Two men meet on the street. They exchange greetings and begin to talk. They’ve known each other for years. Their families are linked through marriage several generations ago. Today, the talk may be of the town council’s plans to restrict parking on market day; of the operation a friend’s wife had on her leg a week ago, and the weather – it’s unusually warm... Read the full post

The year is 1973; the place northern Brittany. It’s been a bumper year for agriculture, not just for pig farmers like Alexis Gourvennec, but for arable farmers, too. The perfect combination of sunshine and rain at exactly the right time has led to storesheds bulging with artichokes and cauliflowers – and here in Britain, we just can’t seem to get enough of them. Literally. But why not?

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Following my recent post which features the wonderfully evocative drawings of Andalucía by David Grech, I have posted some more of his sketches here – they are far too good not to share with you. David kindly sent us a sample from each of his holiday sketchbooks (at my request) and I selected one from each which you can see below.
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While discussing the true nature of chambres d’hôtes in a recent blog, it got me thinking about different types of trackways that you may come across on your travels - during a cycling holiday in Italy perhaps, or while walking in the Canary Islands. We’re all probably familiar with term the ‘Queen’s Highway’ which relates to any public road or right of way here in the UK, but what about those that meander through some foreign field? Read the full post

When browsing our brochures or website, you may have come across the term chambres d’hôtes in relation to accommodation on our French holidays – and wondered what one is. The name literally translates as ‘a room in your host’s house’ which is pretty much exactly what it is – more an intimate guesthouse than a hotel...

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