A busy Tuesday!

Work has been hectically busy today, and even though I worked on the emails all day, I just couldn't get them down to an acceptable figure. Jo and Angela were busy with phone calls, and our MD was in again all day. I'm not sure whether he listens to our phone conversations to pick up on complaints, but it can be unnerving as he sits directly opposite me. 

It was a relief to get out at 4pm and head home. We were having last night's dinner again, and I really wasn't looking forward to it at all! However, Sophie took charge tonight, and it was much better than yesterday!

After we'd eaten, we had an hour of pure relaxation when we watched two episodes of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. Not only was it funny, but it was wonderfully soothing at the same time!

Wasting time

It was back to the normal routine today, and an early wake-up! Sophie went to the gym, and I had a coffee before getting ready for work. Sara is off for three days, and I walked in to about 130 emails. I also had two weeks' worth of films to be put onto the system and hadn't realised that we only had one more week available for people to book! 

I tried as hard as I could, but I made virtually no inroads into the emails at all. I had to attend a meeting at another of our leisure centres today from 1pm until 3pm, something I could have well done without! It was a business update meeting, and we had to play two silly games, which I was definitely not in the mood for! It felt like a complete waste of time!

When I got back to the office at 3pm, poor Kathy was on a long call, so I dived in and answered the phone. Shirley had been helping but had gone home, so the last hour was busy. I couldn't wait for 4pm!

Yesterday, we had decided to postpone dinner until tonight, something that I was now heartily regretting! We popped the chicken casserole in the oven, I prepared carrots, parsnips and a courgette for roasting, and made dumplings. Keith and I played cards, and we ate later than we had intended. The courgettes had leaked a lot of water, making the carrots and parsnips a bit limp, so that didn't go down well! Oh well!

Catching up!

Over a coffee this morning, Sophie and I caught up with Masterchef and discovered the 2025 champion, Harry. We thought it was well-deserved. His three-course meal looked delicious! Gregg disappeared for the last two episodes and not a word was said, not even a disclaimer at the start. Anna Haugh joined the show and was warm and encouraging, but I have seen her be a bit abrasive on other shows!

Here are the results for our MasterChef terms for 2025!

They are:

1. Cookery: 38 
2. A "crumb": 17
3. Ethnic background: 19
4. Influenced by close family members:19
5. A "crisp": 4
6. Gochujang: 1
7. A mention of neurodiversity/mental health: 2
8. "Too much on the plate": 4
9. Home-made pasta (esp. in the first round): 19
10. A "soil": 3
11. Bragging about travel: 13
12. Fusion: 5                      
13. A "bonbon": 5
14. An ingredient cooked "three ways": 8
15. A "tuile" or even "tweel!": 19
16. Scissor-cut noodles (not as popular as we thought!): 2
17. Sumac: 2                                           
18. A "brittle": 1
19. Fondant potatoes (less popular this year): 7
20. Sous-vide: 2
21. A "jus": 1
22. Panna cotta: 3
23. Crying (contestants or presenters): 17
24. Soufflé: 2
25. A "foam": 3
26. De-constructed: 4
27. Being on a "journey": 6
28. Our old favourite - a chocolate fondant: 2
29. Pearls/faux caviar: 3
30. Background sob story: 5
31. Velouté: 1
32. "Looks like cat sick!": 5 

The rest of the day was spent doing mounds of washing and trying to get everything dry (it poured first thing but then the sun came out), and preparing tonight's dinner of chicken casserole with dumplings. I think we all felt a little tetchy today as the holiday is over and work is calling tomorrow! Grrr!

The cats have stayed close all day and Gomez spent most of the day upstairs on Sophie's bed catching up on his sleep. He was very affectionate this morning and curled up on the sofa with us while we watched MasterChef. Sophie put down the large, flat stones in the gravel garden so Mooney could use them to get to the grass. He loved them!

Autumn in Northern France 24th - 27th of September 2025

Sophie gets her Welsh!

Keith and I sat outside the house this morning and listened to birdsong with our coffee and tea. We also saw two wild deer in the field opposite. It was a lovely start to the day; this tiny hamlet is so peaceful and beautiful.

