By Gina Storey
What a wonderful destination Europe is to explore, offering so many varied opportunities for types of holidays.
It was only last week that I was on the Aurora exploration vessel, the Greg Mortimer in the Arctic Circle exploring neolithic standing stones, hiking up to waterfalls and learning more about the Viking history of the region.
I was wrapped in jackets and scarves, gloves and woollen socks.
This week the tempo has changed with a house near Bordeaux in the French countryside.
Days are spent pottering around small villages, popping down to the nearby boulangerie in the morning to pick up fresh baguettes and croissants for breakfast.
Meeting the locals at the weekly markets to buy delicious fresh produce – why does everything here taste so yummy?
Walking around lakes, visiting historic towns with flat fronted limestone buildings, shutters framing the large uniform windows, the gardens awash with lavender and roses, trees covered with ripening apricots and peaches, bees humming about their business.
Tomorrow we will cross the Dordogne on an excursion to visit Meilhan-sur-Garone, a sleepy town on the banks of the river where friends are tying up their canal boat for a few days.
A long lunch on board before navigating country roads back to our house set on a hill overlooking vineyards, forests and the local farmer on his tractor planting sunflower and rape seed crops which will be a blaze of yellow in a few week’s time.
Another excursion to the delightful hill town of St Emillion famous for it’s Grand Cru wine production prized in Bordeaux.
Picturesque villages tempt us to stop for lunch and pathways through forests to lake shores entice us on country walks.
To reach Bordeaux we took the Eurostar from London to Paris and jumped on the high speed train which took two hours to Bordeaux.
Apart from having to cross from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse through the Paris traffic this was a great way to travel.
Perhaps we should have broken the journey for a couple of nights in Paris – next time!
Most travellers favour facing backwards on these trains and now having sped down the tracks at over 300kms per hour it is no wonder – facing backwards is much more relaxing on the eye!
Over many years I have managed to incorporate a week in a gites or villa in Europe and I must say I love the way time slows down and you can immerse yourself in the region – a joyful way to travel.
Contact Travelling Places P: 0755452600 E: travel@travellingplaces.com.au
