Daughter#1's Trip to Italy and a Bit of an Italian Word Class

It was only a little daunting to fly out there with her cousin as this time they landed at Fiumicino airport which is a lot larger than the airport they are used to travelling to and from. Fiumicino is actually officially named Leonardo Da Vinci although no-one seems to call it by this name but by the name of the nearby town instead. It's as large as Heathrow so daughter#1 and nephew#2 were a little worried but managed perfectly well in the end. Of course on the return journey they needed to walk the entire length of the airport to get from check-in to the departure gate, and, again of course, once arrived there they needed to change gates to one in a completely different area of the place - why this happens every time is one of those little nuisances quirks that only happen in Italy.

They tell me that they enjoyed their time out there very much despite the near 40 degrees temperature out there right now. And the mosquitoes, too. Actually we have had mosquitoes here in the UK recently! I'm going to buy one of those bug swatters which are great fun to use as you just swing them round the room till you hear a satisfying zzzt.

They didn't seem to mind going for walks only to have to stop every hundred feet to meet and kiss yet another cousin or family friend, or even neighbour. Nor to eating huge lunches though they both had to stop eating so much by the end of the holiday as they were both just so stuffed. But they enjoyed the beach, my father hired an umbrella on an ordinary stretch of sand although still near to the section he usually uses with the anziani (or older person) where the pensioners get their ombrelloni (beach umbrellas) a little cheaper.

I'm just a teensy bit disappointed as, although daughter#1 did bring me back some yummy goodies such as favourite Italian biscuits from when I was young, she couldn't get me the fresh figi (figs) and big fat juicy olives from the market as they didn't have quite enough time to visit the mercato (market) athough it was mercato day, but then unless you go early such as 8am then it can get so hot sometimes it's not enjoyable to go, although the busy bustling mercato with it's oh so cheap fruit and veg is one of my favourite places to go - I can't get over how, by the end of the morning, you can buy a whole tray or box of pesche (peaches) for 3 Euro!!

Photos From France

We had a lovely time in France, staying with the Chauffeurs parents in their place in the Pyrenees. Being August it was, of course, hot but dry with a couple of spectacular thunderstorms. The storms meant the wireless connection had to be shut down as they have had 3 modems blow up due to the electricity in the air!

The area has a lot to see and visit, some of it we saw and photographed, though I won't post them all up today. First to show is where we stayed and the rocky stream alongside the house which the girls loved going back regularly to make a dam, trying to divert the water a little, I think, is what they were doing. Naturally being so high up in the mountains there is a lot of water around, streams all around, going through villages, past peoples houses, some naturally others deliberately to avoid the flooding which happens occasionally.

 We were there for the 15th August, an important time in the Catholic calender, of course, and although we didn't go we could here the music from the nearby village where the villagers danced for hours late into the night.

Here's the house with it's large glass room, can't really call it just a conservatory.

Us sitting in the shade under a tree feeling cooler than in the house

The mountain view around, the first picture shows the peak of the Canigou.

The Chauffeur making us a barbecue in the specially built oven, the other side has a bread oven, too.

The girls and the Chauffeur playing in the stream, it was so cool there under all those leaves, and the water cold but so refreshing on our feet.

Going to France in the Morning

This is just a quickie today as I've a ton of stuff to do. We're travelling to France tomorrow to stay with the Chauffeur's parents where they are pretty much living these days.

We're up at silly o'clock so it's not great that I'm working till at least 10pm tonight, bad management on my part for not organising things properly.

Need to pack, get the girls to pack, though I believe daughter#1 has already begun and will no doubt be the first to finish and be able to relax, she's so organised, just like her Dad. The house needs cleaning and tidying so it's nice to return to. Animals need their cages cleaned, too. One of our friends will be coming in every day to feed and water them.

Right, I'm off to make a start. Will hopefully have photos to show you when we return. Byeee!

A Few Photos of our Last Camping Holiday

I know you can't really see any photos of tents and that's what camping is all about really, isn't it? But our photographer, aka the Chauffeur, doesn't actually do photographs all that well. These are the pic of the best. 

But it was all fun, though, and that's what matters. A nice enough site with a lovely tea room in a large old house serving enormous cream teas with lashing of cream and jam for the homemade scones, is a good feature for this site. Plus it has reasonably good washroom facilities. The showers (two, to be shared between the sexes) in the same converted barn as the sinks for cleaning teeth etc, which is partitioned off from the sinks for washing the dishes. This, for us, is a step up from the converted '70s caravan with tiny sink and toilet added in to it, in our usual site.

