Wanderwiles

The Biggest Medieval Festival in France is a hit once again

Encampments outside the ramparts at Les Médiévales de Provins

UPDATE June 2024: The 39th annual Fête Médiévale de Provins was as much fun this year as last. I’m happy to report that entry fees have not changed. The weather was wildly different, though: chilly and cloudy on the first weekend in June! This year, I even got David in costume. A thick leather belt with “antique” medallions turned his Moroccan wedding attire (bought for a friend’s wedding in Marrakech in March) into medieval garb. Despite the Fête Médiévale website stating that full costume attire head-to-foot is required for an entry discount, they are in fact very liberal and freely allow tennis shoes, etc. under costumes. Costumes range from the impressively accurate period dress to fantasy wear and inexpensive Halloween-quality costumes.

My boys and I used to make the annual Fête Médiévale de Provins whenever possible, but–with my children grown–it had been some years since I’d been. When David and I decided to move back to Paris for the year, I looked up the festival, put it on my calendar and signed up for the festival email list. Then, I packed the “Guinevere” dress I bought some years back just for the occasion and crossed my fingers that we’d work the Provins fête into our schedule. Despite early summer heat and the possibility of storms (that didn’t materialize) we made it out to the picturesque walled town this past Sunday for the 38th annual festival. Les Médiévales de Provins was packed with visitors, entertainers, vendors, craftsmen and more, lots of whom sported elaborate medieval (or fantastical quasi-medieval) costumes in a perfect setting. What fun!

Street entertainers in front of Saint Quiriace church in Provins

Provins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the town is worth a visit any time of year. Surrounded by intact medieval ramparts, the town has a tower, underground galleries, a historic church, a museum lodged behind a 12th century facade, and more. Provins regularly hosts spectacles including falconry and jousting shows from late March to early November. Half-timbered buildings and a maze of charming cobbled streets entrance visitors. In summer, lush roses spill over stone walls and small canals meander past bright flower boxes and under overhanging greenery. The whole town smells sweetly of blossoms. In winter, the streets have a different appeal and its fun to visit without the crowds. The main church Saint Quiriace was built in 1160(!). Joan of Arc and King Charles VII attended mass there in 1429. The main part of the church burned and was rebuilt in the 1600’s.

During the medieval festival, Provins truly comes alive. Tents offering all sorts of medieval-era-inspired handicrafts line the square around Saint Quiriace and continue down numerous cobbled streets to the big place du Châtel and spill out onto the grass at the base of the ramparts: jewelry, leather goods, food, clothing, ironworks and more. Street entertainers play music, dance, juggle, and parade by on stilts. Book stalls fill the church. Grills and spits, kettles and crêpe pans send enticing odors wafting into the air. There are interactive workshops for medieval trades and skills, jousting, archery, falconry and more.

Arriving at the festival just before noon, David and I bought cold craft beers at an early booth, then let ourselves be lured by the stalls, sipping as we went. We opted for a lunch of easy and quick sausage and rice “paella” cooked in huge iron pans and served by people dressed as peasants. Not wanting to waste time with lunch, we ate perched on a stone wall, but we could have opted for any number of places with tables set up outside or one of the regular restaurants that dot Provins. There were roasted pigs on spits, raclette sandwiches, sausages, meats, all kind of sweets. Teams of cooks and servers tended to dress alike with “knights Templar” barbequing in one spot and brown-robed monks at another. The theme was definitely open-fire and grill cooking, although there was something for everyone. Drinks included the usual modern offerings along with medieval treats like hypocras (spiced wine), cervoise (an ancient form of beer made with local plants) and hydromel (a mead-like drink made with honey).

Along with the vendors and street entertainers, our fellow visitors provided never-ending entertainment as we headed towards the large main square, place du Châtel. People of all ages attend the festival and some of the costumes are truly amazing in their accuracy and elaborateness… and no doubt expensive. The fête offers some of the best people-watching ever! We passed a knight Templar in full armor, sipping a drink via a straw stuck through a hole in his helmet, couples in lavish silken brocades, ragged peasants, warriors in leather and furs. Just for fun, I checked out the price of a wide, tooled leather belt: €175. Given that such belts were just a part of costumes that included everything from gorgeous headwear to curled-toed shoes, I can only imagine the investment some people make in their gear.

A small sampling of the costumes at the festival

I was looking forward to showing David the tents that I remembered dotting the grass beneath the ramparts of the city, so we crossed out of the walls via one of the town’s bridges and walked down the slope to where clumps of people in period dress clustered around tents demonstrating medieval crafts or selling food, drink and everything from hand-forged knives to leather wear. [See lead photo above.] The encampments ran around a corner of the base of the ramparts, spanning two sides of the town. Women in peasant dresses tended a small child who played in a wooden tub. Another woman demonstrated making thread. A man hurled throwing axes at a straw target. A group of peasants tended a small flock of black goats. And on it went. Random entertainment is liable to pop up anywhere. I remember when my sons were young, a sword fight broke out near a children’s archery range, quickly followed by a grappling hook “assault” on the town ramparts. My boys were entranced! This time, we didn’t see any swordplay, just “soldiers” marching past the tents. We bought an early Christmas present, then walked back uphill to enter the town again by yet another bridge.

A mobile “hospital” provides a random bit of entertainment at the Provins Medieval Festival

We found yet another busy square and a green area where archery supplies for rent drew a crowd who shot at a row of targets. Children played with farm animals in a small makeshift petting zoo. David bought cervoise from a brewmaster who explained the history of the drink and how it differed from beer. We loved the unique, sharply herbal flavor and agreed with the brewer that, even if they drank it warm in medieval times, he was right to serve it ice cold on this warm June day.

There’s a wonderful show put on at another spot at the base of the ramparts which we opted out of this time as I’d seen it several times and our time was limited. It’s definitely worth seeing, though, well-acted and in an ideal setting. The plot last times I saw it was simple: Invading “black” knights ride up to take the town and are met by town dignitaries. The sides agree to settle things by a sword fight between each side’s hero. When the black knight took a dastardly swing at the town hero’s back, my then second-grade son leaped up shouting, “Tricheur!” (“Cheater!”) I knew then his French was coming along fine. 🙂 There’s also an entertaining falconry show, medieval dance lessons, and a show entitled “between dog and wolf.” These spectacles are not included in the entry fee to the festival and tickets can be bought online in advance. As I’ve mentioned, though, there’s plenty of free entertainment, including musicians, dances, concerts, a parade and workshops where you can participate in activities ranging from pottery-making to forging metal.

