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rickandsuejohnson

118 Blog Entries
9 Trips
1351 Photos

Trips:

From the Shire to Middle Earth and back
The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
Two Thumbs up for the Canucks
Venice of the North - St Petersburg
Go west, then go west some more.
Hungary anyone?
Go West then go East
Paying our respects
Argentat de nouveau

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The wine tour

Niagara Falls, Canada


Strewn Winery
We left reasonably early so that we would be in Niagara at our hotel for collection for our wine tour. A brief stop for Tim Hortons refreshment saw us checking in to the Ramada by midday then grabbing a quick sandwich while we waited for our minibus.


Male members of the wine tour
Our tour driver/guide David had come over from Glasgow in 1957 immediately after he got married but he still had a distinct Scottish if not exactly Glaswegian accent. He was a remarkable chap; we introduced ourselves to him just once and he remembered our names infallibly all afternoon even to the extent of associating the voice and the name when he couldn't see us. He was a mine of interesting information about the area.

Our first visit was to Jackson-Triggs winery. This is a huge concern and we had a tour of the winery led by a very interesting young man who gave instructions for tasting and appreciating wine. We sampled 3 wines, one was called Meritage and is based on a classic Bordeaux recipe, the next was a dry white reisling and finally we had a drop of icewine which was very good indeed.
Our next visit was to Strewn, a smaller concern, where we tasted 3 wines again; the one with the most impact for me was a delicious Reisling Gewurztraminer – I bought a couple of bottles for later consumption.

The third winery was Pallatine Hills; again 3 interesting wines and a palate that was beginning to have some difficulty in differentiating between them, and a brain that had difficulty in appreciating why you should bother analysing something so much fun.


Carolines Winery

Sampling at Carolines

Our final visit was to a winery called Caroline after its founder. A very simple building and a family run affair. They offered 4 wines to taste and while by this time, it was difficult to relate and compare with the earlier wines, they did have a unique product in the fruit wines. I was quite taken with a pinot and cherry wine and bought a couple of bottles.

The drive back from Niagara on the lake (which was a rather nice, tidy town) along Niagara Parkway was very pleasant.


Tour members with David

Back at the Ramada, we went up to our rooms and Kris & Dave swapped with us – theirs had a better view! The Ramada appeared to have been built as a bit of an afterthought; we wondered why when we got in the lift, the floors started numbering at 25! it was built as a tower with reception in the base and then at the top of the stick, the observation deck, then the restaurant and the bedrooms.


The Ramada Stick
Obviously, there would have been no views any lower down, so it was built with lower floors missing! After a freshen up we decided to go down to the observation deck for some fabulous views of the falls. After much debate we had dinner in the restaurant where we had a table overlooking both falls; the meal itself was marvellous if more than we could handle and with the view, the experience was truly exceptional. Grandpa Morris may even have used the word 'fantastic'.

View from the Dining Room over both sets of the falls

After our meal, a walk down to the falls and along the embankment to take in the view as dusk was falling. The numbers hanging around suggested that they may be lit, so we hung around ourselves and were delighted to see them lit up at 21:00.

Canadian Falls at night

permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on July 24, 2008 from Niagara Falls, Canada
from the travel blog: Two Thumbs up for the Canucks
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Black squirrels and chipmunks

London, Canada


Hummingbird
A haven of wildlife in your own back garden. From the kitchen dining area we were treated to: chipmunks, rabbits and black squirrels; and a rainbow of birds – red cardinals, green and yellow finches and humming birds. Just literally through the woods across the road a Canadian botanical adventure – comparing names of plants and spotting the rhubarb plants growing wild that we are only used to seeing in parks and the gardens of stately homes.

An afternoon tour of London taking in the area and places associated with our Canadian family – we feel part of it already and what a beautiful place it is. What has really struck us is the space. The streets are wide, the housing plots large and generally you don't feel jostled. Even in Toronto it seemed relatively quiet for a city.

We are heading off for a wine tour in the Niagara region tomorrow and another chapter of the adventure.


permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on July 21, 2008 from London, Canada
from the travel blog: Two Thumbs up for the Canucks
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Toronto to London

London, Canada


City Buildings at dusk
From our bedroom window at the Sheraton we had a great view of the Old Town Hall complete with clock tower, reminiscent of Big Ben, and the CN Tower in the distance. At 6 am, it was dark enough for the clock face to be shining out making the whole scene look rather pretty as the clouds began to shroud the skyscrapers in the distance. It was still raining but only slightly. By the time we were ready to have breakfast the clouds had closed in and the rain was torrential. Not the sort of day to be going up the Tower for that iconic view of Lake Ontario with maybe a hint of the spray from Niagra in the distance!

