More gardening!

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning so I could have a lie-in, which was lovely. We had arranged for a mobile tyre fitter to come and fit two new tyres to the VW and one on ET, and he had texted me earlier to say he'd be with us at about 11am. I had woken at 6.30am initially, with a horrible headache, so I had a relaxed start to the day!

At 10am, I drove Sophie to the GP surgery in my car in case the fitter arrived early and she had a blood test to check her thyroid levels. She was in and out in a few minutes, and we returned home to have another coffee.

In the early afternoon, I decided to prune some of the bushes in the gravel garden and weed between the little stones, so Keith came out to help. He cut down several overgrown bushes and I raked up hundreds more leaves and weeded. We managed to fill the wheelie bin again and another box, so we'll have to make a third trip to the tip. It looked so much better when we'd finished and we could see a clear way down to the bottom of the garden. I've decided to break up the love seat at some point in the future as it's covered in green moss, and also our two-seater bench and invest in new seating this year. Hopefully, we'll be able to sit outside at some point and enjoy a glass of wine! It seems such a long way off at the moment. The garden is a mess but I always say that at this time of year! In May it will look a lot better!

As well as doing the garden, we cleared some space in the garage so we could fit all three cars on the driveway. Unfortunately, Keith backed the VW into Paul's garage door last Friday and, although it wasn't badly damaged, Paul had arranged for someone to come out and look at it, at a cost of £115 (if it doesn't need any parts). Not knowing how much it's going to cost is a worry, so we've decided to keep the car on our drive instead in the future. We can do it, with the nose of the VW inside the garage and I wish we'd done this before!

Sophie was in a quandary about going to see Vikesh this evening, but as he was still sedated and was on a ventilator, I didn't think it would be a good idea for her to see him like that. She eventually agreed with me, but said she felt guilty. I said it would be better to see him when he was awake, and fervently hoped that she'd be able to go tomorrow.

We were late doing the shopping list today, one of the most hated chores! We decided on something easy for tomorrow evening, just in case we were able to visit Vikesh. I have a feeling that he's going to take a fair while to recover from this and hospital-visiting may take precedence over the next few days!

Worrying news

Unfortunately, Sophie had a disturbed night as Vikesh was ill again and he was taken to hospital again this morning, still having trouble breathing. She didn't go to the gym and before we both got ready for work, we sat and had a coffee and chatted.

Our office was busy and noisy today, and I had plenty to keep me occupied. Sophie texted me halfway through the morning to say that Vikesh was in intensive care and they'd sedated him. This shocked me as I didn't think he was that serious. There was even talk of putting him on a ventilator to try and help him breathe.

When I got home, Sophie asked me to put some things together for him in case she was allowed to visit, but a little later his mum said he was still sedated and no visitors were allowed. I prepared our dinner of chicken and vegetable traybake served with couscous and we were able to relax for half an hour with a drink.

After dinner, we settled down to watch a Netflix documentary about a Russian female skater who'd paired up with an Australian and who, initially, had been a fantastic skater until the pressure of performing had disastrous consequences. 

It was lovely and cosy in the living room as we regularly light our gas fire now, and pretend it's a log burner!

Monday again!

Vikesh went home overnight, so that was a relief and we all hoped he'd be on the mend. My shift at work passed quickly as I was busy dealing with emails and Sheila had prepared all the Easter playscheme places, so that was another job looming!

Keith was cooking one of his signature dishes this evening - a casserole of corned beef, potatoes, bacon and onions, so Sophie and I enjoyed a bottle of red wine. Perfect for a chilly night! We sat with our drinks and some nibbles to watch television before dinner and I gave Mooney a couple of Cracksters... we probably shouldn't but he loves them as much as me! We now call him Crackster Boy! Gomez isn't interested and he has been staying out later and later into the evening. He's never far away but he seems to love the freedom of being outside when it's dark!

A spot of gardening

Today dawned bright and sunny, so I decided to tackle the untidy front garden and ask Keith if we could go to the tip with all the cuttings that Mike had pruned before Christmas.  

Keith came out to help me with the front garden, and we swept up a ton of leaves that were covering the grass verge and the soil. We managed to get them into the garden wheelie bin, and we also managed to fill another box.

With the first load, we headed for the tip while Sophie prepared tonight's meal of Thai yellow curry. The smells in the kitchen were divine! The tip wasn't as busy as we thought it would be, and with the first load deposited, we headed home. This time we ventured into the back garden and gathered up all the cuttings, which were mostly ivy. I was careful, as the last time I'd handled a lot of ivy cuttings, I'd developed a nasty rash on my arm.

We filled the wheelie bin and the box again and headed off on our second trip. This is the first time we've had to empty the bin since the charges were raised to £55 in March, so it really would have been a waste of money if we'd subscribed to the garden service. We can put some of the cuttings on our compost heap as well.

Back home, Sophie had finished all the prep for dinner and I asked if she would come with me to recycle the Tassimo pods and get the car washed. We drove to Broughton to post off the pods, and then into Northampton to use the carwash at the Shell garage on the Harborough road. It did an excellent job on my filthy car!

In the M&S shop, Sophie bought a pack of chocolate hot cross buns which we toasted when we got home and enjoyed with a mug of tea. Bliss! I'd been eyeing the delicious chocolate biscuits we'd bought home from Normandy for Isla today, but we caught our neighbours before we went to the tip and delivered them to their rightful owner!

We had a bit of a shock this evening when Sophie found out that Vikesh wasn't well after the trip to London yesterday, and was having trouble breathing. His parents had called an ambulance and he went to the hospital where he was hooked up to oxygen. In the photos, he looked very similar to how Mike was, back in December 2019.

Sophie cooked the dinner, but she was naturally worried about Vikesh. It looked like his chest infection hadn't gone away but we said he was in the best place to be looked after!

Out for lunch!

Keith and I took Sophie to the train station this morning for her trip to London with Vikesh and his cousins. There were nine of them going, and she'd been looking forward to the day out.

