This walk challenged our staying power. The weather was very hot and the the trail seems to defy science by being uphill more than downhill. Nevertheless it’s a great excursion which takes you past the ancient extraction wells which were the origin of the famous porcelain factories of nearby Limoges. The area is crisscrossed with […]
A tough walk around Jonchere-St-Maurice Read More »
Not content to sit on one beautiful romantic river valley, Fresselines is involved with two. Fresselines sits on the confluence of the River Creuse and the Petite Creuse, both of which run along deep gorges, eventually converging a few splashes from the village. It’s a tourism and farming village situated some 20 miles (32 km)
Monet, Monet, Monet. A walk from Fresselines. Read More »
This is an absolute gem. I was going to refer to it as a garden, but that would almost be demeaning. It is a beautiful slice of French countryside, lovingly tended and enhance by thoughtful and knowledgeable owners. It’s a privilege to share the fruits of their labours. If you are ready to spend a
Arboretum de le Sedelle Read More »
Be careful what you wish for. There’s a large school about half a mile down the road from where we live. Many of the young people walk past our house twice a day between the establishment and their homes. In both directions they pass small corner shops. At these shops they purchase the essentials for
A Lesson in unintended consequences Read More »
In August every year something stirs in the agricultural quiet of the sleepy Limousin countryside, deep in rural France. Something possibly alien to the setting, something incongruous, but most of all something wonderful. The Le Bluis Blues festival erupts in a multi day feast of the Blues. The music is authentic and loud, performed by
Le Buis Blues Festival Read More »
Ok, Mrs L said. Here’s a place we must visit. It’s not too far away, has an outstanding and unusual nine sided shape in the landscape. The walls are more or less complete and are comparative with Lucca for accessibility. There’s an amazing nine sided piazza in the centre of the city with a shimmering
Gluten Free in Palmanova Read More »
Lunigiana is littered with impressive castle-like towers which rear out of the mountainous landscape, clinging on in the most precarious positions. The example shown here is at Massa, not too far from the very famous fortified town of Lucca. They are collectively known as Malaspina Towers. They were built by the Malaspina family. This dynasty
Beware sharp foliage. Read More »
We like modern art. We’ve been known to swoon at the sight of a Pollock or a Kadinsky. Really. So on the way back up north we decided to visit the MART Gallery in Rovereto. Mart is very much their “branding”. The full name is the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and
Rovereto. No Warhol Here. Just Pointy Hats. Read More »
We had one of our best ever few days in Italy staying at Camping E-Maieu close to the small village of Garbagna, a comune (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 110 kilometres (68 mi) southeast of Turin and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of Alessandria. It has
Small Village, Big Fun Read More »
This post is written with apologies to Mrs Admin, who is gluten intolerant. But it needed to be done. Eating is a very important part of our travels. Sampling the local fare. A big part of savouring the local atmosphere. Never mind the main course, in Italy the bread is quite capable of stealing the
Let me eat bread…. Read More »
