A trying day...

Today has been hard work with many difficult emails to deal with and, at times, customers who made little sense when they called us! Whenever we have a half-term holiday we do deal with people that don't normally contact us and some of the questions they ask are bizarre! I also dealt with repeat emails from customers arguing about different matters, which can be a bit draining! It annoys me that some people think they can question how we run the business if it doesn't suit them!

The office was also noisy today and I was hugely relieved when it was 4pm. I said to Sara that it had felt like "tw..ish" Tuesday today, so heaven knows what tomorrow will be like!

Keith collected me as he'd had a dentist appointment today. It was great to head home when it was so light; Spring must be on the way soon, surely? It feels like it's been a long, cold winter despite our dose of sun at Christmas!

Sophie cooked a delicious beef stroganoff this evening and we enjoyed a gorgeous bottle of Australian Merlot with the meal. After we'd eaten I made Keith sit through a new programme starring Hugh Dennis and David Baddiel as they cycled from the Atlantic coast of France to the Mediterranean. Although they are friends, it felt stilted at times and wasn't funny at all. The scenery more than made up for the dialogue, though!

A near miss!

It was great to see the sun this morning as we drove to work - it was like a big orb of orange in the sky! I'm not sure if it was a factor in the near miss I had, though, just as I approached work. The roads were quieter this morning because of the half-term school holiday, and as I came up to a junction opposite where I work I didn't see anything on the road. It was a good job Keith was sitting next to me, though, as I nearly hit a van approaching from my right! Keith shouted out, so I slammed the brakes on and managed to avoid hitting the van. What a lucky escape! He must have been hidden in the pillar running down the side of the windscreen, but that's no excuse. I felt a little shaken up, especially after the near misses we'd had on Saturday, none of which were my fault.

After my morning shock, we faced a busy day with busy phone lines and lots of enquiries about swimming and soft play. Keith picked me up at 4pm and we drove home in peace and quiet. It's been quite loud at work today and tomorrow will be even worse!

After dinner tonight, Keith and I watched Death in Paradise. Although we've seen some sun today, it's still been bitterly cold. Watching the series set in the beautiful Caribbean was like a dose of happiness!

Just relaxing!

After our long day yesterday, it was lovely to have a little lie-in and a lazy start to Sunday. Sophie had a very indulgent morning lying on the bed with a cuddly Gomez and watching a documentary about O.J. Simpson. It was great to see her properly relaxing for once,  and not rushing about ticking things off her to-do list!

The weather outside was cold and grey and we had the heating on all day. I dread to think what our gas bill will be like this winter! We did several loads of washing, the shopping list and the usual Sunday chores, while Keith prepared chilli con carne for dinner this evening.

So, it's been a chilled-out Sunday and we never moved from the house. Mike popped around in the evening and asked if he could take his two air rifles back with him to Northampton. We couldn't say no as they belonged to him, and he mentioned something about vermin control in his new job as a groundskeeper at the golf club. I really didn't want to hear any more!

Mike didn't stay for long and Sophie and I played Scrabble with a glass of red wine. My daughter beat me narrowly right at the very end of the game!

Northward bound!

We were up, coffeed, showered and dressed by 7am this morning and I was glad to see it was light(ish). The weather was horrible, though, with a constant drizzle and mist. Keith and I had argued about the best way to get to Bishop Auckland to see his brother, Val, and I was adamant I didn't want to continue on the M1 to Leeds. When we used to travel up regularly, we would take the M18 from the M1 to the A1, and I preferred this route which always seemed quieter than going around busy Leeds.

We took a flask of coffee with us, and a pack of pains au chocolat and intended to stop about halfway to have breakfast. Sophie read her book in the back and Keith and I chatted as we ate up the miles. It was about 190 miles to Bishop Auckland and I commented to Keith that that was nothing compared to our European road trips!

We stopped to use the facilities at Woodall Services on the M1 and drank our coffee with the pastries. It was bitterly cold outside and the mist and drizzle made for difficult driving. Luckily, the road had been quiet up until now.

We continued on our way, taking the M18 (Googly had recommended this route) and then the A1(M). We were held up by roadworks for a while and the two lanes of the A1 were reduced to one. However, once past this, and onto the three lanes, we made good progress and after one more stop, made it to the care home by 10.45am.

There was a little confusion when we arrived as Keith called his brother Val, not Valentine, and the lovely member of staff who welcomed us didn't know who he was talking about! It was only when Keith said Valentine that the penny dropped! Val was in bed when we arrived and talking to his son, Jeffery. Jeffery left and the three of us sat down and chatted to Val who, although pale and thin, seemed to be in good spirits.

The lovely staff gave us tea and biscuits and we stayed for almost two hours. At times, the conversation was a little emotional, but with Val at almost 95 years of age, we didn't expect anything different. There is a big age gap between Keith and his three siblings and it was great for Val to reminisce with us and talk about old times. Before we left, he asked when we'd be up to see him again, bless him. We have no idea what will happen to him over the next few weeks and don't know whether he'll be able to go home, or will be moved into a different care home. Although all the staff we met were lovely, there was a startling difference between this home and the one my parents are in. Val has the savings to go to somewhere that's more comfortable and luxurious, so we'll have to wait and see.

Sophie had wanted to see the home of Newcastle United, so we set the satnav for a car park near the ground and set off back onto the A1(M). Sophie's satnav on her phone took us off the A1(M) because of traffic and we nearly had an accident at a roundabout, when a car cut me up badly. Luckily, I'd had a feeling they wanted to be in my lane so I braked but it was annoying nonetheless!

The weather was still misty, grey and cold and we made good time to Newcastle, managing to find plenty of parking spaces in the car park right next to Newcastle's ground. We walked around the arena and found the statutes of Alan Shearer and Bobby Robson.

Newcastle were playing away at Manchester City today (the less said about that, the better!) so the stadium was quiet. Keith wanted to show Sophie one of his favourite pubs, The Crown Posada, so we headed into the city centre which was bustling with shoppers, groups of women wearing very little, and tourists.

Sophie was disappointed that she hadn't heard more Geordie accents and had been expecting to see groups of people wearing Newcastle shirts gathering to watch the match. We found The Crown Posada pub near the Quayside and went into the narrow, crowded tavern for a drink.

The pub is really just a narrow corridor with a snug at one end, so if you stand at the bar, you're constantly in the way of people trying to get past. We ordered a strong IPA for Keith while Sophie and I settled for a half pint of Guinness each. Keith had found a tiny table and we sat down with a couple of packets of crisps as we were hungry by now!

The pub reminded me a little of Inn 1888 in Marylebone, but it was much busier, with not a Geordie accent to be heard anywhere, which Sophie was not happy about!

She was then jostled by a group who arrived and plonked themselves down next to her, all with very English cut-glass accents! Oh dear!

We had one drink and left, deciding to get a taxi back to the stadium as the route back was very steep indeed and the paths slippery with rain. The taxi driver prattled on constantly to Keith and ignored both Sophie and me, and I think my daughter was glad to get back to the car and the thought of the drive back south!

Before we went, though, Sophie and Keith posed for photos near the memorial garden:

The route out of Newcastle was simple and straightforward and once over the Tyne we were back on the A1(M) and passing The Angel of the North. We decided to book a table at our local pub as Trish stated we'd be home at 7pm. The thought of stopping at a pub a couple of hours from home and then driving on did not fill me with joy!

The journey home was not pleasant and amazingly we saw the car that had cut me up this morning on the road! I recognised it because of the stickers on the rear of the car and saw that it was a woman driving! We then had another scare when a car pulled onto the motorway and pulled straight into the middle lane, making me swerve into the outside lane! I don't think he even realised I was there!

From the M18, the traffic grew heavier, it rained constantly and the mist made things worse. I had to use all my concentration and amazingly, was cut up again, this time by a van! Have drivers stopped using their mirrors these days?! I was hugely relieved when we turned off the busy M1 onto the A14 and home was in sight.