Musicians near a gate through the walls of Provins

Practical Info: Provins is an easy train ride from Paris’ Gare de l’Est, about a hour and a half on Transilien train Line P. Provins is located in Zone 5 of the Paris/Ile de France transport system, so was included in our annual Navigo Passes. For those buying an individual ticket, the cost would currently be €5 each way, €2.50 for reduced-fare riders (which includes children 4-10 among other categories).

Les Médiévales de Provins takes place each year over a weekend in early June. Entrance fees this year for one-day were €12 in advance or €13 at the gates for adults and €7 for children over 12. Two-day adult passes were €18. Guests in costume (like me!) were €7 for one day and €10 for two days, but tickets for costumed visitors can only be bought on site. Children under 12 are free as are persons with disabilities (+1 accompanying person). I believe next year’s festival will be June 1 and 2, 2024. Find out more here.

Provins offers regular spectacles from late March through early November. Find more info here. The Provins Pass provides access to the 5 paying monuments of Provins: the Cesar Tower, the Tithe Barn, the Underground Galleries, the Saint-Ayoul Priory and the Museum.

Versailles: Beyond the château and gardens

La Galerie des Sculptures et des Moulages (The Gallery of Sculptures and Casts). It’s hard to believe the spectacular venue was a stable and arena for horses!

[I’m still committed to blogging our three-weeks in New Zealand (Fall 2022), but decided that I wouldn’t let that stop me from posting about our current year in Paris when the mood hits me.]

The town of Versailles is an easy Métro/RER ride from our apartment and we love heading out there just to wander the extensive château gardens, especially on days when the château is closed so that the crowds are thinned. Recently, though, we headed to Versailles on a Sunday to the Galerie des Carrosses (Gallery of Carriages), a place I’d been wanting to visit, but that is only open on weekends. Housed in former royal stables known as La Grande Ecurie, the Grande Ecurie along with nearby La Petite Ecurie were built for Louis XIV between 1679-1682. Located just across from the main entrance to the palace of Versailles, they comprised the largest, most extravagant stables ever built. Since the Galerie des Carrosses is only open on weekends, we got a chance to check out the masses of tourists at the château across the way. Wow. And no thank you. I’ve visited the château many times over the years so feel lucky not to have to brave a mob like that. Still, it is one of the top tourist sites in the world and absolutely worth a visit, even in a crowd. But, back to Versailles beyond the château :

The Galerie des Carrosses houses a free exhibit of elaborate carriages, coaches, sleds and chair sedans from the 18th and 19th centuries. A line of carriages running the length of the first long hall were originally built for the coronation of Napoleon I in 1804, but remodeled over the years for various events including his marriage to Empress Marie-Louise, the marriage of Napoleon III and finally, in 1856, the baptism of Napoleon III’s son. The carriages are elaborate, some even sporting life-like teams of horses in full equestrian regalia. It was interesting to see how the carriages were cherished and updated over decades. The interiors are lavish and well-preserved.

From top left, clockwise: The Grand Ecurie from the outside, the berline-style carriage
used for the baptism of the Duc de Bordeaux, the funeral hearse of Louis XVIII,
and the interior of the above berline

The gem of the collection is a wildly ornate golden carriage weighing four tons and originally commissioned by Louis XVIII. Once again, it was remodeled over the years and bears eagles and a large “N” evidencing its later use under Napoleon III.

Near the golden carriage is a collection of whimsical royal sleds used during the reigns of Louis XIV through Louis XVI. The elaborately-decorated sleds are in varying fantastical shapes including a leopard, a mermaid and a tortoise. The final treasure of the Galerie des Carrosses is the funeral hearse of Louis XVIII. This hearse is the only royal carriage of its kind still in existence in France.

Since the château gardens of Versailles were not free on this gorgeous April day due to the start of the seasonal fountain and musical shows there, we headed to yet another free exhibit, La Galerie des Sculptures et des Moulages (The Gallery of Sculptures and Casts) housed in Le Petit Ecurie (The Small Stable). The Gallery of Sculptures and Casts is an overwhelming treasure of marble sculptures from the palace of Versailles and plaster casts from the Louvre of sculptures ranging throughout antiquity. The setting is magnificent, with the central domed former equestrian arena now housing soaring columns and enormous statuary [see lead photo above].

La Galerie des Sculptures et des Moulages (The Gallery of Sculptures and Casts)

Finally on sculpture overload, it was time to check out the Versailles Market. We found it bustling on a sunny Sunday. Occupying L-shaped buildings and the wide Notre-Dame Plaza in between, the market is the second largest in France and dates to the time of Louis XIV (17th century). The buildings that comprise the Marché Notre-Dame house mostly meats, fish and prepared foods (not at all aligned with the old signs above the arched doorways) while the open-air market boasts a wide array of produce, spices, foodstuffs, clothing and more.

The indoor Marché Notre-Dame is open 7am-7:30pm every day but Monday (closing at 2pm on Sunday) while the open-air market takes place Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from 7am-2pm. The market sits in the middle of old Versailles surrounded by charming narrow streets dotted with restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. We couldn’t resist a sunny table and an afternoon snack of cold Belgian beer and a plate of fries before making the short walk to the RER train station for the 30+-minute ride back to Paris.

Christchurch

The George Hotel in Christchurch felt sophisticated and luxurious after our pretty but simple motel in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. I’d found The George online when looking for somewhere to use two Hyatt free night certificates we needed to use. Although not a Hyatt, The George partners with Hyatt and free night certificates are usable there for some dates and categories.* A lovely spacious room with huge bathroom, a seating area and a balcony overlooking green trees confirmed I’d made a good choice. Hagley Park North sits just across the street from The George and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens and city center are a short walk away.

I’d made reservations for dinner at Cellar Door, a wine bar set in the south quad of the lovely Christchurch Arts Centre. We spent the hours before dinner wandering the city center, taking the old cathedral undergoing major reconstruction as well as other lingering signs of mass destruction beside gleaming modern buildings and stately older stone structures reflecting the English and Scottish whalers who settled in Christchurch. Remnants of the devastating earthquake in 2011 that killed 185 people are apparent everywhere and make Christchurch a striking mix of old and new, ruins and construction, bustling and deserted, cheerful and mournful.

