As Billy Idol sang "It's a nice day for a white wedding"

Just a short update as I know lots of you sent your best wishes for the wedding and of course here are some photos. It was a truly wonderful day and I was immensely proud of my two gorgeous girls.

Imogen, tmy daughter and he beautiful chief bridesmaid

On Sunday we had a fabulous time in a local hotel for Amy's home hen ( she had been to Belfast with her young friends and the bridesmaids), beautiful food and wonderful company. A big thank you to Imogen who arranged it.

 It was a pretty frantic week leading up to the big day, although I had already bought a dress I needed the other accouterments. Managed those in one shopping trip thanks to a brilliant idea from my lovely friend Vicki. Helped Amy and Carl with various bits and pieces during the week, including sorting out the order of service. We collected the pieces of cheese and on Friday assembled it into a "cake" with Carl. The rehearsal went well, although there was lots of giggling. Friday night I had a nice meal at "White Heat" in Jarrow with Amy, Imogen and her dad.

On the big day we were lucky to be able to use my old neighbour's house for the girls to get ready, and the time just flew by. Thanks to Heather! I got to the church about 3.45 , a chance to catch up with some of the guests. Then soon it was 4pm and the church lights dimmed and Amy and her dad walked into church to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's "Dream a little dream of me"  . 

She looked beautiful and her and Carl both looked so happy as they made their vows. They had chosen three hymns Shine, Jesus, Shine, Abide with me and Sweet Chiming Christmas Bells (which is a lovely version of While Shepherds watched ) In no time they were Mr and Mrs Horne and they left the church to  “This Must be the Place” by Talking Heads

Hen lunch, Vicki, Jules and Heather

The reception was great fun, informal seating, a buffet, a beautiful cake and a brilliant band "Big Red and the Grinners" if you want to see them here is a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvBOPBawck. 

 I have know the lead singer 25 years since he was a young lad and he has know Amy all of her life, he wasn't playing during December ( his wife , Jude has just had their second son) but he played as a special favour to Amy. Thanks boys.

Hotel du vin, Newcastle

On Sunday we all had breakfast at the hotel and then Amy and Carl headed off for a 2 night break to Edinburgh, a very

Its all legal now!!

Dad, Amy Carl and the proud Mother of the bride

We don't often get dressed up!!

special place for them, to stay in a very nice hotel on the corner of Princes street, the Balmoral. 

Carl and his mam

The very happy newly weds

It is very posh and Carl posted on his facebook page "now at the Balmoral having our honeymoon, it's all a bit to posh for me, I thought the bloke at the door was trying to steal my bag" 

Vicki paid for them to travel first class, Imogen and Phill bought them afternoon tea at the Balmoral and their dad and Anne gave them some Scottish money to spend (although they are in the UK, Scotland prints its own bank notes) 

It had been a pretty frantic week, since getting back from Spain and Chris organised a night away for the two of us on Sunday. I dropped the newlyweds at the staion and picked him up and we stayed at The George in Chollerford, only 40 minutes form home but close to the Roman wall and on the banks of the North Tyne. It was a well needed rest from all of the hustle and bustle. The honeymoon is over and they both have interviews for new jobs today and back to work tomorrow!!

Here is hoping you all have a wonderful festive season.

Love

Norma x

Going back home .....

Hello again,

As we get ready to return to the UK I thought I would just do a short blog. Our plans to go down to the coast didn’t materialise. We decided to crack on and get most of the external work on the house finished while it was dry. The new windows and doors took 2 days to fit and they are lovely, no more rattling and draughts when it is windy. They come complete with a drop down mosquito net and new white shutters; the place looks really good and the finishing touches were the bars, which I volunteered to paint-what a horrible job!  The garden is finished and so is most of the painting at the front, Chris painstakingly painting the floor in front of the house.

We have a problem with the wood burner which is producing creosote and it is dripping down the external pipe causing a lovely mess on the front corner of the house! Chris has tried tape but not helped and the only way to avoid it is to burn the fire as high as possible but then it is too hot to sit in the room!!  For those of you that are thinking, wood burner thought you were in sunny Spain? Yes we are but it is winter here too and that means cold mornings till about 9.30 and chilly evenings from about 4pm and then cold once the sun goes down at about 6.30. Unlike in the UK the houses here are designed to keep cool, it is 35-40 C in the summer, so there is no insulation and at this time of year it is warmer outside than inside during the day. Chris is contemplating replacing the external tubing from the wood burner and sealing it again to see if it helps.

We have also finished the outside walls at the back of the house and that is most of the external maintenance done. Chris has ordered new windows for two of the rear bedrooms and they will get fitted when we get back in January. Then there is just the inside to decorate and the whole place will be finished. Whew!!

