On 30 November it was Stacey's day off so her and Dad took me, Sydney, Magic & Oscar to Bath to see the Christmas Market. We all went on the bus but, because they haven't been on a bus before, Magic & Oscar travelled in their carrier. As soon as we got off the bus they were taken out and then began the battle between Stacey and Magic - Stacey to keep Magic on her hand and Magic to get up on her shoulder and down her back to sit on the Back-pack - his favourite travelling place! I have to say, he managed to get there a couple of times but on the whole Stacey won! The day started at the obligatory pub. Sydney & I have been there many times before so Stacey took Magic & Oscar inside to meet the girls behind the bar. She was gone for ages (but then again, we all know how Stacey can talk for England!). After we left the pub, we had a surprise. A steam train (A4 Pacific Bittern masquerading as another loco from the same class, in Blue livery) passed us. It was downhill into Bath so it was not making much noise and crept up behind us before Dad could get his camera out! Sydney & I have seen many Steam Trains but it was another first for Oscar & Magic. We went by the canal for our usual feast and Dad found me a Blackberry and a Rosehip before we all fed ourselves on Hawthorn Beries - yum yum! Then we went and sat near the Abbey and had a Subway lunch. Of course we all shared the Subs and the Cookies afterwards! Then it was time for the Christmas Market. Several people remembered me & Syd from previous years (we always go; every year), but they hadn't seen Magic & Oscar before. Magic & Oscar are good because unlike me & Syd, they are happy for the kids to stroke them. Dad was tucking into to all the samples:- Cheeses, Sausages and Caremalised Peanuts, along with his cup of hot Mulled Wine. He did get us some Caremalised Peanuts which were nice and Syd being a pig had some Cheese but I was too full for Cheese (gotta watch my figure you know!). Then Dad realised it was nearly a quarter to four and Stacey had arranged to be in Calne for four o'clock (oh Dear! We had had such a good time we all lost track of time!), so we made our way to the bus station. Luckily the quarter to four bus was running about 10 minutes late so we just caught that and went home. Considering they had benn out all day (probably for the first time ever) Magic & Oscar were very well behaved - nearly as good as me & Syd! Below are some pics of our day out in Bath.
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Well it was a hectic week last week. Our Mum went into hospital on Wednesday for what was supposed to be Day case surgery on her foot. In the end, it was a 4-hour operation and she was kept in until 17:00 on Thursday! They fused 3 bones in her right foot together and cleaned up a load of other bones from arthritic debris. Mum's hopping! No, she's not mad or cross - she's just hopping everywhere as she's not allowed to put her foot down. She has 2 zimmer frames and a wheelchair kindly loaned by St John. Yesterday (Sunday) was the first day without pain-killers and she seems to be making good progress. On Friday, her & Dad went to visit Helen & Tony in Tiverton and she was quite bad there. Bad enough in fact, to see the local GP at Tiverton. He gave her some medication to settle her stomach as she kept feeling nauseous and that was wonderful stuff! She felt 100 times better on Saturday morning.
Wednesday afternoon, Dad took me and Sydney to Lacock Abbey where we had coffee and biscuits (well me & Syd only had Biscuits and Apple) in the Orchard overlooking the church. We were all thinking of Mum but there was nothing we could do until we had an update that evening. Dad rang at 19:30 to be told she was still in Theatre as there had been a serious RTC that afternoon which had delayed all the ops. At 21:00 he was told she was back on the ward and as comfortable as could be expected. That was a relief to all of us! Thursday, Dad had to go to Coventry to pick up the Bamboo flooring for the Bird Room (Dad says it will be easier to clean up all our mess from the wood floor than from the carpet). He got there at lunch time and then went straight to the hospital to get Mum. At the hospital, they had to wait 2 1/2 hours before she was allowed home. She was sent home with 2 zimmer frames, 2 toilet frames and that evening Adam & Stacey went to get the wheel-chair. It was good to have Mum home but she was still in a lot of pain. Friday morning Mum decided she was well enough to go to Torquay for the week-end they had booked months before but when they got to Tiverton she was having second thoughts - until, that is, she saw the Doctor there! They went on to Torquay and checked into the Hotel. The first room was not the booked Disabled room so they had to move but all's well that ends well! Saturday consisted of Dad pushing Mum around Paignton all day in a wheel chair. They did however, find a Subway big enough to take a wheel-chair for lunch. Dad says that it is not enough for a surface to be flat for a wheelchair. All along the coastal promenade the path is cambered towards the sea so any rough seas flow back into the sea. That camber is absolute hell for someone pushing a wheelchair! It was not just the fact that there was an adult in the chair but the chair itself is not lightweight - it is an old ambulance one, very well built, very sturdy and very heavy! Dad actually found the pushing very good for him because he could use the chair to lighten the weight on both of his feet - like walking with 2 sticks; though his arm muscles suffered a bit! Sunday morning was spent in Torquay with a second breakfast being taken at Subway and lunch also being taken at Subway! They walked a bit, sat a bit, walked a bit more etc. Torquay is very nice now they keep the tide in the harbour. In the afternoon they had to go to Ipplepen to collect D - a Blue & Gold Macaw who we are safehousing for Birdline. More details on D can be found on the page for Safehouse Bird 02. She seems to have settled in all ready - certainly a lot quicker than Safehouse Bird 01! Well that's all for this week. Sydney & I are hoping Dad will take us to the Christmas Market in Bath this coming week because we get spoiled with sweet coated nuts there (OK - naughty but nice!!!). Kenny & Sydney at Coate Water, Swindon Well it's been ages since I last posted so it's time for a catch-up. At the end of October Mum & Dad went to the Isle of Man (by train and boat) for 10 days holiday, leaving us fids with Stacey & Adam. They can't moan about looking after us as the holiday was their Christmas Present to Mum & Dad last Christmas (now follow that!!! hehehe). I think they had a great time which was good because we did (while the cat's away, the mice will play!!!). On a couple of days, Mum & Dad have taken Phoebe, Billie and Ollie to Lacock as they went by car. It seems they had a good time and sat on "our" seat in Lacock Abbey Orchard overlooking the Parish Church to have their coffee (what a cheek - sitting on "our" seat!!!). Unlike