Last Call for Flight 449 to Dubai and London
Why is leaving the country so difficult? I never seem to organise my timing well enough in advance and probably planning two tours at once has added to the time pressure.
Philip along with our darling French Woofers Julie and Fabrice successfully weeded, cut down, mulched, planted 800 tulips, stacked wood and moved rocks. In return, we enjoyed their crepes, Beurre Blanc sauce on fresh brill and the help in the kitchen. But the day all four of us cleaned the windows was a real thrill – an ongoing battle that we don’t do enough.
So now we have Benoit and Louise - also from France. They are house-sitting and looking after our two ginger cats. Look out for them if you are in Tarras. They have a job at the local café.( not the cats !)
Autumn has been glorious and something we can rely on being stunning every year in Central Otago. The days have been calm and latterly starting with a mean frost which the parsnips and brussel sprouts will be thankful for. My shed of dried flowers has gone off to Dunedin florists and some are returning as wreaths to be sold in the Tarras store.r way to Athens.
I have already had many e-mails enquiring about tours for 2025.
At the moment it is looking like this:
Victoria Australia – Autumn – a tour we did in 2023 and just loved.
France – Normandy, Brittany and up the Loire
Italy – Umbria – Puglia
Turkey
I would love to include a trip through Scotland and the UK - but I do love establishing our garden, in Tarras and Dunedin, visiting our family and living in Central Otago. A year is just not long enough for everything.
We are now in London with dear friends Susan and Tom, who spoil us with beautiful meals and their gorgeous comfortable house. We are off to the Chelsea flower show and covering the long list of what we want to do here in under a week
Both the French and Italian tours are full this year. Next week we will meet everyone on the Cote d’ Azure and after 4 days of exploring we travel on to our Villa in the Luberon. I can’t wait to see the lavender in Provence and in fact, this is the erason why this tour is so early. It has been a lifetime dream to see row upon row of purple lavender flowers. We finish this tour in the Dordogne – Foie gras country, some beautiful gardens and villages.
We have a week off in Paris as do many others on the tour and then travel to Venice by train to begin our Italian tour in the Veneto. I always love my time in this region with my guide Cristina, She has become such a dear friend and I always love her professionalism and expert knowledge. Leaving Asolo we head through the Dolomites down through Trento Adige to Riva at the top of Lake Garda, 4 nights in Piedmonte becoming acquainted with Barolo and Barbaresco wine with the most passionate wine expert - New Zealander Jeffrey Chilchot who has worked in the wine industry here for over 25 years. Our villa on this tour is just outside Lucca in northern Tuscany- A time to have day trips , be back in time to relax around a pool and enjoy Alessandro’s food.
2024 also had a tour to Turkey planned. However, because of lack of numbers this meant we were forced to cancel this years journey.
Before heading back to Central Otago and Philip’s knee replacement operation in September we are going to drive down the East Coast of Italy to Puglia and do some research before taking the ferry to Corfu for a week and then slowly make our way to Athens.
If you would like to be on the ‘ Travel 2025 Interested’ list flick me an E-Mail.
judith@judith-cullen.com
XX Judith