October break, 5 October

Backworth Miners' Welfare, Backworth, Newcastle.

The Swan Whisperer went for a short run this morning before breakfast, which was our usual Sunday poached egg with leftover baked beans. Then we got redd up - emptying the loo, filling the clean water and finally emptying the grey, which, at that campsite, is the last thing you do after checking out. There was a sign suggesting one took photos:

so we did:

When we had finished fooling around (The SW said "You're cutting off your chin!", to which I replied: "Which one?"), we headed on.  As we had only a relatively short drive today, we decided to go via Scarborough, which made it a lovely drive.  We stopped there to listen to our church service - they have just installed a new camera, and the sound quality was infinitely better than it usually is, and one could hear what is going on.  It does want tweaking, but the SW and the guy who has helped set it up can do that when we get back.   After Scarborough, and with a very quick stop for me to buy tomatoes and cucumber, which I had forgotten yesterday, we had a truly lovely drive over the North Yorkshire moors, stopping in a lay by not far from Fylingdales to have lunch and to mourn the burnt heather in the area.  Eventually, of course,  our route took us back to the main roads and the Tyne Tunnel, which I slept all the way through!   Then we arrived here in Backworth, where they have a dedicated motorhome aire including services (no grey emptying alas, but water and loo emptying), and the SW went for a walk and I did some tai chi (even ten minutes is enough to set  me up for the evening!), and now we are each engrossed in our own things.  Soon I will make a chicken casserole for supper, which should be good.  I hope!

October break, 4 October 2025

Ashfield Touring Caravan Park, York

A long and rather dull day's driving up the M11, A14 and A1(M).  We set off at about 10:00 and first port of call was a Tesco where I did a shopping - goodness, the prices are eye-watering compared to Lidl.  Sadly, the petrol station was closed, so our next port of call was another Tesco, where we did manage to get diesel.  Then it was on and on, stopping at Cambridge services to have lunch, and in a random lay-by for the SW to have coffee, and mentally waving at our various friends who live in Peterborough, Leeds and Donnington.

And then, when we got to the place where we had planned to spend the night, we were turned away.  I don't know why, as it has excellent reviews and is a proper campsite, but evidently not on Saturdays.  However, there was another campsite only a couple of miles away, so I rang them up and asked whether they had room for us, and they did.  Incredibly friendly people, and a really nice place to stay!  So we are comfortably settled here for the night. I was stiff and tired, and got out of the WoMo when we were parked up and did ten minutes' or so qi gong and tai chi, and that has made all the difference.  It is still very windy - the wind rather impacted our drive up and made driving difficult in some places when there weren't high hedges.  But now there is a lovely sunset!

October break, 3 October 2025

Coopersale, Epping, London

Normally, once the schools have gone back, we try to get away for two or three weeks on an early autumn holiday.  This year, for a variety of reasons, this hasn't been able to happen, and the Swan Whisperer's driving licence is still in the possession of the DVLA pending renewal, so we can't go abroad as you need to be able to show a physical driving licence on demand.  But then there was a week in the diary with nothing happening, so we decided to grab the week, and the two bracketing weekends, and take ourselves up to Scotland, seeing various friends and relations while we are there.

We didn't get away as early as we'd hoped this morning, but arrived at No 6 in time for lunch (soup made by me and bread and cheese and fruit crumble bought and/or made by my sister).  After lunch the SW transferred stuff to the WoMo, and I helped put it away, and then we set off.  This pub, the Garnon Bushes,  allows a motorhome to park up for free as long as you have a meal there, and I had bravely rung up and booked our place for this evening.  Only I had to ring them up again en route because the traffic was terrible and ask if our reservation could be put back a bit!  The drive took longer than it ought to have done, primarily due to congestion around the M2/M25 junction, and between it and the Dartford Crossing.  After that, it was a straight run up the M25, and part of the M11 before turning off.  One of the things I am not so fond of when we holiday in the UK is that there are so very few reasonable alternatives to the motorways. 

Anyway, we got here at last and are parked up in a corner of the pub's car park, nicely sheltered from the wind.  I'm as glad that Storm Amy will have got out of the way before we head much further north!  We ate in the pub; the food was okay, quite edible, but far too much of it.  I'm sure my plateful could have fed a family of four!

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 31 July 2025

 London

So we are home!  I was too tired to blog yesterday by the time we had got  home and unpacked everything, so am catching up now.

Getting up on the last morning is always a bit fraught, as you have to juggle getting breakfast over and done with and beginning to pack up.  I wanted to get as packed up as possible so that the Swan Whisperer would have free reign in the bedroom area once we were on the Shuttle, or in the waiting area.  Nevertheless, we were away shortly after 09:00, and delighted to be booked on to a shuttle an hour early.  We were not really kept in the holding pens for very long, and were back in the UK by 10:00 am, arriving at No 6 shortly after noon.

At which point we discovered that one of our folding crates was missing - we usually bring two crates which are filled with things like the coffee grinder, tins of sweetcorn, jams, herbs & spices, and so on.  We looked everywhere - the Swan Whisperer practically got everything out of the boot of the WoMo; we checked in the back of the car; we checked in the garage of no 6.  Nowhere.  And it wasn't until I was telling Mum about our misadventures with the laundry that I realised - it must have been left in the laundry room at the campsite!  Sure enough, the SW hadn't realised it was ours, and had transferred the damp washing in the carrier bags it had been in when it was dirty laundry!  And I hadn't known that....  oh well.  What a nuisance.  We do have a spare one, but I think it's not very reliable.  I'll get another if Lidl sells them again before we next go away, or I'm sure Amazon will oblige if not.  Looking at the prices on Amazon, I hope Lidl will be stocking them again soon!

