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Published: December 28th 2019
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Hi everyone, Its been a long time since June and a lot has happened so I will try and keep this brief . In June we travelled back up through Spain and France to Dieppe to get the ferry back with Henry, our motorhome. We spent our first night wild camping, so hot I slept on the floor, but it was so hot we ended up on campsites so that we could use the air con. Our final few nights were in Les Andeleys, a gorgeous village on the Seine. We had an amazing meal at a local restaurant, a real splurge for us at 150€. We arrived back in Newhaven at 4 am and by 5.30 we were on the M25 which was just so busy. There was also the worst rain we have ever driven through and it completely soaked the bed after a leak in the aircon.
We drove to Barrow and stayed on Walney island and met up with Chris's son Barrie. I left Chris there and went back to Hebburn , on the very slow train, as we had furniture deliveries.
We had a fabulous weekend in York for Amy's 30 birthday, including a
trip to the pop-up Rose theatre preceded by cocktails by the river. Finn celebrated his 1st birthday too, where has the time gone?
We had a trip away in the motorhome and started talking about whether it was time to sell it, especially when it needed an new fridge at £1,000. We stayed in Port William for a few days, very peaceful . I managed a two day trip to the fringe in Edinburgh, I stayed at Pollock Hall and walked miles but it was good as always. We decided to advertise the motorhome and had a bit of interest but we were heading off on 1st September so really ran out of time. Chris decided buy a new motorbike and bought it in Durham and then shipped it to Spain. He also had an operation to sort out a problem with his eyes, senile entropian (where the eyelid curls in and scratches the eyeball) He looked like he had gone 10 rounds of boxing but it soon settled.
We headed back on a different route, the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam. We had 5 days in Albert in northern France to see some of the WW1 sites.
A visit to Monet's garden at Giverny was interesting but completely mobbed, but it has been on my list a long time. We then went across country to visit Jill and Mets, friends from my days at North London polytechnic (1973), who have just bought a house in a small hamlet , Sompt,in France. Which was quite a surprise as I thought they were looking in New Zealand!! We had a nice time, just chilling and Chris helped work out the problem with the sit-on lawn mower. We had a night in beautiful Sauvagnon, a wild camp and then set off over the fabulous Pyrenees. Our last few nights in the motorhome were in Torla, a stunning village but a pretty hairy ride. Henry just plodded on slowly but surely over the Pyrenees. We had planned a stop over before getting back to the house but there was a gota fria forecast for the east of Spain, including Murcia. So we drove all day with me navigating using the weather forecast and the dgt.es website that shows problems on the road. We managed to avoid rain until about 15k from home.
That was our last trip in Henry, he
needed work in the garage for an oil leak and we emptied all of our personal stuff out. With the desire to sell the motorhome we then thought about our old Opel combo in Spain and decided to bite the bullet and got rid of it and bought a brand new Kia Niro, a hybrid which works on battery and petrol. It is fab, lovely to drive and very economical.
A couple came out from the UK in November to look at Henry bought it and took it mid December. Chris was in two minds but for me it was the right time. We had two nights in the Parador in Lorca and it cemented the thought that an ensuite is so much better than unisex French shower blocks or using a shower in the motorhome Pastures new, and with a tow bar on the car we can take the bikes away too.
Life in Spain quickly got back to normal, there are two classes a week in the village Monday Pilates with Lidia and “gym" on Tuesday with Pedro. I go to school on Thursday's, a new teacher Maria Jose and seven children
again. I do English classes with Fran, Samuel and Salva. Friday I have another class in Mula at a gym, it is very gentle exercises but hard work.
As always administrative things take forever, we have a new escritura for the house , signed by the notaria but it is in different office awaiting another signature. Our driving licences are being changed to Spanish ones, eventually!!
Chris and I both had October trips to the UK, his for a follow up after his surgery me for a variety of things. I helped Idg out with Finn while Keith was in Vegas and had a couple of medical things to sort out. All good. I had a lovely pamper day and afternoon tea with Amy. We also had Barrie to stay at the house, his first trip abroad so everything was an adventure.
If the fringe is my UK highlight of the year then my local Spanish one is the Cartagena jazz festival and this year it was Omara Portounda. She is in her 80’s but still has what it takes . She was a accompanied by Roberto Fonseca, a fab Cuban pianist. Sadly Chris had manflu so didn't make the concert but Yvonne and Paul from the walking group were there and we had tapas and wine afterwards, sat out in the warmth of a November evening.
We have enjoyed some great walks with our group, and led one on 30th November. It is a joy to showcase our beautiful setting and see it through other people's eyes. I am now secretary of the group and it is good to get the grey matter going and I am loving working with Jessica, our President.
We flew back to the UK on 20th December and got married on 23rd, we had planned it all in October and only told family and a few close friends. A very romantic day, we then went to sign our new UK wills!!
We have a had a nice family Christmas, Adam and Barry spent a few days here and the girls and their partners Keith and Richard came on Boxing Day. Yesterday I was abuela for the day, looking after Finn. He is becoming a proper little character and no doubt will become more mischievous as time goes on.
Today is the Harris Christmas day, and we are off to an Italian after secret Santa at Idg's house. I think we are 15 people ; Chris and I , Idg and Keith, Amy and Richard, Keith Harris and Sharon and Sharon's children Sarah and Peter and their partners and her brother too. Not forgetting the star of the show Finn!
Tomorrow it's back to Spain for New Year and the 3 Kings before we head off to Mexico for 6 weeks, but more of that next time. It has been lovely to be here and spend time with family but the weather is damp and the grey skies and short days are so miserable, looking forward to blue skies and cold crisp mornings .
Hope everyone has a very Happy New Year 2020
Norma xx
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