Back to reality!

I waved Sophie off to the gym this morning, and after a quick coffee, got ready and left for work at 7:00am. It was just Sara and me in the office until Jo and Angela came in, and we set to work and tackled all the emails that had arrived over the last four days.

Predictably, the phones went mad at 10:00am, and I would estimate 75% of them were about swimming at one of the centres we no longer run. All I kept hearing Angela and Jo say was, "I'm sorry, we don't run those centres anymore." Customers had been Googling the number and coming up with ours, as Everyone Active doesn't have a central contact centre.

At 4:00pm, we walked out of the building into bright sunshine, and when I got to the car, I couldn't find my phone... What is wrong with me at the moment? I knew I'd put it in the pocket of my cardigan, but I couldn't find it. I went all the way back to the office to see if I'd left it on my desk, but it wasn't there either! Back at the car, I found it in one of the pockets of my cardigan after all. This comes hot on the heels of a) losing my purse on Friday, b) losing two chargers for my phone and laptop on Sunday, only to find they were in one of the overnight bags, which I'd searched twice, and c) leaving my handbag behind yesterday. I am a little worried!

I had a frustrating journey home, bit Keith's head off when he asked for help with something, and then felt guilty! Oh dear! I need to go back to France!

We had an easy supper of cold meats, salad and new potatoes and watched two episodes of The Capture. Let's hope tomorrow is more pleasant!

Bagless and footsore in Oxford - the celebrations continue!

I was up at 6:45am, enjoying a coffee and putting the first wash into the machine. I also tidied the kitchen and put some more stuff away. We took so much baggage with us for just three days!

The rest of the family gradually woke up, and I unpacked the small suitcases we'd taken with us and sorted out yet more washing. This was to be Keith's job today, as Sophie and I were going to Oxford and having afternoon tea at The Randolph Hotel as a birthday treat.

We left at about 10:30am and took Olive to give the poor VW a rest today! The traffic was heavy around the Towcester roadworks, and we queued to get onto the A34 going into Oxford. It was a beautiful day, and we were looking forward to a coffee at Gail's, cocktails in The Morse Bar, and then afternoon tea in the Drawing Room.  

We parked at the usual Park and Ride car park, and when I leaned in to get my handbag from the back seat, it wasn't there... I realised that I'd left it in the VW when I'd moved the car out of the way. I was shocked I'd left it at home, and then worried that someone would see it when Keith went to Tesco to do a shop. We couldn't get hold of Keith, so I just had to hope it was in the car! It felt weird and horrible to have no bag, no purse and no phone (unsually, I'd put my phone into my bag rather than keep it between the two front seats). It meant Sophie had to pay for everything, which I felt terrible about.

We jumped straight onto a bus and alighted one stop earlier than usual to walk to Gail's, which is tucked down a quiet side street. The enticing array of delicious foods made our mouths water, and we chose a ham and cheese croissant, two different baked custard tarts, an iced matcha and a flat white.

We sat outside in the sun, and it was lovely. I'd worn a short-sleeved dress, but I'd donned a pair of heeled boots to wear with it, and they weren't that comfortable! The decision proved to be a real problem today! Sophie disappeared inside to get us more drinks, and I emptied a plate of crumbs from the croissant onto the pavement for the pigeons who were pecking about. They ate everything, and a couple more arrived, which was a bit alarming as I had visions of flocks of pigeons descending! However, they pecked away and cleared up all the crumbs, and then one flew onto my shoulder! I jumped and brushed it off and was then worried it had pooed on me! That would just about have made my day! Sophie wasn't around to witness it, but I did feel as if the pigeon was saying thank you!

After our drinks, we bought a block of cheese in a branch of the Jericho Cheese Company, and then had a good look around a wine shop. The owner asked if we needed any help, but we just wanted to look, which I think annoyed him. What is it with men running wine shops? (apart from Duncan, of course!) I complimented him on the range of wines and spirits he offered, but he just grunted at me!

We ended up buying two bottles of wine - a Vouvray and a German Pinot Noir - and walked up to the main thoroughfare to visit an Oxfam bookshop and another that was selling brand new books for as little as £5. Of course, Sophie bought two!

