winter wonderland......or slippery nightmare???

Winter seems to have arrived in the Midlands and shockingly Swadlincote seems to have developed its own micro climate!! When and how did this happen? The past week has been a challenge, with plans changing or being cancelled. Its just made me remember how much I hate snow!

On Friday we found ourselves trapped in Gresley after unexpected snow fell over night which froze over very wet roads. Nothing had been gritted, not even the main roads so on Friday morning - death trap -  just about sums it up. Roads looked like polished glass! With buses stuck on the hill, and cars trying to turn around and sliding everywhere it soon became apparent we weren't going anywhere. Thankfully no more snow fell and by late morning the roads were looking much better.

We did on Saturday manage to get to East Midlands Outlet Centre, the furthest we'd been in a couple of weeks! It was nice to have a wonder around the shops. We actually came away with a few purchase, so definitely worth the drive. I love the Sketchers and Gap stores there, and of course I came home with more books (please no one tell Melissa!!). On the way home we decided to stop at the Merry Monk in Burton for lunch. Nice lunch, but not many staff on and they were somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpected number of diners!

Sunday was a relatively quiet day for us, a wonder around Burton and then lunch at the Lord Burton with a friend. A chance to catch up and exchange Christmas presents. As always the week end flew by.  I do believe we're ready for Christmas now, only one week away. Almost unbelievable, and I am still waiting for the Christmassy feeling  to arrive - so far it hasn't! Now you all know how much I love Christmas, but this year I am just not feeling it!

Anyway if I don't get another chance, let me wish you all a very Happy Christmas. I have no idea who's reading this, but thank you for taking the time to do so. I've recently been excited to see page views from Peru!! Whoever you are - Feliz Navidad!

 

And winter arrived......

All week the weather men have been forecasting bad weather for the week end, so it was with trepidation I awaited the end of the week. On Friday Paul collected me from work and we headed over to Lichfield. There had been no snow in Ashby, or Swadlincote but in Lichfield there had been an inch or two and it was already looking very wintry. But we parked and made our way to the Bengal Indian restaurant for dinner. Its located upstairs over a row of shops, it was the first time we'd been there even though we used to live in Lichfield (a long time ago). We had a table booked for 6.30pm, the restaurant was empty when we arrived. I have to say though the waiter who took our order was a miserable old bugger, apparently we didn't order enough - grump grump - obviously way better to order way more than you can eat and either become obese  or throw food away. We stood are ground and got what we wanted, I was at this point happy to get up and walk out. But the food was excellent, and a young waiter came in while we were eating and he was absolutely lovely, talk about night and day! They also did really good coffee, so it all turned out ok in the end. What a shame one person can give such a bad impression.

Then it was off to the Garrick to see Crimes on the Christmas Express, a comedy similar to the 39 Steps. It was in a small theatre which I really think enhanced the experience. It was hilarious - 4 performers, a few props and handfuls of fake snow. What more do you need? We laughed so much, and the time flew by. We enjoyed it so much, we may well go back and see it again weather permitting and if there are still tickets available. They have another play coming up in march which we will definitely go and see too.

We were still laughing on the way home, it was such a cold night, but once out of Lichfield there was no snow or ice anywhere so we decided to stop at Tesco's and do our grocery shopping. I actually love late night shopping, the supermarket was quiet and calm.

We were supposed to be away this week end, but I panic at the mere mention of snow so decided it was better to stay closer to home. So, on Saturday we headed back to Lichfield for their Christmas food fair. We had a great time looking around, it was very well attended and the city was crammed full of people (and pushchairs!) We had lunch at the Faro Lounge, somewhere I had been wanting to try for a while. The place was packed but luckily we found a table. Great service, lovely food and quirky atmosphere. We'll definitely be going back there again.  There was a constant stream of people coming and going, obviously a popular place.

We had a quiet afternoon at home, I was glad we hadn't gone up to Stoke as planned. Especially as when we woke up on Sunday morning it was to find that several centimetres of snow had fallen in the early hours. I know some people see snow as pretty, I just see it as cold, wet and slippery. For once the Ivans had a quiet day at home, I had no desire to go outside into this Narnia like world. Even if I thought Mr Tumnus would be wandering down the street umbrella in his hand and song in his heart!

Go west!

Better late than never! At last a chance to finish the Madeira adventure. On our last day we went on a tour of the West of Madeira. Having packed so much into the week already we found we had no plans for Friday and decided to get out of Funchal and see a bit of the island. Great move, we had a wonderful day. We were picked up from our hotel in the morning by Bruno, great guide! It was a small group which made it really nice.

Our first stop was a short one at Camaro do Lobos, we had already been here earlier in the week, but it was nice to have another look around. Our next stop was Caro Giro where there is a glass floored observation deck overlooking a cliff. Not for the faint hearted, but the views are stunning. I am glad we got the chance to go here, Bruno told us that from the new year they will be charging entry to the observation desk. The turnstiles are already in place, so you can see they are getting ready.

Next stop was Riberia Brava (Wild River) a small costal town where we had a longer stop. Alas, it was raining lightly when we got here. But we found a café and had coffee, then went to look around the beautiful church. I wish we had longer to explore, and this is the only problem with any organised coach trip. Its a trade off, you get to see places you wouldn't otherwise visit but there is never really enough time. We liked Riberia Brava, somewhere I would like to go back too.

From here we travelled to Porto Moniz on the north west coast. Another lovely coastal town, everywhere is so pretty. It was wonderful being able to see all these places. We stopped for lunch in Seixal, a tiny little place with a restaurant and a harbour and little else. Apparently all the tour companies stop here so the restaurant was buzzing. Lunch was 3 courses and all the wine you could drink and coffee for 10euros. Excellent value and delicious food - total bargain! It was nice chatting with the other couples, all very friendly and chatty. Made for a lovely lunch. After lunch we had time to walk down to the harbour and enjoy the view, chat with the other people from the tour and walk off lunch.

