The Markfield Beam Engine

Ever since I have seen signposts to the Markfield Beam Engine, I have longed to visit it, and today it was not only open to the public, but also in steam!  So this was an Easter Monday outing to please me, if nobody else! The Daughter invited us to a barbecue lunch and after this we set off - as their car won't seat six, the Son-in-Law decided to cycle.  The children's bikes were put in the car, as the car park the Daughter likes to use is quite some way from the site.  In fact, she was able to park slightly nearer than she thought, and we set off to walk the remaining 1.5 km to the museum.

It was a lovely walk along the River Lea,

although the towpath was jam-packed solid with people - mostly ultra-Orthodox - out for a Bank Holiday walk.  The Daughter was rather concerned for the boys, between the Scylla of falling into the river and the Charybdis of knocking someone else over, but the navigation happened smoothly, and we arrived at the museum about five minutes before the introductory talk started, and then the engine was started.  It was brilliant, and smelt absolutely gloriously of coke....

we did wonder, though, whether it would have smelt quite so nice in the days when its function was to pump sewage.  The boys rapidly got too hot - it was hot in there - so we went out and had ice-cream and then the Swan Whisperer and I continued our walk along the river to Tottenham Hale Tube station, and so home. 

The Institution of Civil Engineers

Some years ago now, it was a joke that if you looked up "Boring" in the yellow pages, you were directed to civil engineers.  I think the Institution of Civil Engineers (known as "ICE", slightly to Boy Two's confusion) must have taken that to heart, as it has adapted their library to be an exhibition space, and this year's exhibition is "Water: From source to tap".

We had no idea what to expect, but in fact it was a delightful exhibition.  We arrived very soon after it opened, and were about the first people there, although it did fill up a bit later.  There were loads of videos you could watch, with headphones; there was a film (rather dull) in the built-in cinema; there were interactive touch screens and games, and even a virtual reality headset.  The Boy had a go on that, and had great fun exploring his world rather than playing the game that you were supposed to, but I, for one, would have done the same, I suspect.  There was lego and other construction materials, there were books (some free to take home) and generally, there were lots of ways to spend a morning!

Above all, two things stood out - one the slightly relentless focus on how much the world needs civil engineers and how they are "secret superheroes", and the other about Don't Feed the Fatberg.  Apparently it's not just London that has a fatberg problem, but all round the world!

I am not sure how much Boy Two enjoyed it, although he did like playing with some of the construction materials and the games on one of the touch screens.  He was faintly confused by the acronym ICE for the Institution, but I think he might have sorted it in the end.  The Boy enjoed himself, and was heard telling his father all about fatbergs.....

When we had had enough, we followed our noses to the basement, where there is a café and a brasserie, both open to the public.  We looked at the brasserie's menu, but decided that it was a bit expensive for lunchtime, so we went to the café, where I had a salad bowl, the boys had paninis and salad (half a panini each, and their "salads" were only cucumber and coleslaw, but they enjoyed them), and the Swan Whisperer had a panini with potato wedges.  This was all delicious and disappeared rapidly, and was also excellent value for money.

After lunch, we decided to head up to the Stow, specifically to Higham's Park, as I wanted to go to the big Tesco there (well, any big Tesco, really, but that one was easy enough to get to).  We walked to Green Park Tube via both St James' Park

and Green Park, which was a lovely walk, and at Walthamstow Central we were delighted to find that an Overground train arrived almost at the same time as we did.  I left the menfolk to have drinks in Costa while I went to shop, and then I joined them.  And then a bus back to theirs.....

I definitely recommend the Institution of Civil Engineers - the Boy wondered why on earth it wasn't more popular, but I don't think it's widely known.  They have had previous exhibitions, but I was never confident of finding them - but now I know, I shall keep an eye on it for an Easter holiday activity 

Bisecting the Hexagon, 3 April

We had booked on the 09:50 crossing, so set the alarm for 06:30, and as soon as the bathwater was hot, we got up and were eating our breakfast by 07:30. This meant we were able to get to the terminal in good time, and were allowed on to the 09:20 crossing, which suited us very well indeed! So we got home (the M20 is horrible at the moment, nothing but roadworks and you really can't count on being allowed to go more than 50 mph for any of it, so if you are headed that way, leave extra time) about 11:00 UK time, and spent the next couple of hours in a frenzy of unpacking and putting away, and doing the first two loads of washing. Then we set off again shortly after 3:00 pm to take the van down to Sussex, and had supper with my mother and sister before returning to London and getting home about 10:45 pm.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 2 April

And so the holiday ends, as most of our holidays do, at Cité Europe to be ready for an early crossing in the morning.

We started the day in Amiens, and realised it was raining. Apart from the first two days of our holiday we have had lovely weather; warm, shirtsleeve weather, and I don't think I've worn a coat more than once or twice!

The Swan Whisperer went out to buy bread and then we had breakfast, by which time the sun was out again. I went back to sleep for a bit, and I suppose it was about 11 we set off. We decided to have a look at Doullens, as although we have been there before, we couldn't really remember it. Not very impressive - there is a citadel, but not open for visiting at that time. So we came away and drove to Arras, and parked up by the great cemetery there, where we had lunch. And then slowly, through a tremendous hailstorm at one point, up to Coquelles and Cité Europe. I did a Last Shop in the rain, and then we had supper, and I'm about to go to bed!

Bisecting the Hexagon, 1 April

All holidays come to an end, and this one is winding down to its close. I really haven't felt able to do anything much today after overdoing it yesterday - the tourist areas of Paris are now overrun with electric scooters, which do not add to the city's charm, but would have saved our legs a bit had we learnt how to use them.

