Questions and answers

my garden

 

Where do you live?

I grew up in the countryside in Thailand, which has the rice field, buffalos, cows and the farmers of course.

Now I live in Southwark area in south London.

Earliest London memory?

one summer we had a lot of sunflowers.

I first moved to London in March 2006 after 6 years in Birmingham. I would say I prefer London than Birmingham because everything so convenient here. I can get on the bus to Oxford circus or China town in 30 minutes. I had a lot of friends from Thailand who live in London.

First thing you do when you get home?

Go to bathroom and cook something to eat and check my email.

What do you collect?

close up with my finger.

I love Shoes and clothes. I get bored easily so I need new clothes and I just need more shoes to wear which depend on the weather.

Favourite shops?

Any charity shops as you don’t have to expect when you will see when you get there. You would find designer stuffs in there in a very cheap price.

Recently, I bought Paul smiths jacket for only £ 3.99 and a pairs of Hudson jeans for £ 1 (reduced).

For fruits and Vegetable, I like to go to East street market in Camberwell road. The market sells a lot of cheap thing. I always buy an oranges for example £1 I would get 10 oranges. 1 kilo of pak choi would cost me about £ 2.49. I love the market atmosphere.

Best meal?

My cooking is the best.

Which building would you like to live in?

The Shard because of the building is too high I would wake up with the sunrise beyond or even sunset on the clear sky I would watch the sky above me.

What would you do as mayor for the day?

No cars day, I think it would be nice if we don’t have to worry about traffic jam.

Ever had a run in with a police?

No

Best advice you’ve been given?

My father says: “ be yourself and respect the other”

What animal would you like to be?

A bird so I could fly.

When was the last time you went to the theatre?

I went to see Rock of all ages it was fun night out

Where do you go for a nightcap?

I prefer staying in.

Have you been on holiday recently?

I went to South of France for a week and I was fun.
my dream I would like to go to Argentina one day. 

Morning frost

It’s getting colder at night and my tomato is dying. I felt sorry for it. I bought some plants inside today for example the lychee, papaya and mango. In a week time I will bring 4 pots of the chillies plant inside. I have to let the tomato die of the frost weather. Oh! Well winter is just round the corner. I have to keep my plants survive from the winter.

Next year hopefully the weather will be better than this year.

Visit my old friends

My Lovely boss

Steph is a funny women

my neighbour as well as work colleague

the boss of the boss

On September 28^th, I had a chance to go back to Birmingham. It has been 7 years since I left.

me and Jo

I went back because of my old boss she has invited me to her retirement party at work. I used to work with her for 7 years at The University of Birmingham in the library. I love it over there as I had so many colleagues around me. It was like I was a baby in the group as I was a tiny girl for them.

My old boss she is lovely and very hard working women. I think she was very proud of me that I had done a good work for my future. I do expect that she is my boss and she was the one who has helped me to get the job. I would say that (in my culture) we had to respect the boss and the older one.

Julia, Sue, Marry and Robert

Anyway, I went there on Friday afternoon by train. I arrived at Birmingham about 12.08 and by the time I get to the party was about 1.00pm. Janet was doing her goodbye speech and there were too many people in the staff common room. I couldn’t even see her at all.  

Brian and I

I gave Janet a hugged when I saw her. I think she was very happy to see me at the party.

I also have seen a lot of my old colleagues and we had a chatted but only a few minutes to each friend as there were too many people wanted to talk to me. Some of my old colleagues was very surprised to see me and kept asking me about my life since I left my work at Birmingham university library. I told them about what has I been in the past 7 years.

It was 2.30 and it was a time for me to leave them to go back to London. I was thinking this is a chapter of my life. I wouldn’t for get them at all. They are still being my friends and my boss. I was very grateful to know them. I would definitely go back to visit them again in the future but I wouldn’t tell when.

I was lovely to see all of you guys. Love you all.

Back to work

I went back to work for the first day after a month off. I knew that all of my colleagues are missing me while I was away. We had alot of conversations to catch up about it. It was nice to be back at work.
At the moment we are getting alot of student and also books. I heard that all PHD student just finished their study and they returned all the books to us. We had tone of books to put back on the shelf.
From Monday next week, I will be getting very busy as all new and old student starting. I am looking forward to it though.

Winter is coming

Brazilian Papaya

Thai herb

2 tomato plants

 11 Lychee trees

Indian Papaya

Ginger

 I will bring some of my plants inside in a few days time. The temperature is dropping fast saddly, my chillie is growthing nice and healthy. I would love to keep them out side but as the cold is coming, they would dies and never recovery from it. I had 4 chillie plants and I afraid I don't have enough space to keep it.

Chillie

Chillie producing a few already

other chillie

The ginger plant, getting big since I growth it in June. I need to bring ginger inside as well as the lemon grass.

Lemon grass

My lychee tree is growthing nice and strong. I try to plant the lychee since March but because of the weather this year wasn't warm enough. The lychee was trying to growth and at the end it about 4 inc. tall. I am going to have 11 lychee plant from seeds. I seed I bought from Asda. 
I will give away some of my lychees to my colleagues at work. I gave away some of my money plants until nobody wanted them. 

a lot of tomatos

My papaya tree is growthing too. I would love to growth one but the one is doing well was the Brazilian papaya. I am still waiting for the Indian one as the plant still very small. 

I had 2 big tomatos plants and they are doing very well. The plants has given us a lot of fruit and still growing strong and healthy. I also has a few small tomato plants in the front garden. I hope it going to survive in the cold winter. 

