Festivals

We urgently need a directory of festivals. And I don't mean music festivals like "Glasto" (June 26) or the family friendly "Latitude" in Southwold in Suffolk (July 18). Okay- I guess if you like that sort of thing. And I suppose there are more mature music festivals like "The Big Chill", or the "Larmer Tree", or the one in Portmeirion in Wales. But I was thinking more of the exotic, unusual, characterful, nonsense-fun kind of festival.

Over the years, I've been discouraged gently from running-with-the-bulls in Pamplona in June. (Had hotels booked and all). So my new "bezzie" is "La Tomatina" in Bunol near Valencia- last wednesday in August. (Bunol is famed for it's Paella-yum-yum!).

The big one of course- (dr-e-eee-aaa-mmms) will be the New Orleans Jazz Festival (nojazzfest.com April 26) or the Rio Carnival. For Jazz buffs, Nice puts on a good Jazz Festival in June.

In the meantime- locally- across the water in Ireland- in August is the Galway Oyster Festival.  (Be sure also to venture to Moran's Oyster Cottage in nearby Kilcolgan. In Alba (close to Genoa) in Italy, there's the "White Truffle Festival" (October 1). Imagine Truffles over pasta in the town square! Also in Italy is the interesting "Il Palio" horse-riding race event in Siena (16th July and 16th August). And if you happen to be close by Malmo in Sweden- then savour the Malmo Crayfish festival (August 15-22, www.malmofestivalen.se)

Other local favourites are the Town Crier's festival (there's one close to Liverpool I think). and a few festivals where you roll a big round cheese down a small hill (there's bound to be one near you- otherwise head for Cooper's Hill near Gloucester. www.cheese-rolling.co.uk  (May 27). There's also the "Dieppe Kite Flying Festival"- the world's largest -alternate Septembers- if you are so prone. "Oktoberfest" for beer drinkers in Munich- don't ask when. And of course not forgetting the "International Balloon Festival" in new fave city- Bristol.

Fantastic recently also to read about the Calcot (a kind of Asparagus-shaped onion) festival in Valls (last sunday in January), near Reus -not far from Barcelona in Spain. You learn to peel and eat the roasted Calcots- and wash them down with local red wine from a "purro". Or otherwise eat your Calcots in a "masia"- a traditional farmhouse-style restaurant. Yes please!

Of course, if all else fails- there's always the Chelsea Flower Show (rhs.org.uk, May 21st).

Bye.

Non, Rien de rien by Edith Pilaf

Tracked down the words to this lovely song. Love it so much. Generally love french- and this song is good old fashioned traditional french. Quite simple but cohesive- it holds together well (apart from the chorus). But mostly, like most folk I love the way they r-r-r-r-r- oll thei-r-r-r-r   "R"-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-s.




Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
Ni le mal, tout ca me bien egal

Non, rien de rien
Non Je ne regrette rien
C'est paye, balaye, oublie-
Je me fous du passe.



Avec mes souvenirs
J'ai allume des feux
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs-
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux

Balayes mes amours,
Avec leurs tremolos
Balayes pour toujours
Je repars a zero



Non, rien de rien
Non je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on ma fait
Ni le mal, tout ca m'est bien egal

Non, rien de rien
Non, Je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie, car mes joies, aujourd'hui-
Ca commence avec toi.

Gifts

Thought there should certainly be a directory for gifts & gift shops & suppliers.

Of course there are the usual favourites- like John Lewis', Jo Malone, the Conran Shop, L'Occitane (en Provence et en-ligne), Iwantoneof those - dot-com, Amazon, www.lovethelakes.net  and many more.

You can always give Spa vouchers like those from the RibbyHall SpaHotel.

Stuff comes up every now & then-

Recently there's been - www.ayedo.co.uk  who do a lovely bath set in a bucket at a good price & www.slumberslumber.com who sell a fab silk pillowcase which prevents hair crease & wrinkles.

Will update whenever there's new stuff.