The roadworks on the journey had held us up, delaying our arrival time by twenty minutes but we were still in good time for our table. I indulged in a whisky and ginger and we had a good look at the menu. I chose a Scotch Egg served with silverskin onions, Sophie opted for Arancini balls, while Keith picked out the chicken wings. For mains, we enjoyed gammon (Keith), a steak burger (Sophie) and a Supreme of chicken with crushed new potatoes and wilted greens (me). The pub was pleasantly busy, warm and welcoming and just what we needed after such a long day on the road!

We were too full for puds and Sophie was itching to get home to see the cats. The house was freezing and the little monkeys were nowhere to be seen, but condescended to see us about twenty minutes after we arrived back. They then had a mad half-hour chasing balls in the living room and racing up and down the stairs!

It goes without saying that we weren't late to bed tonight. I was exhausted!

Phew! It's Friday!

We did the dreaded shopping list last night, but really only had to find inspiration for tonight and Sunday as we're going up north on Saturday. Keith took me to work and I had a good shift, answering all the emails and writing most of the moan report.

Keith picked me up and said Mike had called in for a shower before heading up to Nottingham to see Abbie, but he'd gone when we arrived home. I was sorry I'd missed him, but he's going to pop in on Sunday night to say hello.

Keith didn't go to the pub tonight and stayed out of the way in the kitchen while Sophie and I opened a bottle of Rousanne wine from Chile that I'd chosen in Lidl. It was delicious and disappeared in a trice! We watched three episodes of Come Dine With Me and the contestants were certainly a wacky bunch this week!

Dinner tonight was an easy supper of baked potatoes, salad and cheesy beans, while Keith feasted on the leftovers from last night - roast potatoes, stuffing and pork steaks.

We had an early night as the alarm is set for 5.30am tomorrow!

Confusing conversations!

I felt shattered when Sophie woke me this morning and hadn't had a good night's sleep. I took myself to work and had a busy shift, clearing the emails and writing some of the moan report.

At 2pm, I sped home and was relieved to see that the charger I'd ordered for my Mum's phone had arrived from Amazon. She hadn't been able to speak to me with her phone for over a week and had lost the charger. Before we went down the route of buying her a new phone, I'd ordered the charger.

I went straight over to the care home and plugged her phone into the mains, but it had been dead for such a long time it took ages to revive it! I stayed for a while and had a confusing conversation with my parents as to what date it was. My Dad had demanded that we go out and buy Mum clothes for a Valentine's party tomorrow but I refused, the thought of going to Tesco and picking out clothes filling me with horror. I haven't yet seen them wearing the clothes I picked out for them for Christmas!

What didn't help was the weekly planner they had in their room saying it was week commencing the 16th of December! I wished heartily that it was, as I'd be facing a Christmas in Mallorca again! 

I made my excuses and left and drove home in the gloom. Back home I decided to give in to the inevitable and have a nap, so I fetched my gorgeous throw downstairs and curled up on a chair with an ASMR video playing. I slept for an hour and felt much more refreshed!

I definitely needed the sleep as I rushed about preparing the porridge and my lunch and then cooked the dinner tonight. Sophie turned her nose up at the pork steaks and had the second half of her lasagne instead! She managed to eat the carrots and my roast potatoes, though!

The road to nowhere...

Sophie had another headache this morning so she didn't go to the gym. I woke up at 7am, and before I even looked at the time I knew she hadn't gone. This is slightly worrying that she had an acupuncture session to try and relieve the headaches and they've come back with a vengeance ever since.

I waved her off to work and had a coffee before showering and getting ready for my day. Keith and I had nothing planned apart from doing a quick shop, and I suggested we drive along the new Northampton North-West Relief Road as I thought it had opened. I was wrong! We drove to Boughton Mill where I was hoping to pick it up, but it was closed, even though I could see the new road stretching into the distance! I'm still not sure where it leads, but it must bypass the Bramptons and link up to the stretch of road leading to Junction 16 of the M1. Apparently, there are plans to link up with the A43 near Moulton. 

Our roads in Northamptonshire are in a dire state, with potholes littering our highways and traffic congestion a daily problem. At some point in the future, the A43 between Northampton and Kettering will be a dual carriageway, but until then we have to put up with the road from hell!

Anyway, Keith and I drove out to near Junction 16 and decided to shop at the Lidl near Harlestone. We wandered about, not having a clue what to get for dinner but I suggested a scratch meal for tonight (there was a tub of stir fry left) so Keith bought himself a roast chicken, and we put a lasagne in the trolley for Sophie.

For tomorrow night's meal, we chose pork chops served with cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes, something I knew wouldn't be popular with our daughter! We finished the shopping (it was good to mooch about and look in the middle aisle!) and drove to Sophie's office as we had decided to meet for lunch.

It's been another grey and miserable day today. We have thick cloud over the UK that's refusing to budge! But it's also been bitterly cold lately with a nasty wind coming from the East! Brrrr!

We had a very pleasant lunch and I enjoyed a heart-shaped biscuit with a cup of tea after I'd eaten my ham, egg and salad wrap. We sat for an hour and chatted, then said goodbye to Sophie and returned home to do the usual Wednesday chores, although today we were relieved of writing out the hated shopping list! That's been delayed until tomorrow!

Gloomy days

I was in a deep sleep when Sophie woke me this morning and she nearly wrenched my leg off! I saw her off to the gym and the temptation to go back to bed for half an hour was strong, but I resisted! After a cup of coffee, I felt more awake!

Work passed swiftly as always, and Jo was in a moany mood, complaining about customers and being generally negative. I asked if she had any plans about giving up now she has a grandchild... she seems so miserable, it can't be good for her, surely?

I zoomed home and it was grey and misty. It was also cold again and it was great to light the fire and warm the living room and kitchen. I lit some candles and both cats were in for a change. Sophie arrived home feeling tired and grouchy, so we had a subdued early evening. I thrashed Keith completely at cards which put him in a bad mood! It must be the time of year! We're longing for Spring now and an end to these grey, miserable days. I have seen daffodils poking their heads through the soil, and clumps of snowdrops, so it won't be long!

Dinner tonight was a very easy, very garlicky Chicken Kyiv served with mashed potatoes and Keith's mushy peas. We discussed our forthcoming trip to the Northeast on Saturday when we're going to see Val, Keith's brother, who has been moved into a care home. Sophie wants to go to Newcastle afterwards and see St James's Park. She's determined to wear her Newcastle shirt and worship at the altar of "The Toon!"

A shock diagnosis!

Ugh! Monday morning comes around far too quickly and the weekend flew by. It didn't help that I worked on Saturday! Sophie didn't go to the gym today as she had an appointment at the GP surgery in Guilsborough for an asthma test. We sat and enjoyed a coffee before we had to get ready so that was a lovely start to the working week.

Keith took me to work and then went to do the shopping for tonight and tomorrow. We'll sort out the rest of the week on Wednesday! It's getting so hard to choose meals these days! 

Even though I'd been in on Saturday, there were still a lot of emails to deal with and we were busy on the phones when the lines opened because next week is half-term! Oh yippee! I predict we will be busy with soft play enquiries - why did I choose a job where the school holidays still affect me! I must be mad!

I tried out my new Loops today and they made no difference at all to the noise levels, so I'm going to return them. My other pair of Loops were much better so I'll use them if it gets too loud. I'm very disappointed as I'd hoped they'd let me be able to concentrate more when I have to write difficult emails.

Keith collected me at 4pm and we drove home to get the house warm and cosy. It's cold at the moment, with a nasty wind that makes it feel worse. Sophie had texted me today to say she had asthma and had been given an inhaler to use twice a day. Although she was shocked at first (as was I) she now feels relieved it's been diagnosed. Unfortunately, it's the cats who have caused it, but there's no question of us re-homing them. Hopefully, her new inhalers will help.

Keith and I played cards this evening and Sophie cooked a delicious stir-fry chicken dish with sticky rice and lots of vegetables. There was enough leftover for lunch for me on Wednesday!

Foodie treats!

Today, I was determined not to make the same mistakes as last week, i.e. getting up far too late, and not having a proper meal! Sophie and I watched yesterday's Saturday Morning Kitchen and enjoyed a coffee. I then prepared the vegetables for our spaghetti Bolognese, which I was making from scratch for a late lunch. Sophie had made a chocolate bread and butter pudding yesterday while I was at work so I was looking forward to both dishes!

