Day Tripper!

I've been busy this week gallivanting!
Ages ago Sophie and I penciled in a possible date to visit her in Reading, well it came around pretty quickly and yes, she would still like to see me, so out the door by 6:30am Reading bound.

I was allowed to venture to the fabulous Cafe Yolk for a very welcome breakfast.

Sophie posted a pic from there during her first week back in Reading and I made her promise to take me the next time I visited, so worth the wait, delicious.

I didn't really have long there, after a 3 hour journey there (usually only takes 2), breakfast, the obligatory 'all expenses paid for' food shop, then back to hers for a coffee, before heading home. Back just in time to head straight back out again to Sam's school for an Apprenticeship Evening. He's not sure if Uni is for him, we've agreed on a year out but are exploring Degree Apprenticeships as another possible option. Trouble is they are few and far between, hard to find and highly sought after, so maybe it'll be easier said than done!

The time is whizzing on by again! Autumn really is here now, settled in, so far quite damp and miserable but always lovely to spot the first ghost pumpkins in the shops.

So on Saturday Sam and I were up and out early again - this time off to Cornwall for the day. Granny's had another fall, been in hospital again, the second time in a few weeks and to top it all now has pneumonia! She was sent home on the Friday, so we at least got to see her at home. Sam drove the whole way down, all but the chunk of motorway. We stopped via Portreath, just to see the sea and buy a pasty - couldn't go to Cornwall without having a pasty. Sadly only down for a few hours, quick coffee at Mum and Dad's, before turning around and heading back home. Sam and I both had work today, so it had to be a flying visit, catching moments when I can x

My sister is 50.....

My sister is 50.......

which means in 13 months I will be 50!

Eek! now that's a bit scary!

A couple of pics of us as children.

So yesterday I met up with my sister and niece, who incidentally turns 11 on Monday, for lunch (we missed you Sophie). We choose Italian, to keep with our theme of going to Florence in May, to celebrate both our birthdays. I gave her a little Italian coffee themed gift to celebrate - an Italian mug filled with amaretti biscuits, some Italian coffee and a Caffe Nero voucher - our intention in Italy is to drink copious cups of coffee, whilst sitting 'people watching' and just enjoying spending time together  x

Lunch was lovely, the whole place sang Happy Birthday to Jo's embarrassment!! 

We shared the tiramisu and it was delicious.

So a lovely day, with Florence in May to look forward to x

Hello October!!

Farewell September......

.... a full on month for sure.

 As Jeff and Sam went back to school, Sophie and I jetted off to Paris, just the two of us, a fab few days in the capital. We also had a flying visit down to Cornwall to see Granny and enjoyed trips to Bristol and Bath, before taking Sophie back to Uni in Reading. A full on few days packing and moving her in ready to start Year 2. Sam started driving lessons and Jeff slotted back into school life - busy!!!!

 

Pinch and a punch........ hello October! 

I can't quite believe it's already October!!

It's been a rainy few days but we've been treated to a few lovely run rises and....

.....on the rare blue sky day, I've certainly made the most of it!

My day off was spent cleaning!! But good to get on top of everything again.

Any spare time I've had has been out with Sam driving. We agreed to one school run a day, takes up a good hour of my day but gives him invaluable practise of everyday driving. Plus it means I get to spend a little extra time with him. He's a boy of few words, so it's nice to just chat for half an hour, feel a little more connected to the boy that hides away in his room.

Getting into a new norm!

 So with Sophie now back at Uni and for the first week in what seems like forever that I had no overtime, this week has been the first of the 'new norm'! I've worked my set hours, had nothing big planned and so it was a normal week.

I now have a Wednesday off again, I used to love having Wednesday's free. The market in Wells is on, on a Wednesday and the local cinema has an 11am film showing, with free coffee and biscuits.

So I treated myself  and went to see the new Downton Abbey film. No one else would have wanted to see it anyway, so I enjoyed a couple of hours for me! I then met Sam, who drove us home. That too is now a new norm, I've agreed to do one journey to school or back every day. Sophie had the luxury of driving to and from school every day, as I was doing the school run but a condition of Sam staying at the Blue for Sixth Form, was that he would get the bus. As he still gets his ticket and I don't want to be tied to having to do it both ways every day, we've agreed to do one journey, that way he's still getting the necessary practise.