Foreign Affairs

I should really collect all my tit-bits about places to stay in, or eat out in, overseas in one place.

Take the Hotel Al Duemila in rustic Puglia. Supervised activities around the pool for the kids. Priceless.

And it's easy to get to Marseille where you can stay at Le Rhul - 269 Corniche Kennedy, 04 91 52 01 77, www.lerhul.fr. They do an excellent Bouillabaisse. Similar at restaurants- Le Miramar 12, Quai du Port, 04 91 91 10 40, www.lemiramar.fr or Chez Fonfon 140 Vallon des Auffes, 04 91 52 14 38, www.chez-fonfon.com . You can also stay also by the sea at "Au Vieux Panier"- 6 rooms each by a different artist. www.auvieuxpanier.com 0033 632 199005.

Oh and when in Marseille, please pop into "La Maison du Pastis"- which stocks 95 varieties of Pastis.- www.lamaisondupastis.com 0033 491 908 677.

Easy to overlook the beaujolais region in France- close to Lyon. Here there's the Sarmentelles celebrations on November 14 in the capital "Beaujeu". Stay at The Auberge de Clochemerle in Vaux-en-Beaujolais (+ 33 4 74 03 20 16, www.aubergedeclochemerle.fr ) Really cheap and it has a Michelin Star. Or there's a wine farm- Domaine de la Tour de la Belle-Mere- in Charentay (+33 4 74 66 82 21, www.dutraive.com - stunningly cheap).

Quite fancy one day travelling by train along the route from Athens to Thessaloniki. Takes 4 and a half hours- but so so scenic.

Or enjoy the Barolo region of Italy. Bra for excellent slow-food. Nieve home to the top Grappa maker Romano Levi, & Alba - home to Ferrero Rocher- look out for the famous ambassador.

If in the Ronda area of Spain- look out for the music "Festival de Cante Grande" in August (www.turismoderonda.es). Why not splash out and stay at the Casa Consistorial- part of a chain which includes historic castles & monasteries called "Paradores de Turismo de Espana".

But there's no need to focus so much on big towns or cities, or popular places. There's a lot of joy to be had "off the beaten track": so perhaps Montreuil (1 hour away from Calais), Bayeux for that famous "embroidery"- yes it really is a big embroidery, and Amboise (near Tours) in the Loire valley- Chateau, river boats (www.milliere-raboton.net), patisserie (www.bigot-amboise.com), and Le 36 restaurant at the Hotel Choiseul (www.le36-amboise.fr). Alternatively wander the cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion(near Bordeaux)- wine tasting as you go.


There you go.

Our Likes

Few handy hints from recent St Albans holiday.

Baltic restaurant- near the Tate Modern- 74 Blackfriars Rd, SE1 8HA, 02079281111. Eastern European food in an awesomely contemporary setting.

Hummus Bros- restaurant-Southampton Row in Holborn- www.hbros.co.uk 02074047079

Then there's Ace Fusion -afro-carribean place- at Clapham Junction- www.acefusion.co.uk 02072285584. And check out the nearby 5-star luxury www.hotelrafayel.com nearby.

Or if you'd rather South African cuisine at Shaka Zulu in Camden- at Stables Market, London NW1 8AB- www.shaka-zulu.com 02033769911. Looks nice on the web-site- set on 3 floors- with DJs in residence- but still family friendly. Hooray!

Still in Camden- Frederick's- Camden Passage, Islington- 0207 359 2888.


Like the sound of "The Gun". 0207 515 5222 www.thegundocklands.com . Portugese barbecue restaurant. Views across the docklands to the O2 Arena- and a riverside terrace.