Keith and I returned home for breakfast and pootled about for the rest of the morning. We'd booked a table at the pub in the village, so we walked up at midday rather than take the car the short distance. We were lucky with the weather which was dry and sunny, albeit a little chilly.

There was a lovely atmosphere in the pub and it was warm and welcoming. Matthew took our drinks order and said that he was leaving in six months to go travelling and then teach in Vietnam. We were impressed and said that he'd be a loss to the pub. He's the same age as Mike with no responsibilities, so good luck to him!

We sat down at a window table and perused the menu with our drinks - a pint of Neck Oil for Keith, and half a Guinness for me. There was a definite Scottish theme going on - probably because of the recent Burns' Night - and I ordered the haggis and neeps in a whisky sauce for a main course. Keith chose the steak and ale pie and we asked for some bread, olives and feta to start the meal.

The bread and olives were delicious, and my haggis and neeps were perfect! I ended the meal with cranachan, a Scottish dessert with raspberries, cream and oats, which was lovely.

Bread, olives and oil mixed with Balsamic vinegar

Yummy!

Over the meal, we'd talked about Keith's family, and he wondered whether his brother-in-law's brother was still alive. Keith used to work for the family and they'd been a big influence on his life as Keith's father had died when he was fourteen. I said that, when we got home, we'd look him up on the internet and see what we could find.

We walked home and had a look on Ancestry to see what was available. Purely by chance, we stumbled across a family tree that included Keith's brothers and sister. The weird thing was that there was another female sibling listed along with them... as far as we were aware there were only four of them, with a big gap between Keith's brother Val, born in 1930, and Keith who was born in 1946. We decided to contact the owner of the family tree to find out more. It was intriguing!

I went upstairs with the cats to watch television and came back down at about 6pm. Sophie was having problems getting home, due to damaged overhead lines, and they had even talked about getting a taxi back to Northampton. However, they managed to get onto the 7pm train although she said that there had been a real scrum to get on board, with people running and jostling. She sounded a bit fed up.

Keith wanted to watch the game between Newcastle and Fulham so I sat on the sofa with him and read. Sophie arrived home at almost 9pm, tired and cold from all the travelling, and sat with us while we had a late supper of prawn cocktail. She told us about her day and we mentioned the intrigue surrounding Keith's parents. I checked my messages and there was one from the family tree owner, who lives in Australia! 

He was adamant that there had only been one marriage at the time and the surnames were correct. I have now sent off for the birth certificate for one of the children, so let's see what happens!

Another January birthday

It's Mike's birthday today and we'd sent him cards earlier in the week, in the hope he received them by today. 

After an uneventful shift at work, Sophie and I had our "special" wine night, opening a bottle of Champagne and enjoying nibbles while Keith went to the pub. We watched an Oscar-nominated film called An Anatomy of a Fall which was mostly in French and set in the French Alps. It was two and a half hours long so we continued to watch it after a very simple dinner of soup and crusty bread. The acting was brilliant, especially from the young child actor who was astonishingly good!

A quiet day

Thursday was a quiet, uneventful day with not a lot to report. It was great to finish at 2pm and head home after filling my car's tank with diesel. I then devoted the rest of the afternoon to writing my blog and doing a little housework. The cats are still using the litter tray, which is annoying, but when the weather turns warmer and drier I'm hoping they'll use the garden as a toilet!

Tedious chores...

I woke up at 5.30am this morning, expecting Sophie to wake me half an hour later before she went to the gym, but I fell asleep again and didn't open my eyes until 9am! Sophie hadn't gone to the gym, and instead, she'd got up and had a peaceful coffee with Mooney. I'm sure there was a lot of tummy time going on! Outside it was still windy and chilly and I really didn't blame her!

After a coffee, I made a start on a list of chores - we needed to sort out the car insurance for the VW, order two new tyres for the car and one for Sophie's little Hyundai, as per the MOT advisories, and contact the auction house in Leicester about the furniture in storage.

The car insurance quote was more than I'd expected, but after contacting our present insurers, they knocked a little off for us, which was a bonus. So, the morning was spent doing tedious, but necessary, chores! While Sophie had lunch, we wrote out the list and decided on dinners for the next few days. I elected to get some shopping for tonight and Sunday when I went to Waitrose in the afternoon with my Mum.

I picked her up at 2pm and we drove over to Kingsthorpe. We sat and had a drink and something to eat and then did our shopping. I said I would buy the difficult-to-find items for the Thai green curry Sophie will cook on Sunday, and I was able to buy lemongrass stems, lime leaves and coconut oil. Tonight's dinner was a minced beef pasta bake so I bought all the ingredients, as well as some nibbles to have with a glass of wine. I am rapidly going through the Cracksters, and Mooney loves them too! I want them to last a bit longer than a couple of weeks!

I popped home to collect Keith, as I like him to come with me when I take my Mum back. The care home manager had returned after maternity leave so I cooed over photos of her baby girl, and Keith and I returned home.

As soon as Sophie finished work she made a start on dinner and soon the kitchen was smelling delicious. We opened a bottle of red wine that Lynda had given me and it was gorgeous:

Extremely moreish, fruity and yummy!

The meal was lovely and there was enough left for lunches. After dinner, Keith and I watched the first episode of the new series of The Tourist. We couldn't remember much about the last series, apart from it being set in Australia and Jamie Dornan losing his memory, but the first hour was good, and gripping!

Mooney-bums

Storm Jocelyn

Storm Jocelyn affected the UK today, with the wind getting stronger in the afternoon. I had a meeting with one of the managers after work about salary and breaks so I was late getting home. By the time I arrived, it was pouring with rain. It's very unusual to have two storms so close together and vast swathes of the UK were affected by power cuts. 

It was lovely to get home, make sure the cats were in and make the house cosy. We watched more of A New Life in the Sun and enjoyed dinner of bangers and mash served with Yorkshire puddings. A perfect meal for such a stormy, wild night!

I think the wind this evening was worse than on Sunday night. I can't wait to have the windows replaced in early February as the draught coming through them was horrendous!

Little work niggles!

The wind died down overnight but a new storm is on the horizon - Storm Jocelyn, the tenth of the season! How many more will we have? I was annoyed as, a few years ago, Jane was chosen but we never reached it!