Last day of my 4 weeks holiday

From Monday 17^th September, I am going back to work. I felt like too much holiday to spend in one goes. What I had done during my holiday since the end of August until mid September?

I spent most of my time walking in a long distance, visited my local library and the market of course.

I also spent a lot of time making breads, cake and other dishes, some of my dishes were not so successful but some were nice. I tried to do the Chinese sweet on one occasion but I found it was too complicated and as well as the measurement wasn’t right from the recipe. It was turned out disaster.

I wasn’t spent most of my time just doing some cooking but also I managed to go out to see a few festivals in town. I love going out and about rather than just sitting at home.

Millennium Bridge

I have been to the Notting Hill Carnival on Monday 27 August. I enjoyed it very much. I took a few videos from my phone and put it on in my You Tube. The festival was fun and we managed to get a nice location, actually it was perfect because we were sitting on someone’s house for hours. We got a very cleared view from the top. The good things was I don’t have to flight with the other spectators for a nice view. The owner is originally from Jamaica and he was very nice old man. He kept dancing in his front door while we was sitting there.

I liked the Notting Hill carnival because of the people, the music and the food.

We were there until 6pm.

    

Waterloo Bridge

South Bank

During the Olympics, We always went for a walk by the river Thames in the evening. We would see a lot of tourists and the local residents around. There were also some lived screens for people to watch by the town hall. The spectators would sit on the grass and having a picnic during that time. I was nice though to see people from difference nationalities around London.

One night, while were walking around there near the London Bridge, we stopped by the Switzerland camp, which was not far from the Tower Bridge. We had some Swiss beers and some snacks. There were a lot of Swiss people there as well as a live music. We usually park our car at the horse statue and walked along the River Thames from there to the London Eye. During summer season there were plenty of performance along the ways. We would stopped by the Scoop to watch the play there but if there weren’t any things interesting to us, we would continuing to South Bank and watch this space, which normally plenty of stuff going on there.

Piccadily festival

near London eye

Anyway, that was part of my activities during the Olympics as well as watching live from television.

Piccadilly Circus

Feather on the ground

On one Sunday evening, I was watching the news at 6 o’clock and I heard from the news reader says about there is a festival in Piccadilly Circus right now. We decided to go there straight after that. It was 7pm. And by the time we arrived at Regent Street everything nearly done. We have seen the leaflet that there is a strange thing going to happen at 10.30pm. We just hang around and wonder what is going to happen in the next hours. Suddenly, on the top of the building, we saw there are a group of people preparing themselves on the top of the building roof. They were wearing clothes like an angle. Everybody just have to watch out from the top. I was fun at the end because they were doing a pillow flight on the wire swinging around in the circus. It was so beautiful night and most of the audience were very happy with it. The pillow was filled with feather and it could be the feather from the ducks. There were so many feathers on the sky like snowing in the winter. There was a man came toward me and he said to me “ Merry Christmas” it was a wonderful night in the summer time. I loved it.

Thames Festival

too many people

This performance was excellent

On the 8-9 September, there was The Thames festival which we also went there to joined the crown. There were so many people and the weather was great for the crown. We went there on Saturday night and on Sunday night. On Saturday the crowns wasn’t as many as Sunday. I found that on Sunday there were far too many people. We were there until nearly 9pm. As we have to watch to closing ceremony for Paralympics. We managed to get some photos of the night parade though.

Anyway, I am glad to go back to work tomorrow.

Paul Hollywood's Focaccia and Pitta recipes

I love Paul Hollywood recipes below;

Focaccia

Make 2, Prep 3 hours and bake for 15 minutes

This lovely, oil-rich Italian bread is great for sharing and is particularly good served still warm with extra virgin olive oil for dipping, and perhaps some salad and olives or antipasti. The dough here is really quite wet, so you might well prefer to knead it in a mixer. However, I’ve suggested you make it by hand because it’s useful to get to know the feel of a good, wet dough and this one is a little more manageable than, for example, a ciabatta.

What you needs;

500 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

10 g salt

10 g instant yeast

140 ml olive oil, plus extra for kneading and to finish

360 ml cool water

Fine semolina for dusting (optional)

To finish

Flaky sea salt

Dried oregano

Before baking it.

After

1. Lightly oil a 2-3 litre square plastic container. (it’s important to use a square tub as it helps shape the dough.)
2. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add 40ml of the olive oil and three-quarters of the water, and turn the mixture round with your fingers.  Continue to add water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You want dough that is very soft- wetter than a standard brad dough. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough-dough.
3. Coat the work surface with some of the remaining olive oil, then tip the dough onto it and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5-10 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to form a soft, smooth skin. This is supposed to be wet, sticky dough, so try not to add more flour.
4. When your dough feels soft and elastic, put the dough into the oiled tub. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size – about 1 hour or more.
5. Line 2 baking tray with baking parchment and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Put more olive oil on the work surface and dust with fine semolina if you have some. Carefully tip the dough onto the surface. Rather than knocking it back, handle it gently so you keep as much air in the dough as possible. Divide the dough in half. Stretch each piece out to a flat, even piece and place on a baking tray.
7. Put each tray into a clean plastic bag and leave to prove for a bout 1 hour, until the dough is doubled in size and springs back quickly if you prod it lightly with your finger. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220 c.
8. Make deep dimples in the focaccia with your fingers, pushing them all the way through the dough to the bottom. Drizzle each focaccia with olive oil and sprinkle with a little flay sea salt and oregano, then bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Tap the bottom of the focaccia and you should hear a hollow sound. Trickle with more olive oil, then cool on a wire rack.