Cellar Door turned out to a happy choice for dinner and we enjoyed flights of local wine along with venison and fish from the Canterbury region. Dark was just descending as we left Cellar Door, so we strolled across the street to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens lured by the hot pink lights setting off the adjoining buildings of Christ’s College and the Canterbury museum, flower beds and fountains.

A fun treat awaited us back at The George: A small teddy bear sat by my pillow with a tag proclaiming him to be George the Bear and stating that he wished to travel with us. George has his own Facebook page and is quite the traveler judging by the photos I’ve seen (and posted) there. What a fun and clever idea! Fun for the guests, free advertising for the hotel. I’ve snapped quite a few photos of George on his travels and he’s now living with us in Paris and even gets out and about here on occasion. He’s very excited about an upcoming trip to Uzbekistan. 😉

We had no real plans for our full day in Christchurch so set out on foot to cover as many of the recommended sights as we could. An early stop near a riverside memorial wall for the victims of the earthquake made us stop and read the tributes. One with a photo of a young man and the anguished words of his parents and siblings stays with me. Heartbreaking. The lunchtime earthquake lasted such a short time, but the resulting loss of life and property was staggering. We came across more memorials: a garden where a collapsed news building once stood, a touching display of 185 empty white chairs of all styles on the grounds of a former church, and on and on. A white baby carrier among the chairs was particularly poignant.

Around Christchurch [clockwise from top left]: on the Avon River, New Regent Street, Hamish Hay Bridge, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, White Chairs Memorial on the site of the former St. Luke’s in the City Anglican Church

More uplifting was a stop on 1930’s-era New Regent Street dotted with pastel mission-style buildings housing cafes and boutiques. Although New Regent Street took damage in the 2011 earthquake (and later quakes as well), it was rebuilt and restored. A period tram carries tourists to the popular pedestrian street and covered mall.

Dating even further back to the 1880’s, Hamish Hay Bridge is a lacy wrought iron and stone confection spanning the Avon river and connecting to Victoria Square park. The park is flanked on opposite sides by the modern city hall and the large Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. The Convention Centre is eye-catching with its tile facade and unusual shape. The tiles and shape are supposed to represent the “Canterbury region’s braided rivers.” The tiles looked like a herringbone pattern to me, but I liked them all the same.

Of course, David soon called for a local beer brake so we made our way to the Canterbury Brewers Collective inside the Riverside Market in downtown Christchurch. The CBC offers a large selection of local craft beers on tap and in bottles. We had fun sipping tasty beers and chatting with the owner about beer and about his eventful life. He’s a native of Christchurch, but had moved to the Seattle area where he had the bad luck to live through the housing crash. Having lost his home, he decided to return to Christchurch with his wife. They arrived only days before the 2011 earthquake. His stories of the quake and the days and weeks and months afterwards were harrowing. If you’re feeling down on your luck, remember what this guy has been through. And he’s still going and still positive. Bravo and best of luck to the Canterbury Brewers Collective!

Canterbury Brewers Collective in the Riverside Market

With our thirst quenched, we headed to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. We’d only scraped the lighted surface the night before so wanted to see more. The gardens were well worth our time: Gorgeous grounds, interesting native plants, artistic fountains and bridges…and a plethora of tiny ducklings!

We found ourselves without dinner plans and with very few options on a Monday night. Heading back to the Art Centre area, we found Cook ‘N’ With Gas open and the menu looked good. The quaint eatery was deserted save for one table of three in the back. Unfortunately, everything that had appealed on the menu was unavailable. Our friendly waiter checked with the chef who finally agreed he could thaw some venison that should be good, but we’d need to patch together some of the sides from other dishes since he had none of what was supposed to go with the meat. We gave it a shot and the result was mixed insofar as the combinations went, but the meat was fine and it wasn’t a bad meal. Cheers to the chef for improvising.

The next day it was time to head across the South Island through Arthur’s Pass to the west coast. I’d read about some of the overlooks near Christchurch, though, and hated to leave without seeing at least some of them. So we drove thirty minutes out of our way to Sugarloaf Reserve and a great view of Governors Bay from Summit Road. The detour was worth it:

_______________________________________________

* I often want to combine one hotel certificate of mine with one of David’s for a two-night stay. Obviously, we want to stay in the same room and not have to pack, check out, change rooms (after some hours) and check back in to a new room. But, not infrequently, even when I’ve found two consecutive nights available at a participating hotel, the category of room may be different. For example, at a recent stay in Monaco, I could find only one night in a king bed with ocean view and one night with two double beds with an ocean view or a king bed without an ocean view. In this case, I booked my preferred room for the first night (an ocean-view king) and the less desirable room for the second night using our certificates. Then, I called the hotel and explained that, although we had two reservations, we are one couple and would prefer not to move if at all possible. We had a similar situation with our bookings at The George and elsewhere in New Zealand. I have never had a hotel refuse to do this. After all, it’s easier for them, too, if the room is available. Anyway, there’s no guarantee and the rooms may genuinely be fully booked and unavailable, but it never hurts to ask.

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

View from our patio at Aoraki Court Motel

A close second to Milford Sound, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park was high on my list of places to visit in New Zealand. After our overnight in Wanaka, we were off to this highlight. The road took us through Lindis Pass and yet more desolate mountains, uniformly tan and dotted with clumps of spiky brush. We stopped at a scenic overlook describing an early release of the Scottish red stags that have so thrived in New Zealand. We drove a short stretch across the Ahuriri River before crossing that river to turn north then along Lake Pukaki, now with wide dry fields where Google Maps showed a much wider lake. As with many places we’ve traveled, climate change was making itself known here.

We received a friendly welcome at Aoraki Court Motel and were soon checked in to a spacious room with kitchenette and a sliding glass door opening to a patio with a spectacular view of the mountains. [See lead photo above.] The weather gods were still smiling and the deep blue of cloudless skies made a perfect background to snow-topped peaks. We split a local beer on the patio, basking in the sunshine and the view.

Even the view from our bed at Aoraki Court Motel was awesome.

