Time to go home

By 0900 we were up, dressed, packed and had breakfast and left the Premier Inn in Cockermouth and headed off for our 5-6 hour drive home. This Premier Inn was pretty good and would stay again and a lot cheaper than other much vaunted Lake District Hotels.

Jennifer took the first stint of about three hours and we stopped for a break at services on the M6 Toll road and took advantage of a Costa Coffee ham and cheese toastie before heading back south again. The traffic so far had not been to bad but we were aware that earlier in the day the M40 had been closed but now by the time we reached the South of Birmingham its was cleared and so a straightforward run home with the M25 busy as usual.

So, Thoughts on our trip, Would have been a lot better had both of us of not been under the weather although Jen is much better as I still have a cold which wont seem to go. The scenic views are something else and I am most impressed with what I saw but as usual there are to many people and cars to make it really great. Yes I would certainly like to return and try out the famous Carlisle to Settle train journey which we had booked already for the 15th October but for reasons explained earlier.. Hopefully next year we can do the same trip with better health and weather.

The not so nice part of the Lake District

It as rather misty in the morning and Noel felt a little better and so wee decided to g for a drive along the coast near Whitehaven (haven is not a good representation of where we went) Along the sea side road there were factories and all sorts of stuff including a New Balance Shoe Warehouse? . Many of the houses were extremely old and were in poor shape and some with obvious signs of serious damp. The Illegal Immigrants are treated better than this?? its a national disgrace  that this continues with the Labour bunch of loonies ( I cannot bring myself to call them a Government)casing absolute chaos to this country which many of us love dearly and our parent’s fought for.

For a light lunch we popped in to a large Tesco which had a café and so we both had a hot cheese and ham toastie in the most uninviting conditions, not surprising very few people were using it as at 1245 there was only six people there with chairs for about 40 . We took a slow drive back to the Hotel in the grey overcast weather but was surprised that so much money was being spent on the roads in the area, the A66 is almost up to French Road standards , unless it wa the French that were doing the work?

The rest of the afternoon we took it easy as Noel’s temperature had returned and late in the previous day when looking for our next stop we decided that with me being ten degrees under and the weather not as forecast that to spend another few nights in hotels was pointless and so we have decided to return home tomorrow. We enjoyed a quiet evening and the tv only had a few channels mostly about death and destruction on the road with Police chasing people and then an hour in A & E Department in Barnsley, what we did notice during this one hour program, not one non white patient or Doctor was visible which we thought rather strange as if you go to our local hospital its almost impossible to find a white person, Ah well .

Ando so to bed…

Tour of the lakes

The weather was not as promised and instead  of sunshine we got mist and cool weather of around 10 degrees centigrade however as we had planned to visit the lakes that is exactly what we will do. But first a visit to ALDI to purchase some water and some sandwiches and other bits and pieces to eat later.

Yesterday evening Jennifer had spent some time planning a route that she thought would be most interesting and it certainly was and en-route we visited the following lakes in the following order, Crummock Water, Buttermere Lake, up and over Honister Pass down in to Borrowdale and continued down to Derwent Lake and ending up in Keswick.   we stopped in Keswick for a coffee and it was quite crowded and surprised at the number of Burke’s on show. We walked around town for a short while but quite frankly with so many people there it was not the best and so back to the car. 

On the way back to the Hotel we then passed by Bassenthwaite Lake on the A66 and finally reached the hotel at about 1500 hrs. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and Noel sleeping as his cold appears to have returned and with a few Paracetamol and also some Loperamide for company the afternoon passed away quietly.

We did take a few photos en route and they will be added to the Smug Mug photo album later in the week.

Tomorrow hopefully the weather will be a bit better and we will then continue our exploration of this very attractive area of the UK

From Douglas IOM to Cockermouth- Cumbria

It was an early start to the day as the ferry is leaving at 1000 and you have to be there at least 1.5 hours in advance and so at 0650 we were up and having that required cup of tea and showering and getting ready for breakfast.

Breakfast was quick couple of slices of toast before settling the Hotel bill and then leaving at around 0755 for the 15-20 minute drive to the ferry port. Well we got there really early and were the first car plus there was a couple of vans and |I hoped, in vain, that first on meant first off, but No.  We had to go through security check including opening the front bonnet and asked a few questions about did we have guns, nuclear weapon or any hostages to which we said Of course not.   We then hung around for about 80 minutes as the number of cars increased and eventually we were allowed to board the catamaran which is the quicker of the two ways to UK for the IOM.

So by arriving first we were put at the top end of the boat which means we were to be the last off. The vessel was quite busy with lots of walk on passengers with lots of young ladies no doubt going to Liverpool for the famed nightlife, but we could be wrong but the vessels was quite busy and rather noisily and so any ideas of additional sleep fell by the wayside. We arrived in Liverpool at 1225 and although we were the last to leave it only took less than ten minutes so no complaints.

We hit the road going North to Cockermouth where we have booked to stay in Premier Inn for three nights whilst exploring the lakes. The journey was very nice indeed with lots of hills and the sun was mostly shining and we passed by a couple of smaller lakes and eventually arrived at the Hotel and checked in.

As we had both been on a diet for the last few days we decided that read meat would be good and we located Blocks Steakhouse in the town ad we both had the Sirloin and agreed it was excellent and so a good place to know.

The back to Hotel to plan out next few days travel before moving to Settle where we travel on the famous Carlisle to Settle train said to be one of the most beautiful train journeys .

And so to bed

A walk around Douglas IOM

The weather is not so great today and mostly overcast and so we had a slow morning. Following breakfast Noel charged the car and then Jennifer went for a swim in the large pool which she enjoyed very much.

As previously mentioned the author of this BLOG has not been to well over last few days what with a cold, knee hurting and some general problems in the colon area which has made life a bit difficult over the last few days. LARS is a problem that I have to live with and sometime in a week its fine and then at other times its not good at all. So Noel took a rest in the room whilst Jennifer  went for her swim.

