I ordered the glasses and mini milkjugs I saw at Dove Restaurant - what can you bring back from travels worldwide?

The new water glasses ordered midnight on Saturday arrived by 11 am on Monday, in less than two days, one working day.

When you tap the new low glasses, they don't have the high pitch ring of the tall glass in the middle of the three in the picture, the style which they will replace. The old tall glass seems quite solid and stable. I don't know how I have previously managed to knock over the higher glass and spill water all over my desk paperwork and computer leads. but the new glasses look smaller and stack. So far, so good. Do they hold enough water for waking with pills? 

I ordered the glasses and jugs I saw at Dove restaurant. I mentioned these in my previous post. The jugs are in my later post.

Olive Oils From The Sunny South Of France - where you can do wine tasting and make your own olive oil

 Estoublon olive oil from the sunny south of France where olive trees grow. The name Estoublon is also a placename in Provence. Estoublon is French for a small stable, and would have been a place where a stagecoach stopped. 

I tried their olive oils at the Goedhuis Waddesdon trade event at the Fishmongers' Hall, London Bridge, in July 2026.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The olive oil at the front of my picture is softer and sweeter. Picholine. Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

The one at the back was too spicy and made me choke and cough. Flacon Couture. Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I had previously tasted three olive oils at a trade fair, and admitted to the seller that the strongest was not my favourite. He told me that most buyers agreed with me. However, my husband, who likes spicy food and strong curried, likes the strongest olive oils. You might try, perhaps buy and try, two olive oils of different types, and get your family to vote. Alternatively, stock one of each to keep all your family happy.

French - English

d' - of ( abbreviated from de before a vowel)

de - of

huile - oil

olive - olive

English - French

of - de /d' (before a vowel)

oil - huile

olive - olive

Learning about Olive Oil and Wine

Olive Oil Experience

You can book a visit to their premises in Fontvieille, Provence, southern France, choosing to create your own olive oil.

They also run a wine course at their premises in France, WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) level one, which I have done in London. Highly recommended for absolute beginners.

(My husband Trevor, who was a lecturer in statistics, started his WSET at level 2, did 3, then finally 4 which is diploma level and he is now a wine educator.)

The Surroundings - Oil and Water

The place Fontvieille is named after the old source of water, vielle meaning old, font, fountain, foundation, source of water. 

You will be surrounded by olive tree fields. 

Windmills

The area is also called the land of windmills, of which there are still several.

The most famous local person was the author, Alphonse Daudet, 1840-1897, who wrote Letters From My Windmill. 

He wrote,

Voyez-vous, mes enfants, quand le blé est mûr, il faut le couper; quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire.

• You see, my children, when the corn is ripe it must be cut; when the wine is drawn it must be drunk.

Daudet's Windmill in Provence, France. A reproduction of it is in the International Wind and Watermill Museum in Gifhorn, Germany.

A museum about Daudet is in a mansion. 

One of Daudet's stories with a sad start and a happy end was about the windmill owner who pretended the windmill was still working when modern industry ended the business. When the man's secret was discovered, the people took pity on him and brought their grain to be ground, restoring his business and joie de vivre. 

The is also a Roman stone aqueduct which took water to Arles.  

L'Excessive Non-Alcohplic Sparkling

In London at Goedhuis Waddesdon The Collection Tasting 2026, alongside the olive oil I was able to try non alcholic sparkling wines and they were a wonderful surprize. The sparkling rose

Useful Websites

For visits to Estoublon tasting olive oil, or wine, or both

https://www.estoublon.com/en/wine-tourism/

Location of Estoublon in France

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontvieille,_Bouches-du-Rh%c3%b4ne

Explanation of Terms and Quality Listed On Bottles

https://honest-toil.co.uk/blogs/all-about-the-oil/the-honest-guide-to-olive-oil

Tourism

https://thegoodlifefrance.com/what-to-see-in-fontvielle-provence/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Wind-_and_Watermill_Museum

https://www.muehlenmuseum-gifhorn.de/

To Buy the olive oil and sparkling Blanc and Rose

https://www.estoublon.com/en/product/lexcessive-rose-en/

Updated with websites, facts and photos on July 13 2026.

Entertaining Children When Travelling To Restaurants, Pubs, Parties & Play Areas

English Pub Restaurants Children's Entertainment

In England pubs such as Wetherspoons are geared up for children and so are many more chains.

French American Themed Buffalo Grill

 In France the 2026 voted family favourite is American themed Buffalo Grill, which has more than 350 outlets. We went to one in Perpignan which had am outdoor play area, lots of amusing decor, and loads of activities in the kiddie pack. 

Buy Multi-pack coloured pencils

You can buy a multi-pack of sets of crayons for a children's birthday party in the UK and elsewhere in a restaurant which does not supply crayons. Also use them at home, or travelling with several children. Ideal if you run a restaurant or events, including a kiddie corner at weddings,  One pack of twelve crayons will do for a group of four children sharing for fifteen minutes before a meal, less to clear up than several sets. Or a set of four coloured pencils for each child. 

A multipack of 144 boxes for a school or restaurant costs about £30. A pack of 144 from Shuttle Art on Amazon costs a penny under £18. 

Wedding Kiddie Corner - Inspiration From Singapore

 I went to a wedding in Singapore which had a kiddie corner. The bride worked in a pre-school. She had invited the children to her wedding. Naturally she thought of keeping them entertained. Her wedding was one of those huge weddings which went on all day. First, family in the morning, extended family, including the mothers with small children. The afternoons, with the lunch buffet still going, was opened to adult friends, but their children were also welcome, and some of the family's children were still around.

If you are organizing a wedding or event where all the adults are given gifts, such as bags of almonds, not suitable for under threes), single use cameras, manicure sets, xmas/festive crackers with gifts (or fill your own set of DIY crackers) consider giving the children crayons, and a placemat to draw on. 

After you have given the children coloured pencils, what will they draw on?

DIY Child's Placemat

You can print off an A4 placemat, vertical or turned sideways, with the name of the event, or the venue, or the child's name. 

