An afternoon on the lake

One of our friends has a speed boat and with the sun who finally decided to come back, we thought it was the perfect excuse to use it for the first time this year. Normally, I always find an excuse not to go, simply because I am very sea-sick but this time, Mr. T and his friend managed to convince me to go with them. They love wake-boarding and kneeboarding so these two always try to go whenever they can and I have to admit I was a bit curious to know what it was like.

I had no idea of what to expect. Was I going to be sick the whole time? Well, you will be glad to know that I was perfectly fine. It took me a few minutes to adjust to that slow rocking motion, but when we were at full speed, I couldn't have been feeling any better.
We rented a lake for 4 hours at Russel Watersports in Eversley, Berkshire and it really is worth it if you own your boat. If you don't, you always have the option to rent one or just opt for jet skies which are so much fun too!

Anyway, I thought I would show a couple of photos instead of writing about it.

Driving to France with a dog

"Are we there yet, mommy?"

I just got back from France where I spent a week visiting my family and for the first time, I brought my little Woody with me. I am not going to lie, I was very nervous before leaving... Not only was I going to be on my own, driving for 10 hours, but I had a puppy at the back of my car to look after too.

I wasn't too sure of what to expect so I prepared myself as much as I could and it really helped on the grounds that it was also horribly hot when we arrived on the French soil. 

Here are a few tips that could help you one day if you drive to France with your dog. 

• Book in ADVANCE! Seriously, plan well ahead! This is very important, purely because they won't let you cross if you don't have all the paperwork ready. I'm not sure about cats, but for a dog to go to the continent, you only need to pay an extra ticket for her. However, when you come back to the UK, this is where you need to be careful. Your dog must have been microchipped, had the rabies vaccinations at least 21 days and a tapeworm treatment (given by a vet) between 1 and 5 days before you return in the UK! Everything has to be stamped, signed and dated in your dog's passport.

• WATER! Bring loads with you. And I mean loads. My dog drank about 1,5L because of the heat. We didn't plan it to be so hot and I am so glad I had two big bottles with me.

• Make sure your best friend is comfortable. I drove for more than 7 hours and I can't imagine anything worse than an uncomfortable dog at the back. If they are comfy, they will be more than happy to lay there and have a nap. If your dog tends to be sick in the car, consider asking your vet if they can help with that.

• Stop often. Because it was so hot, I stopped every hour. I was mostly concerned about Woody dehydrating so we had 15 to 30 minutes breaks every hour. Just enough to give him some water and walk him to stretch his legs.

• Have everything ready in a place where it's easy to access. A spare lead, harness, a blanket, bowls, food/treats… I put everything at the front, so it was very easy for me to reach without having to remove bags and suitcase.

• Feed your dog with light meals. Just for practical reasons, you don't want him to die for a poo when you're in the middle of the motorway or worse, stuck in traffic!

• Get your dog a car belt. They are very easy to use and it could stop your dog from jumping to the front or distract you while driving. There is no law that will force you, but it's a question of safety, both for your dog and yourself. Otherwise, you can also crate him in the boot.

• Book a room in a dog friendly hotel if your journey is very long. It is best to stop and go progressively.

• Make a list of vet surgeries, dog friendly places to stop and rest. Don't wait until something goes wrong before trying to find a vet, you'll thank yourself if you already know where to go. Bring along your insurance paperwork too and anything related to his health that could become relevant.

Meeting a horse for the first time

Tired and very hot after a long journey. Nothing better than cool tiles.

A weekend in Devon

I am very lucky to have a boyfriend who owns a small family cottage in Devon. During the year, the cottage is for rent to anyone who wishes to have a break in the area, but when it's available, we always try to make the most of it by coming whenever it's possible. 

Funny fact is : this is where my boyfriend took me for our second date. No need to say that at first, I was terrified by the idea of staying in this family cottage when I barely knew him. But eventually, he managed to convince me to go with him as there also was a meteor shower occurring on that weekend.

Obviously I will never regret saying yes to that weekend because two years later, I am back in the cottage with the man I love more than ever and our adorable puppy. 