me and Syd, none of the three of them will eat biscuits while they are out - they'll get us a bad name if they continue! Now for something completely different! Dad has been keen to give something back to the world of parrot-keeping in return for all the pleasure we fids give him (Pleasure? We'll have to change that!!!). He has been hoping to do that with Parrotcare - a leading Parrot Rescue Organisation but has suffered a lot of hassle from them over his own personal Rescues and didn't feel very "welcome" so he has changed his allegience back to Birdline who he has been a member of since February. Dad has offered to become a Safehouse for Birdline and yesterday he went to Worcester to collect a Mealy Amazon to safehouse. I am not allowed to give her name and I haven't met her yet as she is in quarantine but Dad says she is a darling and really settling in well. He also had to go to Cheltenham to rescue 2 Cockatiels and a Budgie. Their story was not so happy. They are not tame and lived in cages that were a bit on the small size in a back bedroom. Their owner was an elderly lady and her carer cleaned them out once a week. That and a once a day food and water change was all they had seen of humans. Their cages were filthy so Stacey gave them a good clean this morning and tonight they are going to a safehouse in Torbay. Dad is taking them as he and Stacey are staying overnight to spend a Birdline Training Day in Paignton tomorrow, learning about Safehousing and possibly becoming an ACO. They can't take me & Syd as birds aren't allowed at the training venue. Yesterday, Dad & Stacey went to the Parrot Show in Stafford to buy some more birds for the empty aviaries. What did they come back with? Well I knew they were going to get some Budgies but I don't think even they knew what they were going to get for the metal aviary!!! They got some unusual Budgies (Violets, Pieds, Opaline, Albino etc) which should give some nice unusual coloured babies. They didn't concentrate on those with heads which are particularly large as these are often inter-bred and don't live too long and aren't necessarily good for breeding from. Instead they have a nice range of "Pet Quality" birds nearer the original size of Budgies. There are some pics below.
For the Steel Aviary they found what they wanted at the first stall they went to! They snapped up what was a good compromise between getting a bargain and returning later to find them sold. They bought a bonded pair of Ringneck Parakeets. Yes, these are like those living wild in London except these are what are called Mutation Ringnecks - i.e. they are different to the nominate species. Ours are a Blue Cock Bird and a Turquoise Hen and are shown below. They came from a very experienced Dutch Breeder who is at the show every year. I think Ringnecks are nice as they have a bright red beak which stands out - better than Sydney's all black beak! They didn't only get birds, of course. They came back with a new seed hopper and loads of accesories for us fids including 2 new bird lights. Because they returned quite late, all the birds were put in cages overnight and released into their aviaries the following morning to give them the maximum amount of daylight to get used to their new environments. Well on Monday Mum & Dad had to go to the dentist (and Dad had to have a filling – hehehe) so we couldn’t go out. However on Tuesday they had to pick up some more Sunflowers from Swindon so took Me, Billie and Phoebe to Coate Water Reservoir. We had a great time and even Phoebe and Billie joined me in eating some Hawthorn Berries. We found some Blackberries but Phoebe threw her’s down and my parents still haven’t plucked up the courage to give Billie one! I can’t think why – I think his white coat would really show off the Blackberry stains!!! We had a great time and while we were sat having our coffee a family came across to talk and they were reeeeeally interested in us all. They held me; were looking at Billie’s black tongue and feeling how soft he was under his wings and were quite sad that Phoebe had been neglected in the past but I told them she was reeeeeally happy now and Dad would NEVER neglect her! Something very funny happened. When we arrived at Coate Water, Billie, instead of being in his travel cage in the boot, was sat on my stand on the back seat! Yes! He had escaped from his cage and climbed through to the back of the car where he sat very patiently on my stand. Methinks he is trying to tell our parrents something! But what did they do? Did they let him travel on the stand on the way home? Nope! They put padlocks on his travel cage to stop him escaping. He told me that once before Coco had taken the barrel out of a padlock to open it but.....he couldn’t manage that!
On Wednesday, I had to stay at home to give Ollie a chance. They took Ollie, Phoebe and Billie to Lacock. I didn’t mind staying at home with Sydney because I have been to Lacock loads of times and it was only fair to give Ollie a chance. Trouble is Ollie likes it on Dad’s shoulder but that’s where Phoebe sits and on this day, Phoebe pulled rank! Dad said Ollie was reeeeeally good and sat on his hand all the afternoon except coffee time when he went to Dad’s other shoulder. Afterwards they ended up at the Red Lion (no surprise there then!) as they had the car and weren’t dependant on a bus timetable! Apparently loads of people kept stopping them and taking photos and they were all so very good (even Dad – hehehe!) On Thursday me & Sydney went out because we went to Calne and had to travel on the bus. We spent some time on the old Chippenham to Calne disused Railway Cycle Track to make sure me & Syd had our anti-oxidants in the form of Blackberries! We love Blackberries and I love flinging bits all across Dad’s shirt (hehehe!). As usual we were as reliable as ever on the bus which is why Dad takes us whenever he has to go on the buses! Mum found loads of Hawthorn Berries which she brought home for the other Fids. On Saturday Mum & Dad took me and Sydney to Witney to collect a new cage for Suki. I think they were just taking the easy way out by taking me & Syd but we’re both ever so glad they did! We arrived in Witney and sat out by the Church and had a cup of coffee and biscuits! Then we went off to get the cage. The people selling it had an African Grey who was very placid sat out on top of her cage – in fact she ignored me & Syd completely! Mum & Dad bought the cage, put it in the car and we drove off towards the town centre. We were going to have a look round but Mum decided if we went straight home we would have time to thoroughly clean the cage and get it up in Stacey’s bedroom and swap the birds. So we went straight home! It transpired that the new cage was going to be used for Molly & Mango and their cage was to be used for Suki so they had a lot of cleaning and moving to do! However, by tea time, all cages were cleaned and sorted and all birds in the right cages! Well it seems like ages since I have updated my blog, so here goes!
