Year: 2018

It was still summer and William, the landlord asked us where we would like breakfast and so we said in the garden again in the sunshine! Ellie liked that as she had some sausage! It really was like being on holiday. They brought breakfast just outside the restaurant, in the sun!

I booked this through AirBandB, and we were so lucky as there were new reviews as it was a new addition. Excellent and they even had 15 gins the previous night……I only tried two!

Then for the rest of the drive home and of course unpacking, sorting out etc! Mal even found time to go and check on his allotment. No surprise there!

Thought for the Day – “There will always be a reason why you meet people. Either you need them to change your life or you’re the one that will change theirs.” ~ Angel Flonis Harefa

We all packed up, cleaned the caravan . Lou and Rhys went off to collect Megan who they were driving back to Kent. I don’t enjoy long journeys , so we had booked an overnight break in Middle Wallop.

We drove past Stonehenge, we have visited before so didn’t stop.

We booked to stay at a really nice pub in Middle Wallop and the weather was so nice that we sat out in the garden with Ellie and several other dogs were playing with her in their huge garden. We really had chosen a good place. We had a roast at the pub in the evening which we ate outside too.

We chatted to a couple of the dog owners, one a Captain in the Army Air Training Corps. We hadn’t realised there was a base there. He told us he had done a couple of duties with the Marines and had the highest respect for them. It really was like summer and so we sat drinking in the garden until quite late. We had a lovely room too.

Thought for the Day – “Don’t let the shadows of yesterday spoil the sunshine of tomorrow.”

After breakfast we took Ellie for a lovely sunny walk past the cottage, through woods and along the river. We were able to do a full circle, back to the cottage, packed and then drove to Devon.

We booked a caravan  and Lou and Rhys and the kiddlies are coming down to join us.  We stopped for lunch in Lympstone at the The Saddlers and I had a delicious fish tagliatelle, full of salmon, scallops and crayfish! Then on to the caravan. Well, it is at Sandy Bay, Devon Cliffs and it took us quite  a while to find it and in the end gave up and went to reception to ask for a map! It is looking down over the sea and so we went for another lovely walk along the cliff tops. No dogs on the beach from 1st  May!

Lou and Rhys arrived about 8.30 and the little ones went straight to bed.

Thought for the Day – “If you are always racing to the next moment what happens to the one you are in?”

We finished packing and started the first part of our journey. We decided to stay the first night near to Stonehenge and booked a lovely cottage in a tiny village. The lady who owns it is lovely and it is a pretty cottage and of course allows dogs. She has a dog too and Ellie played in the garden with him.

It looks very modern but was built in the 1700’s!

In the evening we went to the local Indian for our dinner.

Thought for the Day – “Today will never come again. Be a blessing. Be a friend. Encourage someone. Take time to care. Let your words heal and not wound.”

So, back home and all the washing to do, garden and allotment to sort out and then pack again for a trip to Devon!!

Mal had the goose egg for breakfast. It was huge!

Mal came back from the allotment with some asparagus. I love it. It may be mis-shappen but it tasted delicious.

It was a lovely warm day but I was too busy to really make the most of it.

Thought for the Day – “Be thankful for what you are now and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow.”

It wasn’t windy when we left Madeira but it was raining. That was the first rain we had. Taking off was OK and the flight was good.

Made it…taking off!!

It was very clear skies, once we had left Madeira, in fact good views of the islands off the south coast of the UK.

Rhys collected us from Gatwick. I have to say it is now an easier airport for us. Previously we flew from Stansted so that we could spend time with Torin each trip. Sadly no more. Rhys took us to his house and we collected Ellie. Rhys also gave us a goose egg, some ducks eggs and chicken eggs.

Thought for the Day – “The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave and it feels even better to come back.” ~ Wendy Wander

Our last day and the sunniest so we went to look for the promenade. It used to run in front of the hotel but the “Beast from the East” destroyed it in February but along the road slightly and you can join it again.

It was a really nice walk until we found another part had been shut off owing to storm damage.

We were back at the hotel for lunch and I have to say the French are so rowdy.  They also push and shove in queues. The hotel had been quiet until they all arrived! The fresh tuna for lunch made up for it, well, almost. Mal and I moved tables in the end as I couldn’t even hear what he was saying to me!

The afternoon was spent in the peace of the hotel gardens with a couple of G&T’s!

This afternoon we were talking to a guy who came to the island last Monday too. The cross wind was so bad that the plane before theirs was blown so that the wing scraped the tarmac and so their plane was diverted to the Canaries for the night!

Last Supper!….

Fingers crossed it won’t be windy for the take off in the morning! A member of staff came to our room and gave us a pack for breakfast to put in our fridge ready for the morning as we are being collected just before breakfast starts.  That was thoughtful.

Thought for the Day – “No one ever injured their eye sight by looking on the bright side.”