Scanning a binder of local hiking trails we realized we still had time for an afternoon hike near the motel so made a quick job of changing shoes and heading out. The hike was an easy ramble with lush greenery-framed paths and views over the valley in which the motel sits, a pretty and fun teaser for what awaited us the next day. We made it an early night, looking forward to getting closer to Mount Cook, glaciers and mountain lakes the next day.

Our weather luck held for the most part (more about wind later) and we started off in high spirits for the Hooker Valley Track. We found this track to be an easy three hour or so hike, well laid out and very popular. We decided to head to Kea Point first and were rewarded with dazzling views of Mount Stefton, The Footstool, Mueller Glacier Lake and Mount Cook. White clouds crested a ridge and spilled down the far mountain slope beyond a tall moraine wall left by the glacier.

We retraced our path from Kea Point to continue on to the iceberg lake that was our Hooker Valley Track destination. As we continued on our hike, the already stiff wind began to increase. It raced down the mountains and along the valley causing us to lean in to move forward. Several suspension bridges over rushing pale blue water and deep gorges became more and more exciting as the wind continued to grow. Vegetation swayed around a long raised boardwalk across a high valley plain.

At last, we arrived at Mueller Glacier Lake where dirt-streaked icebergs floated in the opaque pale water. A signed warned us of the hazards: 3C (37.4F) water temperature, unstable icebergs, waves caused by a calving glacier. Only moraine skree seemed to border the lake now, but it was still a beautiful and unique spot. We hiked to a point near the “beach” at the water’s edge, but high winds made going further seem unwise as well as pointless. Several times, I was nearly blown off my feet and the wind came and went unpredictably on the narrow path.

Icebergs floating on Mueller Glacier Lake

The wind was an interesting and increasing challenge, periodically blocked by terrain, then slamming into us full force when we rounded a particularly large boulder or came around a slope. Recrossing the suspension bridges got to be downright scary on our return. At one point, I thought to pull out my phone mid-bridge for a pic, but I needed my hands free to hold on to the cable rails. I could see, too, that there was a good chance of my phone being ripped out of my hand by the mighty wind. Oh well, we had plenty of photos and I opted to hold on. David had fun snapping my pic from the far side, though, as I crossed behind him buffeted by the wind.

Wanaka and Albert Town, New Zealand

Iconic view from Wanaka waterfront #thatwanakatree

The 4.5-hour drive between Milford Sound and Wanaka required a big southward dip before turning north to take us along Lake Wakatipu almost back to Queenstown. From there, we left the green and blue of the water’s edge to cross the barren landscape of desert tan and scrub brush of the Crown Range.

Albert Town/Wanaka was primarily a layover between Milford Sound and Mount Cook/ Aoraki National Park. When I’d planned this trip, I thought we might be in need of a washing machine at this point in our travels so had prioritized that. The Albert Town AirBnB turned out to be much more than that: lovely, quiet, very comfortable, budget-friendly and a short drive to Lake Wanaka and downtown. Our host hobbled out to greet us with a truly harrowing story of a hang-gliding accident six months before from which he was only just recovered enough to walk, albeit gingerly. Hang-gliding was already off my list, but this confirmed my choice. Our host had done hundreds of flights before his accident, but when I asked him if he’d fly again, he gave a firm no.

We started a load of laundry and had only a bit of time to kick back before dinner reservations at Kika, one of the top-rated restaurants in town. Kika has a laid-back vibe with tasting menu and an interesting variety of sharing plates. A big, free-standing stone fireplace stands in the center of a minimalist dining room in dark tones with plain wooden tables and chairs. We ordered a creative cocktail, followed by several fun small plates and local beer. Our little cabin in Knobs Flat with our simple homemade meals had suited our time in Fiordland National Park, but we also enjoyed this pleasant return to civilization.

With so little time, we got up early the next morning for a run to Pembroke Patisserie, just a short drive up the road from our AirBnB. Pembroke provided a taste of France in little Albert Town. It was packed with locals on a Saturday morning. We packed up after breakfast and drove back into Wanaka to walk around the lake, snapping photos of the gorgeous waterfront and the Wanaka Tree. (See my lead photo above and you can checkout #thatwanakatree on Instagram for thousands more photos of the iconic tree.) After our short but thoroughly enjoyable stay in Albert Town/Wanaka, we were off to our next stop which I was really looking forward to: Aoraki/ Mount Cook National Park. If only we could get as lucky with the weather there as we had at Milford Sound!

Milford Sound, a New Zealand treasure

Postcard perfect: Mitre Peak reflected in Milford Sound

My number one must-see in New Zealand was Milford Sound. This time our pandemic-induced rescheduling worked to our advantage. When I’d first planned this trip in March 2020, the Milford Sound Road (a world-famous drive I definitely wanted to make) was severely damaged and closed. We could still fly in, maybe, but that wasn’t what I envisioned and gave us little wiggle room if the weather in this rainiest of rainy places didn’t cooperate. Now, in October 2022, the road was open and we had a two-day window to hopefully see the Sound on a reasonably clear day.

The day started out sunny and promising in Queenstown, but as we drove two hours south and then west past flocks of sheep and large herds of domestic stags towards Te Anau, the weather turned increasingly gray and ominous. By the time we stopped for lunch and provisions at Te Anau, a light rain had begun. The weather only got worse as we drove another 40 miles/50 minutes to the cabin I’d chosen for a two-night stay at Eglinton Valley Camp at Knobs Flat. The camp is located well within Fiordland National Park, the home of Milford Sound. I thought our modest one-room cabin was in the perfect location, about half-way between the town of Te Anau (where lots of visitors to the Sound stay) and Milford Sound (where there is an expensive lodge and a campground, but where it’s possible to get stuck if the Milford Sound road is closed to not-that-infrequent mudslides, ice, and related road damage. [Eglinton Valley Camp also offers RV spots for those traveling that way.]

The cabin boasted a pretty hike to a nearby waterfall and other longer hikes around Lake Gunn, but with the rain now coming down hard, we found ourselves cozy and snug but with not a lot to do for the rest of the day. Oh well, worse things could happen. Our host advised us that it might be worth driving the 34 miles to Milford Sound anyway just to see what the weather was like there. Besides, Milford Sound is supposed to be extra special in the rain as a myriad of waterfalls along its walls come to life. We read and heard that pitch quite a few times. When blue sky finally peeked out, we decided to give it a try.

