Bouin, Poitou Charente (France)

After many months spending our spare time in the UK it was time to dust off the pasports and return to the joys of flying Ryanair.

Brenda & David were in week three of their time doing home exchanges in France and we joined them at home number two just outside of the tiny town of Bouin.

While we weren't away for very long, we managed to enjoy lots of sun, great food, heaps of cheese and some rather neat churches.

Again, photos are to tell most of the story...


Flying over Fracne


Ke he he


Entering Bouin - so small it does not even have it's own bakery!


La Rochelle Market


La Rochelle Market - Check out the heads on the birds


La Rochelle harbour


Paul on the city walls in La Rochelle


Amy with her feet in the Atlantic


Paul having post lunch icecream


Amy trying to self-portrait with her icecream


Church in the countryside





Complete with griffins


Outside the same church


Walking in the countryside





Yum


Another small church


Stained glass


15th Century paintings in the church











The counrtyside was full of not so sunny sun flowers - must've been rather spectacular a few weeks ago.





Poitiers - Eglises de Notre Dame





Eglises de Notre Dame - with very colourful paintings inside

Windsor & Eton

Just a few photos from a trip to Windsor Castle.

Billingsgate Fish Market

When Fran and Graham (our almost neighbours) invited us for dinner it ended up being almost a whole day affair as it started with a very early morning mission to the docklands for a shopping trip at Billingsgate Fish Market.

It was a v yummy dinner, although those of us who had an early start were certainly feeling by dessert!


Canary Wharf in the background



Mmm, bait fish


Fran and Graham trying to work out how many boxes they needed to buy


"If it swims we sell it"


An East end specialty, Jellied Eels.


Yum!

Turangawaewae

Somewhere, in coastal New Zealand, we now have our own slice of heaven (complete with fiejioa tree)...












Now to find a caravan!

Harbury Beer Festival

When the Laundry King, came into our lives he had a very positive influence on the beer appreciation in the family.

It seemed logical then with Amy's sister Brenda and her husband (LK) visiting us in the UK for a few days before heading of to warmer climes to leave London for the small Warwickshire village of Harbury for their annual beer festival.

The theme was ale of many colours, and each of the 55 plus beers all somehow had a colour theme. Between us all we made a fantastic effort to get through the brilliantly named beers (Hung Drawn and Portered was one of the better names that comes to mind).

It was a great day out, and something to be done again no doubt (although perhaps not with the morris dancing).


Harbury Town Hall



Morris dancing


David, Brenda & Amy


Amy trying Morris Dancing


Brenda with a big stick


Mullets and beer guts


Paul & David picking the next drink


Towards the end of the day