By about 13.30 we were both getting a little hungry and Noel was not looking for a big meal just something that would not cause a problem like a baked potato and so shortly afterwards e headed offr the the main town of IOM called Douglas. In the summer and warmth it would be nice but in a grey day at 14 degrees and with a wind bowing it was not the best.

Parking in Douglas was a little difficult in the main town as there is a DISC requirement which we did not know about but eventually we found some seafront roadside parking which was free for up to 16 hours but the only problems was it was over a mile outside of the main town. So we unpacked Noel’s scooter and headed of in to town and looking for a café where we  could get something to eat, not to much but just something to tied us over. We came across a cafe which did jacket potatoes and we dived in and together with a cup of tea it filled the space.

Afterwards we walked in to town which we thought looked a bit shabby and  clearly with lots of immigrants, most of the serving staff in the Hotel appear to be from the Philippines . By this time were both feeling a little cold and with concern it could rain and we were well away from the car and so we headed back and loaded the scooter in the car and then drove back to the Hotel for a nice warm room and a cuppa.

The plan is to have a nice quiet even9ng in the room and we need an early start as our ferry leaves at 10.00 and we need to be there about 90 minutes before and so it will be get up at 0700, pack and load the car, followed by a quick breakfast and then down to the ferry port.

The ferry will take us to Liverpool and its a catamaran and so will only take two hours rather than the four hours on the regular ferry even for a shorter journey. Once we get off the ferry In Liverpool we are heading to the Lake District and starting of in a place called Cockermouth. See you to tomorrow

Time to do the North part of the Island

We enjoyed a quiet morning and also discovered the the Hotel had a charging point for EV and so we could charge the car from about 0945 for a few hours. Sitting in the lobby we looked at maps and talked about the next stage  of our travels and we wish to see as much of the Lake District that time will allow and also Noel fancies going on the Settle to  Carlisle railway ad so we need to have a hotel either near Carlisle of Settle , but we went for settle. So then we needed a Hotel for three nights after we get off the ferry at Liverpool at Saturday lunchtime and many hotel were asking outrageous prices and the we came across Premier Inn who were offering a sensible price in a place called Cockermouth and so we have booked three nights there from where we can explore as much of the Lake District as we can.

We have also booked the train from Settle to Carlisle and back for next Wednesday and so will be looking for a suitable Hotel near or at Settle. From there we hope to explore some of the Yorkshire Dales.

So that's what we have arranged for the next few days and then this afternoon e left about 2.30 and did a trip of around 40 miles from the middle and over the top of the island, the weather is a bit grey today but still it was worth it although for photos not so clear.

We arrived back at the Hotel at 17.00 and had a rest and discussed whether we should go to the restaurant or finish of the very nice prawns leftover from yesterday and also excellent baps.  In the end we decided to have the prawns and baps and all being well try the restaurant again tomorrow

A drive around the Southern part of the Island

 

Well it looks like a nice day with a little bit of sun shining thro the clouds except the author of this blog was feeling to good with perhaps and cold and also problems down below resulting in a horrible nights sleep, not the first time this has happened and probably wont be the the last.

So Noel decided he would have the morning in bed after a two slice of toast breakfast and ignoring all the other goodies and he was able to catch up on the  blogs and also start to consider where we go next after landing at Liverpool Docks in two day time. Well after a long rest and I think the lady wife was also have some issues and maybe its something that both of us have eaten in the last few days which caused the problems for us both.

We left the Hotel around 14.00 and headed south along the coast stopping to take photos and also driving thro the small villages and enjoying the drive. We eventually took a route over the centre of the island and went up some pretty steep hills which gave us some nice views . The traffic was very light and you can tell that most of the action is around Douglas the main city which was quite busy. On the way back to the Hotel we stopped to pick up some rations for the next couple of days as our first nights experience in the restaurant was not the best.

In the evening we jointly spent some watching You Tube stuff at the TV is of the older type with no additional HDMI sockets which would not allow us to watch our own programs, ah well let hope the next one will have the right type of TV.

Noel was not up to going to the restaurant tonight and so earlier we had purchased some prawns and baps which we enjoyed.

Finally at just before ten o'clock we called it a day and went to bed hoping for a better health day

Time to move on to the Isle of Man

Following an early breakfast we headed back in to town to purchase some sandwiches from Booths and the on to locater the house where Jennifer ise to live many years ago. But all changes with time as the house which previously sat by itself on the road surrounded by farmland an fields is no part of Garstang. The house is now called Richmond Hill, it would appear and has been completely rebuilt so unable to recognise from the time it was built some time in 1954.

From here we took a slow route to Heysham and in fact diverted to Morecambe where Jennifer's gran used to live although we did not look for her house. WE sat on the sea front for a while and then at about midday headed off to Heysham docks where we are joining the car and truck together passenger ferry to Douglas Isle of Man.

We had to wait around for about an hour before we could drive on board and I must say how large this vessel is and it takes about 1000 cars and 700 truck trailers plus all the passengers so its pretty big. We went to the lounge and had a relaxing seat overlooking the sea and it took just about four hours until we arrived in the Port of Douglas where it was raining.

As we arrived at around 5pm and with about 1000 cars of so getting off the ferry the local streets were blocked with cars and in the small streets it was quite chaotic.

Finally we left the town and headed off to our Hotel with is on a golf course and of course it had a large car park and nice views, even though it was raining.

We checked in at about 6.15 and then sorted a few things out and went for dinner and of course Noels list of what he can and cannot eat caused a major discussion with the kitchen and waiting staff and so I went and joined in and we agreed they would do sea bream in paupiette style ( in paper) and then some green beans and fries which they even forgot until I gave them a gentle reminder. Jennifer had the lamb which she said was good and overall it was OK although has been suffering tummy problems for the last couple of days and being careful was most important.

We returned to room and relaxed for a while and we were both in bed by ten pm as we seem to be affected by a bug which is not making life easy.

And so to bed

A day trip around Garstang.

Following breakfast we went off to visit the local town which Jennifer spent so many years of her early life here. Boy this place is buzzing with activity and the car park was quite large and very full and it was a Monday when you would assume it would be on the quiet side.