I arrived at work to find my chair had gone missing, and two statements were on my desk as if someone couldn't be bothered to do anything with them and so gave them to me! I also opened an email with one of the managers giving me responsibility for posting a broken item back to Amazon. I said to Sara, I don't helping out, but please don't take the p***! 

I had a busy shift inputting the swim camps for February and the holiday activities that we put on. There weren't that many emails and the phone calls were quiet too.

At home, in the evening, I enjoyed a drink I don't normally have - Brandy and Coke (Fevertree, not Coca-Cola) and it was delicious. Sophie and I watched a new series of A New Life in the Sun and saw more people moving abroad to start a new business. I do admire them and I think some of them are very brave, especially when they don't speak the language!

After dinner tonight Keith and I watched a documentary about the Normandy Landings. A couple of war veterans appeared and spoke about their experiences which was deeply moving. Sophie couldn't bring herself to watch it, bless her, but it was very interesting, especially as we'd been there last week!  

Storm Isha

The weather today was dry and cloudy until the late afternoon when Storm Isha started to make her presence felt. The forecast was for gusts of up to 60mph in the evening and overnight, as well as an amber warning of wind, with a yellow one for rain.

Sophie was going to Leicester with Vikesh to do some shopping and have lunch, so we dropped her off at his house at midday. She'd sold another item on Vinted and this time she had to drop it off at a locker, so she'd asked Vikesh to help her. Efforts to try and track down the missing item from yesterday came to nothing, so it looks like she's lost £7. I know it's not a huge amount, but it was the reaction of Vinted that she was annoyed about. They just kept saying she'd had to report a problem within two days of delivery, but as she hadn't received it, how could she? I think this is the last time she'll use that particular website to offload her unwanted clothes!

After taking Sophie to Vikesh's house we returned home and had lunch. I had the leftovers from the Chinese, and there wasn't a lot! We had ordered sensibly this time! I pootled about, had a soak in the bath and started watching the film Saltburn. Outside, the wind was growing stronger and it had started to rain heavily.

Sophie texted me to say they were leaving before it became worse, and I was very glad when she arrived home. Vikesh came in and watched football with Keith as Liverpool were playing Bournemouth. On the pitch, the rain looked horizontal!

Keith and I enjoyed chicken casserole with dumplings for dinner, and I sat in the living room mesmerised by the weather outside. The wind was making the rain fall in heavy slants across the road, and I dread to think what it must have been like to be out in it! Thank goodness we were all in the warm!

A new cat toy, picked up from a neighbour for free!

Running errands

Sophie and I started our weekend by doing multiple errands in Broughton and Brixworth. She had a parcel to drop off at Broughton, an item she had sold on Vinted. The buyers choose which form of postage to use so it differs every time!

From Broughton, we drove to Brixworth and our first stop was the post office in the new Co-op. I'd vowed not to go there again, as the parking is chaotic, but we were able to slot into a space easily. The new supermarket is a lot bigger than the old one, which used to be opposite the library, and has a post office inside as well. Sophie sent off her old passport which expires in May. We had a moment of panic at the passport control going to France when the immigration officer mentioned how close she was to the expiry date. Luckily, in France, a passport must be valid for three months from the day you leave, so we were OK. We didn't want to do it before France in case there were problems!

I bought some bacon and crusty bread for breakfast and we drove the short distance to the library. Sophie had two parcels to pick up but only one had been delivered. It looked like the other had gone astray... After one final stop at the surgery to pick up her new antihistamine prescription, which wasn't yet ready, we returned home.

I tried to re-create the breakfast we had in Honfleur and I cooked scrambled eggs to put on top of the bread, along with the bacon. Sophie opted for a boiled egg so it was a bit chaotic in the kitchen! Luckily, Keith had already had his breakfast!

In the afternoon we tried twice to go over the road and deliver some Normandy biscuits to the young girl who had looked after the cats so well. The first time I don't think anyone was at home, but on our second outing I'm sure someone was there! By now, the wind was getting up and the ominous warnings about Storm Isha hitting the UK tomorrow looked to be correct!

I spent some time writing my blog in the afternoon and at 6pm we played Scrabble, followed by cards. We drank a delicious Pinot Gris from Alsace and ordered a Chinese takeaway, but to our dismay, our regular takeaway was closed and wouldn't open until February. It was like France all over again!

We ordered from Lee's Express in Brixworth instead and had a delicious meal. After we'd eaten we watched a Netflix documentary about a couple who were broken into one night, and the woman kidnapped. Nobody believed them, saying it was a hoax so it was especially intriguing as we didn't know who to believe!

Fawlty Towers!

Work was quiet today and I didn't even have that many emails to deal with. At 4pm I drove home and decided to put a colour on my hair before my meal out tonight with Lynda, Fiona and Andrea. My hair badly needed doing and I just hadn't had the time before we went to France.

It didn't take long and by 6pm I was showered, hair-washed and sitting downstairs with Sophie. Keith had gone to the pub but there was no wine night for us as I was going to The French Partridge in the village of Horton for a meal.

The French Partridge used to be the place to go to back in the 1980s when it was run by a quirky couple, David and Mary Partridge. We ate there several times and the food was French and very good indeed, but over the years it shut down, re-opened and shut again. It reopened in September 2023 and has now been taken over by what appears to be Lebanese management, as there was a range of dishes from the country to choose from as an alternative.

I decided to drive myself as it was a freezing cold night and I didn't want to drag Keith and Sophie out again. I picked up Lynda from her house in Cogenhoe on the way, and it was only a short drive to Horton. We arrived at the same time as Andrea and Fiona and hugged as we hadn't seen each other since our wine tasting back in September.

First impressions were good when we entered the dimly lit bar and took our seats. A very friendly girl from the bar took our orders and made me a delicious mocktail. The menu wasn't huge, but that's always a good sign that the food is freshly prepared. She did say that they were in the process of changing the menu and some of the dishes weren't available.