I wasn’t followed the whole instructions but I adapted with I’ve got. For example I don’t have a bread machine, I used my hands to knead and mixed it. My first focaccia was very nice and I loved it.

Pitta Breads

Makes 6-8/ prep 1-2 hours/ bake 5-10 minutes per batch

You’ll be amazed how easy it is to make authentic-looking pitta brads at home. These are delicious when freshly baked, split open and stuffed with good things such as hummus, salad and falafel- or almost anything else that takes your fancy. They also freeze well and you can pop them straight from the freezer into the toaster.

Ingredients

250g strong white bread flour

5g salt

7g instant yeast

160ml cool water

2tsp olive oil, plus extra for kneading

Fine semolina (or extra flour for dusting)

my little pitta bread

1. Tip the lour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other. Add three-quarters of the water and the olive oil, and turn the mixture round with your fingers. Continue to add the remaining water, a little at a time, until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl. You may not need to add all the water, or your may need to add a little more- you want dough that is soft, but not soggy. Use the mixture to clean the inside of the bowl and keep going until the mixture forms a rough-dough.
2. Coat the work surface with a little olive oil, then tip the dough onto it and begin to knead. Keep kneading for 5-10 minutes. Work through the initial wet stage until the dough starts to forms a soft, smooth skin.
3. When your dough feels smooth and silky, put it into a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until at least doubled in size- at least 1 hour, but it’s fine to leave it for 2 or even 3 hours. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 220c and put a bake-stone or baking tray in to the centre to heat up.
4. Dusting a work surface lightly with fine semolina or flour. Tip your risen dough onto it. Fold it inwards repeatedly until all the air knocked out and the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into 6-8 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball, keeping them covered with a tea towel as you work. With a rolling pin, start rolling out the pieces of dough in rough oval shapes, about 3mm thick, stopping with your have as many as will fit on the stone or baking tray with some space in between.
5. Take the hot stone or tray from the oven, scatter with a little semolina, the later the pitta breads on it. Bake for 5-10 minutes taking the pitas out of the oven as soon as you start to see any colour on them. Repeat with the remaining dough. Leave the pittas to cool, keeping them coverd with a cloth as they do so; they trapped steam with keep them soft. Eat within 24 hours or freeze.

 Reference; How to bake by Paul Hollywood 2012 published by Bloombury

My favourite bread recipes by Paul Hollywood

I must say I love his baking book so I have been following his love of making bread.

Ciabatta

I made this ciabatta bread this morning following instruction from the book how to bake by Paul Hollywood. I love his book as it easy to following step by step.

I borrowed the book from my local library and I have to return it a few days from now.

I had made a few of his recipes for example the foccacia, feta and ciabatta breads.

I have to keep the recipe in my blog as for my future reference.

This straightforward ciabatta recipe is relatively easy and satisfying to make.

To get that classic ciabatta shape and open texture, you need a very wet and sloppy dough, so you really have to make it in an electric mixer.

What I need are:

500 g strong white read flour, plus extra for dusting

10 g instant yeast

10 g salt

                                   

40 g olive oil

400 ml tepid water

Semolina for dusting

       

Follow step by step from;

-       Lightly oil a 2-3 litre square plastic container. ( Paul says “ it’s important to use a square tub as it helps shape the dough.)

 -       Put the flour, salt and yeast into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.

( I don’t have a mixer so I used my hand mixed) don’t put the salt directly on the top of the yeast because the salt kills the yeast.

-       Add olive oil and three-quarters of the water and begin mixing on a slow speed as the dough starts to come together, slowly add the remaining water.  Then mix for a further 5-8 minutes on a medium speed until the dough is smooth and stretch.

-       Tip the dough into the prepared tub, cover with a tea towel and leave until at least doubled, even trebles in size 1-2 hours or longer.

-       Heat your oven to 220 c (I used 200c) and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment or silicone paper.

ready for an oven

-       Dust your work surface heavily with flour – add some semolina too, if you have some. Carefully tip out the dough (it will be very wet) onto the work surface, trying to remain a rough square shape. Rather than knocking it back, handle it gently so you keep as much air in the dough as possible.  Coat the top of the dough with more flour and/ or semolina. Cut the dough in half lengthways and divide each half lengthways into 2 strips. You should now have 4 pieces of dough. Stretch each piece of dough lengthways a little and place on the prepared baking tray.

-       Leave the ciabatta dough to rest for a further 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when taped on the base. Cool on a wire rack.

let it cool

keep in plastic bag

Finally, I have done my ciabatta bread.


Reference of this blog : How to bake by Paul Hollywoood, Bloombury publisher.

Learn how to cook too.

I starting off  how to cook since I had more leisure to do things in the afternoon. After I have been watching Jamie on television and also the other chefs. I had an idea in my mind what I am going to do for my dinner. Day after day, I had tried to learn a difference dishes.  

I would say a treat for me and its also keep me has more imagination.

When I was working with the Thai restaurant in central of London. I wasn’t bother with the ways the chef cook and what the ingredients was she used. I suppose when I was living in Thailand, the food for so easy to get and real cheap. I spend only less than 50 pence each meal, which was a real cheap over there.

Since I immigrated to the UK. I started my own recipe. I like my own taste of food. I also use a lot of chilli in my cooking, which I love.

I used to do a quick meal for myself example stir fired as well as some soups.

Now, I want to learn from other nationality as I have been to. I love seafood especially the Mediterranean dishes for example Italian, Greece and Spain.

Other day, I bought paella ingredient from supermarket near where I live. I made it for the following day and it was o.k, as I don’t have too many choices of seafood.

I also made roasted salmon with vegetables and olive oil, which was nice.