We initially visited the large local supermarket called Booths which was a bit like a mixture of M& S and Waitrose and so quite upmarket. There was a café upstairs where went for a sit down and to let the rain stop and this was also very busy and obviously a locals meeting place.

We didn't see one empty shop and in fact there was wide choice of local shops and in the old town hall and four stall market. However by the amount of shops catering to dogs, cats and wildlife there is a lot of people who have dogs. From here we also started to look for a place to charge the car, the first place we went to in town it was the wrong sort of connector and when chatting to a local he was complaining about the cost of about 80 pence per Kwh which is about tent times more than you would pay if charging at home.  From there we discovered that at a local BP garage they did charging but again this was the wrong type of connector.

As a last chance we located a place next to a pub out in the countryside which we thought would make a nice combination for charging the car and eating our sandwiches at the same time charge the car. However this was the correct socket and so we could start.

I waived my Electroplus card at the right place and it said it was not acceptable, I then waived a different card and again no good and so finally I  had to download a new app called ZEST and finally was able to get it going but then discovered that you started the charge with an app and to cancel you had to use the app and it was now I noticed by phone battery was at 9 % and so if the battery ran out I would be unable to disconnect the car from the charging unit, I guessed and so then charged it for half an hour and then disconnected. O! the fund of understanding how electric cars work. I don't have this problem at home.

From here we headed back to the Hotel where we had a quiet evening after a light dinner, we had starters only and then when in the lounge to relax and catch up with the latest news.

Hotel review, The location was fine and the Hotel not really expensive and the food up to pub standards and so overall quite good.

Next stop Garstang Lancashire

Following our usual breakfast we arranged for the staff to bring our suitcases downstairs as no way could Noel carry his down the Victorian stairs with a low handrail  which the Hotel organised without an issue.

A quick review of the Hotel as follows. The location is great and the service and food and staff were excellent but the place needs an upgrade. 

WE set the car sat/Nav to avoid motorways and so we hoped to enjoy the country roads all the way but the Lexus Sat Nav had other ideas and took us on small roads most of the way, normally ok ,

but we were not sure where we were until we arrived at the Tunnel which goes under the Mersey River and as we exited the tunnel the was the ROYAL LIVER Building 

 ( here once my ex company had their office) and we were stuck in a jam for a while. Then on leaving Liverpool via Everton we also got delayed by the football crowds on their way to see Everton play their game against Crystal Palace, Bah Humbug.

Overall it was a nice journey and taken without rushing and keeping well within speed limits and avoid all the 20 mph areas which are creeping up in towns all over the country. Soon it will be quicker to use a horse and cart

We stopped at a LIDL store for some lunch time sandwiches and a toilet stop and eventually arrived at the Garstang Hotel and Golf Club and checked in. The car park was not that full so it will interesting to see how many people are in for dinner.

We checked in and it as strange as the main reception as closed and the bar staff were handling all the arrivals but we went to our room which was fine if not a bit dak as had small windows, but Ok for two nights. Dinner was at 6pm and there were perhaps 5 other couples in the restaurant and the food was hat you might call Pub food and also very good. After dinner we moved to the empty lounge and had it all to ourselves until we returned to our room at around 10 pm. Tomorrow we plan to visit Garstang and see the sites, that is if there are any.

 

A slow day in the rain

Overnight the storm increased in strength and the rain pounded against the windows of the room and in the morning ng the views were interrupted by mist and rain, and all of this we did expect.

We had our breakfast, the Hotel upon you sitting down for breakfast brin g a big tray with orange juice, croissants, fruit and Jam and tea and then you order your hot breakfast and all quite efficient really. After breakfast we sat in the lounge and watched the wind howling past the window and the rain teeming down and late morning it was so strong I moved the car to avoid any trees falling on it but it as covered in leaves when I go to it which slowly blew away.  There were some large branches from the trees falling down and so we did not want a damaged car hence the moving of same.

About mid afternoon we retuned to the room and Jennifer discovered that her side of the bed was saturated and you could see where it had come thro the roof and so we had to call housekeeping and get them to change not only the duvet and sheets but also the mattress was also soaked. We can only presume the the wind had pushed the rain thro any open space on the roof and forced it down as there was an obvious wet mark on the ceiling and so we hoped it would not do that again whilst sleeping.

We had some wine left over from the previous two nights and we had a glass each in the room before going to the restaurant for dinner.  Noel ordered the Salmon and the waiter said the kitchen knew about his dietary requirements and then delivered the salmon as per the menu and not naked as instructed but they quickly recovered the situation and brought a new piece of grilled salmon with fries and broccoli which was fine. Jennifer had the Venison which she said was very good and for the first time we omitted a starter course and went for desert.

What with the wind the lounge was little cool and so we elected to go back to the room and turn up the heating and Jennifer read and Noel watched some you tube on Chelsea vs Liverpool game which they one 2-1, bit of a miracle really but good news all the same.

Tomorrow we move on the Garstang for two nights so as to be nearer to the ferry for Isle Of Man which we are going to on Tuesday .

And so to bed

Its not raining here also!!

Well the  storm Amy has arrived in Lake Vyrnwy and with strong winds it is not a nice day to go out and so we spent the day just relaxing and catching up with people and writing blogs. we met a couple from New Zealand South Island and we talk about the places we had visited, they were on a month long trip to Uk and were having a good time.

Noel caught up with hi blogging which he always does when travelling and started to look at the Lake Vyrnwy Dam which has an interesting past. Please see following link

Lake Vyrnry History

In the afternoon the rain and wind got stronger and so enjoyed a cup of tea in the lounge whilst watching people arriving at the hotel in the pouring rain although that could be us when we leave here on Sunday. In the evening we went for a pre dinner drink in the bar and then to have dinner. Noel had the lamb with chips and broccoli  whilst Jennifer had the Tortellini although she said it lacked a better sauce but otherwise was fine. Following dinner we sat in the lounge and looked at the latest news and shocked at the Manchester attack but also a bit pleased to see that Trumps plan for Israel and Gaza, now accepted by Israel may now be acceptable to Gaza, lets hope it all works out.

