Christmas came early to chez nous - Christian home from Myanmar/Burma - champagne and presents. Well, there were too many to carry all the way to carry to France to open on the 25th.
Gleaned from Travel Notes
19th:Dinner B & B with ann and Noel and then off o Otley to stay overnight with Jen.
21st:
Early start for the Dover Ferry. Lunch on board of smoked salmon and venison. It was a long drve to Christophe and Valérie's where we were joind for dinner of guinea fowl by Guillhaume and Valerie.
22nd:
apéro with Lydie and Bernard then lunch with the Malo family.
23rd:
Another early start. Difficult navigating around Paris, fog, rain, sun, police again but this time no speeding fine as we're non-resident! A never-again motorway meal. Arrived chez Josette and Jacky for 7pm to collect the key for our new home, Gisèle and Philippe unbeknown to us, having gone away for Christmas.
24th:
Not an auspicious start. Very cold inside and out. No cooker, couldn't light the fire. Shopping in Spain and early to bed to keep warm. Not feeling too good.
Lunch and a walk in Collioure. Quiet night. Champagne and incomprehensible (for me), innane tv.
26th:
Lunch in Céret, visit to José and Michelle (Philippe's sister and her man) then on to Amélie. Everything closed. Spartan meal at "home" but feeling a bit better.
27th:
José, who's going to do the renovations to the house, came to have a look around. Dinner of fish, chez José
28th:
Earlyish start. It's still very cold. Snow en route to Avignon.Lunch with Stéphane, Magali and her parents. overnight in Macon. Good hotel with good food but the restaurant was deadly.
29th:
Onto Paris. Good lunch in Courtenay in family restaurant. Freezing cold and kept ourselves busy walking around Pantin before Frank arrived home. dinner at the 'Poule au Pot'. Huge portions and an interesting and characterful place.
30th:
Shopping in Calais for proposed New Year party in the Cotswolds. One ferry was off so we had a long wait. Blizzards on the way up from Dover. stayed in B and B in the village with Colin and Sheila.