Add a picture of your child's favourite character or party theme at the top. Dinosaurs, unicorn, Princess, whatever. Or make a border or frame from repeated smileys or symbols. 

Add a flag of the destination country, or home country and holiday country, for a holiday. Or a wedding couple from different countries. Or add religious symbols for a baptism or Barmitzvah or other occasion, having checked that this would be acceptable and welcome. 

Divide the paper into a grid of four.

For entertainment stuck at home or in a hotel overseas on a rainy, snowy, stormy day, invest in coloured watercolour pencils. A huge department store with a large stationery section, or a big stationers, or an art and craft shop, is likely to have good value small sets of watercolour pencils.

 If you have a stick of paper glue, and only discarded paper which is printed on one side. glue together the two pieces of paper with the printed sides facing each other on the inside. If the print does not show through too much, you now have a thicker card on which the child can draw.

DIY Paper Booklet From Discarded Paper

For a diy pad, take a discarded envelope from your wastebin. Fold it in four or more. slit or cut the edges. Staple the pages together to make a child size booklet, or a dolls house book.

For just one child, a book with paints attached is good. Check whether the brush is included. If not, buy one, or bring one from home.

Paintbox Set For Home And Holiday Home

Not for a restaurant, but at home, a paintbox set, including a pencil for drawing a design, brush,8 pieces of paper, and lots of colours.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FYFCBHZ8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_right_aax_0?psc=1&aref=mQfOD7OsxL&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfcmlnaHRfc2hhcmVk

Useful Coloured Pencil Supplies For Travel & Parties

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shuttle-Art-Assorted-Break-resistant-Pre-sharpened/dp/B0D1KDNPV7/ref=sr_1_3_sspa

20 boxes of six coloured pencils, with four sharpeners.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FYFCBHZ8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_right_aax_0?psc=1&aref=mQfOD7OsxL&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfcmlnaHRfc2hhcmVk

Themes & Activities

https://thatsup.co.uk/london/guide/the-best-soft-play-centres-in-london/

https://loopla.com/blog/pubs-with-play-areas

https://www.thekidstable.co.uk/find-a-location/

More pricey than the pubs

https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/hub/things-to-do/themed-afternoon-tea-london-2026

Please follow my blogs and share links to your favourite posts.

Angela's Seasonal Xmas Quiz for travellers

 Where will you find a black cake at Christmas? What does Feliz Navidad mean? 

Do the quiz and check the answers to compare the number you get right with other members of your friends and family.  Learn the answers, and get all completely right by doing the quiz again.

See how many points you get. I hope it is not pointless.

 A The word croissant means

1 Crescent, in French

2 Cooked, in French

3 Cross shaped in French

4 Crescent in Italian 

B Spumante means

1 Sparkling in Italian

2 Sparkling in French

3 Spilled in Spanish

C Rosé means

1 Rose coloured in French

2 Rose shaped in Spanish

3 Rose perfumed in Italian

D Whiskey

1 Comes from Scotland

2 Comes from Ireland and America

3 Comes from Native Indians

E Whisky

1 Comes from Scotland

2 Comes from Ireland

3 Comes from Antarctica

F Christmas Pudding

1 Traditionally contains only a silver sixpence

2 Traditionally contains a three penny bit, sixpence, pea, bean or thimble

3 Traditionally contains a gold coin or gold foil wrapped fruit

Xmas crackers

G Christmas Crackers

1 Are named after the sound they make when pulled

2 Are named after the two creases

3 Are named after their appearance when pulled apart

H Christmas Crackers were invented by 

1 Tom Smith

2 Tom Jones

3 Billy Bunter

I In England at Christmas at tea time you eat

1 Christmas cake

2 Mince Pies

3 Christmas cake or mince pies

J The Yule Log comes from

1 England

2 Scotland

2 France

K Stollen comes from

1 Germany

2 Russia

3 Canada

L Panettone comes from

1 Spain and Italy

2 France and Portugal

3 Australia and New Zealand

M At Christmas in Belize they eat

1 White cake

2 Black cake, sometimes with Yellow cake

3 Green cake 

N Champagne comes from

1 France

2 Spain

3 Italy

4 France, and the USA under license

O Cava comes from

1 France

2 Spain

3 Italy

P Prosecco comes from

1 Spain

2 Italy

3 Portugal

Q Sherry comes from

1 France

2 Spain

3 Madeira

R Madeira comes from

1 Spain

2 Madeira which is Portuguese

3 Italy

S Christmas Day is Dec 25

1 In the lunar calendar

2 In the Gregorian Calendar

3 In the Julian Calendar

T Dec 26 Is

1 Boxing Day only

2 St Stephen's Day only

3 Both Boxing Day and St Stephen's Day in different countries

U A hanukiah is

1 The same as the menorah - 7 branches, for 7 days of the week

2 Has only 8 branches, for the 8 day festival

3 Has 9 branches, 8 plus the helper candle to light the others

V

Champagne is 

1 The shape of the bottle

2 A region of France and name of the drink

3 The name of the man who invented the bubbly drink

4 The name of a grape

W The Star of David (Jewish star, also called the seal of Solomon by Moslems)_

1 Has 5 points

2 Has 8 points

3 Has six points

4 Has any number of points

X Feliz Navidad is Spanish for

1 Happy Birthday

2 Congratulations

3 Happy New Year

4 Happy Christmas

Y Traditionally in the UK you kiss under

1 Holly

2 Mistletoe

3 The Christmas tree

Z What is the official name of the UK royal broadcast on Christmas Day

1 The Queen's Speech or the King's Speech

2 The Christmas message because the Queen's Speech or King's Speech opens Parliament

Answers

A1 B1 C1 D2 E1 F1 G1 H1 I3 J2 K1 l  L1 M2 N1

O2 P2 Q2 R2 S2 T3 U3 V2 W3 X4 Y2 Z2

-ends-

Please follow me and share

Wine Museums Worldwide - WOW - which ones to visit?

