August nearly over

 

The early mornings have a chill in the air, and the leaves on the vine in my garden are starting to change from vibrant dark green to a dull light green tinged with yellow. A sure sign that Autumn is approaching. July and August in the UK this year have been chilly and very wet, which my lawn loved but I was not so keen on.

Outdoor eating has taken a back seat to indoor dining ( until I decided to decorate the dining room, when dining turned to a tray on my lap). The fact that at 8.45pm I now have to put on lights is not something that I like either.

Although I was born in November, the cold and wet, ice and snow are things that I dislike immensely. And with that in mind this year I chose to have a warmer birthday holiday, to the southern part of the Med.       ( more about that in a  later blog).

I often had holidays in Western France  in September, where it  usually was still basking in late summer sun interspersed with quick downpours which  would  leave petrichor wafting  in the air from the quickly drying ground. Swimming in the pool or paddling in the sea in the last throes of summer, always something that I looked forward to.

 I am heading off for a mid week break in the UK in September, to meet up with my chum Harry and watch a spot of cricket at Trent Bridge, this will see me through until I have a long weekend break in October, when I hope that heading  to Limoges, may see slightly warmer temperatures. Who knows?

What I will say is that this year I have put in the airmiles, from Amsterdam to Tunisia, to France x 2 and the south of the Med later in the year. Add to that the UK miles, Yorkshire in the cottage  x2 ( Xmas will be there again) , Leeds, Sedburgh and Nottingham( still to come), Ive been on the go a lot!

Will I stay home ,more next year?

Not if I can help it!

A quiet August

 

August has been very quiet for me, and this is how I planned it, its not that I don't like children,but I prefer to have my holidays  out of school holiday time ( too many years working in a school and having to holiday at more costly and allotted times). So I'm at home for August.

I'm having a mini break in the UK towards the end of September, and also preparing to do my first Antiques fair in many many years, this could be  the start of  something that I do on a regular basis ( as well as clearing out the house).

I had planned to start my 'big birthday year (2024) in January, this will see me doings things I've never done and going to places that I haven't been too, both home and away. However I am going to ramp it up a bit and will be starting the  countdown in October this year.

After all its best to live life to the fullest as it only happens once.

And so with that I am off to do some planning

Where to next?

 

 I have been home a few weeks and already have itchy feet. So much so that  I  am now planning another couple of trips before the end of the year.

I have always loved to travel, and  after a few years hiatus, I am back into the swing of it. 

So I have booked a long weekend to go and  explore another gothic cathedral, in a city famous for its porcelain. 

Can you guess where it is?

I am very busy working out my itinerary, I will try to cram as much into the weekend as I did in Beauvais, possibly without the drama of a police car ride!

I also completely changed my plans  for my annual birthday holiday and instead of racing around on a city break I am having a winter sun break. More about that nearer the time.

So in the meantime I will be sorting out my bag again and hoping for some autumnal sunshine.

Can't wait

A quick night away

 

Ah the British summer, how we love the long hot days, filled with the scents of summer, when we can have a night away in a quaint English town and sit outside  the pub watching the world  go by, laughing with friends.

Well yes that's what you imagine, not driving across the A66 in monsoon type rain  (not to mention driving back in monsoon x 2 rain ). However the drive was worth it as I arrived in Sedbergh. A town      ( and school with a wonderful cricket ground) in Cumbria.

I was meeting up with friends Sophie and Terry who had rented an apartment for the weekend  to watch cricket, (which sadly never happened). The apartment was in a beautiful stone building which had been converted into  flats  and was obviously very popular with walkers and travellers. The apartment had a lovely outside area which, had it been the glorious summer days we dream of, would have been amazing.

To be honest this apartment is ideally what I would love to downsize to.

So after much chattering and  watching the Test match, we had polished off a bottle of fizz and decided it was time to head out to eat.

1st stop was The Thirsty Rambler on the high street. A very nice bar which also stocked local beers and ciders and they told you the distance that the particular beer/lager/cider had travelled.

Terry had a local lager, and Sophie had rioja, whilst I opted for a Chenin Blanc.

The bar was popular and dog friendly even providing dog beds for furry friends to get comfortable.

Finishing up we headed on to The Dalesman for dinner.

The menu was amazing and locally sourced foods were on offer.

Starters of mozzarella stuffed tomatoes and Sedbergh gin cured sea trout were eagerly eaten. Huge thumbs up for the starter.

For mains there was a salmon dish for Terry, to which he added creamed leeks and cabbage. Sophie and I both opted for 12 hour slow cooked beef cheek ragu with tagliatelle. Oh my days it was just amazing. I would go back  just for that.

We were pretty stuffed by this point, but Terry and I shared an Eton mess with homemade honeycomb.

Yummy!

We finish our wine and headed back to the apartment. 

So quick  10 hours fast forward, we were up and ready to leave, but not before one more trip to the high street and  a spot of breakfast.

I would highly recommend a trip to  this cafe. 

We were first in. The menu was just right, not too much choice but very varied.

Sophie and I opted for  creamy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on buttered crumpets. The stuff of dreams, and completely living up to its name, the eggs were really creamy.

Terry went for a 'full work' barm. Seriously this was bursting with bacon,sauage and egg.

And then just like that, it was time to say farewells. lockdown and life in general has meant that we haven't been together in nearly 4 years.

What a great way to catch up.

Beauvais, the debrief

 

And so it was over in a flash, my mini break back to my beloved France.

So what was the actual run down on the this small northern city.