I think I slept all the way to Beauvais this morning, but as we needed eggs I had to go into the supermarket and got some radishes and one or two other things while I was at it. It turned out to be lunchtime and so we had that, and then tried to drive on to an aire from our book that we thought sounded nice, opposite a British cemetery, with full services. But the lat and long just led us to the middle of a field, and there was neither a cemetery nor, indeed, a road by that name in the village. Had it been on-line, I'd have suspected an April Fool prank, but this was in a book. Very odd. So we came to this car park in Amiens, where we have stayed before. The SW had scratched dirt on the place I'd originally chosen, saying it was in the middle of nowhere. Not that it matters. Tomorrow to Coquelles and a Last Shop, and then home on Wednesday.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 31 March

We had to set the alarm for 06:30 this morning , so nice when the clocks had gone forward!  But we needed to be ready to get away by 08:00 to get to St Michael's in time for the 09:00 service.

We made it, though - the campsite "navette", or shuttle bus, doesn't start until 08:30 (it's a bit of a ripoff compared to public transport anyway!) But there is a public bus only a few minutes' walk from the campsite and I had some  tickets so we were able to get up to Porte Maillot metro station and buy our Mobilis, or day tickets. Then it was a quick run to Concorde on Line 1, which now has PEDs, very smart, and a short walk to Church.

After the service which was excellent and not a mention of Mothering Sunday, we walked up to the Opéra

and then got a bus  down to the river. I had said I would love to take a bateau-mouche on the Seine, something that when I lived in Paris I only ever did when there were visitors to show round.

When we went down to the quayside, though, we found something even better, a Batobus

that goes round and round between the Eiffel Tower and the Jardin des Plantes. It cost €17, but tickets were valid all day and you could get on and off as you pleased.  So we got on that as far as the Eiffel Tower

, and then got a bus to the Etoile for a very silly reason: I wanted to see whether Line 6 still did a rather tight loop there, letting passengers off on one side before allowing them on on the other. It does, and the eastbound trains still sit at Kléber, which functions as the terminus.

We stayed on Line 6, enjoying the lovely view over the Seine up to the Sacré-Coeur, until we got to Montparnasse-Bienvenue, get we got off to get something to eat. We both fancied crêpes, and Google took us to a nearby street where there was a choice of several, and we had a lovely lunch including a bottle of cider.

After lunch we caught another bus back to the river, and then got on the Batobus again back to the Louvre. I was flagging badly by then, so we decided to call it a day and head back to the motor home. We ended up getting the metro at Franklin Roosevelt Station (we got a bus most of the way there), then got the métro to Porte d'Auteuil and another bus back to the camp site which dropped us slightly nearer than this morning's bus. And A Nice Cup Of Tea and a couple of paracetamol! I am beyond exhausted.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 30 March

Today sort of turned out to be a rest day, not intentionally. It being Saturday, it was parkrun day, this week at Fontainebleau (he ran 21'59", very pleased with himself, thank you for asking), and after he had showered, dressed and had more to eat, he decided he had to rewire the broken wing mirror if it was to last until we can get it to Lancing Commercial at the end of the week. By the time he had done that, it was already 12:30, so I sent him to buy bread and we had lunch when he got back.

I, meanwhile, had pottered round taking photographs of the very beautiful Palace and grounds, and both of us read for ages, too. But eventually it was time to move on. First port of call, inevitably on a Saturday, was a supermarket to stock up for the weekend - although more and more are open on Sunday mornings, we won't be able to shop tomorrow. 

And so to Paris and the campsite here, which seems very nice. We decided we were too tired to go into town tonight, so our wedding anniversary meal is an extremely nice cheeseburger in the campsite restaurant.

Washed down with a bottle of rosé, as the waiter pointed out a bottle - 750 ml - was only €1 dearer than the 500ml pichet so much better value for money.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 29 March

No need to shop today, although I'd have liked some radishes but wasn't going to go to a supermarket specially. So while the SW went for a walk, I went to the nearest boulangerie to get bread for lunch.

Then came back and we decided to drive across country to Fontainebleau, going rather out of our way so I could see the Aérotrain track, something that I find pleasing! It impressed me when I first saw it in the 1970s, when it was a real possibility, and it still impresses me today even though it has long been superseded by the TVG network.

Once we had seen that, it was time for lunch but the trouble with cross-country French roads is that there is nowhere to stop!  And the villages were too small to have supermarkets whose car parks we could borrow. However, we decided to drive into one village we would otherwise have skirted to see if we could park by its church, and found it had a cemetery with a tiny parking attached, so had a lovely, peaceful lunch. 

Then on... And arrived in Fontainebleau about 4:00, in Nice tune for a cup of tea before the SW went to explore. Me, I'm saving myself for the weekend in Paris!

Bisecting the Hexagon, 28 March

Well, today didn't really turn out as planned, either. The Swan Whisperer said he really didn't like the sound of the brakes and we probably needed new brake pads, so our first port of call was the local NorAuto. However, they told us they only do cars and we would need to go to the Euromaster. Which we duly did, and they were so nice. They agreed we needed new brake pads as a matter of urgency, but they didn't have them in stock. However, please come back at 3:00 and they would have them.

So we went and found a supermarket and I got ready meals for supper, and a couple of new bras (I am gradually replacing my elderly, greying ones, and these were such a good price it would have been rude not to, really). Then we found a nice place to park up by a river, and had lunch and I had a nap while the SW went for a walk and at 3:00 we reported back to the Euromaster. 

