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Post by kernowman on Mar 16, 2016 16:48:46 GMT 2
That's because they use satellite phones from Everest base camp and that gives much clearer signal
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Post by artisans on Mar 16, 2016 21:54:09 GMT 2
I heard that, Dave - better on Everest than in Gloucester! Has anyone put a relay station on the top, yet? Tomorrow, we’re off towards the Vendee ... let’s hope the signal is better there.
Steve
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Post by artisans on Mar 17, 2016 23:10:28 GMT 2
The River Aven tumbles through the town and down to the sea, over rocks and under buildings before reaching the sea at the edge of Pont-Aven. It attracted many artists in the 19th century, and still does today. This almond blossom forms a lovely contrast against the grey stone ... but what is the building in the centre of the second pic? It wasn’t there for Gauguin to paint, even though one of his paintings overlooks it. As for the last photo, how’s that for a welcome in the hillsides?
Steve
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Post by daveyh on Mar 18, 2016 14:14:04 GMT 2
A tough one - is it the Biscuiterie where the local delicacy of butter biscuits were invented in 1920.
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Post by artisans on Mar 18, 2016 23:00:53 GMT 2
It’s nothing to do with biscuits, Dave, although Breton biscuits could convert me. This is more about liquids!
Steve
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pete sant
Roda Anorak
Roda Riddler 2008
UNITED - NOT ARROGANT - JUST BETTER
Posts: 6,977
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Post by pete sant on Mar 19, 2016 7:11:40 GMT 2
It reminds me of the public loos on the townbridge in my home town!!!! pete.
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Post by artisans on Mar 30, 2016 19:00:15 GMT 2
Back to the old WiFi problem and it’s been twelve days without either a signal or faced with an excessive charge – up to €10 for two days on a poor signal! How come it’s better in Corfu? Added to that, my laptop has decided it’s had enough photos for now, and it has indigestion. We have a weak signal tonight in Avignon, so here goes.
I’m writing this on Easter Sunday and we’ve been on the road now for 25 days, although that included almost a week in north Wales for my Mum’s 100th. After the hiatus of a storm in the Channel, the weather mostly has been very kind, especially once we had reached southern Brittany. Since then, we’ve visited La Rochelle, Perigueux, Toulouse and Carcassonne, before awarding ourselves a four-day break by the sea. Never before have we been so aware that France has so many different peoples and we were reminded that it was only the mid-nineteenth century before more than 50% of the population spoke French as a first language. Last year, we were taken unawares by Basque, and this year is not much different. Brittany is like a different country, and proud of it too, while in every region on the way south the words changed in pronunciation. We noticed numbers first, with ‘cinque’ & ‘trente’ changing from ‘sank’ to ‘sink’ and ‘tront’ to ‘tranta’. Last night we were entertained on TV by a concert from the Arena in Arles – in Spanish! This region from Rousillon and into Provence has a very Spanish influence, and especially at Carcassonne.
As for the food – there have been so many treats! We’ve had Crepes au ble noir in Brittany, Boudin Noir cooked with apples in Quiberon, seafood from the Vendee, famous sausages from the fantastic market in Toulouse, endless ‘confit du canard,’ and real home-cooked Cassoulet from Castelnaudary near to Carcassonne. So much food and so little time!
Earlier this year, Jan visited Castell Coch in south Wales, which is seemingly modeled on the ‘le Cite’ at Carcassonne. We’ve seen some wonderful places en route and loved them all, but the old parts of Perigueux and Carcassonne have been outstanding. On Tuesday we head north(!) to Avignon, but this time we want to visit Villeneuve Avignon and that very same Arena at Arles from which last night’s concert was broadcast. Hopefully, soon, we can post some pics.
I have six pages of posts on the forum to catch up with, but no internet signal in the van. We’re desperate to catch up with the latest in Roda, but it may take a day or two. I’m wondering why new lights were erected outside Spiro’s shop when the drains are advancing at a rate of knots. Will they turn by The Boathouse and go past Danny’s farm, or will they just plow ahead? Keep us informed please Pete. By the way, you were right about the loos!!
Steve
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Post by davidandpaula2012 on Mar 30, 2016 21:12:26 GMT 2
So the stop in north wales for the hundredth birthday wow - is that where your mam lives or just holidaying - I always assumed a Scottish connection.
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Post by daveyh on Mar 31, 2016 12:07:52 GMT 2
Steve, you'll need those walks along the beach when you get to Roda after all that eating!! Sounds an interesting journey you are making.