One of the staff came to take our order but we weren't ready so he disappeared, never to be seen again! Some time later we were shown through to the formal dining room where another couple were eating and seated by a window. Our orders were taken and I chose a French Malbec to go with the red meats we'd ordered.

There was another large party in an adjoining room so the restaurant wasn't busy. It took quite a while for our starters to appear and it was almost 9pm before they were brought out to us. I had chosen the wild mushrooms on toast and the others had all decided on scallops.

The wine was good and my starter was acceptable. I could see lots of scallops on the other plates so I wished I'd ordered them! The waiting staff consisted of one elderly Chinese man who I'm sure used to run The Sunrise in Northampton... he was lovely but I don't think that waiting at table was his strong point. He forgot to bring out knives for our steaks and had to go and get them. Fiona had the lamb shank, while Lynda, Andrea and I chose the ribeye steak. We had asked for fondant potatoes with the meat but we were given chips instead. Lynda asked for the potatoes and he said he'd bring them out free of charge as an accompaniment.

I have to say my steak was lovely. It was tender and tasty, but I was disappointed with the fondant potato and suspected it had been defrosted and quickly cooked in a pan. I also had a rock-hard tomato and another mushroom accompanied by watercress.

By now, we were the only diners in the restaurant and our waiter brought out the dessert menus. I chose the chocolate and salted caramel soufflé as I hardly ever eat soufflés, while the others chose the cheese board. This caused much confusion for our waiter who stared at the menu as if he'd never seen it before and then took it off to the kitchen with him. He shuffled back with it and said he didn't have grapes, which wasn't a problem, and both Fiona and Lynda asked for their cheese to be served without celery.

Of course, they both had a pile of celery on their plates, which they gave to Andrea! They had also asked for a glass of Port to go with the cheese and the waiter appeared with three tumblers saying that was all they had, so one glass would be on the house... He even offered me a coffee on the house as I was the driver! I didn't really want it, to be honest, but I gave in and made sure he knew it had to be decaffeinated!

By now, we were giggling with the comedy of it all, and the place reminded us all of Fawlty Towers! The real problems began, though, when we tried to pay the £200 bill. The three girls said they would pay more than me as they'd had G&Ts before the meal and the Port, so we told our waiter that we would be splitting it four ways. This really seemed to confuse him and he wandered off again! Andrea had paid cash so we just needed the card machine for our three payments.

Andrea had ordered a taxi and it was mere minutes away, so we got up from the table and went to find him. He emerged from the bar and we said that because the taxi was waiting Fiona would pay it all on her card and Lynda and I would transfer the money. That set him off again and he disappeared into the bar!

Andrea and Fiona had to go as the taxi was outside, so it was now down to just Lynda and me to settle up the bill. Lynda said she would pay for the three of them, and I would pay mine on the card machine separately. Unbelievably, this caused more confusion, so in the end, Lynda paid £200, minus the tip of £20 we were going to give and we fled! It was total madness! I honestly believe we could have walked out without paying or paid whatever we wanted! I can't see this place surviving, I'm afraid!

I took Lynda back and then drove home where I told the story to Keith and Sophie. By the time I'd finished, it was almost midnight... definitely time for bed!

Back at work

It was a shock being woken at 6am this morning but at least we only have two more days and then it's the weekend!

Work was fine and I caught up with the box office returns and my own emails before tackling customer service. I took some chocolates in for everybody and they were enjoyed by the girls working today. We have to hide them when the shift ends as one of the staff likes to come in and help himself to whatever's left!

I went over to see Mum and Dad at 3pm and took them chocolates and a small bottle of Calvados. My Dad had a cough at the moment that doesn't seem to be getting better but apart from that he looked well. I stayed for an hour and then returned home to prepare dinner and mop the kitchen floor, which definitely needed it! It doesn't take long to get back in the swing of things!

Back to reality

We were up and out by 8am this morning and took Sophie's car and the VW into the garage at Moulton for their MOTs. Once the cars had been delivered we took Sophie to work and called into Aldi on the way home to buy something for dinner tonight.

Back home we had a quick breakfast and coffee, and then I set about reducing the piles of laundry! There was a washing machine in the Airbnb, but there was no dryer so we didn't do any washing in case we couldn't get it dry.

I spent the morning sorting it all out, unpacking and putting everything away. The cats were much more loving and affectionate this morning and I think they'd missed us while we'd been away. The young girl who'd come in to look after them had done a great job, though!

As well as sorting out the laundry, I cleaned downstairs and made everything tidy. The garage called at lunchtime to say the cars had passed their MOTs so we went to collect them in two trips. It was a relief they'd both passed, but one of the advisories for the VW was to repair a chip on the windscreen, which was caused on our first day in Normandy when a car overtook us on the autoroute and threw up a stone.

I spent the rest of the day writing the blog, and at 4.30pm we drove to Northampton to collect Sophie from work. She'd had a stressful first day back as there was a lot of re-shuffling going on in her company and she was looking forward to going home and relaxing!

Normandy 13th - 16th January 2024

Breakfast in Honfleur

We awoke to a cold and frosty day and the car was like an igloo! We were determined to be up and out by 9am this morning so we could make the hour's journey to Honfleur for breakfast. Sophie, bless her, took everything out to the car and packed it expertly.

We didn't know where to leave the key to the house but decided to pop it into the post box of our hosts next door. Just as we were leaving the man appeared and said this was fine. He waved us off with a cheery smile!

Trish took us out through the countryside, we skirted Bayeux again and then joined the autoroute around an extremely busy Caen. We had hit rush hour traffic, and roadworks, so that held us up for about ten minutes. 

Trish ignored the road signs to Honfleur and took us onto small country lanes again, passing the place where we'd had to stop for Sophie to have a wee! We drove down into the town passing the same beautiful houses as before and looked out for the car park. It was here that I annoyed a French woman driver behind me by attempting to turn left into the car park. She was making wild gesticulations behind me, trying to convey that I should have gone around the roundabout. As I held her up for all of thirty seconds, I thought her attitude was a bit extreme, and she could see we were British! Sophie made some rude gestures back!

