November freedom!

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Wednesday Weekly

Now my gallery run is over, I have a little more freedom to come and go as I please. So whilst Jeff went back to work, I headed up to Cardiff, stopping at Cribbs en route to do a little Christmas inspo gathering. I had the added bonus of meeting up with Sam on his lunch break for a car picnic and catch up, as he works only 10 mins away.

The initial reason for going to Cardiff was to see Paul Heaton. I bought to tickets and dragged Sophie along to keep me company. It's annoying that these concerts are on a random Monday night, had it been in half term Jeff would have been able to come but it's too far to go on a school night.

I don't think she'll become a Paul Heaton fan anytime soon but she didn't hate it!!

I LOVED it x

Then on Tuesday we dipped our toe back in the house hunting arena. Sophie has taken a year off really after having to pull out of the maisonette she'd offered on. She's been thinking about her non-negotiables and a few compromises, so we go again! I then popped into Cardiff on the train to do a bit of Christmas shopping, then met up with Sophie for pre birthday burger and drinks.

Wednesday morning birthday breakfast! 

How can she be 27???

Sophie had to work after our breakfast and so I headed home.

Thursday - hair colour day!

I have been consciously growing my hair since June and it has now got long enough to actually look styled. How long it stays like this is debatable. I'm not someone who spends ages styling their hair, so if it becomes annoying it will be cut short again. This is long for me!!

Thursday evening was Bonfire Night. 

I loved Bonfire Night as a child. I think my earliest childhood memory was when I was four, having just moved house, sitting on a packing tea chest eating fish and chips, watching fireworks out of the window. I watched this years display from my bedroom window, courtesy of one of our neighbours putting on a fabulous display.

I worked Friday in the my new 'Art Office' job and then enjoyed a lazy Saturday at home. I decided to check out my Christmas card stash....good job I did! I have loads of cards. This doesn't even include the packs I bought in the January sales or the few I've bought this year. Realistically, I have enough cards for the next 3 years!!! I just love cards and supporting small designers.  I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours selecting cards for individuals. They've each got a stick-it on and are in a box, in order, ready to write. Given how rubbish the post is, I will try and get them written to go out early December.

So today is Sunday and we are, like yesterday, sat under a thick blanket of fog. 

You can't see the Tor but it does make my figs stand out.

We're having a lazy, cosy day at home. 

I need to get my head back into exam invigilation mode. I've got 3 days of exam invigilation this coming week. It's just the Yr 11 mocks, so there is a little margin for forgetfulness!! It's the same for both the exams and the gallery, I go for big chunks of time doing neither and then you have a short burst and have to remember what you're doing, how to log on etc. As always, I seem to be on the banks of laptops in the main halls, no gentle 1-1 sessions. I then have a day off  before it's back in for my art office day. So far it feels a good mix and a balance of work and free time. Thinking ahead to the summer, I'll possible only offer 5/10 sessions, just to stop the stress and foreboding in the summer season. If I won the lottery, I'd retire tomorrow, I can quite happily fill my time!

Half term week at home

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Wednesday Weekly

So the end of our half-term holidays is drawing to a close. It's been nice to have a week at home, catching up with life admin, garden jobs, walks, days out!

I had my Mammogram on Tuesday in Morrisons car park.

Just got to wait for the results now...

Jeff has spent a good chunk of the week out in the garden. We've decided to give the fig tree a really harsh prune. If it limits next year's fruit, then so be it, but it was getting really big, a lot had started to hang over the back wall, with much of the fruit unreachable....

....and it was getting quite tall, so a hard prune was long overdue.

Thursday's plans were cancelled. I was meant to be meeting old school friends in Bristol, but Em and Mel couldn't make it, so I took myself off over to Stockhill Woods....

....on a fungi forage!

Wasn't disappointed, sooooo many types of fungi to photograph.

The weather has remained warm, up until today when the temperature has dropped. 

We've had some fantastic evening skies.

On Friday I went over to Ham Wall. Having worked so much before half-term I've not had chance to get out walking, so I now need to get my boots on and get out there! It was so lovely, I had to take my coat off. I must make the effort this year to go out for a murmuration, you can see the starlings flying over the Tor again, so the numbers are building.

There was still plenty to see in the daytime.

Friday evening was the Traitors final. Excellent TV!

Then yesterday Jeff and I headed to Bristol in the fog, to meet up with Sophie.

We had tickets for Back to the Future, which I bought over a year ago, hence I didn't get a ticket for Sam as we had no idea what he would be up to. Although  now in Bristol, he was actually working so wouldn't have been able to go anyway.

We got home late, but still welcomed a few trick or treaters for Halloween.

We don't actually get many on our road, which pleases Jeff as he gets to eat what's left!!

Pinch and a punch......today is November!! 

Not sure how we got here so quickly! 

