Sunday 13 and Monday 14 September Farewell to France
This was our final meal at the brilliant little pizza cafe in Penestin on our last night
and then on Monday morning it was back to the lovely Vannes for the last time (ahhhh...)
to catch our TGV to Paris
and in just over 4 hours there we were, having crossed Paris and at a bustling Gare Du Nord ready for the Eurostar
and by Tuesday morning - the entire contents of our suitcases was merrily blowing in the wind
Ahhhh - home, drying and reminiscing . . . . And if you wonder what this is all about and missed the start of this fabulous adventure, then just click here to get the beginning of the holiday
Saturday 12 September and to prove it - we're back in France!
and an excursion to the beautiful walled town of Vannes
This was also the day we heard that Jeremy Corbyn had been elected as leader of the Labour Party by a landslide vote - was this boat put there in celebration!!
we were just in time for the tail end of a colourful market day
And finally we enjoyed a 4 course feast at a proper roadside Les Routiers - with wine and all for €15 each! Read all about La Corne De Cerf at Arzal
A perfect last night and a perfect holiday
But there's still the journey home ..... read all about it here Or if you'd rather start at the beginning of the holiday, then click here
Well there we were, resigned to the leaving of San Sebastian and a long 8 1/2 hour return drive to Penestin with the sun scorching down. But . . . we found this gem of a town, Hondarrubia, just before leaving France and stopped for lunch - right at the tail end of their annual festival! Great Alpine type houses and cafes (well Pyrenean type really I suppose - ha ha) - and so strange, but so beautiful, right next to the sea. You can even spot an open air escalator right in the middle of the town!!! Amazing!! There were loads of flags out for the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I found this out about the festival:
The main festivity of Hondarribia takes place between the 7th and the 11th of September in honour to the patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe.The biggest celebration within the festivity is called the "Alarde" which occurs on September 8th. The Alarde is a military procession held to celebrate the vows made to the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1639 in gratitude for breaking the siege imposed on the town by French troops.However, the Alarde is just one of many activities taking place during those five days in Hondarribia, since there are also concerts, Basque dance, Basque sport exhibitions, activities for children and much more.
We discovered there was going to be dancing in one of the squares that evening for the final night of the fiesta and it was a hard to draw ourselves away . . .
and all this so close to France - that's Biarritz just across the estuary!
MUST return here some day for a longer stay. And now you can read about our weekend back in France - just click here. Or if you'd rather start at the beginning of the holiday, then click here
Lovely trip out to Old Moor this afternoon, but before we get down to the serious stuff - I just loved the kiddies posters
But now here's a bit of the landscape- reclaimed from the old Manvers and Wath Main colleries
loved the reflections these lapwings made on the lake
and here are my serious spotting pals hard at work
Autumn hips and haws out in all their glory
and leaves just turning
a final burst of sunshine on the lake
and YES - we spotted the top of the list - the Jack Snipe!! Not even in Mike's I-Spy Book of Birds it's so rare!! Loved watching it bob and down at the edge of the reeds.
and a late entry to the blog - courtesy of Vince and his mega camera - here are two shots of said jack snipe (one with an ordinary snipe too - hard to spot in the mud though!!)
