Provence

Hello everybody out there!

 

Finally we left the hot hot hot coast and headed inland to a place called Provence. On the way there we drove through a massive canyon that had huge cliffs and even one place we had to drive under the rock. Freaky sneakers! We stopped off for a swim at the most crazy lake we had ever seen. It was like fiji with clear blue water. The temp in our car said it was 43 degrees celsuis! World record for us!

 

Provence is an area in France that is famous for lavender, sunflowers, wine and food. Unfortunately we just missed the flowers but it was still very beautiful! We had hired a villa (in a villages called Cabrieres d'Avignon) with a pool with the cousins - yay! It was happy and sad as this was exciting but it was also the last week we had with our couzzies. After this week we were going back to the coast and they are heading to an area called Montpellier. They are off to help with the wine vintage.

 

Anyway - we made it to the coolest house we have ever seen! It was huge and roomy with a cool pool - all to ourselves!! Everyday we went visiting different villages around where we lived and then in the afternoon we spent by the pool because it was soooooo hot!

 

Most of the villages we had to park outside and walk as the streets were so small and windy. It was really fun to get lost and find our way through them. They also had really beautiful fountains with cool running water that all had good luck coins in them.

 

We also had to do school work everyday. We are trying to learn all our times tables which has been hard but Mummy makes it really fun. Speed maths! We are also writing in our books and drawing pictures to go with them. It can be fun but it also can be really hard too - Mummy said that she could never be a teacher - haha. We would rather be in the pool but Mum said that we would have to repeat a year if we didn't do it. We don't think she was joking...

 

Another exciting thing we did this week was to plan a show to perform to the parents. Up behind the house is a stage area surrounded by a cedar forrest. It was so cool and perfect for a show. We all spend agers working out three dances - all in secret from the parents! We made tickets and the parents had to book their seats and pay 5 euros each to come to our show! We also made food out of paper so they had something to nibble on at half time. We were very excited and it was fun planning costumes and our roles. Show night was a huge success and it ended with the parents joining in with our disco. The Mummy's even did cartwheels and it was very funny.

 

One of the coolest villages we did visit was called Les-Baux-de-Provence. It was high up on hill in rugged mountains. In the olden days it was a fort that was very strong. People still live there but in back in the old days they lived in the rocks and made houses in the cliffs. It was awesome. They used to collect the rain water off the cliffs by making a channel and collecting it in huge clay pots. They were very resourceful. We also watched a live performance of medievil sword fighting - it was all in french but it was still very funny.

 

Other villages we saw were called Gourdes (very pretty and the day we visited they had a busy market - Violet accidently held a stranger-ladies hand and she growelled her becasue she thought she was a pick-pocket!), Bonnieux, L'Isle-sur-la-sorgue (antiques), Fontaine-de-vaucluse (biggest natural spring in the world), Lacoste (fancy castle owned by Pierre Cardin the fashion designer), Lourmarin (Mummy brought cool sparlkly shoes, Chateaunerf-du-Pape (wine heaven where Dad brought a bottle of wine that will be ready for our 21st's and a cool retro swimming), Avignon (Mum made us visit IKEA but it was actually very cool).

 

On our last morning we had a farewell morning tea at fancy-pants pastry shop. It was so pretty with so much pink and lots of girly chairs. Even the men loved it! It was sad to leave our family as its been so fun spending so much times with them. They are special friends and we are so lucky that they let us travel with them!!!

 

Phew! Busy busy times. Next stop is back to the coast to a place called Cassis. See you then....

 

Love Isla and Violet xx

 

 

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Cote D'Azur

The drive to Frejus/Saint Ayulf (the coast) was MASSIVE! We drove from the mountains to the sea which should have taken 6 hours but instead it took 9 hours! The temperature went up by about 15 degrees and it was boiling. Lucky for air-conditiong (or Clime as they call it here in French). Apparently it took so long becasue it was the busiest weekend in the whole of the Summer holidays. We were bummer to bummer on the motorway and we even saw a family broken down in the middle of the road and we felt very sorry for them. Tim and Anna just missed being involved in a car crash so that shows how nuts it was.