The MacMichael Gallery
Having been introduced to the wonderful impressionist works of Canada's renowned Group of Seven by Ang a couple of Christmas' ago and knowing that a large collection of the work was not too far away, we headed for Kleinburg. It more than made up for missing out on the Tower, which Ol had said we could take in on our next visit – we hadn't blotted our copy book yet then!

What a welcome at Timber Drive – we felt at home as soon as we arrived and as though we had known everyone for ages!


permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on July 20, 2008 from London, Canada
from the travel blog: Two Thumbs up for the Canucks
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From rainy Manchester to very rainy Toronto!

Toronto, Canada

I programmed my new (early birthday present) toy for T1 long stay car park. TomTom was particularly helpful in the navigation of the last stages to the car park with lane information. Though I reckon someone has had a little joke with modified route information making you leave the M56 one junction early and then take you straight back on again!

In an eery reversal of last year, we had a traffic and rain free trip until we parked at 09:45, when the heavens opened and we decided to wait in the car for it to subside. Every time it looked like stopping and I poked my head out, it would wait until I got to the boot before tipping down again.

The route to the checkin point was less than well signposted and the queue was quite long when we got there – of course, our line had to be the one with the difficult family with oversize and overweight baggage which took a long time to sort out. Our main concern was that we may not get two seats together but we were OK. The passage through security was thorough but one of the easiest passages we have had. Into the departure lounge quite unstressed, where we had a drink and a bacon bap. We got on board the Transat Airbus 310 in good time but had to wait 30 mins for a clubclass passenger who was late. Someone who obviously was more important than the rest of us put together. The seats were very comfortable and there was more legroom than we had on the jumbo with BA last year – all in all a pleasant experience.

We arrived about 30 mins late, had a relatively easy passage through airport controls apart from a mercifully brief encounter with a fairly miserable immigration officer who'd had a charisma bypass. I thought of asking him if he was having problems with his piles but decided that I should hold my tongue. We emerged to see Ollie and Ang waiting for us at the arrivals gate.

The rain had followed us to Toronto and a heavy mist shrouded the city but we managed to see some of the landmarks on the way to the hotel.


CN Tower

After a nice meal served by a very attentive waitress who really understood customer service, we went on a walk through Chinatown in the rain – at least it was not cold!

Ang & Ollie, The Keg
Back at the hotel, Sue & I had an early night (well it was 03:00 our time).

permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on July 19, 2008 from Toronto, Canada
from the travel blog: Two Thumbs up for the Canucks
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Final images

Bastia, France

Up early so that we could be at the Airport in good time to hand the car back and deal with any suggestions that unaccounted dings had been added. In the event, we had a smooth run to the airport and the handin was uneventful – the recipient for Europcar had a look round, did his quick checks and said – impeccable. This is not quite how I would have described the car but it was good enough for me and I suppose in Corsican terms probably no more than accurate.

Leaving the Hotel Empereur was easy too – Monsieur le Patron was a delightful individual and had always made us feel welcome. Madame la Patronne was a slightly different animal – a female, gallic, Basil Fawlty. She appeared to rule the hotel with a rod of iron – everywhere was spotless, clinically so; there were notices in the room setting out the rules – food in the room is forbidden, 'absolument' and transgression meant immediate ejection! On the other hand, there were nice touches like a pack of notes on local things to do and sights to see. At the evening meal, she strutted amongst diners, taking and delivering orders with a brusque efficiency and economy that minimised the efficiency and maximised the economy – I had the temerity of asking for a couple of glasses for our wine that she had forgotten to give us; no apology, just a tutted delivery. On the morning of our first breakfast, we were a bit late down at 9:30 but well before the 10:00 deadline but she was clearly not amused. It was one of the hotels that actually offered cereal for breakfast but they clearly didn't expect anyone to eat it; there were no bowls. Asking her for a couple of bowls for the cereal was not a good idea, her initial clear displeasure with the approach was quickly followed by a huge Gallic shrug of indifference. (Perhaps she is descended from Marie Antoinette?) But she did bring cold milk, perhaps in an attempt to rub in that we should have been there earlier to get bowls so we resorted to eating out of cups! Her demeanour always suggested that keeping her Hotel nice for guests would be easy were it not for the idiots that kept checking in.

When we got back for our last evening, the parking area outside the hotel had one car already in place, next to the hotel, so we parked next to it. We got a call from reception a little later to move it to the side opposite the hotel. There was no explanation but we assumed it was to do with access. The next morning we discovered why there had been a bit of a panic; Madame parked her car along the wall next to the hotel!!