Our final stop was Sao Vicente before heading back to Funchal. Luckily it only rained that one time and the rest of the day was pretty good. When we got back to the hotel, it was with sad hearts we did our packing before heading out to the Indian restaurant for dinner. We were going to sit outside but sadly it started raining (again!) so we had to carry our dinner inside.  

Really cannot believe how quickly the week flew by. On Saturday after breakfast we just stayed near the hotel as we were being picked up at lunch time. We went for a walk, went to the Sunseterrace one last time and then returned to the hotel. We were soon on our way back to the airport and then homeward bound. We landed back in Gatwick around 9pm, by the time we had collected our car and driven back it was after 2am when we walked into the house. Oh my god, we were so tired. Gatwick is a nice airport, but I hope we never have to fly from there again!!

So the Madeira chapter is over, but the next chapter is soon to begin.......

 

 

Ship Ahoy!

Thursday was another showery day, but after breakfast we headed off to the harbour as we had booked to go out on a 3 hour trip on the Santa Maria - a replica of the boat that Christopher Columbus set sail in on his first voyage. Its an impressive looking ship, very pirate looking. There were high hopes of Captain Jack Sparrow putting in an appearance. Alas, he did not! Paul had warned me to take travel sick tablets in the morning which I had. In fact he had made me quite nervous of boarding with his tales of sea sickness. I have to say I am glad I did take them, for the first hour I could barely move. The sea was choppy and the ship was being tossed across the water. Luckily though I felt a little unwell, it wasn't too terrible and by sitting still I managed to keep it under control. After a while we stopped in calmer waters and by then I was able to emerge from where I had been sheltering from the drizzle and sit where there was a better view. And the view was amazing, as was the experience of being on this ship. But you have to ask the question, how did men cross oceans in these vessels!? The crew came around at this point with Madeiran wine and cake, which was nice. Traditional Madeiran cake is nothing like what we have here in the UK. Its like a drier fruit cake, without the fruit, ha ha! Nice, but not what you would expect. It looked like quite a few people didn't care for it. One German threw his overboard, probably killing a fish in the process. Paul went for  a little walk around the upper deck, I wasn't feeling brave enough to go very far. When he came back he said a lot of people were really suffering badly from sea sickness. I mean lying flat out on the deck, or throwing up (possibly both!!) What a shame, the trip wasn't cheap and they would have gotten little from it at all! The return journey was much smoother, thank god! When we got off the ship, the crew were washing the lower deck down - guess that says it all.

When we were back on dry land, we headed to the Ritz for scones and tea, a very civilised way to spend an hour. The weather really wasn't very nice, and there were some very heavy showers. Its a shame that the weather let us down, but not much you can do about that. Between showers we explored the side streets, and found some interesting shops (including an Ale Hop - woo hoo) and another little shopping centre. So all was not lost. I cannot tell you how much we love Madeira, and just being there wandering around the streets.

We had an early dinner at Sao Jose again, Paul liked it there as they'd make him something specially. I once again had the scabbard fish, which I had really taken a liking too. After dinner we took the bus back to our hotel, and from there had a walk over to the Mall. One last look around, before we finished the packing. Unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse, it absolutely poured. Water was cascading down the main road like it had become a river! Paul and I had no option but to be brave and make our way back to the hotel. We were drenched when we got back. I was unable to wear my trainers the next day as they were still soaked through. Luckily I was able to dry out my fleece, but we were really glad to get back to the hotel and get out of the wet clothes and shoes.  When they have rain, they really have rain!

 

 

In the footsteps of Nuns....

 

Imagine being on a teeny island in the Atlantic Ocean, with nothing else around you for miles. And a storm blows in, howling winds, wild rain and crashing waves. That's where we found ourselves on the Wednesday of our holiday. After breakfast, which we had to eat indoors along with everyone else including the cat due to the weather we headed back to our room. The rain did ease for a while and we had a walk around the hotel gardens and then took a walk to a local tour operator in the hopes of booking a coach trip. Alas they were closed so we headed back to the hotel, just in time cause the rain started again! We took shelter in our room and watched the storm from out balcony for a while. Boy did it pour!!

We were booked to go on a tour that afternoon and were starting to worry that it would be cancelled, but the tour bus turned up and off we went. Madeira has several micro-climates due to the mountains and different altitudes, so by the time we had got under way and started heading to higher ground the rain eased off and eventually disappeared. The first stop of the day was Camara do Lobos, which is just along the coast from Funchal. Winston Churchill came here many years ago to holiday, and the stop where he liked to sit and paint has been marked. It was a short stop, but given the weather probably not a bad thing. We had time to visit the church and have a walk around the small havbour before leaving.

Our next stop was Eira do Serrado, a viewing point high up in the mountains where you can look down on the village in the valley below. The view is stunning, in fact we were above cloud level, and it was amazing to watch the clouds rise up to greet us. This area is known as Nun's Valley, many years ago a group of nuns fled inland to escape marauding pirates. They knew of this valley and journey over treacherous mountains to reach it and set up a new dwelling. On arriving at the view point the bus parked and we had to walk the rest of the way along a fairly narrow path. In parts there had been minor rock falls which was a little worrying, but you know when your time comes, it won't matter where you are - so on we went! It was worth it! We could see for miles, and were able to look down on a rainbow!  From here we headed down (and down) into the valley to the village itself. We had some time to explore, so we visited the church and looked around the few shops that were there. I found a lovely blanket, decorated with scenes of Madeira, which I bought along with a little back pack. The lady in the shop was rather excited by two purchases within w few minutes of each other! The town was quiet and I am guessing  business was slow!