 

We arrived very hot and Mum was very bothered. We checked into a Campground called Sandaya which is next to Frejus town - about 10 mins away. Everyone seemed to be checking in at the same time and all the staff were wearing pirates costumes. They did not look very pleased to be wearing those costumes and wigs. Dad said they were not happy bunnies. Speaking of not happy bunnies - Mum was not that stoked when she heard that our cabin did not have clime. What made it worse was that the cousins did! We left Mummy alone for a bit to cool off (get it - get that joke!!!). Anyway - she lifted her chin up and made the most of it. The place was huge and it did have 5 pools which made us happy! They also had 2 water slides.

 

Most of the days we packed the car and headed to explore the beaches along the coastline. They were amazing! Clear blue water and beautiful beaches - most packed with people but we did find some good sneaky beaches without many visitors too. Lots of boobies out which was very funny. We cracked up seeing so many topless ladies but then soon got very used to it. We kept asking Mummy and Auntie Anna to be topless too but they were too shy. We swim with no tops as all the kids in France do - we love it! Freedom!

One day at one of our favourite beaches our cousin Lucy got stung by a jellyfish (or in French, Medusa). She got a really bit fright and ran out of the water screaming her lungs off "I've been stung by a Jellyfish!" The whole beach stopped and stared at us. Poor her - the man next to us told Tim to wee on her hand straight away! Haha but that works the best as the sting got a bit less after that.

At other beaches we snorkled and dived off rocks and mostly did lots of swimming around. It was so nice to be in the sea. At another beach, another funny thing happened - while we were swimming out to the pontoon, Vi spotted a poo floating around! She squealed and we all had to wait for it to float away. Ewwwww.

Another day trip was to meet up with Delphine, Huges, Cami and Chloe at a lake which was inland - called Saint Cassein. It was really beautiful and so nice to for a change. We swam all afternoon then Delphine took us to the village they were staying in for dinner and a game of boules. It was called Fayence. It was old and very cool with windey footpaths and cats sleeping in doorways.

Everynight back at the campground there was entertainment put on for the guests. We were the only guests that spoke English we reckon but that was ok. The best night was when they had a Micheal Jackson impersonator. He was awesome and very true to real. We actually were in shock with how good he was! He even signed his business card for our books! Cool man.

 

We loved the beaches so much but after this week we take off for Provence. We will be back to beaches after that. See you soon! Oh and we are nearly at the half way of our holiday and miss everyone back in New Zealand very much. Please email us with your news as we are a bit homesick too.

alexfulton@xtra.co.nz

 

Love Isla and Violet xx

 

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Samoens, The French Alps

Bonjour!

 

We traveled from Roanne to Sameons in the car (with the the help of 'Darl' the satnav) and it took AGERS. We travel in the car heaps but we know it's to get to another awesome place so that makes it ok.

We get to watch really cool movies that Dad has put onto his ipad. Our best one is "We brought a Zoo" it's really cool and I wish we brought a zoo but I'm sure we can't afford it now that we have brought this holiday. Who cares, not us, because we are having such a wonderful holiday (I wanted to say awesome but my Mum says I say it too much).

 

We were really excited to get to this place as we had seen the photos and the house (or chalet they are called in the mountains) had a pool table and a movie theatre. Whoa! Awesome! Whoops.

 

Delphine, Cami and Chloe - our new french buds came too so it was really cool as we were not ready to say goodbye just yet. We were also with our cuzzies. We were happy as its so fun hanging out with them!

 

The first thing we noticed was that it was a little bit colder than in Roanne. Especially the nights. Not much but definately a little bit. It was still really hot especially for the all the walking we were to do. Delphine's family had spent a lot of time in ths area so she had lots of ideas for us. The first walk we did was up to a hill that we could see Mt Blanc and surrounding mountians. It also had a cross on top that we had to climb too. It was rocky and we followed a track up that winded through trees and pretty wild flowers. Violet was a surprise climber and she was the first Fulton to reach the top! Maybe ever! Once at the top we could look down at the Samoen Village and surrounding villages. We could also see the chair lifts from the ski fields and imagined them all covered in snow in winter time. It would be so wicked to come back in winter time!

 

Two days after that we decided to do another climb. Us Fultons, Lucy, Uncle Tim and some of Delphines relations climbed to Refuge du Grenairon high in the mountains. It was at 1950 altitude. Quite a few people go there and stay the night before climbing onwards to Mt Beut, another 4.5 hours up! Thats what Uncle Tim and the other relations were going to do trhe next day. They had to get up very early and head off before it got too hot to climb.