WoW stands for World of Wine, also the exlamation, wow! It is a huge wine complex in Portugal, on the hillside overlooking the river. The city is called Oporto, Oporto, on a hillside above the port in Portugal, easy to remember. But that's not the only place to find a wine museum.

After the London Wine Fair, where I saw the stand of Georgia, which claims to be the birthplace of wine, I started thinking about wine museums. Some have supermarket size shops and restaurants. Others have cellar doors offering tastings, sometimes free food, other times platters of food if you have a group and book and pay - and mini-shops, and vineyard visits, with self-guided or guided tours.

I have visited Vineyards all over the world, and I have been to the memorable wine museums in Cyprus and Italy. 

Italy

Italy has huge mosaic floors from Roman villas, showing the Gods of wine, and the Romans reclining and drinking.

The one in Torgiano, Italy is in Umbria, next door to and west of Tuscany, not far from Florence. 

France 

Paris has a wine museum. 

Beyond Paris is Rheims in the Champagne area. There numerous Champagne houses offer tours and tastings.

In France, the port of Marseilles was established for the ships carrying wine. 

Bordeaux has a huge modern museum of wine. The name Bordeaux means border or edge of the water, meaning waterway. Wine drinking and export dates back to the time before air travel and even proper passable roads. Then travel was mainly by boats down rivers and in ships across seas.

Portugal

In Europe the biggest range of museums and gifts such as wine stoppers and socks was in WOW in Portugal. A series of museums on a hillside, like Disney, kept us busy all day.Videos, tastings, and a plastic tumbler to take home included in the price.

The Douro museum, along the river Douro, included a sniff section. The large ground floor shop entertained me with wine soaps and novelties.

Museu do Douro, Portugal. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

USA

California has many wineries, vineyards and shops attached. We drove along, up north from San Francisco. As we got further from the big city, the price of a corkscrew got lower and lower. One of the vineyards had a train tour, but we arrived too late. 

I saw lots of great gifts. In addition to wines, corkscrews, wine racks, bottle covers. Books for keeping a record of wine you've tried and liked. Books for storing bottle labels. 

Websites of Wine Museums: 

• Vino Versum Poysdorf, Austria
• Wine Museum (Pleven), Bulgaria
• Wine Museum, Ehnen, Luxembourg
• Wine Museum and Enoteca, Brazil
• Cyprus Wine Museum, Limassol District, Cyprus
• Macau Wine Museum, Macau, SAR China
• Musée du Vin (Wine Museum of Paris), France
• https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/cultural-heritage/wine-trade-museum.html#:~:text=Discover%20the%20history%20of%20the,better%20understanding%20of%20Bordeaux%20wines. Bordeaux, France
• Museo del vino (Torgiano), Italy
• Douro Museum, Portugal
• WOW (World of Wine), Porto, Portugal
• Drăgășani Wine Museum, Romania
• Yilan Distillery Chia Chi Lan Wine Museum, Taiwan
• https://www.wineinvestment.com/learn/magazine/2021/05/seven-wine-museums-to-put-on-your-travel-bucket-list/
• Other wine museums are in Georgia, and South Africa.
• https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/travel/best-winemaking-history-musuems/?srsltid=AfmBOoqzqokP-8sps2EpFXIhSY0DOMgXWFRycZtFFHAO1WKp6bNWtsJy
• California Wine Museum Antique Shop, USA

Napa Valley wine train (lunches and day tours)

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Ice cider from Canada

 You have probably heard of Canadian ice wine. Well, now there's ice cider.

The retail price in the UK will be about £ 27-29.

Currently sold in Canada and the USA and France.

Neige Canadian Ice Cider Co Ltd.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cider

https://neige.co/

Please share links to your favourite posts.

An orange colour ski resort souvenir top reminds us of the uses of ski resort tops

What use is a ski resort souvenir top when you get it home? It keeps you warm in variable weather. You might choose to wear it just because you like the colour. Or it reminds you of both holidays and work. Maybe a working holiday. 

Alpe d'Huez Top

The tee-shirt collar and motif are in orange. The wearer bought it because the company which he works for has orange as their colour.

Several companies online offer tee-shirts in a range of colours. This enables you to give all the staff in a restaurant or small business a matching tee-shirt. You can also create a matching parent and child outfit. 

Matching outfits are useful on holiday. They enable you to find your family quickly in a restaurant or queue (Americans say line-up), or a busy market. You can tell bystanders who you are looking for, 'somebody wearing the same tee-shirt as me'. 

The uniforms offered by suppliers to restaurants for staff serving and kitchen workers can be custom-made, but even the plain ones are often expensive, especially for short runs. The garments designed for work use may be of more durable quality because they have to last all day every day for several hours for a year or more. However, ski clothes often have the same long-lasting functions. Garments are usually thick fabric, yet light to wear, and have reinforced seams, waterproof and windproof, as well as handy multiple outside and inside pockets with secure fastenings.

Useful Websites

https://printerval.com/uk/alp-dhuez-cycling-t-shirts-

Please follow my blogs and share links to your favourite posts. 

https://printerval.com/uk/alp-dhuez-cycling-t-shirts-p3028864?spid=232960475&tr=&adgroupid=&campaignid=21342556235&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAA9xz-1RMCApeAkCr0dBS-LCv9LFL2&gclid=CjwKCAjwn6LABhBSEiwAsNJrjmMVCRUW2hzeRloqJt8IHa1mZdgcD-SgkR0U5EZ_-Wj0sjjIpc4JJxoCIZUQAvD_BwE

My Reaction To Amusing Story About Ryanair Boss Charged Extra For extras in restaurant

I read in my daily dose of the Daily Mail about a Ryanir boss who was charged extra by a restaurant in Ireland, mimicking his budget airline's extra charges. I got to thinking what else the restaurant could have jokingly charged him extra for.

They could have charged for late check-in.

They could have taken his briefcase, and jacket, put them on their 'carousel'. And returned the briefcase half an hour later. They could have asked him to take off his shoes for security. 

I have flown on RyanAir. They do cheaply from Stansted to France, to airports such as Beziers. (Note that the spelling of Stansted has only one a. Unlike the London NW area of Hampstead which has a second letter a.)