On leaving the village we headed back to Funchal stopping a couple of times to admire the views. When we got back we decided to get off in the Old Town and we had an early dinner at Sao Jose. A lovely little restaurant with a 3 course for 10euro menu! And they were able to cater to Paul's newly embraced vegetarianism! Most places did actually, Madeira is clearly a country where being a vegetarian isn't common, yet restaurants were willing to prepare something for Paul specially! Our dinner was lovely, and this is where I tried a local dish of scabbard fish served with flambéed banana. Sounds weird, but does actually work! It was lovely being able to sit outside (the rain had stopped and we were under a canopy) and watch the world go by.

It was another lovely day, which ended in a little wander over to the Mall before calling it a night. It just looked so pretty with all the lights and Christmas decorations.

A tour of Blandy's

 

On Tuesday we headed off to Blandy's wine Lodge for a tour. Its an amazing old building, they have been making wine there a long time. We were met at 10.30am by a lovely Madeiran lady who took us around the lodge, stopping along the way to explain about the different grapes used and the various stages of wine making. It was a very enjoyable tour, ending with a wine tasting. Traditional Maderian wine is strong and tastes more like sherry to me, still if someone gives me a glass I am going to drink it. To not, would be rude! After the tasting we had a wonder around the gift shop and then headed back into the old town.

We decided to have lunch at the Ritz, lovely place with tables set outside so you can eat, drink and watch the world go by. Lunch was cheese toasties (apparently very popular in Madeira) chips and followed by delicious scones, cream and jam. Of course there was sangria involved! Who needs tea!!

After lunch we walked down to the harbour to look around. The days really did seem to fly by way too quickly. Why does that always happen when you're on holiday? In the evening we had dinner at the Sunseterrace and then a walk around the shopping Mall. It was nice having somewhere to go in the evenings, even though we never actually bought very much.

Reaching dizzy new heightss

On Monday we headed down to the old Town to take the  Teleferico (cable car) up to Monte. As expected I was shaking like a coward as we waited in line to board the cable cars. They terrify me, but sometimes you have to push your boundaries! We shared a cabin with two German couples which was probably a good thing, because I really didn't want to embarrass myself by crying in front of them!! The journey up to Monte was actually not that bad and not as fearsome as I had thought it would be. The views are stunning as you head up the mountainside and leave the ocean far below you.

On arriving in Monte we set off to explore, we had decided against visiting the Botanical Gardens . Firstly because it was expensive and secondly because it late November would we be seeing the gardens at their best? So instead we visited the beautiful church and just ambled around this little mountain top town. The views from up there are fabulous, you feel like you're on top of the world! We found a café right under the cable car station and stopped for a beer, you could watch the cable cars come and go which was amazing.

When we came back down to the old town we had lunch at a lovely café and then visited the Palacio de Sao Lourenco. We came across this fort while wondering around the city, and found it was open to the public for free tours at random times during the week. We were able to do one of the tours on Monday afternoon. It was about half an hour and though the guide spoke little English, you were given an information card to read as you walked through each room. Beautiful interior and I feel so lucky to have had a peek inside!

After spending the rest of the afternoon ambling about (something we do well!) we headed back to our hotel.

We had dinner at an Indian restaurant called Bombay Spice, this made us smile as we have a restaurant of the same name very close to where we live! Dinner was lovely, and the service was excellent. Everyone in Madeira is so pleasant! After dinner we headed over to the Forum shopping centre which is open till 11pm, a great way to walk off dinner. The place is well laid out, and all the Christmas decorations were up so it looked very festive! Lots of recognisable names too like H&S, Zara etc.  By the time we walked back to the hotel we were definitely ready for bed!

Waking up to new horizons

Sunday morning dawned and we were up early to enjoy an al fresco breakfast - in November! The outside dining area at the hotel was lovely, it was so nice being able to sit outside and eat. After breakfast we made our way into the town by bus. The stop was right outside the hotel making it very convenient. The buses in Madeira are punctual and cheap, what more can you ask for!? Once in the Old Town we had a wander around till we found the Madeira Story Centre, we figured this would be a good place to start our day. The interactive museum told the story of this tiny island who's past has been quite turbulent. I'm glad we went as it gave you a better understanding of the island.

On leaving the Story Centre we had a walk around to orientate ourselves. Its actually easy to find your way around, though the tourist maps leave a lot to be desired! We visited the cathedral, which is beautiful and also the museum of Sacred Art. The art museum had a stunning collection of religious artwork and statues etc. Its not expensive and was well worth the visit. Surprisingly right at the end of our walk around the museum we found a room with several big photo albums on a table. They were full of sugar packets. The collections must have contained hundreds if not thousands of packets! What an unexpected find, and one that made me feel quite motivated to start collecting again. I bet there are many of you who never knew I collected sugar packets - lol!

On returning to the hotel, we walked down the road to the Sunseterrace for dinner and sangria. It really is a beautiful spot to watch the sun go down. The bar itself is located over a shopping centre, which sadly remains all but empty. A couple of the units are in use, but otherwise there is nothing there but tumbleweeds blowing around in the emptiness.  

When we got back to our hotel we discovered live music in the restaurant, so we decided to stop and listen. The singer was actually quite good, but then one of the waitresses joined him and wow!! She was amazing, such a great voice! We ended up staying till the end of the set, as we just loved her voice so much. It was a great end to our first full day in Madeira. We were certainly shattered after all the walking, not much in Madeira is flat!!

Maderia - A piece of cake!

 

After what seems like months of waiting the day finally arrived for us to set forth for the Portuguese island of Madeira. Its long been my ambition to visit the country where the cakes are grown and see them in their natural environment 😊

We drove down to Gatwick on Friday afternoon, what a horrendous journey. The airport is nice but I hope we never have to fly from there again!! Once we finally arrived, we checked into our hotel and headed out to dinner at Ye Olde Six Bells. Dinner was nice, but the pub was extremely busy and service was poor. But we needed to eat, and it filled the gap.

