Back in the old routine

Well we had a much better journey to Heathrow to pick up the travellers,  than a fortnight before.  It was a smooth run, but at terminal 5 you can't just pick someone up, it's like Stansted, you have to park. We made a note of our floor number then got the lift to the floor where arrivals is.
We didn't take too long to find the place, although the terminal itself is huge, and I got that slightly panicky feeling that I might get lost, or miss P&E. As we stood there my phone rang, as I answered it, I looked up and there just passing in front of me was our Son. I called out to him, and he inadvertantly took the long way around the barriers to join us..
Of course his wife was with him. We took the lift back up to the car park, loaded the car, parked the trolley and set off home. They chatted about the holiday, and the flight. I asked if they had eaten and they said only a small sandwich they were given before the flight. They both said they were starving. I said we were heading to the M&S at the petrol station, to pick up some croissants so that they had more choice for Sunday breakfast, so we could get something there. I wasn't hungry, as we had had a small barbecue, just one burger in a bun each, salads and 2 sausages. Husband had his sausages in a bun, but said he was hungry, so we bought ready meals, and I just got a wrap.
The meals were soon ready in the microwave,and I brought it all through on trays to save pulling out the table and raising the second leaf. Many travellers tales ensued. The dog of course had been ecstatic to see them and was soon climbing onto his mistress's lap. We were relieved of the last walk before bed. Whilst they had been away the weather here had go hotter and hotter, so I don't think they had too comfortable a night, defnitely no duvet. I had replaced our sheet and duvet with 2 cotton sheets and a blanket for emergency chills, but we have barely had the top sheet over us.

I didn't have a lot to do on the Sunday morning, as they had promised lunch out as a thank you for having Tom. We had decided to try a local carvery, Daughter and Son in law were coming too, with the little ones. It probably wasn't the best carvery I have ever been to, the air conditioner was right over our table, and not only kept us cool, but made the food go cold too. The chap in charge of the carvery had disappeared, and when he deigned to appear, was a bit stingy with the meat. There were huge Yorkshires which I declined, and lots of veg, but only beef gravy, not so good on ham and turkey.

However it was fun being all together, and the little ones gave Son and his wife a taste of what they have to look froward to. Lydia was being fed orange coloured goo from a jar, and Son was marvelling at how far it managed to spread over her face then into her hair. When she reached out an orange hand towards his nice clean shirt, he moved away so fast. Nathaniel meanwhile got so engrossed in his ice cream dessert, that he forgot himself and we ended up with a puddle on the floor and seat, oh the joys of toddlers. Daughter grabbed a pile of paper napkins, and some cleaning stuff from a trolley, and cleaned up, apologising as they paid the bill.

We went back home, the young people gathered their stuff together, and packed their car, Tom jumped in, and off they went. Husband and I crashed out a bit, in fact husband didn't wake till 6.10 pm, so we didn't make it to the evening service.

