Off to the continent tomorrow

Hello and greetings from England!!

Yes I know,very odd a blog from home.



We did manage to visit Cobh and see the Heritage centre and the stories of emigration and transportation, and answers the quandary about why there are Irish pubs all over the world. 
We handed the house back to the owners last week and I made a lovely meal with the produce from their poly tunnel, garden and hedgerow. Even if I say so myself the apple and blackberry crumble was divine!!

The four hour journey from Rosslare to Pembroke was calm and very efficient, breakfast on board was tasty. We headed straight for a campsite in Bath and stayed two nights. It was close enough to the city centre to cycle so we spent a day there. I went to the Roman baths, Chris had been before, and we enjoyed the glorious autumnal weather, having lunch sat outside in a little square.Cycled most of the way up to the Royal Crescent, feel like Bath deserved a bit more time.  In the evening we got the bus into Bath and had a few beers and some food with Chris' old mate , John. John, who lives in Colchester, was doing a course at Bristol university so it was good to catch up.

Friday we headed for a small town near Ringwood on the edge of the New Forest to visit Alan and Linda. Chris and Alan went to school together and have known each other 50 years. We had a quick pint, the pub was closing at 3pm!! Then Alan took us bog trotting in the New Forest before we went to the very, very posh Rhinefield House hotel for afternoon tea. I wish I had had my camera at the ready, Chris and Alan decided to share afternoon tea and to say it was small is the understatement of the year. The two of them were lost for words and every crumb was devoured in two seconds flat. We got back to the house and had the absolute luxury of a hot tub on the patio with a glass of Moet, oh how the other half live!! Linda made a fabulous meal of slow cooked lamb and we washed it down with some wine. Thanks to you both xx Saturday we had cooked breakfast and then a quick trip to Hythe on the Solent.

Saturday we drove to Totton in Hampshire to visit Tricia and Steve, Chris' sister and brother in law. We parked the van up at the house they will move into soon, if the builders ever get finished. We visited Chris' mum who is in a nursing home and then all went out for a nice Indian in Totton. Sunday we visited her again and then went to Tricia's house and we had a lovely meal with one of my favourite things, dumplings. Chris had been a bit snuffly from we arrived and we assumed it was the plaster dust but no, by Monday he had full blown man flu!! He was in bed most of the day. Bless. 

Wednesday was a huge day for me, I got up at 5am and got a taxi to Southampton airport for the 7am flight to Newcastle. Quick trip to Jarrow to my mate Vicki's house for a kip, shower and lunch. She then drove me to the Racecourse in Newcastle where I was interviewed for the volunteering programme for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. It was a good day , the questions were hard and fingers crossed I will be selected. I found out yesterday the only interviewed 10,000 0f the 20,000 applicants. A friend Jane was there at the same time and we had to try out uniforms etc too.So far so good, disappointed there was only a cardboard cut out of Jonny Wilkinson.

Back into town and at 5.30 I met up with my lovely girls and their boys. We met in Jamie's Italian and had a quick catch up for just over an hour. The food was tasty, small portions but Carl's was a bit disappointing. In no time I was heading off back to the airport. 

I had left myself an hour to do the 30 minute journey and I got there with only 3 minutes to spare!! The metro was packed with drunken louts, students, going to a rugby game at Kingston Park. The train terminated early and I had to get off and wait for the next one. Phew. Got back to Southampton and my car was there and I was back in Totton before 10pm. Full and busy day, fingers crossed I get selected.

Today we drive to Newhaven and then tomorrow at 10am have a ferry to Dieppe and then our first night will be in Chartres, where I want to see the cathedral. It has a famous labyrinth on the floor. Our route is then Bourges, Chabanol (to pop in and see Bounty, the dog, and her owners Geoff and Christine) then to Narbonne in France. Into Spain to Tarragona for an overnight and then Valencia for a couple of days before we arrive in Casas Nuevas.

Jane Mardon- a fellow traveller

Front Row!! Look at those legs!!

Love to you all

Norma xx