On Saturday we checked out, and headed to the airport. At last it was time to go! The flight took around three and a half hours and we landed in Funchal's Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. Yes, its really called that!! Our transfer driver was waiting for us, and whisked us off to our hotel - the Golden Residence. It was everything I had hoped it would be, a lovely place for our stay. The hotel was set in 3 blocks, built on the side of a hill. We were in the block overlooking the sea, which gave us a nice view. The room was large, with a balcony where we could sit out and gaze at the ocean.

Once we'd dropped our bags in our room, we headed off to find the Sunseterrace, which turned out to be just around the corner. Lovely place to watch the sunset, which is exactly what we did over a dinner of cheese toasties and chips, and copious amounts of sangria. Extremely cheap and absolutely delightful. You can keep fine dining, this was just perfect!

Within a very short time, we had fallen in love with this tiny dot in the Atlantic Ocean. We headed back to the hotel and bed, excited about the adventures that lay ahead!

Family Time

The last couple of week ends have been busy, mostly with family visits and catch ups. Last week end we headed down to London to visit my parents - 4 hours on motorways in steady rain, and wen we got to Penge there was nowhere to park - NOWHERE!! Parking in my parents road has always been an issue, but usually we have managed to find a spot somewhere, but this time we ended up a 10-15 minute walk away. We had to walk back in the rain with several bags of presents. I guess these things are sent to try us!

It was good to see mum and dad again, I wish we could get down to London more often. We took them out to lunch at the Moon and Stars, its really the only place we can get them to come. But lunch was nice and everyone was happy. When we got back to their house we had cake, complete with candles and a badly sung happy birthday from me. Dad is 80 later this month, and I am so glad we were able to celebrate it in this small way. I think dad was happy to see his cake and blow out the candles. This sadly was a flying visit and around 4pm we had to head off, it was already dark by then. Luckily we weren't driving all the way back, we broke the journey in Dunstable and stayed overnight at a Premier inn. Lovely comfy room and a pub next door for dinner! It was an excellent location, and one we'll use again!

On Sunday the sun was shining and we had slept well. So by 9am we were on our way to MK1 near Bletchley. Its a retail park and also home to the Milton Keynes Dons. When we got there the car park was empty and we were able to park and head to Bella Italia for breakfast, which was lovely. It was so nice having a leisurely start to the day. By the time we came out, the car park was pretty much full! Unbelievable!! But we were ready to hit the shops - well, mostly Primark, where a mini shopping spree ensued! It was a lovely week end, but can honestly say we were both tired when we got home.

This Saturday just gone, we had to dash into Burton to run a few errands. St Peter's Bridge is now open - praise the lord!! What a difference that made to the journey! Paul bought a new suitcase, and we picked up more Euro's - the pawn brokers still has the best exchange rate! Once we'd run around and done everything we needed to, we jumped back in the car to head to Lutterworth. We had arranged to meet family at the Elms for lunch, it turned out to be an excellent halfway point. Its a big pub with plenty of room and very pleasant and helpful staff. It was so lovely to see Anuk again and to meet Sajda and their gorgeous little boy for the first time. To spend time with a lovely couple who you feel so comfortable with is indeed a priceless thing. A couple of hours flew by way too soon. Lunch was lovely especially dessert - yum! I was sad when it was time to say good bye, but hopefully there will more chances to meet in the new year. Though I have family in the UK, I may as well not - sadly a part from mum and dad, I never see any of them. Its amazingly sad that family can drift away never to be seen again, especially when as children you've been so close. But that's life and I can only express how happy I am to have to become more in touch with family overseas. Many people knock it, but social media for me is a wondrous thing!

Sunday flew by in a blur of shopping and packing, though we did find time for a visit to a Christmas market at a local garden centre.  Week ends are never long enough, I'm sure most people would agree with that. So next week - end....... é quando a verdadeira aventura começa!

From Zombie's to nuns, and everything inbetween....

I don't know about anyone else, but to me a week end is something to always be looked forward too! Especially when they start on a Friday evening! So this Friday after work I headed over to Branston to catch up with a friend. Luckily the traffic wasn't too bad at all, and it was a pretty stress free journey (even though I will never like driving through the countryside - way too many bendy roads, and hedges!) It was a lovely evening, dinner was scrumptious and some people are always just a pleasure to spend time with. It wasn't a late night out, so there was still time when I got home to watch the first couple of episodes of Stranger Things 2. I'd been looking forward to it, Paul mostly looked puzzled and enquired if I had any idea what was going on! I guess its one of those shows, where its probably best not to think about things too deeply - LOL!

On Saturday we headed over to Tesco's to get the grocery shopping out of the way. Lots of the staff were dressed up for Halloween and looked great, gave a zombie apocalypse kind of feel to our food shopping! At the entrance to the store they had a table set up where you could sample all kinds of muffins, doughnuts, cakes etc. I know this because I thought I was talking to Paul, but when I looked around - he wasn't there! He was stuffing bits of muffin and doughnut into his mouth. I managed to drag him away, and all was going well till we found the cheese samples!!

Our next stop was Staunton Harold Garden centre to look at Christmas Decorations. They had so many pretty Christmassy things, we ended up spending ages going around in circles looking at everything. We did buy a couple of things, we couldn't resist. We had to head home from here as Paul's friend was coming over to do a little more work on our ceiling. That's looking so much better now.

I was lucky enough to have free tickets to go and see Sister Act on Saturday night, someone at work couldn't go and gave me her tickets. I was thrilled and extremely grateful. So by 6pm we were in Loughborough with the intention of having dinner at Wetherspoons. Cheap, cheerful and quick. Sadly, that plan didn't work out as the place was rammed, there wasn't an empty seat anywhere. Alas, the pub down the road was the same, and panic was starting to set in by this point as time was ticking on! What was going on, why was everywhere so busy!! Finally we came upon Croma Pizza which looked quite nice and it wasn't busy so in we went. With an hour to go, the option to be choosy had gone! It started well, the staff were lovely and the menu varied. So Paul made his choice only to be told they'd run out so he had to pick something else. I chose the prawn and aubergine pasta, only to be told they'd run out of aubergine - seriously!! Finally with food ordered and drinks delivered to our tables, we waited for our dinner....and we waited....other people came in, ordered and were served....and still we waited! Finally I complained, and our dinner did eventually arrive and the manager - who could offer no explanation as to why we had been left so long - knocked 50% off the cost of the food. I have to say the food was really good, but by the time it arrived there was no time to savour it. More a case of eat and go!

