Jane NotRog
LIFE MEMBER
Finally! As seems to be our default mode these days, the months since we returned from our Baltic trip have been filler with wallet-scaring expenses of the most boring kind. If only we’d blown several grand on vintage champagne, diamonds and dancing boys, rather than roof repairs, 500 year old beam repairs*, Denby’s awning strut and a new cam-belt.
*If I could call that 15th century builder, I’d have a word about why said beam was elm when he’d charged me for oak. Still, I suppose the NHBC warranty has long expired.
So, last Tuesday we were all set for our Friday departure, when I went down with a nasty virus and a temperature of 39°. I was still lying on the sofa with a thumping headache and the shivers on Thursday, so we delayed the departure until Monday. And then, yesterday, the fever left and even though I was still coughing as if I smoke 40 Gauloises a day, I felt much better, so we switched again to an early Saturday crossing. Luckily all these shenanigans just cost us £6. Hoorah!
(While we’re on the subject of health, the ankle I broke in Germany on our last trip still gives me a small amount of pain when I rotate it, and it’s still a little swollen. My GP referred me to a consultant, and he ordered an X-ray - result, my fibula hasn’t healed and the ends of the bone are still 1-2mm apart. I could just be a slow healer, so a follow-up X-ray is planned for 3 months’ time. Sorry for boring you all to death.)
Anyway, all that is behind us and we are off to Spain and Portugal. We’re well prepared - Rog has been learning tourist Spanish from the fantastic Say Something in Welsh people, and I’ve been learning Portuguese from Duolingo. Duolingo is all very well, but I’m left able to tell you that my elephant drinks milk and my monkey is wearing a red cape, but I can’t ask for a table for two or a loaf of bread.
Another way in which we’re well prepared is that Rog has spent the last couple of months playing with his 3D printer, stopped only briefly to eat and breathe. So now Denby is filled with small grey plastic objects of his own design.
I present the thing to hold the lighter for the gas hob:
And the window thing to hold your iPhone overnight:
We were up bright and early on a cold, clear morning, due to my cough waking me at 4:30.
That meant we also arrived nice and early for our 9:15 shuttle crossing. Consequently we were bumped to the 8:45 train, luckily still leaving plenty of time for Rog to indulge in a Leon Full Breakfast Pot with extra hash browns, and me in a litre of Bombay Sapphire gin for £16 (the latter not for my breakfast, I assure you).
Passport control went smoothly, and we were happily waiting to board the 8:45 when the announcement came that it had been cancelled due to technical issues. Our potential departure is now later than our originally booked one, sigh. Fingers crossed we actually get to France in the next hour or two…
Oh, and the thread title? We think we’re pretty good at Coddiwompling actually, it’s the slowing down that we can’t do. So let’s see.
Today’s rating so far: Started poorly with a speedy departure, but back on track due to the wonders of LeShuttle.
*If I could call that 15th century builder, I’d have a word about why said beam was elm when he’d charged me for oak. Still, I suppose the NHBC warranty has long expired.
So, last Tuesday we were all set for our Friday departure, when I went down with a nasty virus and a temperature of 39°. I was still lying on the sofa with a thumping headache and the shivers on Thursday, so we delayed the departure until Monday. And then, yesterday, the fever left and even though I was still coughing as if I smoke 40 Gauloises a day, I felt much better, so we switched again to an early Saturday crossing. Luckily all these shenanigans just cost us £6. Hoorah!
(While we’re on the subject of health, the ankle I broke in Germany on our last trip still gives me a small amount of pain when I rotate it, and it’s still a little swollen. My GP referred me to a consultant, and he ordered an X-ray - result, my fibula hasn’t healed and the ends of the bone are still 1-2mm apart. I could just be a slow healer, so a follow-up X-ray is planned for 3 months’ time. Sorry for boring you all to death.)
Anyway, all that is behind us and we are off to Spain and Portugal. We’re well prepared - Rog has been learning tourist Spanish from the fantastic Say Something in Welsh people, and I’ve been learning Portuguese from Duolingo. Duolingo is all very well, but I’m left able to tell you that my elephant drinks milk and my monkey is wearing a red cape, but I can’t ask for a table for two or a loaf of bread.
Another way in which we’re well prepared is that Rog has spent the last couple of months playing with his 3D printer, stopped only briefly to eat and breathe. So now Denby is filled with small grey plastic objects of his own design.
I present the thing to hold the lighter for the gas hob:
And the window thing to hold your iPhone overnight:
We were up bright and early on a cold, clear morning, due to my cough waking me at 4:30.
That meant we also arrived nice and early for our 9:15 shuttle crossing. Consequently we were bumped to the 8:45 train, luckily still leaving plenty of time for Rog to indulge in a Leon Full Breakfast Pot with extra hash browns, and me in a litre of Bombay Sapphire gin for £16 (the latter not for my breakfast, I assure you).
Passport control went smoothly, and we were happily waiting to board the 8:45 when the announcement came that it had been cancelled due to technical issues. Our potential departure is now later than our originally booked one, sigh. Fingers crossed we actually get to France in the next hour or two…
Oh, and the thread title? We think we’re pretty good at Coddiwompling actually, it’s the slowing down that we can’t do. So let’s see.
Today’s rating so far: Started poorly with a speedy departure, but back on track due to the wonders of LeShuttle.
Having just left France and Belgium for Holland I would ask if you have a snorkel fitted! The rain has been biblical. We decided on Holland for the last few days as they are the experts in controlling floods. May cross paths Jan/Feb as we are off dice rolling towards Spain. Gave up any thoughts of Eastern Europe as most of it appeared to be under water!