RyanAir plane. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright

Useful Websites

Daily Mail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14539427/Ryanair-CEO-Michael-OLeary-extra-charges-Irish-restaurant-practical-joke-airlines-hidden-fees.html

Ryanair

The restaurant

Help - driver going the wrong way on a motorway! Lessons from the UK, USA, New Zealand

California wrong way signage. Wikipedia.

In the UK and USA drivers have gone the wrong way. Causing fatal accidents. Several changes are needed. 

I was shocked. I thought, another one, that's two, one each side of 'the pond' or ocean. When I read the statistics, I was even more shocked. More than 400 such accidents in the USA each year.  Of course, prevention costs money. But imagine the costs of medicine for injuries, car damage, car replacement, insurance reports, insurance company investigations, police and ambulance attending, traffic delays, missed social events and work appointments, even clothes and stress to others, plus, of course, hospitals, enquiries, inquests into causes of accident events, coroner's report on medical findings, funerals, gravestones, memorial services, sometimes prosecutions or private court cases seeking damages, petitions for changes in the law.

I started writing two changes are needed. Then I thought of more and reached five. 

1 One way barriers to exits so only emergency vehicles can enter them.

2 Immediate warning signs to stop to all traffic if a vehicle enters the wrong way on a slip road. 

3 A wrong way vehicle emergency number to summon police if a vehicle is driving the wrong way. Restore hard shoulders so vehicles can pull over and stop if they or another vehicle are driving the wrong way. 

4 Mandatory stopping of traffic if a vehicle is seen driving the wrong way, not just honking and flashing lights. 

5 Lay-bys, or pull-ins, or pedestrian spaces are needed on the fast lane. My vehicle was hit by another and came to rest in the fast lane, endangering me and others. At my request the driver or a large lorry blocked my lane, also the next lane, by parking diagonally, which was an obvious obstruction and unusual position which could be seen for miles back, slowing traffic and prevented multiple rear-enders.

Some measures have already been taken, clearly not enough.

Causes of Wrong Way Driving

Accidental

Near borders and ferries UK-France, drivers where other countries drive on the opposite side. Drivers quickly realise their mistake and usually reverse slowly and re-route. Nowadays more and larger signs warn the British and others exiting from ports onto main roads. 

If you hire a local car, the driver's seat and driving wheel are usually in the middle of the road so he can see oncoming and distant traffic, whilst the front passenger seat is by the (pedestrian) pavement (sidewalk is what Amreicans call it) so that passengers exit safely, not into the road.

Distracted Driving

Noted Causes of Wrong-Way Driving

Driver reading online road maps - (I query, due to poor signage?) 

New Zealand changed signage to make it clearer, with fewer signs meaning less clutter. 

Driver texting. 

Driver watching movies! 

(Other types of accidents have been caused by a driver distracted by animals, by children (one notable case of a mother turning to stop siblings fighting, resulting in an accident causing the death of one child), back seat passengers, insects flying in.)

Places

In the USA there are apparently more accidents of this type in Florida, Texas and California.  I suspect the causes might relate, not entirely, but inflated by, the numbers of elderly drivers in Florida (poor eyesight, but in my opinion also Alzheimer's or poor decision making due to it; maybe drugs in California, resulting in poor attention, or thrill seeking. 

Lessons Learned To Avoid Being The Wrong-Way Driver

1 Remember which side of the road to drive on when going from the UK to Europe and Europe to the UK.

2 Have regular eye tests. Carry spare glasses in case you lose them. Check your route and intermediate points. Use speaking satnav rather than one requiring you to look down or away from the road.

3 If you miss your turning, never try to U-turn back against traffic on a motorway.

Avoiding One Way Drivers

Accidents are more likely when there is poor visibility at night or in bad weather. Watch the distance, if you can. Try to get behind an obstruction such as a parked car or tree or pole so that the other vehicle does not hit you head on with full force. In the USA you call 911 (not the old UK number of 999). Be familiar with emergency numbers, have them on a post-it and/or have them listed in your phone contacts.

Safe driving!

Useful Websites

Daily Mail 22 Jan 2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14311177/Six-million-Brits-retake-driving-test-campaigners-call.html

Global Statistics On Types Of accidents, which cause most fatalities, geographical hotspots, prevention

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrong-way_driving

In-car Warnings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrong-way_driving_warning

Prevention When Others Approach Wrong Way

https://caraccidentattorney.com/blog/safety-tips-to-defend-against-a-wrong-way-driver

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Learn Esperanto, Join Clubs, and Enjoy Free Homestays

 

Chateau in France, a cultural centre owned by an Esperanto association, holds summer courses for learning and speaking Esperanto.

At other times of year you can stay a night or more for free, or a small contribution towards food if they provide breakfast, with esperanto speakers who want to converse with you in Esperanto.

Learning Esperanto

It takes about two hours to go ghrough the pronunciation of the letters and the 16 easy grammar rules. 

Esperanto means I hope. 

Learn the language online free from Lernu, which is run by an Esperanto association, or on Duolingo.

People who have learned Esperanto reckon it might take you 100 hours to learn the language, far less than most languages. That would be an hour a day on Duolingo for 100 days, or half an hour a day for less than a year if you plan on taking a holiday or a series of hoestays next year.

Please share links to your favourite posts with your friends

My books are on Amazon and Lulu..

Lavender farms and festivals and lavender products worldwide for your enjoyment

 I have been a fan of lavender products since my long period of living and travelling overseas, not just as a travel writer taking at least one long and several short trips overseas at my own expense, and on business with my husband, also supplemented by the occasional press trip to overseas destination. The revelation about lavender came at the start of my thirty year sojourn in Singapore where I spent most winters in Singapore, Asia and Australasia while returning to the UK and Europe for the summer and back, via the USA or Australia in one or both directions. Lavender and lemon infused products were cheaper in England than in Singapore, so I stocked up in England with Yardley products from my local chemist (which I learned Americans would call a drug store). The cheapest lavender item was a small roll on around or under five pounds sterling. that was small enough to go in my handbag when my suitcase was already overweight or on the border of overweight for air travel regulations. More expensive items or sets could be a fall-back when I was asked at the last moment what I wanted for birthdays, Christmas presents or wedding anniversary gifts.

