Sunshine makes all the difference!!

What a week of......

....the most glorious sunshine!

Warm, sunshiny days and blue skies. 

It certainly makes a huge difference to everything!!

8pm and the doors are still open!

I have had to work this week and it is always hard, knowing that whilst you are sat inside, it's absolutely beautiful weather outside. The trouble with this country is, the minute you get good weather you feel you have to enjoy every minute of it, as there are no guarantees that it will last. Unlike our trip to Greece last summer, when every day was beautiful blue skies and sunshine and when one cloud appeared near the end of our trip, it was a talking point!!

The garden is loving the sunshine.

My fig tree is absolutely laden with fruit. 

I'd say there's over 200 figs on there. 

If they all get pollinated, I'll be eating figs all summer.

It's been a fabulous start to the month of May!

The alliums have started to flower. 

They do seem a little late this year but it just means we'll get to enjoy them for longer.

So yesterday, I headed over to Bristol to meet up with Sophie. We did a little shopping. Cancelled our lunch reservation and opted for a takeout, which we enjoyed sitting out in the sunshine on College Green, as we then spent the afternoon indoors!!

I bought these tickets over a year ago, so obviously had no idea it would be such lovely weather. I last saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang back in 2007, so Sam would've been 4 at the time. We had seats up in the Upper Circle. I remember it so well, as Sam was sick and I caught it in my handbag!!! And my poor Dad ended up taking him out and buying him new clothes and they both missed the rest of the performance!! Sam really suffered as a child with Heightened Senses and one aspect was body temperature control and his default was to be sick!! I sat yesterday, thinking about him as a boy and how hard he had it, eating, sounds, textures and how he would have loved to see the car fly. I did offer him a ticket for this time round, but at 23, the moment had passed HA!

The weather has cooled today. It's dry, cloudy and sunny but not as lovely as last weekend. It's Bank Holiday but both Jeff and I will be working tomorrow, so its just a regular weekend to us. He has to go in later today for a duty, so is out in the garden making the most of the time he does have. It's 8 weeks until we go away. The countdown for me is my nod to lose a few pounds. For Jeff, it's a way to pace himself through the term, knowing he has a holiday to look forward to. 

Yes, he does get longer holidays but during term time he works hard. As it's a boarding school, he works six days a week. He's a Maths teacher, Head of Year for 250 pupils and has a sport commitment. Football during the first two terms, volleyball during the summer term. He has to do additional duties and as Head of Year, the expectation is to show support to his year groups wider curricular events, so is often in school in an evening too. That's why we moved to Street, to be closer to school, so less time was wasted travelling back and forth too. And that's why we do very little in term time, because during his one day off, he likes to potter around at home. We do joke, but during the summer term he doesn't  even have to use the car or leave Street!!! As we get older, we often discuss his exit/retirement plan. The Head of Year roll definitely takes up a lot of his time and as it's so reactive, it's harder to pace yourself through the weeks. His evening naps become more frequent, as the term progress!!! HA!

Anyway, I'm about to take him out a coffee, see what he's up to. Planting sunflower seeds I think!!
Have a good week, enjoy the sunshine whilst we have it xx

Back to work!!

Hey ho, hey ho......

....it's back to work we go!!!

The summer term for Jeff. Exam invigilation for me!!

I've had a quiet week to get back into it. It's just year 12 mock exams, so not as many yet. 

In the coming weeks, it's all day, every day! And of course it's been a short week, with Monday and Tuesday still being holidays.

I made the most of my Thursday morning off, to go for a walk with Lynn. 

We went over to Dundon Beacon in the hope of catching the bluebells and we weren't disappointed.

You climb up the bank, to the top of the Beacon, and are rewarded with a sea of yellow cowslips. Absolutely beautiful.

And then as you descend via the woods, you are met with a carpet of bluebells.

Beautiful x

Our garden at home is looking lovely. The 'wild' lawn is beginning to do it's thing! 

And, the alliums are just about to flower.

The weather is set to be lovely next week!

A sun filled week ahead.....and warm!!

When I'm not doing exams, I'll be out in the garden for sure.

And it's only 9 weeks until we go to Greece.
I've been really focused this week on me, having had a few indulgent weeks, with Italy and Crete and Easter!! I've been enjoying my Greek yogurt for breakfast every morning instead of fasting and have added in extra walks around the block after my meals and have still managed to lose, so I will go again next week!! I get motivated when swimwear is involved!!! HA!

We also booked our 2026 Easter adventure. The cheapest time to get flights is when they are released, so we always have a couple of options ready and then when the flights come out, we see how reasonably priced they are and then book accordingly. So we are off to Naples and southern Italy next Easter for £128 each return! and that's with a 23kg hold baggage allowance x1 too! And on that note, I'm off to enjoy the sunshine. Have a good week x

 

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Greetings to you all x

Alongside the chocolates and Easter treats, 

we're eating up a panettone leftover from Christmas.....

....enjoyed out in the sunshine....before the clouds rolled in!!

It 'was' lovely!! Both the panettone and the sunshine!