Firstly, Molly & Mango and Dad’s usual luck! Well when Dad took them on he was told Molly was a female and Mango was a male so what do you think happened when he got them DNA sexed? Yes – that’s right!!! Molly is definitely a Male and Mango is definitely a Female. Well for Mango that isn’t a problem – her name suits either sex but it is a bit of a problem for Molly. You see Molly can say her name so rather than unceremoniously change it, Dad has decided to leave it as Molly – I mean, what’s in a name? Over time the parrents will get used to calling Molly a boy but I have heard them saying “Good Girl” to him!!! On the subject of Molly & Mango they are now housed in their new cage in the “Small Bird” room (aka Stacey’s Bedroom). They have left their quarantine room and seem happy where they are. Stacey has them out of their cage with Oscar & Magic, most evenings. The other morning, Molly escaped while Dad was feeding them and after he chased him around the room for a bit, trying to catch him, Molly obligingly flew straight back into the cage which Dad says is made more remarkable because it is a new cage! Well now to the outings. On Wednesday 21st Dad, Mum, Sydney & I went to Bath to be by the canal. Syd & I had a good feast on Blackberries, Hawthorn Berries, Elderberries and Mum even found some Hazelnuts the squirrels had left! Phoebe and Max can crack the Hazelnuts themselves but the rest of us Fids need them started for us so dad has the nutcrackers handy. He gives us each one a day along with our half a walnut. We had a good time by the canal and met loads of kids (it was school coming out time!). The kids just love seeing us and I like sitting on their hands. We went back to the exact seat where Dad sat last year when a Pear fell on his head but this year there were no pears. Still we have quite a few from our own trees, at home so we won’t go hungry! On Thursday 22nd we went to Lacock and to see the Wilts & Berks Canal. Mum found loads of Hazelnuts here and we feasted again on the usual canal side goodies! We were going to end up at The Red Lion for Dad but we didn’t have time before the bus came to take us home :-( Friday 23rd was exciting because we left for a week-end in Plymouth. Dad had planned it a while ago and he & Mum were really looking forward to it. He said we might go on a boat so I was a bit apprehensive but in the end we had 4 boat trips and I was fine! I have really got used to being on the water! Saturday morning we went to the Barbican and the Hoe where Mum & Dad felt a bit under-dressed because it was Graduation Day on the Hoe and everyone was in their Sunday best! Still we started by spending an hour at the Boathouse Cafe where Syd & I enjoyed half a Custard Cream each (you can see a picture of us at the end). Then, while on the Hoe we had our flask of coffee and more biscuits. Dad said he couldn’t believe how much we were eating considering we’d demolished half an apple before we came out! Doesn’t he know the sea air gives us an appetite! Later Syd & I got on board HMS Cornwall (not the real one you understand – just a concrete model!) The real one is currently being used as a training vessel. Later this year, after Operational Sea Training, HMS Cornwall will be deploying East of Suez to conduct counter piracy operations. For old time’s sake they bought an Ivor Dewdney’s Cornish Pasty and went to Devil’s Point for lunch. Dad told us how his Dad used to buy pasties and take the family there when he was a small boy (I’m surprised he can remember THAT long ago – I mean it’s 45 years!!!). In the afternoon we took the first of our boat trips across the River Tamar to Mount Edgecumbe in Cornwall. Rather surprisingly I was fine on this medium sized boat. We had a great time by the lake and in the formal gardens and the weather was really nice for us. However at 5 o’clock when we were queuing for the ferry back it started to rain but we soon got on the boat and sat inside so we didn’t get wet. At the other end it had stopped again (it never rains in Devon!). On Sunday it started off Dull and Damp but by the time we left the Hotel at about 10 o’clock it was brightening up and by lunchtime the sky had turned blue and the sun was shining again! We first went to Saltram house and garden where we started with a coffee (not Syd & me you understand ‘cos we’re not allowed coffee) and Biscuits. This time we had another of our favourites – Ginger Nuts! Yummee!!! We found a few Hawthorn Berries and Elder berries but Mum was really looking for Chestnuts but they were all dehydrated and flat! We found a picnic table in the grounds so had our lunch there and then went down to the Barbican again. This time, unknown to me, they were planning on taking the ferry to Mount Batten. This was a tiny boat but everyone was so pleased that I was fine – I really have conquered my fear of water! At about 5 o’clock we had to say our fond farewells to Plymouth after a brilliant week-end and make our way to Ilchester to collect Molly & Mangos’ new cage. We did this and got home about 10 o’clock – very tired and ready for bed (although Syd had been asleep in the car on Dad’s shoulder!). After this last week I have to say, what a welcome back to England! The weather has been, how can I describe it? - Typically English!!! Accordingly no-one has been out very much. However, on Friday it was quite a nice day so Dad decided to go to Bath on the bus. Because he was going on the bus, Sydney & I went with him (Oh, and Mum, of course!). We went to the tow path where Sydney & I tucked into Blackberries, Elderberries and Hawthorn Berries (and covered Dad's shirt with purple spots, he-he-he!). We had some feast and it was delicious! We took some of the less squashy Hawthorn berries to add to those Stacey got and fed them to the others. Parrots love things like Blackberries, Elderberries and Hawthorn Berries from the hedgerows but you do need to make sure they haven't been sprayed with anything before feeding us. Dad knows British Waterways don't spray on the towpaths as they want to preserve wildlife and what's good enough for the wildlife is good enough for us! When our cages were cleaned out on Saturday it was pretty obvious what we'd been eating (if you understand what I mean!!!). Well I don't know what this week holds weather-wise but at the beginning of the week it is going to be stormy and Sydney wont be able to hold on to Dad's shoulder so we wont be going out!
