And the bookings begin

 

So, I am now fit to fly and getting myself into full booking mode, however, for the remainder of this year I have decided to spend my time in Mijas ( I'll be buying a house there soon!).

So my countdown is 

11 weeks

17 weeks

22 weeks

and scarily this takes us to the end of 2025.

We are nearly at the end of July so over half way through the year.

Mijas has become my happy place after taking over from Mljet. I have that ache to go back to my little island haven, but then I remember how far from the mainland we were in an emergency and book another holiday to Mijas.

Looking ahead to 2026, my plans include a former part of the Soviet Union and  heading back to France I'm tossing up between my beloved Champagne -Ardennes, and Limoges ( both places I love).

There are also new work plans afoot, and we will see how this pans out towards the end of the year.

My wonderful personal travel agent Dale, is currently living his best life, travelling around the world, so he will have lots to tell about adventures when he eventually comes home. The champers is on me Dale.

On home soil, I am hoping to get to some cricket before the end of the season, and cheer on my lads.

And now I need to do some work and earn some pennies ready for my adventures

Itchy feet

 

Well its now over 4 weeks since my op and I am struggling with serious 'itchy feet', my need to get on a plane is quite overwhelming, however I have at least another 4 weeks before I can even consider looking. 

And therein lies the rub.......... it takes me to school holidays, now don't get me wrong, I don't mind children, but when it comes to holidays , I prefer mine without them.

And so I am now looking at another month at home.

I am planning a couple of cricket trips and I have a big birthday party to attend in a couple of months so that will have to suffice until I can sort out where I want to go.

Life is slowly returning to normal for me, and after 8 months of living a strange kind of normal, it all seems a little odd.

I have been putting together ideas for trips early next year and some are looking as if I could be booking them soon.

Croatia is not on the cards ( sadly), I loved Mljet but the memories of last October ( and the boat of doom in May 2024) are still very deeply carved in my memory.

What I am doing at the moment is spending as much time in my little garden as possible and reclining on my zero gravity lounger which is the best thing I have  ever bought.

Didi had them around the pool when she lived in the Vendee and I loved them then, took me a while to finally buy one.

And so it is just a waiting game, and I am not a very patient person ( or patient!).

Maybe I will finally get round to decorating the shower room...........................

A packed bag

 

My journey began at 6.45am on 7th June 2025, although in reality it really began back in October 2024 in Croatia.

It's been at times, a frustrating 8 months, but finally the day dawned  when everything would be sorted.

This time, no mad dash to a first aid post in a National Park, no talk of helicopters, no transfer to mainland by car ferry. This time Fin picked me up and  dropped me off at Woodlands Hospital in Darlington.

I'd be lying if I said I was fine, my legs were shaking so much I could hardly walk in.

However, walking into the calm and serenity of the building and being whisked off to my room was enough to calm some of my fears.

The first thing I noticed was the quiet, everyone went about their duties without loud voices, or clanking trollies.

A perfect backdrop  to calm you.

My room was at the back of the hospital, to be honest front or back your view wasn't great, Morrisons or the Beefeater/Premier Lodge  or other random businesses.

I wasn't here for the view.

Sadly there was no champagne to greet me (maybe a suggestion??!!), but the'ward hostess' was taking my orders for food after my op, in no time at all. And then the big guns arrived.

First the nurse who would be looking after me.

Second the anesthetist, who imparted more on my heart, and  low potassium (again).

Third my consultant/surgeon, who I have had total faith in since day one.

I was due to be first down at 8.30am but was moved down a slot.

10am came round very quickly, a relief really as back to back 'Bargain loving Brits in the sun'  was getting on my nerves.

Having been issued  some 'sexy hospital lingerie' (or netty knickers as my nurse referred to them), and my socks, I walked down to the theatre.

And here's were the real fun began.

The canula that was inserted into my hand was quite painful, they adjusted it, and administered the anti sickness drug.......which promptly showered all three of us.

So everything was started again.

I went off to sleep and knew nothing until 12.20pm when I opened my eyes to see the smiling face of a nurse. She told me it had been keyhole, but I'd not been too good through the op, however I would be going up to my room soon.

For someone with wild blood pressure at just the smell of a hospital/doctors surgery, it had crashed. However here I was, minus the pesky gallbladder and all done keyhole.

Back in my room I still really had no idea what day it was, remember me wandering around Dubrovnik off my head on Tramadol?, well it was like that occasion on 10 x Tramadol.

I uploaded a pic on Facebook (absolutely totally off my head), and then Tracey phoned. Ive no idea what I was saying but hearing a friendly voice made me feel better.

My consultant came to see me, apparently the pesky gallbladder put up a fight, obviously not wanting to be removed, but he got it out eventually.

He really is my hero.

Tracey and Steve came and so did a chicken salad sandwich, I think I inhaled it.

I had been on a liver reduction diet for 2 weeks and then hadn't eaten since 6pm Friday evening, so seriously this was the best sandwich I'd ever had.

I seemed to be in a lot of pain coming back from surgery, however 3 cups of peppermint tea eased that completely (just gas).