We made the decision to go to the Morse bar for a drink as I didn't fancy walking all the way to Waterstones, or even visiting the Ashmolean with my sore feet! We took our usual seats in the bar, and I had a good look at the menu. I chose a Gin-based cocktail while Sophie opted for a French Martini. We sat and sipped our drinks and did a fair amount of people watching! At one point, a huge crowd of people arrived to check in but they were dealt with efficiently and quickly by the receptionists.

It was heaven to sit and relax and chat, and at 3:30pm, we walked to The Drawing Room for our afternoon tea booking. We sat by the window at a table that soon proved to be too small for the amount of crockery and food it needed to accommodate!

Sophie chose Earl Grey tea, while I went for classic English Breakfast. We were served:

Sandwiches:

Smoked salmon and creme fraiche 

Cucumber, cream cheese, cumin and mint 

Curried egg and rocket

Savouries: 

Apple and sage sausage roll 

Mushroom quiche tart with pickled onion

Plain and fruit scones with clotted cream and jam

Carrot, spelt and cinnamon cake

Cherry Bakewell tart

Raspberry eclair

The pots of tea were huge and made with leaves rather than bags. We opted for a glass each of Nyetimber sparkling wine, and it was delicious!

I had mentioned on the booking that it was Sophie's birthday, and they brought her out another eclair on a decorated plate. What a lovely touch!

When I first saw the array of food, it didn't look like a lot, but boy, did it fill us up! We had to have a couple of rests to digest the food, but we ended up taking home the two scones and the carrot cake in a beautiful, dark blue box. Phew!

The Drawing Room was a lovely place to indulge in the afternoon tea, and apart from a few minutes of a crying baby, it was peaceful and quiet. We could have stayed forever!

However, the time was getting on, so Sophie paid the bill (she had no choice), and we reluctantly went out into the crowds. We waited along with queues of people for the bus and had to sit upstairs. Our bus driver drove extremely slowly back to The Pear Tree park and ride, and stopped many, many times on the way. I felt like we were driving through glue!

Back at the car, we headed back the way we had travelled this morning, and the traffic around Towcester wasn't too bad. We arrived home at about 7:00pm, and I was finally reunited with my bag and phone. No messages, of course, but that was a good thing!

We spent the evening chatting at the kitchen island, and then it was ten minutes of University Challenge before an early night. Back to work tomorrow!

Celebrating Sophie's 30th Birthday at "The Whispering Pines" 3rd to the 5th of April

Happy 30th, Sophie!

After another good night's sleep, we wished Sophie a very happy 30th birthday! She had enjoyed herself immensely so far, and we were hoping for another great day, visiting Ypres for lunch and a wander about. She had left her cards and gifts at home to open this evening, rather than bring everything with us.

Our checkout time was 10:00am this morning, but we were up, showered, dressed and packed well before that. We did a final sweep, followed the departure instructions left by Margot, who had popped in to say a brief hello last night, and we were off. The weather was looking promising, and we hoped for a little sun and blue sky!

Hopefully, we will be back!

The long, straight roads of Belgium

We took the A16 towards Calais and the traffic was lighter than normal. We kept forgetting it was Easter Sunday! Soon, we had passed Calais and the ugly, industrial outskirts of Dunkirk, and we were in Belgium. The road signs were Flemish with lots of double letters, Oostende, for example! Ypres became Ieper, and we turned off onto the N8, a road that was undergoing construction work.

We had been travelling for nearly an hour, and I needed a coffee, so we found an area of wasteland next to a petrol station and pulled in. I parked overlooking flat, arable farmland with ugly concrete barns dotted about. Sophie had made a flask of coffee and had packed the remaining pains with a couple of breakfast bars. We sat and enjoyed our coffee while staring at the flat countryside. It had become grey again, but thankfully, it remained dry!

Restored by coffee, we set off towards Ieper. The road was long, very straight, but uneven and uncomfortable to drive on. The smooth, pothole-free roads of France were a distant memory! Every so often, we came to a village strung out along the road, and we marvelled at the difference between Belgium and France, which was so close. Some of the houses were beautiful, though, and they were all neat and orderly.

It didn't take us long to get to Ieper, and we followed signs for parking near the Menin Gate. The town was quiet, and we were able to park for free in a residential area next to a river. Sophie found a bar on her maps app, so we crossed the river on a wooden bridge and walked along a path that led to a stone tower. We climbed a steep flight of steps and found ourselves overlooking the river, with trails leading off in different directions. Several families were out walking, and a couple of them said hello. What a lovely, friendly place!