We were ready to go by 9.30am, and after taking our recycling again, we headed for the autoroute. Mist hung over the fields, and the leaves on the trees were changing colour. Overhead, the sky was blue, and it was a perfect Autumn day. I had a dress on as I'd seen the temperature would be about 18 °C. 

Sophie had made coffee for us, and we were going to stop at our favourite aire, the Baie de la Somme, but we got there very quickly! Instead, we stopped at another favourite, one which just had loos and picnic tables, but fabulous views over the fields and the huge white wind turbines.

Keith stayed in the car while Sophie and I walked over to a stone table and seats and enjoyed our coffee in the sun. There were only a handful of other people using the aire so it was quiet and peaceful. It was lovely to sit and chat and sip hot coffee. Bliss!

Back in the car, we headed for Wimereux for lunch. We had originally said we'd give Montreuil-sur-Mer another chance, but then we remembered it was market day, so we changed our minds! Once in the town, we parked easily on the street again and strolled down to the front. The tide was way out, and there were loads of people enjoying the sand with a flotilla of yachts serenely sailing past. Right out at sea, we could see container ships, but not the coast of the UK today; it was a little misty.

We decided to have a drink first and chose a lovely restaurant right on the front. Sophie and I had a hot chocolate, while Keith enjoyed his first beer of the day.

After our drinks, Sophie and I ventured out onto the sands and walked over to a rockpool, gazing at the little fish darting about.

Lots of people were out on the sands, and a group of young people ran screaming into the sea dressed in trunks and swimsuits. At least they had fewer clothes on than I did!

We collected a couple of shells and walked back, determined to get a table at Les Oyats. We were a little worried as the restaurant we'd chosen for drinks was already fully booked! Luckily, we were able to bag a table in the sunshine and Sophie didn't need to look at the menu... she was delighted to be able to have her Welsh complet!

Mission accomplished!

I chose the turkey escalope in a mushroom sauce, while Keith opted for the fish and chips! Sophie and I chose a pichet of Rosé, and Keith enjoyed a beer called 2 Caps (named after Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc Nez). It was sheer bliss to sit in the sun, people-watch and soak up the atmosphere and French aromas! I was amazed to see a woman feed her toddler mussels! They start them young in France! Sophie and I found room for puds - we both enjoyed ice-creams as it was the last day of our little break!

We paid the bill (99 euros) and strolled slowly back to the car. We had decided to pop to Cité Europe to buy some wine before heading to the terminal, and we parked easily and walked to the large Carrefour. We picked out Cotes du Rhone reds, a Vouvray sparkling wine, a couple of bottles of beer, chocolates, and two bags of sweets for work. 

The car was now fully loaded so we set off for the terminal, managing to get onto an earlier train. I put my seat back and napped for the duration of the crossing, and we had a great journey home. The variable speed limits were on as we approached the Dartford Tunnel and, like a good girl, I obeyed them all!

We arrived home just after 6pm, and Mooney welcomed us. After unpacking the car, it was time to relax and Keith turned on the Ryder Cup. He was in heaven!

Autumn in Northern France 24th - 27th of September 2025

To the coast once more

We were all showered, dressed and breakfasted a little later today, and while I waited for Keith and Sophie, I sat at our picnic table and looked at the map. The sky when we woke up had been cloudy, but I was delighted to see the sun trying to break through. 

I have to confess, now, that I was totally ill-prepared for the weather on this break... I had looked at the forecast, and it said it was going to be dry and sunny, with a temperature of about 18 °C, so I packed dresses and a short-sleeved top, along with two pairs of jeans. However, I hadn't reckoned on the chill wind by the coast, and it was sheer good luck that I packed a long-sleeved top at the last minute, which I wore yesterday and which I was forced to put back on again today.

Before heading to St. Valery-sur-Somme, we stopped in Acheux-en-Vimeu to drop off our recycling. The fields were wide open, and we could see signs about hunting on the fields - some said it was forbidden, others that it was private. The French are avid hunters, and no doubt we would either see or hear gunshots tomorrow, which is the weekend!

