Bonjour la France!

We got up nice and early and were in excellent time for our 8.20 flight. Our journey went smoothly and we arrived in Bordeaux where the pilot told us that the temperature is “only” 35 degrees which made the passengers laugh! (This part of France has been very hot recently with temperatures up to 42 degrees!) we jumped straight on a bus from the airport to the station which meant that we had time to have a light lunch in a café opposite the station before catching a train which arrived at Marmande at 3.40 p.m. Jennifer and Russell were there to meet us and whisked us to their beautiful red-roofed farmhouse in Puysserampion. It wasn’t long before I was in their delightfully cool swimming pool, which is surrounded by grass, fig trees and plum trees, with fields of sunflowers and maize all around. Jennifer and I swam around and chatted and drank cool drinks. It was really hot so thank goodness for the pool. Also thank goodness for the air conditioning upstairs which ensured a good night’s sleep for us later. Jennifer and Russell made us a splendid barbecue later. They lit candles all around the patio and had a large fan to keep us cool. We listened to music including Ben’s recently released album which was brilliant, and then a mix of 70s and 80s music which felt very appropriate for the warm summer evening. After the barbecue and a gorgeous cheeseboard, Jennifer produced an amazing and extremely tasty raspberry tart which was the perfect ending to a perfect evening. 

Celebrity farewells

Three very well known people have died recently, all of them in their seventies but before their time. 

Bonnie Tyler died on 8th July (confirmed on 9th) This was sad but she had been very ill in hospital for months so it wasn’t a surprise. We loved seeing her at the Dubai Expo with Ally and Cat and I have always been particularly fond of two of her songs. Firstly “Lost in France” which was released in the hot summer of 1976, just at the beginning of my love affair with France. And secondly of course “Total Eclipse of the Heart” that classic rock anthem from 1983, which had a great video, and to which we all danced in Dubai. 
On Friday 10th there was news of the politician (and one time Strictly Come Dancing contestant) Ann Widdecombe’s death, she was found dead in her home on Thursday. She was elderly (not that elderly; 78) and these things happen. But by later in the day it was reported that she had been murdered by an intruder, which is horrible. One suspect was arrested and released but now someone else has been arrested and no one else is being sought so it looks like they have got him. 
And this morning we heard on the news that the New Zealand actor Sam Neill has died. He was so brilliant in the first Jurassic Park film; brilliant as the paleontologist absolutely bowled over by seeing real dinosaurs. He also had a vineyard in New Zealand, and seemed an all round good guy. One of those strange coincidences is that when we were in Crystal Palace Park yesterday with Ally and Cat, looking at the dinosaurs, Ally mentioned that they have recently been re-watching the Jurassic Park films, and we were talking about the stars; Richard Attenborough, Jeff Goldblum, and of course Sam Neill. 

Brunch and Crystal Palace Park

This morning Cat took us to a new brunch place in Wapping called El & A’s Brunch which had fresh and delicious food. It also had a powerful fan to cool the air, which was very useful because this was another very hot day in London. 
We then travelled to Crystal Palace Park by the overground which was delightfully air-conditioned. James and I have never been to Crystal Palace and it was very interesting; the buildings are long gone but there is still a large, level expanse of ground where they once stood. Ally expertly navigated us on shady tree-lined paths through the large park, we stopped for cool drinks at a wee café and Ally and Cat got brain freeze from drinking slushies! I opted to sit under the shade of a tree while the other three boldly attempted the maze. They quickly got lost and I could hear their voices from time to time as they passed near me behind the hedge which was very funny. They finally emerged and we continued through the park to see the dinosaurs! These life size models of dinosaurs were constructed in Victorian times according to what the scientists in those days thought that dinosaurs looked like. There were information boards which showed how the Victorians had interpreted the bones compared to how modern scientists have interpreted them. (Although who’s to say that we haven’t got it right either!) As a result the dinosaur models in the park, although impressive, are a bit strange looking to us. My favourite was a fat dinosaur lying on its side! 
Back at the flat we had coffee before bidding a fond farewell to Ally and Cat, and heading to Gatwick Airport where we had booked a Travelodge in view of our early start tomorrow morning. Soon we were tucked up in bed with the air conditioning on full blast! 