Keith popped to the local shop to get the Sunday newspaper and a bag of carrots for me, and I blitzed the veggies in our blender - I used carrots, celery, two peppers onion and garlic. After adding the meat, tomatoes, red wine, beef stock and mixed herbs, I let it all simmer slowly for almost three hours.

As well as preparing the meal, we did several loads of laundry so we had a busy morning! By 3pm we were ready to eat because the aromas coming from the Bolognese sauce were enticing! Cooking it slowly definitely makes a difference and the sauce was rich and delicious. Sophie made garlic bread, I cooked a pan of tagliatelle and we were good to go! As a special treat, we 'd chosen a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape to go with the meal. One of our bottles was 15.5%! I thought that yeast died off at 15%?!

The bottle we chose was gorgeous and we really appreciated the wine, trying to make it last until the early evening. After we'd eaten and cleared away, Sophie sat in living room with Keith while I transcribed a few more months of my blog from 2015 onto a word document.

By 6pm we were ready to eat Sophie's rich bread and butter pudding served with cream. Phew! A very indulgent foodie day today, and definitely better than last Sunday!

Saturday working

Sophie gave me a lift to work today and went to the gym to use the treadmill. I arrived in the office to find Shirley already at her desk and the wallboard on, which was a bonus!

I was hoping for a quiet shift so I could concentrate on emails, but we took over 100 calls in our five-hour session. Most of the calls were asking about making a booking for our soft play centre, and enquiries about swimming. Outside, the weather was horrible - grey, cold and drizzly. Typical February weather! If the half-term holiday is the same, we'll be busy then as well!

Sophie picked me up at 2pm and we went home to have a delicious lunch that my daughter had prepared. Soft granary bread stuffed with chicken, sundried tomatoes and mozzarella, served with Mediterranean couscous. We even had a small glass of wine with lunch as we had no plans to go anywhere else today! Bliss!

I sat and read the paper and had a nap at about 4pm as I haven't been sleeping well lately. I put my new Loop earplugs in and I was a little disappointed with them as the noise reduction was hardly noticeable.

At about 6pm, Sophie and I played cards while Keith sat at the kitchen island with us and watched Newcastle play Birmingham in the FA Cup. It was a bad-tempered game with some atrocious tackles from Birmingham, but Newcastle won 2-3, so they're through to the next round.

Sophie was still full from lunch so she didn't have any dinner. She was supposed to have been going out with a couple of work colleagues this evening, but had declined because of her headache, so Keith and I shared a Tesco Finest meal which was perfect. We opened a bottle of Rully, and after it had aired a little, it was delicious. We just wish we'd had another bottle to open! We will have to go back! A Rully red wine used to be notoriously difficult to find in the UK and we enjoyed it years ago at a restaurant in Brixworth called The Post House, which is long gone. The owner would never tell us where he bought it from! I can now see it available in Waitrose for £31.00 or Majestic for £24.99. Thankfully, we paid less than that in the village!

After dinner, we enjoyed a couple of hours of music on BBC2 - Heartbreakers and then Love Songs! A perfect end to an enjoyable day!

A freezing Friday!

I couldn't say today, "Ahh, it's Friday!" as I'm covering a shift at work tomorrow! Sophie returned to the gym this morning as she felt better, and I drove myself to work in the gloom. The weather has turned nasty again after two days of sunshine and it's set to be cold over the weekend and all next week.

My Friday shift passed very quickly and I dealt with all the emails, tested the swim camps, which go live on Sunday, and finished the price comparison spreadsheet. I keep getting calls from a leisure centre as I submitted a form asking about memberships, but I have no intention of signing up with them! 

At 4pm, I sped home and the A43 was empty, which was nothing short of a miracle! However, the traffic in Walgrave was terrible with cars queuing to get to the crossroads. I suspect there are roadworks on the A43, with some drivers travelling through Walgrave instead. The village just can't cope if this happens, though, and I told Keith to leave a bit earlier when he went to the pub.

It turned sleety and the wind was freezing this evening (it was supposed to feel like -6 with the windchill) so we lit the fire in the living room and cranked up the heating. The cats love it when the fire is on and lie on our footstool with their furry bellies exposed to the warmth!

Sophie and I opened a bottle of Macon Villages white wine and watched the last two episodes of Come Dine With Me. Two women have been bickering about fish all week, which has been hilarious! We had fish ourselves for dinner - fishcakes and mashed potatoes with Keith's own mushy peas! Lovely!

A busy shift!

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning as she had a headache. This was her first bad headache for a while and it's worrying that she had resumed her acupuncture sessions last Saturday. Is there a link?  We sat and watched Come Dine With Me with a coffee so at least we had a pleasant start to our Thursday.

My shift whizzed past today and Sara told me when she arrived that yesterday at work had been horrible, and very stressful. Sheila was off sick, and the phones were busy with Jo and Shirley working. Wednesdays in our office are commonly known as "W***er Wednesdays", so yesterday was no exception! Quite a few emails were waiting to be dealt with so I set to and tried to get as many done as I could in my shorter shift.

At 2pm Keith collected me and we sped home. I then went to see my Mum and Dad and sat with them for over an hour to chat. While I was there one of the carers came in and we chatted with her, which was great. There always seems to be someone about to chat with and the staff are lovely.

Back home, I did an hour of chores before Sophie arrived home. She still had a headache, poor thing, and has cancelled her next acupuncture appointment on Saturday. We were both worried that the therapist was going to suggest one a week again but at £50 a pop, that would prove to be expensive! Maybe she can leave it for a while and see what happens.

Dinner tonight was a very easy pizza, leftover crushed new potatoes from yesterday and salad. Not really a meal for the depths of winter, but it was delicious nonetheless!

Crime scene!

After a little lie-in and a coffee, I made a start on cleaning the conservatory. Keith helped me pull out the sofa and what we found underneath was disgusting. There were three dead (and mangled) shrews, blood, body bits and other things that I didn't want to look at too closely. It was like a gruesome crime scene! This was exactly the reason why I wouldn't let the cats go into the rest of the house while we were away!

I ran some boiling hot water into a bucket and once Keith had cleared away the debris, I mopped the floor thoroughly with an anti-bacterial cleaner. We sprayed the window sills and frames with a bleach cleaner and I made my way around the conservatory to clean the windows and frames. 

I also descaled my coffee machine, cleaned and tidied the pantry cupboard and started writing the shopping list. Luckily, it was a gorgeous day with blue skies and sunshine so I opened the windows in the conservatory to let in some much-needed fresh air.

I finished all my chores at about 4pm and the conservatory looked and smelled beautiful. I can't wait for Spring to arrive when we can have the windows open more during the day. As well as working away in the house, I also changed my phone to a newer version and watched a video to see how to put on the case!

Before Sophie came home, I hoovered downstairs, mopped the kitchen, and then lit a couple of candles. We put the fire on, and the house was lovely, cosy, and clean—perfect! 

Another busy day!

Sophie was working from home today and we sat and watched a new episode of Come Dine With Me and enjoyed a coffee before I had a shower. The cats love having her at home and both of them kept her company all day! Gomez never left her side!

I had another busy day at work so the time flew by. I concentrated on emails today and caught up with some of my own work. Halfway through the morning, we welcomed a regular member into our office to help her use the app to make bookings. It was so lovely to meet her and put a face to a name! Sometimes, we do go above and beyond for our customers!

Keith picked me up at 4pm and we drove home through the gloom. Sophie made me a cup of tea when we arrived home, and I sat in the conservatory with her to read the newspaper. As we sat and chatted, the sky suddenly darkened and the rain came down in torrents!

Before I played cards with Keith, Sophie and I watched the end of a travel show with Alison Hammond who was exploring Florida "on a budget". She was in the Everglades, on an airboat, so that brought back happy memories of our trip... when it rained!

Dinner tonight was a delicious sausage pasta bake served with homemade garlic bread. Tomorrow is the day when we sit down and decide the meals for the rest of the week and I loathe doing it! I don't seem to fancy anything at the moment and the dreaded broccoli and cauliflower are still banned from the menu!

