en vacances

For a while we thought we wouldn't make it back on time but here we are, home after our week in France. A holiday we were supposed to have taken in August only circumstances unfortunately changed all that. We stayed here, lovely and cosy, the English owners friendly and welcoming, we loved feeding the rabbits, watching the new ducklings, chickens running free range and red squirrels scampering in the garden.

However the time of year meant the swimming pool was closed up, as was the games room. The outside table and chairs remained folded away, there was frost on the ground some mornings (thank goodness I packed thick woollens, coats, hats and gloves for we certainly made use of those) and extra quilts were needed on beds.

{Rouen}

Then there were the blockades preventing the oil tankers leaving refineries so we were running on just a small quantity of fuel and worried when we'd find some more. Our plans for a day in Tours were cancelled because, although we knew we'd get there, we couldn't guarantee we'd make it back. Then the last couple of days MLF was sick and had to stay inside. Numerous DVDs were watched but I did at least manage to get to the brocante at nearby Poitiers. Toute seule!

{clockwise from left: Poitiers Cathedral and pews, Poitiers Notre Dame, ceiling at St-Savin}

All this set me thinking about other holidays we have taken over the years that didn't turn out quite as expected. Such as -

• Far East : the day I arrived in Bangkok there was a military coup

• Ranthambore, India, tiger safari : riots meant there were evening curfews so it took a lot of time and determination to get there, only to find the tigers had been all but poached

• Delhi : the most awful food poisoning had me bed ridden for 3 days (the children are obviously pleased to know Hubby refused to shoot me despite my pleas!)

• Guatemala : we were attacked and separated on a hilltop main road, walking back from visiting a market. A passing bus refused to stop when I begged for help

• Kenya, camping : supposed to be the dry season but we had torrential downpours

• Zaire, trekking for mountain gorillas : during the Rwanda troubles, poachers had killed the silverback (alpha male of the group) shortly before we arrived at base camp. There was some talk about not being able to trek into the hills but eventually we were given an armed guard which, although we saw the gorillas, was pretty scary

• Tanzania : Hubby caught malaria, despite taking anti-malarials

• Uganda : our safari truck kept breaking down and when it failed in the middle of one of the national parks at dusk, our guide and driver finally came to blows and had to be separated by the group

• France : during a previous holiday our car was broken into. The next day the passenger side window wouldn't close so we had to drive several hours on the autoroute with me covered in coats and scarves. The car then broke down in Luxemburg where we had to leave it, find our own way home, taking only a handful of possessions from the car

Character building stuff and definitely something to tell the great grandchildren some day!

{Chauvigny}

That said, it was a lovely relaxing break which is really what holidays are all about. Plus I finally managed to achieve something I've wanted to do for ages. Tricot! I only took one skein with me so once I got to the end, I unravelled the lot and started again (so learning why yarn is far better when used for the first time). It was either that or watching Hubby getting more and more obsessed over the jigsaw!!

How are you spending your Half Term?