From Paris to the Isle of Seil

 Our third day in Paris was spent on a little light retail therapy, a few petit cafés, 

followed by a bit more sightseeing, a glass or two of white wine and good Salade des poulpes at the Bistro de la Bastille.  

We met Paul and Kim for an early supper before we headed for the airport and had the chance to catch up on their news. All was going well until we arrived in the departure lounge at Paris-CDG to find that our  flight was delayed. Easyjet at their best - just as on our departure from Edinburgh!! nobody had any information on which gate or when the incoming flight was expected or how long the delay would be. Having spent nearly three hours waiting in a terminal full of noisy weans we finally took off nearly 2 hours late - apparently due to some baggage handling problem at Gatwick according to the pilot. 

Arriving in Edinburgh after midnight we took the easy option and went straight for the minicab rank - bypassing the airport bus on the way. 

With only 30 hours at home before we were due to leave for Seil, Linda had to get busy with the washing machine while I had to remove some shelves and repair and paint the wall in preparation for the arrival of a new painting - which we bought on our last weekend in Millport. 

This was followed by a bit of organising and repacking ready for a visit to Mary and Brian on the Isle of Seil and a couple of nights at Monachyle Mhor with Mad Ali and Toby.

I'm back - but why? and who cares!

So we're in Paris for the first time in 14 years. Not sure how that has happened but suffice to say we've been busy with other things!

Our friend Jimmy C - oft mentioned for our regular readers - is celebrating his 80th Birthday and in light of our past relationship it seemed like a good idea to show up uninvited for his birthday lunch.

With some help from Kim, we arrived in time for pre - lunch champagne on the banks of the Seine

The restaurant was able to make room for us and we passed a very pleasant afternoon with Jimmy and Kim along with their Parisian friends Laurent and Corinne.

Despite the usual copious quantity of wine - of every colour - I managed to stagger home 'sans embarass' and even managed a late supper in a local bistro.

I'd forgotten how much we used to enjoy our regular visits to Paris when we lived in London but it's great to be back.

We spent today on a Seine cruise, a visit ato the Musee d'Orsay and finished with dinner at Le Chardoneaux - a restaurant of TV chef Cyril Lignac. We enjoyed an excellent meal - worthy of a return visit - and joined a French couple at the next table in celebrating their anniversary.

I'm sure we will enjoy tomorrow in Paris before our flight home to Edinburgh. 

Home from home

Feels like we've never been away. Settled back into the gym, yoga and hiking routine without a problem - although two weeks of no exercise, sitting in safari trucks for hours on end and eating three full meals and snacks have taken their toll!

Managed two days on the Wellington Wine Walk with a group of neighbours. We did the day 2 programme before we left in March so decided to try Day 1 and Day 3 this time. 

A cool start from Diemersfontein on Day 1 - with a short tractor ride to our first stop for olive oil tasting before hiking through the Fynbos above the wineries. Tasting and excellent picnic lunch at Druk My Niet winery - came away with a mixed case of reds and then contiued our hike through the vines to Cascade Manor for a celebratory glass of fizz and a stroll to the Cascades.

 

Day three started with a shuttle ride half way up Bains Kloof Pass and then a hike down into  the Kroms river valley. First stop for wine (and Gin) tasting at Doolhof at 10.00am. 

Doolhof Wine Estate

Coral Tree (Erythrina)

Followed by a stroll along the riverside to Welvenpas for lunch with Dan and Retha Retief - we've been here a couple of times now and it is always a pleasant experience - although Dan's wines can be a little 'rustic'.

It got a bit hotter after lunch as we continued on to Bosman's for the last tasting of the day and a shuttle ride back to our cars.

Burger and beers at Freedom 301 - with live music - on Friday evening and a charity wine auction on Sunday completed the week. And then it all started again on Monday.

The Final Leg

 Zanzibar to Cape Town was not the easiest route to plan - no direct flights - so we ended with a Kenya Airways conection via Nairobi which meant that we checked out of the hotel at 1.30 am for a 3.40am flight to Nairobi - which left 40 minutes ahead of schedule!

Arriving early meant that we had 4 hrs in Nairobi airport which was a slightly daunting prospect but we got a comfortable seat in the lounge - although the coffee was stewed and there was no fizz! Not quite as shiny and new as Zanzibar Airport but very busy - long queues waiting to board every flight. 