Five minutes after he started work, the mechanic appeared and said we mustn't drive another inch on those tyres, they were down to the bare metal! And when the SW had a look, he had to agree that they were. So we agreed to buy and have fitted two new tyres in addition to the brake pads. 

And there the matter rested for the next 90 minutes or so while we sat in the waiting room and read, and noticed that the mechanic had disappeared. It turned out later that the wing pads had been sent, so he had to go and fetch the right ones, wasn't that nice of him! Especially as they charged us no more for labour than originally quoted, and were most apologetic about the delay. 

Our drive today had never been going to be very long, but as it was already 5:00 pm, we went up the (free) A20, long and boring, but we got there in the end. Nice aire, plenty of space and easy to find.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 27 March

Today we started out in Montigny. The SW went for a run, and after breakfast we brought the motor home up into the town and had a very pleasant walk round. It was market day, so I bought a large beef tomato for tonight's supper, and in an artisan bakery we bought quiches and patisserie for lunch.

The SW wanted to see Lascaux, so we drove out there and he went off to explore only to find it was closed until 6 April! You can't go into the original caves, of course, but there is a replica. So he was most disappointed. I don't do caves, at all, and had stayed in the van.

After coffee we set off, stopping once for lunch, and then again to get gas; then we drove on to this very nice aire in Saint-Priest-Taurion, where we stayed on our first tour, about 3 1/2 years ago now.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 26 March

After breakfast this morning, we visited the Prune Museum, which was quite interesting, showing how the drying and preserving of prunes had evolved from simply shoving them into your bread oven to today's drying tunnels. More interesting, I found, was the video showing how it is done today. After this there was a tasting session, although I was mindful of Boy Too's dictum that eating more than two prunes a day could make you uncomfortable! I bought some prunes, and some prune-based spreads, in the shop, and then it was time for coffee after the rather sweet prunes dipped in chocolate we had been eating.

Then en route. Our first port of call was a services where we could finally empty the loo and the grey, and then a big supermarket where I did a shopping and then we had lunch. Then we drove across country to this very pretty little town called Montignac, where the aire is lovely, all provided including electricity for only €8 per night. We have had a cup of tea and the SW has gone for a walk.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 25 March

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning, so I didn't hurry out of bed and it was gone 10 when we eventually strolled along the road and over to the funicular, which took us up to the historic part of Pau. We had  a delightful walk round the castle area and then back towards the centre of the town, including a Monoprix where we did a small shopping, including 2 bottles of my favourite shower gel! I was quite surprised to find we were back at the funicular, as I'd quite thought we had gone  a block further over.

The Swan Whisperer had coffee and a muffin (why, when he can have one at home any day?) in the station café, and then it was time to move on. We stopped for lunch, and again for the SW to buy new shoes as his were showing signs of imminent demise, and once where we hoped there were services, but they were out of use. We are fine for water, and can fill up here if we need to, but emptying is rapidly becoming a bit of an issue.

"Here" is a very pleasant spot which is an active plum growers and a museum and shop selling prunes and prune products. We were too late for the museum but plan to go in the morning, and I shall buy some prunes and also some prune and hazelnut spread which was yummy - I had a taste!

Then the SW went for a walk while I got supper ready and we had a glass of wine from Mas Alart which was gorgeous and went well with our butternut, mushroom and leek risotto!

Bisecting the Hexagon, 24 March

Today is Sunday, and we decided to spend it in the city of Pau, and attend public worship at St Andrew's English church there. So we got up at a fairly respectable hour and arrived in Pau in good time to be able to park up outside the church.

It was a lovely service and the church was full, largely because a couple had decided to renew their marriage vows on their 10th wedding anniversary, so of course family and friends had come to wish them well. The church is very splendid, full-on Oxford Movement with frescoes all round the Communion table, and virulent stained-glass windows! Current churchmanship is fairly middle-of-the-road, though. We are made very welcome, and were happy to share in refreshments for a while after the service.

We went for a short walk round the town, but I discovered I was very tired and really in need of a rest day, so we brought the van down to the aire in the lower town, and although the SW had been exploring, I have had a quiet afternoon dozing and reading. I shall want to explore a bit tomorrow, though, before we begin to head north.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 23 March

This being Saturday, there was a parkrun and today the Swan Whisperer did the parkrun de la Ramée, which he thoroughly enjoyed and was pleased with his time of 22.05 and 78.11% of his age range.

Mind you, by the time he got back from that and had a shower and some more to eat (he had had some coffee and a flapjack - oh, excuse me, a vegan flapjack - while at the run) it was getting quite late. 

Or first port of call was at an E Leclerc at a place called Roques, which was absolutely enormous, and also had a motorhome aire with services, so the SW did that while I shopped. No queue, but the checkout person said it got quiet around noon on Saturdays. 

We decided we had had enough minor roads and set off down the motorway, stopping at a gare du péage to have lunch, after which I went sound asleep and didn't stir until we reached the outskirts of Lourdes. We found the parking place very easily, and after a cup of tea we both got our second winds and walked into the town and up to the grotto and back. 

I got some of the holy water and bought some little bottles to put it in - don't know if anybody would like some, but if you would and if I'm likely to see you within the next month, please let me know.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 22 March

Although we  are not really planning to leave the Pyrenees until Monday, we have gone quite a long way (the Swan Whisperer says 30 miles, but I think it's a lot more) out of our way to the outskirts of Toulouse so he can do a parkrun tomorrow. There are only 8 parkruns in France, so he has to do 3 of them this holiday!

