Threats work!

So I figured that before the Kiwi sent in the heavies I should post seeing as I've managed to drag my sorry rear end back from playing at living la vie Française. Simon was coming back to the UK on Sunday and I came along with him - it was a mixture of guilt, meterological awareness of what was to come and the "I might as well be soggy at home with a Broadband connection" thoughts that finally made me come back with him. So we spent Sunday limping up through the country, shaking off the rain drops and avoiding the puddles.

My holiday was lovely - they must be getting a little boring for you by now, these French jaunts. They all sound the same - hot, pool, eat, sun bathe, shop, eat, canoe, eat etc. It's a bit of a pattern forming isn't it? We went to a new (to me) restaurant on my birthday. It's in a tiny village called L'Abbaye-Nouvelle and it's owned/run by a Dutch couple. We sat in the garden, the mosquitos ate me alive.

The food was ok - not as good as Saturday night's dinner with Simon's brother and sister (they popped over from Charente Maritime for 2 nights). We sat out on the terrace at le Petit Relais and watched the world and his wife saunter by. At about 10.30pm, as a pre-cursor to the village fete the local village children accompanied by parents and every pooch in the neighbourhood all paraded up the road carrying lanterns - only 1 burst into flames ... all very exciting.

The main thing I've noticed since returning to the UK ... Gosh it's cold - that's come as a bit of a shock to the system ... but it allowed me to make the most of a huge bowl of noodle and dim sum soup at the Chinese cafe in the High Street at lunchtime yesterday. Caroline and I swapped gossip and passed like ships in the night ... she flies off to Texas tomorrow for 3 weeks.

So that's it I guess, back - well rested and madly scanning the Internet to find a break in Sharm el Sheikh next February - I've decided that winter sun is the answer! You been? Got a recommendation?