From Afield: London's East End

At the tail end of our trip to Spain and France, we spent a couple of quick days in London. One of them we spent in the East End. Because I was helping Laurel with her wheelchair, I wasn't able to take as many pictures as usual, but I did get a few.

France

Here are some more photos from our road trip through France, including Bordeaux, Villebois-Lavalette, Angouleme, and Paris.

Hotel Aire de Bardenas

Another amazing place we stayed was the Hotel Aire de Bardenas, outside of Tuleda, in Navarra. Set in the middle of farmland, under hills crowned with stately wind turbines, the buildings (which include a number of private "cabins") are strikingly modern. There's a beautiful vegetable garden next to the swimming pool (the restaurant uses the produce), and a row of cherry trees leading up to the front entrance. We were lucky enough to be there during cherry season, and it was wonderful to sample all the varieties as we walked in! We thought the hotel was tranquil and elegant, and I would love to spend a few days there, soaking up some sun by the pool (which had a little frog swimming in it when we were there!), eating incredible meals, and lolling around in the big, comfy beds.

España

Here are some pictures from our roadtrip across Northern Spain (from Barcelona to San Sebastian).

Le Logis de Puygaty

One of my favorite parts of our trip was our much too brief stay at Le Logis de Puygaty, a gorgeous 15th Century manor house in the countryside of Charente. I can't describe how wonderful our hosts were, or what an amazing job they did restoring this historical property, which I am sure my photos hardly portray. Surrounded by fields of peas, corn, wheat, sunflowers and Cognac grapes, Le Logis de Puygaty is like something out of a fairytale. We absolutely adored it and can't wait to go back. If you find yourself travelling to the Poitou-Charente region, I definitely recommend a stop here. These pictures are of the estate and the countryside surrounding it.