Winter Barn Owl

Winter Barn Owl
Life's a Hoot !

Friday, May 10, 2019

First few days in France

I am blessed to have family all over the world, so visiting with them is a big priority for me.  My sister lives in the south of France
 and a visit was long overdue.  
After 12 hours of travel, the first priority was nourishment!

Homemade Zucchini  Quiche


Travelling through Toulouse, I came across the "Minotaure",an amazing piece of machinery, weighing 46 tons and 13 meters high, taking its passengers for a ride with the smoke coming out of it's nose ....what a beast.


The main purpose of this trip was to travel by car, with my sister and her family, from the south, to the north of France, in particular, Normandy, to visit with my uncle.  Before heading north, provisions had to be purchased.


When you buy wine in France, it is not always at the store, but preferably directly from the vineyard. ..Both places we visited had spectacular houses and views.


The thought of a 12 hour car trip was not particularly appealing, so we decided to do it over 2 days and spent the first night in the Loire valley.  We rented a whole house not far from the town of Chinon.  It was in the middle of nowhere, but it was  a charming restored stone barn turned into a cozy home.  A menage of animals completed the ambiance; 1 mule, 2 dogs and 4 cats.

 

While in the area, we took advantage of visiting
 the medieval town of Chinon.


We stopped in Azay-Le-Rideau to relax...

'

and visit the Chateau


Our evening sky was mesmerizing

 Welcome to Normandy tomorrow.



Sunday, November 11, 2018

Boldt Castle

On a beautiful, crisp, autumn day we ventured out with friends 
in our classic cars to Wellesley Island, NY.
  Our destination was Boldt Castle, situated on Heart Island.
The first stop was for lunch at Hackers Restaurant
 at the 1,000 Island Golf Club.
After a filling meal, we took a boat ride to Heart Island.
Construction of the full size Rhineland Castle began at the turn of the 20th century.  Millionaire owner of New York's Waldorf Astoria, George C. Boldt set out to build the grandiose structure as a display of love for his wife Louise.
Photo courtesy of Boldt Castle website


He built 'Alster Tower' as a 'play house' for his children,
 which even had a bowling alley.
Sadly, Louise died before the Castle was finished, so heartbroken George stopped all work and left it to ruin.  The '1,000 Island Bridge Authority' bought it in 1977 and started restoring it.  They furnished several rooms in the way that they envisioned it would have been if Louise had lived there.





The grounds are just as impressive as the interior.


This truly magnificent Castle is a must visit .


Sunday, September 16, 2018

One last UK outing

As I am sure you know by now, I love a new restaurant adventure
 and trying new foods!
My aunt told us that she had the perfect place in mind..
...The Railway Carriage Cafe in Lopenhead
 The restaurant is an old railway car...how unique!
I was thrilled to find that they carried my favourite Czech Pilsner
Between the 3 of us we decided to share some vegetarian fare.
Quinoa burger

Mixed veggie salad

Parm dusted fries with garlic aioli 
For our last night In Somerset, 
we tried a new Indian/British  Restaurant.
Some of the group tried a Mutton stew with plantains...
....but I felt I needed to get my last dose of F&C before heading home.
It was lovely spending time with my family
The worst part of the end of a holiday is the 'airport hotel restaurant'.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that they
 had 'lamb shanks' on the menu...
..a fitting end to a great vacation.

So long UK....until we meet again next year 

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Minehead, Somerset

Our next adventure took us to Bishops Lydeard where we caught a vintage steam train to Minehead.

The coaches are the original ones, with a few minor upgrades.
Minehead was quite the resort in 'olden' times.
We stayed in town long enough to have lunch,
then headed back on the afternoon train.

Fish pie....yummy!
Once back at my Aunt's house.....
.....we went for a walk and came across this lovely beast......I didn't really want to disturb him as he was enjoying his dinner!
 A different train adventure tomorrow!

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Welcome to the UK

As in past years, we always follow our IOM trip with a visit to my Aunt in Somerset, UK.  We use our time to visit the countryside and meet up with cousins.  We spent our first day in Lyme Regis, in Dorset.  It is always bustling with families on the beach
 and people strolling the Boardwalk.   


Enjoying an ice cream

The lost art of 'lawn bowling' is alive and well!!
 One of the main reasons we were visiting Lyme was to attend an art exhibit at The Courtyard Gallery. One of the artists displaying her work was Kathlyn Collins, who specializes in glass.


I just love the lines of the Jurassic coast
Up next....a vintage steam train ride