 

We all stayed in a dorm room and slept in the same place. It was really funny and we got the giggles becasue there were lots of body noises if you get what we mean! Haha. The adults were a bit grumpy in the morning and we didnt get much sleep! The food was cool as we all had to eat the same thing and it didn't matter as we were REALLY hundry from the climbing. We felt really proud that we had done such a massive climb and we were only kids! Again Violet was the first to reach the tippy top. We called her Edmond. She also won at 'Happy Families' so it was definately her day!

 

The next day climbing down was also cool. It took longer than getting up as we went down a different track that wasn't so steep. Oh and we forgot to tell you that there was a HUGE thunder storm in the night while we were up the mountain. Auntie Anna heard it and got really worried that we would be stuck up their for more than one night but we were fine as the weather cleared pretty quickly.

This photo is especially for my old class back in Sumner School!!! Playground in the mountains!!!!

 

Another day we decided (just us family) to go to Chamonix for the day. Mum and Dad really wanted to take us there as this is where thet got engaged 12 years ago! Freaky. They also took us to the top of the Aiguille du Midi. It is 12602 ft. and higher than Mt Cook! What! It took us 2 cable cars and a lift inside a rock to get to the tippy top. We all felt really sick and woozey at the top and had to sit down for a bit. Isla still managed a cartwheel! She is cartwheeling every where we go in Europe and wants Mummy to compile them all together when we finish and make a giff movie. Should be crazy as.

The wee town was really cute and looked like a fake village. It was so nice to visit and we tried some yummy treats from the local lollies and bakery shops. We would love to go back there again especially in the winter! They also had a beautiful botanical garden.

These gardens were donated to Samoens but a rich frence lady who was from there. It's really amazing with planets from all around the world! even NZ!

This crazy tree dude was at the top of the botanical gardens.

 

Next stop - the beach in the South of France so see you then!!!!!

 

Love Isla and Violet xx

 

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Roanne

Bonjour from the region of Roannaise!

This is not a very well known part of France and not much has been written in the Lonely Planet but we certainly think it should be as it was pretty amazing.

The reason we got to come here was that our Auntie Anna actually lived here when she had just finished university. She had done a degree in French and came to the place to teach English. She spent only a year here but made friends for life! We got to meet heaps of them and they were really nice and very frenchie!

 

Her best friend is Delphine - she is married to Hughes (pronouced Uuuuugggg) and they have two kids, Camille (pronounced Cami) and Chloe which is just the same as in New Zealander language. They were 9 and 5. It was really cool to meet french kids but it was very hard to understand them! We had to do a lot of sign language but it didn't matter as they were cool fun to play with. Cami was really into music and it made us laugh when he sang to the songs in English. Chloe was so cute and she loved to dance.

 

Our Cousins stayed with them while we stayed down the road in a Gite (thats a country farm house). It was a two story place and we all stayed upstairs. It was a bit stinky and creepy but the views were incredible. One night while we were staying there, there was a huge thunder and lightening storm and guess what...we didn't even wake up once. Mummy said she had to hold Daddy's hand as she was a little bit freaked out. Haha.

 

On our first day we went on a adventure to the mountains and did a climbing in the trees course. It was a bit like adrenaline forest in Christchurch but easier obstacles. We loved it though and Violet was the gutsey-est I have ever seen her.

 

Another day we all when and did a pottery class with a local art guy called Nate. He could speak english really well and it was so much fun. We all got to make a tiny dog house for our toy pet dogs. He also showed us how to 'throw clay' and he made a bowl in like 20 seconds! It was crazy. Mum brought a very cool salt shaker from him. We sent that home so I hope it makes it!

 

The weather was really hot and to cool off we got to swim at Delphine's parents house just outside of Renaision (the village below Delphine and Hughes). It was so nice to chill out and get cool! Its so fun to hang out with our cousins and our new friends. Delphine's parents were so nice to let us come in and swim - they also pretended to be an ice-cream shop and served us all ice-creams from the window.

 

On one of our last days all the kids went with the dads to visit a wine region called Burgundy. It was a long car trip and very hot. The Dad-twins dragged us around heaps of vineyards and tried heaps of wine. Uncle Tim gets very excited by wine. There was a cave which had loads of barrels in it. The best bit was we got icecreams!