The main problem with this site is the noise. The camp site is split into two with the section we stay in next to a road. At night the car noises are amplified. It is also near a busily running stream. One friend was discussing the night noises with me and another friend. She talked about the road, water, and the other friend brought up the loudest dawn chorus which we agreed was louder than any we'd ever heard before. But she also brought up the noise of the men - Snoring. Hmm. I had to agree. We both had partners snoring on one side of us, and there was also several other men in our company doing the same which can be heard clearly at night with only canvas walls between us, Snoring in Stereo as she succinctly put it, yes, absolutely - of course we ladies don't do that, do we??

Another interesting feature of this site is that at the other end of the fields is the oldest river swimming club in Europe. People come from miles around to swim in it. The weather was exceedingly good while we were there, as it was last year too, and  so the field next to the diving boards was filled with picnickers and bathers. Shame we have no photo of it, maybe next time, but here's a link if you're interested

http://www.stowfordmanorfarm.co.uk/swimming.php

Anyway, here are the photos. Daughter # 2 and a friend in the holey dingy, apparently they got very wet when it leaked and sank.

Daughter # 1 walking past the Bell Tent belonging to some other friends. I am so envious as I have been after one for ages. We might stay in it at some point this Summer as the friends are living in their yurt and have this up next to them as their guest tent. Is she eating something? Looks like it, we do eat well while camping, plenty of food and plenty of hunger in the fresh air.

Little shot of D#2 outside our tent next to our cooker.

Wide shot. The people sat down are in front of our tent. Everyone always seems to come to ours as the communal one, no idea why, ours isn't the largest or even the nicest but they always gravitate to ours so there is always a semi circle of chairs around us which people sit and go off, return, etc, for the camp duration.

 Me and some others, well you got to have a photo of someone with a cup of tea - a staple at campsites. This one is me drinking it.

Camping is great and people are so friendly there. One incident to let you know how is that Daughter # 2 ran out of water when in the shower. I was drying my hair with my portable hairdryer while a couple of other people were queued waiting for their turn in the showers. I had no 50ps to give her to pop in the shower meter and was about to run all the way back up to get some more when the man in the next cubicle to her popped his head out of his door and offered me a 50p piece, and also some more shampoo as he'd heard her asking for that too. How nice, to stop his showering and do this with all those other people around (he did keep himself well covered up). I made sure to find him to return his money. Just an example of how everyone mucks in while camping, it's a real leveller.

Holidays Are Here

The English summer holidays officially began yesterday, though a lot of schools had an in service day on Friday. Daughters #1and 2 finished early that day and have been recuperating since. D#2 especially has been feeling washed out from her early mornings and full days at school and is doing what she likes best now to relax, namely sleeping, watching tv or using the laptop, mostly done in her pyjamas.

I don't know what daughter#1 is doing as she has disappeared into her room only emerging for meals and bathroom use. I think she's been playing around with hairstyles and putting up even more posters of pop stars and film/tv stars on her bedroom walls (which have no almost disappeared), most of whom I've never heard of, but that's understandable to D#1 and 2 because I am, of course, OLD.

I have been trying without success to get them to come out with me, there's a fair in the public park about 20 minutes away for instance, but neither of them will come with me as I am not one of their friends as well as being OLD. If a friend of theirs were here they'd have energy and interest to go to these places I keep asking them about, but as no friends are here these things are BORING. How they can be boring to go with me but fun with a friend only they can understand. I may have felt the same at their age but as I am so OLD I can't remember that far back - according to them, anyway.

But I digress, yes holidays are here and I do hope we all have lots more fun soon - outside in the fresh air.

Going Away

It's half term and we're off to Germany to visit C's family in an hour. I thought I'd just pop on to say I'll be away for a few days. Looking forward to seeing the new baby born since our last visit to C's sister.

Apparently it's cold out there so we've packed lots of  woollies, hats and gloves. We're only allowed 3 cases between us but as we're only out there a few days we managed to get all our bulky winter clothing in alright. Hope all the rules and regulations aren't going to bother any of our packing, there are so many now and don't they keep changing?!

The girls are sad at saying goodbye to their pets but they'll be in good hands as a friend will be coming every day to feed and water them.

Here are the suitcases, all packed and ready to go, C and A are sharing, C is the closed tidy half, and A is the muddled half, of course.

                              
                                                                      Mine

                                                            E has her own.

                                                        All finished and ready to go

Ok, all packed -check
House tidied and cleaned - check
Everyone hair tidy and travel clothes on - check
That's it - we're off!