On Sunday we had a bit of a break, and drove to Cehegin as there was an artisan market in the main square at the top of the old town. Chris stuck his bike on the back and set off cycling I went up to the market on my own. It was my first visit to the old town and it is beautiful full of windy streets, lovely buildings and when you get to the top, stunning views. You never know what to expect but the market was pretty good, food stalls and some local crafts. It started at 10 and I got there about 11 and on the way down popped into the tourist office for some info and the guy asked was it busy and I said I’d never been before, he looked at his watch and said “Oh it is too early yet, there is free food and wine at 12 so the locals will be turning up about 12.30!!” If we are here in January then a later start is required. Chris had cycled the via verde to Bullas so I picked him up and we came back to the village for lunch.

I love to cook so I was busy at the weekend as I got 3kg plum tomatoes for 1 euro, about 85p. I made some Frito (the Spanish tomato sauce that is the basis of a lot of their cooking) which went into some minestrone soup and some in the freezer, and I also made roasted tomato soup too. A bargain and hours of endless fun in the kitchen!!

For lunch on Wednesday we invited Mel and Stan who, until recently ran a bar in Pliego, as a bit of a thank you for all of the help they had given Chris over the years. Unfortunately Stan had to work but we had a nice time, we had tapas at the bar and then we had goat curry and our neighbour made us her delicious “flan de cafe”.

We have spent about seven weeks at the house and have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know a few more of the locals, understand a bit more about village life and visit some of the local area. We tend to go into Pliego or Mula 3-4 times a week, especially when we need paint, stones, plaster etc but we could manage in the village-the local shops have good fresh fruit and vegetables, meat etc and on Wednesday and Saturday the fish man comes. If we were feeling really lazy we could wait till the van from the shop comes up past the house-saving a walk of about 400 yard!! It is still a very traditional way of life here and I’m sure there have been a few eyebrows raised as I was up a stepladder painting and when I mentioned that Chris was cooking!! Our neighbour’s son little Francisco next door has just started to walk and he looks like he will be a real handful. The children still spend most of their time outside, playing games and wandering round the village as it is a very safe environment.

We are flying from Alicante so have arranged parking for the van. It will be good to be home and catch up with people, especially Imogen who I’ve not seen since she headed off for Basle in August. Of course we have the excitement of the wedding on 7^th December and then Christmas. I’m hoping to get to see a live rugby game , (Spain is footie mad!!) and maybe some live theatre ............oh and the joy of a Saturday Guardian. Simple things........

Til  next time take care

Norma x

Autumnal musing

Hello and hope that you are enjoying life. I know some of you will be enjoying the sun but my friends in the UK are starting to feel the effects of winter. Snow on the hills in Scotland!!  It is unseasonably warm here , although the days are getting shorter and it is cool in the mornings but in the daytime it is still warm enough for shorts. We had our first real rain yesterday and today is very overcast but it is not really cold.

We had a couple of days away in the campervan last week; we set off to Mula on Tuesday so that I could go to the dentist. He removed the stitches and said everything looked clean and was healing well. That meant we could head off , so we packed the van and headed for Moratalla. It is only about an hour away but we thought we might be able to walk some of the camino that goes to Caravaca de la Cruz, as it happened the campsite was too far off the route . We had GPS co-ordinates for the campsite but they were wrong!! So it was a bit tense driving through the narrow streets of hilly Moratalla. 

Eventually we got to the campsite, which is 8km outside of the village and at the end of the road, literally. It is set in a lovely forest with a river running through a beautiful gorge, some sizeable fish and freshwater crayfish lurked in the crystal clear water. It was fabulous waking up in the forest and eating breakfast watching the antics of the squirrels. We set off to walk upstream, but it was about 50 minutes of scrambling which was great fun for me but not for Chris’ knee. We emerged onto a forest track and wandered a bit and explored a beautiful derelict 3 storey hous

Sunrise in front of the house

Halloween-Casas Nuevas

Camping in the forest near Moratalla

Walking the gorge

Making faces!!

e with amazing views from the 3^rd floor. The campsite had a nice daytime bar and restaurant and we enjoyed tapas and beer when we got back. After two nights we headed to Bullas and did a short cycle and enjoyed an evening of red wine and the most delicious Spanish ham we have ever tasted.

As we got back early afternoon on Friday we missed the weekly market in Pliego ,so Saturday we went to Mula which is a huge market but with a bit better choice. People around here tend to eat whatever is in season and cheap, nothing is pre-packaged and it is okay to prod and poke until you find the quality you want. So for example the tomatoes were 50 cents a kilo and aubergine courgettes and peppers 1 euro kg –so much cheaper and fresher than the UK. Once we have bought what is in season I then just make it into meals-a bit like Ready Steady Cook.