Lavender's Reputation For Repelling Mosquitos

Why lavender? Singapore is safe in many ways, except for mosquitos, which were fought with fogging by anti-mosquito spray-mists on Fridays. I discovered that my perfumes designed to attract humans especially men, such as my husband, also attracted insects, such as mosquitos. I learned that lemon and lavender repelled insects, most importantly mosquitos, which carried malaria and dengue fever. But, I presumed, also flies, fleas and wasps.

Singapore - How to Buy a Bargain

The marked price for lavender soap in Singapore seemed very high. I tried to bargain but was told, fixed price. However, after a whisper to my Singaporean Chinese friend, who works in the building, she spoke to the seller, who spoke Mandarin as well as English, and was offered a lower price, supposedly because she worked in the building, was less well paid than a presumed tourist (although I had said I was Permanent Resident, which is a government status for foreigners who live in Singapore long-term) - and maybe either because she spoke Mandarin or because she would be a regular customer.  The moral is, if you have a local friend in Asia, ask them to bargain for you in the local language.

Meanwhile, back in London, I bought lavender made in England, more cheaply. 

I checked online the UK factory farm visits and was amazed how many there were. I had expected to see just one, Norfolk Lavender, or two if you add the one my family went to in 2024.

The largest one in the world is supposed to be the large one in Tasmania, Australia. 

Europe

You find more in Europe.

France

I bought lavender soap cheaply in a wine shop in the south of France. The village of Fitou, Frontenac region. The soap aroma was not strong. English lavender is stronger.

European Festivals

You will find festivals in mid-summer, in June, for example in Bulgaria, which has at least two (see my earlier post).

UK Lavender

I bought a lavender spray from Marks & Spencer in London. The spray bottle says it is for rooms, clothes and body. What more could you want. I just sprayed it all around and the aroma is strong.

UK Lavender Farm Visits

The name I had associated with lavender from my childhood was Norfolk Lavender.

More recently, my family went on a trip to a lavender farm in the UK, near enough for a day trip from London..

My family complained that, 'Not really anything for children to do. They were charging us just to see the farm which just offered views. A lot of money just to take a photo.' 

'The cafe was closed by the time we got back there, so that saved us more money.' 

I was disappointed that they did not tell me they were going and did not bring me back a gift of lavender bags to put in my bedroom drawers in the hope of repelling moths. Still, I can buy easily on line and visit there myself next year. 

Buying & Planting Lavender Plants

I have lavender in my own garden in London, bought from a local garden centre. The garden centres sell two types of lavender, English and French. Try the aromas and see which you like most, or which is strongest aroma, or has the best colour plant.

All of the UK is in planting zones 6-9 which means the temperature and humidity which the outdoor garden plant must cope with. (A greenhouse or indoor part of your home, even an indoor windowsill, will be different.)

Trips To Lavender Farms From London

To Mayfield - about an hour and a half from Harrow going anti clockwise on the M25.

UK Lavender Farm Visits

The farm is closed until June but the gift shop and cafe are open every day of the week, 10 to 4 on Sundays, from 9 to 5 other days. The cafe may close for last orders earlier than the closing time so plan accordingly.

Lavender Anti Moth bags

You can buy lavender anti moth bags on ebay from thetownhousegarden

Sets of 20 from ebay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143436121031?\

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?item=235826295642&rt=nc&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211&_ssn=thetownhousegarden

Useful Websites

UK

https://www.mayfieldlavender.com/

Bulgaria

https://www.viator.com/en-GB/tours/Nessebar/Aroma-sampling-of-5-Bulgarian-Lavender-varieties-at-DiVes-Winery/d50387-149310P2

Bulgaria Holiday Tours

https://www.visitbulgariaon.com/tour/skip-the-line-tickets-to-karlovo-lavender-festival-on-21-06-2025

Australia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridestowe_Lavender_Estate

https://www.yorkshirelavender.com/

https://londonist.com/london/beyond-london/lavender-farms-fields-near-london

https://www.lavenderworld.co.uk/lavender-plants

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender

Products to buy

From Tesco.

Please save this post, and share links to your favourite posts with your family and friends and colleagues.

Tarte Tatin and a tasty hotel

  Tarte Tatin is named after the Tatin sisters who ran a hotel with a restaurant. The hotel is still there. You can stay in the hotel. Eat Tart Tatin.  A side trip from Paris. 

You can read a book about the Tatin sisters. And find dozens of variations of the supposed recipe, which they never wrote down.

My family tried out a version. You make pastry and add apples and flavours. Oddly, you don't use cooking apples

Home cooked Tarte Tatin by Trevor Sharot. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 because they disintegrate into a mush. The apples to use are eating apples which hold their shape. 

Useful Links

https://www.lamaisontatin.fr/en/

https://www.ipreferparis.net/2021/08/maison-tatin-.html

Please share links to your favourite posts.

What to buy in France and Britain? French Macaroons! And British Chocolates.

 French Macaroons

What can you buy in France? Macaroons. For yourself. To take home as a gift. 

They are a French speciality. They have whole shops devoted to macaroons. One is in Gare du Nord.

See different colours. Cheaper than chocolates. Cheaper than other countries. More varieties. More sizes.

You can get them packed in pretty boxes. If they are a gift, tell the shop. Staff will usually wrap them in a fancy paper or box with a ribbon bearing the shop name. For free.

Storage

We chose pink and green and purply brown. We kept some too long. In a fridge. They did not go mouldy. On the contrary, lacking moisture, rock hard. They lose their flavour eventually, so don't save them too long. Eat them whilst they are fresh and tangy\ . 

Macaroons are popular worldwide.

British Macaroons

Macaroons are a big thing in Britain. Literally big.

Giant chocolate macaroons from Mrs Crimble. Currently (April 2024) reduced to one pound in Waitrose. Big enough to break in two and share as a snack with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

Tesco also supply a box of assorted macaroons costing under five pounds sterling.