We had an almost brand new and very comfortable A321 for our flight out of Bastia, giving us lovely views over the city, the hills behind across Cap Corse to the sea on the other side and St Florent. The flight was possibly only 1/3rd full but with empty rows 2 rows in front and behind, we had a full row of 3 people! Having crossed the mountains over the Cap Corse, the starboard wing dipped and we just caught our last glimpse of the mountains of Corsica before heading out over the sea to France, cloud cover increasing all the way. Our trip across Paris was uneventful and our flight to Birmingham on a Bae 146 was a tight squeeze, being absolutely packed to the gunwales; still at least we didn't rattle!

We had a wonderful holiday in a beautiful country with very hospitable folk; thank you Bernard – without you, we would be unlikely to have discovered this little gem and thank you Daniele for your very useful itinerary.

permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on April 3, 2008 from Bastia, France
from the travel blog: The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
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On little villages, donkeys and coy mountains

Aleria, France


Santa Lucia Di Mercurio
Leaving Corte we decided to follow one of the routes highlighted in the Lonely Planet “Exploring the Boziu”. A little north of the town we took the D41 heading east and winding and climbing high into the mountains. From Santa Lucia Di Mercurio the view of the valley and Corte in the distance is wonderful. The route leads you through several isolated villages before dropping down to the main road, the N200.

First Corsican Donkey
We spotted our first Corsican donkey in Bastanico.

Half way between Corte and Aleria we stopped to look at a lovely Genoese bridge.


Genoese Bridge


Wild Flowers on the Beach
From Aleria we headed south on the N198 picnicing at another deserted beach to the east of Ghisonaccia with the most amazing wild flowers growing in the sand. It was hot and sunny but large amounts of cloud were swirling around the mountains where we were headed. We turned off the main road at Solenzara and started the ascent. It was a balmy 8º where we had been forced to turn around the previous week, so we were hopeful that we would be able to make the Col de Bavella (1218m). We did make it but so did the clouds!!! Rick managed to catch a few glimpses before the weather really closed in and we descended in rain to retrace our steps for a night in Aleria.

Glimpses 0f Col de Bavella

permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on April 1, 2008 from Aleria, France
from the travel blog: The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
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Ruined City, Impossible Villages and no ices

Aleria, France

Still suffering from a bit of time change malady and a warm night, we were slow getting underway this morning. However, after a trip across the road to Super U, we had the basics for a snack lunch and hit the road.

Plan of Roman City
First we went up the hill outside Aleria to the old Roman settlement, arriving at about 11, noting that the site of the city closed at 11.30 and the museum closed at 12.00, thought that we should see the city first. However, the museum curators from whom we got a ticket suggested that we saw the museum first; I don't suppose that this had anything to do with them being able to get off to lunch first! The museum had all sorts of artefacts from digs, going back through Roman, Etruscan, Phoenician and Greek periods to the Iron and Bronze ages, with some impressive pieces. The Roman ruins were interesting, but as we were late and as they had just locked up, allowed us 10 minutes which at least gave us a bit of a flavour; although supposedly representing the major city on the island, they were not of the scale of Viriconium, although they were possibly slightly more intact.

We made our way to the beach just north of Aleria and had our picnic lunch, closely observed by two local mutts, who finally got bored with the two bloody tourists who didn't get the message and made a pointed exit.

We then made for the hills for one last time, going through the quite pretty villages above Aleria; visiting Cervione, Cascades de Lacelluline and St Nicolao, finishing up at Moriani plage. It was a wonderful drive, with some suitably exciting bits of scenery and incredibly narrow roads (I have concluded that the white line down the middle is simply to show where the middle is, so that if you don't stray from this, you won't fall off the edge)! The main road through Cervione is remarkable for the fact that it is built onto the rock face on supports.

Wonderful parking
It was also remarkable at the time for the demonstration of the Corsican approach to parking (leave the car where you want, even if there is no space for it); the cars were left for at least the whole for the whole of our visit (¾ hr).
The road from there to St Nicolao runs past the cascades de Lacelluline, which are really spectacular, falling down past the road which runs over a bridge and between two tunnels constructed in around the beginning of the 20th C for the pack mule tracks.
We ended up at Moriani Plage, from where a Corsican Nationalist was deported in 1926. We had hoped to have an ice cream here as the temperatures all day had been in the high teens and were by now 20ºC. Unfortunately, as we were informed, the weather was still too cool for ice creams and we would have to wait for a week or two for it to warm up, so we had a cup of tea instead.

