Provence Tayl's

Well we are now home, and yes it really feels like home! And it feels like Spring could be coming!

We travelled back from Australia over the last weekend via Singapore & London. We were away just over 6 weeks, the longest we have been away and the first real holiday since moving here four years ago.
As everyone knows holidays are good for all sorts of reasons, one of them being appreciating what you have at home. And we are both very happy to be back in Provence. Whilst we loved every minute of our travels we missed a number of things that attracted us to this country and region in the first place.

The scenery is spectacular in both New Zealand & Australia, as it is also in France, notably the beautiful Luberon region where we live. We enjoyed superb cuisine with the Lamb and Green Lip mussels in New Zealand of particular note. We also had some great Thai food something we miss in France. By contrast we noticed the portion sizes were much larger than we were used to, and there was no bread served with a meal (other than a doorstep size peice at a supplement). For me a baguette with a meal is essential. My first stop on route home from the airport was the Boulangerie!

Of course neither country can compete with the history that Europe offers, and the age of the buildings, which simply ooze charm and character, particularly in Provence. And whilst your average Kiwi is as laid back as a sunlounger and the Ozzi's are as bouncy as a Kangaroo, and both are incredibly hospitable we actually rather like the formalities of our French conpatriates.

Both countries also have wonderful wine and we really enjoyed visiting the Marlborough region in New Zealand and Hunter Valley in Australia, but you know what I think, the French still have the best wine in the world!

And so we return, it's March, it's been an incredibly hard winter here as it has in many countries and we are looking forward to Spring and the arrival of our first guests at the end of March, so now we need to start preparing the garden and pools.