Noel also watched some You Tube videos of the practise for the Singapore Formula 1 race which will take place as we are travelling to Garstang which is the town where Jennifer spent her childhood and so we may try to find the house in which she lived.

The plan to take photos of our travels with all this rain may not work out for current days but lets see what tomorrow is like.

Leaving today for a few days break

An early start as the engineer from the water softener company is due at 08.30, he cud not make it the previous day which was the planned date, and then by around 10.30 we were pretty much ready with the car packed and we took a quick break before heading off to Lake Vyrnry.

A good friend of ours had been quite ill in hospital recently and had just been released and so a visit to see him took place at his home in Virginia waters for about an hour along with some other colleagues before we headed north on the four hour journey to our destination. The traffic was not to bad and we stopped in a service area just south of Birmingham before going round the east of the city and then joining the M54 to Telford before branching off the main roads to more country lanes before finally reaching our destination at around 5.30 pm. 

The room overlooked the Lake and its a really nice view to have when you get up in the morning.

Dinner is served from 6pm and we targeted 6.45 and I pointed out my allergies but somehow they did not pass on and so I had to send my main course back to the kitchen for them to start again. In my view,  others may disagree, the menu should show exactly what they plan to serve on the plate and although i told them about onions and garlic they also served three other items which I cannot eat, they were most apologetic and changed the plate but requested I give full written instructions which can be passed on the chef and his staff which I ill do tomorrow.

Following dinner e moved in to the lounge for a brief time before deciding that were are both very tired and so went up to bed at around 9.30 pm. And so to bed

 

NOte. My notebook comuter is playing up and the letter W will not always work which is a bit irritating.

The golf is finished and so am I

Having spent all yesterday afternoon  on the golf course with some friends I was very tired and my legs were aching quite a lot and so an afternoon’s rest as required before packing up for our trip to the Middle of England.

Following all Jennifer's surgery and the last two months have been rather worrying it was decided that we both needed a break and some rest and we looked at cruises and also possibly visiting Southern Spain but as we were a little concerned that if the new pills given to Jennifer caused an upset it would be better if we stayed in the UK and so maps were looked at, routes studied, and so in the end we decided that a trip to a Hotel that we had stayed in some years ago with lovely a reservoir and lots of trees would be the best and so we booked a room at the Lake Vyrnry Hotel  in North Wales for three nights and then after that we would start more planning. 

However we then remembered that a couple of years ago we visited the Isle of Man for a few hours on a round Britain cruise and we always said we would go back again.

So we made plans for the next couple of weeks and you can read about it on a daily blog

A lovely day

Following breakfast in the Hotel we headed off on a half hour journey to look at the House which had burnt down and was now being rebuilt. First of all we stopped at the house they are staying in until such time  as they can move back in  which they hope will be sometime in September this year as they are getting a little stir crazy in the current accommodation which is quite something to behold.

The house burnt completely down early last year and it has taken this amount of time for the insurance company and the local planning people to agree on what to do. It could not be rebuilt as it was and is now considered a new build requiring to fit modern requirement and not those of when the house was built in the early 20 century.

Following a

good look around and taking a couple of photos we headed of to Ploemel for lunch only the place that we wanted to visit was fully booked and then we had to hunt around and eventually ended up and in a McDonalds where we had problems with the on screen system, ah well!. Anyway the manager helped us resolve the issue and although it was not quite the lunch we wanted were were able to have time to carry on chatting about life etc.

At about 1500 we took off and headed in the direction of S t Malo to stay the night near the port for our  next day early departure back to blighty. We have stayed in this Hotel a couple of times in the past but in the meantime the ownership has changed hands and its very nice indeed and called Maison De Guerin. We checked in and shown to the room which was nice but not sure if the air con is working, Ah here we go again but at least it will be cooler tonight.  We plan to have a light dinner in the Hotel Bistro and then to bed as we need to leave the Hotel just after 0800 so as to arrive in plenty of time for our ferry back to UK leaving at 1030.

And it’s goodnight from me

NB, it was not a light dinner in fact we had the best meal of the holiday.

 

On On to Vannes they cried

Following an early breakfast, well early for us , we headed off to Vannes but rather than take the fastest way via Motorways etc  we decided to take the non motorway route and leave Tom Tom to decide which way we should go. Th reason for this is that by going direct would take just over three hours and we would arrive to early to check in but the route suggested by our sat-nav would take five hours with a better arrival time, and so off we went.

The journey was quite good and of course at slower speeds where you could have time to look around and enjoy the countryside and towns and villages we past thro and a most enjoyable and on time trip except when we arrived in a place called REDON which is about 30 minutes from Vannes we came to a complete stop as the centre of town was having an event, but we don't know what type. However there were Police sending you in the different direction to what the SAT Nav wanted and it cost us about half  an hour of messing around to avoid the centre of town and eventually we arrived at the Vannes Kyriad Hotel just after 1715 and met up with my sister and husband.

Time for a brief shower and then down to catch up on all the news ass we had not seen each other for many months and from there we caught a taxi down to the main Vannes old town to a booked restaurant where we enjoyed a very nice meal overlooking all the boats in the harbour.

Did not take photos this time as have been there before and taken photos so enough is enough.

The back to the Hotel which was nice and quiet and were able to have a good chinwag as they say and covered loads of topics form family to health to kids and holidays.

And so to bed which I found a bit soft and spongy, you cannot please them all

 

Not such a good day

The weather continued to be very warm and is due to reach around 36C today which is far  to warm for any form of being a tourist around Poitiers although most of the main tourist sites appear to be churches. There is is also a very large place called FUTURESCOPE which is really for families with children rather than two old cronies like us.

