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!

Normandy 2025 - 15th - 18th of January

An early start (as usual!)

We were awake at 2am and showered and dressed by 3am. Sophie made a flask of coffee, we did some last-minute packing of the car and we were off! It didn't feel like my birthday at all today!

Google Maps said it would take us 2 hours and 46 minutes to get to the Eurotunnel, but we managed to shave off fifteen minutes. We were given the option of an earlier train for free, which was a bonus and would mean arriving in France an hour earlier than we expected. I bought a map of Northern France (I'd forgotten the one we have at home) and a pack of playing cards in WHSmith! I'd also forgotten our Normandy guidebook, but we roughly knew what we were going to be doing in the area, anyway!

We'd had a horrible drizzle all the way to the terminal and the roads had felt greasy. When it was my turn to drive onto the train I had to go up a ramp. Halfway up, the wheels spun and I couldn't get a grip on the surface. Luckily, the German BMW following me had stopped so I slithered back down gingerly and tried again! This time the wheels dug into the grooves and up we went. It was a bit hairy, though!

We enjoyed coffee and a breakfast bar on the journey and I closed my eyes for ten minutes. Before we knew it, we were in France and it was still dark! I had expected it to be light, but we discovered that sunrise wasn't until almost 9am! 

Unfortunately, it was also foggy and the first hour of the journey was not pleasant. We'd hit rush hour but I just took it steadily and we decided to stop at the Aire de la Baie du Somme for coffee and pains au chocolat. This is now a tradition if we use this route!

Because of the time of year, hardly anybody was about and we used the facilities and ordered hot drinks and pastries. We sat overlooking the frigid canal.

Lunch in Honfleur

The foggy roads were quiet with only the occasional car or lorry. Keith looked out for buzzards and we saw plenty of trees with mistletoe balls. The fog stayed with us for the whole journey to Honfleur and we weren't able to see the impressive Pont de Normandie Bridge clearly, which maybe was a good thing!

Immediately after the bridge, we turned off to Honfleur and parked in the same car park as last year. Keith and Sophie used the loos but there was no toilet paper! Luckily, we had tissues on us and also shared a couple with a young girl who had come in to use them as well! We're all about promoting a good relationship with the French!

We strolled slowly into town looking at menus on the way and deciding where to have lunch. There were a few people about, but I should think the town is heaving in the summer! 

Most of the restaurants offered a reasonable prix fixe lunch menu and we spotted Cap 42 right opposite the harbour. We found plenty of choices on the lunch menu and they opened at 12pm. By now it was drizzling and the fog was lying like lace over our hair! We didn't mind, though. It was January, after all!

As soon as it was 12pm we went to the restaurant and we were shown to a table inside. We were glad we arrived when we did as the place soon filled up with lunchtime diners! The host was lovely and friendly and we ordered a beer for Keith and a pichet of the house white for Sophie and me. I chose the warm goat's cheese salad to start and Keith and Soph opted for the paté en croute. For our mains, both Sophie and Keith chose the turkey in a creamy mushroom sauce, while I decided on a bowl of mussels with French fries.

A basket of fresh bread was put on the table and we tucked into our delicious starters. By now, the host was turning people away from the inside of the restaurant and directing them to the outside, covered terrace. It was obviously a popular place!

The main courses were as good as the starters and my mussels were fragrant with herbs, onions and a buttery sauce. The bread was used to mop up Keith and Sophie's lovely creamy sauce. For desserts Sophie and I just had to have the chocolate fondant (it's the rule!) which had a beautifully oozy centre!

It had been a lovely meal and the atmosphere in the restaurant was very convivial. We paid the bill and then wandered slowly back to the car, stopping to look at the fishing boats moored up on the other side of the bridge. One boat was unloading its catch and the seagulls were wheeling around and around hoping to pick up scraps. A black cormorant was also on the lookout for a tasty lunch. We realised that the River Seine empties out into the sea here and we traced its source right back to Burgundy!

The ghost towns of the Normandy coast

Back at the car, we paid for the parking and I said to Sophie I wanted to get to the house by the coastal route, rather than go back onto the autoroute. So began a delightful journey along the coast, passing through Trouville and Deauville and the Normandy beaches. As we approached Deauville, we saw some huge, imposing houses, all shuttered up. The towns were empty with apartment blocks all closed for the winter. Can you imagine what it was like last June when the 80th commemorations were taking place? Some of the larger houses looked slightly creepy, the stone pointed roofs and chimneys poking out of the mist. Sand had been blown up onto the road from the beach and it was obvious that large stretches of the coast were devoid of people, with the towns perhaps only coming to life from March onwards. Restaurants, cafés and amusement places were firmly closed with no sign of life. We did see two busy casinos, though! In the aptly-named Dives-sur-Mer, the town looked rundown and forlorn and the grey weather added to the atmosphere!