Finally we headed to the town hall, which luckily was virtually next door. We ordered drinks for the interval and then headed to out seats, which were great. As with most theatres, there's not a lot of leg room! The show was fabulous, lots of singing and dancing and very funny. As with the Wedding Singer which we saw earlier this year, it doesn't feature the music from the film - copyright issues I assume. It was a little disappointing, but I cannot fault the performance, and we had a lovely evening. I am very glad I had the opportunity to go and see it! Funnily enough, while we were at the theatre, I bumped into a lady who had been having dinner at Croma's too and she said she wasn't surprised I complained, because pretty much everyone who came in after us was served before we got our dinner. So, I clearly wasn't imagining it!

The clocks went back Saturday night, so after our late night out I was very glad of the extra hour in bed on Sunday morning! We were up and out early so we could have breakfast in the pub  before the shops opened, lovely start to the day. We had a couple of hours wondering around the shops, a chance to do some Christmas shopping and get a couple of new things for our holidays. I love to look around Primark - always a joyous occasion - LOL! At noon we met our friend Rachael at Barton Marina for a drink at the Waterfront. It was a chance to catch up and hand over birthday presents.  I like the Waterfront, unfortunately its an expensive place to eat! When we left there we had a walk around the Marina as the Artisan Craft market was on. Probably a mistake as I ended up buying a lovely red handbag. I fell in love with it, and gave into the temptation! You can never have too many bags surely!

Sunday afternoon was catching up with housework time - blah! Though we did also catch up with Strictly Come Dancing, I was thrilled to see Steps! What a lovely surprise!! Finally got to the end of season 6 of Once Upon A Time too. Great season finale, though I wonder what Season 7 is going to bring! I am going to miss all the characters that aren't coming back, and hope that the show doesn't lose its way! The best of Sunday night though was watching Love Actually - oh how I adore this film, not matter how many times I have seen it!

As usual, I looked at the clock at 10pm, and thought - where did the week end go?? It doesn't matter how good the week end is, its always over too quickly. On a final note, it really does pay to write reviews whether they be on Tripadvisor or Facebook, I did this on Sunday afternoon and by the evening Croma's had responded to apologise for the poor experience and invite us back for a free meal. Let's hoped their cupboards are better stocked when we return, ha ha!

The week end that wasn't.......

.....our usual sort of week end.

For the first time in weeks I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to head off somewhere. I am sure Paul appreciated the lay in! But with no plans in the Ivans diary, Paul had arranged for his friend to come over and help him fix our kitchen ceiling. Many of you will be aware of our roof situation over the summer and the indoor water feature we had in the kitchen. Whilst the roof has been sorted, and no more water has come through (phew!!) the ceiling has been a mess, with a huge crack looming ominously over us. I have prayed it wouldn't fall in on us, thankfully it didn't.

Paul approximated that the repairs would take an hour or so, so I decided it would be good to make myself scarce for a couple of hours. Probably a very wise move, so I headed off to explore the delights of Swadlincote (really!). By the time I'd been to the Pipeworks and had a wonder around Sainsburys, I was bored and ready to go home. I am so used to pottering about everywhere with Paul, that when he's not there its no fun. The trouble with Swadlincote is that I always run into people I would rather not see! Anyway, when I got home work was still very much in progress and an hour later, they were just about ready to start clearing up. All things considered, it wasn't too horrendous. Once Paul had finished clearing up, washed and changed we headed over to Bretby Garden Centre to have a look around their craft fair. We didn't buy anything, but always fun to have a look around. By this point, the wind was really picking up as another storm blew in. So we decided to head home. We spent a huge part of the afternoon taking all the plates, mugs etc out of the cupboards to wash them as dust and dirt had gotten everywhere. I know - unbelievable, Kathie Ivans washing up!! I am surprised Paul didn't take photo's!

On Sunday the weather seemed to have calmed down a bit, so we headed over to Lichfield. Now that parking is only £1 on Sunday, its worth heading over there! Besides they have a Flying tiger store - woo hoo!! That was pretty much our first stop where washi tape, stickers and craft scissors were purchased. How can you not love that store! Its nice to wander around the city, there's a good mix of shops and we took a walk up to the cathedral too. Despite lots of people milling about it retains an air or calm and tranquillity! I like to admire the architecture, statues etc. And usually there is some exhibition going on, this time it was about Elias Ashmore - was a celebrated English politician, astrologer and student of alchemy. Ashmole supported the royalist side during the English Civil War, and at the restoration of Charles II  he was rewarded with several lucrative offices. He was born in Lichfield 400 years ago, the exhibition was a celebration of this.  

We decided to have brunch at the Brewhouse, we have been there a few times before and always enjoyed the food. Sadly this time was a disaster! Paul ordered the veggie breakfast, which after a bit of a wait arrived. Alas my eggs benedict did not, the lady who brought the food out, said mine was on the way so Paul started eating before it went cold. A few minutes later the same lady cam back - empty handed....WHAT!!!  Apparently due to technical difficulties they were unable to poach an egg for the benendict - seriously?? Have they not heard of a saucepan? Having been offered scrambled eggs and declined them, I 'settled' for a bacon roll. When this arrived my mood didn't improve, tiny pieces of cremated bacon in a role - not what I had in mind. That was returned with the comment 'this is beyond awful, just give me my money back, I'll eat elsewhere'. Money duly returned along side a plate of the thickest toast I've ever seen - the young girl that worked there was determined I wouldn't leave completely hungry. Not sure I'll be in a hurry to go back after this experience, which is a shame. The staff are lovely and they can produce delicious food. Ah well, these things are sent to try us! Hopefully next week end normal service resumed, with fun activities and no washing up!