My pots blooming

everything beginning to come out in the front garden

Close up view of the roses

Monday wasn't anything special, just stripping the spare bed, washing bedlinen and towels, thankfully it's good drying weather now. Then I took 2 lots of bedlinen and shirts to be ironed, my shoulder still protests if I iron too much. I had asked daughter if she fancied going to the big garden centre, and we had agreed, but I couldn't get hold of her on Tuesday her mobile was playing up, so we drove up there.  She was having a difficult morning with the children, so was glad to see us and glad of a trip out.
We had lunch in the cafe, but sat at one of the outside tables. Nat had fallen asleep in the car, so he was tucked up on a chair with a cushion for a while, whilst Lydia was being fed. He woke and ate his sandwich, and then we went to get our trolleys, only to find that someone had nicked ours, so husband had to go right back through to the outside to get another. We bought compost,and I wanted blue flowers to give some colour balance in the back beds. I found a lovely delphinium, verbenas in a bluish purple,and some lobelias. Last year I found blue and white salvias, but have found none this year.
Nathaniel thoroughly enjoyed himself, flitting between the 3 of us, running chatting, laughing, all the others shoppers were smiling at him. he was fascinated with the fountain, and called it a 'mountain', but when I gently corrected him, said 'yes it's a fountain'.
We stopped off at their house to leave some compost we'd had in our boot then came home and I planted out the delphinium,and started on the others, hot work this weather. Our house is such a warm house, we've been having a fan going in the sitting room nearly all day most days. Wednesday afternoon I called in on Daughter again to see what sort of day she was having. I'd been to Sainsbury's in the morning as usual.
Thursday I made it to women's hour, it was book reviews, but although I had started a book I hadn't got beyond the first few pages, so couldn't review it. Friday it was the annual fund raising coffee morning at the house in Dunstable with the railway in the back garden. Husband has not been before, but seemed to enjoy himself, he loved the garden railway, and was envious of the size of the garden. afterwards we went into Dunstable  to the Christian bookshop, where I bought a few sympathy cards, as it is so difficult to get anything with  a Christian message on them these days. Husband bought a book, then we drove home over Dunstable downs, then to the local garden centre for more bark for the side front bed. I restricted myself to an orchid pot as one of my orchids needs repotting. Husband bought two miniature standard roses to add some height in the front. Later, I walked to Sainsbury's, then to Homebase, and had to call husband to pick me up as I bought a hanging basket of fuchsias. he insisted on going in the store himself, where he found a half price water feature for the patio.
Saturday we had a church anniversary, with a young man speaking who grew up in a our church, but is now a pastor elsewhere. At tea there was a farewell to one of the elders who has served the church for many years, he and his wife have moved to Wales, where they have other family, they have been commuting a lot to help with child care.
As usual at tea the table was groaning, there were more there than usual, as many who had known L & J over the years, and now live elsewhere came back for the farewell service. They were presented with roses for their garden amongst other things. On Sunday I found it too hot to go out for a walk, a very lazy day again.

Husband fascinated by the railway

one of the trains

Gliders Dunstable Downs

The Downs

Beacon from the Jubilee

Chalk paths

Homeward bound, and after

I didn't sleep too well in the Days Inn lodge, we didn't rush too much, but when we came to leave, we did as we have always done, drove round the back of the lodge, and up to the barrier to be let out onto the side road which goes under the motorway to the Northbound side, except that this time we were not allowed to. The chap said we couldn't do it, it was not permissible, health and safety, etc etc. we have done it on and off for over 20 years. Husband begged to differ having been on a health and safety course, and having been responsible for it in the Borehamwood office and the Bristol office.
We used that route last year, the manager claimed we couldn't have done and so it went on, but he refused point bank to lift the barrier, he claimed it was a private road, so in the end we had no choice but to turn around drive out of the services then back to the next junction, and off and back again to the North bound carriage way. We left at the next junction, and stopped at Cartgate picnic area for our usual bacon bap breakfast. It rained on and off on the way home, very heavy downpours. We had quite a good journey, not too bad when we got to the M3, and M25, we arrived home at about 1.30 pm.
We unpacked the car, then got together the shopping bags,and went to Sainsbury's, had lunch in their cafe and stocked up on food.
The garden was a bit over grown, the ceanothus was in full bloom, rhubarb and blackcurrant bushes overhung the path,and the honeysuckle still in bloom, had put out tendrils across the front door.
The weather wasn't too good all weekend, it wasn't easy with all that washing to do. We were welcomed back at church, where one of the preachers  had been replaced, as he had a bad case of sciatica. The week was fairly quiet, husband had a dental appointment, he had lost a filling, but now has to have it replaced with a crown, I went back to WW, had put on one pound for each of the weeks I had been absent. I was on duty at parent and toddlers, but the numbers were small.