I or should I say we, my sister and I, have also booked our flights for Florence in May. It's a joint 50th birthday treat to each other. She turns 50 this October, me the following November, so we're going somewhere in the middle and as she's a teacher, May half term is it! We both went briefly whilst inter-railing together in the Summer of 1992, 27 years ago. We both said we would love to return but neither of us have, so what better place to celebrate our 'special' birthdays together.

Celebrating would be the wrong word but I'm happy that Sophie has settled into her new flat back in Reading really well. She's in a diverse mix of Fresher's, Year 2 returners and a Year 3 but all seem to be getting along nicely so far. So it's back to sending mail, just a card or two every week, so she gets something in the post. I did it last year and she loved receiving post! so I shall add it into the 'new norm' sending out something from my vast collection!

This next week is going to be much of the same, a day out planned possibly for the Saturday but no overtime and routines beginning to work themselves out, just how I like it xx

Year 2!!

The beginning of the week I worked, overtime too but on Thursday Sophie and I went to Bath for the day, a last treat day together before her heading back to Reading.

Friday was pretty much full on packing! Me performing a minor miracle, tasked with getting all of this into a Micra. Thanks to my father and his packing skill legacy, I did actually squeeze it all in but goodness knows how Jeff managed to fit in too last year!!! Her stuff has multiplied!

6:00 am alarm, arriving in Reading at 8:20, 40 minutes early but we were allowed to go in and start unpacking. 

Goog job really, she's on the third floor this year, thankfully there was a lift, as 5 trolley loads later we had got everything out of the car......

.....and into her room! 

After bagsying a shelf in the fridge and freezer, we headed off to the big Sainsbury's to do a huge shop - £130 later!!! she's well stocked up and has a lifetime supply of loo roll stashed under her bed.

She's desperately hoping her flatmates are cleaner this year. The kitchen is all set up for 8 but at the last count there were still only 5 of them so far. 

I hung around for as long as I was wanted. I took my prompt from Sophie, basically help her unpack most of her room for her, then go!!! It was so much easier saying goodbye this year. I know she has friends, I know she feels safe, I know she is happy, so no tears this time round........

....just a date in the diary to meet up and see each other again xx

Have a fabulous year Sophie x

Busy week

It's been another busy old week - mix of work and then a trip down to Cornwall on Thursday. It had always been my intention to go down for the day, so Sophie could see everyone before going back to Uni, so we set the alarm early and were in St Ives for breakfast, on a very lovely, blue sky day. 

 

Met Mum and Dad for lunch but instead of seeing Granny at her home, we visited her in hospital. She had a nasty fall on Monday, managed to hit her head and lost a lot of blood, so 2 blood transfusions later..... got a phone call last night to say she's now home x

 

Sam had his first driving lesson on Friday evening, he was ready to start. I've done quite a bit with him since his birthday in August but he now needs proper lessons. He came back smiling, so that's a good sign.

  

Then yesterday Sophie and I went to Bristol to see the Lion King.

A*M*A*Z*I*N*G

If you've not seen the Musical Stage Version before and get the opportunity to get tickets, GO!!! It was incredible, the costumes, the dancers, the voices, the puppetry, absolutely fantastic. The tickets were pricey but worth every penny I'd say. 

 

I'm still humming the tunes in my head! Might see if I can get a cheaper mid-week matinee ticket, treat myself nearer to my birthday, as it's on tour in Bristol until the end of November!

Anyway, have a good week, I'm working today through to Thursday, then it's packing Sophie up to take her back to Reading, so another busy week ahead x

PARIS

Paris - you were everything I hoped you'd be and more!

Sophie and I are just back from the best little trip to Paris. We went by train from Castle Cary to London Paddington, tubed it to St Pancras, where we got the Eurostar to Paris. Metro'd it to our AirBnB in Pigalle, unbeknown to us, in the Red Light District!!! but that didn't matter. We felt completely safe and in a great location to explore Paris. To say our AirBnB was tiny would be an understatement but it was perfectly fine for us and we had always set out to do the trip on a student budget, so you get what you pay for, a bed for the night, shower, nice and clean and central to explore.

