One Man Travelling...

Yesterday, due to Covid19 parades and gatherings not being permitted. a select few laid a wreath at the local war memorial commemorating the 75th anniversary of victory over Japan, the end of WWII. Contemplating this event on Sunday I thought that I would brush off the metaphorical dust from a photo album recorded during my visit to Thailand and update my blog. The event was a train journey over the "Bridge over the river Kwai", and visits to the museum and war graves there on 28th January 2015. The memorial shown is located in the Kanchanaburi War Graves Cemetery, Thailand. Hayling Island has a similar monument near St Mary's Church. I have added a post to my Thailand blog  Bridge over the River Kwai

08:45 hours on Monday 11th February 2019 finds me standing on the platform at Les Cabannes halt. Positioned opposite the shelters which house seating and the timetable display the train sails past me and comes to a halt. I'm the only passenger, it could have stopped in front of me! An hour and a half later we pull into platform 1, Toulouse Matabui Railway Station. Exit and turn right down towards the bus station next door, not to be confused with the multi-story car park incidentally. The ticket for the shuttle will cost me 8€, leaves from platform 1 every 20 minutes and takes about that long to reach the airport. The metro pulls in at the same place should you wish to go that way. My Easyjet app tells me that I need to be there by 11:30 also sending me a message that my plane will be delayed. Pleasant assistant at the bag drop off then I wander down to security trying out my mobile booking pass rather than a paper document. I still need a passport or driving licence though. A le...

Whilst living in Madrid it was explained to me that the population decamped to the coast just as residents of France depart for the south. Gandia, south of Valencia, is one such destination for both so much so that a railway line runs directly to the beach area during the summer months, a day trip from Madrid is not out of the question. This is my first visit to this part of Spain,and my first visit to Gandia... My first view of the city is across the Plaza del Tirant footbridge.... the story continues on the "in Spain" page above... or...  click on this link . Enjoy.

A surprise email from my brother and his wife inviting me for Christmas resulted in an unexpected return to Spain. Searching for the best way to get there I discovered that air travel from Toulouse during the winter months was not the best option, it would appear that the French prefer to visit during the summer months. I was also interested in finding the rail route over the mountains. The train from Toulouse to Les Cabannes continues on to Latour-de-Carol where, I am told, a Spanish train bound for Barcelona departs from another set of tracks. Incidentally during the summer the narrow gauge "Yellow Train" runs through the mountains from this station too. Despite many searches I could not find a connection. In the spring a trip to the end of the line to investigate will be necessary. Meanwhile my route, all booked using the apps, Trainline.eu and OUI.sncf, will take me to Toulouse, across to Narbonne, down to Barcelona and finally to Valencia. My brother will take me too a...

Where has the time gone, I hadn't realised that my last entry was in September. It is 09:30 hours on Saturday 15th December 2018. I am contemplating two musical Christmas cards sitting on the shelf in front of me as I drink my morning coffee. Purchased in November events overtook their intended use. At this moment I receive a message from friends in Spain that their family will be gathering in Madrid. Decision made, one addressed there and the other to my friends in the "Garage Club" where I lived in Bulgaria. Perhaps if I drive into Tarascon-sur-Ariége the larger post office there may be open on a Saturday morning so off I go. What a surprise, arriving down the back road from Aulos I swing right over the river bridge adorned in traditional bows, Christmas anthems to be heard as I drive. Finding a parking bay near the post office it is in deed open and the Christmas music is louder. Speakers mounted in the streets broadcast the local radio DJ to all parts of the tow...

I read somewhere that there was a 'Reconstituants Médiévistes' weekend at Château de Lagarde. That' a Medieval weekend to you and I. Having attended such events from similar periods of history in the U.K. I thought that this might be worth the journey. About an hours distance by Google Maps. Saturday 22nd September arrived bright and sunny so I got my act together and off I went trying,out the directions via my new mobile phone. This worked exceedingly well placed on the passenger seat I could hear the instructions quite clearly. I arrived in Lagarde village around lunchtime sticking to the instructions rather that following a sign which I noticed as I turned off the main road. I was pleased that I did, ultimately I parked in a small car park just outside the outer castle wall. I was able to see the arched construction of the steep narrow road leading from the village to the main entrance to the Château. From this point I could walk around two sides of the outer wall t...

Having returned to France from my "holiday" in England sans camera my thoughts returned to my blogs and the ever increasing number of photographs and posts which I have to edit and complete. It is now a year since my rail journey across Europe, time disappears so quickly, and my thoughts turned to completing that journey on line. Talking to people here and back in the UK reminds me also of the other locations I need to finish too. To this end it is my resolution to attempt two post a week, this may mean that I will have to refine photo albums later, I am still searching for a replacement for Picasa, my favourite but now extinct photo editing platform. I hope that this will not detract from your enjoyment of my adventures and I am sure that there are more to come. As you can see, a shopping trip to Foix resulted in a little adventure following a narrow side road up the mountain instead of returning home via the motorway. I woke up the other day to find a landscape garden...