Mooney and Gomez were in a playful mood tonight, but I think Mooney was a bit jealous when we played with Gomez. Afterwards, he attacked Gomez and made him cry out. He's definitely the dominant cat and I'm wondering whether it's worth buying a plug-in pheromone cat soother. We had this trouble with Archie and Monty who used to have vicious fights. I think Gomez loved being at home with Sophie today as she is his protector!

It's Monday again!

The weekend has whizzed past in a flash and it was Monday morning again! Yawn! Keith wasn't shopping today, so I drove myself to work and had a very busy day. In fact, it was hectic! I had to help out a couple of times with the phones as we were inundated with calls. 

I spent most of the day comparing prices with other leisure centres and answered emails for the last hour. Driving home I was forced to go via Hannington as our little cut-throat alley is closed. This tiny road makes such a big difference as turning right at the crossroads in Holcot is a nightmare!

I cooked dinner tonight (well, I heated up Sophie's casserole and cooked the veg) and made roast potatoes. Sophie didn't seem that happy with the meal and my roasties were a bit overdone, but never mind!

We relaxed after dinner and watched a couple of episodes of Gone Fishing. Sophie, to her horror, had left her latest novel at work so was forced to watch television with us!

A sleepy start!

Sophie and I woke up way too late this morning, and I was angry with myself for not setting the alarm on my phone - this is the last time! This set the tone for the day as I felt I'd wasted valuable time.

We drove into Northampton to get the VW washed. It was a gorgeous day with sunshine and blue skies, perfect for cleaning the filthy car! I drove straight into the carwash as I had already paid, and we called into the Waitrose outlet on the way home to buy pains au chocolat for a very late breakfast.

Sophie spent the rest of the morning preparing tonight's chicken casserole and I pootled about doing some jobs. Gomez has been in most of the day and was hiding behind the sofa for some unknown reason. We think it may have been because there was shooting going on but he's a funny little thing so it could have been down to anything!

In the early afternoon, Sophie was hungry so she made us nachos with chilli. This would prove to be a mistake as I didn't feel hungry later in the evening and we postponed dinner. Again, this is the last time we do this as all three of us hadn't a clue what to have to eat and there was nothing in the fridge or cupboards! In the end, Sophie and I settled for a breakfast bar each. Not ideal!

So, not the Sunday I really wanted, to be honest. I have a million and one things to do and didn't do any of them!

A cosy afternoon

I didn't have the best night's sleep and felt a bit groggy first thing! Sophie had two appointments this morning - one at the beauty salon in town and an acupuncture session - so I said I'd go with her and then we'd have an early lunch at the café in Castle Ashby afterwards.

Mike and Keith were going to cut down the trees in the garden but both would be leaving afterwards - Mike to go out with friends and Keith to see Sileby play. I took the VW as I wanted to try and get it washed but we had to be home for 2.30pm. Keith still hasn't driven Olive properly, even though she is easy to drive (if a bit bossy!).

I think I fell asleep while Sophie was having her acupuncture session! She came out and said that the therapist wanted her to come back again next Saturday. We were a little alarmed as this would mean she'd be spending £200 a month on acupuncture, something I think is highly unnecessary. We vowed to look into it a little more when we got home later in the day!

We drove to Castle Ashby and took a seat at the back of the café. I chose a "cutting pie" with salad and chutney, while Sophie opted for an open chicken sandwich and a bowl of French fries to share. I decided to have a rhubarb cider to drink with my lunch and Sophie sipped a glass of Rosé.

The café gradually filled up with a couple of larger groups arriving. Our food was served and I was disappointed with my pork pie as it had very little taste. Sophie's sandwich was huge and she had to give me some chicken! This will be the last time we eat here as I was also disappointed on a previous visit and Sophie agreed. We'll drive the extra miles and have lunch in Olney where the food doesn't disappoint.

After we'd eaten, we popped into the deli next door and I bought two slices of Guinness cake to enjoy at home. We arrived in plenty of time for Keith to have the car for the football and tidied up before lighting the candles and the fire in the living room. I also put the heating on. Outside it was cold and grey and I told Keith to wrap up warm to watch his football match!

Once he had gone, we watched another adaptation of a Douglas Kennedy novel - The Woman in the Fifth. It was a bit dreamy, with weird scenes of the woods and an owl... Why aren't these films faithful to the original books?

After the film, I had a nap with Mooney and slept for almost an hour! It was so cosy in the living room and the house was lovely and warm when Keith arrived back, chilled to the bone! We decided not to have a Chinese takeaway tonight (our usual restaurant was closed for the Lunar New Year) and spent the evening relaxing and reading. I did catch some of Gone Fishing and Keith and I also watched last night's episode of Death in Paradise. Before bed, we turned on BBC2 and watched a little of a documentary about Bob Marley. I then had one of his songs running through my head for the rest of the evening!

A visit from Mike

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning - she'd had a bad night and was worried about work today. We sat and watched Come Dine With Me before showering, which cheered us up a bit!

My shift was fine and I managed to get a lot done, including answering all the emails (I had two difficult ones to write), putting some more films on, including the new Bridget Jones film, Mad About The Boy, and adding a couple of holiday activities to the half-term schedule. 

I sped home at 5pm and looked to see where Mike was on my phone. He was still in Northampton but was stopping over with us tonight and going to the pub with Keith for a drink. He eventually turned up just after 6pm so they were late going to the pub! 

Sophie and I opened a bottle of Cotes du Rhone white we'd chosen in the lovely shop in Deauville and watched the last episode of Come Dine With Me. Keith had prepared a Madras curry and I cooked some rice and naans to accompany the meal. We sat in the conservatory again and it was lovely and warm for  once!

After dinner, astonishingly, Mike went to bed (he has to be up at 5.30am every morning for work) while Keith, Sophie and I watched a cycle race coming from Mallorca. The race had started in Lluc and ended in Selva, and had passed through the outskirts of Soller and the road up to the tunnel which we had driven on last month. The race had passed over the Col de Soller, rather than through the tunnel, though! I was glad we'd driven through the tunnel as the roads looked a bit hairy with many switchbacks and just a low wall preventing cars from a tumble over the side!

Sitting in the sun!

Sophie was working from home today and I was looking forward to coming home this afternoon and sitting in the conservatory with her.

Work passed very pleasantly and I answered all the emails that had come into our customer service inbox. I will be answering the phone for a little while tomorrow, but not for the three hours I was expecting, thank goodness!

Because Sophie was working at home, I borrowed her car today, so we'll have to get the VW washed at the weekend. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I went home and sat with my daughter in the conservatory while she worked. It was gorgeous in the sunshine, if a little chilly. I can't remember the last Thursday I hadn't anything planned in the afternoon, so it was a real treat to relax and read the newspapers while chatting with Sophie.

A new series of Come Dine With Me started this week and the first five contestants have been hilarious! Sophie and I sat and watched a couple of episodes before we had dinner and we were laughing so much at their antics!

I've been drinking the 9% wine I bought last weekend at Olney and the bottle of Gigondas Rosé arrived on Tuesday. I messaged the shop to let them know there is such a wine but I've had no response. Sour grapes!

The 9% Canadian Riesling - I will NOT be buying again!

Can't wait to try this!

Day off?

I wasn't looking forward to today and had a couple of unpleasant things to get through, but on reflection, it wasn't as bad as I feared!

Keith and I had no choice but to go to the Weston Favell Centre because I needed to pay a cheque into my parents' bank account, I had Keith's DNA sample to send, and my Dad wanted a battery put into his watch. We parked and walked in and Keith noticed a large section of wall given over to the centre's 50th anniversary last year. To my utter delight, I saw two photographs of my family - one of my Nan with David Jacobs, and below, another of all of us standing with him! I would have been about 6 or 7 at the time!

I paid in the cheque via a machine at the bank, which was simple, and I couldn't resist telling one of the staff about the photos as she knew my parents!