And now they've got all these Lidos in London- in case you fancy an impromptu plunge. They have them in Hampstead Heath, Hyde Park (The Serpentine), Tooting Bec, and in Brockwell Park- my old stamping ground when I lived in Herne Hill.
Outside of London check out-

Farington Lodge Hotel in Preston- www.classiclodges.co.uk 5 minutes from Leyland Station

and - Leoni's Italian restaurant - 55 Cross St, Manchesterrr. M2 4FW- 0161 835 1254

In Bristol at Clifton there's Papaji's Bar and Teasmith's- that's right tea taken to another artistic level- 01179 466 144, www.papajis.co.uk

DemiJohn is a "Liquid Deli" in York at 11 Museum Street- 01904 637487 www.demijohn.co.uk. Sounds interesting- a "liquid deli".

And if you're short of somewhere to stay in the South West- try Archanagel Hotel in Frome in Somerset. 01373 456 111 www.archangelfrome.com 


(Also just heard of Cafe de la Post in Biot near Nice for lovely cupcakes- but of course that's miles away). Enjoy. But then heard of Ashoka- bar with a live DJ and open fire in CapeTown. 0027214220909- www.asokabar.co.za

Quick B & Bs

Quick post of B&Bs that have caught the eye and aint too expensive.

Quality seems to approach that in Shaftsbury (Somerset) stayed in years ago.

There's southquaybedandbreakfastpadstow.co.uk (01841532383) in Cornwall- close to Uncle Rick's place and the Padstow harbour.

I also quite fancy - The Archway in Cumbria of Windermere. www.thearchway.com 01539445613

And of course, if you stay in Staffordshire- it has to be Stoop House Farm in Butterton. www.stoophousefarm.co.uk 01538304486.

Really fancy Ivydene House in the tiny village of Uckingall, near Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire close to the M50 and M5 and Cotswolds. £75. www.ivydenehouse.net 01684592453. (It has it's own tennis court in the garden!).

But nearby in Northleach in Gloucestershire is Wheatsheaf Inn- a reasonably priced country hotel- with Bang & Olufsen TVs, a spa, & 14 charming rooms. Billed as "countryside with edge" this one. (01451 860244, cotswoldswheatsheaf.com). Hmmmmm!

In chic Clifton Village in Bristol is the cool Number 38 Clifton. Handy for Bristol Zoo, the Lido (restaurant, Spa and Pool www.lidobristol.com) and for shopping in Clifton Village. www.number38clifton.com 01179466905.

It's nicer in Nice

Here's a quick post- with more things to do in Nice. You never know when you'll pass through. Perhaps en route Corsica, or Monaco for the Grand Prix, or Cannes for the film festival.

I knew about the Matisse Museum, and the Notre Dame Monastery up the hill in Cimiez- but didn't know of the Fashion Gallery on Rue du St Suaire at the far end of the Cours Saleya with it's flower market. There's also the Musee Massena (musee-massena-nice.org, 0033 493 911910).

Have heard of- but not yet been to "Vinivore" 32 Av de la Republique- next tram stop to Place Garibaldi- for wine, cheese and charcuterie at wafer thin prices.

Dine at Chez Palmyre at 5,  Rue Droite 0033 3 857 232- they've got fig ice cream. Also on Rue Droite (No 38) is "Acchiardo"-  00 33 493 855 116. Ask for their "merda" a local version of Gnocchi. At 35 Rue Droite is "Le Fois a Bois Espruno" for freshly baked speciality bread- 0033 493 805067. You could almost get all your needs met on Rue Droite. I also really like the sound of "La Cave d'Origine at 3, Rue Dalpozzo 0033 483 500960. They've got bone marrow and blackboards rather than menus. My style.

For a quick snack- "La Gratta" is a kiosk at the end of the port- 56 boulevard Stalingrad- and eat your "Pan Bagnat" overlooking the harbour. Or maybe bistro Voyageur Nissart- 1 Rue d'Alsace Lorraine (0033 43 821 960) for lunch up to 2.30pm (not Mondays).

If you need a cheap hotel then Hotel Gounod (gounod-nice.com) has a rooftop pool. Better still stay at Nice Gardens- with exquisite views overlooking Nice. Or book a bargain at Villa La Tour- www.villa-la-tour.com -0033 493 800815. Bon Jour for sure. The latest news of course is that the 4-star Hotel Riviera now has a brand new classy spa.