The bar that Sophie had found turned out to be firmly closed, so we walked towards the main square in search of a drink before lunch. Ahead of us was the large, imposing Menin Gate, a war memorial dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who had died in the First World War. It was beautiful and something I've always wanted to see. Sophie had first visited with her school when she was about 14, and had experienced what it was like in the trenches on a freezing day in February. I just wished we had longer to explore.

Leading away from the gate was a main road with numerous shops, bars and restaurants. We entered the first bar we came to, called St Arnoldus, which was advertising twenty-five beers on draught! It was a long, dimly-lit bar and we took a seat near the entrance. We all chose different beers - a whisky-infused beer for Keith, a beer brewed in Bruges for Sophie, and I had a local dark beer called Wipers Times Dubbel.

Just after we sat down, a British couple arrived, and we got talking to them. It was Keith's accent that prompted the conversation, as they were from Middlesbrough. It was lovely to sit and chat, nibble tiny balls of Wotsits-type puffs and relax.

However, the time was getting on, so we paid our bill and set off along the street towards the huge main square. This was also used as a car park and was surrounded by beautiful Flemish buildings.

Ieper was a gorgeous town, and one I hope we'll return to. Sophie and I both fancy a break in Belgium, visiting Ieper again, Ghent, Bruges and Dinant. The Belgian specialities - beer and chocolate - are right up our street! We went into a shop selling chocolates, beer and gifts, and I bought Keith a new Le Chouffe glass as his other two had been broken.

We found a restaurant right on the square, and although the prices were a little steep, we didn't have the luxury of time to wander about and look for somewhere else. The restaurant was called Vivaldi, and we took a table right at the end of the dining area.

Sophie wanted to go home and have a Chinese takeaway this evening, so we didn't need a huge meal. I opted for a salad with cheese croquettes, and both Keith and Sophie chose croque madame toasted sandwiches with an egg and a side order of fries and salad. We all drank the dark local beer I'd enjoyed in the bar.

The food was delicious, and my dish had every type of salad vegetable I could think of, as well as some I wouldn't have expected, such as asparagus and green beans! I helped out by eating some of the crunchy, hot chips, and we agreed that it had been a great meal with a friendly ambience.

Back to France

After paying the bill, we wandered around the gorgeous square and admired the buildings. I just wish we could have stayed longer and explored more. Walking back to the car, the streets reminded me of Bruges, with a similar architecture and atmosphere.

We recrossed the river and walked past a large group of people enjoying a picnic in the sunshine. By now it was warm! Back at the car (which I noticed was filthy and covered in a large dollop of bird poo), we put directions for Calais into Jeeves and set off.

Our journey back to the motorway was a lot different. We drove through Ieper and out into the Belgian countryside, passing through a large industrial area with a dual carriageway that reminded me of roads in the US! We then turned off onto a road through arable fields and farmhouses, and suddenly, we were in France again!

We spotted a petrol station and decided to stop and fill up, but as usual, I took the wrong turning, and we ended up in a part that had been closed down! As I drove out behind the station, we briefly went into Belgium again (the car lets you know when you cross a border!).

We gave up on the petrol, both here and at an aire we came to on the motorway, where signs said we had to pre-pay before filling up. We certainly had enough to get home, and it was cheaper than in France. Very soon, we were near Calais and the Shuttle terminal. We were a little early and were offered the 3:54pm train, which we accepted. I think we should have gone straight through to passport control, but we all needed the loo, and I wanted to buy some chocolates for work.

I had them in my hand, about to go and pay, when Keith said there was a last call for our train! I dropped the chocs back onto the shelf, and we dashed back to the car! We then had a queue to get through both passport controls, and the UK official was lovely, asking Sophie why she was travelling on her birthday. Indeed! We should have stayed another night!

Homeward bound

Amazingly, we were the last but one car on the train, and we settled back in our seats for a snooze during the crossing. Back in the UK, the roads weren't busy, and we made good time home, taking the same route as Friday. 

Just after we arrived home, I saw Isla, who was about to feed the cats. They had behaved for her, and Mooney was in the conservatory when we went into the house, much to Sophie's delight! No sign of Gomez, though!

