So I start off this blog with a little explanation of my stupidity. I entered Rue instead of Route in our GPS for our hotel in Brussels. Suffice to say that by trying to avoid the downtown I ended up driving through the old center and out again trying to find our hotel….. Remember to look carefully for the correct spelling of a road … especially in a country where there are more than two languages spoken. Anyway, we did have a good look around (or at ...

The last blog was sent from Mont Blanc. Up to that point we had been pretty disappointed with the area what with the rain and clouds. Just as I was publishing the blog Shane told me the clouds had lifted and that you could see the top of the mountain. So off we went to get our tickets for the last gondola straight up to the top. Actually you take one gondola... shuffle over to wait in line for the second one (all the time hoping the clouds don't come in a...

As I write this I am sitting on the patio outside our little stone house somewhere in the Tuscan hills near Florence. I came across this place by chance on the internet and it really is a piece of heaven. The owner has turned an old convent in to their home and a few rental apartments. This and the sun and the pool and what can I say. This is the perfect place for Shane to spend his birthday.... and I get to come along for the ride!We have come from rose wine...

So much has happened since the last entry but it is true that Rose wine has been a part of much of it. From Meyreuis we drove back through the park and then down to Arles. Dense fog and rain made the drive pretty tense till we began our descent. Great working hill towns with absolutely no tourist information or accomodation but a ton of atmosphere. I loved this area with terraced fields and quiet way of life. Arles was a great destination for the day. The h...

Leaving Portiranges was not a hardship. We had enough of the condo life and were ready to get back on the road heading north. So bring out the long underware and here we go. The flat marshy coast gave way to rolling hills covered in vineyards. This time of year it seems most of the wine tasting (called degustation??!!) rooms seem to be closed. That is a shame because we really would like to try the local wines rather than do a pot luck at the local grocery s...