I am not really sure of the rest of the afternoon, I do know that my blood pressure was improving from the 105/50 reading when I got back to my room.

I still wasn't allowed to get up.

My consultant came round again and said that I would be able to go home later, as all things were looking good.

And I was dressed, loaded up with a bag of drugs and home, (well Traceys house) by Saturday evening.

Sunday morning saw me with a bit more colour and no pain, I took 2 paracetamol just in case and that's all the pain relief Ive had.

Every day I felt better, of which the thought of not having another attack has to be helping.

I have been absolutely spoilt rotten and cared for impeccably at 'The Bateman Santorium' ( or Tracey and Steves house as it is commonly known)

It's very exclusive, It's only taken in 3 patients in the last 3 years to my knowledge ( me being one of them)

I'd give it a 5* on Trustpilot and that's just for the breakfast in bed!!!

Some great cricket on TV (and radio), zero gravity sun loungers, and wonderful food have all played their part.

I've had surprise visits from my work colleagues, lunch out, and a trip out for a facial. I have just been spoilt so much that I've been goggling 'squatters rights'!!!!!.

It's hard to believe it's only a week, I feel like a new person, its made me realise  how much impact  that malfunctioning little organ had on my life.

Im still on the road to recovery, but Im doing good.

And Woodlands Hospital? 5* in my book,  after a trip to visit a friend in Darlington Memorial on Wednesday evening, with noise and chaos, that lovely little private hospital, tucked away on a retail park gets my vote.

And now?

Well shower, hair wash and get ready to watch cricket, I could get used to this recuperation malarkey 

Bergen the debrief

Well, where to begin??

Bergen is not new to me, but it is a city that always shows me something new. I have favourite places, Mt Floyen being the main one.

This is a must visit, and costs approx £14 for a return trip on the funicular, at the top apart from amazing views, there is a coffee shop, a restaurant, a children's play area, goats , yes goats, lots of woodland and a lake, you can go canoeing here too.

The Bryggen, which has Unesco World Heritage status, faces on to the harbour , and is mostly filled with shops and restaurants, wander up the alleys and take in the buildings, when you get right to the back you realise how 'deep' the buildings go, and are all built from wood and most built ON wood.

The public park with its central fountain and statue of Edvard Greig, one of its famous sons, is worth a wander, with a stunning bandstand and at this time of year a beautiful walkway of bare pollarded trees.

You can visit Troldhaugens Venner where Greig lived and composed. I visited here 21 years ago and remember it well.

The Sailors monument is worth a visit and is 3 mins walk from The Bryggen. It is dedicated to the men and woman who have worked and lost their lives to the sea, whether whalers, seamen or fishermen.

The Cathedral, Domkirken , is not as grand as some cathedrals but has that typical 'scandi' downplay on 'fru fru', It is still a beautiful place to visit.

The seawater swimming pool,  its next to the Aquarium and worth a visit, however it is also massively popular and usually half of Bergen are in there too.

Things to know in Norway.

It rains a lot, over two hundred and thirty days a year, so prepare for this. This is due to the gulf stream and the mountains, I'm not an expert but these are the reasons.

It has the oldest primary school in Norway, Christi Krybbe School, it was founded in 1737, originally a school for the poor.

You cannot purchase alcohol in shops on Sundays.

Firstly you cannot buy wine or spirits or anything with an alcohol content higher than  4.7%  in a supermarket . There are specific shops for this ( Vinmolopolet) and they have very strict hours usually closing at 6pm weekdays days, 3pm on Saturdays and not opening on Sundays.

You can buy beer and cider in the supermarkets, this is usually  until 8pm on weekdays and 6pm on Saturday.

You cannot drink in public places and this includes a hotel balcony.

Everywhere likes card payments, but do take cash, money is still money however its format.

Bring a water bottle in your suitcase as water is safe to drink from the taps and far superior to that in the UK. Bottled water is expensive, why have bottled when you can just turn on the tap.

Shopping is still quite spendy, as is eating and drinking, my glasses of champagne of the Fjord boat cost £26 each. 

My meal of 'rudolf ' cost nearly £50, but there are cheaper alternatives, as I have to be careful with what I eat, a lot of pizza places were ignored and also beautiful open sandwiches which were heavy on mayo etc. as well as an abundance of pastries. I did buy sushi from the fish market which was exceptional. it was approx £15 for six pieces.

What I did notice in the supermarkets is that some food prices were on a par with the UK, ready made salad bowls and sandwiches were close to UK prices which is a bit scary. If you need paracetamol or Ibuprofen in Norway you pay at the supermarket  till and then have them 'dispensed' at a machine on the way out, note to anyone coming, bring a supply with, paracetamol and ibuprofen are nearly £5 a pack.

Something else that shocked me was the amount of people who smoked and also the lack of vapes, not walking through someones sweet sickly carcinogenic exhalation was great, walking though cigerette smoke again was awful.

One in five people in Norway own a boat and getting around by boat is often quicker and cheaper than driving. This accounts for people mooring their boats at the offices at the harbour.

Norway is very quickly turning to electric cars, as I found in Stavanger a couple of years ago and my various  near death experiences.