It took us about twenty minutes to get to the delightful town of St. Valery-sur-Somme, and we passed through a couple of beautiful villages on the way. One was called Arrest! Once in the town, we parked in the cité médiévale, next to a large church and the town hall. From the ramparts, we could see the wide expanse of the Baie de la Somme below us and huge, Gothic-style houses.

We hadn't a clue where to go, but followed our feet past the church and down a set of stone steps. The path sloped downwards, and we came to a lovely little café which also sold local produce.

We sat in the sunny window and Sophie and I chose a hot chocolate (the late coffee I'd enjoyed yesterday had played havoc with my sleep last night!), and Keith chose a beer. It was a busy little place, and the two women running it were constantly on the go. It was wonderful to sit in the sun and have somewhere new to explore.

After our drinks, we walked to the lovely promenade that led to the town centre. I met a gorgeous dog who wanted me to throw sticks for him! He kept dropping the stick at my feet, and I threw it for him several times, bless him! Once, I threw it and he caught it mid-air!

The walk down to the centre of St. Valery-sur-Somme was lovely. We passed a beautiful old hotel and several restaurants.

Beautiful hotel

The wonderful promenade

There were also artworks along the route, and the promenade was sheltered by trees. Of course, I was the only person not dressed warmly in a coat!

After about fifteen minutes, we came to the main street of the town where there were shops, bars and restaurants. Sophie wanted something light for lunch as we had a lot of food that needed to be eaten tonight, back at the house. I had received an email from Le Shuttle to say we weren't allowed to take back any meat or dairy products due to foot and mouth disease in Europe, so we had to eat the cold meats and cheeses that were in the fridge!

We must have examined every menu in the town, with Sophie fancying a croque monsieur. We reached the end of the street and decided to backtrack to a brasserie we'd seen with views over the bay. They seated us outside, as by now the sun was shining and it was quite warm!

We had a good look at the menu and tried to avoid a man who was wandering around the tables playing a guitar. He came over to us, of course, and we said we were English, so he adapted his song for us. He was mad!

We chose our meals: I had to try the mussels in a creamy mushroom sauce, Sophie settled for a ham and cheese omelette, while Keith chose the fish and chips. Keith and I enjoyed a Ch'ti beer apiece, and Sophie ordered a glass of Rosé. Sitting in the sun was fabulous, and I began to feel quite smug!

The food was very good, but I had enough mussels to feed all of us, served alongside frites and bread. I couldn't finish them, but the sauce was delicious! Sophie and I fancied a dessert, so I chose an ice-cream sundae and Sophie picked a crepe served with chantilly cream. It was so big she had to palm some off on me!

Towards the end of the meal, it clouded over again, so we paid the bill (96 euros) and set off back to the car, walking along the promenade this time rather than through the town. Leaves were starting to fall, and it brought it home to me that it was definitely Autumn and late September! The buildings along the way were gorgeous, and St. Valery-sur-Somme will definitely be a place I'd like to return to one day.

Pretty florist

I want a house like this!

We left Keith at the bottom of the ramparts and walked back to the car. I suggested a trip to Le Hourdel, which was right on the coast, and after collecting Keith, we drove the short distance. The small town consisted of a harbour with fishing boats selling their produce directly to customers, but there wasn't much else to see.

We decided to head for a Carrefour and pick up some more beer and a bottle of wine. Jeeves took us through flat countryside and small, pretty villages to a supermarket near an industrial estate. Bizarrely, we saw a sign for Stanley Black and Decker, who Keith used to work for!

The Carrefour was dark and dingy, and we bought a bottle of Sablet and some beer and fled back to the house. Once there, Sophie fed the deer with grass again, and I saw one try to chomp on a fallen apple! 

Over the last couple of days, we have seen tractors continually driving backwards and forwards, carrying mounds of green stuff in the trailers. We didn't know what it was, but some had fallen off and was lying on the road. Keith went to investigate and discovered it was cut-up grass they were transporting, presumably for winter animal feed. We tend to bale grass (hay) in our area of the UK, but here, it had been chopped up finely. It smelt of summer meadows!