The fog hadn't lifted all day and as the afternoon wore on, it seemed to become thicker. We turned away from the coast and drove through wide open fields, rows of identical trees stretching away into the distance. We arrived at the house at 4pm and Anne-Charlotte met us to give us the keys and welcome us back. We unpacked the car and then set off for the small Carrefour in nearby Creully where we bought more milk, beer, wine, butter, bread and cheeses.

When we arrived back, we unpacked and then it was time to relax in front of the gorgeous log burner. I dozed off and it was lovely to sit and soak up the warmth. At about 6.30pm, we cracked open a bottle of Champagne that Mum had told me to buy for my birthday! Oh yes! It was my birthday! I opened my cards and we sat and sipped fizz while chatting. It was heavenly!

Later in the evening Keith and I watched a new Netflix drama called Missing You while Sophie read her book. It was a lovely evening and the log burner warmed us up, but it really ate wood! We're going to buy another bag of logs tomorrow!

Getting ready

I took myself to work this morning and felt a bit nervous driving! There were some idiots about and with us going to France tomorrow in the car, I didn't want a bump! Luckily, I made it to work in the heavy traffic without mishap and had another busy day.

Back at home, I packed for Keith and me and ran the hoover around. Sophie came home and we decided to eat an hour earlier than normal. We have to be up at 2am tomorrow so it was an early night for us! I hadn't slept well last night and had woken at 4am this morning so the lure of an early night was very tempting!

Sophie loaded the car with the luggage and we managed to get the cats in so they could spend the evening with us. We debated whether to keep them inside but felt it wouldn't be fair. They both love going out and thankfully, the freezing temperatures of last week are set to be replaced by much milder ones.

By 8pm, I was in bed - I was shattered!

The start of a short week!

So, it was back to work today but I was facing a very short week! Sheila was waiting for me in the car park with an almost-new stroller that she thought might be useful for my Mum. It was certainly an upgrade on the one she has now!

My shift passed quickly, because I was so busy, and Keith came to collect me at 4pm. We sped home (the traffic was light for once) and I pootled about at home doing the usual chores. Amazon delivered a gorgeous throw I'd ordered with the gift card I'd been given from work. I've been looking to replace the one on my bed for ages as it's too heavy and cumbersome, and my new light, incredibly soft one was beautiful. Mooney definitely had his eye on it! He can keep his claws off it!

Dinner tonight was a delicious soup that Sophie made. She used tins of Heinz chicken soup but added more chicken and pasta. It was perfect for a chilly night!

A grey day

Unfortunately, the grey skies were back today and it's been dull and cold. Keith and I dashed to Tesco first thing and bought toiletries for my Dad, as well as migraine tablets for Sophie as she had a headache. She spent most of the day wearing her migraine cap, bless her!

We dropped off the toiletries at the care home and it looks like my Dad has a cough and cold again. It's not surprising as there are so many cold and flu bugs doing the rounds at the moment. I daren't tell them we're going away to France on Wednesday... I feel slightly embarrassed we're off again but that's what happens when you have a birthday so close to Christmas!

Back home, we were all hungry so we started the lunch preparations. The casserole had been simmering for an hour so we cooked the vegetables and we were sitting down by 1pm. It was delicious, but I'm beginning to wonder if I should cut down on meat? I didn't enjoy the beef and pork dishes I chose on holiday and I ended up leaving quite a bit of the meat I'd put on my plate today. I am also heartily fed up with broccoli and cauliflower and crave light, fragrant Asian dishes at the moment! I might cut down on meaty meals and see if I can regain my appetite! We did drink a beautiful red wine with lunch though - the Séguret Cotes du Rhone Villages we bought in France in October. It was a mighty 14% and was packed full of cherry flavours. Gorgeous!

The rest of the afternoon was spent digesting our meal and relaxing. Keith and Sophie watched Newcastle play Bromley in the FA Cup and I pootled about doing a couple of jobs and putting off packing! I'll do it on Tuesday night!

Pre-Spring cleaning!

We awoke to sparkling sunshine this morning and blue skies. It was still very cold, but I don't mind when it's combined with gorgeous sunshine!

