Travel Update

It's been a hugely busy but thoroughly enjoyable time since our last update!  Karyn writes ...

As you know, David travelled to Paris and then to Deauville in France to attend this week's yearling sale there, while I headed to Florence and Montepulciano, Italy with Lydia and Mitch (while Julia Rose swans about on a yacht in Palma with her school friend)!

David is very much looking forward to the yearling sale and has been busy inspecting the young horses in Deauville.  This August yearling sale is world famous and is an exceptional sale where the very best of the French yearling market and a top range of foreign yearlings (from England, Ireland, USA and Germany) congregate at the heart of the Prix Morny weekend - they call this the "not to be missed sale" for the purchase of future champions likely to go down in racing history such as Urban Sea, Subotica, King's Best, Gorella, Grey Lilas, Latice, Lawman, Doctor Dino, Literato and others such as Collection, Jukebox Jury, Le Havre, Naaqoos, Dabirsim, Immoral Verse, Maybe etc.

Deauville itself is found in the Calvados area in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.  With its race course, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France - it is often referred to as the Parisian riviera.

Home to the Deauville-La Touques Racecourse, the countryside around Deauville is the main horse breeding region in France and home to numerous stud farms. As a result, the city is twinned with Lexington, Kentucky and County Kildare in Ireland, both of which are recognised internationally for the breeding of the thoroughbred racehorse. The important Ventes de Deauville yearling auction is held in mid-August each year at Deauville and this is the sale that David has been attending.

Deauville is internationally known for its horse culture, its famous tracks, the yearling sales and its multiple Group 1 annual races. The two famous tracks of Deauville are Deauville la Touques and Clairefontaine These tracks are active during the months of January, July, August, October and December.

The three most important races that occur in Deauville ever year are the following: Le Maurice de Gheest, Le Jacques le Marois, and Le Morny. More recently Le Prix d'Astarte, (Prix Rothschild) and Le Prix Romanet have gained more prestige in the racing world. Le Grand Prix de Deauville, though not a Group 1 race, remains very prestigious; since its origin the winner's names and colours are posted on the walls of the grand hall of the race track.

Meanwhile in Italy, the "kids" and my stay in Florence came to an end after three full-on days where we walked every part of the ancient city.  It truly is a breathtakingly beautiful city and it is easy to understand why it was such a powerhouse of political and cultural influence all those centuries ago.

The challenge on Saturday was to find somewhere in Florence that would be televising the All Blacks v Wallabies game.  We thought we were so clever - an Irish pub that broadcasts sport!  Problem solved.

Off to the train station we go and check in our bags (the queue to do this took half an hour as they don't have the lockers you would expect - you have to hand the bags in and collect later).  A few heart palpitations when we read the sign saying "no bags over 20kgs" but we bluffed our way through.  We grabbed a taxi and off we set for the Irish pub.  Got there 10 minutes later and yes - it was an Irish pub - it opened at 1pm which would be half way through the game!

Taxi driver to the rescue - his wife (also a taxi driver) had heard of one other Irish pub that had a sports' area so we were transported there and YES this time we were in luck!

David was not so lucky - even in rugby-mad France he had trouble getting the first half of the game so text updates were flying back and forth with the first half being such a high scoring 40 minutes as I am sure those of you who saw it know - what a game!  Happy with the result we headed back to the train station to travel to Montepulciano.

If we thought Florence was beautiful, this is another world but more on that tomorrow.

David is just calling with some very, very exciting news! STAND BY!!