I forgot to mention that I made couscous the other day too.

I love my cooking right now. Its time for me to do Thai iced tea today. The weather is nice and I am sitting outside of my garden. Today is 9 September 20012. I hope the weather will stay with us for a few days before turning in to a cooler temperature and then winter is coming soon.

Making breads

I am currently madly in to baking bread. Since I have been in love with the smell of freshly made loaf. I prefer the bread from bakery rather than the ready-made packet one.

I have been loved eating the foccacia bread, which is Italian bread. The Foccacia cost rather expensive in the shops. I was curious how to made them one day.

During my 4 weeks holiday in late August to the beginning of September. I began my experimented with bread. I had more time to spend on the shops or even doing thing with out rushing around. I starting from get all ingredients from Asda supermarket.

I was confused at the beginning because I don’t really know that flours do I need to get as they were so many flours on the supermarket shelf. I sent a text to asked my Italian college about it and I had an idea after that. To tell truth, I never been making bread before in my whole life. I found myself in the challenged position.

I had gathered all my ingredients together. I started to look for the recipes that I needed. I found one on the BBC food programme section. I followed her step by step.

It was turned out very good and I was very happy after all.

After my first attempted, I had gained my confident of making bread. I starting doing a difference styled after that example; Ciabatta, carrot cake (this was I bought from ready made ingredients)

I am current happy with all my new skill of making bread. I will tell all what I have done and as well as the photos.

Tads and Spiro adventure in Provence

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On my second holiday this year, we booked a trip to Avignon and other places in the south of France. It was to be a quiet vacation with some notable high lights like San Tropez and maybe Monaco. As it turned out it was anything but experience of new places, which has so many variety of scenic and adventure.

We started our vacation with the usual household security checks and double checks set the alarm and on Wednesday morning set off to and caught the flight from City airport in East London. I preferred this airport because it is very convenient to get to and not far from where we live. The tube from Bermondsey station to the airport took us only 20 minutes and rather uneventful apart from the minor queues at security. 

The airport is very small if I would compare to the other London airport not the Heathrow because that is too big to be compared to. Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as there is no problem for us during our holiday, I don’t mind at all.  This was my second time to fly from here to other part of Europe. The first time I was here, it was rather quick to get passed through the security checked but this time a bit slow. I was thinking maybe because of the Olympics is coming to London. They have to be more careful with the people passing through the airport.

The flight took us only 1 hour and 20 minutes, which was very present, as we are getting older we don’t like to sitting in a very long flights, in my opinion only a few hours would be enough to travel.

The airline we flew with was City Jet, which was a small 100 seats jet of air France. The service was marvellous, as we don’t have to pay any extra for drinks and the food. I don’t like travel with budget or low cost airlines as they always charged you for an extra payments, for example they will charge you for each bags as well as food and drinks etc.

I like the price from what you have seen from their website, surely most of the people like the same ideas as me. Anyway, this is just my opinion.

As soon as we landed at Avignon airport, again the airport over there was very small which is same size as City airport. Actually, I think there was only one flight arriving at the same time with us and of course a small plane too. As soon as we had our bags we heading to the car rental office, we booked the car with the company from online website. The cost was £ 171 for a week.

We collected the key and head out to get the car. The weather was very hot; I thought I was in the Mediterranean. When I looked around the area it was like in Corfu, Greece or in Sicily. I was wow it is hot!

The car, we had was the Volkswagen GTI and it has been used for only 200 KM. on mileages scale. We were very happy with it. The French and the English are driving in difference side of the road, we have to get used to the road and the car before we heading out to the town centre. My partner always prepared when we’re travelling abroad. He bought a GPS mobile device with him. We don’t have to worry about get into any trouble to find our destinations in the foreingland.

As soon as we gained more confident, we headed out to Avignon town centre. We drove in old town area and at that time it was about 1 pm. The locals and the tourists were having their lunch along the sidewalk or in the centre of each location. At one point we couldn’t find the way out, as we just go round and round and struck in the same road. The road was very narrow and only one small car can go through at the time.
We were driving around in the circle for about 30 minutes trying to get out of the area. We couldn’t as we were trucked on one road that need to call the operator to open the road for us, we couldn’t speak French so that was the main problem or more like disaster.
There was a French man who he was having his lunch, he came over to rescue us or maybe he was annoyed with our driving to trouble. He came over to tell me that we have to call the number, which he pointed on the pole side to open the road for us. We were very appreciated that the French man “helped us to get through this dead end road. We told him” MERCI”. I don’t think the French are rude and not helpful as most people said. I think if you live in the capital like in London or Paris, you would be fed up with too many people around you that why this could change them. The villagers are more helpful with other people than city people.

As soon as we had left the city circle, we felt relief as we found the car park. We parked the car and starting to walk around town. It was very warm day about 35 C. I wasn’t thought this hot as I didn’t bought any hat with me before I left London. I bought a hat for 10 euros from the local shop near by, the hat would help me in the next 6 days.

Inside The Palai des Papes

We started off our first sightseeing in Avignon at the Palais Des Papes, which we had to pay to get in to the museum. We paid 10.50 euros each. While we were there at the entrance, we had to get language audio guide to listening to the history. The women at the desk asked me what language do I preferred? I answered “ Thai” anyway, that lady shouted to her friends that “ She from Thailand!”  I starting to speak to her in Thai but she told me that she can speaks a little bit as She has been living in Thailand for a while. I was very happy that I met French women who has been to Thailand and can speak a little Thai. She seems very happy as well.

The Palais Des Papes was used to be a residential of the archbishop of Avignon, now the museum of Romanesque, which has gothic sculpture and medieval paintings.

