next day this gives us a great excuse to drink the bottle of fine Mercier champagne.

A day to remember in so many ways and we go to sleep with the voice of Karen, the Aussie girl on Tom Tom, ringing in our ears. I could quote so many instances of her mangling one of the world’s most beautiful languages but the one that stands out is the following:

Imagine in strine:

” At the next roundabout take the first exit,  Rudey Leg Lies. ” Imagine my disappointment when this is not a reference to some French lady of the night but is in fact Rue de l’Eglise ( Church Street ) which can be seen in almost every town!

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Thursday 29th October 2015

Plan to drive into Reims again but first we decide to visit the Chateau on the hill above Dormans . This contains a very impressive memorial to the Battles of the Marne and we learn from the information boards that 80 per cent of the town was destroyed during the Second Battle. The Memorial itself is set in beautiful parklands but once again the Scourge of the Scaffold hits the Irelands and it’s closed for refurbishment.

Back in Reims we head for the Palais du Tau but it’s closed between 12.30 and 2.00 pm( I thought ‘siesta ‘was a Spanish word!) so we try to check out the shops for some gifts but all to no avail. Return to our favourite delicatessen Au Bon Manger to buy some terrine and ham for the evening. Eric, the owner tries to help us in our quest for gifts by suggesting a nearby gift/antiques store but again no success.

Walk to Porte Mars, the only remaining monumental gate built in the first part of the 3rd Century and giving access to the Roman city of Dorocortorum. This is apparently one of the ‘ must see’ sights but sadly it is shrouded in a cloth while it is being cleaned and renovated. For some reason a local with whom I have a quick chat doesn’t believe that I have come all the way from Australia just to see Porte Mars.

We next visit a small museum created in 2005 on a site which was the headquarters of General Eisenhower. It was here on 7th may 1945 at 2.41 that General Alfred Jodi, Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht,signed the surrender of the armed forces of the Third Reich. The text of the document had been hastily drawn up by members of Eisenhower’s staff to bring an immediate end to the conflict but it was then ratified the next day in Berlin by the heads of the Allied Forces.

Head back to the main thoroughfare ,Place Drouet d’Erlon, but our only purchases are takeaway quiches which we eat standing on a street corner. For some reason this brings back to Gail her mother always reminding her that one should never eat food when in school uniform. I’m still trying to work out which particular item of our nomadic clothing bore even a passing resemblance to the Perth College uniform especially in my case!

Finally get back to Palais du Tau, where from the 9th century until the coronation of Charles X in 1825 all the Kings of France were crowned.

The Palace is now the museum of the architectural construction of the adjacent Cathedral and after the ravages of World War One both the Cathedral and the Palace are on the Unesco World Heritage List.

With very overcast skies and in the gathering gloom we decide to take a short drive to the northwest of Reims, through Trigny and the many other picturesque villages on the route back to Dormans. Another reminder of the natural beauty and the glorious autumn colours of the region.

Finish off our last day in Dormans by tucking into a lovely platter bought from Au Bon Manger, all washed down by a complimentary bottle of champagne from Isabelle’s son’s vignoble.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Wednesday 28th October  2015

We have set aside today to visit Reims ( pronounced by the French as ‘Rance’ with a suitably throaty ‘r’ a la Edith Piaf. ).

However we first need to put some more fuel into the Peugeot Diesel Tractor, which is not the straightforward process that one might imagine. As has happened on more than one occasion on this trip our credit card ( this time Amex ) is not accepted at the self-serve bowser. I go inside to the cashier and he accompanies me back to the pump to demonstrate to this incompetent foreigner how it’s done. Sadly it doesn’t work for him either and this by now very affable fellow( I think he’s relaxed a little now he knows I can speak his language ) and I have a mutual commiseration chat before he says ” seulement cash”.

I then fill up at another pump and once again walk into the cashier’s desk with cash at the ready. To my surprise he asks me again for the Amex card and “Hey Presto” it goes through. I am satisfied that I have been able to use my card and he has a Cheshire Cat grin that shows that he has been able to do his little bit for Franco-Australian relations. It’s only taken about 15 minutes!