Sophie and I watched Saturday Morning Kitchen in its entirety with coffee and Portuguese Pastel de Natas, so a relaxed start to the weekend. I then felt like cleaning, so I blitzed upstairs while Sophie tackled some jobs she needed to do. We keep the house ticking over, but every now and then it's good to do a deeper clean.

Keith had prepared tonight's dinner of beef casserole with loads of vegetables, so we were all gainfully employed today! I suggested we have the goat's cheese I'd bought in London for lunch, and it was delicious with the crackers and a sneaky glass of white wine. It wasn't overly strong and was soft and creamy so Sophie enjoyed it. Maybe it's French goat's cheese she objects to!

After lunch, I cleaned downstairs and then had a soak in the bath. Keith had been hoping to see Sileby play this afternoon but the game, predictably, had been called off because of the cold conditions. 

We decided not to have the beef casserole for dinner tonight. My lunch of goat's cheese had filled me up and then I'd nibbled some chocolate that had been given to me for Christmas, and I couldn't face a heavy meal... We decided to have the casserole for lunch tomorrow instead. I was just fortunate that both Keith and Sophie agreed with me!

Sophie made me a G&T and we played two games of Scrabble. I beat her both times, much to her disgust - I seem to be on a roll at the moment with the game and we're definitely taking it to France with us!

I didn't eat again in the evening but Keith and Sophie both had a light tea. Later in the evening, we watched a new programme about Mallorca (they spelt it Majorca on the television) which was narrated by Joanna Lumley. Soller and Port Soller were mentioned - the train and tram especially - but they concentrated on other parts of the island as well, including Port D'Andratx. The island looked stunning and we did see a brief glimpse of the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor, but no mention of Pollenca. However, they featured an artist working on a huge mural and it was the same man who had painted the wall in La Scalinata!  

A good end to the working week!

Today was a pleasant shift and a great end to a busy week. I managed to tackle all the emails and put on a new swim teacher course. Plus, the playscheme places went live for February, which will be here before we know it!

Sophie went out for a meal this evening with her friend Laura, and Keith went to the pub, so I was on my own for an hour. It was great to pootle about, and both cats came in to keep me company. It's been another bitterly cold day, with temperatures this morning briefly going down to -6c. I actually wore my long woolly cardigan to work—it was so cold!

After Keith and I had eaten dinner (quiche and new potatoes) we watched an episode of Vera. It's a shame this long-running drama will be coming to an end when Brenda Blethyn steps down. Keith and I try to identify some of the areas of the North-East!

Sophie arrived home earlier than I expected and we chatted about her evening for an hour, while watching Graham Norton. I'm so looking forward to a lie-in tomorrow!

Back to reality!

It was back to work and reality today... we need to pay for these extravagant days out!

Keith took me to work and then drove to the hospital for his pre-op appointment. He hasn't been given a date yet, but we armed him with a list of days to avoid if he was asked when he could have his hernia operation.

At work, I tackled the emails and ploughed my way through them until I finished at 2pm. Keith collected me and I dropped him off at home before going over to Kettering to pick up my Mum for her nail appointment. I said I wouldn't do this again, but the evenings are getting lighter which helps! We made it back to Northampton in good time and today she chose a beautiful shade of blue.

Rather than call on Keith again, I took Mum straight back and was home just after 5pm. It does make such a difference when the evenings are a little lighter, but it's been another bitterly cold day today with temperatures hardly getting above freezing.

Sophie had fantastic news for us this evening and she'd called into Waitrose on her way home to buy a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate. She's been given a pay rise and has a new role, one that doesn't involve managing people which she is delighted about. It's just what she wanted! Both Keith and I were delighted for her.

Keith had prepared a spicy curry this evening but I wasn't in the mood for it at all and barely ate any. I do hope that the Indian meal we had in Mallorca hasn't put me off this kind of cuisine! There was nothing wrong with the food in Mallorca, but I just felt queasy for a couple of days afterwards!

First trip of the year to London.

Sophie and I were off to London today. We left at 8.30 a.m. for our planned train, which was leaving just after 9.15 a.m. However, the traffic heading towards Northampton was terrible, and we missed it! It was a bitterly cold morning with frosty patches on the road, and we hoped that the wintry weather wouldn't affect the train departures today.

Being late meant we could have a coffee and pastry, and we managed to grab seats on the next train, already on the platform. We sat next to four men, one of whom loved the sound of his own voice! He never stopped talking for the whole journey!

