Minuit Blanche

After dinner we wandered around looking at the art and performances that are part of Minuit Blanche (white midnight) and that allowed us to get into the castle, town hall, dungeons, gardens and other impressive buildings.

Linden even added a bit of kiwi to some community street art.

Uzès, Gard, France

We travelled from London on the Eurostar this morning through Lille and Lyon to Avignon. Then 45 minutes by rental car and we were in Uzès. It's probably most famous for being located at the source of the Alzon river which supplied water to the city of Nimes 50 kilometers away via the Roman aqueduct the Pont du Gard.

Our apartment is fabulous and the town of about 8,000 people is beautiful. A mix of grand buildings, squares, cobbled streets, antique shops, clothes shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.

Tonight they are having "Minuit Blanche" (white midnight), an artistic event dedicated to art and visual arts. Contemporary artists set up their works in the public eye throughout the old town and musicians, painters, singers, photographers, sculptors, visual artists, dancers and street artists have open air performances.

And we'll be here tomorrow for the weekly market in the square and main streets.

Our second floor apartment

A room of walking sticks in an antique shop. Another part of the shop is an Italian restaurant!

I thought this was an exhibition for Minuit Blanche but it was actually just a shop advertising its large toys

We ended our wandering at the town square, the Place aux Herbes

Some American cyclists also found the Place aux Herbes

And we finished our walk with a glass of Provence rosé

London

After a 3 hour train trip from Axminster to London we got the Tube to our hotel near St Pancras and then went to Ottolenghi's in Islington for lunch.

Then we wandered back along Regents Canal and saw some of the major developments in the area near Kings Cross andSt Pancras.

We wandered along the canal and saw canal boats negotiate locks and people living in house boats. It didn't feel like we were in the middle of one of the world's great cities.

But suddenly we were at Camden lock and then in the vibrant Camden Town and Camden markets.

Later we met up with former RNZer Rick Niblet for dinner at a nearby Tandoori.

At Ottolenghi's

At Ottolenghi's

Typical Islington street

Regents Canal

St Pancras lock

Tearooms in a canal boat

The Gasholders apartment development

A canal boat going through the first of the Camden locks

Water gets higher...

..and higher....

....until they are able to leave the lock.

Camden locks

Camden Town

Camden Market

Camden Town

Camden Town

Camden Town

Dinner with Rick Niblet

Dartmouth, river cruise, Kingswear and back home

We started the morning with a walk along Bayards Cove before taking a cruise up the Dart River, past the  Britannia Royal Naval College, past Sir Walter Raleigh's boathouse and past Agatha Christie's home "Greenway".

Then down the river past Kingswear on one side and Dartmouth on the other to the river mouth where the Dartmoor Castle stands guard.

Then over the river  by ferry for lunch at Kingwear looking across to Dartmouth before catching the steam train to Paignton and trains back to Axminster.

Bayards Cove

Above Bayards Cove looking across to Kingswear and the car ferries

A glimpse from the river cruise of Agatha Christie's home, Greenway

".. and tell me grey seal how does it feel to be so wise.."

Sir Walter Raleigh's boathouse. The river is lined with oaks. The old English work for oak, dart, gave the river its name.

Dartmouth Naval Base is the smallest in the U.K. The one ship, used for training, doesn't even have an engine.

On board the river cruise

Royal Naval College

Dartmouth from the river

Kingswear

Dartmouth Castle

Looking up the river

Looking from Kingswear to Dartmouth and the Royal Naval College

Our train coming into Kingswear to take us home

We sat in the observation carriage again so had great views of the rivers and sea, and the steam engine.