If you are prepared to spend more, for a special occasion, or gift, you can also get macaroons from French sounding British brand, Hotel Chocolat, not only chocolate. I was not thrilled by their macaroon, in their box, which was macaroon circular sandwich shape in contrasting colours but chocolate rather than macaroon in my opinion, but every other chocolate in their box was delicious. I recommend their chocolates.

If you are in France, or looking for French food and drink, to match a French theme event, such as Bastille day July 4th, 2024 and every year, in 2024 on a Sunday, there's Perrier Water.

Perrier from Wikipedia.

Useful Websites

Bastille day.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Family Skiing in Les Meunieres, France

 

A family friendly resort.

Ski lessons for under fives. Morning and afternoon

Optional lunch for kids so you can ski all day. Or take a break with the child for lunch.

Entertainments

Carousel (merry go round)

 Local finger food. Pancakes folded into a flat square, topped with eggs and cheese..

24 hour pizza from an automatic machine in France. Photo copyright Sharot Family.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Violet Festival in Toulouse, Lemon Festival in Menton

I tasted violet ice cream in the Camanile hotel restaurant in Montpellier, I was enamoured with violet flavouring,

Violet ice cream comes from Toulouse. 

Toulouse is a city in the south of France. 

The violet festival is the first weekend of February. In 2024,  that is Feb 3rd and 4th. (In 2005 it will be Saturday Feb 1st and Sunday Feb 2nd.)

Visions of Violet

Shopping For Violet Souvenirs

Look for soap, perfume, sweets and syrop. 

In London I bought three kinds of violet flavouring from The Cheese Arc near Baker Street station.

useful Websites

DIY violet recipe

https://www.afrenchcollection.com/toulouse-city-of-violets-2/

Toulouse

The Cheese Arc

Fine food and Fun Food in France

 

Most Memorable Snack - Lemon tart, Beziers-Agde Airport

Most memorable Tasty Starter

Avocado Toast, Buffalo Grill, Montpellier

The best selection of Cheese

Cheese trolley, restaurant in Beziers, S France

Cheese trolley at restaurant Hotel Ambassade in Beziers, France, Jan 2024. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You have cheese before dessert in France (but after dessert in England.

The Most Memorable Tasty Dessert - Violet Ice Cream

It did not look anything special, but the taste was divine.

Violet Ice Cream, restaurant of the Campanile hotel on the outskirts of Montpellier, France

We ordered one of each of two desserts/ Violet ice cream was a novelty for us. It looked like vanilla ice cream, nothing special about the colour or shape.. However, as the old British saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. (Proof, test in this context. Proof of its worth.)  Wonderful, in fact so delightful that we looked it up, to find out the ingredients, where it came from try to buy it, failing that, make it ourselves. Apparently it is a speciality of Toulouse. Toulouse has to be next on our wish list for places to visit.

Campanile Ouest Croix D'Argent, Montpellier

Crox d'argent, cross of silver, is not the hotel's marketing, as I first thought, but the district, the place name.

The Most Memorable Visual Dessert

Lemon Surprise

 Restaurant Carcassonne

Most Memorable Wine

Muscat de Frontignan from the wine shop in Frontignan

Most memorable fresh juices

Orange juice machine from fresh oranges at the Campanile in Montpellier.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Orange Juice in the machine at the Dali hotel in Perpignan. (Spelling per pig nan.)

Best Coffee Options

Nut flavoured coffee at the Dali Hotel in Perpignan

Please share links to your favourite posts.

The cost of relocating to France or Spain, Europe, the USA

If you move across continents, as we did from Singapore to the UK, you can rent  a furnished place and leave goods in storage, or rent unfurnished and ship stuff from the UK to France or Spain (or Portugal or Italy).

How do you compare costs. We had a huge bill for moving our goods from Asia to Europe. Now we will have to find more to move stuff across country to country, in addiiton to the costs of renting or buying.

Usually you have to specifiy dates and amounts, weight, 

This site gives you estimates for 20 or 40 foot containers, and quicker airfreight. 

Another list gives you the add ons, which are insurance, and customs. You might need to pay to import wines.

Useful Websites

Where to go

https://europeinwinter.com/warmest-places-in-europe-in-january/#comment-665

https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/beautiful-apartment-with-swimming-pool-and-beach.en-gb.html

Cost of removal

https://www.getamover.co.uk/international-removals/

Please bookmark this blog post for yourself and share links with your family and friends.

A tour of South West France - Montpellier-Beziers-Perpignan-Carcassonne

To The Languedoc Region of France

Luton Airport

British and European chocolate. Cadbury. Lindt.

Luton airport books

Flight On Ryanair

Leaving London, Luton airport at a civilised time, mid afternoon.

We met a couple on the plane, Sandra and Mark, also an estate agent they knew..

Ryanair to Beziers-Agde airport. We paid extra for taking luggage aboard. That meant we had no extra allowance for a wheel on bag, just an underseat bag. I had a large black leather tote bag. I carrid my laptop separately in a pink padded bag. If challenged, I could have put it inside the tote bag.

Airport sign. Welcome  to the South of France, in English. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Day 1 (Sunday night in Montpellier, Campanile) 2024 Jan 7th

Beziers-Agde airport.

We arrived at 16.10, which was tea time, so Trevor stopped for a coffee before collecting the car to strart driving.

First Food Airport lemon tart

Lemon cake at the airport cafe. Top marks. A great start. A good memory. Sharp. tasty.

Europcar

A large car..

We took photos. no instructions from the rep.

CAMPANILE

1 First night at Campanile Hotel, Montpeller Jan 7th  2024 Sunday

Drove to the Campanile hotel on the ouskirts of Montpellier.

Welcome revolving door.

Breakfast at the Campanile, freshly pressed orange juice.

The hotel restaurant was closed on Sunday. Reception suggested two chain restaurants, one a pizza or burger, the other USA style. We had come to sample France so thought we would drive into Montpellier and find a French restaurant. However, it was hard to get past traffic jams and one way systems into the centre of Montpellier.