We unpacked the car, put some stuff away and ordered a Chinese takeaway. Sophie then opened her cards and gifts, and we sat and relaxed. We all agreed it had been a lovely break, and we would love to go back to The Whispering Pines again one day!

Sophie was delighted to get Gomez in later in the evening, and he cuddled up to her as a welcome. I think both cats had missed us while we were away and the creature comforts of the rest of the house!

Celebrating Sophie's 30th Birthday at "The Whispering Pines" 3rd to the 5th of April

A return to St Valery-sur-Somme

We awoke after a great night's sleep (beautifully quiet and dark), and after breakfast of pains au chocolat and coffee, we were ready to leave by 9:45am. Our house is in a very rural setting, and before we could reach the main road, we had to wait for a herd of cows to cross! They all trundled across the road, and the very last one hobbled after the rest of the herd. She was a bit thin, but she seemed happy enough, bless her! The farmer waved his thanks as we edged forward, and we waved back. It was lovely to see!

Jeeves provided the directions to St Valery-sur-Somme, and we passed through the centre of Boulogne, which we didn't realise had so many steep roads! No wonder the Tour de France was held here last year!

From Boulogne, we headed out into the countryside on the D940, driving through flat farmland interspersed with little villages. We crisscrossed a railway line all the way to St Valery-sur-Somme but never saw a train, much to Keith's disappointment.

Soon, we reached Étaples, where a "coquilles" or shellfish festival was taking place. It was hectically busy, and we drove along the street we visited back in 2023, where we had a meal overlooking the River Canche. We drove across the river and left the mayhem behind us as we continued through the lovely, quiet countryside. The weather had deteriorated a little, and the earlier sunshine had been replaced with grey cloud and drizzle.

We came across a supermarket petrol station and topped up. Before we'd left for France, I'd heard stories of fuel shortages, but we didn't have any problem finding petrol, despite the prices being higher than in the UK.

We continued on our way and soon saw signs for the town. We approached St Valery-sur-Somme across very flat marshland, grazed by sheep and cows on long, straight roads bordered by trees. As we neared the town, the traffic grew heavier, and it soon became apparent that a lot of people had had the same idea as us!

We had planned on parking in the centre of St Valery-sur-Somme, but soon realised that was a foolish dream! We drove along a cobbled street right next to the river, then turned left into the car park. I drove in but soon realised there was no way out. A French car had followed me, so we both had to reverse. By now, I was mightily fed up!

I made the mistake of turning left again, so I had to repeat the circuit along the river. There were a couple of spaces, but I had a driver right behind me, making it difficult to back in and parallel park. Back at the car park, there were still no spaces, so we decided to drive out of the town and park on the outskirts. However, as I drove along the Quai du Romerel, I spotted a space! It was right next to a parking meter, and I nearly took out a whole crowd of people and children on bikes as I manoeuvred into the space. Phew! Mission accomplished!

We donned coats and walked towards the centre of town. Both Keith and Sophie needed the loo, so we stopped at the first bar we came to for a drink. The tables inside were set up for lunch, so we had to sit outside on wooden decking. The chairs were a little dirty (bird poo), but we eventually found three that were clean, and a waitress gave us the drinks menu. Sophie chose a rosé, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay, and Keith had a beer. As we sat and waited for our drinks to arrive, it started to drizzle... it was fine at first, but then it grew heavier, so we were forced to descend to another area of the garden and sit under an umbrella. 

We sat with our drinks, but we didn't touch the small bowl of olives that the waitress had brought with the drinks. Normally, we would have dived in, but we noticed olive stones in the bowl that had clearly been nibbled by someone else... Ewww! No thanks!

NOT nibbled by us!

Despite the drizzle and the loud cawing of rooks in nearby trees, we enjoyed our drinks sitting in the garden. I admired the beautiful houses nearby, and it was great to sit and relax and look forward to lunch.

A black bun

We finished our drinks, paid the bill inside, where the restaurant had filled up considerably, and walked into the town via the promenade. We were mindful of the time and picked almost the first restaurant we came to, as the ones we passed looked very busy indeed.

The moody River Somme

The menu at Le Bistro de St Val looked good, they had a table free, and the place was packed with locals and tourists alike. We sat at a table by the window and had a good look at the menu, choosing a terrine (me), cheese on toast (Keith) and salmon (Sophie). Keith had another beer, while Sophie and I shared a pichet of rosé. For our main courses, I opted for a beef burger (quite daring in France!), Sophie ordered more salmon, while Keith was tempted by the pork ribs and barbecue sauce.

As the restaurant was so busy, we did have a little wait for our starters, but we didn't mind. It was great to chat, people-watch and soak up the cheerful ambience of the place as large family groups enjoyed their lunches.

When our starters arrived, I immediately regretted ordering mine, as I had two thick slabs of terrine, gherkins and a heap of salad, covered in a delicious dressing. We'd already devoured a basket of bread, and I hoped I'd be able to do justice to my burger! My starter was delicious, and Keith and Sophie were equally satisfied with their choices.

Thankfully, there was a decent interval between the starters and main courses, and by now, the restaurant had emptied out. People were still coming in, though, so obviously they weren't sticking to the 12pm-2pm rule. 

My burger arrived inside a black, seeded bun, something I'd never seen before! I had a mound of freshly cooked French fries, and yet more salad. Sophie's salmon was in a parsley sauce and served with two yellow potatoes and a wedge of vegetable flan. Predictably, Keith's pork ribs were substantial and also served with crispy fries.

The food was very good, and my burger was most definitely beef, not another variety of meat! We made our way through the meals, but we all confessed defeat when it came to dessert. Sophie and Keith had digestifs - a glass each of Cointreau and Cognac - to round off the meal.

As we were finishing, the man who had played his guitar at another restaurant we visited last September attempted to come in, but was briskly turned away by the owner! No argument, go! I watched as he crossed the road, head down and morose, and unlocked a scooter to ride home on!

We drool over property!

We paid the bill, used the loos and waved Keith off back to the car so he could digest his lunch. The sun had come out, and it was lovely and warm, so Sophie and I walked into the town and along the main high street.

We wandered along, looking in the shops and taking pics of the lovely old buildings.

We then cut through to the promenade by using a narrow alleyway, and walked along the river. It was gorgeous, and I took my coat off as I was so warm! Crowds of people were out enjoying the sunshine, and the outdoor tables were heaving. 

We strolled back to the car and, on the way, noticed a house for sale. It looked empty, and the garden was overgrown and needed attention. It was beautiful, though, and we both fell in love with it!

The office of the estate agents handling the sale was opposite, but we couldn't find out the price. I should imagine it would be well over 400,000 euros, though, as the town is a popular place and attracts a lot of tourists.

Sitting in the sun

Reluctantly, we returned to the car and set the satnav for Offrethun. We drove through beautiful countryside and pretty villages for about 15 kms and then turned onto the A16, which was a lot quicker! The traffic was light, and it only cost us about 6 euros for the toll.

Back at the house, we relaxed, and as it was sunny, we wrapped ourselves up in our throws and sat outside with our books to read. Perfect!

As we were reading, a car arrived, and we discovered we had new neighbours! We said hello, and later found out they were Belgian. It grew a little chillier, so we retreated indoors to play Scrabble and finally had something to eat at about 8:30pm, a repeat of the lovely salad we'd enjoyed yesterday, with chicken.

Before bed, we watched a French show about traffic police near Paris. We used subtitles to try to understand what it was all about! It was a good way of improving our French!

Sunset and pines

Celebrating Sophie's 30th Birthday at "The Whispering Pines" 3rd to the 5th of April

Shuttle mayhem...

We were all up, showered and dressed by 3:00am this morning and took the A14, M11, M25 and M20 to Folkestone. Sophie was glad she'd been able to have a cuddle with Mooney before we left, and only wished she could have taken both cats with her!

We have been a little worried about the fuel situation at the moment, so Keith suggested we pull off the M20 and fill up with petrol at Maidstone Services. I had an ominous feeling about it, as once past the junction for the services, the lane was closed...

We filled up, bought a paper and used the loo, but when we tried to return to the M20, the road was indeed closed. We had no choice but to take the A20 towards Lenham and try to get back onto the M20 at Ashford. The road was dark, and I had no idea where we were going!

Sophie's map on her phone kept saying we wouldn't be at Folkestone until 6:30am, which was ludicrous as we'd stopped about 12 miles from the terminal with an hour to spare! Boarding closed at 6:24am, so we became increasingly worried about why we had been given such a late arrival time!

Luckily, we were able to get back onto the M20 at Ashford and sped towards the terminal, making much better time and arriving shortly after 6:00am. Sophie said that the approach to the terminal was showing red on the map, and we soon found out why... the queues to get through the check-in gates were horrendous!

It became obvious that our experience today was going to be vastly different to when we were here in January! It was also clear that there was some kind of car event going on in France, as there were lots of BMWs, Porsches and other high-performance cars arriving and revving up their engines. It was like being at Silverstone!

We eventually got through the check-in gates and drove extremely slowly to the car park, a journey that normally takes about 30 seconds, but took us about half an hour. We had learnt that our scheduled train at 7:24am was delayed by 30 minutes, so we had time to use the loos again, and buy two bottles of Vodka in Duty Free.

In fact, the terminal itself was quiet; everyone was queuing to get through passport control, with the time estimated at an hour. We drank our coffee, ate some delicious sausage rolls that Keith had made specially for the journey and kept looking at the information board, which twice changed our time of departure.

When the boards said we would be called in 15 minutes, we joined the long, snaking queue, making sure other drivers were displaying our letter and number! A couple of drivers up ahead were made to park and wait as they'd obviously tried to sneak in!

It took us about an hour to get through both passport controls and onto the train. We left at about 9:00am, so 90 minutes later than we should have. It was a frustrating start to the weekend!

Back in love with a Welsh

To be honest, maybe it was a good thing we had been delayed, as the weather was atrocious in France! I had a nap on the train and felt much more refreshed when we arrived in Calais. We turned off the A16 and drove towards Sangatte, before taking the coastal road to Wimereux. All plans to visit the beaches were cancelled as it was cold and misty with a nasty wind blowing in from the Channel.

We couldn't see the sea at all, and the rolling hills and Caps were covered in thick mist. We stopped in Audinghen at our usual café/restaurant and ordered a coffee, a hot chocolate, and a beer. It was cosy inside, with a lovely ambience, made even better when the local postman arrived for an espresso and resembled a younger John Mayer!

We paid the bill, said goodbye to the locals sitting drinking coffee and made our way back outside into the wind and rain. A poor woman was packing up a market stall where she'd been trying to sell vegetables!

It cleared up a little as we neared Wimereux, and we found a parking space on the street. It was a short walk to the front, and we turned right to see the lights of Les Oyats twinkling in the distance. All thoughts of sitting outside to eat were banished, and even in the covered outside area, it looked chilly, so we sat inside where it was warm and cosy.

Sophie was overjoyed to get a table (the restaurant wasn't busy at all) and she didn't even bother looking at the menu... she wanted a Welsh complet! I chose turkey in a creamy sauce with French fries, and Keith opted for the fish and chips. Sophie and I shared a pichet of Rosé while Keith enjoyed two beers.

We had a delightful lunch, and Sophie's faith in a Welsh was restored after her disastrous meal at Wimereux in January! A family arrived just after us with three very young children, but they were well-behaved. We couldn't tell if they were Belgian or Dutch, but the little ones were blonde and rosy-cheeked and didn't play up, scream or cry!

Sophie and I indulged in desserts - mousse au chocolat and a Chocolat Liegois. Both desserts were delicious!

Outside, the tide was coming in, and the sea was rough with huge waves crashing onto the sea wall. We paid the bill and ventured outside. Not many people were out walking along the promenade today!

We were amazed to see the young family that had sat next to us getting very close to the sea, with one of the children standing on the sea wall. With the spray coming off the waves, he could easily have been swept over.

A mercy dash!

It was as we were walking back to the car that I looked in my bag and couldn't find my purse... I panicked, and Sophie ran back to the car to see if it had fallen out. I went back to our table in the restaurant, but there was nothing there. Back outside, I checked again and found the blooming thing lurking right at the bottom of my bag! I tried to get in touch with Sophie, and we side-stepped a man who asked us if we spoke English. Er, no, go away!

Sophie had run all the way back to the car with a full, cheesy stomach, so she shouted at me when we caught up with her. She had evaded the mystery man as well, and I hoped he wasn't in dire need of help!

