One had a most enjoyable week-end...

A few weeks ago Dr X and I had the pleasure of visiting Windsor Castle. Luckily we arrived early in the morning and Dr X had pre-ordered the tickets as the queues were already significantly long. There was a security scanner to pass through which felt like being at the airport and the security guards had scary looking weapons. We found out later that the Queen was also in residence.

Windsor Castle is very pretty but also really, really large!

It's very well maintained

and guarded by fierce looking creatures... 

This one looked more cold than fierce!

The royal cat was taking a stroll and keeping an eye out for any royal mice.

The cat wasn't too happy that I was sitting on the step soaking up the sun.

I managed to convince the RC that there was space on the step for both of us!

Dr X refused to be enticed into the royal gift shop.

There's lots to see inside the Castle walls. Queen Mary's Dolls House was amazing but you can't take photos of it.

We waved goodbye to the Castle and went to explore the rest of Windsor. In the town centre, there's a cute cafe which uses part of an old train for seating. 

Windsor is well worth a visit, but it's not cheap and gets very crowded so pre-booking is advisable! One had a spiffing time.

Dayzed in Dubai...

At the beginning of December Dr X and I took to the skies and ended up in Dubai for 10 days. We wanted to escape the winter blues and re-capture some summer sun. We also wanted to catch up with some friends living out there. Dubai delivered on our holiday expectations, but it was a strange experience. Dubai is a land of contrasts - the very poor mixing with the ultra luxurious, some of the best restaurants in the world but the tap water is undrinkable; the fastest cars with the worst drivers; huge new builds, but empty of people because the money ran out... So we found our summer solace but I was glad to come back to the UK.  Have you been? What did you think?

Emerald Isle

I've been a bit tardy with my blogging lately, and lacking in inspiration, I've turned to some unpublished material which I kept in my diary from around this time last year. So here goes, my best quotes from an autumn week-end in Ireland 2010:

"I'd rather be at home drinking a hot chocolate & watching the X Factor" (14 year old daughter of our friends at the beginning of what turned out to be a very long beach hike)

"I don't see the point in going to school anymore. I'm going to set up my own business, I've got a business plan already" (9 year old son of our friends)

"I've decided not to confuse Santa with long lists of presents this year. I'm just going to ask for a Nintendo DS and a packet of tic tacos" (same 9 yr old)

"I'm trying to have a conversation, could you stop pointing that thing at my face" (wife to her husband who kept trying to capture her on film, no it wasn't Dr X and I)

"I'd like to point out that this is your fifth art gallery. Just in case you didn't realize." (Dr X to me in Westport following the art vision trail 2010)

"You've gained loads of shamrocks (Irish equivalent to Brownie points) on this trip. Your 'best husband of the year award' is secure" (me to Dr X in the restaurant of the Atlantic Coast hotel where we revived ourselves after visiting all of the aforementioned art galleries)

I want to live in Oxford!

Yes please to cobbled streets, rides on bicycles with baskets, visits to interesting art galleries and museums, famous authors, golden buildings and ancient gargoyles. 

Dreaming of...

my visit to a cute French market at Easter time...

I (don't) hate Monday!

This week-end I had to work on Saturday, so as compensation I took the Monday off as leave. There's something very decadent about taking a work day as holiday when most people are at work. I say most, but in reality as I live in a sea-side town and we are edging into the busy tourist season, I found that lots of other people were having a day off too. There was no other choice but to go for a wander to the beach and see what the sea was up to. Would you like a peep at some photos?

There's a heavenly scent of gorse and other floral type things on the cliff tops

Miles and miles of golden sand...

The sea and sky pull off the moody metallic look so well

The ice cream shack was closed!! Outrageous.

Surf's up!

Ship Ahoy!

Look at the tentacles on this beastie.

Ouch - that's gonna hurt...

I wondered where I'd left my bikini.

I wasn't hardy enough to swim.

What do you like to do on your days off? xxx

Out on the wily, windy moors

The moors pull off the granite look so well!

A magical place full of fairy bogs and mystery

If you want to have any peace NEVER feed the ponies

Could this be the black beast of the moor?

I recently finished reading Wuthering Heights, which is set up on the Yorkshire moors. This made me want to look through my own photos for images of moors close to my heart - Dartmoor and Exmoor.  The moors are a fabulous place to visit, although you have to be prepared for sudden changes in weather. I've seen lots of ponies and sheep, granite rocks and birds flitting about but luckily no Mr Heathcliff.  

I also can't get Hayley Westenra's version of the Wuthering Heights song out of my mind. She's as good as Kate Bush in my opinion. 

The Thatch, Coverack

Last year, Dr X and I rented the most beautiful, serene and perfect little chocolate box of a country cottage down in Cornwall for us and the French relatives to enjoy. Our mission: to show the French that it doesn't always rain in England, that good food can be found on the other side of the channel and that Cornwall is a beautiful place to relax in and unwind. We hired the Thatch through Classic Cottages (five stars for them) and it was perfection. Would you like a little peep at some holiday snaps?

The perfect holiday cottage

The cottage was beautifully decorated with a sea theme throughout

Ship ahoy!

A curious little Gypsy encampment, just down the road from the cottage

Coverack has a lovely sea front and fishing harbour

The road much travelled

Can you believe this is Cornwall and in April??!

Watch out for the rare choughs

The best ice-cream in Cornwall!!

My heart will always be in Cornwall. xx