Restaurant - Buffalo Grill

So we took the advice of the hotel desk and went to the Buffalo Grill. Although this is American style, it is a French chain.

Buffalo Grill Restaurant - fun for families. Good avocado toast. 

The starter was avocado on toast, with other vegetables, very tasty, as well as vegetables and heathy.

The highlight was the starter, and the decor, of booths.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The meat was a bit tough, chewy, but I had ordered well done. It was good enough. 

Children ran around in the first half of our meal, but they left later.

Day 2 Jan 8th 2024 Monday

Lemon cake 

Lemon cake which was had had at Beziers airport cafe appeared again at the Campanile hotel breakfast. Must be a local thing.

DAy 2 Monday

Montpellier By Day

Montpellier was much better by day, large impressive buildings of the university across a canal with watertop pedestrian paths.

RDC, Rez de Chaussee, ground floor in French. Sign by the lift of the Campanile hotel. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Campanile Hotel - Monday night the restaurant was open. First two courses, pizza, pasta. A bit ordinary but very filling. Waitress in jeans rather lowered the tone. 

eating in the hotel meant I could change into a dress, instead of going out in ski wear.

Set meal, budget friendly, filling, a bit mundane. pizza or, pasta, or burger for two euros more.

However, we finished on a high note.

Wonderfal violet ice cream. 

Day 1 Night in Campanile Hotel, Montpelier.

Helpful desk staff, Canadian.

Room had a Nespresso coffee maker. Toilet separate was miles from a washbasin, inconvenient.

DAY 2 Breakfast At The Campanile Hotel

Breakfast, chocolate brownies soft centre for breakfast and orangje juice machine.

Monday in and around Montpellier

Day 2  Night at Campanile Montpeller

Drove from Montpellier to Béziers

En Route

In the afternoon we visited D'Amile vineyard Mas D'Amile, vineyard,  I photographed her on her front doorwtep. She was known as the garagiste, making wine in a garage. Now  her premises are a bit bigger, and the vines, and her sitting in her rocking . She is a vinoble, has a vineyard and a winery.

Sète

We liked Sète, on a quaint river

Known as the Venice of Languedoc

Drove on the littoral, a finger of land running parallel to the coast through marsh land. The Grand hotel by the waterway was being rebuilt. It was like the Swiss riverside towns (the two with bridges) and jolly shops along the sides of canals or rivers.

Wishlist Landmarks In  Sète

Paul Valery Museum

This is the main attraction, in my opinion. Paul Valery, artist, and interesting quotations, on the lighthouse and other places.

My favourite of his quotations, is A poem is never finished, only abandoned. Wikiquote has so many in small print that I gave up and went to top ten Paul Very quotes in brainyqoute.com

https://www.francethisway.com/places/sete.php

The decorated chapel is an uphill hike. The msueum of modern art sounds interesting for a rainy day. The museum of modest (everyday rubbish objects) could be a diversion. 

...

Day 3 Tuesday Hotel first night at Hotel Des Poetes, Beziers

FRONTIGNAN Winderful wine shop

Had every kind of wine including some sweet wines for me. I bought one called Harmonie. The shop was full of amusements. All kinds of shapes of bottles. I bought a leaning bottle. I saw bottles with the shape of grapes, a guitar. A truck. Something for every kind of customer..

Agde Garden City

Agde had lots of elegant housing, a bit like Hampstead Garden Suburb. Extremely elegant. But we could not live there. Not shops nor activity. Curved buildings and trees. Modern. Lovely. But not lively.

Hotel Des Poetes, Beziers, was by the park with statues of local poets and Victor Hugo.

 Parking down the side road.

Warm welcome from staff, owner, helper Teresa, aand student M.

Evening meal at Le Chameau Ivre, meaning drunk camel. Wall of wines. choice of bar stools or tables.

Day 4 Beziers

Next day we visited the tourist office and discovered that the camel is the symbol of the city of Beziers because legend said somebody arrived by camel.

Morning we visited the hilltop cathedral, gave them our small change.

Afternoon

Visited Galeries Lafayette. No toilets. Bought a hat.

Down to the Polygone mall.

Open sided and drafty and rain coming in and puddles.

NO FREE TOILETS

 You had to pay for toilets with a jeton. You had to by the jeton with coins, which we no longer had because we had given our small change to the catheral. 

A cafe upstairs had no toilet 

They said, 'You have to go into the town centre for free toilets.' 

So we did - we left, very stressed.

Our evening meal was a much posher place, confusingly named Hotel Ambassador restaurant, no longer a hotel, hasn't been for several years, but retained the name. White table clothes, huge place. Lots of staff watching you and amuse guesles.  

Day 4 Wednesday

Pezanas

We drove to Pezanas. We visited new friends we had met on the Ryanair plane, Sandra and Mark. Gated propery. Their pool in open only in July and August and allows no recliners. They love cycling locally but you cannot leave a bike because increasingly tough robbers will cut chains with machine tools.

Lunch at Pezanas. Restaurant Bernie's, for the owner, not Bernard but Bernardette. 3 course meal reasonably priced.

Evening first night at Hotel des Poetes in Béziers.

We were cold but the owner carried up a heater, and brought a second chair folding, so we could both sit at the tiny table at our laptops.

Meal at 

Day 5 Thursday

Drove to Narbonne which has a ruined cathedral.

....

.......

First night at Dali hotel, Perpignan.

The best of our hotels was the Hotel Dali in Perpignan. Predictive text turned my text to hotel deli. Convenient underground parking was attached to the hotel. The huge breakfast included freshly squeezed juice from a machine containing oranges.

Free water with mint and lemon and ice dispenser was on reception.

Dali Hotel, Perpignan, France. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 Was anything missing? Maybe more enthusiasm on check-in on busy Friday when we checked in, more friendliness and time to chat on the empty weekend when we checked out on Sunday. 

No lotion in bathrooms, no bathrobe but they did have white bathroom slippers. Our upgraded room (we chose to pay extra for more space) was a corner room which had double aspect windows. In summer it would be lovely. In winter possibly a bit colder.