Sunday we drove to Bullas and cycled the Via Verde from Bullas to Ceheghin and back,  a 32km round trip-which is the furthest I have ever cycled. I felt weary but delighted that I managed to get there and back. It follows an old railway track and most of it is off road and it was fairly busy , the scenery is wonderful, with vineyards, olive groves and an ancient city. The cup of coffee in Ceheghin was very welcome.

We have some work to do on the house this week, part of the front garden needs new black plastic and pebbles, the back wall needs painting and the new windows are coming Thursday. So once all that is done we will probably head off down to either La Manga or Mazarron, for a bit of coastal cycling and enjoying the change of scenery at the coast.

We get back to the UK on 30^th November and the next day is Amy’s home hen so we had a little trip to Nuevo Condiminium (a retail outlet near Murcia city) and I got a lovely red dress to wear with leggings as I won’t have time before Sunday to get anything. Then it will be only a week to the big day, and although I have my dress I will need shoes and am not looking forward to a trip to Newcastle amongst the Christmas crowds.

Till next time

Norma x

Life in Spain

We have been at the house in Casas Nuevas for 2 weeks now and have settled into life here. The village is 12km from a medium sized town, Pliego and another 5km to  Mula in Murcia. The village is small with 2 shops, a local bar, which also serves food, a church, a small part-time health clinic, a 5-a-side football pitch and a school for children up to 11. It sits on the edge of the Sierra Espuna and the views of the mountains are stunning. We were last here for an extended time in 2011 and there has definitely been an influx of people with young children, at one point there were worries about the local school but it is currently doing well with about 12-15 children. It makes for a lively time around 9am when they start school and 2 pm when they finish.

Employment varies and local families have land with olive, almond and apricot trees but that is rarely enough to support a family and work on the land gets fitted in with other jobs. There are local pig farms, quarrying for marble, factories making jam and construction and haulage work. Our neighbour Frank works repairing agricultural machinery in Mula and his wife Juana Maria makes the desserts and works in the local bar, and they have a one year old little Francisco-who is the image of his dad!! Within the village one family runs one shop, the bar and have a mobile shop (well a white van with produce!!) and a vegetable stall at the weekly Friday Pliego market. Everyone working in these concerns is a member of the extended family and when I asked recently was everyone in the village related Paquita said just about!!

Monday we took Amy and Carl back to the airport after their week spent here. This was our wedding present to them and they really enjoyed the place. The area is beautiful and we went to Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia city, the coast and Carl and Chris did some cycling and walking. On Saturday we went to an Elvis tribute night, a good evening, although didn’t know that Elvis sang Delilah!! He was at the airport  so we can say “Elvis has left the country…….” We had a lovely meal together on Sunday in the local bar and Carl tucked into the local rice with rabbit and snails, 

It is only a month now to the wedding and I think they appreciated the break and the sun it is still warm here (31 C yesterday afternoon) during the day but cooler at night and we are still wandering around in shorts.

We have freesat here so watched the situation with the storms in the UK , luckily it didn’t affect the flight back to Newcastle. Sadly it has affected Imogen’s plans; she was due to go to Amsterdam with her friend Racheal. However Rachael  was stranded in London, not able to return and couldn’t get back in time today for the ferry .

We are hoping to get some work done on the house; some outside painting needs doing at the rear, there are new windows and front door on order. We need to get some firewood delivered, in anticipation that the temperatures will start to drop, especially now that the clocks have gone back.

We want to do some more cycling we did a bit of the Via Verde ( an old railway line) the first week we were here. I like it as it is off road and there are no great hills. We also hope to be able to take Ruby down to the coast and spend some time on a campsite and do some cycling along the coastline.  I fancy a trip to Cartagena too as it has an interesting history, given its position there are Roman and Moorish influences.

We seem to be having an interesting time with Ruby, fresh from her new clutch Chris tried to rearrange the roof recently!! We were parked next to a covered parking area, we are too high to get under them, and he turned too tight and knocked off the solar panel and the rear skylight. We collected them back up and drove off. The guy making our windows made some new brackets for the panel and Chris re-fixed the skylight………….not well enough and it was lost somewhere between Mula and the house. He has made it watertight and we will need to get another one. The solar panel is back on but we aren’t sure yet if it is working.

This week I have had a trip  to the dentist to get a tooth removed, I have been struggling since Portugal with a gum infection and it is a repeat of a problem I had recently and I hoped it would wait till I got home in December  but it is better to get it sorted. I have had a week of antibiotics and the extraction went well, although I have three stitches which need to come out in a week.  My x ray was 10 euros and the extraction  30, so probably slightly cheaper than home.  The dentist Manuel is good and his English is excellent too and he works in very modern, clean facilities.

