We escaped from the coop

Work was getting the better of me and the heat wasn’t helping – so we through caution to the wind and escaped to Jersey for five days.

 

I did do some work but only a few hours each day – the remainder of the time was spent walking, swimming and relaxing

Swimming – the water was very cold but refreshing – I do enjoy swimming in the sea

 

Walking - the Corbière Walk – from Corbière Lighthouse to St Aubin;

 

it is beautiful; lined with trees, a flat well-kept surface which used to be a railway line carrying granite and then passengers, so the slope down the hill into St Aubin is very gentle.

Beautiful sunsets

 

Some delicious food

 

 

We are now back rested ready for what ever life has to throw at us.

 

MummyHen X

Train journey – back home

On the breakfast menu at the hotel was my very favourite - eggs benedict; which is a real treat.

On the way back to the station a number of vintage buses and coaches from a bygone era pasted us.  It was a ‘running’ of the Cornwall Bus Preservation Society; a real shame we were not staying longer I would have loved a trip to St. Just on one of these buses.

 

On route we came across a golden post box – remember these from the Olympics; this one is for Helen Glover who won gold for rowing.

The train back to Paddington was very loooong 6 hours due an engineering works diversion.  We sat on the other side of the train to get a different view – the sea wall at Dawlish

 

Any way we made it back home to my lovely comfy bed.

 

MummyHen X

Penzance

We didn’t sleep that well – the bed was lumpy and very hard. 

The upside was the weather was just perfect – the sea was calm the wind low and the sun shone.
 
We went for a walk firstly into the Morrab subtropical gardens –

 it was lovely to see flowers out and leaves on trees, as most things in my garden are way behind this year.  Pretty bright colours and really green glossy leaves. 

 

I spotted this delightly deli - I resisted temptation but its very MummyHen.

We then walked down to the promenade and walked to Newlyn – fish shops, boats, marsts and a faint view of St Michaels Mount.

On the way back we stopped for a cup of tea and slice of cake  - a caravan had been converted to sell tea coffee cakes light snacks – sitting outside watching the world go by was just lovely. 

 

But time was short as we were having lunch at the rugby club - the main purpose of our trip was to watch Cornish Pirates and Jersey.  Jersey lost but DaddyHen seemed to enjoy himself – apparently the beer was excellent!!

MummyHen X

Train journey

We had a lovely time – I didn’t take my laptop so wasn’t able to blog.

 

Haven’t been to Paddington station for a long time – it looked different to what I remember – or maybe I look at things differently now that I’m older??!! Statues of Paddington Bear

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

 

a striking three faced clock(!),

 

a really lovely balcony window - this just looked so out of place,

tonnes of iron work

 

Five hours on the train is a long time to keep occupied, I took your advice and did a variety of things to make the journey go by in a wizz; people watching – there are some very odd people in this world – the drivel people come out with?!?!; looking at the scenery; there is some really lovely countryside;

 

crochet – decided to start a blue gingham blanket for a colleague that’s just had a new baby. 

 

MummyHen X

Going on a train journey

I do like a long train journey, the last one we did was a couple of years ago from London to Newcastle. On Friday we will take the train from London to Penzance – yeah.  I’m really excited – not been on the train to Cornwall before, as a family we used to drive but as it’s only the two of us and we are only going for a couple of days (Friday-Sunday) it worked out more efficient (not just the fuel price, it’s a 5½hr /330mile drive, we would have to have at least one stop, we’d share the driving, driving long distance can be stressful and tiring) so let the train take the strain – this is the a-a-ge of the train. 

This trip to Penzance is about relaxing, not thinking about work and watching rugby – DaddyHen is mad about it and especially likes to watch Jersey.  Hope to fit a seaside walk to two. 

 

Five hours on the train – what shall I do in that time; crochet (would have to be a one colour, not too big a project), knit (again would need to be portable – umm could knit some socks), read – book or ipad, listen to music, listen to a talking book, sleep, just watch the scenery out of the window or perhaps some of everything.

In previous years we would have taken a week holiday in February or March and then another at Easter or just after and our main holiday in September but this year we are having a short break and then holiday in September (details yet to be finalised). Really hoping that we will get a proper summer this year the last couple have been a real washout – and will do days out over the summer.

 

What are your plans for a holiday or short break? And what would you do on a 5 hour train journey?

MummyHen X

Holidays – Day 9 & 10

Oh dear, after such a lovely day yesterday the weather is still very windy and the sea rough and our trip out to Les Minquiers has been cancelled.

So we went 4 hours at Plemont – this is such a wonderful place.  At high tide it looks so dangerous but when the tide out it’s such a wonderful place; sandy beach, turquoise blue sea and caves to explore.  As you can see from the picture below the difference in the tides.

Obviously checking that the tide is out and not due back in for a good few hours.  We're to explore

Waterfall

Cave with the café above

Needle cave

View from over the beach over to Sark

Double caves

A really lovely beech – it felt as if no one had ever been there before

 

The inside of some of the caves where just wonderful - next time I will take a torch and wear suitable footware - some of the rocks are a little sharpe for bare feet.

 

Today is our last day we fly back to reality this evening

A final walk along the beach at St Brelade

 

 

MummyHen X

Holiday – Day 8 – up up and away

Today was a treat for DaddyHen – he was going to have a flying lesson – not that we can afford for him to do a full course.  The weather had been awful so we arrived at the Aero Club expecting to be told that it would be cancelled but no the wind was fine and the lesson would go ahead.

I took some crochet to do whilst he was flying if I was not allowed in the plane – but no it would be fine it I wanted to go up as well.  I’ve flown many times and am not frightened but – in a small Piper Warrior piloted by DaddyHen who has never done anything like this before – oh what the hell. I’ll go up

Bob the tutor was very good –DaddyHen took to it like a duck to water! 

The pre-flight briefing was very detailed, Bob instructed DaddyHen on how to manoeuvre the plane to the take-off area on the runway.  Maybe it’s just me but I do find that when pilots make announcements - I always think they mumble; they never sound very clear.  Well listening to the pilots communicate with Air Traffic Control – it’s no different. 

Anyway we took-off on our flight around the island – with DaddyHen at the controls – I did at one point tap in on the shoulder as I thought we were banking too far over, other than that it was a great experience

Some lovely views

Part of St Ouen’s Bay looking north to the Grosnez

 

Corbiere Lighthouse

 

St Brelade’s Bay

 

After this point I was turning a little green around the gills as the plane was banking too hard.

Oyster and mussel beds in Grouville Bay

 

Gorey & Mount Orgueil Castle

 Les Ecrehous – we did finally get to see them

 

Plemont Bay – this is a Jersey secret – more about this bay tomorrow

 

Finally the airport is back in sight

 

MummyHen X

Holiday - Day 7

Last night the company that is (or should that be was) going to take us to Les Ecrehous phoned to cancel the weather is bad with winds up to force 5/6 and the sea too rough - am really disappointed. 

Instead we spent the day walking on St Ouens beech. This is a varst beech of over 5 miles long of white sand; its a great location for surfers.

 

There are so many different types of seaweed

 

A few sea birds - this little bird which I think is a black headed gull, I know its head is white but these birds spend most of the year with a white head, so why is it not called a white headed full?!?! It was treading up and down to disturb the sand to get food.  I used the RSPB bird identifier to name this little bird.
 

This boat-shapped house called 'The Barge Aground - Seagull' can be rented out and is right on the beech

German fortifications are a common sight along the coast.  None of them are beautiful but do provide a reminder of the occupation during WW2

Lets hope for better weather tomorrow - today was bright but very windy

MummyHen X