Now for a Long rminder of the complete trip (cities and hotels dealt with individually in detail on other posts.)

Walked about 15 minutes to La Decouverte, pretty restaurant with pink lit tree in the middle.

Day 6 Friday Jan 12th 2024

Breakfast in hotel Dali, included freshly squeezed  orange juice machine, hazelnut coffee from another machines, smoked salmon, crispy bacon, plain bread, seed bread and currant bread, almond milk, almond tart, donuts, yogurt, prunes and assorted nuts, fresh fruit salad, local butter in small cracker shapes with foil covering, . 

Saint Canet had cofee on coast by sea

Along littoral with sea both sides, 

Saint Cyprien, 

Argeles - yacht harbour where we met the son of the agency which let houses.

stop w Stopped at a huge supermarket for a toilet and noticed the wine shop and shops outside the supermarket in the same building

Hyper  Argeles sur mer intermarche for a toilet

Collioure tiny cute bay with an agency called Paradise

Banyuls sur mer

Cave de L'Etoile (cellar of the star in French). Free tasting. No sweet wine, not in the fridge and he said it would take an hour to cool it.

Cave de L'Etoile. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

. Had a private view of the cellar. Toilet.

In Perpignan walked up white steps to the old town with alleys, some filled with rubbish, to the restaurant Au Grain de Sel. No wine list. They brought out bottles of red then white wine and let us taste each. Wine by the glass six and a half euros, all the same price. 

Toilets had lovely soft toilet paper but as usual in this part of France no hand lotion. 

Pea soup free amuse bouche in small espresso coffee cups.

Starters

Trevor had truffle foam with an egg uolk hidden underneath. 

Main courses

Trevor had quail, white meat, perfectly cooked, same vegetables as mine.

Main course veal, perfectly soft and thick, sweet potato crisp, lots of vegetables which is unusual in France and many places nowadays. 

Dessert, lemon meringue with rosettes. Brittle base, sharp lemon, sugary soft meringue. (I would have preferred fruit added.) Very friendly staff. The one who spoke English was only 16 years old. The chef was shy but keen and happy to please.

Trevor had souffle. 

Night at the Dali Hotel in Perpgnan. 

Port Vendres, huge port as well as a marina to drive all around, admiring the amazing walls and the church facing the water.

Day 7 Saturday

Hotel Dali. Crispy bacon, scrambled egg so-so, more of the smoked salmon, yogurt, fruit, currant bread, hazelnut coffee. 

Delightful Decor

All the lights are different.

Looked at the free map on a tear off pad. Found an apparent hotel which is a free municial attraction in the old town opening 11-5, with indoor garden courtyard and frescoes up an inner staircase.

Free local newspaper in several sections on Saturday, 

In the afternoon we drove up into the mountains. Winding roads. 

Our purpose was to visit Katie Jones and see her winery.

katie Jones up a laddy by a stainless steel vat of wine. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Carcassone.

Hotel Le Donjon.  

The hotel does not do dinners. The toilet was outside the bedroom, but alongside.

 

Restaurant Le Table de la Bastide.

basement with curved roof.

Restaurant Le Table de la Bastide, Carcassonne, France. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Highlight of the meal was dessert, surprise lemon. The shell is wafer thin chocolate. Inside is a white mousse. At the base inside is a thin layer of green pistacchio. 

 If you can't manage stairs or you are claustrophobic, there are four table on the ground floor but I recommend the cellar room if you can get a table there.

Came back and photographed Carcassonne by night.

Carcassonne, France, by Night. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Sunday Jan 14 2024

Breakfast in the Hotel Le Donjon. Excellent, honey thin and thick. Excellent Danish pastry with apple in the middle. Perfect scrambled egg, good brown bread. 

The bthroom has wonderful aromatic minty soap in the dispenser, but no conditioner. I asked at the desk. None available.Hard boiled eggs. I learned the French, oeufs dure.

Walked around Carcassonne walls by daylight. 

Carcassone by day, walking alongside the walls on the inside. France. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Then walked past shops towards the cathedral in the centre.

Were offered truffle cream on bread at a truffle shop. 

Wanted to see inside the cathedral within the town walls, but it closed 11.45 other days and 10.45 on Sunday.

Popped into the top hotel, Cite hotel. It has a grand piano. And a restaurant.

Ring

Facing the cathedral is a souvenir shop with a huge number of inexpensive souviers including a lot of jewellery. I bought a ring for 4 Euros in the shape of a green enamal fish.

Carcassonne walls, approaching the gate from the city side car park. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Drove through Narbonne, not so imprseed the second time..

Motorway Toilet.

Free.

Return to London, Luton on Ryanair.

We had too many bags becuase of the wine and had to throw away leaflets and food.

Our flight left at 16.35, half past four in the afternoon. 

We found our friends Sandra and Mark again.

Organizing A Week's Trip

You could run a week long trip midweek to midwek, Wednesday, from Beziers. Or return earlier or later fom another airport. Many epople who live in France go to Barcelona airport, which is a two hour drive from this area and offers several flights a day to London as well as flights to Singapore and worldwide.

On the flight back we met up with our new friends Sandra and Mark who we met on the flight out. They said you can find flats to by incondos with pools at  sur plage, but there is nothing to do there in winter. 

Back in London I looked at a brochure I had been sent for Mayfield villages in Watford. Tey have an indoor heated pool,a restaurant, a shop, grounds looked after by staff, and activities such as bridge clubs. They help you with decluttering - sounds ominous, like they have no storage space and tiny rooms. My husband sayd he does not want to be with people who will go dolally, and only returied people. The age group is over 50. 

I tried searching for retirement villages in France.

Useful Websites

See my other posts.

Wikipedia Beziers

Sete

Sete

https://www.francethisway.com/places/sete.php

https://www.brainyquote.com/lists/authors/top-10-paul-valery-quotes

Please save and share links to your favourite posts. Follow my travel blog for regular helpful and amusing travel stories. My other blogs include regular posts on Dress and Poetry, occasional posts on other subjects.