Finally time to drive into the very impressive city of Reims and find a car park very close to the centre. First the obligatory visit to the Tourist Centre and duly armed with a city map we visit the Notre Dame Cathedral a Gothic masterpiece begun in 1211 and the site of 25 royal coronations. It was very badly damaged during WW1 but was restored largely with funds donated by John D Rockefeller.

Apart from its magnificent facade it also features a considerable array of superb stained glass windows and large paintings of Pope St John XX111 and St John Paul 11. Noticeably absent is any reference to Pope Benedict XV1 who during his 7 year papacy never seemed to gain the affection of the people.

statue of Joan of Arc

Modern window depicting the story of wine making in region.

The equally impressive but more austere Basilique Saint Remi is our next stop off. Built in the 11th century it houses the ornate mausoleum and tomb of Saint Remi who lived to the ripe old age of 96, remarkable longevity for that era ( 6th century ).

By now it’s lunchtime and Gail’s research has come up with an epicerie Au Bon Manger near to the Place Royale.The owners, Eric and Aline Serva offer a huge range of fine foods and wines and although it is not strictly a restaurant Eric is very happy to prepare for us a lunch of  salmon and very sweet organic potatoes. It’s organic champagne for Gail and white wine for me. Absolutely delicious! So enamoured are we of the food we also buy some goats cheese and terrine for the evening’s meal.

Tuesday 27th October 2015.

The weather forecast for the day is fine once the early morning mist has cleared so we drive back into Epernay for our 11.30 tour of Moet & Chandon.

We arrive in town somewhat ahead of schedule so this gives us an opportunity to explore some parts of the Old Town not visited on the previous day.

Carole, our French guide at Moet speaks English very fluently and is a very personable young lady whose presentation allays any fears that the tour would be too ‘corporate’. The tour of some of the 30 kms of cellars is this time on foot and as we have chosen the Grand Vintage Tour we get to taste white and rose from 2006. An amusing moment when a lady who comes from Haifa in Israel tries to take off with my wine although she has paid less than half my price for the more standard Imperial Vintage.

During the tour Carole does underline how rigidly controlled is the right to use the ‘Champagne’ word in product description and to our surprise we learn that not all towns in the region can call their wines champagne. For anyone who is interested the three grapes used in this area for champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.

Lunch at a small restaurant gets a “could do better” report. The food is fine but the waitress is a disaster and Gail’s ravioli morphs into a risotto.

Set off for small town of Ay which is northeast of Epernay and apparently has a good wine museum. Closed and it’s not even Monday!

Drive on to Hautvillers where Dom Perignon started making wine at the Benedictine Abbey  where he was the cellar master in the mid- 17th Century. Now of course it is produced by Moet & Chandon.

The rest of the afternoon is spend taking a leisurely drive through the many picturesque villages and enjoying the undulating terrain and the magnificent panoramas of this region which continues to surprise us.

On a balmy evening of 21 degrees devour a gourmet dinner of crusty bread and jam, topped off by a bar of chocolate. Nothing but the best for the Irelands!

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Monday 26th October 2015

Wake up to very misty morning but we still keep to our plan to visit Epernay, the town that has become synonymous with Champagne.

After the short drive from Dormans to this delightful small town we park in the main avenue not surprisingly called Avenue de Champagne and then walk the length of this street to check out the various vignobles. Moet & Chandon is  of course the most famous and we book a tour of their cellars for the following day. They stretch for 30 kms underground so we will have to get in some quick training. By the way the Russian receptionist at Moet comes up with two versions of an explanation as to why the ‘t’ is pronounced in Moet. One is that it may have come from an old French word for ‘mouth’ and secondly that Claude Moet had Dutch ancestry. We find out later that the second explanation is probably the correct one. In any event the ‘t’ is definitely pronounced so if anyone sniggers as you offer them a glass of Moet with a hard ‘t’ feel free to have a sip from the ‘arrogance bottle’ and correct them!