We parked the car and made our way to the harbour, choosing L'Abatros for breakfast. It was a quirky little place with flags hanging from the ceiling and a cosy atmosphere.

We chose bagels served with cream cheese, bacon and egg as well as cafés au lait. A couple of locals were already enjoying a coffee and it was great to relax and have a good breakfast. After we'd eaten Sophie wanted a noisette, an espresso served with milk. We'd seen a couple have one in the restaurant in Deauville yesterday so we ordered one here. Sophie was a bit disappointed the milk was cold and not as hot and frothy as it was yesterday,  but it certainly gave us a shot of caffeine!

French kissing

After Sophie paid the bill for breakfast, Keith went back to the car while Sophie and I went in search of a  nearby Carrefour. We walked into the town and saw most of the shops were open.  On the way to the supermarket, we saw a shop selling local produce so we went in. The woman running the shop immediately pounced on us and explained about all the different Calvados for sale and the Normandy ciders. I picked out a cider for Vikesh and one for me, and the man working there asked if we were on holiday. I explained it had been my birthday yesterday and he exclaimed "Happy Birthday!" loudly and grabbed me for a hug and two kisses! I was quite pleased! He smelled nice as well!

We left and found the Carrefour further up the street. I wanted another bottle of Calvados and some more Cracksters to take home, but although we searched the shop we couldn't find them. I did buy a bottle of Calvados and a bottle of wine, and we quickly walked back to the car, as we'd intended to leave by midday.

Wimereux is closed

When we got back to the car, Keith told us he'd been watching several boats offloading oysters. He said it was fascinating to see so many boxes being brought in and then taken away in refrigerated vans.

We drove back onto the autoroute and headed for Wimereux, where we wanted to have a late lunch. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we saw lots of birds again sitting on the fences. The fields looked so different in the sunshine!

The journey was uneventful and before the turn for Wimereux, we stopped at an aire to use the loos. Keith was fine as the urinals were open to the elements, but the toilets were closed so Sophie and I couldn't go! We did offload our glass bottle recycling though, which was a bonus, as I thought we'd be taking it home with us!

As we drove into Wimereux, I said I wanted to go to the Carrefour on the outskirts and look for the Cracksters again, as well as use the loos (if they had them), so Sophie and I ran in but there were no toilets... I did find the Cracksters, though, and bought five boxes! This raised a few eyebrows at the checkout!

We parked on the street in Wimereux and walked to the front, hoping that a few restaurants would be open. This time it was me who desperately needed the conveniences, but nothing was open. We'd already discovered that Les Oyats was closed until February, but the restaurant next to it was also firmly shut up. Sophie walked up to a block of public toilets but these were locked.

We were a bit disappointed that nothing was open, as it was a gorgeous day to be in the town and we could see the coast of England in the distance, something we'd never seen before. Quite a few people were walking along the front and enjoying the views, so the place wasn't completely deserted!

Au Revoir, France

We reluctantly made the decision to go to Cité Europe for something to eat and, as it's next to Le Shuttle terminal, it was very convenient. We drove back down the main street of Wimereux and even that looked all shuttered up! 

We made one last stop at an aire just before Calais and used the loos. Thank goodness! At Cité Europe we headed straight for the food court and chose a restaurant for a late lunch (it was well past 3pm now) only to be told that the kitchen was closed! We couldn't believe it! I thought that all the restaurants in the shopping centre served food all day!

Thankfully, The Black Bull pub was open and more than happy to serve us food. It definitely wasn't what we had wanted but needs must! We all had a beer each and Sophie and I ordered "cornflake" chicken while Keith opted for fish and chips. The food was OK but we were all a little disappointed that our last meal in France was in a French "pub"!

Sophie and I indulged in dessert - a disappointing tarte tatin for me served with cold English custard and a cookie for my daughter. We paid the bill and made our way back to the car, driving the short distance to the terminal next door.

For perhaps the first time ever, we actually took the train we'd booked! We had half an hour before boarding and popped into the Duty-Free terminal where we bought an enormous jar of Dijon mustard for Keith's friend, John, and a couple more bottles of wine to use up our euros. We were then called to board, and once on the train, I put the seat back and snoozed for the whole crossing!

Back in the UK, we navigated the busy and dark M20, the even busier M25 and the M1. We made it home by 8.30pm which I was pleased about as I had foreseen a much longer journey back. The house was freezing, and the cats were a bit bemused to see us at first but they soon appreciated the cuddles we gave them!

It had been a wonderful short break away and we're determined to go back to Normandy and explore more of this beautiful region. We never got to Mont St Michel, or Étretat (where Monet painted) but perhaps later in the year, we'll get to Giverny and Rouen.

It had been a long day and we have to be up fairly early tomorrow morning, as two of the cars are booked in for an MOT. Back to reality!

Normandy 13th - 16th January 2024

Birthday Girl!

I was up first this morning and enjoying a peaceful coffee while watching it gradually get light outside. Sunrise wasn't until about 9am, so an hour later than the UK, but at least we had an extra hour in the evening to enjoy!

Keith and Sophie woke up and I opened the birthday cards I'd bought with me. Unexpectedly, the pair of  rascals had also bought me a bottle of the Lindores whisky I'd loved, my favourite of all the whiskies in the advent calendar!

We had coffee and a light snack for breakfast before showering and leaving at about 10.30am again. We re-traced our route of yesterday towards Ver-sur-Mer to visit the British Normandy Memorial, passing through the pretty village of Crépon on the way.

There is a large car park at the Memorial and our car was the only one parked! We paid 3 euros to park and walked to the main part of the Memorial, passing information signs on the way. A local woman with her dog was sitting on the bench overlooking the sea and looked as frozen as we felt!

The British Normandy Memorial overlooks Gold Beach where the British Army landed on the 6th of June 1944. The Memorial was beautiful, serene and thought-provoking. The names of the 22,242 men and women who died throughout the campaign are inscribed on stone pillars and a main stone wall.

We were lucky to have blue skies and sunshine, although it was bitterly cold with a strong wind blowing off the sea.

We had a good look at all the names, trying to find our own surnames, even though none of our family were involved. We did see a few people who shared our family names, and it was heart-breaking to see so many young people listed.

