A Bit of Christmas Sausage

With the cold weather upon us in December we decided to pay a flying visit to a city of Christmas markets, gluhwein and sausage - Basel. The first excitement was arriving at Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, one of the few airports in the world operated by three countries: Switzerland, France and Germany. Upon arrival there was a door with a sign on it "France". We left via the Swiss exit but the option to pop through the French door was very tempting.

Basel itself is known for being a big conference venue but we enjoyed some wanders through the old town and in particular the Spalentor (above) - the town gate dating from the 1370s which marks the edge of the old town. The real reason we were in Basel though was to get some Christmas spirit - both in the form of the Christmas markets and in the mulled wine (which we sampled plentifully given we were on foot and it was very cold!)

We also managed to visit what is apparently the biggest Christmas decoration store in the world - I'm sure that some American store probably beats this one but it was very beautiful and my tree will be benefiting from some of the purchases from this place in years to come!

The next morning we grabbed a hire car for the day and set off to do a flying trip through some of the little towns in Alsace to the north, just over the border with France. On our way we visited the fantastic Haut-Koenigsburg castle - perched on an 800m outcrop overlooking the Alsatian plains, which was looking spectacular in the snow.

Heading further north we stopped for lunch in the Alsace wine making region, sampling some quiche lorraine and tarte flambee (fluffy local pizza) and entertaining the patient locals with some bad French. Even though it was a cold day and off-season, the towns were so picturesque it made me definitely keen to try and get back here in the summer.

On our loop back south to Basel we came across another Christmas market - but this time a medieval themed market, with men on stilts, jugglers and men dressed like Friar Tuck stirring up a whole lot of trouble in giant cauldrons in the middle of the street. It was great to experience Christmas in true winter style - a cold couple of days but definitely worth it!

M

On Tour in Marseille

We jumped on a plane to Marseille to cheer on the All Blacks on the French leg of their Northern end of season tour - excited by the prospect of a potentially tight game as well as exploring this colourful French port city (and trying the local food). We had a fantastic hotel with a view right out onto the old port (this is the view from the hotel room window as the sun set over the city):

Saturday morning we were up early to explore the sights and smells of Marseille - including the fish market which sets itself up across the road from the hotel and where you can get your fish gutted and filleted in the open air from this man or someone like him:

Shortly afterwards we were on a boat and heading out to explore the Ile d'If - home of an impressive former prison which was the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Sadly I haven't read it yet so I can't offer any insights into how the reality compares to the novel! but it was fun clambering around the island as the sun rose high on another stunning day.

That evening we tried the local bouillabaisse before cheering the All Blacks to a fantastic win - one of the best live games I've seen in a few years. Unfortunately there wasn't room for too much debauchery in celebration as we were due to be up at the crack of dawn the next day to explore Avignon - a beautiful medieval city an hour's train ride from Marseille. The crowning sight in Avignon (apart from the old bridge which is apparently the subject of a very famous French song - again my knowledge was lacking!) was the Palais des Papes (Popes' Palace) - a beautiful medieval palace which was the home of the popes in the fourteenth century.

M

Autumn Afternoon in Hyde Park

As the leaves had been turning beautifully it was just the day for a late autumn Sunday stroll in Hyde Park .. complete with squirrels (the bad ones apparently - the invading American grey squirrels rather than the native brown squirrels (but to squirrel novices like me a squirrel is a squirrel - still exciting))

Shaun's sister Louise and Willy joined us for some stomping through the leaves... before heading home for some hearty late autumn fare.

M

A Spot of Venetian Sunshine

Shaun's sister Louise and her fiance Willy were over from New Zealand for a month seeing London and parts of Europe so we decided to join them for a sunny weekend in Venice in late October. The city turned on a couple of stunning days and we took to the streets to see the sights and for Shaun to test out his brand new camera.

We weren't the only ones in town. Tourists were thronging in the streets and St Mark's Square was heaving with cameras (and floodwaters). Never fear - some hastily erected boardwalks and some good sturdy shoes and no problem.

It had been 12 years since I'd last been to Venice - the tourists were the same but this time I got the chance to take the boat out to Murano - on another stunning day - and see the glassmakers ply their craft. A lazy fish lunch by the water and a slow boat ride back - not a bad life really.

M