We hailed a black cab at Euston and made the short journey to Marylebone High Street, where we popped into Daunt's Books for a good look. Sophie picked out one book while I noted the title and author of another! It was then across the road to Bayley and Sage where I was sorely tempted by a round of creamy white goat's cheese. It was leaking a bit, so I left it, but the lure was too strong and I bought a round with a box of crackers! I did ask the girl on the till to wrap it up for me! Sophie treated us to a wedge of comté.

We then visited a charity shop where Sophie bought two tops before we decided to go to 31 Below for a glass of Prosecco each, and a bowl of green olives. Perfect!

For the first time, we were seated right at the back of the café and the surroundings were beautiful. We had about forty minutes before Sophie's appointment with Dr Bawa so it was great to relax and chat.

Sophie wasn't looking forward to her appointment today and was dreading the filler being inserted into her nose. We waited in the reception area, our eyes widening at one of the procedures being offered at the clinic! I'm sure there is a treatment (or tweakment) for every body issue!

When Dr Bawa came out to greet us, he seemed more cheerful than last time and he chatted to us about what we'd done at Christmas. He said that Sophie didn't really need filler at this appointment but she'd need to come back towards the summer as it had been two years since she'd had it on the bridge of her nose. He gave her Botox in the usual places and also added some to the frown lines on her forehead, as they had been bothering her. Dr Bawa chatted to us and let slip that he treats celebrities! He wouldn't say which ones, though!

He arranged a video meeting with Sophie in two weeks and another appointment for May and that was it for today. Our lunch booking at Cote Brasserie wasn't until 2pm so we called into Inn 1888 for another drink and a plate of arancini balls, which were delicious. The fire was alight and it was lovely and cosy, with hardly anyone in there.

At just before 2pm we strolled the short distance to the restaurant and were seated in the window, as we had requested. It's only because we're both so nosy! We ordered a bottle of fizzy water, and both chose our meals from the set lunch menu. We opted for the chicken liver paté to start followed by a breast of chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce. For wine, we chose a carafe of Sauvignon Blanc.

The meal was delicious and the service was efficient and friendly. We both found room for puds - chocolate mousse for me, and crepes served with bananas for Soph. It was great to sit in the window and people-watch and outside it grew darker as the afternoon wore on.

After we'd paid the bill, we managed to grab a black cab outside and asked him to drop us off at St Pancras station. Sophie wanted to go to the Mac make-up store on the ground floor of the station and buy make-up that had originally been launched in the 1990s. She made straight for the stand and one of the sales staff gave her a lot of help. Another woman also turned up, looking for the same make-up and she and Sophie chatted about a woman on TikTok who had been promoting the range. Amazing!

Once Sophie had bought what she wanted we made our way upstairs to The Booking Office. This place is now like a magnet for us! We arrived at about 4.15pm and were shown to seats on the long wooden bench again. I ordered a Negroni and Sophie asked if the barman could make her a French Martini. Neither of the cocktails were on the list, but with the huge range of drinks behind the bar, it wasn't a problem.

The barman making our drinks

This place is truly beautiful, and so romantic. It felt like we'd been transported back in time to 1920s Morocco, Istanbul or Egypt. Our drinks were delicious and served with mini crackers. One of the waiters appeared and started to get the Rum punch ready for 5.05pm, the magic time!

We did a fair bit of people watching and a woman arrived and sat at the bar, ordering two glasses of red wine. We speculated that she was meeting her beau, but another woman arrived. Still could have been! You never know these days! Another woman was shown to a seat opposite us and ordered herself a glass of champagne. It was evident that she was doing OK for herself with her designer suit and handbag, but she spent about fifteen minutes on the phone to a garage about her car's number plate. Laptops aren't allowed in The Booking Office and I think that people should be forbidden from making loud phone calls as well! It just spoils the ambience!

At 5.05pm, the head waiter gave a speech about the rum punch and the history of the hotel - it started in 1873 and the booking office for the station opened in 1869. He added the drinks to a large punchbowl and set it alight. This brought oohs and ahhs from the gathered crowd!

We were all given a small glass of punch and applauded the waiter! Such a lovely custom!

Sophie and I ordered another round of drinks and had a chat with Rosario, the waiter who'd served us previously. Thankfully, we didn't feel as tipsy as we did last time! Reluctantly, we finished our drinks, paid the bill and went outside to grab a taxi back to Euston. It'll be the last time we do this, though, as the traffic was horrendous and it would have been quicker to have walked back!

We were lucky to get a train that was already waiting on the platform and stopping at just Milton Keynes and Northampton. By 7.20pm, we were back and Keith was waiting for us. It was still cold and the temperature was hovering around -1c. Brrrr! 

We arrived home, and did very little for the rest of the evening!