On Wednesday Dad & Stacey went to Barry to see a couple of "rescue" parrots. They were a Green Cheeked Conure and a Senegal Parrot (like Magic). They are called Molly & Mango and they must have been on their best behaviour because Dad & Stacey felkl in love with them and brought them home. They now have their own page under "Birds" so go and read all about them! What are you waiting for? I've finished for this week!!! Phoebe keeps a motherly eye on Oscar & Magic at Lacock!!! Sunday 28th August. Well, today turned out to be very exciting. It all started when Dad woke up. His sugar level was very low which meant, in hindsight, he should have done his injection AFTER his breakfast but hindsight is a wonderful thing. In the event he didn’t! We all went off to the local Vide Grenier in St Pee sur Nivelle but when we were there Mum thought Dad’s sugar was low and made a fuss and someone called an ambulance! Needless to say, Dad had it all under control and when the ambulance staff let Mum do a blood test it was a very respectable 5.8! But, that wasn’t the only bit of excitement. The ambulance staff were speaking to a doctor by phone, who insisted he saw Dad and so….The Doctor was airlifted by helicopter to Dad! Talk about a lot of fuss over nothing! And to make it worse we weren’t allowed in the ambulance and they wouldn’t keep dad outside the ambulance so we had to be shut in our travel cage in the car and missed most of the unnecessary fuss! The Doctor decided to do an ecg and found a small defect. He wanted to take Dad to hospital but Dad discharged himself, saying he would see his own doctor when he got homStill, once they let Dad go it was too late we thought for the Vide Grenier so we went to Lac de St Pee where we had our lunch by the lakeside. It was really nice. We were in the sun but it hasn’t been too hot today – more like English weather! After lunch we took a short walk and then had a Beer at a bar. I feel I should mention at this point that Me & Syd are very good and we never drink beer – we share Mum’s Orange Juice instead. I never used to want it until I saw Sydney frequently drinking it so thought I’d try some and it’s yummee! After this we went to Cambo Les Bains (what a strange name for a town!) and then headed back for St Pee sur Nivelle. On arrival at St Pee the Vide Grenier was very much in full swing so we stopped and had a look around. Mum did the deal of the century! She saw a cabin bag on wheels and as they haven’t got a bag to take on board the ferry to their cabin, thought it would be a good idea. It was priced at €2. Mum offered €1-50 and the seller came back and said she could have it for €1! I don’t think she has grasped the theory behind a Car Boot Sale yet! Mum gave her a €2 coin and she promptly gave Mum a different €2 coin as change! Net result – a free cabin bag! We also got Stacey a pair of shoes for work for €2 and a skirt for €1 so we had 3 things for €3! Then we went back into the village and had a few drinks at a local bar. On the way home we saw a field of going over Sunflowers so we stopped and some just happened to fall into the car for the fids at home! Well tomorrow is packing up day as we leave Camping Goyetchea tomorrow evening bound for some Spanish service area before our departure on Tuesday morning. Monday 29th August. Well today was packing up day. We started off by popping into the local Carrefour for some supplies to take home and then returned to the caravan to take down the awning which by now had lost its night time dew. Me & Sydney were left on our stand so we could actually see how hard Mum & Dad worked. We had a lovely view of the mountains one way and Mum & Dad working the other – well there is no prize for guessing which way we looked! Mum & Dad cleared everything up and packed up ready to leave in the evening. We were put back in our cages for tea and after tea we were put in the caravan ready for the evening journey to Bilbao. Crossing the border was, once again, a non-event with just a slow drive across the border into Spain. Once in Spain, Dad was frustrated because he is not allowed to drive more than 80kph whilst towing so we had a fairly steady drive to the Motorway services at Bilbao where we were to spend the night. Dad parked up in the lorry park with a number of lorries also spending the night. The first thing Mum did was to give us our water back before they went off to the services and left us to sleep. They found out the service restaurant block closed at 00:50 and re-opened at 05:00 so of no real consequence to us. They soon came back and we all went to sleep. Well we were awoken at about 06:30 to the sound of lorry engines running to build up their air brake pressure and soon Mum & Dad got up for breakfast at 07:00. They returned at about 07:30, checked our food and it was off to the ferry port. We boarded the ferry at about 09:00 and we had to stay in the caravan because the bars in the kennels on deck 10 were to wide for us Fids. Well it was only 24 hours so they topped up our food and water, gave us a new apple each and said goodbye. The crossing was very smooth and Syd & I slept most of the way. Wednesday 31st August. We arrived at Portsmouth at 09:15 and on checking us, Mum found neither of us had touched our Apples – well I told you we spent most of the time asleep! We got off the boat quickly and by 09:30 were on the Motorway on our way home. Apart from dad needing a “comfort break” at Salisbury, it was nonstop all the way and by 12:30 we were back in our big cage telling the others all about our wonderful holiday. Dad said we made so much noise telling the others that he had to shut the door on us – but we were soooo excited! After lunch dad came in to make up with all the fids he’d left behind all that time ago and, fortunately they were all glad to see him with the possible exception of Joza who, because he went off only a week after getting her, was more used to Adam & Stacey than Dad but he is working hard on her right now. Thursday 1st September was Stacey’s half day so Dad and Stacey decided to take Phoebe, Oscar & Magic to Lacock. Me & Syd didn’t mind them having a turn at going out – I mean we had been out every day for 5 weeks! While they were out they found Elderberries and Blackberries. Phoebe wasn’t keen on trying anything new but Oscar & Magic remembered them from last year and tucked in. When Stacey got home her shirt was covered in blue spots! (hehehe). On Sunday, Mum & Dad went to Ken’s Nurseries to pick some Apples to put away in storage until the winter for us fids – we like Apples all year round you know!!! (yumee yumee). While they were there they found some Plums. A lot were past it on the ground but they collected what they could and brought them home when Mum made some Plum Jam. On Friday she had also found a load of Damsons in a verge to a road she was driving and collected them and also made some Damson Jam. We don’t mind because few of us fids like Plums and Damsons. They keep trying but most of us turn our beaks up at them! This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