Stunning Stowe

This week end had been planned so that we could meet up with family from overseas, an event I had been looking forward too. There is a whole side of my family in Sri Lanka who I have never met, and I would very much like to remedy that situation. Alas though, due to an injury the lovely Sajda had to postpone her flight and our plans to meet were put on hold.  So though I was disappointed, the hotel was paid for and the weather was due to be good, so we threw a bag in the car and off we set.

Our first stop was Whilton Locks Garden Centre, somewhere we always like stopping when we are in the area. Its not a huge place, but always well stocked and we never manage to leave without buying something. This time all the Christmas goodies were out, woo hoo - that made me happy. After some browsing we bought a Christmas decoration (one that looks like Nev G.Nome) German Christmas biscuits and a couple of presents for my parents. To be honest, I could have spent all day pottering about at the garden centre, but we had a plan and after a cup of tea we headed off to Stowe.

When we arrived at the gardens we were met by a very nice man with a buggy who offered to drive us down to the house. This was a wonderful way to start the visit, and it was great fun whizzing along little pathways on a golf style buggy! I felt like a VIP!! Stowe is an Ornamental Garden spread over 250 acres of land. As you make your way along the paths and through the gardens you will come across statues, temples, lakes, bridges and many other wondrous things. Luckily we had chosen the perfect day to explore Stowe, it was mild and sunny - pretty amazing for mid October! We consulted our map and tried to see as much as we could, but it soon became apparent we would never see everything - not in one visit!

We were unable to visit Stowe house as it owned by Stowe House Preservation Trust and operates as an independent school. There are times when you can take house tours at an additional cost but Saturday was not one of those times. To be honest, I don't think we would have anyway as it was too nice a day to be indoors. The building though is stunning, I cannot imagine going ever going to school somewhere like this (says the girl who attended a tiny inner city comprehensive!) Stowe House was recently featured on Celebrity Masterchef, when the finalists went there to cook a special meal! It really does take your breath away. 

By about 3pm we were both shattered, we've both had colds/coughs and though not desperately ill, it makes you feel tired! So we decided to stop and have tea before leaving. It was at this point I realised I had a missed call on my phone, and as I was pondering who the number could belong too a message arrived from my relation Anuk who is already here studying at a university near Milton Keynes. Thanks to the wonders of social media, Sajda had been able to contact her husband and let him know we were actually in the area. It was lovely being able to get in touch and arrange to meet for dinner. Anuk came to our hotel and from there we drove to a pub called the Robin Hood that the hotel receptionist had recommended. Thank goodness I had taken her advice and called ahead to book a table. The place was busy, and we nabbed the last table. It was a good choice, the food was good and the atmosphere pleasant. I was so thrilled to meet Anuk, we had a lovely evening chatting and getting to know each other. You often worry when meeting someone for the first time whether conversation will flow and if you'll get on ok. I can only say - what a lovely young man, and I am so very glad we got to meet up. It was a wonderful evening, and I was so sad when it was time to say good bye.

We stayed overnight at the Travelodge in Buckingham, nice place tucked out of the way even though it was just off a busy road. After a good nights sleep we were up fairly early on Sunday morning to head to the NEC for Grand Designs Live. We were there for when it opened and had an enjoyable couple of hours looking around. I have to admit I don't watch Grand Designs and got free tickets which is why we went. But we were pleasantly surprised at how much there was to see, and what an eclectic range of things were for sale. Like all shows at the NEC it got very busy and very hot & stuffy inside, so by about noon we were ready to head off. I think we were done looking around by then anyway.

Another lovely week end - so glad I decided not to give in to the cold!

Sojourn to South Yorkshire

On a Saturday morning in October we happily set off to Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire. Its always a favourite place of ours, and one we visit every year. Brodsworth is one of the most complete surviving examples of a Victorian country house in England. It is virtually unchanged since the 1860s.  The house was commissioned by Charles Thellusson, who inherited the estate in 1859.

When we arrived we had time for a much needed coffee before taking the house taster tour at 11am. Our guide Reg was very informative and took us around the ground floor, telling us a little of the history of the house and family. The house has undergone extensive renovation which is just coming to a conclusion. Being an old house, much work has been needed to save the roof and further water damage (oh, I can so relate to that!!). After the taster tour, we spent an hour or so exploring the beautiful gardens, still full of colour and a joy to see. It was a grey and blustery day, but our luck held and it stayed dry. After lunch in their café, we looked around the second hand book shop etc and finally left at 3pm, just as the first drops of rain started to fall.

Our next stop was the Travelodge at Lakeside Doncaster, we checked in and then headed over to Lakeside Outlet Centre. After a much needed coffee at the Thornton's shop we were ready to tackle the shops. Actually this was a great time to visit the Outlet, as it was quiet and we didn't have to battle our way through crowds. Most of our time was spent in the Works - no surprise there! Alas, I have no will power and came away with more books (I am sorry Melissa!). We had a pleasant couple of hours pottering about till the shops started to close.

We had dinner at the Beefeater, we both like it there. Friendly staff and we had 2 courses each and wine for the princely sum of £21!! Can't complain about that, especially as it was all delicious. It was a lovely way to end the day. After dinner we walked back to the hotel by the lakeside, it looked pretty with all the lights on. This is a fairly new Travelodge, the rooms are smaller but very comfortable. There's also plenty of parking, and its in such a good location to explore the local are.