We said goodbye to our hosts and stocked up on water - she told us it was rather hard, because of the chalky soil, but I grew up on the South Downs so am well used to it!

Then we drove to a supermarket on the outskirts of Perpignan - I am always surprised to discover that it is a real place - and I shopped while the SW got diesel. I was not impressed because the Carrefour had a Scan'n'Shop, but my card didn't work and the man told me it was because they had their own special programming and you had to be registered at that particular branch as it was the only one to have that particular kind. And then I forgot to present my card at the till.... Oh well. Tomorrow's shopping will be an E Leclerc.... 

Then followed a horrendously long drive on minor roads to this place Tournefeuille. The SW has gone for a walk to see where he needs to report in the morning and I am hoping this park doesn't close at night so they will move us on, but I don't think it does. And the SW says we can use the motorway tomorrow - after two very long days on often very minor roads I am fed up of them!

Bisecting the Hexagon, 21 March

So today we completed the southbound bisection and reached the Mediterranean, where we had lunch!

But before then, it was another extremely cold morning, and we were glad of the van's heating system while we were getting up. And when we walked into the village to get bread, we wore coats on top of jerseys! 

Coming back, we stopped off at the lake near which we had parked, and there was a swan who looked a bit aggressive. I don't know whether he had a mate brooding somewhere, though I doubt it as there was another swan on another part of the lake and you wouldn't get two pairs on the same stretch of water. I told the SW to talk to it and took a picture of him doing so!

When we did set off, it was another lovely drive through places that were so stereotypically Southern France as to be almost silly. It is wine country, and every other signpost was Clos This, Domaine de That, Mas the Other and even the occasional  Chateau Sky-Blue-Pink. 

Spring is definitely here, with green leaves on the trees and swallows flying about. And then - there was the Med in all its turquoise glory! We stopped for lunch in a scenic area, and then, because we were early, the SW drove us down to Port-Vendres, which was quite pretty, but I had had enough, as by then it was warm enough for bare sleeves and open windows. I did suggest we took a quick run into Spain to get cheap diesel, but himself thought not. 

Anyway we ended up at Mas Alart, where we have been twice before, and we bought a dozen bottles of their lovely wine. The SW went for a walk, and soon I shall cook supper. Risotto tonight, I think.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 20 March

It's getting to the stage of the holiday where neither of us is quite sure what the date is, or what day it is! But today was All About Millau, really. Or, perhaps, all about the A75, quite the nicest motorway I know.

We were up at a reasonable hour, despite the fact that it was bitterly cold and frosty (but the van warms up fast), and when the supermarket opened I went  in and did a shopping, and then we moved on. It was a lovely drive down the A75.

Our first stop was at an aire called Garabit-Viaduc Eiffel, which has a lovely view over the viaduct. I had caught a glimpse of it once before, and I think it was featured on Impossible Railways of one of those, but this was the first time I'd seen it properly.  

 

Then we drove in to Millau and stopped in the aire there. The SW went up to the belvedere, and then looked round the exhibits, but we've seen them before. I hope we could have lunch in the gourmet café there, but it was closed for the winter, so we just had our usual lunch. Then we headed on, mostly cross-country this time, through some truly spectacular scenery, until reached this little town called Lunas, where we are parked up. A very nice aire, and the village itself reminds us both of Pont-en-Royans, though  without the suspended houses.

The SW went for a walk, and now I am cooking supper, which is nearly ready. It has been lovely and warm, but will be frosty overnight again. I'm glad our beds are so warm and snug.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 19 March

Not a good day! Started off fine - we got a tram into town and had a very pleasant walk round, including a visit to the Cathedral, and then a cup of coffee in a random cafe which had free WiFi so we downloaded updates to all our apps, and then we got cash out of a bank nearby and walked back to the tram stop.

There was an ominous sign saying "Service Terminé", and a notice saying the parent  company was having industrial action. We did not know when or whether the service would resume so there was nothing for it but to walk back to the motor home. It was less than 2 miles, but an awful lot of uphill and I am still hopeless at walking uphill, so it took ages. We saw the demo en route, but by the time we got there the service was beginning to start up again! 

So we had lunch and then set off to drive to a place called Laguiolles, I think, but half-way there, at a town called St-Flour, we saw a sign for a supermarket and the SW remembered we needed gas. We missed the turnoff, and pulled up on the wrong side of the road so I could programme the detour into the Sat-nav, but when the SW pulled the van across the road to turn round in a private car park opposite, there was an ominous crunch, and someone had run into us! Fortunately minimal damage - a tiny dent and some scratches for us and similar for him, but of course exchanging details etc took ages, and then the SW had to ring up our insurance to report it, so what with one thing and another it was getting to late to go on. Plus it was a France Passion place and neither of us felt like being sociable, which you have to be there. So I looked on Park4Night, and lo and behold, the first place that came up was this very supermarket car park! So I bought a rather extravagant meal (kidneys, Aligot, spinach, peas and a patisserie) and some whisky, which I was badly needing by then, and we battened down the hatches and are here for the night. Very useful for shopping again in the morning!

Bisecting the Hexagon, 18 March

The Swan Whisperer went for a run this morning, and after breakfast I walked over to the Lidl which was about as far away as at home and did a shopping. I was annoyed because they had some interesting-looking yogurts but only in packs of 12, which a) we don't have room for in the fridge and b) what if we didn't like them? And they didn't have the Nurenberg sausages that they've stopped doing at home, either! But I got some choucroute garni for tonight's supper, and one of two other things we needed.