Kenny & Sydney at Cap Breton with a rough sea! Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Sunday 21st August. Now we all know what day Sunday is! It’s the day when every self-respecting French Village has a Vide Grenier (Car Boot Sale) and our local village, Ahetze was no exception!!! So we were up at 8:00 to get ready to go there followed by a trip up in the mountains as today was forecast as being 34 degrees and Dad thought I would prefer it in the cooler mountains. So before 10:00 we were at the Vide Grenier and Dad quickly found a couple of shirts which he liked – or at least he liked them until he found out the price! €15 EACH!!! I’ve never seen Dad hang a couple of shirts up so quickly in my life!!! We had a look around the rest (there were supposed to be 120 stalls) but left disappointed that it was mainly dealers and very few true car booters! After leaving we thought we would give the village to which Camping Goyetchea belongs, a visit and went to St Pee. We found a parking place right next to a bar and Mum and Dad quickly joined the French way of life and enjoyed a drink (fortunately in the shade). Then they enjoyed another one and then went for a stroll around the village. First we went to a park which was a pretty little park – nothing special; just nice – so Dad decided this would be a good place for lunch. After lunch we discovered the old C14th Moulin (Mill) which has been modernised so much it is now just a house with little or no sign of milling activity. After this we decided to go to Sare to investigate the Rhune Mountain Railway. We see the Rhune mountain every day from the caravan (well, when it’s not too cloudy!) so we thought it would be nice to go to the top. So we queued up for our tickets (they didn’t charge me and Syd) and then waited for the 14:35 train. It is an electric train pulling itself up a rack and the journey takes about 35 minutes. They run 2 trains together (not exactly coupled together but close together) capable of carrying 150 passengers. Two trains leave the summit station at the same time as the two leave the base station and they pass half-way. We picked today as being a clear day though it was a bit hazy – we have seen Rhune capped in cloud several times! And the view from the top was breathtaking – it was truly stunning. There was only one slight negative and that was the Vultures circling the summit (The Fauve Vulture). Syd & I were a bit nervous of them and kept our eye on them until Dad managed to convince us we were safe with him and then we felt more comfortable. As you can imagine, being on top of a mountain gives very little shade but Dad did manage to find a bar table in the shade where he was able to have un grand pression (a big beer). Syd & I were also thirsty and dived into Mum’s Orange Juice (you see we are both good and don’t drink Beer!!!). Then was time to wait for the return train and the journey back down to the base. Then it was home via the village of Sare and the end of what turned out to be a much better day than I thought it was going to be! Monday 22nd August. Today dawned cloudy but high cloud (we could see the top of the Rhune mountain) and the sun quickly broke through to give a fine and sunny day despite the weather forecast saying showers, we never had one! We went to Biarritz again today and found another 2 beaches making a total of 5 all set in rocky coves but all with glorious sand. There were a lot of surfers about today but being on the Atlantic Coast is bound to attract them. We spent all day in Biarritz and on the way back went to nearby Carrefour to buy a new electric coolbox as Gill discovered the base of ours has gone brittle and split. We also tried without success to get Stacey some cheaper mudguards for her new bike (the ones she has cost more than the bike so she wants some cheaper ones so she can return the expensive ones!). While we were there we found a special offer on men’s shirts (Buy 2 get 1 free) which Dad couldn’t resist! All this time me & Syd were left dozing in our travel cage in the cool air conditioned boot! I’m not sure about this but smelling Dad’s breath afterwards, I reckon he had had a Beer as well – sneaky!!! Tuesday 23rd August. Today we had a short lie-in before getting up at about 9:00. Dad decided we would go to Bayonne and after there, would go on up the coast. Fine plan; Fine Plan!!! We got into Bayonne (which sort of merges with Biarritz) at 11:45 and Mum managed to find a disabled parking spot right outside the Office de Tourisme again (just like at Narbonne last week). We got our Map and went for a coffee and discussed the map and where we wanted to go. Firstly Bayonne grew up in the C14th and C15th through doing sea trade with the UK. In the C18th and C19th they razed the suburbs to the ground to force all locals to live inside the town walls. These town walls are still pretty intact in many places. There were a few places we wanted to see and a few more we decided because me and Syd were there, we would miss (e,g, the Chocolate Factory). Bayonne is the French home to Chocolate. The Cathedral was going to be closed until 15:00 so we had a very leaisurely day. We started with lunch in the English Garden which provided a big contrast to the adjoining French Garden. The English Garden was a very formal garden with ordered flower beds and a fountain. As is often the case in France, the Railway Station was certainly worth seeing from the outside with some intricately carved stonework on its tower. The cloisters to the cathedral gave a reminder that not only were the cloisters a meeting place but at one time they were a burial ground. The Cathedral itself was pleasant enough but a bit disappointing and the formal Jardin de Botanique was small but very pretty. We finished the day with Mum & Dad doing a crossword in the English Garden while me and Syd had a doze, It has been a lovely day today with temperatures of only 24 degrees and some sun and some cloud. Wednesday 24th August. Well today dawned quite cold (16 degrees) and mizzly. The forecast was for a dry but cloudy day and we thought we would go back to San Sebastian but this time, take the coast road. So we set off and the first place we stopped was St Jean de Luz where we had a coffee. Then we got umbrellas out and went for a short stroll along the river estuary to see all the boats. By the time we got back to the car we thought we would have lunch there so I had Ham, Red Pepper and Apple and Sydney had Carrot, Ham, Lettuce and Apple. Mum & Dad had the same but a bit more Salad. After lunch we went to find St Jean’s beach. We eventually found a parking place and then found the sea. By this time Dad’s sugar level was low so he said we could have an ice cream. They both had White Chocolate Crunch and Vanilla & Pecan. Now we all know that Sydney is a bit of a pig where Ice Cream is concerned and she dived straight in! I on the other hand, was a bit slow and started by just