It's exhibition time!

What a week!?! 

It's been a busy return to work. It didn't help having our delayed flight back from Corfu and then it was straight back to work in the gallery the following day, which is a straight 4 day stint.

And we kick start the exhibition run with Artist talks and the Private View. 

They're great and well attended but they make it a late night.

The weather has turned. It's been like a switch!

It's been chilly, it's rained and it's cold!!

But we still have sunflowers out and some still in bud. Berries and cyclamens are in abundance and we have our one and only self seeded pumpkin clinging on in there.

I don't mind the shift, just wish it was a little warmer and a bit drier! 

It's been a shock to the system!!

So much so, we've put the warmer duvet on and I've got all my jumpers back out.

We do still have our trip to Lisbon in October to look forward to. I'm hoping we'll get a few warmer days, even if the mornings and evenings are on the cooler side. Anything but rain!!

So it's more of the same for us all for the week ahead, albeit an Exeat weekend ahead. Jeff and Sam will finish at lunchtime on Friday and have the weekend off and the gallery is closed on Saturday for me. Sophie has been kept busy after her week off, lots of catching up to do. So we are all getting back into new routines for the new academic year ahead x

Kalimera!!

Sophie and I have just returned from a fabulous week away to Corfu.

We stayed in a fabulous studio apartment in Benitses, just south of Corfu Town. It was a short transfer from the airport, had a pool, and was by the sea....all Sophie's requirements!! The place was a great find. Was modern, clean, fab pool, really lovely staff and we had the added bonus of breakfast every morning.

The first morning we explored, got our bearings, Sophie acclimatising herself to the Greek heat. 

I will say, going in September was lovely, hot but not roasting, a really enjoyable temperature.

We found our beach spot, sussed out the bakery and supermarket options and where the bus stop was. 

Benitses isn't a beautiful resort, but with any place, you can find the positives. The main road runs right through the centre and the road is littered with empty, derelict nightclubs, hinting at it's party resort past. Sophie didn't want to go exploring much. She just wanted a week relaxing, reading, resting up, and it was perfect for that. There were a good number of options for eating out in the evenings and it felt busy enough to not feel you were the only ones there!!

And the food did not disappoint.

Annoyingly we woke to rain on our second day ......

....so we changed plans and got the number 6 bus to Corfu Town.

Jeff and I stayed in Corfu Town for a few days back in 2021.

Sophie didn't love it. She doesn't do heat and it was quite muggy and it was busy, probably because of the rain and the large cruise ships that descend on the place

There are a few swim spots but it is mainly walking through the old town...

...and I did take her to where Jeff and I had stayed.

Here's a link to a blog post from that time.

Thankfully, the following days were dry and we spent them on the beach or by the pool.

We found a lovely, quiet spot!

Sophie read! (lots)

7 books in a week!!

I read 3!!

And we swam in the sea and....

...in the pool.

We ate delicious food and....

....and drank Aperol Spritz....

...and Greek beer!

YAMAS!!

And we enjoyed quality time together xx 

Mother and daughter time xx

And yes, we did miss the boys!!

I think Sophie may have fallen a little bit in love with Greece too x

Annoyingly, our flight home was delayed and I crept into bed just gone 4am!!

I still woke early, so got 3 loads of washing done, out on the line and dry, before it started raining. The food shop is done and my case packed away, ready to start work in the gallery tomorrow morning. 

Poor Sophie headed back to Cardiff this morning and had a tyre blowout on the M4. Thankfully, she's an AA member and was a priority call out, as she was on the motorway and a loan female. Not quite the journey home she was expecting. Sam is working hard up at school as a General Assistant and Jeff is back in the thick of it, with 6 weeks until half term. 

I must go and get my bag ready for work tomorrow, my 5 week stint in the Gallery begins and I will be needing an early night, after our late arrival home from Corfu!!

 

Farewell August

Farewell August, a fabulous sun filled month. An abundant month of figs, blackberries, apples, sunflowers, ice-creams and dahlias!! Celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary, Sam's 23rd birthday, niece's exam results, trips to Moulin Rouge, numerous visits to the Newt, coffee catch-ups with family and friends, evening walks with Jeff and Sam for company, now he's home for a bit.

 It's been a great summer.

Every time I go out for a walk, I return with a few more blackberries. 