The Popes’ Palace has a powerful fortress, which a magnificent view on the top. It was once the seat of the Christian world in the 14 century. The Palais has been award for the world heritage site. A visit to the palace allowed us to discover 24 areas for example ceremonial rooms, chapels, cloister and the private papal apartments.

Le Pomt d' Avigno Saint-Benezet

We spent the whole afternoon walking around the places. We also walked to the Le Pont D’Avignon Saint-Benezet, which was destroyed by floods in 1668 and renowned in 12^th century. During our visited there were a lot of festival around town. We enjoyed people watching and the festival activities.

We left Avignon town in about 5pm. We need to check in to our hotel, which was 30 km away from Avignon. We found our hotel and checked in, at that time still day light. We drove to St Remy town, which was only 9 km away from our hotel. I wanted to go there because David has told me about it. He is a researcher at work. He has told me about it before I left London that I should go to this town because it so beautiful, he also recommended a few places in Avignon areas for me to make a visit. St Remy was a small village, which has tree line boulevards along the road. The road was narrow with the view of the countryside surrounded. The most famous people used to live in the area were Vincent Van Gogh. He used to spent time in this town painting his most famous worked is the sunflower, according to my colleagues at work (David) told me. I agreed with him as the trees and to countryside was very beautiful. While driving around, we would see there are a lot of the sunflower field around you on both sides.

The along the road at St Remy.

I was feeling a bit hungry that evening, since I had only a sandwich during the flight. I haven’t had any thing to eat after that. We stopped off at the town centre and bought ourselves some pizza from a local man vender shop. We drove up to the mountain and had our dinner on the top of the mountain. We were watching the sunset while having our dinner. The surroundings area was very peaceful. There were 2 caravans camping on that mountain. During our way back to the hotel, we have seen a very bright lights from a far away mountain. We decided to drive over there to see what it was, as we arrived at the place we got an answered, it was the lighting from the town to bright up the place. The village call Chateau des Baux de Provence. Situated about 25 km from Avignon. We wondered around in the area until late and head back to the hotel. We have to get up early for the next day.

There are sunflower on each side.

Lemon Hotel is a cheap with shared toilet and shower. The hotel is similar to F1. We paid only 39 Euro per night. I would say the hotel is cheap for the family and the people who doesn’t mind about the quality that much. The positive thing about the hotel is the Internet has better connection.

The next morning we were heading to Arles town, which was situated on the Rhone River. Arles still had Roman remains such as the arena and Constantine’s baths. When we got there the weather seems very hot and there were a lot of tourists in town. The Arena was under refurbishing so we couldn’t get in. We stopped to have a cup of coffee at Vincent Van Gogh Café in the town centre, and watching people passing by.

As we felt much better from the heat, we headed north to the village called Gordes. The village has attracted most of the tourist visitors. It was easy to understand because it was a 16^th century chateau. In France, there are so many beautiful villages with a peaceful surrounding countryside. After Gordes, we were heading to other village called Luberon, which has a hug limestone range. I my opinion, each town or each village had it own character. I was amazed with how beautiful the area was. I wish I could live there though. I was no wonder why the English has their second home in the south of France.

 Each town we had been to I just felt “wow” its so beautiful place. After Luberon, we stopped at the town called Roussillon, which has red brick stone. We normally had seen a lot of white limestone town, but at this town we were surprised with a red brick colour and the house was built up on top of that. We watch the sun set on the top of the hill in this town. We were there until late evening. While driving down to the valley, we can hear a very noisy of the crickets as well as the fogs surrounding us.

Roussillon town

 On one occasion the car couldn’t start, we have to make a phone calls to the car rental company to tell them that we’re having a big problem in a very isolate village. The operator told us that someone is coming in about an hour.  It was 11 pm. We have to sit on the roadside and listening to the sounds of insects for a while. We felt sorry for the house next to the road, as we were trying to start the car so many times, and try to push the car away from the main road. In one point, there was a car stopped and asked us if we need any help, we asked him to speak to the operator at the other side as we weren’t sure where we are and the language barrier. He has gone after help us with the telephone conversation. While we were waiting for someone to come, I managed to sit by the roadside watching millions star above. If we were in London, we wouldn’t see this many stars liked in the countryside. Finally, the rescue man has arrived and he spends only a few minutes and the car started as normally. The things were we don’t know how the car works. We were happy at the end and continue driving back to our hotel after ward.

Pont Du Gard

The next day, we head off to Pont Du Gard. This is 2000 years old bridge, which the Romans thought it was their best testimony to the greatness of their empire. The Romans built this as the highest prised during their period. It was made from blocks of stone. I thought it was free to get in or not so expensive but actually we have to pay 18 euros per car to get in just to see the bridge, which I thought it was too expensive. The local goes there for swim and for a family picnic trip but for us we just wanted to see the bridge. We spend only an hour there as there were nothing else for us to see apart from the bridge.

 We were heading out to Les Baux-de Provence. This village was one of our favourites place in France. It was strangest places in Provence, the deserted town with a huge rocky plateau. The ruined castle and old housed over look the infernal valley. The rocks looks weird, once there were a witches and goblins according to legend.

After spend 2 nights with the Lemon hotel, we had enough of the place. Its time for us to moved to other town. We booked the hotel not far from Aix-En-Provence, which not far from Marseille. We made 4 nights booking with them via Internet. The hotel was situated near the highway. On the way to Aix-en-Provence, we decided to stop at the town called “ Salon-de-Provence. I just liked the sounds of it. Salon was very quiet and not much to see.