During our walkabout we call into the Tourist Bureau and a very helpful lady provides us with some very valuable info on the town, that is once she has managed to extricate herself  from a couple of Swedish fellows who seem totally oblivious to the long queue forming in front of the counter. One would-be purchaser of a couple of gifts from the tourist shop decides that 20 minutes is too long to wait to get rid of his no doubt hard-earned Euros.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are kicking in so we stop for our daily coffee fix, after which we make our way to Mercier, the producer of France’s most popular champagne. In contrast to Moet who have a world-wide following the greater part of Mercier’s sales come from the domestic market with relatively small exports to the UK, Spain and Brazil. Plans are being made to make a push into the Australian market in the near future.

A one hour tour by train to view the 18 kms of underground cellars is very informative and well worth the 18 Euros price tag. Purchase a bottle of Mercier bubbly which we intend to polish off while in Dormans.

The enormous wine barrel produced for the Paris World Fair 1889 same time as the Eiffel Tower.

Time to head south out of Epernay and follow a route taking us through Pierry,Monthelon,the delightful town of Le Mesmil sur Oger, Vertus,Bergeres-les- Vertus and on through huge tracts of vines on the undulating hills. As the evening approaches the setting sun only enhances the stunningly beautiful vistas. Arrive in the attractive town of Sezanne and this driver gets some welcome respite from the setting sun as we track north and back to Dormans.

All in all a great drive in glorious weather. Unfortunately, our plan to dine at La Lombardie restaurant in Dormans is thwarted when we find it closed. ( Monday, Bloody Monday! )

Another home-cooked meal and as usual Gail comes up trumps. Her ability to produce tasty meals at the drop of a hat never ceases to amaze me.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

Sunday 25th October 2015

As we have been on the go since we arrived in the UK on 18th September we decide to enjoy a ‘rest day’ and crawl out of bed far later than has been the norm during this trip.

Our packed agenda for the day centres on buying some pork chops and a few other provisions and then watching the Wallabies beating the Argentinian Pumas 29-15 with Adam Ashley-Cooper getting 3 tries. All 15 points for the Pumas come from the boot of Sanchez.

Argentina give us one hell of a fright and fight and they are a totally different team to the ones from past years who relied on their powerful forward pack. The Pumas of today play a very exciting brand of open attacking rugby and if their rate of improvement continues they will be a force to be reckoned with come Japan in 2019.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

Saturday 24th October 2015

Up early to meet Murielle at 9.00 am and check out of her great apartment. We could not have asked for a better base for our 3 night stay in this beautiful location and Annecy has certainly lived up to all the glowing reports that we had received from people who had previously visited the area.

Another fine morning as we head north in the direction of Geneva before turning west on the A40. This stretch of elevated freeways with a number of spectacular viaducts is truly a miracle of road engineering.

After having had to tackle these roads and a Latino female driver who in her luxury Merc gives a new meaning to the word ‘erratic’, it is definitely time for a caffeine ‘fix’ at a freeway cafe. I’m also taking time to get used to truck drivers who actually obey the 90kms speed limit and as I follow the lead of other drivers and move over to the inside lanes after overtaking I often get caught behind the truckies. Hopefully I will have this sorted out by the time we get to the Champagne region this evening.

We take another picnic stop near Dole and then the route takes us past Dijon,Troyes, Chalons-en-Champagne and Reims finally bringing us to the villa Clos Rigaux in the small town of Dormans. Isabel, the owner of the villa, is there to meet us and give us a guided tour of this lovely property which we have to ourselves in the light of Andy and Mo’s absence. Isabel is delightful lady and the warm welcome is much appreciated after 600 kms and 7 hour drive from Annecy. Isabel’s son Christophe Bertin produces champagne in Igny-Comblizy and we are the very grateful recipients of 2006 vintage.

Although the scenery in this area lacks the magnificence of the mountains around Grenoble and Annecy the gently rolling hills and the glorious autumn colours more than compensate.

Dormans which is right in the heart of the Champagne region and close to both Reims and Epernay is a very pleasant small town but on the day of our arrival they have had an annual festival and market and many of the restaurants are fully booked. We, therefore, have to settle for take-away pizzas which we thoroughly enjoy in the elegant dining room of Clos Rigaux.