Milford Sound Road as we begin the ascent from Knobs Flat

I was a little worried about the twists and turns on a wet mountain road, but the Milford Sound Road was in good shape and David is a champ at driving. [Check for conditions on the Milford Sound Road here.] It actually snowed on us at higher elevations and the misty waterfalls streaming off the sheer walls around us were beautiful. Still, the low clouds and rain/snow made for poor visibility and a scenic overlook supposedly offering a view of Mount Crosscut nestled between Mount Christina and Mount Lyttle did no such thing. [See photo at end of this post.] Avalanche warnings made the approach to the Homer Tunnel feel a little ominous and the steep, wet road awaiting us on the other side was made even more exciting by hairpin turns. As we descended into the valley, long thin waterfalls poured off the rocky walls around us.

The Homer Tunnel and beyond

We arrived safe and sound at Milford Sound to more rain and clouds. I didn’t even bother to get out and snap photos at the Sound. The low clouds and rain made it impossible to see far and the surrounding walls and mountains were totally hidden behind the gray. I did go into the tourist office, though, while David waited in the car as there’s only pay parking and we didn’t plan a long stay. I walked into an empty office with a sign saying they were short-handed. This was to be a common occurrence everywhere we went in New Zealand. The Covid-19 pandemic and New Zealand’s related strict rules on immigration and guest workers had left many businesses short-staffed and begging for workers. After wandering a bit, I ran into a woman who seemed to be a janitor in the cafeteria area and asked her if anyone was working the front desk. She asked me to wait and was soon back with a young man who offered to sell me tickets for a boat tour of the Sound leaving soon. When I mentioned the rain, he told me it wasn’t really raining. Gesturing with my dripping umbrella, I disagreed. Then, he gave me the line about how some people say Milford Sound is better in the rain because of the waterfalls. Having seen lots of these thin, long streams on our way in, I was more interested in actually being able to see the Sound. When I pointed out that the weather forecast looked good for the next morning and we could come back early, he finally agreed that, yes, if I wanted to see the sides of the Sound and the peaks surrounding it, the next day would be better. In fact, it was slated to be a relatively rare clear morning. And, oh yeah, there would still be lots of waterfalls given all the rain that had fallen today. We’d hoped to be off early on the next leg of our journey the following day, but the great part about staying so close at Eglinton Valley Camp was that we had a two-day window to try for clear weather. Leaving a bit later than originally planned was no big deal. It was an easy decision, and I bought tickets for a boat tour with Mitre Peak Cruises (a smaller boat company recommended by our host at Eglinton Valley Camp) at 8:50am the next morning.

The drive back down towards Knobs Flat remained gray and drizzly until we were nearly back at our cabin. The sun came out then and we were able to hike to the nearby waterfall, an easy ramble across a small creek and through bright green woods. With time on our hands afterwards, we drove about ten minutes to Lake Gunn Nature Walk (still within Fiordland National Park) and enjoyed another easy walk along well-marked trails to the lake where rain arrived again and sent us back to our cabin for the evening.

I was beyond excited the next morning as we packed up and headed back to Milford Sound. The weather looked good, but who knew what it would be like by the time we got to the Sound. I scoured the scattered clouds, worried that the rain would return. There was no need. The weather continued to clear as we drove toward the Sound. We arrived bright and early to glorious, blue-bird skies. Perfection!

Check-in was easy and we milled around with other excited passengers before being called to board. The boat was comfortable with less than twenty passengers aboard and plenty of comfortable seating inside and room on both the bow and stern viewing decks. Hot drinks were available to take the chill off when we came in from the crisp and windy decks. We were the first boat out although others were docked and waiting, but it wasn’t particularly crowded as it was shoulder season on a Thursday.

What can I say? The boat ride through Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea was all I’d hoped for. Brilliant blue sky and water ringed by rocky cliffs and snow-covered peaks, thin temporary waterfalls spilled off the sheer walls (some we were told would dry up before the day was out) between the more substantial permanent waterfalls.

Fiordland crested penguin

We spotted a fur seal and a couple of Fiordland crested penguins, we laughed as spray from Stirling Falls drenched the stern deck of our boat. When we finally docked after as perfect of a cruise as I could have hoped for, we were treated to final postcard views of Mitre Peak reflected in Milford Sound from the parking lot. [See lead photo.] Happy sigh.

Kea bird at the Mount Crosscut scenic overlook on the Milford Sound Road

The ride back down Milford Sound Road was a treat, too. We stopped off at that scenic overlook for an entirely different view from the day before. There was Mount Crosscut, just as promised! And the sign warning us not to feed the Kea birds turned out to have a point: A handsome specimen with emerald green wing feathers sat nearby, clearly hoping we didn’t read signs.

What a difference a day makes!
[Mount Crosscut in the distance, viewed (on a clear day)
between Mount Christina and Mount Lyttle]

We felt like we’d actually been lucky to see Milford Sound and the Milford Sound Road in both rain and sun, so different, but both beautiful. In high spirits, we drove on to our next destination: Wanaka and an Albert Town AirBnB.

Queenstown and we begin our time on New Zealand’s South Island

Lake Wakatipu from the Harbor View Walk, Queenstown

Our flight on New Zealand air from Auckland to Queenstown went off without a hitch and offered us some great views of the two islands en route. We picked up the rent car that would be our transportation for the next weeks (sadly, now substantially more expensive than a similar car had been pre-pandemic) and headed to our hotel. The route we followed on the South Island was as follows:

Our roadtrip through New Zealand’s South Island. At Picton, we took the ferry and continued
back to Auckland via Wellington and Rotorua, a total trip of more than 2000 miles.

We took our rent car on the ferry from to Wellington and continued driving across the North Island and back to Auckland from where we’d fly back to the States. We were really happy with our itinerary and I’ll cover the entire trip including fjords, hot spring spas, wineries, geysers, Maori settlements, a glowworm cave and more in coming posts.

Queenstown sits in a gorgeous location on Lake Wakatipu. [See top photo and below.] The city promotes itself as an adventure sports destination with bungee jumping, hang gliding, a wheeled “slalom” course and more promoted everywhere. We were in New Zealand for the natural beauty and culture, however, so I’d only booked us a night in town, eager to get on to Fiordland National Park and beyond. I used 15,000 Wyndham points to book us at the uninspiring but perfectly nice and conveniently located Ramada by Wyndham Queenstown Central. (Wyndham is a chain I seldom use, but I had scored the points during a promotion so was happy to be able to use them.)