All the main touristy sites in Bergen are easily walkable and I also added the hop on hop off bus which gives you a good view and run down on Bergen history, who knew the British brought the Black Death  to Bergen in August 1349, by Autumn that year it had spread to Tromso up in the north.

Bloody Brits on holiday!!!!

The Flam railway and Fjord trip was part of my holiday package and was great but a very long day, nearly thirteen hours.

I stayed in Hotel Heiman which is the oldest Hotel in Bergen, it had everything that I needed and the staff were very helpful, breakfast was amazing and the rooms were warm and you could get 'Midsomer murders' on BBC world, hell, what more do you want on holiday.

As you have probably gathered, I do love Norway, I know its costly but it is also beautiful, a really natural beauty that takes your breath away. There is something different round every corner.

I will be back that is for sure, maybe Oslo, but most likely Stavanger or Bergen.

If you are wondering about the glasses of champagne quaffed on this holiday and yes it was REAL champagne none of your cheap Italian muck, well, this will be my last holiday for the foreseeable time, until I have my gallbladder removed and recover, so I just thought Id make the most of  it. Please note I also consumed a very large amount of Norwegian water to try to balance it out.

And so ends my Norwegian adventure.........until next time.

Last day and last holiday for a while

 My final day in Bergen dawned, and what a morning, stunning blue skies and sunshine, ooohh the irony!!!!!!

I decided to do some last minute shopping and ended up getting lost in Norwegian architecture.

There is something about the varying styles of houses, some just two story, some four+ story, wooden clad or in some areas of the city 'chimney houses. These were built after it was decided that timber houses were a serious fire risks (obviously). However some naughty folk, built timber houses and then clad them in thin bricks, hence if there was a fire in the house, the building turned into a 'chimney' due to the brickwork.

I picked up a traditional Norwegian Easter egg, which is not chocolate but cardboard, and you fill with special easter sweeties. Lots of squishy sweets, some mini chocolate bunnies, and chicks. Not a chocolate egg in sight, very refreshing.

Also  at Easter (or Paske) they do love a bit of yellow and green, homes are decorated with birch twigs festooned with decorative eggs.  Yellow candles are everywhere in the shops, yellow decorations fill every shop window. Very bright and spring like.

I also found , a little late, a lovely shop with glass decorations, luckily it was closed.

Then by the time I got back to my hotel, it was time to board the coach back to the airport. 

And then time to fly home

And that should have been it, but typical Lainey style our landing at Newcastle was probably the scariest I've had in a very long time.

Coming in just before the coast, the plane was bouncing around like a ball, as we were approaching the airport it was getting worse, I could see the ground was pretty close, hurrah I thought. and then we hit the runway and started seriously swerving off to the right. You could have heard a pin drop in the cabin and even the attendants in their seats went silent (they normally chatter away like mad to each other).

We pulled back onto the runway and continued to the concourse. Now I normally wait until everyone has got off to move, but believe me I was off that plane in record time!!!!!

I headed off to meet my friend Julie for a quick cuppa and a catch up, before driving home.

I'm spending the remainder of this week taking it easy, as on Thursday evening I had a horrible gallbladder attack, which was the main reason why I went back to bed on Friday morning. luckily I now carry a pharmacy around with me, 'just in case'. 

And now time to get ready to head back to work, ahhh yes beautiful Norway is becoming an ever distant memory.

Palm Sunday

 

Palm Sunday dawned slightly cloudy but no rain, soooooo, I was up and out, to go up to the top of Mt Floyen, just for the view, which is still an amazing memory from 21 years ago. I actually went up after 7pm on that occasion and saw a stunning sunset, but this time I was up there very early morning.

Oh wow, my memory did me proud, it was still so stunning, the natural harbours of the city, the mountains that surround the city and  just all of Mt Floyen.

I was very brave coming back on the funicular as this seat at the front of the train was not really the best place for someone with a crippling fear of heights.

Back down to earth and a wonderful wander through the public park, and back to the harbour area.

I decided to be a real tourist and jumped onto the 'hop on hop off 'bus, proper tourist! It was actually a great tour with so much information about the city, I did this kind of tour in Reykjavik and would always recommend it. It cost £35.

I even found my perfect house.

Back to the harbour and lunch, I chose Olivia, an Italian restaurant, the service and the food were exception, the local 'spuggies' great entertainment eating anything dropped, an upper class type of bird, they ate my scraps of olives!

I had wanted to go to the archeological museum, but due to being out all day on a tour on Saturday and it being Palm Sunday it wasn't open, well that a perfect reason to come back.

I headed back to the hotel and just as I got in the heavens opened, thanks to Freyr, Norse God of  fertility , prosperity, peace , good harvest and more importantly, fair weather , for letting me see so much in the dry.

I took a nap!

And it was still raining when I woke up.

I 'anoraked' up and set off for a walk around, I ended up past the Magic Ice bar, and headed up to the aquarium, doing a loop back to the hotel, taking in the amazing architecture.

I had an early evening tipple in the hotel bar and spoke to some lovely Swedes and Germans. sharing things we had done, seen and places we had eaten.

I then headed back to my room to reset my suitcase and prepare for my last day.