A Traveller's Tale - Part 1

Well, as I mentioned before, here's the start of the holiday photos :-)

We left Southampton feeling a little apprehensive as this was our first cruise and we were not quite sure what to expect, but we fell in love with this lovely lady from the very first day!

 

Snapped at our first port of call, El Ferrol in Northern Spain -  not the prettiest of cruise ports, but we were made to feel very welcome by a group of Galicia Pipers who raised a great cheer from the British passengers for their rendition of  'Scotland the Brave'.

At the next port we went in this

to the top of this

and saw these

as well as the most amazing views across to Spain and North Africa. The Rock of Gibraltar is 1, 398 feet high - to give you an idea just see how small our boat looks from the top !

I have to tell you that the ride in the cable car was a personal triumph for me as I am absolutely terrified of highs - I can't even stand on a chair without a parachute !  First half of the journey was a white knuckle job with eyes closed,  but thanks to DH and several other very supportive passengers, I eventually managed to open my eyes and enjoy (?) the rest of the ride.

Shopping in Gibraltar was a great treat as it's still duty free and who can resist that :-)

Next post - Sardinia - if you're not too bored already!

Remember Me ?

Yes, I'm still here !  Where have I been all this time , well, November has been a very busy month one way and another what with follow-up appointments for DH after his surgery, a trip to the UK to celebrate our wedding anniversary & DH's birthday with our chidren & grandchildren, not to mention some serious retail therapy. Then,once we were back, the dreaded decorating reared its ugly head and this time there was no ignoring it - so with all this going on, I'm afraid my Blog has been more than neglected.

We had a great time in the UK, we stayed in Bath which has always been one of our favourite cities.

Pultney Bridge

The Royal Crescent                                                                                

and the Abbey

Being central to most of our extended family meant that during school and working hours we were free to wander amongst all the lovely buildings and museums that Bath has to offer, and still have enough time for visiting without offending anyone, very important and sometimes difficult. It also meant that we didn't have to change our sleeping arrangements every few days   - even more important as we get older :-)

As well as all that Bath has to offer, we also managed a visit to Tyntesfield , the most amazing Victorian High House you have ever seen, and one that I've waited years to see.

The house

the surrounding parkland

The interior is equally impressive, and to say that it was worth both the wait and the visit is putting it mildly, and if you are ever in the Bristol area, please do go and see it, you'll not be disappointed !!

Lots more news and photos to share with you, but as this is turning into rather a long post, I'll keep them for another time.

Sun, Sea and Sangria

It's all starting to feel like a long time ago now, but our holiday in Calpe   has left us with lots of lovely memories

The promenade around the bay leading to the majestic penon de Ifach jutting out into the sea like a mini Gibraltar. 

  

Home mainly to all kinds of birds but also open to the more daring visitors who might feel like a little climbing adventure - me , I like to keep my feet on more level surfaces !  All along the prom was the 'tourist' area  and filled with the inevitable souvenir shops together with bars & cafes serving  meals of every description, they made choosing where to eat each day very difficult.

The other side of the rock sheltered the fishing port and was a little down market compared to the tourist-y area, but even more dramatic I think

Here the sea was more alive - don't you just love  'white horses'?

Inland was equally as beautiful in its own way with houses clinging to the mountainsides in a way that  made you wonder if they were defying gravity

But maybe they are all linked up with steps like these !!

Aren't they delightful - found in the 'old' town, but we'll keep that for another day.

Another  picture heavy post, but I can't go until I show you these (sand) Castles in Spain

Cheers All!!!

AWOL ...

....and a change!

Way back when at the end of last year, I booked us a break in a milder part of Europe during February to break up the winter months.Unfortunately, things went a little off course when DH's health took a turn for the worse, but luckily I managed to change our booking without loosing any money, which is always a bonus, and this time we actually made it to Spain!Almost 3 weeks in glorious sunshine with nothing to do but relax, read and a  do little stitching !

.
A sea front apartment complete with balcony where we could watch the world go by when we felt too lazy to walk the 50 yards or so to the beach, and with good restaurants also within a couple of hundred metres - what else could you ask for ?

Naturally there are lots of photos, but just for the moment the washing machine seems to be taking up all my time, but not to post without a single one, just a little taster :-)

View from our balcony - not bad, eh ?

The change - well, it must be a reaction to the lovely Spanish sunshine, but I thought that I would brighten up the Blog with a new template, do you like it ?

Before I forget, Amy is hosting another Blogger's Quilt Festival next week,  it really is good fun with lots of eye candy and prizes too so why not join in !

Normal Service Resumed!

Well, the holiday is over and as usual the washing machine is now cowering in the corner after working non stop for what seems like forever!! That part of coming home is bad enough but - Oh My!! Who's going to iron it all :-)

Our leisurely wander up through France to Pays de Calais was somewhat shorter than planned thanks to our two little orphans (both doing well and I have visiting rights to them until they find new homes !) but very pleasant just the same. The weather was very kind to us and we were able to do lots of sightseeing and walking, especially on the lovely long beaches of Normandie , Picardie and in particular the Baie de Somme . It was quite surprising to see how lovely the Somme was, as like many others I am only aware of the area's history during WWI and it was hard to imagine the lovely countryside as the sea of mud associated with one of the most horrific battles of the Great War.

Cap Gris- Nez , famous for being the 'grounding' place for cross Channel swimmers, and it's sister Cap Blanc-Nez were worth the visit, albeit a very quick one, as we made our way to Calais to catch a ferry across to Dover, with it's white cliffs



and a short stay in Kent - but more about this in another post!

Just before we left, I was very relieved to hear that my Friendship Bag Swap had arrived safely at it's new home!!I can tell you that panic mode was beginning to set in as it took over 3 weeks for the package to arrive in Norway, but all ended well and I think Grethe was reasonably please with her parcel! I forgot to take photos before I sent it off so I 'borrowed' this one from Grethe's Blog, hope she doesn't mind !!




Unfortunately it seems as though the bar of chocolate didn't make it to the photo shot!!!!

The fog has lifted, and the sun is shinning again so I'm off to take a 'quiltie' photo to enter in Amy's Autumn Blogger's Quilt Festival - have you entered yours yet ??????

Temporarily Signing Out !

Just a short post today to 'sign out' for the next couple of weeks and also to say that I know of at least one packet on its way to me,but should there be any more ( such as my swap quilts !) please don't worry as arrangements are in place for all our post to be held at the sorting office until we return, so it will be perfectly safe !! As where we live is quite rural and the post boxes not too robust, we always take this precaution if away from any lengthy period. It goes without saying that anything that has arrived will be acknowledge straight away on my return.