Aix-en-Provence

We have decided to drive straight to Aix-en-Provence. This town is seem very big and there were much more to see beside there is H&M store around the town. The tourist information was big and very modern if I compared with other places. We haven’t got any swimming suite. We thinking to go for swim in one afternoon, as the weather was so hot. We decided to buy a swimming trunk from H&M, which cost less than 10 euros.

Aix-en –Provence founded by the Romans in 103 BC. The town has a long history of arts and learning. It has many museums of fine arts and archaeology. The town has been called “ the city of a thousand fountains”. Three of the best are situated on cours Mirabeau. On one side of this tree-lined avenue are 17^th and 18^th century buildings with wrought iron balconies. On the other are the cafes, which are so much apart of the city’s social life. The town reminded us when we went to Cuba. The building seems very similar with the architecture. We spend our afternoon in town walked around and had our lunch in a small café.

After that we went to the hotel, as we haven’t checked in yet. It was 4 pm. And as we have seen and checked in the hotel, we decided to drive to the mountain that has a rock on the top. We were driving around trying to find the way up to the top of the mountain and at the end we gave it up. We decided to drive to Marseille instead as it was not far from where we are staying.

Marseille

Marseille was founded by the Greek settlement in the 7^th century, was called Massailia. In 49 BC was seized by the Romans. It became gateway to the west for most oriental trade. Marseille is France largest port and the second largest city, which likes to the Middle East and North Africa.  I have heard from the news about the mafia in town and other bad reputations. We decided to skip Marseille but drove pass on that night. There were so many car and noise and people are driving very crazy on the road. Sadly, we couldn’t see much of the town at all as we were relief to get out of the city. It was later in the evening. We decided that we going to bed, as we need to get up and plan for the next day trip.

The first night at our hotel was better sleep than the lemon hotel. The room temperature was far better cooler that the lemon. I can’t hear any car from the highway at all even though the hotel situated next to the highway. The bad thing was the Internet connection was very bad though. We hardly get any connect from the Internet at all, but when we were at the lemon hotel the connection was much better. We like to do a research for the place before heading out to our destination.

We were thinking to drive to Nice and drive along the coast. The next morning, we set off about 9 am as we heading to Cassis.

Cassis

There are so many villages a long the coastline. Some of the village has lost their charm from the past but for Cassis is still the same as the book has said. Cassis has reputations for the painted of Paul Signac in Cassis in 1889.  This is the place where you can relax at the waterside café, watching the fisherman or street performers.

For our second destination was Toulon and then, we have decided that our final destination would be Monaco for that day. I told my partner that because the driving distance was too far to go back to the hotel, and drive back here again tomorrow. At the end we both decided to go ahead to Monaco for our final destination by not knowing that where we going to sleep on that night.

The next stop was St-Tropez. It tucked away in the tip of peninsula. There were a lot of luxury yachts than the fishing boats moored in St-Tropez harbour. The cafés and restaurants make an ideal of people watching passing by.

The history of St-Tropez during Second World War the beaches around this area were the scene of allied landing, the town was heavily bombed. It is said that St-Tropez has name after a Roman soldier. Each year in May, the town has celebrated to his honour, when an effigy of the saint is carried through the town to the accompaniment of musket tire. We walked in town for an hour to see the buildings and people. There were a few street performances and also there were a lot of tourists around. We have a very long way drive from there. It was nice to drive a long the coast though as you will see a lot of seaside and beaches. There are palm trees, flowers along the road. From St-Tropez, we were heading to Sainte Maxim and St-Raphael but we didn’t stop at those places, as we have to keep driving to get to Monaco before dark.

At one point, St- Raphael was too busy to stop, there were too many cars and traffic was jam packed with the caravan cars.

We drove passed through Cannes and of corse the building looked amazing beautiful with old style hotel, where all movies star came during the Cannes film festival. The festival first took place in 1946 attended by the artist and celebrities who lived or were staying on the coast. It used to be very small and exclusive. 

Now, Cannes film festival became the international marketplace for the filmmakers and distributors, which held each year in May.

Passing through Cannes

But the first thing that most people think about Cannes is the film festival for instant. There is however, much more to the city than these glittering events. Driving a long the coastline along Cannes with line gardens and palm trees, which one side is occupied with the luxury good shops and hotels such as the Carlton hotel, Cannes also has sandy beaches and the Mediterranean climate.

It was in the afternoon, we really want to get to Monaco at least not too late. We continue driving forward as it was too far to head back to the hotel. And yes, it was too far to come back here again.

We passed through Antibes, which is a small lively town was founded by the Greeks as Antipolis and later by the Romans. We decided to keep moving on to Nice.

Nice is the largest resort on the Mediterranean coast and the fifth biggest city in France, with its second busiest airport, Nice was founded by the Greeks and colonized by the Romans. It has temperate winter climate and verdant subtropical vegetation.

Nice 

 Nice became a capital of the Cote d’Azur, and today it also a centre for business conferences and package holidays. We decided that we will come back tomorrow morning after the trip Monaco end.

After reading from the guide book that tell us to get to Monaco, we should take the Moyenne Corniche, according to the book said this road is on of the most beautiful highways in the world, with incomparable views of the Mediterranean coastline. Arriving among the skyscrapers of Monaco. The history of Monaco, first the Greek settlement and then later taken by the Romans. Today, Monaco still rule as oldest monarchy in the world. The area covers 1.9sq km. and, although its size has increased by one third in the form of landfills, it still occupies an area smaller than that of New York’s central park.