We are here in Spain till 30^th November and then we return to the UK, firstly for the wedding and then to stay for Christmas coming back 2^nd January. We are then hoping to have an extended trip , which I have got roughly mapped out ,meandering through Spain and into Portugal, going along to Sagres in the western Algarve then up the west coast towards Lisbon then Porto and finally across to Santander to get the ferry home mid March. This will allow us some time to sort our visas for China and we hope to set off late March.

 Before anyone ask we are not going to China in Ruby!! Chris is keeping an eye out for a different van-we love Ruby but for longer trips we really need a van with a fixed bed as it gives more flexibility and dedicated living space…….and saves having to make and unmake the bed every day!!

Till next time

Norma xx

Espana revisited!!

Okay so let me start from where we are today and work backwards. It’s 11^th October and we are in Merida in Spain, it is just west of Badajoz, not far from the Portuguese border about halfway between Madrid and Sevilla. 

We came here to see the Roman ruins in the town and they were fabulous, but I made a very basic error-I didn’t check the camera last night and the battery ran out after two pictures!! Rookie travellers or what! There is almost too much for one day, a fabulous amphitheatre built for gladiator contests, a theatre –perfect for Mark Antony’s  “Friends Romans Countrymen “ speech. Roman baths, snow houses, the biggest bridge they ever built and a fabulous 2 storey aqueduct and then the Moorish castle too. We were all cultured out and didn’t even get to the museum.

We got here yesterday having left our Portuguese house sit, Will and Wendy arrived back Wednesday evening and we had a nice meal and a few glasses of wine and then packed up and left after breakfast. It was an easy drive but I was a bit dubious about the site having read one or two bad reviews, but they were unfounded, it is very basic and simple but the showers etc are clean and hot and the bar sells cold beer!! It was easy to drive into town today and we parked for  free-always a bonus.

The house sit was good especially as for the last 5 days we had sunshine and were able to laze by the pool, although some of it enforced!! On Sunday we set out for a trip to do a bit of walking and the clutch started vibrating and making awful noises-we knew it would need replacing before we left in August and just took the decision to drive and see how far we got-the answer was 3,500 miles!!

I did a bit of research on the internet and we opted to go to Ferriera do Zezere a little town about 5 miles away where there were 2 garages. The first one was very helpful but the entrance was too low for the van, the second one was perfect. I had the dictionary and a crib sheet with various useful phrases translated into Portuguese like, “we have a problem with the clutch” ,” we are leaving on Thursday”, “how much will it cost” etc. There was a lovely lady called Isabelle who spoke English. The place was also a spares depot, so they had the clutch and they could fix it the next day at 9am.......no repeat of Angouleme. The next day Ruby was in the garage, we spent the morning in Ferriera and then at 12.30 she was fixed. 240 euros for the parts and only 100 for labour. 

We drove to Tomar in the afternoon to see the Castle and convent , which were stunning. We met two American guys who were “doing” Europe and I asked had they enjoyed Portugal and one of them said-“Huh they aren’t very geared up for tourists” and when I asked why not he replied ”they don’t even take dollars” My reply –well the local currency is the euro,  just fell on deaf ears!!  Stay on your side of the pond then!!

The day we arrived in Portugal  we joined a toll motorway at Abrantes so when we were in Tomar we went to the tourist office to find out how to pay, she thought the post office would sell us a card. Wrong! Once you have got onto a motorway in Portugal the only system is to send a bill to the UK, they have number plate recognition systems . Apparently if you cross the border from Spain and join the motorway there are big signs explaining the system-not where we joined. It could take 9-10 months to get a bill , if ever, and the sad thing is the government introduced it to raise funds!!

We loved Portugal, the area was beautiful, the dogs were easy to look after, the house was comfy and the Portuguese people were so friendly and helpful. Sometimes it was a bit Esperanto, a lot of people speak French, a bit of English and understand Spanish and it helped us get by. 

We weren’t as active as we thought, firstly Chris had a cold, then I had one then it rained for days but we did walk one day about 7 km, wandering through the woods and fortunately arriving back at the next little village where we had a beer and Pica Pau-which is Portuguese for woodpecker-thankfully the dish is little bits if pork and garlic.  

So tomorrow we leave Merida and head across Spain towards Chris’ house, we have a stop-over planned but we will see how it goes. Driving in Spain is relatively easy, most of the motorways are not very busy. Then we have about a week before Amy and Carl arrive for their holiday with us.

Chris used the bad weather to get the China plan more developed and we have a broad itinerary that will give us a taste and fit in all of the must do’s , the wall, the terracotta army, cruising the Yangstze and the pandas.

Its only about 6 weeks till we fly home for the wedding and given how much we have eaten and drunk and how little exercise we have had its going to have to be a pretty intensive fitness regime.