Noel was not feeling to well this morning having had a bad night thanks again to LARS issues and quite frankly not in any fir state to go anywhere so a day of rest was decided upon. We spent most of the morning in the reception lounge area and by lunchtime his highness needed to be in bed and not having lunch and so and afternoon in the bedroom was called for. By evening he was improving and so we went for dinner in the restaurant which again was quite full and whilst having dinner just checked the booking for the next nights hotel in Vannes and had a bit of a shock at first thinking we had booked the wrong day but it was Ok in the end.

Following dinner we returned to room and both read for a while before turning in for the night and tomorrow we leave for Vannes

A busy day

An early start was required so that we could pack the car before it became to hot, even at 0800 its was going on for  26 C. But by o915 the car was packed apart from the last bits of foods and so breakfast and depart. Paid the bill and received a bottle of local wine from the Hotel as a thankyou, unfortunately Eric the owner was not there to say goodbye.

For the first hour it was small roads before joining the motorway for a while, however the drive to the motorways was and is quite beautiful with mountains and old villages, such a fantastic area which most tourist luckily seem to avoid. A couple of hours into the drive and we stopped for lunch in a Motorway rest area and the design of the road infrastructure was almost impossible to understand and to leave the site was like trying to find your way out of a maze. Then on for a short while and as e had about 160 miles to go and could not check in before 16.00 we took the side roads which ended up with road closures and no diversions signs, most unhelpful.

We arrived at the Best western Hotel Le Blois de Marche

view on the outskirts of Poitiers and given our room key which was for a ‘what the called’ a cottage which as fine but a bit small but eventually it became clear that the air-conditioning system was not working so of I went to complain and discovered that room aircons are all controlled via the system at the hotel reception. You can have any temperature you like providing its 22C and she said she would adjust and would take about an hour to cool down. So we rested for a while and then went for dinner , this was approx. two hours later and its still had not cooled down so they said they would get the engineer to check and if necessary change our room which was eventually what happened.

The new room was in the Hotel part and temp was 22C and so Ok although we do  think they turned it off overnight  and also certainly first thing in the morning when they are changing the rooms. It was a shame as I was able to control the Android Tv so as to access my Netflix, Amazon Prime and You Tube accounts which three hour later I needed to cancel

The receptionist pointed out that they had to control the room temperatures centrally as as guests were changing the temperature in the room and the system could not handle so many changes and so they made it one central control which is not what is says in their room brochure. I spent about fifteen minutes discussing and complaining and so if this happen multiple times per day from other residents no wonder the reception was busy.

However the restaurant and general environment of the Hotel is quite nice and the food was fine, Jennifer having a veal dish and although full up mastered a desert as well. The room temp was about 24C and slowly went down to 22C but we were both a bit restless and although did think about visiting Poitier town and its churches, of which we have seen many in past visits, it was going to be over 30C today and so it was going to be a days of rest and perhaps a swim later.

Very sad to see about that Air India Dreamliner crashing after India raising many questions why? Looks like co pilot instead of raising the landing gear cancelled the flaps instead hence no lift. Lets see what the two recorders and investigators find. And just to make the world a safer place Israel has started to attack Iran, this Swedish lady leaves a bad trail wherever she goes.

A slow day in St Cirq

Tomorrow is D-Day or as we say Departure Day … So today was one of quiet time reading and enjoying the silence and getting ready to start packing in rh afternoon. Today the temperature outside is 35C which is touch warm and to hot to load the car so our plan is to do this first thing tomorrow morning and before breakfast is we can.

We had a light luncheon the balcony and Noel is beginning to discover that fatty cheese is not right for him and so was unable to join Jennifer in a visit to the pool, you learn something nearly everyday with LARS.

So in the afternoon after a suitable rest period we set about starting the packing of our bags and always we seem to have to much  but that's just us. In the evening we watched some stuff on Tv for a while and then headed odd for an early night anticipating a nice sleep only it was not to be. In the night Jennifer was worried that her packing was not right and so woke to check and as for me |I had the most ridiculous dream about having a meeting with Motorola in the USA where I had arrived without telling the local office or even head office and was wondering what to do when I woke up, oh dear to many years of working I suspect.

Anyway not much to report today but tomorrow we head off over the hills in the direction of Poitiers where we have booked to stay in the Best Western which looks like a nice hotel, lets wait and see ho that turns out.

Good night

Lunch followed by shopping-life continues to excite

As usual a slow start to the day as we are not in a rush and enjoying the return of the nice warm weather. Jennifer did some washing and Noel followed his practise of checking banks accounts and credit cards to watch for any fraudulent activity, this is a practise I started sooo many years ago it becomes second nature to get up and check that all is ok.

Around 12.45 we headed into Cajarc for lunch at the Hotel President, there are plenty of other places but here Noel knows he can get the food that is acceptable to his body and also its a great location as you can watch the world and his wife go by. Jennifer had a Salad Rocamadour which comprised of just about everything salad wise and Noel cheated and had the fish and chips, perhaps a bit fatty but nil chance of onion or garlic or many of the other items which are forbidden. It was very nice sitting watching the locals go by and it was generally very quiet and as its not the holiday season yet everywhere is quiet and really nice. On our 25 minute drive form the apartment to Cajarc if we passed 10 cars I would be surprised. Our route in to Carjac passes the caravan and camping site we have used many times in the past called  Ruisseau du Treil Campsite which we always enjoyed staying at.

Jennifer had another massage at 6pm for about an hour and so prior to this we watched the Joe Rogan Podcast featuring a talk with Kash Patel head of the FBI which was most enlightening about the past performance of the FBI and its senior personal, what a bloody mess he has inherited. The Joe Rogan Podcast has more listeners than any other in the world so I looked up his history on Wikipedia , most interesting.

Jennifer returned form her massage aching all over and covered in oil , so much for the pleasures of a massage.  In the evening we watched the last two remaining episodes of the Netflix series called Dept Q followed by a couple of interesting documentaries , one on moving a previously circus elephant from a small lock up to a Safari Park and then one about a guy who films nature documentaries for multi agencies but this one for his own channel about the North American foxes, both were most interesting.