We got back to the hotel and a had a quiet beer on the terrace outside watching the sun slide into the horizon and remarked that we had hardly hoped that we would be able to have done such a thing a week ago. We reflected on what we might have done and what we haven't done and concluded that we have filled our time quite well – my one regret is that I have not recorded what appears to be a favourite Corsican passtime; shooting at roadsigns (I suppose it is a bit like taking them down at the end of a night's drinking and keeping them in your room). I don't know whether it is anti-establishment for Corsican seperatists, demonstrating their skills or simply taking the opportunity to loose off a couple of rounds but a well peppered sign is commonplace off the main roads. Our favourite was one of a warning sign of a cow with hole through the middle of the cow; either the shooter couldn't tell the difference between the real thing and a non-moving object or it was an excellent shot on a dark night from close range. Unfortunately, most of the signs with such battle wounds were spotted quite late on and without somewhere to stop – not that this would have worried the average Corsican!


permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on April 1, 2008 from Aleria, France
from the travel blog: The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
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The snow road to cascade

Vizzavone, France


Thumbs up for Les Cascades
The clocks springing forwards this morning meant that we weren't away until just after 10:00 for our much looked forward to trip to Les Cascades des Anglais. It acquired this soubriquet when it became a required picnic spot for wealthy English on their Grand Tour of Europe.


Parking up by the Auberge at the start of the walk to Les Cascades Des Anglais
The N193 from Corte is a main road but even this had been closed by snow last week; we hoped with the good weather of the last few days, this wouldn't be a problem. Sure enough, the road was clear and with temperatures in the teens, we were able to make good time as the road made its circuitous route around the mountains. The guide book had suggested using a car park opposite an Auberge. Well the Auberge was closed and the car park had over a foot of snow on it, so we couldn't use that! I daresay that our Canadian family would think little of this but I haven't seen so much snow in a long time. I am sure that it was of a type with which I am not familiar, as well – it did not behave as British snow. We found somewhere to leave the car and braced ourselves for the walk. Getting to the path was the first challenge! Over the bank of snow that had been ploughed off the road. You created a base for your foot by carefully pressing the snow down about 4 inches and if it packed tight, put your weight on it. This was OK except very occasionally, once your whole weight was on it, it would suddenly give and your foot sank down a couple of feet, collecting snow in the tops of your socks as you pulled out. Ideally we would have worn snow shoes but we didn't bring any and couldn't be bothered trying to find some.

The snowy track to the Cascades
With waterproof footwear, we reckoned we would be OK anyway. The walk is supposed to take about 30 minutes each way but having to cope with the snow and the terrain – not knowing what would happen when you put your weight on each foot, it made the walk a lot longer and harder. It took us an hour to reach the cascades and a bit more to get back. But it was worth the effort; stunning is a word we have probably overused on the blog; even Grandpa M would probably have agreed that it was fantastic.

Cascades des Anglais
The scenery, the stillness beyond the constant thrum of the water cascading down the river bed, the glorious sunshine, the colours with light dappling the scene through the trees, the clear air and water and the scrunch of snow underfoot all assailed the senses. In over two hours of walking, we met three people; I'm sure that it is very different in summer and we felt really privileged to have it to ourselves. We got back to the car thoroughly exhausted, exhilarated and a little damp of foot.

Views from the walk to Les Cascades Des Anglais
After a bit of rehydration we drove on to Bocognano to give some thought seeing the Bridal Veil Falls – a quick recce suggested that though there was no snow, it would be a bit of a scramble, so we popped into the convenient village bakery for a late snack before returning to Corte.

Views of Mountain Peaks including Monte D'Oro

We decided to go to the same eatery as last night; it is not the most promising exterior and it means going underground. The restaurant is a simple, basic no frills sort of a place but it has an excellent traditional Corsican menu, beautifully cooked and with very cheerful and good service. Above all it is very good value. Look out for Orenga de Gaffroy on the left heading towards the citadel from the Hotel du Nord about 100 metres up.

More Peaks near Vizzavona

permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on March 31, 2008 from Vizzavone, France
from the travel blog: The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
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Who needs a roller coaster for adrenaline?

Corte, France


The Citadel
Back along the same road through the Desert des Agriates to the the N197 first thing and on down to Corte. We arrived soon after 10.30, parked up and had a quick look at the couple of hotels we thought would be a good bet. Booked in to the Hotel Du Nord right in the centre and then took a packed lunch up to the 'High Town'.