Till next time

Take care

Norma xx 

Chris with ancient Moorish water system!!

Ruby -the cafe

Castle Tomar

Ruby-the dog-on left Maggie on right

Roman ampitheatre-Merida

Frustrating French ways

Hi everyone,

Well despite my best intentions have managed to have a bigger gap with the blog and heaven only know I’ve had plenty of time waiting around-but more of that later!!

Melun proved to be a good base and we got the bus to Fountainbleu and visited the chateau. It was absolutely stunning but after about 2 hours it just got to overload and some of it was so decadent. My favourite was a simple room , by French standards (designed by Marie Antoinette). There was an audio guide which was really good except for the occasional lapse into American! The cafe was an absolute rip off, tea was 4 Euros so we ate sandwiches from the boulangerie in a little square.

Next day we headed to Paris on the train and went straight to near the Louvre so that I could get some new glasses. My normal prescription is varifocal but I knew that would be impossible in a day. I got just distance and it was a 45 minute wait and that will be 289 euros please but at least I can see now. We headed for the Louvre and spent several hours gobsmacked at the amount of exhibits. Mona was absolutely mobbed and I’m not sure what the fascination is with her. That was enough for us and Chris seemed unimpressed with Paris so we didn’t plan another day. So we changed our plans and left Melun a day early.

Our aim was to do a quick overnight, probably in an aire (has some facilities but not really a campsite) near Angouleme and then head to San Sebastian on Saturday and get to Salamanca Thursday........mmmmmm.

We stopped Friday night in a beautiful town called Verdeuil, we parked up right on the banks of the Vienne . We locked the van up and met the mayor who said we were very welcome to spend the night there-just as well as that was our plan!! We wandered to the local bar, run by a young couple, and had some wine. For the first time in France prices were reasonable, we went back to the van and had chicken and salad and returned for round two of red wine. As we came back about 9pm we sat at the back of a fabulous Mediaeval church as the local choir practised, the singing was stunning and the acoustics fabulous. The whole place felt magical.

Next morning we set off for San Sebastian, in Spain. After about an hour or so Chris said he wasn’t feeling good and needed to pull over. He lept out of the van and when he came back he said he smelt diesel and realised that we had a leak. We drove about 3k to a rest area and rang the breakdown people. It started to rain and the toilets in the rest area were even too disgusting for some of the French!! About 12.15 we were towed to Angouleme and had to quickly pack a bag as the garage would not be open till Monday. Eventually we were picked up in a taxi and takne to the local campanile hotel, my heart sank at the mention of campanile as I had stayed in one previously and it was pretty dingy. But I was pleasantly surprised, a makeover and free wifi made for a good experience. Saturday was pretty much a waste of a day and Chris was pretty ill by we got to the hotel. We think it was a cooked chicken we had, although I was not ill??

Sunday seemed like a good day to see Angouleme but we had to walk to the centre as there were no buses Sunday. It was abot 9k return but the old walled city is pretty stunning, although the cathedral interior was a bit disappointing. Campanile did a very reasonable buffet breakfast and evening meal with buffet starter and dessert and then your choice of main course. But by Monday morning I was all buffeted out!!

We made a huge mistake on Monday morning as we assumed when the breakdown people said they would let us know what was happening that they would “manage” the situation-WRONG. We knew the van was going in at 8.30 and rang about 10.30 and the promised ring back didn’t happen, so at 11.30 we found out the van was still at the breakdown place as they needed the V5 document, which of course was in the glove box with all of the other vehicle documents. So Ruby headed off to the garage, just in time for it to be closed for lunch!! The campanile was full on Monday night so we were moved to a Fasthotel, not a very good one either but a clean bed and hot shower. It was near the garage so Chris popped down and at 5pm the “diagnostique” still had not been done, and surprise surpise there was a leak on the fuel pump and it needed replacing. No chance the part could come quickly, so Wednesday and 300 euros please. By this time I was ready to kill someone, the hotel was on an industrial estate, dinner was in the Buffalo Grill and another day wasted.

Wednesday morning we took a different approach, we both went to the garage, partly to get some clean clothes and just to check it really was going to be another day. I had found a nice hotel in the centre of the old town, in the breakdown price bracket, and we rang and said we were moving there. Hotel du Palais was very quaint and very central. We wandered in town around the ramparts and went to a real restaurant and had a beautiful veggie Indian meal. Next morning we had arranged to ring the garage at 10.30 and to our great delight the part had arrived BUT it would be 4pm before it would be ready. It was raining and check out was 11 am, but I managed to persuade the reception to let us have another hour and when we left at 12, the rain had stopped. We visited the museum, very impressive, and then had a quick lunch and got our taxi at 3pm and when we got there, quell surprise Ruby was ready!! So we had had enough of Gallic shrugging and delays to last us a lifetime, I don't think I could ever live in France unless they put blood pressure medication in the water!!