Well we have to leave this little bit of paradise on Thursday and so tomorrow will have an easy day as the temp is due to be 36C on Wednesday and we need to start packing in the afternoon so as to leave here Thursday around 11.00 and head North West towards Poitiers where we will spend two night then on the Vannes.

Well that's is for today

 

Sorry about the rant- but here is another one

When you have some time on your hands and start reading all the news you get very upset with what's going on this world. In the last couple of days two Romanian , so called, youngsters raped a teenage girl in Northern Ireland causing rioting whilst there were riots in Ireland over the amount of Illegal Immigrants in the country. Needless to say the riots in Los Angles, there are often riots in Los Angels over the years as its been a place for immigrants for years. I am not against formally approved immigration, I for one , have lived in foreign countries and followed the local rules but this turn up on a boat is not accpetable

All these immigrants arriving by boat on the Kent coast are either arriving due to the welfare provided by us stupid British Government or they are building an army to take over the country at some stage in the future. In Canada during recent riots a muslin said that by 2060 the world will be Muslim as they are having lots of children whilst the local population does not, makes you think.

However , back to us here in the Lot Valley the sun was shining and it reached about 24 C and due to be up to 36 C later this week just as we are leaving, however we would find 36C to hot so probably a good time to pack up and go. The silence here is deafening, you can sit on the patio outside the room and the only thing you can here is the wildlife and the occasional car. The Hotel seemed full over the last weekend which is not surprising as it was a long holiday weekend for the French nationals.

Yesterday I spent a little time listing to the opening chat between Joe Rogan and the new Head of the FBI Kash Patel, most interesting so plan to listen to the rest of it tomorrow but what had happened in the last few years was treasonable although to take action is not possible due to time bar.

Watched with interest the actions of the self promoting Greta Thunburg in relations to the Gaza problem she has no idea about??? probably just wanted to get her face on TIK TOK or similar. I just read she refused to watch the very detailed video of the 7th October event , that says it all. Even the Swedish Government warned here about her trip and then quite rightly refused to help here when she said she had been kidnapped, one can only live in hope.

Another quiet day for reasons expressed yesterday

Well as you may have gathered from yesterdays blog I was grounded and the same today unfortunately so I wont say anymore ore about this as its frustrating. We spent most of the day just relaxing and Jennifer's is enjoying the freedom to read to her hearts content whilst I do the same. For lunch we had brie and biccies and in the evening decided to chop up the previously cooked pork chops and make a pork noodle soup which was really excellent. In the evening we watched some Tv on you tube for a while.

Now its my time to be a bit political. Have just seen that our Prime wanker of a PM has decided to go to Canada to commiserate with the other wanker running Canada, perhaps he could introduce them to three Ukrainian men who seem to know more about our PM than the general public. With so many problems in the UK he likes to run away leaving his ever hapless cabinet to carry on ruining the country without him. So where to start, he want's to build submarines because Russian forces will attack us in four years time, what happens if Russia attack in three years time ?? do we stand on the Dover beaches amongst several thousand boat arrivals pleading with Putin to wait another year until the boat builders have finished their strike??? And whilst talking about boat people and immigration started by, the ever wonderful Tony Blair, whose close friend Mendelson now UK Ambassador to USA , what a joke this government is. I really do worry about our grandchildren living in a wholly Muslin world which could happen with the ever continuing lack of parent’s having kids because the government taxes them like hell but then gives illegals with loads of kids everything they want?

I just hope that its not to late to save this country at the general election. The interest in Starmer’s so called relationship  with Lord Ali and the photos on various social media look most interesting. Its Ok to be gay but use gay to pedal influence and with the rest of top aids also receiving gifts to keep them quiet on the matter should hopefully bring this government down.

A lot of people don't like Trump but at least he has an agenda clearly pointed out before his taking the presidency whilst our bunch of loonies publish one thing and then totally change their minds immediately after the election, so many lies and untruths from a UK Government it makes me sick.

The weather should improve tomorrow with it being 27C today, with 31C on Tuesday and 35C on Wednesday and 31C when we leave here for Poitiers for two nights.

Today is Larsday

You might wonder about the the title but I suffer from LARS ( lower anterior resection syndrome) as a result of the bowel and liver cancer I overcame in the period 2015-2017 and although still here I do face difficulties with my body and the main one now is LARS. Unfortunately I face a constipation problem every week of the year and its a question how to resolve as its most uncomfortable.

Its does not seem possible for it to be cured and so many survivors of colon surgery suffer from this and there are a number of Facebook sites where sufferers present their issues with other to help and so in fact, compared to some,  I am lucky although it does not feel like it. So today started on Friday afternoon I started on the Laxido and continued until midday day on Saturday where it began to work. So why am I relating this but to explain that during this period I am grounded and cannot leave the house as need to be near the small room. So that impacts on what my day is and so ideas of going for long walks or a drive around the countryside and/or using the swimming pool were out for today and probably the same for tomorrow.

However, trying to make the best from it I finished up my book and then did some research on the subject, most interesting.  For dinner we finished up the prawns in a a noel made prawn cocktail and then we had some pork chops on rice and against my better judgement a bottle of chardonnay.

We watched the final episodes of Clarkson farm and as usual chaos ensues when opening a new pub a week earlier than originally planned however the sort of coped but hundreds of potential customers turned up, such is the pull of Clarkson. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for the editor.

The weather is a changin’

You can never tell what the weather will be like in this region we have learnt after many years of visiting this region.One minute its great and then several hours later its thunder and lightning which adds to the interest of the place.

Today we spent most of the time around the apartment and Jennifer went of for a massage in the Spa at around 1100 and came back an hour later with a big smile as she obviously enjoyed it. For me a its a LARS day so have to be careful. Today we both decided to read and I eventually finished up the book on Bidens last couple of years and what a fascinating and worrying read it is. For more than two years the senior White House staff and family lied to the American residents about the physical and mental state of the President of the United States. The is lie was then carried on by most democrats mostly because they never ever saw Biden up close or in a meeting but relied on the top staff for info.  It is clear that Biden was not running the USA and so who was???. During the last few years of the Biden administration they attempted to impeach Trump several times, accused him in a Russian Hoax, and hid damming information from Hunter Bidens laptop and then accus Trump of Lying with several court appearance of mostly Trumped up charges.