From the bank, we popped up to the post office and I sent off the sample for £4 (a lot cheaper than sending it to the US) and dropped Dad's watch off at Timpson's. While the battery was being fitted Keith and I went for a coffee at Costa and did a spot of people watching! So, all in all, it wasn't as unpleasant an experience as I'd thought!

Once we'd collected Dad's watch we tried to get the VW washed but when I went to pay for the ticket, I was told a car had broken down at the entrance to the carwash. I paid anyway and said I'd go back tomorrow after work instead. 

We returned home, I dropped Keith off and carried on over to the care home where I saw Mum and Dad for a little while and gave my Dad his watch. He kept asking about the CD player again, which was a tad frustrating! I'd already told him countless times how to work the machine!

Back home, I pootled about and tidied up our messy kitchen. I hoovered downstairs and mopped the floor in the kitchen and conservatory, and Keith prepared the ingredients for tonight's dinner of chicken and mushroom soup.

At 4pm, I headed to the GP surgery in Brixworth for a smear test. I'd last had this done in 2020 and it was a thoroughly unpleasant ordeal, with a nasty nurse who had insisted on taking my blood pressure and weighing me. Well, it wasn't going to happen today!

I won't go into details about the test, but it was slightly uncomfortable with two nurses present. Oh, the joys of getting older! There was no mention of taking my blood pressure or weighing me and I left feeling hugely relieved! My next, in five years, will be my last!

Before Sophie came home I made the soup and it was simmering away gently when she arrived back. I was a bit worried as it didn't taste of much, but after blitzing it, adding a generous drop of Sherry and mixing in cooked, shredded chicken, it was delicious. We served the soup with garlic flatbreads and there was enough for lunch tomorrow!

Donating a pint

Today, traditionally the noisiest day of the week, was as noisy as ever so I have decided to invest in a pair of Loop earplugs, which will cut out the voices of my co-workers (and whoever else is in the office). I need to be able to concentrate when writing emails or the moan report so they will definitely help!

I was kept busy today and finished the swim camps, answered all the emails, and even managed to put on a week's worth of films. I lingered a little while at work as I had an appointment to give blood at 4.30pm. However, when I left work, the traffic was horrendous, due to roadworks taking place nearby, and I thought I was going to be late!

Luckily, I arrived on time and took a cup for a drink of water. I had already downed a bottle at work as we're always told to keep hydrated when giving blood. This time the interrogation wasn't as rigorous, but I felt embarrassed when the nurse asked where I'd been abroad since last donating! I answered Germany, France and Spain, but on different trips, and she asked me where we'd been in Spain and France, pointing out regions in the south of the countries that appeared to be risky! 

Donating was very straightforward and the nurse was efficient and chatty. This was my 46th pint, although I know I've given more than that as I started when I was 17 and had to stop after I came back from Nepal due to having a hepatitis jab.

I sat and drank more water, enjoyed a Club biscuit and chatted some more with one of the nurses before I returned home, intending to book an appointment for May when I'm able to donate next. On the way home Sophie called to say she was behind me, which was great! I had a feeling I'd see her on the way home!

Keith had prepared cottage pie for dinner, and we were playing cards when Mike arrived, on his way home from Nottingham. We gave him his gifts (beer and chocolate) and he said he'd stay for dinner which meant we had to rapidly warm up the conservatory!

It was great to sit and eat together as a family and we'll go out for dinner again soon!

A busy shift

We were busy at work today, with the emails flooding in quicker than I could answer them. The phones were also frantic, so the time passed quickly! I need to get the half-term activities on soon, as the holidays are approaching and if we're going to be taking calls for our soft play centre, it will be even busier!

When I emerged from the building at 4pm, it was raining heavily, so Keith backed right up to the door for me so I wouldn't get wet. It was a horrible night and it was great to get home and light the fire in the living room to warm up the house a bit.

Keith and I played cards again tonight and he beat me at every game! Sometimes it goes like that and I have no idea why. It must just be luck! Sophie cooked again tonight - chicken fajitas with peppers, onions and kidney beans and then it was time to relax. Both cats are now in by 9pm at night and love the routine, but tonight I unsettled them a little as I went to look for some old photographs upstairs in the bedroom. They kept wandering around and couldn't settle until Sophie and I went back downstairs and sat on the sofa like normal! They are strange little things at times!

Stormy Sunday

It was lovely to wake up this morning and know we hadn't got to be anywhere or do anything important! We had a very lazy start to our Sunday and outside the weather was wet and windy. Another named storm was affecting the UK today, a Spanish one called Herminia. It was a perfect day for staying at home and pootling about!

We did several loads of laundry today and I applied a colour to my hair to hide the roots! It looked a little darker than my usual colour but I was pleased with the results. Sophie spent a long time preparing vegetables for a Thai curry tonight and the paste she made smelt delicious! It involved a lot of work!

We had a few things to catch up and we sorted out Keith's DNA test I received for free last year. We'll post it sometime next week to an address in the UK. With mine, I had to send it to the US, so hopefully we'll get the results sooner if I send it first class. We're looking forward to finding out where Keith comes from!

It was Mike's 25th birthday today, but he has spent the weekend in Nottingham with Abbie. He will call in on his way back to Northampton on Tuesday so we can give him a card and some gifts. I can't believe he turned a quarter of a century today! Where have the years gone?

Before Sophie cooked dinner this evening we played Scrabble and I opened the bottle of Canadian Riesling I'd bought yesterday in the Olney wine shop. It was 9% so we thought we'd give it a try. Well, I wish we hadn't! Sophie took one sip and then refused to drink anymore so we'll keep it for weeknight drinking. What a disappointment, and it wasn't cheap! Instead, we opened the Muscadet that Sophie bought, which was lovely, fresh and crisp. 

Sophie cooked dinner and I cooked a pan of basmati rice to go with the curry. The meal was delicious and very fragrant with all the spices she'd used!

Out for lunch

Sophie and I watched an hour of Saturday Morning Kitchen before we went to get ready to go to Olney for some shopping and lunch. It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and sunshine, so a welcome change from the grey weather we've been having lately.

We had difficulty parking in Olney today, with people constantly circling the small car park in the centre looking for spaces. In the end, we managed to find a space on the main road near the shops. We were on the point of giving up and going elsewhere!

Sophie had a good haul today from her charity shopping and found tops and a pair of trousers, along with a couple of books. The charity shops were busy, with lots of people choosing to buy clothes and secondhand items there rather than new ones, which is great. For the price of one top or trousers, Sophie can buy several items!

By 2pm, we were hungry so we made our way to the Courtyard Brasserie for lunch. The restaurant was also busy but we were shown to a table in the window. I chose a chicken burger while Sophie opted for lasagne and salad. We had a glass of wine apiece and settled down to look forward to our lunch. We both love this friendly, welcoming brasserie and the service is always efficient.

Our lunch was delicious and filled us up! We decided to stop and buy some cake at the delicatessen at Castle Ashby rather than have dessert, so we paid the bill and made our way back onto the main square. Sophie suggested visiting the wine shop again before we left, and I readily agreed as I loved the Australian Riesling I bought last time.

This time, the shop was quiet with no raucous wine tasting going on, and a young man came down the stairs to greet us. He asked if we needed help, but I said we just wanted to browse, although I did ask if he had the Riesling I wanted. He explained that they no longer used the importer, so we carried on looking at the wines, which were all on the expensive side. He carried on chatting and we said we'd been in France last week and I mentioned the expensive bottles of Calvados we'd seen. He was obviously knowledgeable about wine, and when we took our bottles to the cash desk to pay, Sophie happened to mention the Gigiondas Rosé we'd enjoyed in the village last October. He immediately said that there was no such thing as a Gigondas Rosé, which we knew to be wrong! Sophie was furious with him because he'd made her feel silly, but we both clearly remembered drinking a Rosé with our lunch at the Carré Gourmand.

As we walked away, Sophie Googled the wine and we really should have gone back and showed him that there is a Gigondas Rosé and, although it makes up only a tiny percentage of the production, it does exist! Obviously, it's a wine that the French keep to themselves!

We called into the deli at Castle Ashby and bought some Guinness cake to be enjoyed with a cup of tea at home, which was delicious. It was then time to relax for a while before Sophie and I played Scrabble. My daughter made us both French Martinis and we won a game each. 