On Sunday morning we had breakfast at the new Subway which is right under the hotel. Not exactly fine dining, but we had a lovely view over the lake as we ate and the coffee was really good. What more can you ask for. It was a good start to the day before heading to Conisbrough Castle. This was our first visit to the castle, and I am so glad we went. The castle was initially built in the 11th century by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The state took over the management of the property in 1950, but by the 1980s the visitor facilities were felt to be unsuitable. Extensive work has been carried out to make the site safe for visitors and to improve facilities. We enjoyed exploring, and even climbed the 123 steps to the top of the tower. The view was worth it.  As we passed each floor of the tower there were little videos playing and seats so you could take a minute to catch your breath. It was very well done. Before leaving we stopped for a coffee and took the opportunity to build our own castle using the children's building bricks. That was so much fun, Paul and I are both big kids at heart. You'd probably never have guessed that!

We decided to head home from Conisbrough, Paul had developed a cold and it was getting worse by the moment. But we had a the best week end and we had certainly made the most of it. I love this area of South Yorkshire.

 

 

Hardwick Hall and beyond

On a drizzly Saturday morning in September we set off to Hardwick Hall in north Derbyshire. About 6 months ago we started the Food festival season here, and it seemed quite fitting that we should end it here too. Having been lucky enough to get half price tickets it made it a cheap day out. We aimed to arrive at Hardwick early, way before the festival opened. This way there was time for a relaxed coffee at the National Trust café before ambling through a muddy field to the festival.

I am glad we decided to go to the festival, though it was a little lack lustre compared to the one earlier in the year. No live music, less stalls and the cookery demo's didn't start till noon. There was nothing for it, we would just have to sample gin and vodka. I was delighted to find that Nelson's had a stand there and at last I was able to sample their rhubarb and custard gin. It was nice, but not as nice as the Edinburgh Gin Company's Rhubarb and ginger gin liqueur we had already purchased. While we were chatting with the Nelson's guy he asked how I had heard about their gin and I told him through Facebook, and joked that it was probably bad to admit I followed several gin companies on Facebook. His response was that I clearly liked gin as here I was drinking it at 10.30am - I had to point out that I actually started at ten past - LOL! We didn't buy much and by about 11.15am we'd been around all the stalls twice and I was feeling quite merry. Did we really want to hang about 45 minutes to see Selasi (of Bake Off fame) do his thing? We decided no!

So instead we walked over to Hardwick Hall, one of our favourite National Trust houses.  Built in the 1590's for Bess of Hardwick, this was her new home when the Old Hall was deemed to be too small. Bess was the richest woman in England after the queen, definitely a woman ahead of her time. Through marriage and smart thinking her wealth accumulated. The house was finally turned over to the HM Treasury in 1956 in lieu of death duties, and in turn handed over to the National Trust in 1959.  Though we have been several times before, we enjoyed looking around again.

On leaving Hardwick we decided to scoot over to the Old Hall too, haven't been there in a while. Its now mostly ruins however you can climb to the top floor. The views across Bess's estate are beautiful. Good work out for the legs too!!

On the way home we called in at East Midlands Outlet Centre - oh my god! What was going on?? The car park was in chaos, almost full with people driving erratically trying to find a space. We did get lucky and were able to park, but in the end didn't stay long. It started raining quite heavily, the shops were crowded and we couldn't find anything we wanted. Oh well! So, we carried on into Burton and had a cheap and cheerful dinner at The Lord Burton. Got soaked walking there, does it ever NOT rain in this country - LOL!

Finally a trip to the cinema to see the Kingsmen - Golden Circle. We loved the original film and this is also very entertaining. Lots of action and gadgets! Nice to see Colin Firth was in this film too! And there endeth the day - a long day, a damp day but best of all a SATURDAY!

A day in our glorious Capital City

Heading down to London is always cause for celebration, even when it means getting up at 5.30am. Unfortunately with no station anywhere near us, we have to make the half hour journey over to Lichfield to catch the train. So on a dark but mild morning in late September we set off to catch the 7.10am train to Euston. Luckily our train was on time and we were soon whizzing off to our glorious capital city. By 8.25am we were there and making our way to Tower Hill. How could we not start the day with breakfast  at the Coppa Club. Its one of our favourite places, and as it was a mild morning we just had to sit outside in one of the riverside cabanas. The view is unrivalled, with Tower Bridge to your right, and HMS Belfast and The Shard just behind you. They also serve the most delicious waffles, covered in crème fraiche, mixed berries, honey and bee pollen. Tastes like summer on a plate.

After breakfast we took a walk to Allhallows by the Tower, the oldest church in England. It was established in 675ad. The church is well worth a visit and has a very interesting museum in the crypt, which is also home to part of an original Roman road dating back to the 2nd century. Its all free too!

Next stop was Sky Garden. I love the fact you an visit this place for free. We had been pre-warned that there could be a long wait to get in due to refurbishment work currently in progress. We were lucky, it only took about 15 minutes, despite quite a long queue outside. You have to clear airport style security to gain access to the lifts that whisk you up to the 35th floor. And they really do whisk you up  incredibly fast. When the lift doors open and you walk out, the view you're met with is amazing. From the observation deck you can see across London, on one side the London Eye and the Tate Modern and on the other Tower Bridge and in the distance Canary Wharf. It is truly breath taking. As you look down you'll be amazed at how common roof top gardens are becoming. Above the streets of London there really is a whole other world, one that a lot of people will never see. We spent about an hour and a half at the Sky Garden, we had coffee, enjoyed the view and took lots of photo's and it was with reluctance that we finally left.

Our next stop was Leicester Square, the place was buzzing as always. We perched ourselves on a wall and ate our lunch - sandwiches from Tesco's - and did some people watching. An urban picnic in the West End is an experience! Then finally it was time to head to the Prince Edward theatre to see Aladdin! We were both really looking forward to this and we weren't disappointed. It was excellent, very sparkly and colourful, and undoubtedly Disney. The highlight of the show was the magic carpet scene where Jasmine and Aladdin sail across the night sky. Amazing, and we still can't work out how they did it. There can only be one answer - it really was a flying carpet. The show is awesome and I am so glad we went to see it. We had cheap seats and were expecting a slightly restricted view, however this wasn't the case at all.