We left at breakneck speed and set off for Spain , the weather was awful and we finally stopped in a car park in Meruda, after having a very mediocre sandwich at a service station. The last 5 days had been a time of hanging around, eating out and not really getting much exercise.

We set off at 5.15 am on Thursday morning and got to Salamanca at about 1.30.  It was a lovely campsite, right on the river and we parked Ruby up and felt like the trip was back on track. There was a bar and we had a few glasses of red wine and talked to fellow travellers. The weather was fabulous and sunny after all of the gloomy weather in France.

Friday and Sunday we cycled the river path into Salamanca-great to get some exercise again. Salamanca is a stunning city with amazing architecture and apparently the best Plaza Mayor (main square) in Spain. It is quite touristy but we had our lunch in the square, people watching, and it was 10 euros which included a glass of wine. France is becoming unaffordable, we met an English woman who had lived there 24 years and she no longer eats out with her family. Saturday we went to the Art deco/Nouveau museum where they have a beautiful collection of glass, ornaments etc .  We had coffee and tapas in town, 1.40 for the two and then another one on the way home by the river. The campsite bar did food and was mobbed on Friday night and we ordered paella for Saturday, it was delicious and it cost us 38 euros for 2 large beers, 2 bottles of wine (the rioja was to die for), the paella and some cheese. All felt well with the world again.

Sunday we set off for Portugal, the drive was fine but it was absolutely scorchio-36!! The next camper needs cab aircon. We stopped for a coffee and realised we had forgotten that Portugal is one hour behind Spain. The smoking rules are different too and the bars can opt to allow smoking YUK!

We were hot and tired and our sat nav took us down a dirt track, it was then we realised the GPS co-ordinates might not have been correct. Anyway ,after much telephoning, we got to our house-sit and had a quick shower to cool down and went to the local town Serra, for a cool drink. Will and Wendy are retired and they have this villa in Portugal but still also have a house in France. We ate a lovely curry that Will had made and got acquainted with Ruby, chocolate Labrador and Maggie, a Pyrenean sheepdog and Harry the cat.

We are now here on our own till 6^th October and it is beautiful, very peaceful and we have a house with lovely outdoor terrace and a swimming pool-this is the life. It is good to be in a house again and we will just chill for few days. The nearest city is Tomar and it has a historical position linked to the Knight Templars. We can get the bus into Tomar, if we time it right. Everyone seems very friendly but I’m really struggling with the Portuguese language, it is okay to try and decipher some of the written stuff because it is a lot like Spanish but it sounds like Russian when they speak. We will manage with sign language and pictures if need be!!

Once we leave here we will wander in Ruby back through Spain to Murcia and Chris’ house and hopefully get a bit of cycling and walking done there. It’s a bit hot here, although later this week it will cool down a bit, so we might get the boots on.

Next time I will put some photos of the animals and the house.

Till next time

Norma xx

photos from the trip so far

This is the view at 8am on the banks of the Vienne, France

Look its Criccieth castle, Lleyn peninsula!

Ruby, resplendent with the awning

Lounge/bed inside Ruby

Fabulous weeping willow on Avon and Kennett canal

Something a bit older than our combined ages........Stonehenge!!

L'Opera-Paris

Finally able to upload photos!! Not sure what was wrong previously but hey ho !!

Historic places........and the wonderful NHS!!

We planned our trip to Stonehenge for a week past Sunday after breakfast and packing up. Chris was out of the van emptying the chemical toilet and I was getting breakfast sorted, which included making a cuppa. I went to move the kettle from one side of the van to the other lifting it by the base WRONG!! It toppled over and scalded my left wrist. I quickly pulled my sleeve back and poured cold water on and waited for Chris to come back. It was clear it needed looking at so he hastily packed up and we headed off for Trowbridge Minor Injuries Unit (MIU). Luckily at 8.30 am Sunday they are are pretty quiet and I was seen straight away by a lovely nurse practitioner. She used a Flamazine dressing and said I needed seeing the next day........wherever I was!!

Feeling a little frail-I was disappointed not to get a brave soldier sticker!!-we set off to Stonehenge. As breakfast had been rudely interrupted we put the gas on and had brekkie in the car park at Stonehenge. It was pretty mobbed with folk of every nationality but it was fascinating none the less. At the ticket office I asked for one ticket and she gave me a concession, now I don't know how to take it . It saved me all of 80p but honestly do I look 60?? I certainly don't feel it.

After Stonehenge we tootled to Salisbury, Chris had some gear to take back to Rohan and then we headed off to Dunbridge, near Romsey to stay with Chris' sister and brother-in-law. I registered as a temporary patient in Romsey and twice had my arm dressed by the practice nurses, all very efficient.