Monaco

When we arrived at Monaco, it was nearly dark. We found a car park and starting to walk in the harbour. There were skyscraper and apartment blocks of modern Monte-Carlo.

When you heard from the news that Monaco is a rich state own in the south of France and the abolish taxation people live here. Today, Monaco is a tax heaven for thousands of the residents have the highest per capital income in the world. We would find very expensive yachts everywhere along the shore.

Visitors come from all over the world for the Grand Prix de Monaco in May and the Monte-Carlo Rally in January. There is a fireworks festival in July-August. During our visited we have seen once on the harbour.

Monaco at night

The Grand Casino, the most famous for the film set likes James Bond. Set in formal gardens, the casino gives a splendid view over Monaco.
The lavish interior is still decorated in Belle Epoque style. While we were there, we have found that most people around us they are looked very wealthy and has a lot of money for the night. They dressed themselves smart and drive expensive car with a young and beautiful women in their arms. Sometimes its maybe funny though as I thought this women if they’re not walking around with the old and ugly man, they’re coming here to find one. As the night goes by, we felt like going to have a nice dinner but we couldn’t find any cheap café or a supermarket anyway, we decided to stop at the Italian restaurant. There was a man singing inside with rather old style music. The restaurant has quite a few tables. We has order something that doesn’t cost our bank but at the end that was the most expensive dinner for the whole trip. The foods wasn’t good thought to be honest, I cooked better than that.

After our dinner, we walked back to the harbour by walking under the Boulevard Louis ii road. I can hear there is a big wave underneath of the bridge. The structure of bridge is hug pile of the pillars. The massive sounds of the wave so noisy plus the sounds of the fast and expensive cars passing by.

We haven’t got anywhere to sleep for that night and if we decided to drive back to the hotel will be 200 km. I don’t want to come back again for the next day. We decided that we going to sleep in the car for that night.

We were doing people watching and car racing on the Quai Albert 1er road in front of us. There were so many fun loving people around, as well as clubs and bars along the harbour. We were there until 11pm and as the night goes by and we getting tired of the long drive during the day. We felt that it time for us to find somewhere to park the car and have some sleep. We were driving round and round and couldn’t find any safe spot. We scared of the police will catch us. Also is it safe to sleep in the car?

Anyway, at the end I was too tired, and trying to sleep while my partner is driving back to Nice.

In France, if you want to travel fast you have to pay the toll way, of course it’s annoying but it’s convenient to get to your destination quickly.

I didn’t remember how far we had travel on that night, as I was too tired and too sleepy. We couldn’t find any safe and quiet spot. It was getting late maybe 2am and we still couldn’t find our safe place. My partner also been driving all day and felt very tired. He stopped somewhere which has a caravan parked in the corner of the road. We were having a nap for a bit and suddenly the fisherman came in and starting to fix their fishing net in a very early morning. My partner has to move the car to other place and it was 5 am. I was so tried because of lack of sleep. It was Sunday morning. We parked the car in front of the beach. The place called Golfe Juan. My partner went out for swim and I still sleeping in the car. There was a truck doing a sand softener on the beach as well as the local came out for a swim. At the end we stopped off to have a coffee just round the corner. On the beach we found that there is a free toilet to use for everybody. We used that toilet to clean up ourself.

We drove back to Nice as we haven’t have time to stop yesterday. As the weekend we parked our car along the beach and starting to walk in to the centre, we found it was too far so we decided to catch the bus.

It was early morning; the temperature was very hot and humid. We walked to the famous landmarks and the market. I found the market was wonderful with a lot of herbs and flowers as well as fruits and vegetable from the local products. We bought some French food for our lunch for that day. We walked up to the Vielle Ville park, which on the top of the hill looking down to the beach of Nice.

I walked around town to see building and architecture. It was very nice and hot.

It time for us to move on to the other place, from Nice we have chosen not to go back to the same route but we try out the difference one. We were thinking to stop at the park on the way back.

We stopped off at Massif des Maures to relaxed from a stress driving. The dense wilderness of pine, oak and sweet chestnuts trees covering the Maures mountain range gave rise to the name which meaning dark or gloomy. The area extends nearly 65 km between Hyeres and Frejus.

As the sun is setting, we heading back to our hotel, as we weren’t there last night. I was desperately to have a shower and a good rest.

The Gorges du Verdon

Monday morning, we get up very early as we setting off to our high light programme. We were heading to The Gorges du Verdon, which was one of the most dramatic natural sights in Europe. The dark green river Verdon flows through a deeply cut valley with twisted rocks and cone-shaped peaks. In some places, the Gores can reach 700M depths, passing to through largely uninhabited area.

We arrived there it was nearly 11am. We stopped to buy foods for our hiking. We were planning that I going to spend the whole day here in this mountain and of course they don’t sell any food or no shop around. At least we found one super market the |”Casino” in the village. This supermarket selling everything and it is big one in the whole area. Sadly, there were too many people has the same ideas as us. We got what we needed for our trip at the end. We also had a couple of the map for walking and the area. We parked the car on the roadside and starting to walk. We decided to walk down to the very deep valley from what we saw from the distance. The valley was very deep as I looked down to the bottom. It was a present day and I enjoyed picking the lavender, rosemary and other herbs along the way. We tried to climb down to the bottom as we found the river down there. I had a quick jumped in and the water was very cold.

We found a group of the big family, they also doing a hiking as well. We were surprise that they have variety ages from young kids to the older lady. After taking to them. We had to move on to our destination, which was the deep blue lagoon in the far side. The river and the mountain were very deep and very difficult to walk or climb, we found that if it too hard for us to deal with, we have to not go through it. I don’t want to get injury in this place, as it was so isolated. My partner was wondering about that family, how come they can climb the mountain with the kids and elderly lady. I asked them before that how has they been walking? The girl answered me “ 15 hours”, I was like “wow”!!!