We spent an hour packing and hoovering the house (as per instructions), and Keith and I played cards while Sophie read. We then had a light supper of cold meats, cheese, salad and bread. The fresh air and exercise had made us feel sleepy, so it was another early night!

St. Valery-sur-Somme

Our deer!

Autumn in Northern France 24th - 27th of September 2025

A trip to the coast

We all had a good night's sleep; I woke up at 2am, and it was pitch black with not a hint of light anywhere, and the peace was profound! I surfaced again at 7.30am and went downstairs to make a coffee, closely followed by Keith. Sunrise is about 7.50am here, and it was great to ease ourselves slowly into the day.

After breakfast of granola and yoghurt, as well as more coffee, we were showered and dressed by 10.30am. The sky was a little cloudy, and it was about 14 °C, so I had chosen a long-sleeved top and jeans to wear. I think the dresses I brought with me will go home unworn!

Jeeves directed me to Le Tréport through open fields of maize and huge wind turbines. We saw numerous tractors on the roads, and an ingenious system where there's a narrow broken line down both sides of the highway, which the tractors half-use; it makes it easier to overtake, especially if oncoming cars also pull over.

It took us about half an hour to reach Le Tréport, and we parked easily on the street, right next to the harbour. We strolled into the town in search of a café and found a little bar where I had a coffee, Sophie chose a chocolat chaud, and Keith enjoyed an Irish coffee with cream to warm himself up.

We nearly get shot...

The tide was out when we arrived.

I wanted to go on the famous funicular railway up to the clifftops, and it was only a short walk away. On the way, we admired the beautiful old buildings and had a look in a couple of shops. Keith tried on a couple of flat caps, but both Sophie and I agreed they didn't suit him, and he has loads of hats anyway!

The streets were quiet, with hardly anyone about. At 12pm, the shops closed for lunch - they take it so seriously here! We found the funicular railway and joined the queue. Keith didn't want to go on it, so he walked to the front, while Sophie and I waited. Of the four, only one was now running, and we found out why later...

Sophie was a scaredy-cat

Our little carriage was full, and we were crammed in with a French couple who had a little Yorkshire-terrier type dog with them. He was shaking from head to foot! The views going up were stunning, and it was a bit like travelling in a glass lift. When we got to the top, a woman stood outside the pod and hurried us out, which was a little intimidating... why? We soon found out! There was a film shoot going on, and we were told to walk away from the building as the shoot was in progress! I don't think they wanted us wandering across the shot! 

We went to the lookout point and tried to see Keith far below. The views were gorgeous:

Erected to protect the French from the invading Germans

On the way back to the funicular, we looked at an art gallery with some brightly coloured paintings for sale and little figures of cats. None of it was our style, but a couple of pieces of artwork did resemble Salvador Dali's paintings.

We were herded back to the lifts by the production crew, and I saw a very suave and handsome actor talking to other cast members. A hair and make-up girl hovered over him, lightly touching his hair, which looked perfect to me! We were crammed into the pod by the same woman who had hurried us out. One poor woman was nearly separated from her husband in the rush to get us all out of the shoot! Now, we knew why only one lift was working! Back at the bottom, I asked another crew member if he spoke English, and he did, so I asked what was filming. He replied that it was a television show for France's Channel 1, called Ombre or something. As he was talking to me, his radio crackled, and he was called away. I very much doubt we'll ever get to see it!

By now, it was almost 1pm and mindful of France's lunch laws, we sought out a restaurant. One looked good and was called Le Pile D'Assiettes (A Pile of Plates). A blackboard outside advertised a 34 euro menu, and after eventually locating the entrance door, we enquired whether they had a table. We were asked if we had a reservation, but only a few tables were taken, so the woman rearranged a small table in the window and invited us to sit.

Autumnal window display

We had hoped that another menu would be available, but no, so we set about translating the fare. I chose the warm goat's cheese with honey to start, while Keith and Sophie opted for the poached egg. For our main courses, Sophie and I picked out the beef in a mustard sauce, and Keith went for cod. To accompany our meals, Sophie and I shared a 500ml pichet of vin rouge while Keith bravely ordered a Belgian apple beer... hmmm!