Lunch, theatre and football in London

A beautiful day in London; not a cloud in the brilliant blue sky. Alasdair and Cat took us for lunch to Murano, a restaurant that Cat knows. It was their (very generous) Christmas present to us. The restaurant was pristine and delightfully cool in this hot weather, and the service was excellent. But the food was the absolute star of the show: it is Italian as you would surmise from the name of the restaurant, and of an extremely high standard. It was also very imaginative; the gazpacho and panzanella that I ordered were unique and gorgeous. For dessert, Cat and I both couldn’t decide between the caramelised lemon tart or the strawberry soufflé so we ordered both and split them! Both were equally delicious. Ally enjoyed his semi-freddo and James his frangipani tart. We had such a lovely time and chatted about anything and everything.

Into the hot streets of London we went, and strolled through Green Park and St James’ Park, both busy with families. We had drinks in a German Beer Cellar before making our way to one of our old favourite haunts; the Globe Theatre. There we saw a really good production of Much Ado about Nothing, which was laugh out loud funny. The best characters were Benedict and Beatrice. 

Then we went back to the flat where we were joined by Andrew to watch the World Cup semi-finals. We sat on their comfy couches with the French windows wide open to the balcony and the Thames beyond as the cooler night air began to come in. It was idyllic. Ally and Cat provided us all with drinks and snacks and it was a fascinating game, full of thrills and tense moments including a goal from Norway that was disallowed. England finally won the game in extra and we were delighted for them. What a perfect day we have had! 

Buddleias in Luton

Yesterday was another very warm day. James and I went into town to have brunch with Gerry and Janis at All Bar One. We had our usual cheery chat about holidays and grandchildren and all the fun of retirement. Back home we finished packing and enjoyed the sunshine with the cats.
What a warm night it was, I opened all of the windows upstairs when we went to bed but it was still really warm. 
In the morning we set off to drive the six and a half hours to Luton Airport (plus stops so it was more like eight hours. It got hotter and hotter as we drove south. We parked the car in the long stay car park and caught a bus to the train station. All around the airport were buddleia with their blue blooms, they are very attractive. The most trying part of the journey was the Luton Express train to St Pancras. It was almost unbearably hot, if there was air conditioning it was overwhelmed by the heat. As was I. So when we arrived at the station we popped into an air conditioned café for an early tea. Pleasantly cooled down we travelled to Ally and Cat’s flat. It was great to see them and we had a cup of tea and a good chat. They had very kindly purchased a large but very quiet fan which kept the spare bedroom nice and cool for us. The sky was a stunning pink and blue as the sun set. 

Gooseberries and baby kicks

Yesterday I took part in my first three children’s hearings as a qualified panel member. It was online so I was worried that the technology wouldn’t work but it was all fine. The other panel members were both supportive and complimentary. My next hearings are in August in Hamilton. I’m pleased to have got started. 
This morning I had brunch with Sue H and we had a great chat. The weather had started grey and cloudy but the sun came out and it became a hot and sunny afternoon. The cats loved us being in the garden and stretched out on the slabs, moving into the shade when they got too hot. I picked lots of gooseberries and washed, topped, tailed and put them in the freezer. 
This evening we went to the quiz night with Davie and Chanel at the Rowantree Inn, where we triumphed, winning by half a point! Even more excitingly Chanel let me put my hand on her tummy and I felt the baby kicking! 

Duxford Air Show and another magnificent barbecue

Yesterday we went to the Duxford Air Show with Mitchell and Gosia. It was a gorgeous day although by the afternoon I was sweltering and had to seek the shade of the beer tent canopy! My hero Gosia brought me a cup of ice cubes which I put in James’ skip cap on top of my head; this cooled me down very effectively. The display was full and lively, mainly of WW1 and WW2 planes. Gosia had brought a lovely picnic which we ate while sitting in deckchairs on the grass. We also went into the museum where we went on Concorde, this was a test Concorde which never carried paying passengers. There were lots of other planes too and James was in his element. It was a great day. We got back to Gosia and Mitchell’s at about 6.30 and they made another fantastic barbecue which we ate in the garden in the warm evening. Mitchell and James drank a bottle of Saint-Emilion 
The England World Cup football game against Mexico was due to start at about 1 a.m. so none of us planned to watch it. However Mitchell was awoken by cheering emanating from their local pub (which isn’t even all that close to their house!) so he couldn’t resist getting up to watch the end of the game. It was worth it because they won 3-2! James and I didn’t hear him getting up and slept through the whole thing. 
In the morning Gosia and Mitchell went to work while James and I had breakfast in their garden, then Mitchell very kindly popped home to give us a lift to the airport. We also heard the happy news that our niece Jenny is engaged to James! They are a very pleasant young couple and we wish them all the happiness. 