With limited time, we dropped off our luggage and headed back out to explore the lakeside park and Queenstown center. A long walk along the lake let us admire the lake, mountains, and the TSS Earnslaw, a 1912 Edwardian twin screw steamer that regularly plies the lake. We enjoyed a beer and fries break at the Pub on Wharf in the quaint old harborfront, sitting outside on a crisp, sunny day.

T he TSS Earnslaw coming into the Queenstown wharf

I’d booked dinner at The Bunker restaurant (They’ve got a cool-looking upstairs bar, too.) and we looked forward to a true New Zealand meal in a cozy atmosphere. We enjoyed a meal of a yellowfin tuna tartare with coconut “caviar” starter and a venison main, but the cozy atmosphere, complete with wood-burning fireplace, was a little diminished by the gathering smoke in the room. Oh well, we left satisfied and ready for an early start the next morning. Up next: Eglinton Valley Camp and Milford Sound!

Auckland

Arriving by ship is a great introduction to Auckland. We sailed through outlying islands to dock early in the morning at the cruise ship terminal, in walking distance of downtown. Since we were disembarking and had luggage, we hailed a cab for the short ride to our hotel. With lots of free night certificates to use on this three-week trip, I chose the Four Points by Sheraton for this initial two-night stay. (We’d be back in Auckland for another two nights at the end of our stay in New Zealand.) The hotel is clean, modern and convenient. Happily, our room was ready early so we settled in quickly and had the full day ahead of us.

Top on my list was Waiheke Island, a roughly 40-minute ferry ride from the Auckland waterfront. The weather was gorgeous, but predicted to get more cloudy in coming days, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity. I discovered that ferry tickets are available online at a small discount and bought them on my phone to avoid a line we found once we arrived at the dock. [Ferry tickets from Fullers360 were NA$40 + NZ$6 tax/per adult, round trip, for a total of NZ$92 for the two of us.] We then joined a much longer line waiting for the ferry. Waikheke is clearly popular with the locals on a pretty weekend day. (We were a little surprised at the fair number of people dressed up for the occasion. Young women in midi-skirts and dresses may have been a bit chilly on the ride over, but they were ready for stylish lunches at the island’s wineries.) Although the line looked daunting, the ferries are large and we easily made it on board and claimed seats on the upper, open-air deck. The ferry ride itself is an experience. We stopped only once at Devonport, before continuing on past the islands of Rangitoto, Motutapu and Motuihe en route to Waiheke.

We bought an AT HOP card at the small ferry terminal on Waiheke and 4 single-journey bus rides, figuring we’d ride to the wineries and also stop in the beach town of Oneroa. Oddly, it’s necessary to buy the journeys in advance and add them to the AT HOP card (which you also have to pay a one-time fee for). You can’t just buy a ticket on the bus if you run out of pre-purchased tickets. We ended up not stopping in town, so were stuck with a couple of extra bus ride passes we never used, even though they were good in Auckland as well. Not a big deal, but an awkward and annoying system for tourists.

With lunch time approaching, we opted to go straight to the wineries, asking the bus driver to tell us when to get off. With this less-than-well-thought-out plan, we found ourselves at Stonyridge Vineyard at lunchtime. Restaurant tables were all booked on this sunny Sunday, but we were happy to take seats on the outside deck overlooking green hills and make a lunch of wine and a lovely cheeseboard. Unlike the world-renowned Marlborough wine region on the South Island, Waiheke is not sauvignon blanc country. We opted for a three wine tasting package consisting of a white and two reds: a chardonnay (Luna Dorada, 2020), an unusual blend of syrah, grenache, mouvedre and viognier (Pilgrim 2020); and, a “Bordeaux” blend (Larose, 2019). All were very good and this was looking to be a promising three weeks of discovering New Zealand wines.

From top: Stonyridge Vineyard deck, Te Motu, and Tantalus Estate

After lunch, we took a footpath across a field to neighboring Te Motu Vineyards where we tried a four-wine tasting flight at a picnic table in their casual outdoor space. Feeling up to the challenge of one more winery, we walked back toward the main road. Our path took us along unpaved roads, lined by trees or bordered by spring flowers, through vineyards (past a black helicopter waiting to whisk away wine-tasters who’d thrown a bit more cash at their outing than we had) to Tantalus Estate. We settled at a table on the patio behind their chic glass-walled restaurant and tasting room overlooking their vineyards.

The Tantalus driveway led us back to the main road where we soon caught a bus back to the ferry terminal (a less than 30-minute ride). We’d met a small group we recognized from the ship who told us they’d also tried to use the bus, but had been stranded in the town of Oneroa when the bus was either full or just didn’t stop for them. They’d resorted to hiring a cab for the rest of the day. With that story in mind (and not seeing much of interest to us in Oneroa anyway since we’d eaten and drunk our fill and weren’t interested in shopping or a chilly beach), we opted not to risk a stop there.

You’d think we’d have had enough wine for the day, but back at the Auckland waterfront, we opted for dinner at Botswana Butchery and were pretty easily sold on a bottle of wine with dinner. We knew we couldn’t drink a whole bottle, but figured it would be fine to take a half-bottle back to our hotel. Wrong. It turns out that corking a bottle for taking home after a meal is illegal in New Zealand. Our waiter assured us, though, that he’d keep it for us. That wasn’t really going to help since we only had one more night in Auckland and didn’t plan on returning to Botswana Butchery. Oh well, it was a good meal (fabulous venison Wellington was a highlight and house-baked bread with smoked butter was addictive) and lesson learned about the wine. After our wine-filled day, we didn’t really need any more anyway.