Anyway, Devon is such an amazing place if you're looking for somewhere calm and resting. The cottage is in North Devon so we normally go to Bude where you can go on very nice walks on the beach. This is great because most of the beaches are dog friendly so we got to enjoy it with Woody. And he LOVED the sea. It was also funny as he got surprised by a couple of big waves and he refused to go back in the water after that. 

On the other hand, if you're a city person, you may find Devon a bit boring as you always struggle to find signal on your phone, everything is miles apart and it's all about living in the quiet countryside and go on long walks or work in your garden. 

I've grown up in a place like that, the only difference was the small bakery in my village. But apart from that, I know perfectly what living in the countryside is like and I used to hate it. Actually no, that's a lie. I used to love it as a child, then hated it as a teenager. Which was one of the reason I left it and moved to the UK at 17years old. But now, I'm 24 and this is definitely a lifestyle that inspires me again. I apparently give the impression of being a city girl, but I'm really not anymore. I'm looking forward to quiet days in a calm and big house with massive garden, surrounded by the woods and endless fields. This is not for everyone and to be fair, I was convinced for a long time it wasn't for me either, but today this is all I want. 

Either way, if you ever get the chance to go to Devon, I strongly advise you to visit Bude. It's a great little town, with many beaches. By Sainsbury's, there is one long and beautiful beach that you will love. Car park is only 50p/hour. You also have the possibility of going up the hill where you will find a beautiful café and cliffs to walk on.

24h au British Superbike en photos

24 hours in the British Superbike Championship

(Scroll down to read the article in English)

Le week-end dernier, j'ai eu la chance de pouvoir me rendre dans le nord de l'Angleterre pour assister au championnat de moto à Cadwell Park. Qu'on se le dise tout de suite, les motos ne sont absolument pas ma passion, ni ce genre de championnats en général. J'ai d'ailleurs détesté pendant de nombreuses années le Grand Prix qui m'a pourri un grand nombre de dimanche après-midis, alors autant vous dire que je ne savais pas du tout à quoi m'attendre en y allant.

Le cousin de mon Jules s'avère être l'un des nombreux pilotes qui participent à ce qu'ils appellent le "British Superbike Championship" et il s'agissait d'une course importante pour lui, donc nous y sommes allés pour lui apporter notre soutien, et pas seulement depuis les tribunes.

Voyez-vous, mon Jules a récemment décidé qu'il voulait travailler à son compte en tant que caméraman, il se spécialise donc dans les mariages, l'événementiel en général et aussi dans le sport. Ce weekend était donc l'occasion parfaite pour lui de se faire la main avec sa nouvelle caméra dans un environnement aussi particulier, mais ô combien agréable car au final, on se rend compte qu'il s'agit d'une grande famille dont les membres sont très soudés. De mon côté, je me suis chargée de prendre des photos pour l'équipe qui voulait renouveler leur portfolio pour leur dossier de presse. J'en ai adoré chaque seconde, ça a été une superbe expérience qui m'a permis de prendre un photo de proches amis et collègues travaillant main dans la main pour améliorer la performance du pilote. Je vous invite donc à vivre cette expérience au travers de mes photos.

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ENGLISH

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Last weekend, I had the chance to go in the north of England to attend the British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park. Let's be clear right away, bike racing is not one of my passions at all, nor is this kind of championship in general. I've actually hated the Grand Prix for so many years because it ruined so many of my Sunday afternoons, so it's an understatement to say that I wasn't sure of what to expect about this weekend.

My boyfriend's cousin happens to be one of the riders racing at the British Superbike Championship and it was an important race for him so we went to show him some support, but not only as spectators.

You see, my boyfriend recently decided he wanted to be self-employed and work as a filmmaker. He specialises in weddings, events in general and in sports too. So this weekend was the perfect chance for him to get his hand in filming in an environment so particular but extremely pleasant because at the end of the day, you realise that they all are a very big family. 

For my part, I was in charge of taking pictures for the team who wanted to renew their portfolio for press releases and website. I enjoyed every second of it, it was such a nice experience to take photos of those friends and colleagues working so closely together to improve the rider's performance. Therefore, I would like to invite you to see this for yourself through some of the pictures.

