Is a question you may have asked yourself once or twice on the absence of any written word on this site. Well, aside from not being here – I’ve been doing many things including moving house from my home of 3 years, playing a small part in organising a wedding and actually getting married (I know!). I’ve also just returned from honeymoon with wife in tow and now we’re trying to figure out where all our stuff should go when it’s never had a home before and we’ve never owned it. Anyway, suffice to say things are busy – which might explain my not being about. Sorry if you feel you’ve been missing out…

Our last day in Jard was rather less exciting than we’d hoped, we decided to clean the place* we were staying in, so spent the morning doing that and unfortunately the weather was cack so didn’t make for much of an afternoon either. We apparently caught the back end of a heatwave this week which has been rather fortunate, although pretty uncomfortable in the evenings. (Tim had it worse being in the same room as Mr ‘Exorcist’ Pete, I had to endure that in Germany so it’s his turn this time). In the evening we had a final celebratory meal, before heading off on Saturday….

Finally we complete the trip in reverse mode, go up France, get separated from convoy, get lost in a different city, randomly meet up in city, get lost again in same city, find desired route, randomly meet again at services, get to Calais, hotel, sleep, brekkie, chunnel, motorway, Reading, food, lost camera, find camera, motorway, Cardiff. Yay! no trying to speak a language I’ve never been taught! Back to work tomoz. I’m tired. Night.

*We also cleaned the place the next day before we left, before being booted out by a woman who’d been sent to clean (doh!).

Yesterday not a lot happened, except for much reading and bumming around the house whilst trying out my newly found juggling skills. We also went on our search for pastis, after discovering that it actually tasted much the same as oizo, a wicked aniseed flavour…I think Rach may need to be educated in its use however, due to filling a wine glass neat with the stuff, which I would of been dead if I’d actually consumed undiluted, or at least extremely quiet for the rest of the evening.

Today we split our separate ways with Heledd, Dave and I continuing a previously started ‘Amazing Microworld’ Adventure with a visit to the miniature museum in Vendee. The previous adventure, started in Bath a couple of years back was claimed to be amazing ‘or your money back’, we were determined to not be impressed, but alas could not contain ourselves – something like those actimel adverts. Therefore, we didn’t feel it proper to try and claim our money back. Although todays trip was slightly less impressive (much larger) it was still a laugh.

We spent our afternoon on the beach again – you’d think the locals had never seen a frisbee, or maybe thats the way we were playing. Last day tomorrow, best make the most of it!

Decided to make a move on to our next beach today, taking with us a picnic and a load of beer. This one is situated right next to a forest, which was ace for our picnic.

Tim, after 3 years of living with one another has finally managed to teach me to juggle and give me the bug for continuing it. It’s actually easier to learn using boule, forcing you to use correct arm movements, though its a little dangerous on the beach if you have a distinct lack of footwear. There was three of us praticing it on the beach, I think the locals were a little taken aback. I may even bring my unicycle up to er, uni and try and practice atop that. Not that I’ve done that since first year.

Finally got a picture of the Renault ‘Twingo’, which in my opinion looks exactly like one of the baby robots from ‘Batteries Not Included’.

All this french food must be getting to me, during my meal down in the ‘port (- no the one in Jard Sur Mer, not Wales), I was actually photographed inserting something green into my gob (or was I taking it out? – you decide). It’s not that I don’t like salad, it just doesn’t have a lot of flavour, which my brain is fooled into thinking it doesn’t like and tries to wretch it up as with all those other foods.

Today we went over to the salt marshes in Olonne, it being slightly more manageable weather and all. Tim basically wanted to do a little birdwatching and Heledd and Dave didn’t fancy such french beauty so went to have coffee in a suitable village somewhere. It was really cool, took lots of photos of the strange green murky waters and had a bunch of exercise too. Saw loads of eels while we were there – horrible things writhing about….

Lunch heralded more wine – sweet aperitif’s before and more red during. I’m thinking the rest of the week will hold lots more judging from wine connisieur Dave.. Enlightened myself by making lots of names from pomme frites.

On to another book ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel. Bit weird so far.

Sunday’s morning events weren’t overly exciting – the weather has been so hot that it would be a bit much to go off and try to do anything. Instead has been a morning of reading (Dahl’s ‘Boy’ – bizzarrely featuring Cardiff, La Rochelle and Somerset within) and people trying to juggle. The afternoon became overcast so we decided to make the trip down to the beach, where Tim, Rach and Pete all got rather dirty trying to recreate a eurotunnel experience, which was destroyed as soon as it was completed by Dave.

People have done a great job of selecting french foods, we’ve had all manner of bread, cheeses and hams while we’ve been here so far and a shedload of wine to boot.

So, it begins, the holiday season that is and with it my two day trip across England and back down the west coast of France to Jard Su Mer. Todays trip was fairly long, spending two hours bombing down the M4 to meet with the guys in Reading, then a further few to reach the underside of London on the M25, and a bit more to finally bundle over toward the Eurotunnel. The best part was discovery that Pete has finally grown a full-on beard, after years spend with us and 3 inch stubble. Dave, ever being the technophile has brought a couple of CB’s with us so that our car’s can communicate with one another whilst on the road.

After a bit of a confusing time on entry to the eurotunnel, figuring out where exactly we were meant to be, with tons of gates to pass through and a distinct lack of passport checking, we spent the 30 minute trip and viola we’re in France. Driving down the top floor of a train has got to be one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had for a while, reminded me of rebel’s attack on the deathstar. You might be able to see what I mean from the photo’s. Hotel was good – a short trip from the chunnels exit, and out on its own in the middle of nowhere. The hotel decided I must be Dave’s wife. Nice pics of french sunset.

Unfortunately the second day of travelling was rather less exciting, except for the prospect of arrival at our final destination. On anticipatition of the 450 miles that we were to travel today, it was elected that we set of early at 10 and try and cover as much distance as possible. Little were we to know what today would involve – and after a few refills of tanks of fuel (another bizzarre experience, just fill up and keep going – I’ve never had to travel anywhere further that involved more than a tank), payment for numerous motorway use, stopping off for lunch (speaking french to french person for the first time), discovery that CB communication is crap within moving vehicles, loosing the other car and then finding it again in a super-u and starting and finishing Roald Dahl’s ‘Ah Sweet Mystery of Life’ we finally arrived at about 9pm. Sleep is definitely on the agenda now..