A Busman's Holiday

We're already back 4 days from our Busman's holiday - sad and sorry individual that I am, I need to have a few gigs to feel like I can relax properly - so a mixture of work and holiday was the order of the day.  We played 3 nights formally and another couple informally for groups of people which was just lovely and challenged my language skills.   I like to try and speak a little of the country's language that we're in - it's always good fun to even try a couple of words.  The start of our stay was in Bilbao in the Basque area of Spain ... Their language is called Euskerria .... and to say thank you is"Eskerrik Asko" !  I had to write it down otherwise nothing would have sunk in lol

Anyway, we're both home feeling well relaxed, head wise - still tired physically, but then we've packed a lot in.

We started our stay in Rennes, two hours south of the ferry and had a lovely, very expensive, Morrocan meal - lovely at the time anyway, but very heavy and told on us for a few days.

But Rennes is a lovely city and I'd like to visit it again.  Here are a few pics from our night time walk around.

Around Rennes

Tom at the Moroccan restaurant -
I should have got that fez closer to his head!!

Rennes cathedral at night.
Lots of French cities have these bikes
that you can pick up and leave back to another location -
great idea. 

Then down to Bilbao - we drove down the West Coast of France which isn't really that interesting scenery wise - and I suppose one motorway is like the next - so it seemed like a long journey this time.  

But we had a lovely couple of days there - I already wrote here about the Fiesta and seeing Cirque du Soleil.
What about this for a mad family pic on the boat coming home from the beach :)

We played in a Castle - at Labastide Marnhac - for Cahors Folk Club - the audience was lovely - lots of different nationalities and I was very pleased to get my French song in - and everyone sang along :)

Playing in Cahors Folk Club 

the Castle Gate

Sunset through the castle window

With our friends Fini and Ger

Big sky that night

We had a lovely spin out for the afternoon in the their 2 CV - such fun :)   It's a real sunshine car :)

And a visit to a "vide grenier" - a bit more upmarket
than a car boot sale - ooh heaven - I love hoking through other people's junk :) 

The sunflowers fading out

Further North, near Montmorillion, we almost missed the sunflowers.   I had been watching out for them for Tina Downey's tribute and last year they had been magnificent - but this year they were almost ready for harvest and were hanging there heads … So for the entire trip I was searching for one perfect field - and got it eventually … here on Tina's tribute page.

While in the North we went to visit Oradour sur Glane - the martyr village which Charles de Gaulle ordered be left as it was after it was destroyed by the Nazis - a chilling experience.  I've posted lots of pictures here

So we're home again and back to porridge.

Did you have a nice holiday this year?

Do you ever take a busman's holiday?

I'd love to hear your stories.

France and Spain

Before the last gig :)

Here are some images from our busman's holiday trip around France and Spain.   We haven't taken a holiday for 15 years so this was a rare treat and even the couple of gigs we did were different from our usual events and felt like a break from the normal.

We spent time with friends and family in 3 different areas  - and it was just wonderful - and neither of us wanted to come back and are plotting our return!

We arrived back to the rain but thankfully the Indian summer we were promised has shown up .... but in the coming weeks I'll need constant reminders of the sun :)

Montmorillon - I love all the red roofs - this is known as the writer's city - the old town is full of bookshops and things to do with writing.

A calligraphy shop in the city of writing.

We took the ferry over from Ireland to France and started in the middle of the country staying with friends we haven't seen in over 10 years.    To protect the innocent I'm leaving them out of this picture blog ... but the area was beautiful ... sunflowers and castles, red roofs and red wine.

Sunflower hiding

A few days later we headed down into Spain - beautiful scenery - and it was in the 30s centigrade all the time we were there - total bliss.

Marremetaco with Paco (Tuna and Potato Stew)

The gorgeous waters near Bilbao in Spain

A day out at the seaside

We took a boat out to this little beach island - the Spaniards take sunbathing very seriously!!

Back in France with some more old friends whom it's been far too long since we caught up with

At the market (near Cahors, France)

At the market

Most houses aren't painted in France,
but every house has pots and pots of flowers outside
glorious explosions of colour.

Just behind our friends' house - rows and rows of vineyards
We'll have to go back - didn't get drinking it all!!

Happy Memories.
How was your summer?
Did you get a holiday?