wine tasting in bordeaux.

You can't go to Bordeaux without experiencing a wine tasting.

There are 10,000 vineyards in the region and the wine being produced is 87% red and 13% white.

Being at the end of my trip, I went for the budget half day tour and only got to see two vineyards that were a bit closer to town but they were charming nonetheless (one was built underneath a historic fort) and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

I do know what I want to do next time and it's a full day tour that includes something like 12 tastings, tapas at each one and the famous Saint Emilion area....

Also, I think i'd be keen to do some WWOOFing around here at some stage...

sunsets in san sebastian.

I've never really been that big on sunset and sunrise. That was until I went to San Sebastian.
 Sunset in San Seb is the most magical time of day. More people are outside enjoying the change in light than any other time of the day.

It's the perfect time to share a bottle of wine and appreciate one of the planets little pleasures.
The colours, balmy air, happy laugher and the smell of the fresh salty breeze.
Moments like these make me want to spend more time outdoors, particularly at sunset.

I could have gotten used to this...too bad London is grey and gloomy...

I've got way too many photos to share of Mother Natures beauty...here are a few

and then...this happened..

postcards from san sebastian

1. looking over the Bay of La Concha with a hint of hydrangea

2. pasteleria goodness

3. my first self timer attempt

4. churros and chocolate - so so good!

5. little sail boats preparing for a day on the water

6. Borda Berri - so much deliciousness, thanks Ben

7. Jorge Oteiza sculpture on the waterfront

8. the view walking up Monte Urgull

9. the view from my room & a grand statue of Jesus

10. a prayer room underneath the statue of Jesus

san sebastian - i love you.

the longest stop of my trip was in San Sebastian.
I was here for five nights and it was kind of my holiday from my holiday, I needed some downtime!
My time in San Seb consisted of...beach, eat, a spot of shopping, climbing a mountain and more beach...it was perfect and hot.
I would probably say that this has been my favourite stop so far, and I'm keen to head back at some stage to get some more beach time.
Also, I haven't been to Santorini yet but the sunsets in San Seb are the best I have ever seen, i'll post on that later.
I'm coming to the end of my trip and it's time to get serious about life again come Tuesday. I'm off tomorrow to my last stop, a weekend in Paris!
AND thanks to all my people for reading this blog, I have just hit 1000 views, it means the world to me to know that you're all following what i'm up to, I am really loving creating this for you.

heres a few snaps from my first day in San Sebastian...

so many tapas restaurants with amazing arrays of food in the old town

my plate of tapas or "pinchos" as they're known in the Basque region

from one end to the other

the beach!

funicular up to Monte Igeldo

the view from Monte Igeldo....wow

getting good at this

the view to the countryside

postcards from madrid

And this street performer who freaked me out...yes that's a grown man dressed as a baby and talking like a baby....and then i caught him later out of his suit...

1. the colours of Madrid

2. Puerta del Sol (there are many many statues like this throughout Madrid)

3. Palacio Real

4. invisible men street performers near the Palacio Real

5. Catedral de la Almudena in the heat of the day

6. checking out the palace

7. a roaring lion in the Plaza de Oriente

8. Plaza Mayor after sunset

9. Jardines de Sabatini (the palace gardens)

10. more colourful Madrid