nibbling on the cornet. I do this in case Stacey appears because she says us Fids shouldn’t eat Dairy produce. Once I was sure she wasn’t going to approach, I too dived into the ice cream and I have to admit that it was a reeeeeally good choice of Dad’s. After we’d finished our Ice Creams, on the way back to the car we noticed that the local church was open so we popped inside. There were staff inside but they didn’t kick me & Syd out this time. The church seemed to be dedicated to Mariners and the Sea and it was really beautiful inside (such a stark contrast to the rather plain looking outside). After we’d finished in the church we went back to the car and then went to Hendaye. Hendaye has a huge estuary harbour with hundreds of expensive and not so expensive boats. There are also some natural sand dunes which they are trying to protect from being blown away by onshore winds. Across the river was Hondarrabia with its old town sat on top of a small hill. Dad decided he would like to explore the old town so off we went again. This time we had to cross the border into Spain. On this occasion they were stopping everyone so Dad felt sure we would be turned back as we hadn’t had a test for Clamydia done but no – the policeman waved us straight through. We found a car park just outside the old town walls and proceeded to walk up the cobbled street to the top. Dad’s feet were really hurting badly by now but he was determined to get to the top where we sat down for another coffee. Having seen the old town of Hondarrabia, it was time to go home. We had a 30 minute journey – or so we thought! By the time we got home it had taken 2½ hours and Mum had to get a quick tea. It seems every Spaniard and his Donkey were out travelling to France and the traffic jams were just ridiculous! Well the forecast for tomorrow is dry with sunny intervals so let’s hope they are right this time! Thursday 25th August. Today was shower day for Mum & dad so we had a slightly delayed start and a longer lie-in for me and Sydney! Dad decided to do today what he had planned to do yesterday but it got overtaken by events – we went back to San Sebastian with the intention of visiting the Castle and the statue that looks over the whole town. We nearly didn’t make it because on the way in, Mum, following Katerine’s instructions turned left but momentarily forgetting where she was she tried to turn against 2 lanes of oncoming traffic until Dad pointed out (somewhat helpfully!) that in Spain we drive on the right! Unfortunately, her manoeuvre was spotted by an officious whistle blowing WPC on traffic duty who pulled Mum over. Mum tried to explain that she was lost and instead of offering to help, the officer merely gave a gallic shrug and walked off; so Mum seized the opportunity to drive off! A bit later Mum did her usual and totally ignored Dad saying, “There’s a parking place” and drove past it – fortunately, by the time she had gone around the block the space was still there. Straight away we had lunch by the Cathedral and then went back into the old town before going to the Castle. The views from the Castle were quite breathtaking and what made it all worth while was Dad found us some Elderberries – yum yum!!! We couldn’t stay eating them from the bush so Mum picked a bunch for later. We had some and I managed to get purple stains all over Dad’s thumb and shirt and Sydney managed to give him a purple ear!!! I think I forgot to tell you yesterday but the half hour journey back from Hondarribia actually took two and a half hours for no real reason. Not wanting a repeat me chose to pay the tolls and come back on the autoroute today which turned out to be a very good decision. Well, the next two days are forecast to have rain (although we have only been caused inconvenience by the rain on one day (yesterday) so far this holiday so that is pretty good going! Sunday is currently forecast to be dry for taking the awning down. Friday 26th August. This morning it started raining at about 3:00 and hadn’t stopped when we left at 11:00! They forecast heavy localised thundery showers all day so it didn’t look good. Mum & Dad had to go to Carrefour to get some more food (I really don’t know how they can eat so much – Me & Sydney manage on what we bring away with us and still take some back!!!). Still, shopping they had to go so we were shut in our travel cage in the car again. When they came out, the clouds were breaking and the sky turning bluer and, in fact, we didn’t have any more rain for the rest of the day, so the forecast was wrong but in a good way! We went back into Biarritz and discovered yet 2 more beaches and a lighthouse. It was at the lighthouse where we had our lunch. After lunch we had a walk around and found an actual propeller from the Russian ship, Frans Hals, which sank off the coast of Biarritz in a violent storm in 1995. Also constructed here was an unusual sundial. This was all on the ground and you stood on a line representing the whole year but at the place appropriate for the actual month and then you outstretch your hand northwards and the shadow dictates the time on a scale around the perimeter. It was very well done and very accurate (although it was only accurate in August!!!). Next we went to a new resort on the north side of Biarritz called Chambre D’Amour. Now this has got to be one of the strangest named places in France – Room of Love!!! I can’t offer you an explanation but will get Adam on it later! The sky was certainly blue but there was a strong wind – so strong that even I had a job holding on to Dad’s finger so I don’t know how difficult Sydney was finding it on his shoulder. She got totally blown off once!!! After Chambre D’Amour we went back to Bayonne for another look at the highlights including the English Garden. We went back to a bar we had visited last time and the owner remembered us and brought us some Almond Cake. I was full up after all my Red Pepper for lunch but Syd managed to squeeze some in – well, she would! On the way back we stopped to get some Sweetcorn cobs for all the fids at home. Saturday 27th August. Well today was a lie-in to start followed by Dad checking the weather forecast! Great! It had changed from being wet all day to being nice all day so it just proves it’s not just the UK forecasters that get it wrong! Well it was nice all day in two ways:- (1) it was sunny with a clear blue sky all day, and (2) it was only 24 degrees so more like a British summer’s day! Much more bearable for us fids. Well today we went for the place we were heading for yesterday but ran out of time – Hossegor a new coastal resort about 30 kms north of Biarritz. Hossegor and the adjoining town of Cap Breton (I don’t know why Cap Breton is in the south of France and not in the Breton area!!!) share a huge harbour with a Port de Plaisance and huge sums of money tied up in boats. There were so many yachts there, it would be very interesting to see what %-age actually go to sea at all! We made the short walk from the car to the sea front in Cap Breton where we sat and had the inevitable beer! – that was after loads of people stopped and I had to stand on so many different people’s hand I was getting giddy! I do wish Sydney would be a bit more predictable so she could share the load; but enough moaning – dad knows I don’t mind really. After we left the bar it was ice cream time and Mum & Dad both had Pear flavour but neither me nor Syd were very keen so we made do with the cornets! After the ice creams there was another “first”. Well, first in a long time! Dad managed to get me and Mum on a boat to take us across a very choppy harbour to the other side. On the other side we went to a snack bar on the beach which specialised in over 45 types of tea! It was an impressive place with low sofas and low brass and cane tables and very fancy tea pots. So, what did Mum & dad order? 