After lunch - cold trout, new potatoes and salad, followed by strawberries and cream and lemon drizzle cake - the SW finished sorting out the WoMo to his satisfaction, and also sorting out a kitchen drawer in the kitchen of no 6, which had demised, and we were ready to leave about 15:15.  For the next few weeks, if we go to Sussex, we will go the old way via the A3 and A24, as the A217 (or is it A216) is very badly blocked with road-works, and I think Streatham Hill is going to be, too.  So we'll try to avoid them.

However, we got home at last and unpacked, and of course I can't find my travel pill-box!  Didn't really matter, as I do have spare Metformin (the only thing I  have to take at night), but a bore, nevertheless.  I have ordered a new pillbox, and what do you bet I find the old one as soon as it arrives? 

And now home for the foreseeable future - can't make too many plans (although I do have some ideas!) as I have to have an operation on my eye in two weeks, and it so depends on follow-up appointments, convalescence and if/when I can get the cataract on my other eye removed....  So no plans as yet.

I meant to take a photo of my mother's geraniums, but forgot, so here is one of my favourite photos from the holiday:

A dolphin leaping over Maurach!!!

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 30 July 2025

Blériot-Plage, Calais, Hauts-de-France

The last full day of our holiday started rather well, with a champagne tasting at Boulard Bouquaire, where we had spent the night.  We tasted a rosé, but decided that we have had nicer sparkling rosés, and eventually bought two bottles of a "blanc de blanc" 2019 called Mélanie, to celebrate the owner's mother, who - I didn't gather whether she had been then, or was today - 101 years old!  

After that, the Swan Whisperer had his coffee and we headed on.  We decided to go non-toll, as we had plenty of time.  Our route took us to Landrecies, where we have stopped several times before, either overnight or for lunch, but the aire was full, so we headed on and eventually stopped for lunch in a Carrefour car park near Valenciennes.  Not that I was that hungry - my insides told me rather firmly that tasting champagne at 10:00 am was a Bad Idea.

We drove on all afternoon, getting held up in a couple of places by road works - not too badly, but at one lot there was the added misery of a very heavy shower.  However, that passed, and the afternoon was sunny and warm.

We arrived at Cité Europe at about 16:00 and had a cup of tea before I went over and did a Last Shop in France, and then drove up here to the aire.  I had suggested we go to the park-n-ride, but the Swan Whisperer preferred the aire for security reasons. Plus we have electricity here, which is always nicer.  

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 29 July 2025

Cormicy, Grand-Est, France

Today has actually been pretty fine and warm, apart from a few spits and spots of rain, but mostly sunny.  Which makes a change.  The Swan Whisperer went for a walk before breakfast, coming back with croissants and a demi-baguette, and then said there was a 7 km walk that one could do in the woods.  He was obviously longing to do it, and why not?  So he went and did that and it was late morning by the time we had used the services and headed off, and by the time I had done some shopping at a local Carrefour - which had not, I think, had its full delivery of food, as there were quite a few empty spots on the shelves.  However, I did manage to get what I wanted, mainly milk and cream cheese, although they didn't have the Madame Loic we love, but I got an own-brand version of the same thing, which will do for now.

Most of our run today was on the A4, but we came off to join the D937 across country towards Reims, and so to this champagne  place, which is France Passion.  I believe they charge €10 for a tour and small tasting, which will be most enjoyable - except the SW won't be able to have more than a couple of sips as he is driving! There is a lovely view out of the windscreen,

and it is very quiet except for some doves cooing!  We were warmly welcomed by a large golden retriever, who I think is called Leo, and his owner greeted us warmly and told us we were welcome.  The SW went for a short walk before supper, which was fish with lemon-butter sauce, green beans and mashed potato (the latter, I regret to say, bought, as we are out of potatoes and the French don't seem able to sell them in small quantities!), followed by fruit salad (nectarine, strawberries and raspberries) with yoghurt and caramel sauce.  Lush!  I bought some gooseberries the other day, and the SW has been stewing them, so we'll be having those with our yoghurt tomorrow, which will be our last night in France.  

NCC Pertisau Holiday, 28 July 2025

St-Avold, Grand-Est, France

Once again it was not raining this morning - we have had rain today, but nothing like the past two days.  I went for a brief leg-stretch to look at the Rhine, and was delighted to see the most enormous barge laden with containers going downstream.

We were in no hurry this morning, and didn't set off until well past 10.  Our first port of call was a ReWe, where I did a Last Shop in Germany (yes, Mummy, I did get those coloured eggs we like!), wondering whether to get some of the delicious-looking white wine they were selling.  Much as it pains me to say this, I think Germany and Austria may do nicer white wine than France, but nobody can compare with Mas Alart's rosé!

We then set off on today's relatively short journey back to France, stopping for lunch only about 30 minutes short of our destination.  We are in a Camping-Car park - I did book, but need not have as we are the only people here.  Nothing wrong with the place, and it's half-way between Saarbrucken and Metz, so quite a useful stopping-place.  I have to admit that I slept most of the journey - I hadn't slept terribly well last night, what with traffic noise, and the noise of the rain on the roof.

The Swan Whisperer has been for his usual walk, and I dozed and read most of the afternoon.  I am now cooking supper of a huge vegetable stew with lardons, accompanied by green beans.  The stew/hash/whatever should do us twice.