When you read this stuff you just confirm that most Politicians are in it for themselves, same applies in the UK. Its more about keeping their job and other income sources and nothing to do with taking care of the American People. Trump has yet to prove he can do the job as first time around hw was a newbie. time will tell, they say.

Anyway, coming back to our location in the Lot Valley we took a walk around the Hotel Estate in the afternoon but the hills around here a bit steep for Noel’s knees  but next time will get the scooter out. The walk was short for reasons expressed earlier in this report. Lets hope tomorrow is a better day.

Finally a video of where we are staying

Shopping and a swim in the lovely pool

It was a little cool this morning and we thought it might rain and so lets do some food shopping and so off we departed to Intermarche in Cajarc which is about 22 km away from our hotel. At the previous visit we had purchased some lamb chops and when looking at them decided they were rather small and hence our visit to the shop. We also had a good look at the wine selection and they had some nice local Cahors Malbec at a reasonable price so we thought we might try that tonight and if any good to stock up and with a 1.5 litre bottle at 14 Euros sounded good.

We headed back for an early lunch of cheese and baguette and after some time reading we headed over to the indoor swimming pool and spa for a couple of hours . The facilities in the spa are very good and we spent and enjoyable time there.

Then back to the apartment for a glass of the Malbac which was quite excellent with our lamb chops and then we watched a couple of episodes of BBC Round the World competition.

Looking at the World News the last few days our politicians from around the world are all looking for a World War, who asked them they we might want that and also at the same time planning to stop an invasion from Russia using submarines when they can stop a d few hundred illegals crossing the channel, Politicians are a joke and perhaps the only light at the of the UK tunnel is Farage and and his party who seem to be copying Trump. I cannot wait to see the result of the DOGE type investigation in to Kent County Council and I guess that there may be a few people rather concerned about this investigation will find. When you look at what happened to Woking Borough Council being nearly £2.5 billions in debt its a bloody farce that nobody has been brought to justice.

I am sure the press in the USA are loving the apparent fall out between Trump and Musk unless its planned to make Musk popular again and hope that more people will purchase cars. Time will tell.

A quiet day in St Cirq

After a busy few days travelling and arriving in St Cirq Hotel etc etc we decided that today would be a restful day whilst rain was forecast for most of the day.

So in the morning we spent some reviewing what we would do over the next few days and also Jennifer wanted to organise a massage in the SPA and so she had to this via an app, what we would do without apps I don't know, we might have to call somebody.

For late afternoon/early evening dinner Noel prepared a Ham salad which was most tasty and enjoyed by all

Noel has downloaded a book from Amazon called ‘Original Sin’ its written by a USA White House member about the last few years of Biden and his health issues. Bidens history has been fraught with personal issues including the death of his son from cancer which was covered up to avoid the press and State finding out and as he would have lost his job.

So to a degree its not surprising  that the recent support staff of Biden followed the same route and hiding him away for months it appears. Anyway still in the early stages of the is book and most interesting. In the evening we watched some you tube stuff and also a film/documentary on Netflix called An American Marriage which was most interesting with lots of plot changes.

Not so much rain late but early evening it really chucked it down. Tomorrow must go for a swim…..

See you tomorrow

A quiet day is called for

Its quite warm t the moment and nice to be outside and so we had breakfast on the balcony this morning whilst knowing that the good weather could change very quickly here in the Lot.

Following breakfast we noticed that the sink in the bathroom hose connections had come apart and so when you run water in to the sink it ends up on the floor, so Noel reported it and they came to fix it only I had an attempt which they said was successful, but of course it did not last. We are still in the final stages of planning our route home now that we are going via Brittany and were considering where to stay en-route for two night prior to arriving in Vannes. We considered staying in Rochefort near La Rochelle again but then we wanted somewhere new or somewhere where we had limited knowledge. We then looks at Cognac  and also the small village of Coulon known for its aspirations to be a mini Venice and then we came across a Best Western Hotel south of Poitiers in the Charente region of France and eventually we decided we would stay there for two nights.

Following the lots of miles on motorways the front of the car was covered in dead insects and so we took some time to clean it all off rather than wait till we get home and did not a bad job as it looks a lot better. We then went to report the failing sink to reception and then asked about EV charging and the receptionist showed us where and its FREE….. so Noel brought the car over and plugged in and approx. two hours later was fully charged which will gis us enough energy to visit Cahors which is a 45 mile round trip.

As it was the first night on this bed the previous evening neither of us slept well and so in the afternoon whilst the car was charging we both had a time out resting before an early evening dinner. Tonight we are having pork chops and salad followed by some nice strawberries and also checked out a bottle of Chardonnay which was quite nice. In the evening we watched some stuff on You Tube and then some Clarkson Farm latest series where he is trying to buy a pub and surprised how much all the costs were.

Overnight we heard the thunder and saw lightning which is normal weather in this area but of course it is not cold and at 9 pm it was till 26 C and so tonight we will turn on the air con to have the room at a more comfortable temperature for sleeping.

Time to depart from the Chateau Du Thiel

Well we have had a lovely and rather expensive three nights stay at the Chateau with two night of gourmet food plus a few drinks, but well worth the visit. As motioned in previous post the chef adapted my meals but of course with the changes it was not like the chef originally intended , but that's life.

Following breakfast we left the Chateau to drive to the Lot Valley and Cajarc  in particular but rather than travel on motorways and some with tolls we opted to travel on the normal road which would take us about 40 minutes longer than on the motorways. The roads were nice to drive and very twisty and hilly but green all the way, shame the sun was not shining as it would have added to the enjoyment. We arrived at our destination around 1315 and as planned went to the President Hotel ( sounds grand but actually quite run down) but the food has always been good and reasonably priced. There was a few choices but being typical brits after noveau cuisine then fish and chips was the food we went for and it was really good.
Following lunch we visited the local Intermarche for some basic supplies but we did more than basic as it cost about eighty pounds and then on to the Hotel Saint Cirq to check in for our self catering apartement. The boss recognised us from previous visits and said he gave us the quietest room as we were regulars, which was kind of him.