Jeff tried to get Sunday Glastonbury tickets but failed. It would have been my first time going but it was obviously not meant to be. I now need for Harry Styles to not be the Sunday headliner and for it to be a wet, muddy year, so I won't feel I'm missing out!!

So Jeff goes back to school tomorrow and I settle into a bit more of a relaxed period workwise. The November mock exams start this week but I'm heading up to Cardiff tomorrow for a few days, staying up to celebrate Sophie's birthday morning with her, before heading home. I have my day working in the art office on Friday and then have a few days of exam invigilation next week. It's paced quite nicely, with Sophie's birthday and then my birthday and Christmas prep on the horizon. Sam and I have a couple of days in Cornwall later this month, as he's not seen mum and dad since Christmas. I've also got a night out with my sister and a couple of nice things in the diary, so a busy month ahead!

Perfecto Puglia x

42/52

Wednesday Weekly

So we have just returned from a fantastic week in Puglia.

Flying direct from Bristol to Bari, a new easyJet route. 

It was exactly what we both needed after a busy first term.

Day 1 

Bari, Puglia, Matera

A full first day. Early flight out of Bristol to Bari. Super speedy through the airport and on a bus to the beautiful city of Matera, home for the first two days.

The view from our roof terrace.

As always, we share our travels over on our Instagram account @hap_pea_travels 

loads more photos and info over there if you are interested.

Day 2

An art filled morning - Andrea Roggi sculptures and the Tower Art Museum

Exploring Matera

Witnessing a real life helicopter rescue in the gorge.

Day 3

A travel day from Matera to Bari, then onto Monopoli, via bus and 2 trains. 

Our base for the remainder of the trip.

 We stayed in a fabulous apartment. We had a roof terrace and a washing machine!! It was really beautifully presented, clean, lots of recommendations for places to eat etc. Booked via booking.com

Of course Jeff went for a swim in the sea at the earliest opportunity..

And I soaked up the lovely warm sunshine.

Day 4

We ventured to Polignano a Mare, just 5 minutes up the coast by train and only £1.15!

Polignano a Mare is known for its popular 'Lama Monochile beach', its old town, sea caves and the birth place of Italian singer Domenico Modugno. 

It's also where the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series takes place

'Lama Monochile beach'

Another swim for Jeff

Panzerotto Classico for lunch. 

Puglia's version of Naples' deep-fried pizza!! €3 and delicious! 

Day 5

Heavy rain was forecast, so we had to change our plans and headed to Ostuni, a historic hilltop town, famous for its whitewashed old town (La Città Bianca) and stunning sea views (on a clear sunny day)

It was straight off the train, onto a bus €2 which took you up to the base of the town.

Rain, rain and more rain.

We actually dodged the rain during our time in Ostuni. 

It was whilst we were on the train heading back to Monopoli that the heavens opened,

So we sat the worst of it out in a cafe!

Day 6

The sunshine returned, so we headed to Bari

 I always take 100's of photos everywhere I go. To encourage Jeff to take a few, we set ourselves the colour challenge. Jeff got blue 💙 I got yellow 💛 and just because I take loads of pics, I gave myself green too 💚 Jeff then went rogue and took pics of Italian men wearing blue 💙😍💙

You notice more details when given a focus 💙💛💚

Next up Strada delle Orecchiette, also known as Strada Arco Basso, Bari’s famous pasta street located in the historic old town.

This narrow alley is world-famous for the one simple reason: every day, women sit outside in the street making fresh orecchiette by hand. Often called “Bari’s pasta street” or “Orecchiette Street”. A street lined with wooden tables dusted with flour, pasta drying in the sun, and Nonnas shaping hundreds of orecchiette.

And we were on a mission to find the one and only 'Nun's Tits' in Bari!!!

Tette delle monache” (literally “nun’s breasts”)

A famous, dome-shaped Apulian pastry made of feather-light sponge cake filled with chantilly or diplomat cream and dusted with powdered sugar....deeeeeelicious

A fun filled food day.

Day 7

We made the most of the blue skies and warm sunshine and spent our final day in Monopoli 

We plan to return to Puglia again, so rather than this trip being a tick list of places to go, we made the most of the sunshine and enjoyed a relaxed 'nothing' day.

We've made use of the washing machine and our gorgeous roof terrace, as rain is forecast for home on our return.

Beautiful Monopoli

Last swim in the sea of 2026 for Jeff

Another colour challenge.

Day 8

A travel day to Bari Aeroporto, then home!

Treated to a beautiful sky as we set off for the train station, en route to the airport

A fabulous week in Puglia, returning home, well rested, relaxed and recharged.

Arrivederci, until next time.

We got back to Bristol and it was tipping it down.

Like absolutely pouring!

Today we have attempted to do the washing and get it out on the line.

It was too wet to do much, although we picked a few figs.

It's definitely coming to the end now, possibly the last pickings.

We still have a week of half term left. We have a couple of  things in the diary but also days with nothing planned. A slow, relaxed, chill week at home.