Adventures With Harvey

It’s not every day you meet a pop star! When one thinks of the Côte d’Azur two things that might spring to mind are super yachts and celebrities.  We’ve spent an amazing week or two pottering our way along France’s Mediterranean coast through the likes of Saint Tropez, Cannes and Nice, seen plenty of enormous watercraft and met a famous singer.  But as usual, I need to correct the chronology - there’s quite a bit to report so grab a cuppa and prepare for the latest exciting instalment of Adventures with Harvey… First stop after leaving the town of Condom (giggle snigger chortle) was the little hamlet of La Romieu which is home to a not-so-well-known abbey.  One of our favourite things this trip is to meander off the beaten track to find little hidden gems such as this.  The Lonely Planet is brilliant in this regard, often there is a box labelled ‘worth a trip’ or ‘don’t miss’ and we have rarely regretted making these detours.  The abbey was founded by a coup...

  Pays Basque… and pintxos! The best part of a visit to Northern Spain is undoubtedly Pintxos.  “What” I hear you ask… “are pintxos?”  This is the Basque word for tapas and with this in mind, the way to eat an evening meal in Bilbao or San Sebastian is as follows:  Visit pintxos bar #1.  Choose a delicious little titbit from those displayed behind the bar, or order a small hot morsel from the menu.  Order a liquid refreshment of your choice.  Find a little table (outside if the weather is warm enough) and consume, either on your own or perhaps with new friends you have made along the way.  Visit pintxos bar #2.  Repeat.  Visit pintxos bar #3… you get the picture.  The pintxos could be anything from slow cooked beef cheek to goat’s cheese wrapped in courgette to crab served on a slice of baguette.  We spent 2 wonderful evenings in San Sebastian doing exactly as described above however I’ll flesh this story out a little more sh...