They're too good to ignore x

I've spent half my week in work at the gallery, helping to hang the new exhibition starting on September the 10th. I love doing that, displays were always my favourite bit of teaching!! 

And it was great, because I got to work alongside the artist, photographer Jesse Alexander. So I feel quite knowledgeable going into the exhibition about his body of work.

Jeff has been back in the majority of the week for INSET's and Sam has started up in the Dining Hall as a catering assistant. It's a short term job to get some money saved, whilst looking for something 'proper' Bristol way. He has no idea what he wants to do but he does know he doesn't want to be in this job for too long, living back at home.

Sophie came home on Saturday, so we have a full house for a couple of days!!

She has had an offer accepted on a place in Cardiff. No loud fanfare yet, as she doesn't want to jinx things but I wanted to note it here, as I like to look back through my blog from time to time.

As the summer holidays end, so the weather is changing. We've had more rain in the last day or so than we have all summer. Of course the gardens need it, but it does nudge you towards summer ending sooner than I'd of liked. That said, I am away for a week, so really have no room to comment!!

I have found my first conkers, so Autumn really isn't that far away.

And the DM's went on the other day, first time since June!!

The rain has been heavy when it arrives and as a result, 

we've had a few magnificent rainbows out the back over the Tor. 

Today has mainly been all about packing. 

Sophie and I are off to Corfu tomorrow, for a week of rest and relaxation. I've been told it's going to be a lie by the pool/beach and read type holiday!! So I'm not to drag her around exploring in the heat!! That'll be slightly hard for me but I'll give it a go! I do feel a little guilty going away, just as Jeff starts back at work but he'll be busy and now has Sam for company. We booked it a while ago, as the exhibition originally was going to move dates to October, but after we booked, the dates switched back, so we return the early hours of Tuesday morning and I'm straight in the gallery on Wednesday......rested and ready to start.

A sociable week!

It's been a really busy week, catching up with people before the summer hols come to an end and my next stint in the gallery begins. On Monday I met with my sister-in-law over at the Newt. I'd gifted her a guest pass back in February for her 60th birthday and it was time to visit. So we booked the Garden Cafe for breakfast, and then chalked up an impressive 12,000 steps showing her around.

Meanwhile, back at home Jeff was getting through all Sam's washing! 

An equally impressive 3 and a half meters of socks!!!

He completed his stint of Jury Service on the Wednesday and is now back at home for the time being. It's nice having him home and he seems quite settled with the prospect of some time here, just to get some money behind him. He's just got himself a minimum wage job locally to get started, whilst saving and looking for a 'proper' job, ideally in Bristol, where he hopes to be by this time next year. He'll be company for me when Jeff is back at school and he likes to accompany me on walks. Poppy is going to be in Bristol, so close by. It's not the year in London they had planned but...I'm a believer in things happening for a reason and it'll all work out for the best in the end..

Plus he's tall and can reach blackberries that I can't!!!

On Tuesday I met with two of my old Sainsbury's colleagues for coffee and then on Thursday met with my walking friend Lynn. We headed over to Farrington Gurney for their Dahlia picking. 

We got married in Farrington Gurney church, so it's always nice to see.

I would grow Dahlias if we didn't go away in the Summer.

Ten stems for £7...bargain!!

Thursday was GCSE results day. Jeff spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in school, guiding and helping his Year 11's get into the right subjects/courses for Sixth Form and starting to prepare for his new Year 10's in September. Ella, my niece got her results and is off to Bath College in September, to train to be a chef!

I met up with my sister on Saturday, over at the Newt again!! 

I'd not been for ages and now 3 times in August.

Whilst I've been catching up with friends, Jeff has been doing jobs at home, particularly in the garden. The lawn or 'wild area' if you can call it that this year, has taken a battering during this hot, dry spell. He's given it a strim as rain is forecast during the coming week, and it's easier to cut and rake whilst it's dry. It's hard to imagine it greening up again.

I'm keeping things colourful inside!! 

Jeff referee'd this morning, so Sam and I went for a walk, whilst it's dry.

We are lucky here, we've plenty of good walks on our doorstep. He's just got to remember his mum is short and hasn't got such a big step span!!

Next week is all up in the air at the moment. Jeff will be back in for INSET days, Sam is not sure when he will start his job and I have a question mark in the diary about possibly helping out with the new exhibition hanging. Sophie will be coming home the end of the week as we're flying out to Greece on Monday, so a potentially busy week ahead.