After the show we had a walk through China Town, so colourful and vibrant. Not to mention crowded and noisy, ha ha. We bought some little cakes shaped like fishes that were made from a custard style batter - delicious! Wish we had bought more! But we were on our way to dinner at Ruby Blue. Great choice for a theatre menu, lovely food and very generous portions. The staff are friendly and the place just had a nice ambience. We enjoyed our dinner and chatting about the wonderful day we'd had. And to celebrate I had a cocktail - a Pornstar Martini with a Prosecco shot. It was so good! Sadly the day was fast drawing to an end, we had just time for a walk around Leicester Square and a visit to M&M World and Little Britannia before heading back to Euston. We were too early for our train so we visited the Doric Arch for a drink. Love this cosy pub just outside the station. The staff are friendly and it has a nice atmosphere. It was hard saying goodbye to the city, but alas at 8.30pm are train left on time and we headed home. Long day, but a truly amazing one.

Homeward Bound - deuxième partie

After good nights sleep - despite a lot of noise from outside, we packed our stuff up and headed to the Coppa Club for breakfast again. There is nothing better than sitting outside in a cabana admiring the view and enjoying the sunshine (a somewhat rare event in London - LOL). It would have been nice to just sit there and chill all morning, but what a waste that would have been.  So after eating we took the tube to Marble Arch and from there we had a stroll down Oxford Street - we all know what this means.....PRIMARK!! Wey hey, yes we had to go in. I was a woman on a mission to find a unicorn dressing gown, and I got one. Its so soft and unicorny! We ambled our way down Oxford Street, and onto Marylebone. We've never really explored this area, so it was fun to do so. We found a great bookshop called Daunt, their travel section was excellent, so I came away with a little guide book on Madeira.  It was actually quite a warm day, so by lunch time we were glad to find a nice little pub called the Angel in the Field. They had a charming restaurant area upstairs, all wood panelling with an atmosphere that led you to believe it hadn't changed in quite a long time. Lunch was good, and it was nice to have a rest. I was fascinated by a tourist who ordered fish and chips for lunch but asked for the chips to be replaced by mash and gravy!! In what country would this be normal?? A great British dish - tampered with and turned into an abomination!

 After lunch we headed back to The Wallace, and spent a couple of hours here admiring the amazing artwork. I love the Canaletto's, and there is a whole gallery full of them. Beautiful paintings! All too soon, it was time to leave. 

We headed back to Victoria and travelled back to my parents house. We spent the rest of the day there, and had dinner with mum and dad before setting off for home in the evening. Much better to drive home in the night, even though it is tiring.

Homeward Bound

There is nothing better in the world than heading home ......to London. It is where my heart is, and always will be. So on Saturday, I woke up excited at the prospect of heading south. Its a long drive, so we decided to stop at Runnymede (near Windsor) on the way. Its a lovely place to stop, there is a café for refreshments and you can stretch your legs and walk up to see the Magna Cart monument. Its just over 800 years since the Magna Carta was signed. Its so peaceful, a place to contemplate all that has happened, and all that is to come. A short walk away is the JFK memorial, also worth a visit. This one acre of land was given to the Americans and still remains property of the USA I believe.

On leaving Runnymede, we carried on our journey arriving in south London mid-afternoon. It was good to see my folks again, I don't see them anywhere near as much as I would like. So, it was nice to hang out with them, and in the evening we wondered over to the Moon and Stars for dinner.

On Sunday we headed into the City, a short break that had been arranged before the roofing issues that have almost bankrupt us in the last month. Oh, how wonderful it was to be back in the Capital.  We started the day with brunch at the Coppa Club, an  amazing place right by the Thames. Its always a favourite place to go, and the views as you can imagine are fantastic. Paul and I both had the summer berry waffles, probably the yummiest thing I have ever eaten. Waffles topped with crème fresh, mixed berries, orange blossom honey and bee pollen. When we left, we headed to Spitalsfield Market. Definitely worth a visit at the week end, there were loads of stalls, live music and a lovely lively atmosphere. it was already quite warm, but after strolling around the stalls we found a quite spot to sit and people watch. Here are some observations I made - 1. man buns seem to be the in thing as far as hair do's go this summer (WHY!!) 2. Everyone in the city wears headphones (at least it seems that way).

Our next stop was the Museum of London, an amazing place on the London Wall. It tells the story of London, from prehistoric  times to modern day. The museum is very well laid out, and you find yourself spiralling forward in time. Spend as long as you want in each area, but be warned - there is a lot to see! I like the more modern exhibits from the Victorian era onwards, but there is something for everyone. The museum has an excellent gift shop and also a café, everything you need to keep you going for hours. They also have lockers available, so for a pound you can drop off all your bags and coats and head off to explore. We were so glad of that. We were at the Museum all afternoon, so it was well after 5pm when two weary travellers arrived at the Liberty Bounds near the Tower of London for dinner. We sat at the first free table we came two, I really don't think we could have gotten much further. Dinner was good, after which we headed to our hotel - the Travelodge -  to check in. Think we both needed a sit down and chill for half an hour.  We did venture out to St Katherine's Docks later, I really like it there, we walked around looking at all the boats, and of course more people watching. I also wanted to find the 'Girl and the Dolphin' fountain, which we did eventually. It wasn't where I thought, but I am glad we kept looking. Its in an amazing spot right by Tower Bridge. Here we stayed as the sun set over London. I kept thinking, I can't believe I am here, its so beautiful. Our last stop of the day was the Slug and Lettuce at the Docks for cocktails. In honour of our fave TV show iZombie - we chose Zombies. Oh my god.....the alcohol that went into that!! Very nice, but woo hoo!!! Strong stuff, and the perfect end to the day.