We spent the rest of the morning looking for water - the first two places we tried were a bust, but third time proved lucky. Then we drove across country to Clermont-Ferrand, stopping for lunch in a village called Culan. It was a lovely drive, but I had slept badly the previous night and napped quite a lot of the way.

Now we are parked up in the University car park and in the morning will get a tram into CF and have a nice walk round there.

Bisecting the Hexagon, 17 March

It rained in the night, but the wind had dropped so it was very comforting just to lie there and listen to it. By the time we got up, it had cleared up, although the day remained showery, with hail at times. But before we got up, we heard a cuckoo!

We drove across country to the town of Beaugency, where we parked beside the Loire and had lunch, and then went for a short walk around the town.

Then we drove on to Bourges, which I believe is in the centre of France. We have been here before, but they have moved the aire to the outskirts of town, not nearly so convenient, although I believe there is a shuttle-bus. We are not sure whether the water is working at the services, although I believe the emptying is. But we need water....

Bisecting the Hexagon, 16 March

The alarm went this morning at 06:15 French time, 05:15 UK time. Horribly early, but at least I didn't have to get dressed, just wrapped up in my dressing-gown and a rug. The Swan Whisperer put on his running kit and we drove the 75 minutes or so to Rouen, where a parkrun was to happen. We were able to park almost at the start of the run, and the Swan Whisperer went off to do that while I showered, dressed and got breakfast. Which didn't happen until after 10, by the time the SW had finished running, showered, dressed and fielded phone calls about the whereabouts of Church keys. So it was quite late by the time we set off again, but then as we had already done the first half of the day's drive, it didn't matter.

First port of call was a hypermarket. I was wandering around, desperately wishing I'd taken a trolley as my basket was horribly heavy and giving me backache when the SW rang up to say he had been inspecting a wheel and bumped his head on the wing mirror which had broken. There was a NordAuto there, which wasn't able to help, but such have him the name of a Fiat commercial place which probably could. However, was now closed until Monday. As we didn't really fancy spending the weekend in the car park of the commercial centre, the SW decided to try to jury-rig repairs so we could get somewhere rather nicer. In fact when he had finished, he said it was decide enough that we could go on anyway although it did work loose when he tried to adjust it but he tied it up again and has reinforced it with duct tape.

While this was happening, I lay on the bed reading and enjoying the sunshine, as the sun had come out and it was lovely and warm.

So eventually we drove on to our planned stopping-place at Evreux, but when we got there it was rather in the middle of nowhere and expensive too. And as it is a long drive to Bourges tomorrow, a bit of detective work found us this rather nice car-park outside a cemetery in a place called Abondant. And so we have stopped for the night, and the SW has done an explore, and now it is dark again and he is getting supper - Saturday sausages, but with bread and mushrooms and spinach...

Bisecting the Hexagon, 15 March

If you look at a map of France, it is shaped more or less like a hexagon, and when I looked at our route on Google Maps, I notice it tidily bisects it, from Calais in the north to Saleilles, near Perpignan, in the south. We will be coming back a slightly different way, of course but still bisecting it!

Today, however, we have only come as far as the Baie de Somme, having crossed at 17:51 UK time. Its now nearly 21:30 French time, very windy, and we are having a meal before an early night. I am wondering whether I should have packed my warm pyjamas rather than my nighties, but bed is very warm once you are in it. And it won't be long before I am!

A visit to the Emirates

The Boys are "fitba' mad" at the moment, so we thought that, for their half-term treat, we would take them on a stadium tour. Mind you, had we known how much it was going to cost, we might have kept it for one of their birthdays, but we don't grudge it! They are - well, the elder one is - a staunch Spurs supporter, but Spurs' new stadium isn't ready for visitors yet, and Arsenal is. So we decided to go and visit the Emirates stadium.

Before then, however, we stopped off at King's Cross station to visit the engines from the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland railways that were visiting London. Although the Boy isn't as mad on railways and trains as he was a few years ago, he still enjoys them and both of them spent a happy quarter-hour investigating the engines and the carriage that had come with them. 

Then we headed on up the Piccadilly line to Arsenal, although with hindsight Holloway Road would have been better, as it was on the side of the stadium where the tours began.  And it had lifts!  Arsenal just had steps, although to be fair, the Piccadilly Line is fairly near the surface there, but even still, my knees were beginning to complain.  We then had to walk quite a long way around the stadium before we found the museum entrance, and once we had, there were even more stairs!  But once we were up there, it was quite interesting, although rather too hot.  Mostly about the early history of Arsenal, and then, thankfully, a film screening where one could at least sit down, and a bit about more recent history.  All the familiar names....  I don't follow football at all, but it is quite difficult not to have heard of Arsene Wenger, etc.

Once we had finished with the museum, it was time for the stadium tour.  You go in at the Holloway Road side of the stadium, and walk underneath it until you get to the stairs to the Directors' Lounge - there is, fortunately, a lift.  When you get there, you can go out and sit in their chairs and look at the pitch and listen to stories about it on your audio guide:

Then you went up another flight to the Diamond Lounge, which is the posh restaurant where the "prawn sandwich brigade" sit and watch and have their expensive meals.  This was rather lovely Art Deco, reflecting the old Highbury stadium which apparently was all like that.

Then you took the lift right down to the ground floor where you visited the Home changing rooms (very lush indeed), and the Away ones (less so, but still a lot nicer than you get in the average ice rink), and then went through the tunnel out to the pitch itself.  You couldn't go on the pitch, of course, but you could sit in the dugout (although we didn't, as it was raining).  We did chat to the assistant who was wielding an umbrella with more enthusiasm than accuracy - all the assistants were charming, and very helpful, even though they all teased the poor Boy who was using his Spurs rucksack.  Serves him right - he does have others!