Our flight to Cape Town was just under 6 hours - service was efficient and friendly while the food was pretty much as expected. No queue for immigration as we arrived - a short wait for our bags and then over an hour queueing to pick up our rental car. Arriving at the car rental centre we saw the long queue for Eurpocar and were glad that we were booked with someone else - only to find that their office was closed and we were redirected to the Europcar desk.😡😡😣😣 

Everything in order as we arrived home - thanks to Jane and Laura for freshening the place up - and for the welcome food package. Took an hour or so to remember where everything was but we settled in quickly and managed a sundowner with dinner before we both crashed - it had been a very long day - again.

Woke on Sunday to find that the Internet had not been reconnected - engineer needed so nothing to do till Monday. Very pleasant brunch at La Paris with David and Jane where we saw three or four Springbok players celebrating Faf de Klerk's engagement - including Steven Kitshoff who has just signed a deal to move to Ulster after the world cup - he's a big guy!

Bright and sunny during the day and 24C but a bit cool overnight - think Linda's missing her hot water bottle.

Zanzibar

Mamamapambo Boutique Hotel was a very friendly - if slightly quirky place for our three days at the beach. Couldn't have been closer to the ocean with the waves splashing against the front wall at high tide. Only 6 rooms and 4 unoccupied so we got upgraded to the best room in the house - previously the owners suite. 

Very comfortable but having been built by an Italian Family it had a few odd features - there was no door on the bathroom  and the shower was directly in front of the opening so as you stood in the shower you could look through the room and out the front door to the ocean beyond?? In addition all of the electrical fittings were Italian - which made it fun finding adapters.

Beach walk in the morning before breakfast, a bit of time relaxing by the pool, a swim in the incoming tide at bath water temperatures, a cold beer or two and quite a lot of fish and seafood. I'm glad it was only three days!

We did manage a visit to the local Seaweed Centre where they pay local ladies to farm and harvest Seaweed, turn it into high quality soaps and lotions and sell it to all the high end Hotels and Spa's. We had an excellent guide - just a pity that he was so unhappy with the way his employers treated him.

 

We also managed a walk out towards the barrier reef that protects the shallows - where we saw some great corals and huge numbers of Sea Urchins - luckily we had been able to borrow appropriate footwear.

Sea Coral

Sea Slug

Large Sea Urchin

As we left the beach and headed for Stone Town for a couple of nights, we dropped in to the Biosphere at Jozani Chakwa Bay Reserve where we watched troupes of Red Colobus monkeys which are endemic to the island - also a wander thorugh a mangrove swamp - unfortunately the guide here was less informative.

Our home in Stone Town was the Zanzibar Coffee House - with thanks to Angie for the recommendation - and the ladies who carried our 16kg bags up two flights of stairs.

We had a leisurely walk around the town - managed to find our way back to our room and followed our hosts recommendation for dinner at 'The Secret Garden' - without doubt the best meal of our trip in a lovely setting.

Stone Town is an absolute maze - with streets only wide enough to walk, ride a bike or motorcycle and perhaps push a hand cart - so we opted for guided walking tour to identify the main sights. Enjoyed the experience and thought we'd return to spend more time at a couple of places - particularly the Anglican Cathedral which is built on the site of the old slave market and retained the slave cellars which were used as storerooms - a very energetic and informative guide but a bit hard to follow. 

However after a lunch stop, we headed back to the hotel and after an hour or so trying to find something familiar ended up back at the restaurant where we'd started. Second time lucky we found the right turning and made it back to our room to pack for our trip to South Africa.

photo catchup 2

Impala Stag

Competing stags

Thomson's Gazelle Stag

Grey-Headed Kingfisher

Superb Starling

Little Bee Eater

Migration Crossing 1

Migration Crossing 2

Migration Crossing 3

All thats left of a Wildebeest after the predators and Scavengers

Its thirsty work!

Photo Catch up

This is the only time a Baboon looks cute!

Serval

Plains Zebra Family

A rather chilled Cheetah

Breakfast time

No sharing

I've had enough for now!

Lets get away from the kids

Where's Mum gone

Ostrich Courtship