Bayeux is closed...

We spent about an hour walking around before heading back to the warmth of the car. We wanted to visit Bayeux, even though the museum housing the tapestry was closed for the whole of January. We drove to the town and parked near the main shopping area and the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

The intention was to have a lovely birthday lunch and then wander about looking at the beautiful medieval town. The area around the Cathedral had escaped the bombing in the war and I was particularly keen to have a good look at the lovely old Norman buildings.

We walked towards the centre, noting that although some shops were open, most were closed, including two places selling local produce, which was a shame as we wanted to take back Calvados and cider. We saw one restaurant open but it served the horrible "galettes" that I'd tried in Wimereux. Ugh!

All the others were closed up - whether because it was Monday, traditionally a day of closing in France, or whether it was January and they weren't expecting any tourists! Thankfully, Sophie brought up Google Maps on her phone and said there was one place open, a short walk away. We made our way over, passing the impressive Cathedral on the way.

Two promising looking restaurants... CLOSED!

Luckily, a restaurant attached to a hotel called Le Garde Manger was open and was buzzing pleasantly with local lunchtime diners. Le Garde Manger translates as "keep eating", which is what we intended to do!

We were shown to a table and ordered a 500ml pichet of wine for Sophie and I, and a beer for Keith, For a starter we chose a plate of charcuterie and a portion of garlic bread. 

The starter was delicious and went well with crusty bread. For our main courses, Keith chose lamb, Sophie opted for cod and I went with medallions of pork wrapped in bacon, and served with roasted new potatoes.

The food was very good and as we'd been so cold, it was heaven to sit, relax and enjoy the French hospitality with the early afternoon sun streaming in through the windows. We found that, although there were only a few places open, the restaurants that were seemed to appreciate our business far more than if it had been the height of the tourist season. All the places we dined in over the last three days had been friendly with the staff more than happy to speak English back to us, even though I did order in French. They were relaxed and happy and very welcoming.

Sophie and I found room for dessert - a crepe with bananas for my daughter and chocolate cake with cream and ice-cream for me. It was utterly sublime!

Reluctantly, we left and waddled back to the Cathedral which was consecrated in 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror. Inside was gorgeous, with beautiful stained glass windows and little chapels along the side.

The Nativity was still displayed

We wandered about for a good while and Sophie and I went down into the crypt, followed by a man who kept close to us for the next half hour... It wasn't as good as the crypt in the Berliner Dom, but it looked more ancient!

When we came out, the creepy crypt man was still hanging about and went into a shop opposite. We followed and bought some souvenirs to take home, including mini bottles of Calvados.

As not much was open, we decided to take a slow walk back to the car and we finally managed to shake off creepy crypt man. He was quite young and I wouldn't have taken him for a cathedral-visiting tourist!

Deserted streets

Back at the car we drove to Creully-sur-Seulles and bought Champagne, wine and cider in the Carrefour supermarket. I chose a box of Cracksters to nibble on with my birthday fizz, not knowing that soon I would be addicted to them. Yes, they're my crack! Sophie has her Paprika Pringles!

We also filled up with petrol and then headed back to the house to find another pile of logs from our Airbnb hosts waiting outside for us. We'd already gone through the wood they'd left us on the first day as it's been so cold!

It was bliss to relax in the warm house, and outside the sun was slowly sinking in the sky. I suggested going for a walk but Sophie fell asleep so I went outside to take some photos.

We packed our cases and then it was time for Champagne!

Cheers!

Normandy 13th - 16th January 2024

To the coast

We all had a great night's sleep - I felt like I was being swallowed by a marshmallow in the huge, comfortable bed! It had a bolster, two square pillows and a thick quilt! With my two big pillows, I felt like I was enveloped in softness and warmth!

We were up at 8am and after coffee and brioche, we made for the showers. Unfortunately, the shower that Sophie used in the main bathroom turned cold, leaving her very uncomfortable. I was aghast, as Keith and I hadn't showered yet and there was no way I wanted to venture out without feeling squeaky clean! Plus, it was bitterly cold outside, and a hot shower is wonderful for warming you within!

I ran the shower in the en-suite and it was hot, so I urged Sophie to jump in and warm up. Keith and I then both had showers, which thankfully, were fine. At home, I have it really hot and emerge into a steamy cloud but this one did the job, thank goodness!

We finally set out at about 10.30am and headed for Arromanches-les-Bains. We took a delightful rural route to the coastal town, passing through gorgeous villages, which seemed deserted.

We parked in the centre of Arromanches-les-Bains and walked through empty streets to the front. I could see the Hotel Marine further along the promenade and told Keith and Sophie that I'd stayed there in March 1988 with my parents. At the time, my Dad had been in a wheelchair as he'd had a bad car accident in November 1987, and why on earth we decided to travel to France when he was like that is beyond me. It was a disastrous trip because, after our stay at the Hotel Marine, we failed to book any more accommodation, and spent ages looking for rooms in other hotels. We eventually found one in Caen, but it was on the top floor, not ideal when my Dad could hardly walk!

Predictably, the hotel was closed and wouldn't re-open until February. The menu posted outside looked expensive and the starter of crab that I'd eaten with my parents was priced at 18 euros! We soon began to realise that this part of France is effectively closed in January. Everywhere, we saw signs saying the shops and restaurants were closed for about a month and would re-open towards the end of February...

We walked along the front gazing out at the grey and choppy sea and stood looking at the remains of one of the Mulberry harbours constructed by the Alllies to moor boats in the Normandy Landings. We realised that this year, it will be the 80th Anniversary of the event, on the 6th of June.

The tide was in and we couldn't see much of the harbour, plus it was bitterly cold, so we made for a warm and cosy café for a hot chocolate apiece. Nowhere else was open and even the café was quiet with just a handful of hardy souls taking advantage of the place! Opposite, was an American eaterie called Sargent Willy's which we were thankful was closed!

