Paris in the springtime ( not quite)

Friday, an early start to catch Eurostar. The journey was good to St Pancras where we met Elaine and Jane. The weather was clement though chilly. We arrived at Gare du Nord and walked the 25 minutes to our hotel in Montmartre The staff were wonderful, very friendly and we settled ourselves in our rooms.Continue reading “Paris in the springtime ( not quite)”

All roads lead to Rome, but not without a bump

On Wednesday a change in plans for the weekend presented themselves and I was busy arranging accommodation in Rome ( over a 6N weekend). No mean feat, but I did secure some in a religious community near to where my cousin and her husband were staying. This was a huge departure for me staying somewhereContinue reading “All roads lead to Rome, but not without a bump”

Paris in the springtime ( not quite)

Friday, an early start to catch Eurostar. The journey was good to St Pancras where we met Elaine and Jane. The weather was clement though chilly. We arrived at Gare du Nord and walked the 25 minutes to our hotel in Montmartre The staff were wonderful, very friendly and we settled ourselves in our rooms.Continue reading “Paris in the springtime ( not quite)”

Time flies

I can’t believe it’s been eight weeks since my last blog. We’ve been busy with birthdays, trips to London, seeing family, friends, cooking, eating, planning trips: one which is far flung. Exciting times! January seems to be so much longer than 31 days in some ways, but seeing bulbs popping up in the garden remindsContinue reading “Time flies”

Countdown to 2023

As we approach the last month of 2022, we crammed in a lot to November. A trip to Twickenham was up first with an average game of Rugby from England. View and weather though was good. We’ve spent time with River visiting parks, Christmas displays and Southend. I’ve seen Will Young, we’ve dined with familyContinue reading “Countdown to 2023”

Bellrock and a Ruby anniversary

Last Sunday Kevin and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We stayed on the Fingal at Leith in the Bellrock Lighthouse Suite. I chose this as the Bellrock is the oldest existing rock lighthouse in the British Isles that is still an active lighthouse, is the tower on the Bell, or Inchcape, rock. This isContinue reading “Bellrock and a Ruby anniversary”

And what a week

Last week we were awaiting ‘confirmation’ of our next Prime Minister. Liz Truss was duly announced last Monday as the winner, and on Tuesday she flew to Scotland to meet the Queen. Whilst frail, Her Majesty smiled and did her duty and no one thought that her death would be announced a matter of hoursContinue reading “And what a week”

Retirement one year in

Well that year flew by, although it’s not been without it’s challenges. The relief of not getting up five days a week, to meet deadlines, smoke and mirrors, pulling rabbits from hats and spinning plates, is great. I don’t regret the decision to retire, in fact it’s one of the best I’ve made. I, andContinue reading “Retirement one year in”

Seaside themes, Brighton, Buxton and Bakewell…..

We’ve had a wonderful three weeks whereby we’ve been to Southend, London, Oxford, Brighton, Dudley, Barnsley, Buxton, Bakewell, Helmsley and Thirsk. We’ve visited the seaside, the countryside, been to the theatre, watched some cricket and even been down a coal mine. We’ve spent time with family and friends, enjoyed fantastic food and imbibed maybe tooContinue reading “Seaside themes, Brighton, Buxton and Bakewell…..”

Magnificent women

What a momentous day! An English senior football team has won a cup on the international stage. I do hope that this is a platform to build from and opens up many opportunities for women to thrive and achieve, and shows how formidable women can be. A little over three weeks I had news ofContinue reading “Magnificent women”

Two weeks, two countries, two birthdays.

Andrew came to visit, the first time in four years, and three years since we last saw him. There was lots of catching up with family and friends in Scotland and England, so lots of miles covered. My mum was thrilled to see him, and we visited Dad’s grave which was poignant. Andrew taught KevinContinue reading “Two weeks, two countries, two birthdays.”

Summer approaching

Summer is just around the corner with glimpses of the better weather. I’ve travelled to Scotland twice, watched Arbroath FC win, although didn’t secure promotion this year. There are so many exciting developments at the club so maybe next season. Dad would have been chuffed at their performance this season, and I can’t believe it’sContinue reading “Summer approaching”