2 Grande Cremes!!! Yes 2 cups of coffee in this tea emporium! By the time we left, after dad had had his tablets it was time to head back to the car for the return journey home. Once home, Dad gave us both a spray with Plume Spray – as usual I loved it and Sydney wasn’t so keen (though she has stopped sulking now!). Well tomorrow is Sunday and we all know what Sunday is – Vide Grenier day! Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention a friend os Stacey’s had a Budgie found at their Vet’s practice which Stacey has agreed to rehome. It is virtually yellow all over but is not a Lutino as it does have some black markings. She has called it Tweety! The plan is for it to stay indoors with her other rescued Budgie until the aviary is sorted and then they will go outside, hopefully as a pair, and become aviary birds. This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
Oh No! Not MORE shopping!!! Sunday 14th August – Car Boot Day. Well it began as if it was going to be no different here than at home. We were got up early and leaving by 9:00 we arrived at the first Vide Grenier in Perpignan. This was a big CBS with a lot of market traders as well. Dad got a couple of shirts and Mum, a nice new blouse (all new from the market traders). Well so far so good! But, Mum had her own deal. Having broken the old big thermos flask in Mareseille, she saw a big Thermos Flask and was so shocked when he said €2 that she didn’t even quibble and bought it there and then. Unfortunately it wasn’t until we were getting out at the second Vide Grenier that she thought to shake the flask and found the outer coat of the twin walled unit was smashed unlike the inner layer which she looked at! So, €2 wasted! Well Done Mum!!! Then we drove into the centre for the obligatory drink at the obligatory bar and then went to the park by the huge dancing fountains for our lunch. It is a beautiful shaded park and we discovered why the grass looked so nice – it was artificial grass!!! Still lunch was nice watching the fountains. After lunch we drove up the tortuous road to L’Hermitage Force Real. This is an old C17th building built atop a steep hill with wonderful views all around you. After this we drove down to Millas and tried, successfully, to find Les Lacs de Millas. We had seen them a couple of times from the Autoroute and we weren’t disappointed. There was a Heron and quite a few ducks and geese all on the lakes, We had a coffee and a little amble and then we heard thunder so returned home. Although it was dry when we got home we soon had a thunderstorm which made our pitch exceptionally muddy (something else for Dad to be unhappy about!). This wasn’t a problem until they came back from skyping Stacey by reception. When Dad got out of the car he was almost asleep and as such his blood pressure was very low. He got out of the car, felt dizzy and promptly fell over landing…..yes, you’ve guessed it!.....flat on his face in the mud. Then Mum & Dad decided to have a shower as this was the only way to get Dad clean. I wish we had seen it but we were asleep and Mum told us next day. Monday 15th August. This morning we had no showers to worry about so had a bit of a lie-in. After breakfast we went to Carrefour for the shopping. Now today in France is a bank holiday for Assension Day and you would have thought, being a religious celebration, that there would be few French around. Wrong! The car park was bursting at the seams and the store ws no better. We eventually finished and had a Coke Lite before heading off to Salses-le-Chateau. We found a quite shady spot here so had our lunch and after lunch went to see the Fortresse de Salse. This is a huge castlr remains, very well preserved and incredibly intact. You can visit but only with a guided tour and as this would be in French, we declined, deciding instead to walk around the outside of this incredible fortress! Then we headed off to La Palme. This is another typically Catalan village with a lot of charm. We stopped for a short walk and then went to a bar (yes! Again!). Here the owner’s wife brough me and Syd, some Peanuts which we both loved; some Staek Hache which neither of us wanted and some chips which we both had. We were totally stuffed when we left this bar J. From here we set off to Port Nouveau. This is just like the title – a new port! The port was obviously a recent addition as was most of the housing. It was pretty characterless but did have a superb beach which allowed about a kilometre for cars to park on the beach! On the way back we saw Port Leucate which looked nice so we are hoping to get back there on Wednesday amidst taking down the awning and packing up. Tuesday 16th August. Today we got up at a sensible time (well I thought so – Dad, on the other hand, thought it was too early but Mum woke him). We had planned to go to Narbonne today. We didn’t know why or what we would see but we went anyway! As it happened we luckily found a parking space right outside the Office de Tourisme so were able to get a map straight away. Then it was off to a nearby bar to study the map and plan the day. First place to visit was the Market Hall as it closed at 13:00 so we went straight there after a Beer (even Mum had a Beer this time!). The Market hall was impressive but not overly so but the stalls inside were virtually all food which after shopping yesterday, was something we didn’t really need. Next we went to the Church of Notre Damme which has now been turned into a Lapidary museum. After that we made our way to St Paul’s Basilica which was closed for lunch so we went back to the car and took our lunch down by the canal which flows right through Narbonne and had lunch. After lunch we returned to the Basilica and found it quite stark and basic inside which surprised us. We had expected it to be especially nice but I have to say it was a little disappointing. From there we were hot especially me so they found a bar in the shade in the place of 4 fountains, and let me cool off for a bit. I was even offered some of Dad’s Coke but as Sydney declined, I thought I would too! Next we went to the other side of the canal to look at the eastern side of the