It was lovely to sit in the warmth and enjoy our hot drinks. Behind us, was a man who was drawing cartoons, and whether he was local or not, we'll never know. I told Keith and Sophie all about my trip to Arromanches in 1988 and how my Mum had done most of the driving, only giving up when they were in the busy port town of Caen and my poor Dad had to take over. I hadn't even contemplated driving then!

We finished our drinks, paid the modest bill and set off back to the car. I should imagine that once the season starts, Arromanches is a busy little place as there were plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants all cashing in on the Normandy landings of 80 years ago.

Lunch in Deauville

We decided to head for Deauville further along the coast and followed signs for a war cemetery at first, before giving up and turning inland. I'd wanted to drive to Deauville on the coastal road, but Sophie, using Googly, directed me towards Bayeux and then onwards to Caen. Amazingly, as we neared the outskirts of Bayeux, we saw a light sprinkling of snow on the fields!

This disappeared once we were past the town, but it was still freezing cold. Even on a Sunday, the ring road around Caen was busy and I was a bit annoyed that we'd driven this way. However, Sophie took me off the autoroute and we drove through stunning countryside interspersed with gorgeous villages on the way to the town. One part of the countryside was frozen - all the bushes and trees were white with hoar frost and the ever-present mistletoe balls were like glacial hanging decorations. It was so beautiful.

At Deauville, we drove past the horse-racing track, and several large hotels, and managed to find a parking space on a shopping street. Sophie immediately noticed designer shops and I saw three Porsches in quick succession! 

We went off in search of a warm and cosy restaurant for lunch, but some were full, with people forced to sit outside and many others firmly closed. We ventured into one place to be told they were full. It's a horrible feeling being told that there's no room, and it's freezing outside!

We were becoming increasingly worried we'd end up at a Carrefour again and as it was Sunday, most would have been closed anyway! We wandered back to a main square where there were several eateries and spotted L'Étoile which looked warm and inviting. Thankfully, they had a table free and soon we were out of our coats, scarves and gloves and looking at the menu. It was a lovely little place with two busy staff who looked like a couple. They were very friendly and hospitable.

Keith chose a Belgian beer, Affligem, while Sophie and I had a glass of Chablis each, at a reasonable 7.50 euros. We both decided to have the mussels in a white wine and cream sauce (something I'd said I wanted while we were driving to the town) served with French fries. Keith chose the veal chop with mashed potatoes.

The atmosphere was convivial and we congratulated ourselves on finding such a lovely place to eat! Keith's veal chop arrived and it was huge! My chips were also brought to the table and I couldn't resist eating them as they were hot and salty. Scrumptious!

It was a great meal and Sophie and I both said that the mussels - a huge portion - were the best we'd ever eaten. The sauce was creamy and delicious and had chopped onions floating in it.

Sophie and I found room for a chocolate and pear pie with cream for dessert and my daughter indulged in a glass of Calvados. She was also offered a shot glass of "homemade Calvados" which came from an old water bottle! She said it was like drinking rocket fuel!

By now, we were the only ones left in the restaurant so we paid the bill and made our way back out into the cold. Next door was an Italian delicatessen so we popped in and bought a bottle of red wine for tonight and some croutons to enjoy with the rest of the paté. They were closing up as well so we arrived just in time!

Before going back to the car we visited a pharmacy where Sophie bought some cream that costs her a fortune in the UK. Here, she was able to buy twice as much for half the cost!

The Normandy Beaches

I was determined to drive along the coast so we found the right road and set off back to the Airbnb. Keith sat in the back of the car and snoozed while Sophie sat beside me and directed me via Googly. The road we were on, the D513, was a lovely route, passing through empty seaside towns and vast, deserted 

beaches with a few people out walking their dogs and enjoying the brisk sea air.

All of the hotels and restaurants were shuttered up but to be honest, this added to the bleak atmosphere of the region. No doubt, in the summer, the place is heaving with tourists and holiday-makers, and Sophie commented that it didn't seem right seeing as the beaches were, in effect, graveyards. 

We particularly liked the towns of Houlgate and Cabourg, and then we made our way towards the ferry port of Ouistreham, where we drove over the Pegasus Bridge. The first beach we came to was Sword and we got out to take a look.

This was followed by Juno Beach and then Gold Beach, near Arromanches. It had been a wonderful drive but we'd never have made it to Deauville for lunch if we'd followed this road earlier. Sophie did a fantastic job of navigating me through the beautiful countryside, and we enjoyed seeing the old-fashioned Normandy houses with their odd-shaped roofs and shuttered windows. 

Just before Arromanches, we turned inland and passed the British Normandy Memorial which we decided to visit the next day. It was growing dark now and the empty countryside was stunning in the dusk. Wide-open fields surrounded us, with straight lines of trees disappearing into the distance and occasional farm buildings with coils of smoke emerging into the chilly evening air.

It was heavenly to get back to the house, light the fire that Keith had prepared this morning and relax. I fell asleep in front of the fire, and later we opened the bottle of Italian red and played cards while Keith watched his new show on Disney+.

It had been a wonderful day, and my birthday was still to come!

Gorgeous cake at L'Étoile

Normandy 13th - 16th January 2024

An early start

Although I'd set my alarm for 3.30am, I was up at about 2.45am and looking for the VW's V5 document that you really should take with you when you drive abroad. I hadn't taken it with us last year but I was reading posts on an online forum yesterday and that, together with your insurance documents and MOT, is apparently required in France! I didn't bother with the MOT or insurance as I can access them on my phone, but I put the V5 document in with the passports and felt a little calmer!

The cats were highly bemused about what I was doing and Gomez kept asking to go out... No way! I made myself a coffee, checked the route on Google Maps and discovered that half of the M25 was closed... Googly was telling us to go onto the North Circular!

Keith and Sophie then woke, and we all managed to get showered, dressed and ready by 4.30am. Now Googly was saying it was fine to go down the M11, M25 and M20!

We had a good journey down to Folkestone and managed to get on an earlier train. Boarding was imminent but that didn't stop Keith and Sophie legging it into the terminal to use the loos. Sophie came back and said she'd seen a woman in the toilets with a cat in a backpack! I'm not sure our two would be so chilled!