English Villages and a magnificent barbecue

4th July
Gosia and Mitchell collected us from our hotel this morning and gave us a brilliant tour of some of the very pretty villages in Essex and Suffolk. 
These are a few of many highlights. We visited a really high and beautifully built railway viaduct at Wakes Colne, constructed of red brick in the 19th century. Needless to say we climbed up into the arches to take hilarious photos! 
Then we had a walk in the tiny village of Kersey in Suffolk, which is stunningly pretty. It has a Norman Church at one end, and a shallow ford right in the middle of the road. The beautiful medieval timbered houses had many huge hollyhocks in their gardens and even sprouting from cracks in the pavements. 
We had coffee at a wee café in Long Melford which has quirky and interesting shops along its high street. 
This was the area that Mitchell grew up in, and he showed us where his parents had a shop right across the road from where they lived in Sybil Headingham. In Little Maplestead, back in Essex, we stopped at St John’s Round Church, one of only four round medieval churches in the UK. It was a joy to behold and quaint on the inside too, with stained glass windows and a wooden beamed ceiling. 
Back in Braintree Gosia and Mitchell made us the barbecue of all barbecues which we consumed in their verdant garden. We had such a great evening in excellent company. 

Farewells and journeys

We packed up and left Ullapool after lunch yesterday. Jamie and Kerry also set off southwards and went into Glasgow to look at wedding rings, and Davie and Chanel are staying on in Ullapool for another few days of holiday. On the way south James and I listened to The Rest is History podcast about Boswell and Dr Johnson; it was very informative and in places very funny. 

We had a nice chat with Jamie and Kerry in the evening and then this morning we had brunch together at Hugh’s in Burnside before bidding them a very fond and wistful farewell when they set off back to New Zealand via Glasgow Airport and Dubai. 

However Jamie and Kerry were not the only ones setting off on a journey! A few hours later we arrived at Glasgow Airport ourselves for our flight to London Stansted. We are going to visit Gosia and Mitchell and go to the Duxford Air Show. Because of our late evening arrival we have booked in to the Radisson Blu at the airport for our first night. It is comfy and has air-conditioning thank goodness. 

By the way I have just finished a biography of Eileen Blair, the wife of writer George Orwell. I realised that the man who towed my car out of a field on Jura in 2024 is the grandson of Robin Fletcher, who rented Barnhill on Jura to George Orwell in the late 1940s when he was writing the book 1984! What a coincidence! 

Otter Spotters

Today was rather a drizzly day on and off but that didn’t keep us indoors; we walked into the village and had a convivial lunch at the Ceilidh Place.
Jamie and Kerry walked up Ullapool Hill and later we all watched the England v Congo football World Cup Game which England won 2 - 1. We had chilli con carne for dinner and then played Sequence. It was a lovely day but the best was yet to come! 
At about 10.30 p.m. Jamie suggested sallying forth into the dusk to see if we could see some otters at the estuary; Cal had told us yesterday that it was the best place to see them. I had already gone up to bed but Chanel knocked on my bedroom door to invite me and I gladly joined the young ones and headed to the estuary. We walked along the edge of the Bull Park and although there were quite a few bats flying around and there were a few ducks nestled on the grass above the riverbank, we couldn’t see any otters. After a while Chanel and I decided to walk back to the cottage and just after we set off, Chanel pointed at the riverbank just across from us. There were two otters splashing in and out of the water! We quickly phoned Jamie and Davie who were close by and we all stood and watched the otters. It was amazing! The otters seemed to be having lots of fun, playing about and running along the riverbank. What a fantastic end to the day, and the first time that I have seen otters in the wild, apart from sea otters floating past the ship in Alaska in 2013.