Albert Park (top left), Auckland Domain, and Parnell Road

We spent our second day in Auckland exploring. We walked through Albert Park to the Auckland Domain, a huge green area that includes a lawn bowling club, beautiful gardens, meandering paths, and the Auckland Memorial War Museum. We took a small path through lush woods to pop out near the Parnell train station. Small footpaths and roads threading between backyards led us to Parnell Road, the main street of Auckland’s oldest (and one of its most expensive) suburbs. We window-shopped and read menus in the many restaurants housed in buildings that ranged from one-to-two story painted clapboard to vintage facades of masonry to four- and five-story modern rectangles. Finally opting for Lala Café, we enjoyed a late lunch before continuing our ramble back towards downtown. With our pretty day now threatening rain, we took refuge for a while before heading back out to admire Auckland’s charming vintage buildings and the contrast they presented to the sleek high-rises and iconic tower. Tired, we opted for dinner in the hotel and called it an early night, excited about our flight to the south island the following morning.

Another transpacific cruise, this time to New Zealand

Majestic Princess in Papeete, Tahiti, en route to Auckland, New Zealand

I’m behind on blogging as we settle into our year back in Paris. Still, I do want to write about our time in New Zealand (which included 2000 miles of driving!) before too much time slips by. So, first here’s a quick recap of the Princess repositioning cruise that got us there:

The Covid-19 pandemic canceled a three-week trip to New Zealand we’d planned to start in March 2020, within days of New Zealand shutting down. With the pandemic mostly behind us and New Zealand again opening, we were finally making the trip.

We’d originally planned to fly to New Zealand and return via repositioning cruise during their fall (our spring). This time, we were going in our fall (New Zealand’s spring) so the order was reversed: We sailed from Los Angeles to New Zealand via Hawaii and Tahiti and flew home. As always, one-way cruising has the benefit of eliminating jetlag, and the price on repositioning cruises is almost always a great deal. Usually, there’s also the bonus of unusual out-of-the way stops along the way. Our original cruise would have stopped in the Kingdom of Samoa, Tonga, Bora Bora and Maui in addition to Hawaii and Tahiti, a much more appealing itinerary. This cruise (leaving from Los Angeles) had originally offered only the addition of American Samoa, but that island was closed due to Covid concerns. Likewise, Tonga suffered a devastating volcanic eruption in January 2022 and looks unlikely to recover any time in the foreseeable future. So, we were left with overnight stops in Honolulu, Hawaii; Papeete, Tahiti; and, a new one-day stop in Tauranga, New Zealand. I wasn’t thrilled with this itinerary, but it was still a pleasant-sounding way to get from the U.S. to New Zealand.

The three-week cruise turned out to be a mixed bag. Engine trouble had us staying longer in Honolulu than expected and an extra night in Papeete. There was also a Covid outbreak onboard, but that didn’t effect us too much. We’ve been to both Hawaii and Papeete, so weren’t really interested in too much touring. We went to Iolani Palace in Honolulu, an easy walk from where our ship docked at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal. I hadn’t been in years and enjoyed revisiting the only royal palace on U.S. soil. After that, we just caught a Lyft to Waikiki Beach and a favorite beachfront spot for maitais, The Edge of Waikiki at the Sheraton. Not a bad way to spend a day!

I’d planned to rent a car in Papeete and do the ring road around Tahiti, something we’d not done before. Unfortunately, due to the delay in Honolulu, the ship arrived so late in the day that I decided to cancel the car and spend our full day at a resort where I’d purchased day passes. Te Moana resort turned out to be a great choice and we had a lovely, leisurely day there lounging around the pool, enjoying a top notch lunch, and kayaking along the coast. The resort boasts a spectacular view of nearby Bora Bora which only gets more dramatic at sunset. [Note: It’s an easy ferry ride from Papeete to Bora Bora which is more naturally beautiful than Tahiti. If you’ve never been or are willing to hire a tour or do a little planning (and spend a bit more) to rent a car, it’s well worth the trip. We’d been to Bora Bora not too long ago, though, and decided to relax and stay on Tahiti this time.] I highly recommend a day pass at Te Moana for those looking for a way to spend a day in Tahiti.

View from our lounge chairs of the Te Moana infinity pool and beyond

Te Moana offers 3 types of “relaxation”/day passes. We chose the 7000 CFP/person package (10am-6pm) which included pool/motu access, lunch plus coffee or ice cream, and two hours of kayak or paddle board. (The “motu” is a manmade “island” with a small snorkeling area, not an actual small private island as you might find in Bora Bora.) Other options ran up to 14,000 CFP/person and included a scuba dive or massage sessions. Other day pass options were available at the Hilton for a higher price and less positive reviews. The Intercontinental apparently now has day passes, but didn’t at the time.

View of Bora Bora at sunset from Te Moana resort

We arrived in the port of Tauranga to local fanfare and waiting media. It turned out our ship was the first to dock in New Zealand since the pandemic. The cruise port is actually at Mount Maunganui, a pretty resort town, across the bay from the city of Tauranga. We had a great view of the small mountain for which the town is named from the ship and couldn’t wait to get ashore and do a little hiking there. We originally thought we’d need to take a ferry to Tauranga, but a woman who was part of the waiting information brigade on the dock told us not to bother. The town and mountain of Mount Maunganui were the places to see. We took her advice and had a great day.

After a quick walk into town to an ATM machine, we strolled along a waterfront promenade to a trailhead at the base of Mount Maunganui. The small mountain is well covered with paths and popular with locals. A hike to the summit rewarded us with sweeping views. The mountain sits at the tip of land that shelters the inland bays and harbors from the Bay of Plenty. We headed back down the opposite side of the mountain to wide Maunganui Beach (which makes lists of most beautiful beaches in the world) to watch surfers before walking on to Maunganui Road, the main street of the town of Mount Maunganui. The town bustled with cruise ship visitors and shop owners seemed thrilled to be busy again. We had our first encounter with “possum merino,” a unique New Zealand knit made from Australian possum fur, sometimes combined with sheep wool and/or silk. The Australian possum is an invasive pest according to some, and a treasure according to the many vendors of possum products we met during our time in New Zealand. The wool is soft and very warm. I bought a gorgeous sweater in Mount Tauranga and David bought a cap. It was still cold in this antipodean “spring!” Stops for lunch and local beer and iconic sauvignon blanc wine boded well for the rest of our trip. This first, unexpected stop in New Zealand was a great beginning and had us looking forward to leaving the ship the next day in Auckland where we’d kick off our three-week explore of the country’s two islands.

Corsica, at last

Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean southeast of Nice and just north of Sardinia. It’s the birthplace of Napoleon I and a place of rugged beauty with a culture all its own. I wanted to visit Corsica for decades, but despite living in Paris on-and-off for years, I never made it. The time had finally arrived!