Well transport links to and from the airport were brilliant, a local bus ( no 6) took you from the airport to the city , close to where I was staying and vice versa. cost approx € 2. time to city approx 25 mins 

Taxi's were good from the airport  but not very visual in the around the city. however any bar or cafe can help out with this. Time from the airport in a taxi on a public holiday, 7 mins, time back to the airport in normal traffic approx 15 mins

Eating out, most restaurants etc do a 'plat du jour' some with wine, some with a soft drink starting at €13 for mains and dessert with a soft drink I thought was rather good.

Some in the town square were as much as €29 but were 3 courses with wine, again, not to be sniffed at.

Food shopping, some things seemed slightly higher in price than the UK, the market was dearer than the local Carrefour, whose fruit and veg were as fresh as the market. Interestingly, all fruit and veg in supermarkets were labelled with were they had come from, not in small print but very 'in your face'. Helping you to make a choice on local/ home grown or imported.

I stayed in a very typical French apartment with narrow steep stairs, I chose this over an hotel and I am glad that I did as it was just perfect for me, I've spotted one just across the road from where I was, which is larger and has a dishwasher ( yes I know its not the most important thing but its handy), maybe for my next trip!!!

The people were very friendly and very helpful. 

There are lots of things to see if you like museums and architecture, if you are looking for wild nightlife, I'm not sure this is the place for you.

I was very close to the centre of the city and right outside the cathedral, and at night it was very, very quiet. I slept so well ( not happened since I came home).

The cathedral bells or the chiming clock did not bother me in any way.

There is a lake about 15/20 mins walk away which has a restaurant and numerous water sports as well as areas to picnic, I needed an extra day to go there.

So would I go again......in a heartbeat.

Would I recommend it.......no, I want to keep it for myself., ok,  yes I really would.

Off to check out the flights now!

The last day

 And the last day dawned gloriously sunny and very hot, much like the previous days.

I was up and out early to have my final wander around. I walked up to the train station after deciding that when  I come next time, I might have a day out on the train.

Walking back through the large town square I was struck  by the cleanliness, there are litter bin at ever corner and any shop that sell 'take away' goods or has outside seating to eat, has bins.  I guess also pride in where you live matters too

 I found a vintage clothes shop but it was certainly not at vintage prices!!! I fell in love with a gorgeous silk dress, luckily for me and the bank balance it was not my size.

I then went to have a civilized lunch sadly  no wine, as I had to drive home from the airport.

I went back to the apartment to pick up my suitcase. Glancing around, I realized how I had settled in very well,  I closed the windows for the last time and drew the curtains to try to keep some of the heat at bay. Then I struggled down the two flights of narrow stairs with a now considerably heavier suitcase.

Hopped in a taxi and was at the airport in a matter of minutes, as we couldn't yet check in, I sat outside  catching the last bit of French  sunshine.

Well all things looked good, we checked in, went  through to departures. I was just minding my own business when the lady next to me started to chuckle, glancing up, I saw a man doing yoga, going through a number of poses repeatedly. By this time he had quite an audience, and set about doing press ups, I started counting late but he must have done 100. By the time he started to do a plank and hold it for what seems like an hour, it was obvious he was doing it for show, my thoughts, I bet he is sat next to me!!!

 It got to the time that we should have been taking off, and we hadn't boarded, mainly because there was no plane! and there were no announcements either.

I managed to find out that the plane was still in Leeds. 

Finally it arrived and  we were hurried on, arrived back in Leeds 2 hours late. As I stood waiting for  the bus to the car park, two girls from Teesside joined me.

'Have you been to Paris' they asked, 

 'no ' I said 'I've been to Beauvais'  

'What like, you stayed at the airport!! said the girl

'no I stayed in Beauvais the city'

'What the airport has a city' was the reply.

Well no answer to that!

Picked up the car and  drove home, so a very late night for me.

This did not dull what had been a great holiday I can't wait to go back again.

Day three in sunny France

 

Things I love about this city break,

1. Its a beautiful city with lovely people

2 The city still  has many timber framed buildings and cobbled streets ( no cars allowed) relating to its past.

3 The fact that its not that big but has lots to offer.

4 A cathedral which is breath taking 

5 never a dull moment ( or is that just me)

I booked this break after doing  a bit of research, my plan was to see the cathedral and tapestry museum ( not made it there), what I found was so much more interesting for my architectural geeky side.

The beautiful Art Nouveau house that I stumbled on when I took a wrong turn yesterday morning

I want to live in this house!!!

The oldest house in Beauvais, which is behind my apartment and was built in 1410, it was threatened with demolition so was dismantled and put back together in its current location. This style of house  mirrors the urban landscape around the Cathedral before  the destruction of the town in 1940. At this time the area round Saint-Pierre ( the cathedral ) was still quite mediaeval in its look.

Ok less of the geeky  stuff.

On  my wandering I found the war cemetery which had some English graves. I always get very tearful entering these, and no change yesterday, luckily I had opted for a no mascara day.

A good few minutes quiet reflection. And as always the grounds were  beautiful and well kept.

By this time we were well into afternoon so I headed off back to the apartment, passing the THE restaurant.

The owner was shouting to me, I waved, he shouted to go over, ( I am going to make this quite concise)

They had been watching for me, as they wanted to give me lunch gratis. With wine, well hell, you know me, offer of wine and let the party start.

Seriously the hot homemade bread sticks are a thing of sheer joy!

A few hours and few glasses of wine later I made a decision.

I headed over to the cathedral and donated my money from yesterday. I think that it needs it a bit more than I do. And it stays local and will go to do some good.

I got home had a siesta and then decided that a spa shower, PJs and Netflix were the order of the evening.

One last day to go.

I'm sad that it is all nearly over so quickly.