We only arrived in Paris at 4pm but once we'd found our apartment we headed off on the Metro to the Louvre. It's closed on a Tuesday, so the best day to photograph the glass pyramid without the queueing crowds. We then went in search of the Pont des Art - the bridge of locks but it is no more. The bridge started to collapse from the weight of the locks, so sadly they've now been removed. We walked along the river Seine on our way to the Eiffel Tower. One of the things we wanted to see was the Eiffel tower at night, lit up and so we headed there as the sun set and watched her light up, sparkling on the hour, every hour for 5 minutes - a magical sight. We then headed back to the Louvre to see that lit up too. Day one complete, already walked miles and exhausted.

Day two and first thing breakfast - pastries and coffee for less than 10 euros!

Best way to start any day!

So day two was jam packed again. We headed up to the Sacre Coeur first thing - got there early to avoid the crowds. We were so lucky with the weather, the white buildings of the Basilica shone out against the most perfect blue sky and we had fantastic clear views across the city. The Arc de Triomphe was next, so busy and hot! We decided to not go up it but instead walk the full length of the Champs Elysee and enjoy the sunshine.......

.......stopping off at Laduree, the home of the macarons half way down. 

What a treat!

She made me do it!!

 We couldn't of asked for better weather, lovely autumnal feel, warm sunny days but not too hot. 

We spent the afternoon at the Centre Pompidou, there was a great viewing platform on the top floor. Sophie wasn't so keen on the actual galleries, to be fair there wasn't that much 'famous' art in there, things she would have recognised. We then spent the afternoon wandering the streets of the 'fashionable' Le Marais, the Jewish and Gay quarter. It was lovely, a lot less touristy, ending up at Merci a trendy and VERY expensive shop I'd seen many a time of Instagram! Too expensive to even buy a tote bag though! Our final destination was Montparnasse, the tallest building in Paris!  

Sophie and I couldn't believe how quiet it was, for a good 30 mins or more we had this viewing area pretty much to ourselves, so we made ourselves comfortable and watched the sun set over Paris.

And stayed a little longer to see the Eiffel tower light up too, a highlight for us both.

Ending both days with a fabulous view of the tower.

 

Day 3 was all about the Eiffel Tower again, this time actually climbing up it!

First thing after breakfast, we wandered around Pigalle where we were staying, then metro'd it over to the Tower, arriving from the other side of the river. We had intended to go on a river boat cruise later in the day but decided for the money, we wouldn't actually see much more than we had already done, so decided to give it a miss. Our pre booked tickets to climb the tower were at 12:00 but they let us up earlier.

We did question why we'd decided to climb the 674 steps up the Eiffel Tower, rather than go in the lift but once we started climbing it was fine and we had no choice anyway! The views of the city were great again, but we had been spoilt the night before watching the sunset from the top of Montparnasse. It's funny I'd remembered it completely differently from my visit 27 yrs ago but someone did say how it had changed due to extra security and the large paved area I'd remembered, is now the park area under the tower. 

I know life is easier with mobile phones but I still preferred my trusty map to get us around, my father would've been proud of me (he worked for the Ordnance Survey making maps!) We decided to head back to Hotel de Ville for lunch, an area near the Pompidou we'd stumbled upon the day before. Perfect stop and busy corner street cafe for a coffee, before walking to Notre Dame, not that we could see a lot of it due to the renovation work being done after the fire. There was a lot of restoration work going on, arches being supported etc but it will be many years before you will be able to view it in it's full former glory again.

With no agenda for the rest of the day, after deciding not to do the river cruise, we just wandered back around Le Marias, ending up back around the Pompidou where we decided to have tea, discovering the fountains around the back. Knackered, we headed back to our apartment to recharge, pack and then headed out in Pigalle to see the Moulin Rouge all lit up and wander around the back streets of Montmartre, before crashing, day three done!  I think you can say we made the most of our time here.

6:00am alarm on Friday morning, up and out before our local Patisserie had even opened. Metro'd it back to the Gard du Nord, another place that was exactly how I'd remembered it and coffee! A much needed coffee, before we boarded our Eurostar train back to London!

We had the best time!

It was lovely to explore Paris with Sophie, a place I'd last visited 27 years ago as a student, just like her. We did everything she wanted to do, split everything 50/50 and have shared so many wonderful memories. A wonderful trip to share before she heads back to Uni in a couple of weeks. 

I will miss the coffee - was shocked at the price of my first cup 5euros 80! Thankfully those there after were cheaper. It was good coffee but not if it had all been at that price.

Thank you Sophie for a fabulous few days.

Thank you Paris for having us.

Mercie Paris, au revoir, jusqu'à la prochaine fois Paris!