Our film choice tonight was Ocean's Eleven, another franchise that we're going to watch on a Saturday evening. We enjoyed vodka and tonic (me) and vodka and ginger ale (Sophie) so we both felt a little merry at the end of the evening!

Storm Éowyn

Sophie was working from home today as she had a GP appointment mid-morning and although she said she was going to go to the gym, she put it off. We have storm Éowyn raging over the UK at the moment and we have a yellow weather warning in place for Northamptonshire. Sophie said the wind was bad in the night making the whole house shake so I was a little relieved she didn't go to the gym in the end!

When I left, the weather wasn't bad and certainly not as windy as I expected. I was answering the phone today, from 10am until 1pm but the three hours passed more pleasantly than I had expected and I took calls from a couple of lovely customers! It's great when people appreciate our help and it makes me feel like I'm actually doing something!

Shirley came in at 1pm to take over and I managed to get all the swim camps on except for two, as I just need to check something with our swim co-ordinator. The annoying thing was that she was in the office earlier in the day and I could have spoken to her then, rather than having to email!

At 4pm I sped home and relaxed and it was great to have Sophie already home. Keith was going to the pub tonight, and we decided to watch a film based on Douglas Kennedy's book, The Big Picture. We started our wine night with a light Rosé from Provence and then moved on to a Burgundy white. Dinner was very simple - baked potatoes, coronation chicken and salad.

The film was great, apart from the last twenty minutes when it was a bit silly, but it was very loosely based on the novel, which is my favourite book. At least we got to see a cameo appearance from Douglas Kennedy!

Something different

My short shift passed very quickly today and I made inroads into the moan report, thank goodness. Tomorrow I'm answering calls for half of my shift so I tried to do as much as I could today.

Keith collected me at 2pm, and after dropping him at home, I went over to see Mum and Dad and gave them their Normandy gifts. My Dad seemed cheerful today and was pleasant for a change! Wonders will never cease! He is going out tomorrow to the pub which I was delighted about. It'll be great for him to get out of the room for a while!

Back at home, I did an hour's cleaning and concentrated on the conservatory which we hadn't touched since returning from France. I found a little dead shrew in there and I'm glad I didn't give in and let the cats have full access to the house while we were away!

Sophie was out tonight with her friends Laura and Daisy, and they'd booked a table at our local pub. Keith and I were looking forward to having crispy duck and pancakes for dinner and after playing a couple of games of cards, I sliced up spring onions and a cucumber to add to the pancakes. They were delicious and made a change from what we normally eat!

Our viewing choice this evening was the last-ever episode of Vera starring the brilliant Brenda Blethyn. I felt quite sad when it ended. It's been a staple of Sunday night television for years!

A delightful afternoon!

We were out of the house by 7.30am this morning and dropped the VW off at the garage in Moulton for its MOT. We took Sophie to work and called into Café 900 for a sausage bap and coffee. Before heading home, we managed to get Olive washed in the Morrison's automatic car wash and I finished her off with a cloth at home as it hadn't done the best of jobs! I used to think black cars were difficult to keep clean, but white ones seem even worse!

I had a shower, and Keith and I did some necessary but boring chores, such as renewing the VW's car insurance, which is due next month. I can't complain about the boring chores today, though, as the last four Wednesdays have been enjoyable!

I discovered that the VW hadn't passed its MOT when I went onto the gov.uk site to check. It had failed because of a leak in one of the rear shock absorbers. Glen called and said he would replace both of them and asked us to collect the car at about 1.30pm, just before I was due to go and see my friend Michelle for a cup of tea and a long-overdue catch-up.

I hadn't seen Michelle to speak to for ages - I think the last time was at a dinner party at Paul's house - so it was great to sit and chat with her in her lovely, cosy living room for a couple of hours. Her Siamese cats, Hector and Lily, kept us company and she had lit her fire with coal so it was blissfully warm. We chatted non-stop and enjoyed a cup of tea and a delicious slice of Victoria sponge cake. What a delightful way to spend a cold January afternoon! Lily kept trying to get onto the table and lick the cream, naughty cat! She is very much like Monty in that respect, who was addicted to all things dairy!

At 4.30pm, Keith and I set off for Brackmills to collect Sophie from work and returned home through surprisingly good traffic to finish off the shopping list and come up with meals for the rest of the week and the weekend.

We had an easy dinner tonight - Keith's corned beef, potato and onion stew - and enjoyed two funny shows on the television that made us all laugh out loud. We saw the Christmas Never Mind The Buzzcocks, which was hilarious, and then another Christmas show, Gone Fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse. They were in the glorious Dordogne and the scenery looked stunning. It was another funny show and cheered us up!

Bluer Tuesday!

If anything, I felt a little more miserable today, even though it was supposed to be Blue Monday yesterday! The weather certainly isn't helping at the moment and it was grey and cold again. Somehow, I liked this weather on the moody, empty beaches of Normandy, but in Northampton, it's not quite the same!

Anyway, I worked away and felt much better in the afternoon. At least tomorrow I am off, but I can't say I'm looking forward to taking the VW in for its MOT first thing in the morning... we're just hoping it will pass!

Sophie called me from work to say that the traffic was backed up right to her office, so she left a little bit later than normal, hoping it would clear. She didn't arrive home until well after 6pm and found Keith and I on the sofa with a loving Mooney in between us! We'd put the heating on but the house still felt cold so I'd lit the fire, which made the living room lovely and cosy. 

I decided to taste the last two of my whiskies this evening:

December 24th: Talisker Port Ruighe Single Malt Whisky at 45.8%. Another peaty, smoky whisky which put me in mind of those Scottish mountains again and misty evenings. I also detected a hint of sweetness. 5/5

December 25th: Highland Park 18-Year-Old Viking Pride Single Malt at 43%. I detected very strange aromas on this - farmyard smells, then violets, but it was a lot better with a drop of water! 4/5

After dinner, Keith watched football and Sophie and I read. She is reading a book at the moment which she says is the best she has ever read, including her favourite Douglas Kennedy novels. She's just waiting to see how the author ties up the ending before recommending it to me to read. It's been a scary one, with her sometimes squealing as she's read it! Sounds good to me!

Blue Monday?

It was back to normal today and a return to work for Sophie and me. Sophie said she'd wished she'd also booked today off so she could stay at home and cuddle the cats! If only!

I was expecting a large number of emails to deal with, but it wasn't too bad, and I spent the day wading through them. The chocolates I bought in France went down well with my colleagues and I should have bought a couple of bags as they were all gone by the end of the day!

Keith collected me at 4pm and we headed home through surprisingly light traffic. It was lighter tonight and we're looking forward to seeing more daylight now that the winter solstice has passed. I will be glad when it's daylight at 6am and I wave Sophie off to the gym. Those days can't come soon enough! I think today was known as "Blue Monday", which was hardly surprising. Christmas and New Year are over and Spring is still a fair way in the future. It won't be long, though!

I pootled around for almost an hour and did the usual evening chores. Sophie was adapting tins of tomato soup tonight and adding pasta and parmesan cheese. I got into trouble as I'd crossed garlic butter off the shopping list, but we made our own by grating garlic and adding it to the French butter we'd bought. The bread was delicious and went perfectly with the soup. I think we'll do that in the future rather than buy expensive ready-made garlic butter!

A day of domesticity

Today has passed in a blur of washing and drying clothes and being at the beck and call of both machines, who took turns to beep at me! By the afternoon, I'd had enough! I'd never seen so many socks out for a wash in my life, and Sophie confessed she'd been doubling up on them to avoid getting blisters again! The last straw was when she put her scarf out for a wash and I'd flung it back at her! 

I was feeling a bit tetchy today and I think we all needed a break from one another! My Mum called mid-morning and said she was desperate for toiletries so Sophie and I braved the weekend crowds and popped to Tesco, the last place I wanted to go to today. We came across an argument raging between the supermarket security guard and a customer who had put his dog in a trolley. The customer maintained the dog was an "assistance dog" but had nothing to prove it! It turned nasty as we walked into the store but the security guard wouldn't budge!