End the day watching the RWC semi-final in which the All Blacks beat South Africa 20-18. A rather boring war of attrition with the AB’s always seeming to have something in reserve. However with box kicks and other tactical kicking being the dominant feature the Springboks in particular seemed to have very few attacking options when going forward.

Fall into bed after a long, tiring day but looking forward to exploring the region and, of course sampling some of their liquid products.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

Friday 23 October 2015

Today is bike ride time so we first buy a ham and salad baguette for a picnic lunch. Collect our bikes which come as part of the deal on the holiday rental and step out to test out our no doubt soon-to-be very sore rear ends. A funny moment when Gail comments on a sign in the hallway giving quidelines  and rules on evacuation. Too late by a few days given our currently troublesome digestive systems!

Very busy in town and initially along the lake foreshore (school holidays ) but this moderates a little as we move away from the built-up area. We have decided to cycle to the Bout du Lac at the southern end and this will no doubt test as it is close to 40 kms round trip and we have not been cycling for many months. Fortunately, on the western shore of the lake we are on a designated cycle track the whole way and the weather is being kind to us even with a slightly chilly wind.

We arrive unscathed at Bout du Lac and eventually park ourselves on the waterfront to enjoy our gourmet picnic lunch. Note the word “eventually” as on arrival we ( actually it should be ‘I’ ) try to get our bikes through a turnstile to get on to the beach without noticing that bikes are prohibited. The inevitable happens when I manage to get mine through with great difficulty but G gets stuck. I help her extricate herself from the stile  and she heads off confident that she had seen another access to the water. This turns out to be a dead-end so she goes back and I also have to do another limbo dance to get my bike and myself out through the stile. We eventually ( that word again ) come to an entrance where there is row of bike racks where we can safely leave our trusty steeds.

The trip back to Annecy is made somewhat tougher by the headwind which has sprung up but we arrive back in town very happy with our day’s work.

Home cooked dinner tonight accompanied by nice red wine from St Emilion and then off to bed to rest our sore backsides not to mention calves and quads.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

Thursday 22nd October 2015

Wake up early at 5.00am but lie in bed waiting for daylight for a couple of hours. At 7.00 I venture out on a futile mission to get some milk for our breakfast cereal but all such stores are closed. However, a nearby patisserie opens at 6.30 so I fall back on the old faithfuls, almond croissants and pain au chocolat for breakfast. There are plenty of people up and about and all the young women are probably on their second packet of ciggies by now.

Suitably stocked up on calories we head off to the waterfront to start off on one of the suggested town walks. Starting at Quai Perriere this walk takes us on short climb up to the Musee Chateau and a steeper hike up to the Basilique de la Visitation before we descend to the lovely canal areas of the Old Town. We return to the area near our flat and a lunch snack at Le Fidele Berger. ( Recommended to us by Murielle ) We discover that the Berger is not only faithful but must also be very well-heeled by now if his prices are anything to go by. The pate croute we have is  fine but over-priced and 7 Euros for 1 single espresso and 1 cafe au lait is just extortionate.

Back to the flat for a while and then we take a long walk in a clockwise direction around Lac Annecy. The views across the lake are stunning and after the pollution of Grenoble it is a joy to see the pristine water and total absence of any graffiti. Reading up on Annecy it is now years time ago that the mayor of the time committed himself to cleaning up the town. The results are there for all to see and quite clearly the locals take great pride in their hometown.

As is her wont Gail has been researching the good restaurants and has settled on Le Poivier. when we see the place in total darkness about 30 minutes before opening time we know this is a lost cause. Another of Gail’s picks Une Autre Histoire is fully booked for the next 3 days so it’s back to L’Affaire de Gout for something akin to a fondue. The dinner is very tasty and Lisa the waitress from the previous evening  suggests a chardonnay to wash it down. We set aside our normal aversion to chardonnay and it proves to be a very fine drop of wine. Before we leave we both receive a free Genepi liqueur ( probably compensation for G’s poor steak the day before )

Check out Le Poivier again on our way back to the apartment with a view to giving it a try for the next evening but again no sign of life. This is common problem during the changeover from the summer to the winter season with so many businesses shutting down a bit prematurely.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret