Curtain catastrophe!

I went with Sophie to the gym this morning and sat in the car while she did a half-hour run. She had promised me a smoothie when she came out, and it was delicious. Virgin have introduced an incentive so that if she goes four times in a week, she gets a free drink, either a hot drink or a smoothie. It's certainly making her attend almost every day! She chooses a peanut butter smoothie, and I can understand why she goes now!

We returned home, and we noticed that the living room curtain pole was leaning at a weird angle! I had pulled on the curtain yesterday, and must have pulled the bracket away from the wall. We took the curtains down, and Keith had to drill new holes and attach the brackets again. It wasn't really what I wanted to do! This, of course, made me have a look at the curtains, which needed washing, and I hoovered the area above the curtains, which was cobwebby, and then I noticed how shabby the two lampshades were! One small thing leads on to many other jobs!

I had asked Sophie to make Mary Berry's panang chicken for dinner, so she prepared all the vegetables and the chicken while I helped Keith, who was balanced precariously on a ladder and drilling holes. With the curtains down, the whole room felt so exposed!

In the afternoon, Sophie and I went over to Tesco, and I bought my Mum some toiletries and chocolates, and we both bought our wine for an upcoming Wine Night next Saturday. We were given instructions to choose a wine with an off-putting label. I chose an Australian wine called "Greasy Fingers"... yuk! Sophie chose a Sauvignon Blanc with Gary Barlow's name emblazoned on it! I also bought a bottle of Grenadine to use in a cocktail tonight.

We visited Mum for an hour, and she was delighted with her toiletries and chocs. It was then home to relax for a little while until cocktail hour! Sophie made us both vodka blushes, from the novel and film, Rosemary's Baby. She added some egg white to the mix, and the result was delicious! We played cards before Sophie cooked dinner, and it was as good as always, with enough left for lunches on Monday.

Our viewing choice this evening was an Indie film called Martha Marcy May Marlene, about a young woman who escapes a sinister cult, and finds it difficult to go back to normal life when she reconnects with her sister. Keith wasn't impressed, so he sat on the computer, but Sophie and I enjoyed it, even if the ending was a little abrupt!

The end of another week!

Sara was off again today, but Kathy arrived before 9:00am, so I had some company! I had another busy day, dealing with annoying emails, which now seem to be mostly about refunds! It never ends...

It was lovely to escape at 4:00pm and join Keith in the car park. It was great to look forward to a quiet weekend with not a lot planned. Hooray! I love Friday nights!

Keith went to the pub this evening, and Sophie and I opened her bottle of Taittinger Champagne. Although we love the Aldi Champagne, you can certainly taste the difference! We nibbled on the mini cheeses we'd bought in France, cracksters, and watched Race Across the World. Sometimes I wish Friday nights could go on forever!

Keith had made himself celery and Stilton soup, so he had that for dinner, while Sophie and I tucked into quiche and pizza with salad and potato wedges. We watched a hilarious episode of Have I Got News For You (there's a lot to talk about at the moment!) and then an episode of Alan and Amanda renovating two houses in Sicily, which they bought for 1 euro each! We can dream!

On my lonesome

I was all on my own at work today, until Nicola came in at about 9:00am. I could hear our lovely cleaner moving about, but this office is much more isolated than our old one, when people were always popping in and out.

I cleared a lot of emails and then tackled the moan report for March, just for the sites we were keeping. It took me a lot less time to do! At 2pm, I hurtled off home, said a quick hello to Keith and then went to see my Mum, taking some chocolates that I'd bought in France.

She seemed OK today, and we sat and looked at old photos on my phone until I left at about 4:00pm. While I'd been visiting Mum, the weather had changed, and a chilly wind was blowing. The sky turned dark, and I was convinced we'd have rain, but the clouds moved on. How different from yesterday! 

One of the photographs I'd looked at was a Martini glass, so I asked Sophie to make me one tonight. She used up the last of our Number 3 Gin, and the drink was just what I had fancied. I cooked dinner tonight, a very simple chicken and chipolata traybake with lots of vegetables and cous cous. Delicious!

After dinner, Keith and I watched the last episode of series 2 of The Capture. The third series is on now and finishes on Sunday. It's been very enjoyable!

Getting jobs done!

I waved Sophie off to the gym this morning and had a little lie-in before enjoying a coffee. There were two jobs I had to get done today: get the VW cleaned as it was filthy, and replace the rear windscreen wiper, which has been annoying both of us for weeks!

Keith went shopping, but before he went, he ordered a new wiper on Amazon for delivery today! I pootled about, catching up with jobs and trying to stay cool. Today is supposed to be the warmest of the year so far, with some parts of the UK hitting 24 °C! Phew! It was a beautiful day, and warm and sunny, but it's best not to get complacent; it can all change again soon!

We decided to take the VW through the carwash in Market Harborough, and it emerged gleaming once we had travelled through the automated system. We drove home, and I had a lovely hot shower and did some foot care to round off the afternoon. 

Before Sophie arrived home, I did a little searching on the internet for a family I'd known when I was about five or six. They were from the US, and the father worked on a US air base in Upper Heyford on the Northamptonshire/Oxfordshire border. Why they came to live very close to us is a mystery, when there were other towns - Bicester, Brackley, Towcester - much nearer. It was my first taste of US living, and I vividly remember the barbecues they used to have, my first sip of 7Up and visiting the base where everything was strange and new. I did a search, but I didn't get anything at all, so it may be a challenge!

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!