We walked back to the car and driving along the beautiful scenery. It was a picturesque landscape. We wish we could stay there for longer as we haven’t see other places that we would like to see. We stopped and walked down and saw three tunnels but because there weren’t any lights and we need to have a torch or some kind of lights that can leads us walk to the tunnel. The tunnel was so dark though. We walked for about 5 minutes and thought this is not good because we can’t see the things. We gave up and walked down to the river and have a bag of chips.

Freezing cold

It was 7 pm., everyone has gone apart from us and one family there. On our way back, we stopped and looked up to sky looking for stars. The place was empty and quiet apart from sounds of insects. We were thinking that maybe we might come back here again during summer.

Before driving back to our hotel, we need to have a rest before a long drive. We decide to stop at the local restaurant for a quick meal.

We found that the local are very friendly and helpful with us even though we barely speak their language.

I was pleased that we chosen to come here as it not very far from London.

We arrived back to our hotel and sleep happily. The hotel cleaner never clean the room during our stayed. I think all they did just only made the bed but never clean the room or never give us a new soap at all. We stayed with this hotel for 4 nights at least they should give us a bar of soap.

The next day before our last night in Provence, we planning to go Parc de Camargue, which is in the west of Marseille.

The Camargue is a large wetland in the Rhone delta, where marshland and inland seas met support a rich selection of wildlife with pastures, dunes and salt flats. It has exceptionally diverse in it. The region now maintains a fragile ecological balance, in which a unique collection of flora. The pastures provide grazing for sheep cattle and small white Arab-type horses. I haven’t seen the cowboy or the gardians on the day we went, but I have seen a few white horses and a group of black bulls in the field. We were driving around in the area looking for the flamingos and the other animals.

We parked our car in a village, which has less than 10 houses.

Local bus stop

The village was so quiet and we hardly see anyone at all. We stopped having our lunch under the tree, which has a bench to sit. There also a very old looking bus stop, which has the bus time’s table on the wall. After our lunch, we were starting to walk along the road to get to the beach. We were walking for about 2 miles in a very hot climate. There were no-one there apart from us. Along side the road, there are tall plants looked like bamboo. I think the French used this plant for making a market basket. I have seen a lady were sitting and making this on the roadside but sadly I don’t have enough money to buy her product.

We were walking for nearly 2 miles and finally, we found someone that I can ask for a direction. I asked her how far from here to the seaside and she told me about 10 km. I don’t think we can walk that far in this hot weather and it was mid day then. We don’t bring enough water with us that the main problem. In case if we have run out of water.  We decided to walk back to the village where we parked the car. We started to walk for about 10 minutes. There were a fours wheels drive car stopped and ask us, unfortunately, he was speaking in French so we couldn’t understand what he was saying to us, I would assumed he asked us if we would like a lift? I say yes as we were getting tire of walking. The man and his young son were very friendly to us. I felt ashamed that we couldn’t communicate to each other. He dropped us off at the end of the road, which blocked for the car to get through.

 wild plants

 At least we don’t have to walk in the hot temperature. We said Merci to the man and his young son and waved goodbye.

We drove to the place near by to take a boat across to other side. We paid 5 euros for crossing at Bac de Narcarin. We arrived at the town called Port-Saint–Louis-Rhone. We stopped at the tourist information to get a local map. We drove a long the open land road, which has a vast majority of marshes land and meadowlands. We saw the flamingos, the pied avocets and the black winged stilt standing around.  We had reached Napoleon beach. The Camargue has 50km of beaches. The dunes are inhabited with spectacular flowering plants and a number of rare insects.

It was 5pm. And there were not many people on the beach. I supposed the beach was very long and has made people stayed away from each other.

There weren’t many people on the seawater. We decided to walk a long and at the end I went for swim but seawater was too cold, I just did a skimpy dipping instead. We were there until 8 and it was time for us to have our dinner in the town. I remembered that on the way into town. I have seen the Cambodia restaurant, which I would love to go. At the end we have chosen the location instead of the food. We choose the restaurant near the harbour, which has only 2 restaurants around. I wanted to eat seafood before going home the next day. We ordered salmon with a glass of white wine. The wines in France were very cheap as they produced it. When I was working as waitress in the restaurant in London, for a glass of wine would cost the customer £ 2.95 or £ 3.75, in France only 1.99 Euros for a glass of wine.

While we were having our dinner, I noticed that there are a lot of mosquitoes around me. I have to flight with it but it seems I lost the flight. The man from restaurant next door has noticed that I was having trouble with it, he walked over to me and gave me the mosquitoes spray.

We have been in France for 6 days and I haven’t had any mosquitoes bite until now. It was time for us to head back to the hotel, as we have to pack our bags also we have to leave the hotel early. Our flight will be leaving to London a 1pm. We have to drive to Avignon to get some present for my friends at work.

On the way back to London, the flight was a little empty so we can choose where can we sit rather than sitting next to the family with a young kids.

very economical car

good service

The airline hostess looked like Asian. My partner asked him that I was wonder if he from Asian? He said no but he said he has been to Thailand but he couldn’t speak the language. He gave us a lot of things example a bottle of wine, a sandwich, cookies, a tea and coffee. We were very happy with the threat from City Jet. We will definitely flying with them again in the future.

When we get to London the weather was as hot as Avignon. We were glad to come back before the Olympics start. And to be able to watch the Olympics from television.

Reference: DK Book : France