We had a bit of a wait to go through passport control and then we were driving onto the train. I immediately put the seat back and slept through most of the crossing. Bliss!

The empty roads of France

We were driving off Le Shuttle at about 9.30am and we made straight for the autoroute signposted Boulogne/Amiens/Rouen. The roads were quiet and soon we were passing through wide open fields with the occasional village. Keith, much to his great delight, started spotting buzzards on the fences lining the autoroute. I saw tall trees with mistletoe balls, so I was happy as well! 

The temperature hovered between 4c and -1c so it was cold outside. The sky was grey, but rather than be disappointing, it added to the beauty of the bare, French countryside. We saw farmers working the fields and mounds of what looked like swedes or turnips covered with tarpaulin. 

We decided to stop for coffee at the Baie de Somme aire, and what a difference it was to last September! There were only about a handful of people there and we saw the couple who had been in front of us on the train. He had hared off in his Mercedes in the same direction as us once off the train, so I have no idea how we came to be at the aire before him unless they'd stopped for fuel!

We enjoyed a hot chocolate to keep us warm and gazed out at the frigid landscape. There was a water feature in front of the dining area and it looked freezing cold!

Back in the car, we carried on along deserted roads and decided to stop for lunch at Honfleur. We were taking the same route as 2022 when we drove back from Spain and had to avoid Rouen, so I had a feeling we'd be going over the high bridge near Le Havre again. I was right! It's called the Pont de Normandie Bridge, it's 705 feet high, crosses the Seine River and links Honfleur with Le Havre.

It looked impossibly high and steep until you were actually on it, and the views were fantastic but I had both hands firmly on the wheel! The charge to cross, which was about 5 euros, made the traverse of our own Dartford bridge cheap in comparison!

Lunch in Honfleur

Once off the bridge, we followed signs to Honfleur and parked in a scruffy car park near the harbour. It was a short walk to the main area, where there were numerous bars, restaurants and shops. One lovely place looked cosy with log fires burning and lots of people enjoying their lunch.

We walked towards the harbour which was so pretty, its higgledy-piggedly buildings lining the marina where boats were moored up.

We were hungry and looking forward to a delicious French lunch. We were also conscious of the time as French restaurants generally don't serve food after about 1.30pm. We spotted a little bistro on the street leading away from the harbour and went in to see if they had a table. They did, and the two young men waiting were lovely, making sure we had menus we could understand and speaking to us in English, even though I was using my schoolgirl French! I think it was a family-run affair as an older man was directing operations and I bet Mum was the chef!

The restaurant was called Le Champlain and served traditional Normandy dishes. There were already several other tables occupied, and we chose from the three-course set menus.

Sophie and I chose exactly the same! We started with egg mayonnaise, rarely seen now in the UK, followed by chicken in a curry sauce served with salad and French fries. Keith opted for the fish soup, followed by fish and chips. We all ordered beers and settled down to enjoy a lovely lunch!

The food was very good, the ambience was lovely and the staff were friendly and hospitable. My only gripe was feeling cold and a roaring fire would have made the experience perfect! Sophie and I chose mousse au chocolat for dessert while Keith enjoyed creme brulée. We were stuffed!

After we'd eaten and paid the bill, Keith went back to the car while Sophie and I had another look around the town. We wanted to come back so I said we'd make plans to return over the next few days. We saw lots of art galleries and quirky little shops selling local produce where Sophie bought a couple of bottles of Normandy cider.

Huh? It's the 13th of January!

Weirdly, there were still Christmas decorations everywhere! There were dressed Christmas trees, twinkly lights and the Father Christmas (above) outside a restaurant! When do the French take them down? Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but it was still surreal to see them so much in evidence in the middle of January!

The buildings in Honfleur were gorgeous, and some very old.

Caught short!

We walked back to the car determined to visit again soon and paid for the parking ticket. We programmed the address of the Airbnb into Trish, who really indulged her fetish for narrow roads and took us out of Honfleur onto tiny little lanes, which wound through the stunning countryside of fields, woods and the occasional half-timbered house.

Sophie had used the toilets at the car park but after two halves of Leffe, she needed to go again. Unfortunately, we weren't on the autoroute, so there were no aires... Soon, she was so uncomfortable that I was forced to pull over in the entrance to a field. Opposite, was the autoroute and a steel barrier in front of a ditch. Beyond that was a hedge and then the motorway where cars and lorries were thundering past. She said she had to go and pulled down her leggings before balancing on top of the barrier, using it as a kind of loo seat. I held her as I was afraid she'd fall back into the ditch and she had a wee! Every time a car sped past I thought it was a car on our tiny road, but thankfully we were all alone! Afterwards, Keith and I nearly wet ourselves laughing so much! I'm sure it will go down in history as one of the funniest moments ever!

Our home-from-home.

It took us about an hour to get to our Airbnb near the village of Creully-sur-Seulles, about 12km from the town of Bayeux. We eventually did re-join the autoroute and encountered busy traffic in Caen, but by 4pm we had arrived at the house, a converted barn situated on a quiet crossroads. Our host, Anne-Charlotte, had a fire burning for us and showed us around. It was a beautiful house, made from honey-coloured stone and had a downstairs kitchen/dining area and living room, three bedrooms on two floors and two bathrooms.

Anne-Charlotte and her partner lived behind our building, in a huge manor house:

The fire was roaring away and it was lovely and cosy! We unpacked everything and Sophie and I drove to the nearby Carrefour in Creully-sur-Seulles, where we bought wine for the evening, salad, ham, water and bread. 

Back at the house, we relaxed by the fire and Sophie and I played Scrabble with a glass of Cotes du Rhone red, a Sablet. Keith watched a new drama on Disney+ and after we'd played Scrabble, Sophie and I played cards and my daughter absolutely thrashed me! We enjoyed pate on little toasts, delicious washed down with the red wine!

After playing cards, Sophie and I found a riveting documentary to watch called Betrayal: The Perfect Husband, about a woman who thought she had the perfect marriage only to find her teacher husband had been having numerous affairs and had been caught with one of his students, ending up with his arrest. It was mind-boggling!