Not strictly in Nice but nearby- theres the very rustic but pleasant- Le Clos St-Pierre in Le Rouret near St Paul de Vence. Of course La Colombe d'Or in St Paul is too grand- but one day maybe. Meanwhile why not have one of the lovely cupcakes at Cafe de la Poste in Biot- the home of glassblowing of course.

Or en route Monaco- spend a while at Menton. Exceptional views and a lovely medieval "old" town.
Eat at Le Petit Port (4 Rue du Jonquier, +33 4 93 35 82 62), or in the old town- "A Braijade Meridounale" 04 93 35 65 65 abraijade.fr. And in case you're Michelin star inclined- then there's Mirazur (04 92 41 86 86, www.mirazur.fr). Enjoy!

In case you end up in London

It's so big and confusing London. Hard to know where to go, what to do and see, where to eat.

Spent many hours walking round and round in Soho and Covent Garden trying to find "somewhere suitable".

So- if by chance you get to Bermondsey-by the river- close to Tower Bridge:

Try Zucca- http://www.zuccalondon.com/, 02073786809 one of the World's finest Italians apparently.

There's Jose- http://www.josepizarro.com/ a tapas bar with a to-queue-for range of impressive sherries.

M Manze- http://www.manze.co.uk/ 02074072985 is a pie and mash shop par excellence.

Then there's the Bermondsey Square Hotel- http://www.bermondseysquarehotel.co.uk/ 02073782450 -where Greg Wallace- he of the Masterchef fame, has opened a new restaurant. Expectations, expectations.

Like the idea of the Garrison ("Catey Awards" pub of the year 2011)-with a 20 seat cinema in the basement.

There's the White Cube Art Gallery http://www.whitecube.com/ , the Fashion and Textile museum http://www.ftmlondon.org/ and the London Glass Blowing Studio http://www.londonglassblowing.co.uk/

Of course Bermondsey is easy access to the South Bank, the Tate, the Tower of London and

A wander through Borough Market- particularly on a Saturday is a must.


Oooh- I wish I were a tourist already.

Psychobabble

How long have we got

50 minutes- long or not



And why not rather this chair

Than the sofabed there

The room’s sanitised clean

White tiles make up blank screen



What’s the use to explore

My deep private folklore

If I sit here in the buff-

My shame showing- that’s tough



Is the meaning we uncover

Worth the free-floating bother

Can’t find my secondary gain

Nor catharsis- just pain



And why sit on the fence

It’s a shared transference

So I’m anal am I?

Well then interprete! Please try.



No wonder people resist

Trust the internal analyst.

Next session’s to think

Now wash your hands in the sink-

Flush!

Local Restaurants

Haven't been blogging for ages- too busy tweeting.

Here's a few local restaurants for my list- lest I forget them.


http://www.lalocanda.co.uk/  Italian place- Pizza free here- It's all about authentic Italian fare. La Locanda in Gisburn near Clitheroe. 01200 445303.

Freemasons Gastropub in Wiswell. Love their web-site- very inviting. Also near Clitheroe. http://www.freemasonsatwiswell.co.uk/  01254822218.

Then there's the recommended http://www.oysterandotter.co.uk/ quite nearby in Feniscowles. 01254 203200. They're good with seafood apparently.

Finally, there's Calypso Carribean Restaurant 01254261020 although there's no web-site- they've a facebook page.

Also Feilden's Arms - 01254814655- ranked #1 in the Blackburn Area- actually in Mellor Brook- near "Cassis" and "The Millstone" at Mellor.


Then there's the Duke of York pub with an accomplished chef in Gridleton- not too far away hopefully.

And love the Walled Garden- a branch would you've guessed of the Barton Grange Garden range along the Garstang Road.

So many others too- to be found on the Ribblevalleyfoodtrail.

Live life like the locals. Enjoy.