Anyway, after that, that was nearly the end of the tour, but you went out past the interview rooms, the press rooms, which were rather amazing, and the press conference venue.  And so back out to the main exit, being allowed to keep the headphones, although the audio guides had to be given back.  Boy Two had found them rather awkward to cope with on the move and had, I think, listened to all the audio clips while we were sitting in the Directors' Lounge!

By which time, the Boys were so hungry their bellies quite thought their throats had been cut, but it wasn't quite lunchtime so we meanly made them go back to Walthamstow.  The Boy asked if we could try the Chinese restaurant Yum, Yum in the mall there, but it was closed, so we went to Nando's instead.  And then back to theirs for a quieter afternoon!

A Pirate's Life for Me

That was the title of the exhibition we decided to take the boys to see at the V&A Museum of Childhood. However.....

The day started out badly, as on the way out of the door I knocked one of our photos on to the floor and, needless to say, the glass in its frame smashed.  We had no time to do anything about it, other than quickly sweep up the glass, as we wanted (I wanted!) to take the bus to Russell Square as we were picking up the boys at Senate House today.

We got to the Museum all right - only to discover that the Boy had been and gone and left his rucksack on the Tube.  He was very upset, poor child,  but I looked up what you had to do about it, and gather there is a form to fill in on the TfL website, so I have left it with his father to do that, and they will email him if they find it.  I hope they will - one of the books in it was mine, and the other was a library book!

Neither boy was at all impressed by the Pirate exhibition, although they did like the passage you had to go through to get there, lit by ultra-violet light, which made their teeth glitter and Boy Two's rucksack look really magical (it was an owl, with each petal made of different material).  Other than that, there was basically a large pirate-ship, heaven for 3-year-olds to clamber about on, but the Boy exhausted its resources in 2 minutes, and his brother didn't take much longer!  So we headed on, and both boys made a beeline for the "sensory pod", with its light shows and changing colours, but sadly there was a projection on to the floor which revolved, and did my vertigo a great deal of no good!

So we came away.  But both children were fascinated by the Museum, I've never known them so engrossed in things.  After a trip to the loo, they got into building with flat blocks.  It was noticeable that the Boy had learnt about staggering the layers to make them more stable, but his brother hasn't grasped that concept yet!

Then it was time for coffee and cakes, which we took in the rather expensive museum café.  And then they wanted to see the rest of the museum, which took even longer!  They loved the dolls houses, especially the Rachel Whateread exhibition of 150 of them, all empty. 

The Boy took this overview of the museum which he thought, rightly, would make a lovely photo:

Then they rode on rocking-horses:

played with giant versions of those faces with beards made out of iron filings, and a magnet to move them around with, watched a wave machine with fascination (straw waves, they were amazing), were not very impressed by the model railway - at least, they liked it, but you didn't get much for your 20p in the slot, and finally spent ages with the magic lanterns.  It was noticeable that the Boy was fascinated by the mechanism and how it works, and Boy Two was more interested in how fast he could make the images move!

And we finally came away, to catch a bus over to Spitalfields and the promised lunch in Wagamama, which was delicious and copious.  The boys loved the various pieces of public art in the area, and we went downstairs to see the foundations of the Spitalfields Charnel House from the St Mary's hospital that gave the region its name (I could have sworn I'd taken a photo, but maybe not).  And a train to Wood Street and a W13 bus back to theirs.

At about 5:00 pm, we got ourselves organised to go home, but when we got to Walthamstow Central we found that the Victoria Line was closed, so we had to catch the train back to Liverpool Street.  I was totally not going to brave the Northern Line at that time of night, so went to catch a 133, but found the bus station is closed for renovation, so got a 35 instead.  This took ages, as it always does, but I eventually got home.... only to have to dash into Lidl to get orange juice and bread, as we were nearly out of both, and then realised I hadn't a shopping bag with me, so had to buy one.  Oh well....

The British Library

We managed to get in another trip before the end of the year!  Our friend J is on her annual visit from across the Pond, and we decided to meet her, and her hostess A, in the courtyard of the British Library today.

I have been to the British Library before - I was part of a panel of speakers there at an event a couple of years ago - but not often.  We went to the café there to buy lunch, which was a bit of a failure as the food was very, very expensive for what it was (industrially-produced sandwiches for nearly a fiver each, anybody?) and they sold their coffee in disposable cups, which meant I wasn't about to buy any.  AND most of my eye-wateringly expensive BLT fell out of its wrapper and landed on the floor when I opened it.  SIGH.  But hey, the company was good and we sat and chatted for a long time before deciding to visit the exhibition that had first drawn us there, which was the one called "Cats on the Page".   It was really rather glorious; lots of familiar friends, from My Cat Geoffrey to Mog, via Old Possum and some splendidly Victorian moralistic cats.  But no cat that walked by himself... I suppose they can't have everybody, but I did feel that was a particularly egregious omission.

Once we had looked round that, we thought we might want to go to the Anglo-Saxon exhibition, but we found you had to pay for that, unless you were a member, so we decided not to, but instead went into the permanent exhibition of the Treasure of the British Library, which I have been to before, but which you can spend hours and hours in.  The "Treasures" are eclectic, ranging from the Codex Sinaiticus to draft lyrics of Beatles songs, via Magna Carta, Jane Austen and P G Wodehouse! 

