Travels of John and Flo – Page 7

December 31, 2016October 19, 2020

Reminiscing in Shangrila

About 20 years ago a very good friend of ours (Sylvie) obtained a concession for some land just south of Puerto Vallarta, near Las Animas. It was right on the beach, with a primary home that was more like a tree house, and a few other thatched roof homes that were used when friends visited. Power lines ran close by so there was electricity, water was obtained by running a hose up a nearby creek, and the home itself was completely open to the elements; no doors (except for the bathroom) and no windows. You could only get there by boat, or walk in for about an hour along a coastal path from Boca de Tomatlán.

November 6, 2016October 19, 2020

Weekend in Alba, Piemonte

Someone once described Piemonte to me as being “Tuscany without the Tourists“. And, to a degree, that is true, they are similar in many ways and there are less tourists. But what people really enjoy about Tuscany – the rolling landscape, the meandering country roads, the wine, the food and the medieval villages – can be also be found in Piemonte, especially the region around Alba, and for a lot less money.

October 26, 2016October 19, 2020

Bike Ride to Peille

I’ve been enjoying getting out by bike and exploring some of the small villages up behind Nice. Last week was west to Cagnes sur Mer, and over the weekend I went north up to Peille.

October 21, 2016October 19, 2020

Ten Good Reasons for an Electric Bike

I recently purchased an electric bike, which I prefer to refer to as “electrically-assisted”, as the bike only works if you are peddling, unlike an electric motorbike which uses electricity as a power source – there are no pedals. I also have a Cannondale road bike, which I very much enjoy, but for different reasons.

October 17, 2016October 19, 2020

Exploring Southern Portugal

In the early fall of this year we made two one-week trips down to southern Portugal, the “Algarve” as it is most commonly known, to become familiar with the region. We have close friends from Canada that are serious about buying down there and moving over for a few years, and so they wanted to find the area that was best suited for them, and then start house hunting. As those are two of our favorite past times, we joined in on the search. They did find a home, and we may just might have found one for ourselves as well, as we really enjoyed our time in the Algarve.

August 26, 2016October 19, 2020

2016 Summer BC Tour

July was spent in British Columbia, touring the province to meet up with family and friends. I began in Vancouver, (by myself, Flo stayed in France), where most of my family now lives, and for good reason, it’s an amazing place. Decent weather, great people, incredible geography and easy access to all parts of the province. Downtown Vancouver is situated on a peninsula, although it is almost an island in many respects. In the foreground in the photo below is narrow inlet called False Creek, while the very dark green part in the background is Stanley Park. You can bike, skate, run or walk the whole circumference of the city along the shoreline and rarely have to cross a street.

June 17, 2016October 19, 2020

Journey to Barcelonette

In mid’ June we decided to drive north to the small town of Barcelonette, situated high in the French Alps, about a three-hour drive from Nice. Our decision was based primarily on the strong relationship this town, or region, has had with Mexico since the early 19th century. Many people from here immigrated to Mexico; there’s not a family that did not have someone who went, and those that did, many did extremely well, returning years later very affluent and building elaborate mansions on the outskirts of town.

June 5, 2016October 19, 2020

Evora (Days 5-6 of Central Portugal Tour)

Evora is a town which was once encircled by fortress walls, although little of it is visible now. In its place is a road, a “periferico”, around the town. It is not large, quite easily walkable throughout, through a maze of streets that can make it difficult to know exactly where you are at times. But small enough to quickly become easy to find your way around and back to the hotel.

Part IV of our Central Portugal Tour. (Part III is here)

June 5, 2016October 19, 2020

Marvao (Day 4 Central Portugal Tour)

We next drove back to the main freeway (A23) from Monsanto and headed south to try and find the town of Marvao. The drive from Monsanto to the freeway (N239) was beautiful as we wound our way through fields of colorful spring flowers scattered with ornamental-like cork trees. We weren’t very familiar with how cork actually was harvested (from the bark, which grows back on the trees every seven years), but found this article very explanatory.

Part III of our Central Portugal Trip (Part II here)

June 4, 2016October 19, 2020

Monsanto (Day 3 – Central Portugal Tour)

Once off the Serra da Estrala mountain range we followed a valley and the River Zezere northward to the town of Belmonte and the Convento del Belmonte. This is a beautifully restored convent just outside of town that overlooks the valley below, which is lined with fruit orchards, primarily peaches and cherries. Beautifully restored, the convent is modernly attired with plenty of common-sitting areas throughout the property. The rooms are quite large and modern with kind-size beds available. The primary building was made from large, hand-cut granite rocks with large wooden beam ceilings.

Part II of our Central Portugal Trip. Part I here.