Adventures in New Zealand

Last month, my boyfriend and I flew to New Zealand for some pretty cool adventures. Not only this trip was our first ever holidays together, but the main purpose of this trip was also to attend the wedding of two friends of us living in NZ. 

As awesome as it is, there are many things to know about New Zealand. To start with, the travelling part... Although you don't get a lot of space with your seat (I imagine you never do in Economy anyway...), entertainment and food were decent enough, which is the only comfort when you have to seat there for about 26 hours! But to be fair, everything that we experienced once we had arrived was worth the long flights. 

We stayed in the South Island, and the scenery is just absolutely breathtaking. New Zealand is a country where nature seems to have been increased tenfold! You get to see massive mountains, the biggest lakes you'll ever see, and if you travel around the island, it feels like you're going through all the seasons of the year. Everything contrasts with something else, a sunny beach with snowy mountains right next to it, endless mountains leading to a massive plateau, you genuinely find something stunning at every corner. 

Besides, you learn to enjoy the very little things.

Apart from their really tasty (and unreasonably huge) cookies or muffins, the air is amazingly clean, the water has been the best I've ever tasted (tap water comes straight from the source), you get to do a lot of exciting adventures in Queenstown, they also have a Fergburger where they serve the best (and the biggest) burgers in the world. You can also find lots of places where you can get nice ice creams, but don't even think of eating anything else for the rest of the day because their scoops are actually ladles... When I asked for two scoops I got the equivalent of five normal portions. 

If you like doing free activities, you really a wide range of choices. We went to walk up two glaciers in Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, which is very cool because you get to walk all the way down the valley and then climb up a little to a direct view on the glacier. Moreover, if you like walks, you can find thousands of different paths, some are quite short but some are 5/6 hours long walks. 

We also went to the Matheson Lake, there is a short walk before you reach it but you can easily find it. This lake is absolutely spectacular, it's famous for being a reflection lake. The dark water there is so still that the whole Mount Cook perfectly reflects in it. Although it's really nice during the daytime, I strongly advise you to get there for sunset, it's really a beautiful view and you can walk around the lake to see it from different angles. The best one being the "reflection island".

We visited a town called Wanaka as well, and it has it's share of beautiful lakes too. These, however, are mostly used for water sports and sailing. The town centre is very nice too and you have tons of restaurants to choose from. 

Another thing is that it's probably best if you're not a smoker. There is a reason that the air in NZ is so pure and that's simply because smokers are restricted by many rules. Not only the price of tobacco is ridiculous, but the area where you're allowed to smoke in are very limited. Altogether, this turned out to be a very good thing as it motivated the boyfriend to quit smoking... until he started to feel stressed because of the lack of nicotine. 

One good piece of advice : if you love your partner, don't quit smoking when you're on holiday!

New Zealand is an astounding country and I strongly recommend you all to go and visit all these wonderful places. Despite the cost of the trip and the endless flights, it's definitely worth a visit! 

Our trip didn't end there though. New Zealand was only the first half of our holidays, because we next flew to the Cook Islands, in Rarotonga where the wedding was occurring. Rarotonga being a mind-blowing place, I will tell all about it in another post.

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FRANCAIS

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Le mois dernier, mon copain et moi sommes allés en Nouvelle-Zélande pour des aventures plutôt cool. Non seulement c'était nos premières vacances ensemble, mais la principale raison de ce voyage était pour assister au mariage de deux de nos amis qui vivent en NZ.
Tout aussi génial que ce pays est, il y a de nombreuses choses à savoir concernant la Nouvelle-Zélande. Pour commencer, le voyage... Bien que l'on n'ait pas énormément d'espace avec nos sièges (mais bon, ce n'est jamais vraiment le cas en classe économie...), les divertissements et la nourriture étaient vraiment corrects, ce qui est très appréciable quand ce sont les seuls réconforts que l'on a quand on doit rester assis pendant 26 heures! Mais pour être honnête, tout ce que l'on a vécu une fois arrivés en valait vraiment la peine.