town. Here we got off to a bad start. We went to the Cathedral and a man came out and said Syd & I couldn’t come in. Dad was fine about this and left us with Mum while he went in but when he came out Mum was nowhere to be seen. It turned out she was not even allowed to wait outside the church door for Dad. These people are very anti-birds! They quite understood us not being allowed in (despite the fact that we have been allowed in most churches in Europe and the UK) but thought not letting Mum wait with us outside the main door for Dad to come back did seem a bit OTT! We are after all, still Animals of God! What happened to Noah? Was he not allowed into church? Still we left the Cathedral and sought the other sites. After a while we found a Turkish Bar/Restaurant in a street and stopped there for what was a very cheap Diet Coke! Then we visited the rest and returned to the car for coffee and biscuits and then headed off for Sigean. Sigean was somewhat disappointing. It had all you would want a small town to have but just lacked the character we have found in so many small French towns so we didn’t stay long. On the way back we found a couple of Brocantes where we got a Clock for Tony for €47. Dad said he would have paid the asking price of €60 and would have fully restored it and sold it for £175. We also bought some Microwave steamer dishes (brand new) and an enamel dish for Stacey’s Kakarikis to bathe in. Being enamel on metal, it wont rust or break in the winter. Then we came on home at the end of a tiring but very pleasant day. Narbonne is definitely worth a visit – especially if you are a human!!! Wednesday 17th August. Well this was packing up day. We had a lie-in and Mum & Dad even left me & Syd sleeping while they went off for a shower. After breakfast they decided to take the awning down while it wasn’t too hot. This went without a hitch unlike when they had to put it up in a strong wind. Still it all came down and got stowed in the car and then we had lunch before heading out to Port Leucate. Port Leucate is another new resort but did seem to have a bit more to offer than Le Bacarès. It had a bigger harbour with loads of very expensive boats; more shops and more bars and hotels. We all quite liked the lazy afternoon we spent at Port Leucate. Later, Dad skyped Stacey early so we all could have an early night! Thursday 18th August. Well this was moving day. We left at 7:30 for our 500km journey to Camping Goyetchea in the Pays Basque area of SW France. We had a good, but expensive trip, paying over €55 in Motorway tolls! Still it was less than half the time of paying no tolls so they considered it worth it. When we arrived Dad knew at once that this site and area was much more his “cup of tea”! The site was really nice – smaller than before which is better. They left us covered in the caravan while they put the awning up and then they took us out into the awning and, Wow! What a view over the Pyrenees and the cloud had lifted to reveal the tops of the mountains as if to welcome us! I have to say that later the cloud thickened and we could no longer see the tops of the mountains but the forecast is for the weather to improve. On Sunday they forecast sunshine and 34 degrees – I hope they go somewhere shady! Well it’s nearly dinner time – I can smell it cooking so I am going to sign off for today. Friday 19th August. Well today dawned cloudy so we couldn’t see the tops of the mountains but the forecast was for sun in the afternoon and they were right! This was our first whole day in the SW of France so what did Dad decide to do? Go to Spain! He decided to go to San Sebastian which is a town or small city in NE Spain. It was a lovely place to visit. Car parking was a bit challenging but then we found a disabled spot which let us park all day for free so Dad was pleased! We started off with a coffee followed by a Beer and then made our way around a small craft market before heading off to the small park/gardens adjacent to the car for our pic-nic lunch. Interestingly, Dad sat just in front of a large and impressive fountain but at 13:30 all the fountains were shut off until 16:30. Dad reckons it’s because that’s the hottest part of the day and when they get most evaporation. San Sebastian has 3 good sandy beaches, a very nice small harbour, a castle with a statue looking down over the whole town, an old town and some wonderful architecture. We all loved San Sebastian and are looking forward to going back. There is only one problem according to Dad – they don’t speak French!!! Saturday 20th August. Today we had a big lie-in (so big that Sydney didn’t try to go to sleep in the afternoon whenever we stopped at a bar, like she usually does!). Yep, Dad didn’t wake up til 10:30 and didn’t wake us fids until 11:00. We still did well and got out before 12:00 but we had to go shopping which means me & Sydney needed to stay in our travel cage in the back of the car. After Mum & Dad came back they took us out and Dad took control of us as Mum drove to Biarritz. Now Biarritz was a bit of a shock! Both me and Dad imagined Biarritz to be one long beach with a promenade full of expensive bars and restaurants but it was not so! OK, the bars were expensive but Biarritz is a bit like the Newquay area of Cornwall. It has sandy beaches (we saw 4 out of possibly 5) but there are rocky outcrops and headlands which split the beaches up into separate ones. We started in the south and worked our way north. The first couple of beaches were at the bottom of steep paths from the road above. They were quite busy but it was Saturday and there was plenty of room on them to set out your towels! Mum said she felt very “over-dressed” on the beach (if you get her meaning) but Dad just said he wasn’t looking at her (lol)!!! There were a lot of serious sunbathers around with very dark tans! After we came up from the beach we found a bar in the shade which was great for me (because unlike Syd, I don’t like too much sun!). Dad was pleased as he actually managed to get a large beer here (well 50 cl)! Then we went back to the car and drove further north to the old port which was actually a small harbour completely lacking the boats of the rich and famous. Sat at the bar it was just like a little Cornish harbour and even had a row of terraced cottages just like you would find in Cornwall. It is true we didn’t explore all of Biarritz and a return trip is planned but if any of you are really keen to go to Biarritz then save yourself a fortune and go to Cornwall instead! Well tomorrow is Vide Grenier Day and after that, Dad says we’ll probably go up in the mountains as it’s forecast to be 34 degrees tomorrow and it should be cooler in the mountains! This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.
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Author:- Phoebe (on behalf of David Vickery)This will not be a daily blog but just a record of anything out of the ordinary for the family members. Archives
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