I called my Mum from Tesco to ask if she needed anything else and she said she was going to lunch and asked if I could leave the bag in reception, so I didn't actually see them today. I had bought chocolates for her and Calvados for my Dad but said I'd see them properly on Thursday and take her out for an hour.

The weather hasn't helped with my bad mood today; it's been grey, overcast and bitterly cold. Sophie and I drove home and gave up finding an automatic carwash to clean Olive who was filthy. Everything feels dirty and scruffy at the moment... it's the time of year!

We spent the afternoon relaxing (and doing more washing) and I had a long soak in the bath. The cats have been in and out all day, with Gomez spending most of the day curled up on Sophie's bed. We think he has been out all the time since we left for France last Wednesday!

Keith cooked a delicious curry for dinner and we watched Death in Paradise after we'd eaten. It had been recorded on the 22nd of December, the day we drove to Gatwick before flying to Mallorca. It all seems a distant memory now!

Normandy 2025 - 15th - 18th of January

Lunch in Montreuil-sur-Mer

We were up early, showered, dressed and packed before 9am. Outside it was grey and foggy with freezing temperatures. We called at Carrefour first to fill up with petrol and buy a pack of pains au chocolat for breakfast on the road.

Sophie's app then directed me towards Caen and we were able to get rid of our recycling on the way. The N13 was busy but it didn't take long for us to get to the autoroute. Soon, we were speeding past signs for the towns we'd driven through yesterday, and I noticed that the Sanef tolls were automatic and we'd have to pay within 72 hours. This was new! On Wednesday, we had stopped at the conventional tolls and either collected a ticket or paid. I asked Sophie to set a reminder to pay tomorrow morning!

Soon, we saw signs for Deauville and then Honfleur and we crossed over the imposing Pont de Normandie Bridge. The fog wasn't as thick as it was on Wednesday so we had views over the Seine below. The roads were mostly empty and the driving was smooth and easy. Once past Le Havre, we stopped for coffee and pastries at a very confusing aire. It wasn't only me who was confused as to where to go, at least two other drivers also lost their way to the car park!

Back on the road, we made steady progress towards the town of Montreuil-sur-Mer, which is nowhere near the sea. We'd been here before, back in May 2023, and we thought it would be a good place for lunch. We only had one hiccup... I came off the autoroute a little early and we had an interesting drive around the town of Abbeville. It wasn't a place I'd go back to but we did drive around the outskirts so not a fair assumption of the town!

I couldn't get over how empty the roads were today! There were hardly any lorries and just a few cars travelling along the route. Fields stretched away either side of the road with the occasional village popping up every now and again. We saw buzzards perched on the fences just sitting and watching but we didn't know what they were waiting for. There was no roadkill but they looked magnificent with their brown and white plumage.

We arrived in Montreuil-sur-Mer just as the market was packing up. I found a space nearby and we walked to a Brasserie that had a good menu, including the dish that Sophie craved - a Welsh! It was busy and warm inside but the waitress said they were full, although they could accommodate us at 1.30pm. I was on the point of saying OK, but Keith and Sophie said we didn't have time and dragged me back out.

We were starting to wonder if the entire population of France eats out at lunchtime, as the restaurants were heaving. In the end, we found an unpretentious little restaurant called La Paloma at the far end of the square, and to Sophie's delight, they also served a Welsh, including the complet version with an added egg.

Just one other couple was eating and a man was waiting for a pizza, but we really didn't have much choice! The young lad serving was friendly and we ordered a pichet of Chardonnay and a beer for Keith. Both Sophie and Keith ordered the Welsh while I chose the Forestiere Flammenkuchen.

We sat and giggled about our choice of restaurant and finding the only empty one in the whole town! However, the food was good, the service was attentive and the female chef made an appearance at the end of the meal and chatted to us in English. We think it was a mother-and-son business and the place was immaculately clean, if a little quirky with the choice of music playing! Sophie and I shared a delicious chocolate sundae for dessert so the meal didn't disappoint. Before heading back to the car we went into a Carrefour yet again and bought some beer and chocolates to take home.

Homeward bound

It took us just over half an hour to reach the Shuttle terminal and we managed to board an earlier train. We had a quick look around Duty Free but nothing appealed so we waited for our call and then went through passport control and security. By 4.15pm we were on the train and I didn't have to drive up the dreaded ramp this time! I put my seat back and we all nodded off on the short journey back to Folkestone.

The weather in the UK was identical to the grey, foggy conditions in France. The M25 was heaving and I had to keep all my wits about me as I drove. There was some bad driving going on, including one mini whose driver slammed their brakes on as we drove onto the M11 and numerous middle-lane hoggers. When we stopped to use the facilities at the services near Stansted, the area was so badly lit that people couldn't see where they were going! I had cleaned the head and tail lights of the VW on the train, thank goodness, but why aren't these places lit adequately?

The traffic was lighter on the M11 and it was a relief to join the A14 - we were nearly home! We made it by 7pm and unloaded the car. The house was cold even though Isla had put on the heating for us. The freezing kitchen was making it worse so we had to put the heating on in there and light the fire in the living room. Gomez made an appearance as we unloaded the car, and Mooney came in a little later although he was a bit aloof with us!

Keith made me a drink and we relaxed for the rest of the evening, watching the documentary on Mallorca before we retired for the night. Tomorrow will be a busy day spent washing and unpacking, and then it's back to reality on Monday!

Normandy 2025 - 15th - 18th of January

Back to Deauville

We had a lunchtime booking at the restaurant L'Etoile in Deauville for 12.30pm today, so we set off at about 10.30am. Sophie directed me onto the busy N13 through Caen first, and then we turned off onto quieter, more scenic roads. We're finding the map app on Sophie's phone is a lot more reliable than Trish at the moment, but Keith does keep an eye on the paper map as well!

It was a grey, heavily overcast day and cold. The blue skies and sunshine of yesterday had disappeared, unfortunately. We made it to Deauville by 11.30am and parked on one of the main streets. We headed in the direction of the main square where a food and textiles market was taking place. Sophie bought herself a pair of black corduroy trousers, and we popped into a gorgeous wine and food shop, marvelling at old bottles of Calvados from 1939 up until the 2000s. The 1939 bottle of Calvados was selling for 1490 euros, while the 1968 was 550!

We picked out a couple of bottles of wine, and Keith bought a tin of sardines. The range of food and drinks was vast, and we could have spent hours browsing in there! However, time was marching on and it was almost 12.30pm. L'Etoile was busy with lunchtime diners when we arrived and we were greeted at the door by the owner. He sat us at the same table as last year!

He gave us a menu, but we also looked at the set lunch and specials boards. Sophie and I decided to opt for the set lunch - Sophie chose a ham and mozzarella salad for a starter while I opted for the pumpkin and carrot velouté. For our main courses, we both chose cod with a kind of ratatouille. Keith stuck to one course - a veal chop that he'd enjoyed last year.

Tall tales?

Sophie and I drank a glass of Chablis with our meal and Keith chose a local beer made in Deauville. As we were waiting for our lunch, an elderly man at the next table leaned over and asked if we were English. He was obviously keen to talk and seemed a little lonely sitting by himself. He said that he'd owned a house in Deauville for twenty-seven years but had just sold it. It was good to talk to him, but the restaurant was busy and noisy - there was a large table of diners opposite - and we had to keep straining to hear him.

Our food arrived and my soup and Sophie's salad were very good. Our cod was delicious as well, but our new friend kept asking Sophie how to turn up the volume on his phone as she was trying to eat! Keith gamely worked his way through his large veal chop and I found four bones in my fish. I attract bones in fish, just like I attract slightly strange characters who want to tell me their lifestory!

The man then ordered himself a half bottle of red wine and carried on talking to us. He was keen to tell us about the sale of his house, which overlooked the famous Deauville racecourse. He said he'd met Frankie Dettori once at the races, who had ordered Champagne and oysters. About the sale of the house, he wouldn't mention a price, but he told us about the man who wanted to buy it, and who wanted to bring up his children in the area. He then mentioned his paintings of semi-naked women dotted about the house (I swear I'm not making this up, but why he felt we needed to know this, I have no idea) and how the buyer's mother wasn't impressed. He finished off this tale by saying he demanded another 50,000 euros for the house, which the buyer paid. I dread to think how much it went for! Later, looking at house prices, most were heading towards 1.5 million euros!

