For our last trip of the summer we went back to France for a few days in Normandy. Our base was the small town of Lisieux. Continue reading
Places
Tea, Flowers and Kandy
We wanted to go up to the cool highlands and see the tea plantations but first we had to visit Kandy.
Kandy was the last capital of the kings of Sri Lanka. Its highlight is Sri Dalanda Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth.
Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle Many Steps, Many Dagobas,
Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy form a compact area in the middle of the island known as the cultural triangle. This triangle contains the ancient capitals, many dagobas, cave temples, and wildlife making it an ideal place to explore when you finally tear yourself away from the fantastic beaches.
Beach and Culture in Sri Lanka
We stayed in Beruwela on the Sri Lankan west coast. It’s a busy town with lots of beach hotels but from here you can easily walk far away from the tourist places and not get hassled very much by the locals trying to make a few bob from the foriegners.
Lavender Just an Hour From Home
Despite spending some time in Southern France this summer and visiting several lavender shops we didn’t see any of the famous purple fields.
Not to worry it seems Kent is also famous for lavender! Continue reading
Collioure and Albi, Historic Towns of the Languedoc
An afternoon out from Carcassonne can take you to several towns of the Languedoc. Collioure, a Mediterranean fishing village near the Spanish border is, I think, the prettiest. It was Spanish until the mid 17th century and it still has a very Catalan feel to it.
Sur Le Pont
There are several great towns not far from Carcassonne. The advantage of Avignon is you pass the Pont Du Gard on the way
Around Carcassonne – Away from the City
The most obvious trip to take after you’ve been round Carcassonne at least twice is a boat ride on the Canal Du Midi.
Summer in the South of France- a Visit to Carcassonne
It probably wasn’t the best idea to spend a week in Carcassonne with a broken arm especially in a heatwave. The travel insurance would have paid up but sitting at home unable to do most things, try washing up or ironing with one hand, was driving me crazy so we went anyway.
Palma, Capital of Mallorca
Palma is the one place you must visit on Mallorca. If you are staying in one of the coastal resorts everything is designed with the foreign tourist in mind and you don’t see anything much of the real Spain. While Palma is a tourist city it is also very Spanish place from its yellow painted houses to its Mediterranean food.