After finishing a house-and cat-sitting gig in little Thoiry, France, we flew EasyJet from Geneva to Ajaccio, Corsica, an 1h10m non-stop flight. We picked up a rent car at the Ajaccio airport and drove two and a half hours through rocky mountains to Bonifacio at the southern tip of the island, stopping a long the way to admire views and snap photos. We had nine nights in Corsica and I’d agonized over where exactly to spend our time. With all the winding roads, driving times in Corsica can be long and I didn’t want to fall into the trap of rushing around trying to see everything and being rushed everywhere. I settled on Bonifacio as one of two places to stay because it was just so dramatically beautiful. And given how many dramatically beautiful places there are in Corsica, that’s saying a lot. Wow, was I happy with my choice of Bonifacio!

Medieval Bonifacio sits atop dramatic cliffs overlooking the sea on two sides and a pretty little harbor on another. The hotel I’d chosen, Hotel Santateresa is at the highest point in the old town, at the very tip of the peninsula on which the town sits. The only thing between the hotel and the point of the peninsula is an old cemetery perched high above the Grotte de Saint-Antoine (cave of St. Antoine, also known as “Napoleon’s Hat” for its shape).The cemetery and a large parking area by it are popular with tourists as is the whole town. Happily, the Hotel Santateresa has plenty of guest-only parking, a welcome privilege. We enjoyed the hotel with its pretty views, large room, and easy walk into town. It was just far enough away from the bustle of the old town to be quiet at night, but close enough to walk in and out during the day as we liked. It is a bit of a steep hike down to the harbor, but that’s just a fact of the town layout; you’re going to be walking up and down steps whether you stay up in the old town or down by the harbor. I’d gladly stay at Hotel Santateresa again.

I’ve visited a lot of medieval towns and, at this stage, it takes a lot to really blow me away, but Bonifacio (“The City of Cliffs”) did. It’s just so achingly picturesque and authentic-feeling despite the obvious touristy overlay. The steep, narrow cobbled streets and steps beg to be explored. Terraces clinging to the cliffside give sweeping views of the sea.

Tiny shops and restaurants sometimes reveal a back window opening onto a breathtaking vista. Multiple times, we crossed paths with religious processions carrying a large crucifix (and once a large statue of a saint) and chanting. Participants wore modern clothing and shoes under their robes, but the primary purpose was religion and local culture, not a show for the tourists. Bonifacio has five churches and five religious brotherhoods, the earliest of which date back to the 13th century and trace their origins to Genoa. Throughout the year these brotherhoods make processions through Bonifacio carrying the crucifix and their patron saints.

A friend with family roots in Corsica had recommended we take a boat tour from Bonifacio, saying I’d love the different perspective on the town from the water. There are several large boats that leave multiple times a day from the harbor. I talked to a couple, but the idea just didn’t appeal. It was hot and lots of people (50-90 passengers) on a big boat just sounded hotter and I had a feeling we’d feel trapped. I pondered a private tour, but it was June and I hadn’t booked anything in advance and time was limited, so I was afraid we were out of luck. A stop at the Information building at the end of the harbor changed that. I explained my concerns to the woman there, and she suggested a small tour company with an ad in an information booklet. A phone call later followed by an online payment of €150 for both of us and we were booked for a 3-hour sunset cruise with Corse Nautic Escape.

What an awesome sunset cruise with Corse Nautic Escape!

The boat turned out to be a sleek 42′ power boat that could accommodate twelve people. Instead, it was David and me, one other couple, and the captain. Perfect! The other couple and the captain were French, so I did translation duty for David, but that was no issue. The boat slipped along cliffs and into a sheltered cove of clear water to allow time for a swim and to set out generous charcuterie and cheese plates accompanied by local wine. [Corsican cuisine relies heavily on cured meats (mostly pork), cheese, chestnut products, and wine.] The last portion of the cruise took us a distance from shore to view Bonafacio in the lowering sun, then right up to the cliffs and into the Grotte de Saint-Antoine. We cruised past the steep cliffs rising up to the town opposite the harbor where the 189 steps of the Escalier du Roy d’Aragon (built in 1420) snaked down to the water. Finally, we circled the U Diu Grosso (“Grain of Sand”) boulder for that spectacular sunset view of Bonafacio atop the cliffs before heading back around the peninsula point and into the harbor as darkness fell. It was the perfect way to end the day and our time in Bonifacio.

Cruising around U Diu Grosso

We spent our last six nights in Corsica in the capital city of Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon. Our lovely AirBnB apartment boasted a big balcony with sea views of the famous Iles Sanguinaires (“Bloody Islands”) in the distance. (The islands are named for their appearance at sunset rather than anything violent in their history.) We were in walking distance of Trottel Beach and driving distance of several other beaches that lined the Route de Sanguinaires road out to the crumbling tower called the Tour Genoise de la Parata.

Hiking the Tour Genoise de la Parata (and a brave little sparrowhawk) with the Îles Sanguinaires and lighthouse in the distance

We spent our days enjoying the beaches, taking long rambles into the city, and hiking up to the Tour Genoise. We did a 2-tank scuba dive outing from Trottel Beach with E. Ragnole. The owner was friendly and chatty, removing any hesitation I had about booking when I stopped in to ask questions. When I told him I tend to get cold diving, he made sure I got both a long wetsuit and a shorty to wear over it. The staff was great, too, and we were assigned an English-speaking guide who we had to ourselves for the two dives. The price was reasonable and the dives were enjoyable, but the underwater landscape underwhelmed. The monochrome colors below mirror the rugged sand-colored landscape above. We saw barracuda, but missed the colorful coral and fish we’re used to. With other options calling, we opted not to dive a second day.

We also took one more sunset cruise, this time with Neptune Croisière, out to the Îles Sanguinaires. The bar was set so high at Bonifacio that this cruise with a dozen passengers, although enjoyable, couldn’t compete. Still, it was fun and included an apéritif stop on an île with enough time for us to hike through a huge seagull rookery to the lighthouse and an old keeper’s house on an opposite peak.

We loved our time in Corsica and hope to get back someday to explore more of this unique island. Next up: New Zealand via Hawaii and Tahiti.