We had a lovely few days, visited Marie, Chris'mum, did a bit of cycling, got the train to Salisbury to catch up with our friend Jane who is a fellow traveller and had two great meals . While we were in Salisbury, popped to the Cathedral and saw the Magna Carta-there was a surprise as I thought it was at Runnymede but no, a copy in Salisbuty. Steve, Chris' brother in law is not in the best of health but he managed to join us for a lush Chinese. Marie is in a nursing home and was okay two days but we had a few circular conversations on Wednesday. Tricia was a wonderful host and we left with a load of clean clothes and it was good to sleep in a house for a few days.

Wednesday we drove from Dunbridge to Polstead in Suffolk, luckily our miles on the awful M25 were fairly trouble free. This was just an overnighter and we parked up, sat in the sun, had a bit of food and then a walk to the local pub which was expensive and pretty soul-less. 

We spent Thursday to Sunday with John and Lyndis in Colchester.........oh and not forgetting Saxon, the German Shepherd. Now anyone that knows me well will know that these dogs are my worst nightmare but he was absolutely beautiful and very much a ladies man!! 

We went to Chapel for the beer festival-nearly died with the heat-and had a few pints of good beer and then John cooked a lovely BBQ. Friday was a pretty miserable and we had a bit of rain and had to eat John's delicious paella inside. I had planned to go to the Colchester walk in centre but it is apparently not good so Lyndis' next door neighbour is a retired district nurse and she dressed it-with the dressings from the GP practice in Romsey.

Saturday I met up with my school friend Janice, we met at Wallsend Grammar school 47 years ago and have kept in touch all of these years. Often just with cards etc but when we do get together the years just slip away. We had a bit of a walk in Manningtree and then a nice sandwich lunch-although how we had time to eat I don't know as we hardly stopped for breath. Chris,John and Lyndis took Saxon for a run and then we all enjoyed an Indian takeaway.

Sunday we had a good old fashioned English breakfast before packing up, saying our goodbyes and thank yous and setting off for Dover. We had a one night stay in a site 4 miles from the ferry port. It was quite pretty and we had a stroll looking for the village pub , only to find it closed. We left the next morning about 7, had tea in the terminal and breakfast on the boat and at 11am docked in France. It rained all the way down and we are now in Melun, 18km from Fontainbleu ( we will get the bus there tomorrow) and 25 mins by train from Gare de Lyon Paris. Paris is for Thursday.

My arm is healing nicely -dressed it myself today-but the next adventure will be getting some new glasses. I have managed to lose mine today somewhere between the campsite and the centre of Melun. I realised after lunch that they were missing and re-traced my steps but no sign of them. Don't have any spares but there are some places in Paris who do a same day service. Had lunch in town today-very good plate of cold meat, tongue with provencal sauce and a little snifter of vin rouge.........when in Rome!!

Not sure when we are off, but France is so much more expensive than Spain. We will do one or two free camping at "aires" and then next stop San Sebastain-Espana -hasta luego amigos!!

Sorry still problems with pictures ......

Take care
Norma xx

On the road.......

Well 23rd August was a momentous day, about 1.30 got the call to say that the house had completed.........and I read today that house prices are starting to rise but hey ho!! The emptying of the house went according to plan but it was pretty exhausting as I was also trying to fit in other things.

 We left the North East in Ruby the Roadstar on Wednesday 21st August and headed for our first stop , Chester. We had 3 nights in the Delamere forest which was very nice. The train station was minutes away and we had a lovely day in Chester. I know I visited years ago but don't really remember it. Our second day was much less exciting-I was too tired to do anything so just pottered about and read and cooked.

We decided that we would try and buy local produce where we had the chance and base our meals around what we could find. Next to the site in Delamere was a little farm shed , with an honesty system, and we got beautiful green and yellow courgettes, carrots and potatoes. They were all delicious. 

Our next stop was Llanystumdwy,( Lloyd George lived there till he was 16 and his grave is there.) which is on the Lleyn peninsula in North Wales. A good little site with good walking and cycling. We had a cycle to Criccieth , a lovely little seaside town. I have a new bike, which Chris found on Gumtree, and it is much easier, it is lighter, the gears are better and the saddle is comfy!! The next day we did a longer cycle but the village pub sold excellent local beer, certainly needed but you had to wait till 6pm to get a drink.  Everyone was very friendly and we had some lovely bara brith in the local village hall. The local farmer came to the site evry day at 5 pm and we bought gorgeous beetroot and the tastiest black pudding I have eaten for years-wrapped in bacon mmmmm.