 

On the day we left we got to meet the owners of the Gite. They were a sweet old couple and he was a clog maker! One of only 15 france. They are dying out. My Mum loved that as she loves clogs. They drove a really cool 2CV. Cool old french people! He wore clogs.

 

The next journey is a long one into the Mountains to stay in a wee town called Samoens. See you soon!

 

Love Isla and Violet.

 

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The Loire Valley

Bonjour,

After the crazy week in Paris our next mission was to go and pick-up our rental car that we have for 3 months! It's freaky because we kind of buy it for that time then sell it back. It's called a Eurolease. It's a Puegot and it's dark grey. Our cousins one is different and it's light grey.

 

It also has a lady that speaks to us inside it and we have called her "darl" because every time she tells us a new direction we all say "thanks Darl". She keeps very calm even when we go the wrong way! She sounds like Lady Gaga but with no singing.

 

We headed to the Loire Valley to a Eco-camp site called Alicourts, resort by nature. We stayed in a cabin but if you were very fancy or brave you could stay in a real tree house! It was too far from the pool for us. Plus snakes and plus it would have been to hard to get up all of our bags.

 

It was a cool place with huge playgrounds, waterslides, pools, supermarkets, lake, disco, fishing, kids club, dancing and much more. Every night there was a kids disco and two girls would dress up in different costumes each night. We learnt some new French disco songs with actions! One of the girls was our favourite and she had a diamond in her tooth. Cool.

 

The weather was hotter than Paris but a bit cloudy at first. Then it was beautiful. We visited a lot of castles while we were there because it 66 in the region. We got to see 4 but that was enough we think as they were quite busy and hot work!

 

Chambord:

This is the grandest and most famous of all the castles. It was built by King Frances I as a country retreat. It woul have taken him angers to get there from Paris traveling in his horse by I guess that's normal if you are a king. You can live anywhere and do what you want. It has fancy rooms which smelt very old but I guess that was because it is. It had double helix staircases in the middle and it was completely symmetrical and extremely grand. Leonardo Da Vinci even stayed there as he was a good friend of the king. It had moat and the biggest garden We have ever seen. Big as Sumner we think.

 

Villandry:

It's better known for its gardens than castle but we got to see both. The garden was so amazing and it took hours to get around it. It was humongous. It had a maze, playground, vege garden, fancy gardens, moats, swan lakes and tree lined paths. We think we would not like to have to weed it because it would take all year and then you would have to start all over again. Even the veges were planted in perfect shapes.

 

Usse:

Or the sleeping beauty castle! It was pretty but we decided not to go inside. Instead we took photos outside it. We were a bit sick of being in the hot car and traveling around castles. They were cool but we liked the water slides at our camp a little bit better. This castle was very pretty with lots of turrets and levels. We could imagine repunzel sleeping there or another princess as it was very glamorous and very old.

 

Clos Luce

This was a funny old house at the top of a hill in a very busy town called Amboise. It was a very important place because that was where Leonardo Da Vinci spent his last 6 years and died there too! He was a very important man because he painted the Mona Lisa and also invented so many things. In the bottom of the house they had a museum with real life models of the this he dreamt up in his head. We could not believe that he thought of these things and some are still used today, like the life buoy. He invented the helicopter, the tank, the first car, dykes (for canals), ball bearings, underwater breathing apparatus, and a parachute. He was amazing and it was freaky (Vi's favourite word) to think he thought of all this so long ago.

 

We also got told off by a crazy French lady who looked like a chihuahua because we used her cafe toilet. She yelled at Violet so Mummy used some English words to reply to her. Luckily she did not understand Mummy. We did and got the giggles. She won't mess with us anymore!

 

After an amazing week and our first real taste of France we are excited to head to our next destination of Roanne. It was about a 4 hour drive away and we decided to stop off at a very famous and beautiful town called Vezelay. It's all built on top of a hill. Very old and lots of religious people come to see the old church. We went inside it and had to be quiet as real life nuns were inside praying.

 

We had a very cool lunch in a cave resturant that served cheese shaved into thin strips and shaped like a flower. They served the best hot chocolate we have ever had!

 

See you in Roanne!

 

Love from Isla and Violet

 

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