We checked in to the room and over a couple of hours Jen sorted the food and reorganised the kitchen to her needs and Noel sorted out all the electronics and set up the Amazon Fire stick so that we can watch all our regular UK channels. We were not hungry tonight but planned to have baguette and fromage  and then watch some Tv. The weather is typical Lot Valley weather, boiling hot one minute then rain and thunderstorms.

We plan a quiet day tomorrow with some swimming and also looking at finishing our planning of our route back to the UK as we will now visit my sister who lives in Brittany and we plan to meet them in Vannes for the Saturday evening and then visit their house which is being rebuilt before heading of to St Malo to catch the ferry home on Monday 16th June.

Following a late night we enjoyed a slow day

As we were quite late for us to go to bed last night we took every advantage of time in bed before heading of for breakfast at 0900. There were  a few people around this morning and so we assumed most rooms were busy. We also had a chat to the Maître de  about how the restaurant and hotel were doing and he seemed quite positive but did say it is hard.

We were not planning to eat in the Hotel today, other than breakfast, as the type of food on offer on a Sunday was not suitable for me they made mention of and we had plans to go elsewhere for some basic food and not this high falutin stuff. We spent a couple of hours reading in the comfortable chairs in the lounge area of the restaurant as although we went outside it was a bit chilly after a while.

Come midday we left the Hotel and headed in to Ussel and to the restaurant attached to the LeClerc Hypermarket which had received some good recommendations on google and trip adviser and we were not disappointed. Jennifer had a very large mixed salad and noel the chicken burger and fries and salad , all without onions and garlic and most enjoyable. On returning to the Hotel room we checked to see if the Spanish F1 was on and it was but only with a German commentator who sounded most boring compared the the SKY UK Commentators. Then a little light rest and started our planning for when we leave the Lot Valley as we are now able to go an see my sister in Britany and so new hotel booking and ferry bookings need to be made and that was the afternoon gone.

In the evening we spent some time reading and then to bed as we leave tomorrow morning for our ten night stay in the St Cirq Le Popie Hotel.

See you tomorrow

Its our 54th Wedding Anniversary , who said it would not last

Well the sun was shining as we arose and headed down for breakfast and than sat out the veranda for a couple of hours reading.  The amount of people attending breakfast would indicate that the Chateau rooms have all be taken which was good sign and also the amount of guests for lunch was also quite high with multiple groups of people, some not laving until mid afternoon,

However, we did not want to have a lunch here only a snack for lunchtime for us and we went out looking for a place for some nice filled baguettes but the first shop only did cakes and so we decided to go the the big LeClerc Hyperstore which was under renovation and so in a bit of mess.

Anyway we got some food for lunch today and also for tomorrow as tonight we are in eating in the Chateau and then tomorrow we will find somewhere locale to eat. We had a relaxing afternoon and but they were busy in th restaurant tonight and somehow our reservation was for 8.45 pm which is a bit late for us, and then its started to go wrong. T he trouble with noveau cuisine its does not take in to account people like me with challenges. Although I had sent them a list of what I could and could not eat , perhaps they did not fully read it, the first plate arrive covered in cauliflower!!! which I had to send back. Also the restaurant was quite busy and the second course took ages to arrive but at least they got this right. Noveau cusine is a lot about small but elegantly prepared dishes and not like fish and chips with loads of fish and fries, Oh no its the presentation that counts rather than quantity..

Needles to say the wine list was extensive and expensive and the previous night we had a bottle of Fleury but at this late hur now nearly 10 pm it was all to late and so we had the house red, also not cheap.

Due to the lateness of the dinner we missed the Euro Cup final which I understand was walkover.

With regard to the Chateau its is quite beautiful but still some work to be done both inside and outside the building and the carpark is a it of mess, but hopefully they will get there. I would stay here again but me and the cuisine would be a problem.

Its bed time

Paris to the Chateau Du Theil in Ussel

We packed our bags and went down to breakfast which was quite a choice so no complains and left the Hotel around 1015 with an approx. 4.5 hours journey to the Correze area of France where the chateau is located.

After leaving the Hotel and not knowing the roads to well we made one small slip and headed on the the wrong direction on the A86 but soon was able to recover and turn around to go on the correct direction.

We new we were approaching a tunnel with height restriction of 2 metres and our  car is 1.640  but it seemed a lot lower but this motorway tunnel went on for 10 kilometres  and was quite interesting to drive through. So we took motorways all the way using our Bip and Go which enables you to use the Tele at the Peage (Toll Station)and saves a lot of hassle. The weather was quite warm but we stopped for some petrol which was bloody expensive and some baguettes for lunch and then carried on with Jennifer enjoying the driving for a while until we finally stopped for lunch in an Aire with the temperature around 31 Centigrade.

It was quite clear that the Dutch are now on holiday as the amount of Dutch registered cars heading south on the motorway was staggering

We carried on up the motorways and eventually joined the A89   (Lyon to Bordeaux) which we used in the past when leaving our caravan site in Ebruil and heading for the Lot Valley but mostly it was raining and so never enjoyed the magnificent views of the three Volcanos and also other mountains with the road climbing to 1000 metres and with views over the rivers , well worth driving down.

We eventually arrived at the Chateau which is finished (almost) on the inside but will still some clearing up to do on car parks and roads to those parking areas. We checked in and had a brief rest and then went down for an evening beer prior to dinner.

With Noels food restrictions I had previously advised the Hotel Chef so it was not a last minute issues but they had it well covered and being only a smallish restaurant and when we entered it was nearly empty so we could discuss everything. 

The restaurant by 9pm was virtually full and it also looked most of the bedroom , only 12, were all taken.

After dinner we went on the balcony and finished off the bottle of Fleury as the sun went down and then off to bed around 10 pm. A nice day was had by all.