By now, Keith was bored with the man and made his feelings known by ignoring him. However, he carried on, saying he had celebrated his 81st birthday on the 12th of January (a fellow Capricorn then, which might have explained a few things) and how he'd driven over on the ferry. Sophie and I ordered dessert: an apple and almond tart served with cream, and Sophie treated herself to a glass of Calvados. No homemade version this year, though!

The restaurant had emptied out and the card machine had stopped working so we received a handwritten bill for lunch, which came to 135 euros. Luckily, we had enough cash on us! Our new friend, obviously wealthy (or was he a fantasist, we'll never know!) was working his way through steak and frites and seemed sorry to see us go. He mentioned he was divorced so that would explain his table for one. Next to us, throughout most of the meal, were two older, well-preserved French women, both with tiny Yorkshire terriers. Was it a doggy playdate for them? They chattered away non-stop and Sophie was fascinated by their jewellery. This town certainly has its fair share of wealthy people! I'm sure the man could find a wealthy divorcée or widow to share a table with!

After paying the bill and saying goodbye to our new friend, we walked slowly back to the Carrefour supermarket we'd parked opposite, and bought s few things we needed. Keith returned to the car while Sophie and I went back to the loos by the market. The stalls had all been packed up now and a solitary man was cleaning the paving slabs.

A slow drive along the coast.

Rather than go back to the house on the autoroute and N13, we headed along the coast again. In the town of Houlgate, I parked right on the beach and Sophie and I went down onto the sands. We could see thousands of shells washed up by the sea and we spent a very pleasant half hour collecting some pretty ones that Sophie intends to make into earrings. The beach was almost deserted, just a few hardy dog walkers out enjoying the bracing afternoon air.

I loved the old houses lining the promenade. Were they single houses or apartments?

In the distance, we could see a sandbank with flocks of seagulls having a feast on the creatures that had been washed up onto the sand. I've never seen so many shells gathered in one place before!

It had been lovely looking for shells, but it was cold now, so we headed along the coast to the beaches of Juno and Sword. At Ver-sur-Mer, we headed inland across arable farmland just as it was starting to get dark.

Back at the house, we lit the fire and relaxed. Sophie and I played a couple of games of Scrabble and much to her disgust, I beat her both times. She was not happy! We munched on little creamy cheeses and Cracksters and will be taking a fair amount of food home with us, including a loaf of bread and paté!

The remote control started working again so we were able to log out of Netflix, and by 9.30pm we were all ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a long day!

Normandy 2025 - 15th -18th of January

The tiny roads of Normandy

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise this morning. The fog was mostly gone, although some mist still hung over the fields.

After a light breakfast and coffee, we showered and headed out at about 10.30am. We wanted to visit the village of Crepon to look at The Green Howards memorial, which we had seen signposted when we'd been driving through before, on previous visits. They had landed on D-Day and had fought their way inland to the village, the furthest of any of the Allied units.

We found the memorial and a café nearby called Le Green Howards!

It was a lovely, quirky café with several villagers enjoying coffee. One man gave up his table for us, and we ordered hot chocolate and coffee from the friendly owner. A silly French game show was on the television. What is it with the French and Spanish and weird game shows?!

Sophie snapped a pic of a local enjoying his morning newspaper!

The café was obviously a popular meeting place for people who lived in Crepon. It was open until 1pm and then again in the afternoon and evening. I should imagine it would be lovely and cosy on a winter's night!

When we finished our drinks, we strolled back down to the memorial and read the information boards. One of the Green Howards had been awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery on June 6th.

From Crepon we drove slowly along tiny Normandy roads to the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. It took us about forty minutes as the road was closed at one point and we had to make a detour. The countryside was stunning with beautiful villages set amongst rolling arable fields, and every now and again a reference to the war. Sometimes we saw a glimpse of the sea in the distance.

Mistletoe balls in the trees!

Following directions on Sophie's phone, we finally arrived at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. It was immaculate and beautifully laid out. There is a Visitor Centre you can go into but we were short of time as we wanted to eat at lunchtime. We used the facilities - some of the cleanest and most modern public toilets I've ever visited - and walked to the Overlook with Omaha Beach below us.

We were so lucky that the weather was beautiful. Sophie said she felt like she was back in the US, somewhere like California, as the surroundings were so well-maintained. We walked up towards the graves which stretched away in rows into the distance. So many lives were lost. Around two and a half thousand US soldiers died on the 6th of June, 1944.

There were a few people about, but not many, and I wonder just how busy it gets in the warmer months. We walked past a frozen ornamental pond to a memorial building and statue. 

There was a large section of the wall dedicated to a map of the landing beaches with information. I just wish we'd had more time to look at everything but the time was marching on and we knew that we had a two-hour window to have lunch in nearby Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.

As we walked back to the car, a tour group had just arrived and were talking to their guide about Pearl Harbour. We were to see them again in the restaurant we'd chosen for lunch!

In fact, the restaurant was doing a roaring lunchtime trade and I reckoned that Americans definitely outnumbered the French! A few workmen were lingering over their meals, but La Crémaillere was set up for D-Day tours visiting the area and catered for the tourists. It was a great restaurant, though, with a good menu and friendly staff.

We took a seat right at the front of the restaurant and ordered a plate of charcuterie and cheese to start. Keith chose a local beer, while Sophie, for some reason, chose a Ruby Leffe! I was intrigued by a Rosé cider! It was served in a teacup! I later found out that this is called a "bolée".

The plate of charcuterie was delicious and filled with different hams, salad, and cheeses served with bread. Our main courses were pizza for Sophie, fish and chips for Keith and turkey in a cream sauce for me. People constantly arrived and left and the place was buzzing. An American couple from Louisiana came over to us and asked us what the plate of charcuterie was! The man obviously liked the look of it! There was also a couple from Costa Rica sitting in front of us, so the clientele was truly international.

As the afternoon wore on, the restaurant emptied out, but tour groups were still arriving for lunch. I can just imagine how busy this place was back in June 2024! Sophie and I indulged in desserts - fondant au chocolat, naturally, for me, while Sophie tackled the largest plate of profiteroles I'd ever seen!

We paid the bill and decided to drive to Omaha Beach, a few minutes away. There were more coaches here and people strolling on the sands. 

Sand had been blown up onto the road and, again, the houses lining the beach were shuttered up and forlorn. These all looked more modern than the houses we'd seen driving from Deauville up the coast, though.

A step back in time

We drove a little further along the coast until the road ended and then returned to the house via small country roads and the faster N13. Back at the house, we used the loo and then ventured out to Creully to explore a little. Sophie wanted to visit a "Brocante" a kind of antique shop she'd seen previously, so we parked opposite and went in. It was a treasure trove of every kind of object you can imagine and it was freezing cold! The woman running the place said hello and left us to wander about. There were big old French armoires for sale, glasses by the hundred, paintings, china, kitchen utensils, white goods, the lot! They obviously dealt with house clearances, and there were even a couple of half-empty bottles of perfume! Sophie spotted three pretty glasses, and then another three she liked, and then she hit the jackpot with a cluster of Gigondas wine glasses that she just had to have!

None of the smaller items had a price attached so we went to the counter and asked how much the nine glasses would be. The answer was five euros! Sophie grabbed them, (we weren't given a bag or newspaper to wrap them in) paid, and we scarpered before she changed her mind!

We drove through Creully, which was a pretty town with honey-coloured stone buildings and a couple of bars and restaurants. Before going back to the house we called in at the Carrefour supermarket and bought a bag of wooden logs for the fire, some more beer and gifts of chocolates to take home.

The evening was spent relaxing, dozing by the fire (we used up the whole bag of logs which cost 7 euros) and watching Spectre on the DVD player as the remote stopped working for Netflix! It had been a truly lovely and very interesting day!