"Les Pins qui Chuchotent"

On the way to the Airbnb, we called in at the Carrefour at Wimille and bought some items to tide us over for the next few days, including salad, milk, water, beer and wine. The supermarket was empty; can you imagine what Tesco would be like on Good Friday?

It was a very short journey to Offrethun, and we turned onto a tiny track that wound up between fields. At first, we arrived at the wrong house, and I managed to annoy a local who had followed me when I pulled in! We carried on, and the road became more overgrown and narrow. I dreaded meeting a huge tractor!

As we neared the village, we saw signs for the house and turned in. There was a large private house first, and then two more houses further on, with parking. Ours was "L'Elegant" and stood opposite a row of tall pine trees, the "Whispering Pines" that the houses take their name from.

We accessed the key via a lockbox and explored before bringing our luggage in from the car. The house had a large open-plan kitchen/dining area/living room and three bedrooms (two upstairs with an en-suite). It was beautiful and modern and had everything we needed. There was a professional brochure from the owner with lots of information about the local area.

We unpacked and put everything away, and then collapsed on the comfortable sofa! We were all shattered from the journey and the early start, so we all managed a nap and woke feeling refreshed! 

Sophie and I played Scrabble, and we opened a bottle of Champagne to sip while we played. I beat Sophie, and we then played cards. Towards 8:00pm, we enjoyed salad and watched bad French television - the television doesn't have Netflix, our only little niggle!

Salut!

Packing up

Before leaving for work this morning, I stripped the bed and put on a fresh sheet and pillowcases. The rest I would do this afternoon after work and seeing Mum. It felt strange to be just Sara and me in the office until Nicola came in! In fact, there was nobody else in at all; the Easter holidays must have started early!

I did the last set of box office returns and the cinema reports, and then worked on the emails steadily all morning. We still have over five hundred cancellation emails to work on, and Sara and I have a little bet that when we return next Tuesday, there will be even more!

At 2pm, I wished everyone a Happy Easter and drove straight over to Kettering to see my Mum. I'd bought her an Easter egg and card and aimed to have a quick chat before going home and packing for the weekend.

When I arrived, I couldn't call the lift, so I went to use the other one, situated near the ground-floor dining room. I saw a lot of the residents in there, my Mum among them. The doors were closed, and I could tell they were watching a musical show. I didn't feel comfortable going in and disturbing them, so I went up to Mum's room and left her chocolate and card.

Before going, I spoke to one of the carers, who didn't seem at all happy that I was leaving without seeing Mum. She said she would be very upset, cry, and pace up and down the corridor, putting herself at risk of a fall. Not really what I wanted to hear! This was in complete contrast to what one of the carers told me the other week, that Mum was fine when I wasn't there! Who am I to believe then? 

I left feeling upset and guilty, even though I had nothing to feel guilty about! I had seen Mum last Sunday, and we were only going to France for a few days! It made me feel a bit subdued for the rest of the day, but I perked up when Sophie arrived home, and we sat and chatted in the kitchen.

Keith and I had packed, I'd hoovered, and Sophie put everything in the car before we had beefburgers and salad for dinner. She'd had a wonderful day at work and had been thoroughly spoiled by her colleagues with flowers, Champagne, Gin and lots of little gifts.

After dinner, Keith and I watched Beyond Paradise, and then it was time for bed at 8:30pm! We have to be up at 2:00am tomorrow... yuck!

April Fools pranks!

Keith disappeared to Mawsley this morning for a haircut, and when he returned, we went over to Tesco at Kettering. I treated him to a coffee and a toasted sandwich in Costa, and then we did a little shopping. I managed to get Sophie today with an April Fool's joke... I texted her to say the shelves were empty of loo rolls and pasta, and she told the whole office before I could say it was just a prank! 

Not so funny were the out-of-order pumps in the filling station, though. There was no diesel at all, and only half the forecourt was open. We topped up, checked the air in the tyres and returned home. The rest of the day was spent pootling about, writing the blog and preparing tonight's dinner of chicken stroganoff.

I was a victim of an April Fool's joke as well, when I read an article on the internet that said Jessie Buckley was going to be the new female James Bond! I was horrified until I twigged!

Dinner was lovely tonight, and we simmered the stroganoff slowly before cooking rice and garlic bread. After we'd eaten, Keith and I watched the first couple of episodes of The Capture. We are well and truly hooked!