The title of this blog post just about sums up my summer really. A couple of people have asked me recenly how the holidays have been and I have replied "interesting" as I think that this is the word that best fits how they have been.
It's funny how we break up for the summer holidays in July, seeing a wonderful 6 (or 5 1/2 this year) weeks' holiday ahead of us and high hope for the perfect holiday and, for me they never quite live up to their expectations, somehow! This year was definately no exception, it seemed to be "one of those years" where we were destined to have our plans changed and where I was to have my French tested.
Our plans for the acutal "holiday" were as follows-spend 3 nights in our tent in Honfleur then drive down to St. Hilaire de Riez in the Vendee to spend a week in a mobile home, before returning home after nearly two weeks in the sun and on the beach. Things got off to a good start, Honfleur was beautiful as ever, and the campsite we stayed on was great (I can thoroughly recommend it - Domaine de la Catinière it's callsed). Alice and Dan both loved the pool (Mum and Dad thought it was a bit cold, though) and the food was OK - don't believe in cooking too much on a camping stove!. We did have a bit of rain but the worst of it happened when we packed the tent up...why is always mad hot when we put the tent up and raining when we put it down?
Then the trouble started...we headed of to the Vendee on the 2nd of August...I know, I know, silly me I should have know better...it took us 8 hours to do a 3-4 hour journey! We finally arrived in St. Hilaire and I know immediately by the look on Graeme's face that he hated it. Tents and caravans squashed into tiny pitches, too many people and a funny smell (although to be fair I think that was just damp sand as it had rained all day!). We got to our mobile home more or less right on the dunes and Graeme remarked that it reminded him of Seaton Carew. To top it off, the flush on the toilet broke late that evening...we discussed leaving but decided to give the place a chance. The next morning we awoke to find we had a flat tyre (and it was Sunday), anyway we got the toilet fixed and Graeme managed to put the spare wheel onto the care and we got the tent dried out. The pool was over-crowded and the beach was dirty we made plans... On Monday we got the tyre fixed(15 Euros, well impressed) and I used some great GCSE-level French to achieve that and ...the toilet broke again, I got on the phone to my mum and told her to book us a pitch on the campsite they had just arrived on in the Loire Valley (we went there last year in mobile home so know it was a nice site). Next day we packed up and left Seaton Carew in France behind, losing quite a bit of money in the process but by that stage we didn't care!
Once again, we errected the tent in the blistering midday heat but the pitch was wonderful, really private and just enough shade for us to cook and eat in. Even better my parents looked after the children whilst we were busy. The pool was fantastic and even the campsite owner remembered us from last year. Things were great, we even managed to head to Saumur in the opposite direction to the thousands of cyclists who had descended upon the town for the annual meet and have our Croque Monsieurs in our favourite bar (a tradition when we are in the Loire Valley). The Graeme's toothache struck...he had to get up a 4 in the morning and wander round until the morning due to his pain! Once he got some painkillers things were a bit better and we got to go to Angers and look round the castle and Tapestry of the Apocalypse, much to the displeasure of my parents (Mum because she's desperate to go and Dad because he isn't...they only ever visit the outside of castles!!). That was the end of the holiday. A very rough sea crossing with a seasick Graeme and a stay in the Travel Inn at Dover and we were home!
Once home, Graeme had to seek out a dentist who would see an emergency patient (we don't have a dentist at the moment as we don't agree with paying for something that we already pay for on the NHS). He found one and got his tooth sorted (root filing, eek)
Since then things haven't really improved...bad weather, warring children and the Twenty20 International between England and South Africa, that I'd bought Graeme tickets for at Christmas, was cancelled because of the weather.
Surely the last week of the holidays well be successful!
It's funny how we break up for the summer holidays in July, seeing a wonderful 6 (or 5 1/2 this year) weeks' holiday ahead of us and high hope for the perfect holiday and, for me they never quite live up to their expectations, somehow! This year was definately no exception, it seemed to be "one of those years" where we were destined to have our plans changed and where I was to have my French tested.
Our plans for the acutal "holiday" were as follows-spend 3 nights in our tent in Honfleur then drive down to St. Hilaire de Riez in the Vendee to spend a week in a mobile home, before returning home after nearly two weeks in the sun and on the beach. Things got off to a good start, Honfleur was beautiful as ever, and the campsite we stayed on was great (I can thoroughly recommend it - Domaine de la Catinière it's callsed). Alice and Dan both loved the pool (Mum and Dad thought it was a bit cold, though) and the food was OK - don't believe in cooking too much on a camping stove!. We did have a bit of rain but the worst of it happened when we packed the tent up...why is always mad hot when we put the tent up and raining when we put it down?
Then the trouble started...we headed of to the Vendee on the 2nd of August...I know, I know, silly me I should have know better...it took us 8 hours to do a 3-4 hour journey! We finally arrived in St. Hilaire and I know immediately by the look on Graeme's face that he hated it. Tents and caravans squashed into tiny pitches, too many people and a funny smell (although to be fair I think that was just damp sand as it had rained all day!). We got to our mobile home more or less right on the dunes and Graeme remarked that it reminded him of Seaton Carew. To top it off, the flush on the toilet broke late that evening...we discussed leaving but decided to give the place a chance. The next morning we awoke to find we had a flat tyre (and it was Sunday), anyway we got the toilet fixed and Graeme managed to put the spare wheel onto the care and we got the tent dried out. The pool was over-crowded and the beach was dirty we made plans... On Monday we got the tyre fixed(15 Euros, well impressed) and I used some great GCSE-level French to achieve that and ...the toilet broke again, I got on the phone to my mum and told her to book us a pitch on the campsite they had just arrived on in the Loire Valley (we went there last year in mobile home so know it was a nice site). Next day we packed up and left Seaton Carew in France behind, losing quite a bit of money in the process but by that stage we didn't care!
Once again, we errected the tent in the blistering midday heat but the pitch was wonderful, really private and just enough shade for us to cook and eat in. Even better my parents looked after the children whilst we were busy. The pool was fantastic and even the campsite owner remembered us from last year. Things were great, we even managed to head to Saumur in the opposite direction to the thousands of cyclists who had descended upon the town for the annual meet and have our Croque Monsieurs in our favourite bar (a tradition when we are in the Loire Valley). The Graeme's toothache struck...he had to get up a 4 in the morning and wander round until the morning due to his pain! Once he got some painkillers things were a bit better and we got to go to Angers and look round the castle and Tapestry of the Apocalypse, much to the displeasure of my parents (Mum because she's desperate to go and Dad because he isn't...they only ever visit the outside of castles!!). That was the end of the holiday. A very rough sea crossing with a seasick Graeme and a stay in the Travel Inn at Dover and we were home!
Once home, Graeme had to seek out a dentist who would see an emergency patient (we don't have a dentist at the moment as we don't agree with paying for something that we already pay for on the NHS). He found one and got his tooth sorted (root filing, eek)
Since then things haven't really improved...bad weather, warring children and the Twenty20 International between England and South Africa, that I'd bought Graeme tickets for at Christmas, was cancelled because of the weather.
Surely the last week of the holidays well be successful!
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