Place below the Citadel
Sat just below the Citadel walls in a deserted and sheltered spot (temperatures had reached 16 degrees!) before climbing to the Belvidere and spectacular views of the valleys radiating from Corte.

Parked up in Restonica Valley
We wandered back down to the hotel and set off in the car to the Restonica valley. Its a 15 km drive to the end of the road at the base of the mountains. The road doesn't have room for 2 cars for most of the drive and at times there is literally nothing between the road and sheer drops to the base of the gorge. My nerve gave way about 5 kms from the end so we parked in one of the few pull offs and walked on up the road for about an hour. Needless to say the scenery is breathtaking.

Snow more than a week after it arrived!
Towards the end of our walk we came across evidence of the snow that the region had had about a week ago. Hopefully the it will have disappeared from our route tomorrow down to Vizzavona and for Monday's drive back up to Aleria. From there we are going to try and head down the see the Aiguilles de Bavella before retracing our steps towards Bastia.

permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on March 30, 2008 from Corte, France
from the travel blog: The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
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Polyphonics but no fuzz in the furse

Bastia, France


The Citadel
At breakfast we had a bit of a show from the French Paras based in the Citadel as they practised abseiling down the walls of the Citadel. After picking up provisions and a copy of the CD referred to last night we headed off towards l'Isle Rousse with the strains of I Murivani coming from the CD player.

Harbour
L'Isle Rousse is named after the red coloured rock just offshore from the town and which forms part of the harbour. A relatively new town and pretty unremarkable; I imagine that when busy in the summer months, like Calvi it would be pretty unbearable – for me anyway. We then made for the hills behind, where we gathered are some very pretty villages. We were not disappointed; the road made for the familiar exciting drive higher and higher until we reached the lovely hilltop village of Saint Antonio, where we had our picnic lunch.

Church at Aregno
On the way up we stopped at Aregno to see an unusually constructed church with a chequered pattern of brickwork. We also saw some sheep standing rather pointlessly on a roof – perhaps it felt more like a mountain? Saint Antonio is a delightful village that has managed to retain its authenticity and eccentricity, while making only necessary concessions to make it somewhere people want to live.

St Antonino in the Balagne
It is genuinely on a mountain top; many of the houses have parts of the rock forming walls, steps and paths, morphing the natural with man-made materials. From the top, you get a fabulous view of the area in a 360º sweep. When we arrived in the car park at the bottom of the village (the one road ends here), there were a lot of vehicles around the church with some generators and tents hidden behind and after some analysis concluded that some filming was taking place but it being France, lunch is god and everyone was taking their allotted time. In due course the luvvies emerged and started fussing around the next location shot by a gate about 200metres away.

The Film Set with Citroen at St Antonino in front of the Church

On the way back down, I managed to stop, get out my camera, change lens and capture a kite before it disappeared over the hill. It was a wonderful moment, even if the shot wasn't. We drove on to Monticello, which was a pleasant enough village with the usual bog-standard lovely vistas but fairly unremarkable apart from the fact that Frank Muir had a place here.

We came down from the mountains a bit like Moses but without the tablets of stone, although with the way the local drivers hog the road, we could well have collected some embedded in the car (stone tablets that is).

Our tour then took us along the coast road before turning off to cross the Desert des Agriates before almost completing our circuit of the island at St Florent. The compulsory tortuous road through this contained its usual level of attention demand but the scenery was quite remarkable. It was like a lunar landscape with bushes. Although on our trips around the island, there have been relatively few occasions when the speed limits could be safely exceeded, I have never been temped – it struck me on one or two of the straight stretches on the Desert that I could exceed 90kph, I was reminded of Ollie's experience and was sure that a gendarme would triumphantly appear from behind a bush having waited a week for a passing car. (He would have filled his book in under an hour on the main road).


St Florent
We arrived at St Florent and having found a hotel, set out for a quick assessment of the place. Again, without tourists, it is quite delightful, especially as by now the weather was absolutely glorious with temperatures in the sun a balmy 15ºC and the wind having dropped. The view from the citadel over the harbour with the sun low in the sky over an azure bay and sparkling off the water was wonderful. The only consequence of there being no tourists is, in common with so many of the places we have visited that so much of the place is closed, which gives it a slightly surreal atmosphere.

By mid-afternoon, the clouds that have constantly shrouded the mountain tops over the last week had dissipated. So hopefully the change in the weather will mean that we should be able to complete the things we want to do in the centre of the island over the next few days.


permalink written by  rickandsuejohnson on March 29, 2008 from Bastia, France
from the travel blog: The island of birth for 'Le petit caporal' and the roots of Bernard Nobili
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