The Magna Carta has a room to itself - you see the copy of the charter itself (one of only a very few in existence) with a modernised transliteration on the opposite wall.  And there is a video that highlights the salient points of it.  An awful lot of it was very personal: "We will remove completely from their offices the kinsmen of Gerard de Athée, and in future they shall hold no offices in England. The people in question are ,. . .." with a list of names. Fascinating stuff, and I could - and might - spend a long time studying it!

But the highlight of the exhibition is the displays entitled "The Art of the Book", lots of lavishly-illustrated manuscripts, often of the Bible.  Many of the Bibles and prayer-books were commissioned by wealthy landowners, and sometimes the illustrations are of them and their family.  There was one lovely Nativity scene inside a letter "P" (starting Puer Nobis).

We eventually had to tear ourselves away as time was getting on and the Swan Whisperer needed to get to Figure Club.  J and A headed for Library shop, and we headed home.  A delightful afternoon, with brilliant company!

Christmas Markets, 22 December

Before we went to bed last night, we didn't turn on the heating, as we didn't really need it, and we were not sure how much gas we had left. It was amazing how much difference it made to the warmth of our bed when we got into it - the boiler is in the "garage" underneath the bed, and some of the heat does rise.  Dreadfully windy and wet overnight - "gales" is putting it mildly!  Awoke at 07:00 local time to find the storm had blown itself out, and, despite our misgivings, the gas did hold out for hot water for our showers and cooking our breakfast.

I dashed into Carrefour to get some cooking wine, which I had forgotten to do earlier, and then we headed into an incredibly busy terminal. Fortunately we didn't have to wait, and ended up on a train that left 20 minutes earlier than planned. And so home, and now - it's CHRISTMAS!

Thank you for following our travels in 2018; we are now going to hibernate for a couple of months while the worst of the winter passes, but maybe there will be short breaks or days out to report on. Meanwhile, I wish you and yours a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2019.

Christmas Markets, 21 Decenber

The weather broke overnight, and we were treated to a howling gale and pouring rain. This was not conducive to a good night's sleep! 

As the only thing planned for today was the long drive to Calais, we didn't hurry away, and it was about 10:30 mm we set off. We stopped in Suippes to get diesel and patisserie (the latter at the SW's request) and then at some random aire to have lunch. One of the aires on the A4 has motorhome services which we assume were working as they were advertised on the boards outside, which the ones at Toul were not, although you could see where they had been. We didn't need them, so didn't bother to stop.

We had one further stop en route for the SW to have coffee. I should have liked a cup of tea but he said he didn't know if he had enough hot water for his coffee so I left it and had one when we arrived at Coquelles.  En route, we listened to a podcast of the Messiah that the SW had downloaded before we came away. 

After tea, we did an enormous shop in Carrefour, stocking up on tea and coffee and so on, and some last-minute Christmas presents. Then, before supper, we drive round Calais to look at their Christmas lights that they do so well.

It is still very windy - I'm glad we go under the Channel, not on it!

Christmas Markets, 20 December

So that was the Christmas markets all visited and now we are on our way home. The first port of call was for diesel, which  is several cents  per litre cheaper in Germany than it is in France. We had thought to go to Edeka, but there didn't seem to be any parking (probably underground, so no good to us) and it was raining, but there was a Lidl so I popped in for one or two last bits. Then we set off on the long journey home.

Our first port of call was some random parking on the N4 for coffee, and then we stopped at Toul services where we had hoped to get water (the water at Kehl was out of use and we didn't have enough to get home) but it too was out of use, so we had lunch. Many services are put out of use in the winter to avoid frost damage, you can't blame them. However, we knew we could get water in Reims if all else failed, but the SW found a place called Les Ilettes which was said to have them all year. And we eventually found the water, and decided to spend the night here, although it is €7, but that does include electricity. Actually a very nice place and you can use the services without paying, if you've a mind to. It had been noted for future reference!

Christmas Markets, 19 December

Up in good time this morning, all ready for our trip into Strasbourg. The plan was to park in the park-n-ride by the station and get the tram into town. However, when we got there, we found to our disgust that they had closed the barriers so that vehicles over 2 metres high couldn't get in. We knew such barriers existed, but they had been left open in November.

So we drove sadly back to the aire, via a Rewe supermarket where we returned dead beer bottles and I bought some Nürnberg sausages and mixed mince, among other things.

But Kehl has had a revolution in public transport in the last five weeks, and one can not only get a tram into Strasbourg from downtown Kehl, but they have also expanded their bus network dramatically and we can now catch a bus to the tram terminus. So after plugging ourselves back into the on-site electricity, we duly did that, and headed into Strasbourg.

The main part of Strasbourg is on an island, and what they do is to close the whole island to traffic and let rip with the Christmas markets. Because of the recent atrocities, trams were not stopping on the island itself and bags were being checked at all entrances.

Once we got in, we found the Place Kléber, where they had made an impromptu memorial to the recent dead and wounded.

Before, it had been one of the main areas, but only charity stalls remained. We headed towards the cathedral, but got turned round and ended up just by the restaurant where we had had lunch with the Daughter last month, so we went in there (I'd asked if we could have lunch sitting down, as a rest and a chance to get comfortable) and had a delicious tarte flambée with mushrooms.

Then we headed back to the Cathedral, having got our bearings, and drank mulled wine, but I don't know what spice mix they had used, but it wasn't to my taste. So the SW drank most of mine!

We said goodbye to the Christmas markets and got the tram back to Kehl, but only as far as the station, as I wanted to walk through the main shopping drag, so we did that and then got a bus back to the aire. After a cup of tea, the SW headed back to see the illuminations (I'd had enough for one day!) and now he is back and getting supper. Duck breast with red cabbage and mashed potato, yum!