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Post by artisans on Apr 2, 2016 21:38:56 GMT 2
If anyone has been sending emails to RodaOnline, then I must apologise for being slow to pass them on as we are travelling. After some two weeks without WiFi, I have now forwarded some 30 emails to various businesses in Roda and you should get replies soon. These include NSK Travel, Makis Apartments, Roda Taxis and Dromeas Car Hire. I have a good signal tonight, but i’m not sure about the next three days.
On Thursday we were in Avignon, one of our favourite places, before leaving for Port Grimaud. Today, we’ve spent our first day exploring St Tropez and it’s not quite what we expected. We’ll have a quiet day tomorrow and then it’s Italy, as we get closer to the Greek Ferries at Ancona.
We will need a few good walks, Daveyh, but the problem is that we stock up with ‘goodies’ that we cannot buy at any other time and which have to get us through the summer. Tonight, it’s fresh mackerel from the ‘Les Halles’ in Avignon together with stir-fried beans & fennel in a mustard sauce, but we can get all these things in Corfu. We love Greek cheeses, but it’s hard to compete with France where a typical market stall offers 250 varieties. We came across something today that we first saw in a Rick Stein programme – right opposite one of the fish stalls is a cook in a small 8’x6’ kitchen, cooking whatever you have just bought for a small charge. One guy sat down with a plate of fresh oysters from the market, ordered a beer to go with them, and that was it. Another had some ribbons of squid that were cooked instantly. One of our aims for a future trip is to visit the dockside restaurants in Sete and order fish from the trawlers just 20ft away. It doesn’t get fresher than that! Tonight we’ve eaten something that looked good in the shop, but we still don’t know what they were - the nearest description I can think of is ‘ducks’ buttocks!'
Yes Dave/Paula, I’m from north Wales but hailing now from Scotland. My Mum is in a home in Wrexham now, but she still soldiers on and remembers many things clearer than I do. I took her to Brittany almost 20 years ago, and she still remembers visiting Concarneau and Pont-Aven where we went this year. The Arabs have a saying that travel broadens the mind more than a long life – she seems to have both.
Steve
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Post by artisans on Apr 8, 2016 21:14:03 GMT 2
We had another great day in the ‘Cinque Terre’ in Italy, this time visiting Manarola and, my favourite, Corniglia. This our second time in the five villages and I’m amazed by the prices, with great cappuccinos costing as little as €3 - for two! - and the most gorgeous Italian ice cream costing €5 for two huge cones. This was the first time for me to try basil & lemon and it is out of this world! We will be back ...
Yesterday we visited another favourite, Lucca in Tuscany. A walled town, with barely any traffic, and birthplace of Puccini, it is far nicer than its neighbour, Pisa, and much more laid-back.
The temperatures have been well into the 20’s and it was hot & humid, but a bit of rain has followed on behind. Hopefully, tomorrow, it will stay dry for our visit to Siena before finding a way through the mountains to Ancona. We’ve been on the road since March 2nd, and the end of our trip back to Roda is now in sight. Unless we decide to continue wandering around southern Italy, the land of the Mezzogiorno, we’ll be back in Corfu on Tuesday.
In addition to all the foods we’ve collected, we now have strawberry plants, gariguettes, horseradish, a curry plant and laurel all from France, together with sage from Italy, but we won’t mention all the bottles!
It will be good to be home ...
Steve
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Post by davidandpaula2012 on Apr 9, 2016 1:27:22 GMT 2
So we will get the weather report about Wed we've missed it so much.
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Post by artisans on Apr 9, 2016 18:40:28 GMT 2
Sienna stayed mostly dry today, if a little chilly at times ... but what a place! It’s also surprising just how cheap places like Siena, Lucca and the ‘Cinque Terre’ are, especially when cities like Florence & Venice are so extortionately expensive. It’s a shame I can’t post photos, but I’ll do a few when we’re back. Yes, Dave, the weather reports will start again soon as long as our telephone line is still working after so long away. Tomorrow, it’s a dash to the ferries, a night in Sirolo, and in to Igoumenitsa at dawn on Tuesday.
Steve
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kaz
Roda Anorak
Posts: 3,961
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Post by kaz on Apr 12, 2016 20:28:26 GMT 2
WELCOME HOME STEVE & JAN xxxx
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Post by artisans on Apr 12, 2016 20:40:01 GMT 2
Thanks, kaz - it’s good to be back and what a lovely day to arrive on. We’re a bit tired, but we’ll start catching up soon.
Steve
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