Nous étions sur l'île au sud, et le paysage est tout simplement à couper le souffle. La Nouvelle Zélande est un pays où la nature semble avoir été multiplié par dix! Tu peux y voir des montagnes gigantesques,  les plus gros lacs que tu verras dans ta vie, et si tu voyages autour de l'île, tu as l'impression de traverser toutes les saisons de l'année. Tout se contraste complètement, une plage ensoleillée à côté d'une chaine de montagnes enneigées, ou encore des montagnes sans fin qui mène à des plateaux à perte de vue, tu y trouves toujours quelque chose d'incroyable à chaque coin.

A part cela, tu apprends aussi à apprécier les petites choses.
Outre leurs délicieux (et excessivement énormes) cookies et muffins, l'air est étonnamment propre, l'eau est la meilleure que j'ai jamais bu (l'eau du robinet provient directement de la source), tu peux y faire tout un tas d'activités excitantes à Queenstown, il y a aussi un Fergburger où ils servent les meilleurs burgers du monde. Il y a également de nombreux endroits où tu peux trouver de bonnes glaces, mais n'essayez même pas de manger pour le reste de la journée parce que leurs cuillères à glace sont en réalité des louches... Quand j'ai commandé deux boules, je me suis retrouvée avec l'équivalent de cinq portions normales.

Si vous aimez faire des choses gratuites, il y a un très large choix de choses à faire. Nous avons par exemple grimpé sur deux glaciers à Franz Josef et Fox Glacier, ce qui est vraiment très cool parce que le sentier te mène tout au long de la vallée que tu traverses, ensuite tu montes un peu en altitude pour avoir une vue directe de l'entrée du glacier. De plus, si vous aimez les promenades, il y a des milliers de sentiers différents autour des sites naturels, il y en a des courts mais d'autres vous prennent jusqu'à 5 ou 6 heures de marche.

Nous sommes aussi allés au Lac Matheson, il y a une courte marche avant de l'atteindre mais c'est facilement trouvable. Ce lac est complètement spectaculaire, il est célèbre pour un lac à réflexion. L'eau sombre là-bas est tellement calme que le Mont Cook se reflète parfaitement sur le lac. Même si c'est très sympa à voir durant la journée, je vous conseille fortement d'y aller pour le coucher du soleil, la vue est tout simplement superbe et vous pouvez faire tout autour du lac pour voir ça sous différents angles. Le meilleur étant celui qu'ils appellent "The Reflection Island".

On a visité aussi Wanaka, une petite ville dans le sud de l'île et il y a des énormes lacs là-bas qui valent vraiment le détour. Par contre, ils sont principalement utilisés pour les sports nautiques et la voile. Le centre ville est très sympa également, ils ont des tonnes de restaurants où vous pouvez aller.

Autre chose, il y a de très nombreux avantages si vous ne fumez pas. Il y a une raison pour laquelle l'air est aussi pure en Nouvelle-Zélande et c'est tout simplement parce que les fumeurs sont restreints par de nombreuses règles. Non seulement le prix du tabac est ridiculement haut, mais les coins fumeurs sont très limités. Mais dans l'ensemble, cela s'est avéré être une très bonne chose puisque cela a motivé le chéri d'arrêter de fumer... jusqu'au moment où il a commencé à être stressé à cause du manque de nicotine.
Un conseil : si vous aimez votre partenaire, n'arrêtez pas de fumer quand vous êtes en vacances!

La Nouvelle Zélande est un pays tout simplement stupéfiant et je vous recommande très fortement d'y aller pour visiter tous ces merveilleux endroits. Malgré le cout du voyage et les vols qui n'en finissent jamais, la visite en vaut vraiment la peine!

Ceci dit, notre voyage ne s'est pas terminé là. La Nouvelle Zélande n'était que la première partie de nos vacances, puisque nous nous sommes ensuite envolés pour les Iles Cook, à Rarotonga, là où le mariage a eu lieu. Rarotonga étant un autre lieu hallucinant, je vous en parlerai plus en détails dans un autre article.