From there we made the long trip to St David's on the Pembrokeshire coast , for a stay of only two nights. We were near Abereidy an old slate quarry, and the hedgerows were full of blackberries. On our one full day we walked on the Pembrokeshire coastal path from Abereiddy to St David's, a beautiful walk with not many people till we got closer to St David's. The walk was about 9 miles but quite a lot of ups and downs. St David’s is the UK's smallest city but the cathedral is huge and magnificent and well worth a visit. We used the local bus back and as there are only 3 a day we had plenty of time and I used it wisely getting my hair cut-all of £7. We left Pembrokeshire with some local potatoes, 10lb for only £2 and they are delicious.

From there we left Wales , and part of me was glad to be coming back to civilised England as despite its stunning scenery and friendly people it is devoid of mobile signal!! So Thursday saw us in the van on the slog from Pembrokeshire to Devizes in Wiltshire. We are here 3 days in all and the site is on the banks of the Avon and Kennett canal. Yesterday we cycled into Devizes, only 4 miles........and I thought it would be flat for cycling. Ha, not when there are 29 locks in sequence !! It was hard work but very enjoyable, we spent a bit of time in Devizes and had a bit of lunch and enjoyed the downhill return. In the morning we found a local farm shop and bought 2 sirloin steaks and last night Chris cooked them and they were to die for-praise indeed from someone who does not eat loads of meat.

Today we cycled about 16 miles in total to Bradford on Avon (BOA) and back, a beautiful journey along the canal side. We talked to a few people who live permanently on the canals and it is certainly a simple and easy way of life. Even spotted Timothy West and Prunella Scale yesterday. BOA is beautiful, fabulous houses, full of lovies and the BOA fringe started today so we bought sandwiches and listened to music in the park. A pint at the Barge pub on the way home was very welcome. So our first few days in ruby and it is working out fine. As we go we find little bits and pieces to help make life easier. We have an awning for this van and putting it up the first time at Delamere was a disaster-90 minutes and very fraught but we have got it sussed now. It does give us much more flexible space -and some shade from the wind when outside.

Tomorrow we pack up are off to Stonehenge first thing then to Chris' sister's house for a few days. Chris will visit his mum in the home she is in and catch up with his sister Tricia. From there we will head over to Colchester before leaving for France on 9th September........but more of that another time.

Sorry no photos-internet too slow!!

Till next time

Norma xx

After 25 years, time to move out

Hope this finds you enjoying the season, wherever you are.

I am sitting on the floor of my study at a makeshift "desk" as my desk left yesterday for Amy's flat, together with her bedroom furniture. The garden furniture went to Imogen's yardin. I only really have two rooms left, the living room and bedroom and as the kitchen is all packed away now I am cooking at my neighbour’s house. My stuff for storage goes on Monday and 3 piece suite and dining table to Keith on Tuesday and that is that. I have free cycled some items and am hoping someone is coming to collect my washer and tumble dryer this morning. 

The house sale appears to be progressing and expecting completion on Friday 23rd (crossed fingers and toes as I wrote that!!). Of course it is all tinged with sadness after such a long time (25years)but I have some wonderful memories of this house and my lovely neighbours. This is my favourite photo of sisterly love...........

My girls about age 4 and 8 

I have a little North East bolthole with my good friend Vicki, in Jarrow and will leave clothes etc with her and I will be back for the wedding and staying till after Christmas. Although can't really think beyond Tuesday, when it will be Marigold time as I clean the house. 

It is not all grind though, I am meeting friends for a picnic lunch on the beach tomorrow and then Monday I am going to the new Carluccio's in Newcastle. It has just opened and the menu looks good.  Also hoping to get to see a band on Sunday evening-a plug for Big Red and the Grinners-check them out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG_url2-VxU. The lead singer is my neighbour and I have known him since he was a bairn!!

Wednesday it is off in the camper van and as we have no real concrete plans we have got our first taste of the new life. A house sit was on offer in Portugal, for two dogs and a cat and a four bed villa with pool. We are just negotiating dates but have a ferry to France booked for 8th September. We plan to see Paris for a few days and then make our way down although haven't got a route planned yet. The house sit is in Olalhas, Cepos, Portugal near the old city of Tomar. We will then get to Chris' house about 16th October to get it ready for our visitors coming.

After much discussion about options for a winter trip, to avoid the cold, we have decided to take advantage of the van and travel in Southern Spain, Portugal and possibly Morocco and come home late March and then head off to China in April and May next year. We will look for either house sitting options or helpx (work for food and accommodation)as we go.

So it is all systems go as the next chapter unfurls, I must admit it will be good to be away without the worries of a house. 

As one of my neighbours said Western Terrace won’t be the same without us but a new family are moving in and I hope they get great pleasure from the house and garden.

Take care

Norma xx