Christmas Markets, 18 December

Another lazy morning - well, the Swan Whisperer did go for a run, but that was about it - and it was 11:30 before we set off. Our first port of call was the big E Leclerc just across the Ill from the camp site; I did a fairly big shop and then made the SW come in with me as there was stuff I thought he might want to buy people for Christmas, which he duly did.   

I had a ghastly shock when I came out of the supermarket, though, as the bright sunshine that had been a feature of the day so far had quite disappeared and there was only freezing fog! Fortunately not too thick, and it, too, disappeared before too long. 

Originally we had thought we might be visiting three Christmas markets today, but when I looked at the web site, two of them were weekend-only affairs. Some people might have checked that earlier, no? However, we decided that the Alsatian Wine Route was still worth going up, and we stopped at the very pretty little town of Kaysersberg for lunch. I discovered that I'd rather overdone it yesterday so I rested while the SW explored both it and the Christmas Market in the neighbouring town of Riquewihr. This was a mistake, as he treated himself to a mulled apple juice and then didn't want a cup of tea, and I was longing for one, which I didn't get.

We decided to go on up the wine route towards Strasbourg and only came off it when it began to get dark. We are now in Kehl, after a rather hairy drive through freezing fog, and will spend two nights here to have a full day in Strasbourg tomorrow. I also want to do some shopping here, if I can. And I finally have my tea!

Christmas Markets, 17 December

The Swan Whisperer was underwhelmed by the Christmas jollies at the Ecomusée, largely, I think, because he didn't understand what was going on. Some kind of tableau, he said.  So he came back to the van and we ate liver and bacon, and had an early night. 

We had a long and lazy meting this morning, too, and did not move on until about noon. We asked the Sat-nav to take us to the centre of Mulhouse, not really expecting to find the Christmas markets there, but were delighted to find a parking space about 5 minutes walk away. So we walked down and had a great time exploring the market, and treating ourselves to some kind of cheesy potatoes with sausage for lunch, and I had mulled wine and the SW had mulled orange juice, which he said was delicious.

Then, very full, we walked back to the van - we were in a paying space but, as so often in France, it was free between 12 and 2 - and trades of to the next port of call, which was. Colmar. We had arranged to park in a camp site here, but Reception was closed "for ten minutes" - long enough for a queue of motor homes to build up behind us! When he did turn up, though, he was very efficient and told us where to get the bus and gave us a map of the various markets (there are 6), so once we had settled in and got water and had a cup of tea, we headed off into Colmar. 

We only did two of their markets, but did buy one or two Christmas oddments for various people, plus a mulled wine for himself and apple juice for me. And so back to the bus stop - we just missed one, but they are quite frequent at that time of night, and so back to the van to flake out for awhile before supper.

Christmas Markets, 16 December

It was bitterly cold when we went to bed. I curled up under my duvet, thankful for a backlit Kindle. But when I woke up after my first sleep, the temperature had gone up and I even shed my bed-jacket before snuggling down again. I also developed a sore throat, courtesy of the Swan Whisperer who had one last week., and then wondered why he felt unfit on his run this morning!

It was very foggy all morning, and I was glad enough to sit and doze in the front passenger seat while the Swan Whisperer drove. We stopped at a supermarket in Saint-Dizier for necessities, and then again for lunch in a layby somewhere - it had been snowing, and with the fog it was something of a white-out!

But when we came through the Tunnel de Dié, it was like entering a different world. Still bits of snow, but no more fog and the sun even came out for a bit! No colours, though - the world is in its winter hibernation.

En route we saw two cranes (the birds, not the building variety, duh!), an every and two herons. And more geese this morning.

We are parked up in the Ecomusée motor home park, and the SW has gone in to enjoy the Christmas Market there, but I don't feel well enough and am flopped in bed. This isn't one I really mind missing, and we can't go in tomorrow as it will be closed.

Christmas Markets, 15 December

Today is the Swan Whisperer's 68th birthday. I gave him a Bluetooth earpiece so he can listen to music or podcasts while he is washing up and so on, plus more comfortable to listen in bed.  He had a nice shirt from the Daughter, which he promptly wore, and cards from my parents and sister, me, and the Daughter's family - Boy Two's very new signature rather dominating everybody else's!

It was bitterly cold but we had both pretty much slept the clock round, and didn't stir until past 08:30 (mind you, that's only 07:30, UK time). We were in no rush, though. The A16 was blocked - probably demonstrators, but it might  have been an accident - but the Sat-nav cleverly knew that and took us across country as far as St-Omer before joining the motorway. We stopped for lunch in a service area not far from Rheims, and again after the gare du péage a few miles later to tell it to take us on non toll roads for the rest of the day. As we came off, we saw one of the gares du péage surrounded by demonstrators in yellow jackets and were very glad we were going another way. We did pass one more demo, but very quiet, just someone burning palettes on the central reservation. And at one stage there was a new road which the poor Sat-nav didn't know about, which gave it a conniption fit!

We drove on and arrived here, outside a sailing club at Ste-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement just before dark. We closed up the habitation to keep in residual warmth and then went out for a brisk walk round the club to get the blood flowing and shake the kinks out of our legs, enjoying watching endless Vs of wild geese flying overhead, and then back to the van for a cup of tea and toasted hot cross bun (yes, I know, wrong festival, but I do love them).  The SW, whose hearing is better than mine, says he can still hear the geese, but I can't. 

It's supposed to snow later, but then the temperature will rise quite dramatically, so I hope we won't be quite so cold tomorrow, which is another "driving day"