The weather since we returned from Crete hasn't been anything special. I met up with my sister in Wells on Wednesday in the rain!! Sophie has been home all week, working still, but finished lunchtime on Thursday, so we headed over to the Newt. It was sunny, still chilly but thankfully dry.

The tulip displays over there were looking fantastic.

We had a lovely afternoon.

Sam and Poppy headed back to London last Sunday as Poppy was back in at Uni from Monday, then had the Easter weekend off as an extra! (bit odd timings!) Sam has finished all his in person tuition at Uni, so is currently in London, but will head back up to Cardiff to finish the last of his assignments and final exam! Then his 4 years will be done and he'll have to think about what he does next!!!

It's a good year for blossom, so I imagine a good fruit year lies ahead. 

My fig tree doesn't flower but the first fruits are bursting forth, I'm hopeful of a good year. 

Just need the fig wasp to do it's thing!!

This Easter break has been lovely, just what we all needed. Sophie is heading back up to Cardiff today. Jeff is off for another couple of days, back in 'proper' on Wednesday, a four and a half week block ahead. I start back on Wednesday too, my exam invigilation stint begins. We have mock exams alongside the real exams, so I have 8 weeks to make my money, to cover the summer months when there is no work. It's a double edged sword - great that I have the work and get the summer holidays off with Jeff, but it means working lots inside, often in a cold, big sports hall, when the good weather arrives here!! It is what it is!! 

Kalimera Crete

Jeff and I have have just returned from a week away.....

...in Crete!

Hoping for blue skies and warm, wall to wall sunshine, the memo got lost in translation!! The UK had warm, sunny weather and we had a mix of sun, cloud, rain, chill breeze, with the weather warming up and settling down as we were leaving!! So, a little disappointing but nevertheless, it was time away together, and we needed that just as much! Jeff works really hard, six days a week and in his role as Head of Year of  200+ 15/16 year olds, he certainly earns his wage and has little time or energy during term time, to go out and do things together!!

We stayed in the most fabulous Airbnb in Rethymno, the most luxurious accommodation to date, for only £70 a night and this included breakfast!!

Day one - a day of travel and settling in!

Making the most of the blue skies and sunshine.

Jeff took his first dip of the year! Not once but twice!!

Day two - exploring Rethymno and first sea swim of 2025

Time together x

When we originally booked Crete for Easter, we had planned to walk the Samaria Gorge, a 10 km walk but it doesn't open until May, so plan B was to find an alternative gorge. We got a small local bus up to the start, €2 each. The Mili gorge is easy to walk with good tracks and peppered along the trail are old mills and churches......

....with a lovely taverna halfway through the walk.

Day three - Mili Gorge walk

Our fabulous, delicious breakfasts.

Rethymno in the rain!

Sadly there isn't a lot to do in Rethymno in the rain!!

Day four- a wet day in Rethymno.

Time to move on!

Farewell Rethymno....

....hello Heraklion.

Another fab accommodation for just £25 a night!!

Day five - a change of scenery in Heraklion.

Heraklion in the capital city of Crete. It's busy all year round.

The sea didn't tempt him this time! No rain but a chill breeze!

Wind sculpted trees!

We explored Heraklion and the coast, walking the full length of the very long pier, to the lighthouse at the end and then back again!! An additional 5km!! 

And in the evening we walked to the highest point, to catch a glimmer of the sunset.

Day six - exploring Heraklion.

It was forecast to rain on our final day, so we had made no plans. We had a slow morning, a little shopping, then made the most of the sunshine back down by the harbour.

Loved these plant containers.

Could have happily took one home!!

Day seven - bonus sunshine and Easter treats.

Our final morning and breakfast out in the sunshine. 

A delicious bowl of Greek yogurt.....

..... to round off all the fabulous food we enjoyed.

And before you know it, it's time to leave!!

Back to the airport and a four hour flight home!

 As always, I share all our trips, in real time, over on our travel Instagram account @hap_pea_travels

Would we return to Crete?

Yes, but not to Rethymno or Heraklion! We feel we have 'done' them!!

We haven't seen the best of the island for sure. We always had Crete planned for 3/4 week September trip (when we retire) but we booked this trip, for what we thought/hoped for, warmer guaranteed April sunshine and to walk the Samaria Gorge in cooler weather. The Samaria Gorge is closed and the weather has been unseasonably damp/cool/chilly!!! We have enjoyed the bits we've seen and know in full summer season it would have a completely different vibe. So it's not been a wasted trip, just not the warm sunshine we were hoping for. Next time, we would go to Chania, head West, and then explore the South of the island.

For now, we have 11 weeks to wait before our next Greek adventure, 

exploring the Sporades, Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos.

The wonderful sunshine the UK was enjoying, has, of course, made way for cooler, more unsettled weather!! We've had just about enough sunshine to get some washing out on the line! We came home to a houseful, but Sam and Poppy headed off to London today, so we enjoyed an early Easter lunch together. Sophie is working from here for most of the week, before having the Easter weekend off. I have a date in the diary to meet up with my sister but other than that, a quiet week ahead.