We were given little freebie starters of crab paté on bread, with tiny crackers, all of which were delicious and a hint of the good cooking to come. Another couple arrived, but the surrounding tables were never taken, so we wondered why we had been asked if we'd booked. The woman was a little frosty to start, but she mellowed as the meal went on, especially as I ordered in French and understood all she said to us.

My starter was fabulous and the flavour of the goat's cheese, balanced on a crouton and served with apples and tiny tomatoes in a nutty, honey sauce, was sublime. Keith and Sophie's eggs were served with chorizo and pasta, and they used the bread basket to mop up the juices.

The service was relaxed, and it was lovely to sit and linger over lunch. What a delightful place! Our main courses arrived, and although my beef was a little rarer than I usually have, the vegetables and sauce made up for it. L'Entrecote, it wasn't, but the meal was still delicious. Keith's cod looked beautifully flaky and was served with a prawn, which he devoured at the end of the meal. Both Sophie and I loved the pichet of wine (a Merlot) and we couldn't believe it was just 500ml worth!

As it was a three-course meal, we all enjoyed dessert - profiteroles for Sophie, and apple and prune crumble for Keith and me. A lovely end to one of the best meals I've had in France. The bill came to a reasonable 126 euros, which we thought was brilliant value for money.

We waddled back to the main street and saw that the tide had come in. The boats that had been lying on a mudflat were now floating in the harbour. We walked slowly back to the car and stopped to watch two boats in the lock. 

Where are the Germans?

I wanted to go a little further up the coast, to Dieppe, so we asked Jeeves to take us along the D925. By now, we were firmly back in Normandy, and the beautiful houses that I love so much started appearing. We drove along a busy, arrow-straight road to the port of Dieppe, where you can take a ferry to Newhaven, as Keith and I did back in 1992, when we got engaged. Then, we stumbled upon Psycho-style houses right on the beach, and I was keen to find them again, but didn't have a clue where they were!

We negotiated busy Dieppe and became stuck behind a tourist "train". It was crammed full of people, and they were thrown about all over the place as the driver negotiated the hills and bends on the road. I was almost hysterical with laughter watching them, and said we ought to follow it wherever it was going so we could see all the sights for free!

Once past Dieppe, we stopped at a viewing area overlooking the pretty town of Pourville-sur-Mer and its beach. We could also see towering cliffs in the distance, and I could understand why the Impressionist painters flocked to this area of France.

Back on the road, Sophie directed me towards Varengeville-sur-Mer, and our mouths dropped open when we saw some of the gorgeous houses hidden down a narrow lane leading to the sea. I dreaded meeting a tractor, but soon we came to a small car park and could go no further. Two other cars, both German, were in the car park, and we walked down to the beach. Huge rocks were piled up, and the beach on either side was pebbly. The waves were crashing in, and it was exhilarating to stand and gaze at the sea and the surrounding cliffs. Of the Germans, there was no sign, so maybe they had gone for a walk around the headland?

Keith and I found some sharp, flint rocks that were added to the Mooney stepping-stone pile, and one looked like an orca whale, as it was black and white.

Just before we left, a man and a woman with two dogs appeared, and the man looked angry for some reason. The dogs scampered about, and the man, after glaring at us, left and got back into his van. When we arrived back at the car, a French Volvo was parked, so we had no idea what was going on, and I'm sure the couple knew each other!

We retraced our route back to the main road and circumnavigated Dieppe. The other carriageway was snarled up, and the traffic was heavy. On the way back to the house, I overtook three tractors, but the road system made it a lot easier to get past! We arrived back at 5.30pm, and Sophie and I went to see the deer, who appreciated our handfuls of lush grass! They were skittish, though, and always jumping away if we made a sudden movement.

The rest of the evening was spent playing Scrabble, reading and watching more of the Icelandic drama we'd started last night. It had been an immensely enjoyable day!