Ceanothus

I missed women's hour as Daughter wanted to come round and use my sewing machine to do the button holes for her dress. We minded the children, whilst she sewed, and we took them out into the garden later; Nat had been asleep when they arrived and at one point Lydia joined him.
I made up the spare bed, and our son and his wife arrived late on the Thursday evening. They stayed overnight, with Tom, then the next day we left Tom in the house and drove them to Heathrow, we left at 3pm, a journey of 23 miles, but the M25 was awful, there was a lorry on fire somewhere and this was holding the traffic up. Son worked out a route which would get us there quicker, but there was a delay as we had to cross a busy main road with traffic lights
We dropped them off at 5 pm, check in time was 5.40, their flight 6.05 pm. We dashed off to try and find a services, needing a comfort stop. We went off on the M40, to Beaconsfield services, then afterwards relaxed for a while with a drink, then set off home on A roads, which was a bit more relaxing. Husband tracked their flight to the South of France, where they were celebrating 5 years of marriage, in the place where they had their honeymoon, as Daughter said, 'enjoy your last kid free holiday'.
So we have had Tom for 2 weeks he is moulting so my carpet has a constant film of black hair on it, no matter how much I clean it. We have been doing plenty of walking, husband has been on 3 long walks, we have also had two outings to Ashridge Forest with Daughter and the children. I have only managed to lose half pound so far at WW.
We have had a couple of trips to the garden centre, one when we took lunch, and I had a M&S Italian coffee flavoured milk, which produced the same effect as the coffee in Falmouth. We renewed the car tax, minded the children again for a short while, with an over excited toddler shrieking at the dog, I had to send Tom into the hall out of the way.

Lydia gives her opinion

Lydia zonked, in her new dungarees

Nathaniel zonked

Lydia in the garden

playing together

Lydia standing

The weather has been mixed, I topped up my tan last weekend, and now we are allegedly going into a 2-3 week heatwave. I'll believe it when I see it. we have spoken to Mum in law, a few times, she seems fine, but tired, but is determined to plant beans! Honestly, what would you do with her? We must arrange a visit soon, when Tom has gone home.  He is a lovely dog, one day I walked him into town, and met 3 friends, all fell in love with him. We have bathed him once as he got hot chasing the ball and jumped in the canal, husband had to help him out, what fun!

Unusual coloured paeonies

Short babyminding session

At Ashridge

let's go that way

Climbing

King of the castle

At the cafe

Grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face

The second Monday of our holiday dawned cloudy and misty. We decided to drive over to Falmouth, the other side of the Peninsula. It was cloudy there too and misty over the Carrick Roads. Our first port of call was to be the toilets on the Moor, but they have sadly closed. I have fond memories of our Daughter sitting on a potty there looking around and proclaiming, 'this one's different'. Happy days! We headed for the next lot at the pier, and I examined some memorials with quotes from the second world war on them. These were on the pier not in the loo!
Husband was unsure what to have for lunch, I wanted to go where I went last year, so we parted company, and I enjoyed lunch in the warmth of the Cavendish coffee house. It seemed full of American and German tourists. Then I walked along the main street, in and out of shops, browsing, not buying. I met husband, who still hadn't had lunch. After wandering around a few shops and an arcade together, he decided he would go to the Harbour Lights for fish and chips. It is somewhere where we have gone on and off for years, ever since the first time we went to Falmouth self catering. I decided I would join him perhaps for a drink, but then thought I would just have a child's portion of chips.
They didn't have decaff coffee, so I had a caffeinated one. As we ate we were watching some people in a dinghy which they managed to capsize twice, the whole restaurant customers were on their feet the second time they capsized; but then we realised that the safety boat circling them was actually teaching them how to right a dinghy, basically they were being taught how to sail safely.
There were some interesting little orange 'pod' type boats, going to the big ships in turn. Husband looked them up and discovered that they were RNLI. I struggled to eat all of my chips and thought that the coffee tasted odd.

 The capsized dinghy

one of the big ships

An orange 'pod' in the distance

Boats in Falmouth harbour

Swan and cygnets Swanpool Beach

Later we walked on past Trago Mills, and round the 'new' harbour development. Most of the little shops have gone and it's now restaurant after restaurant. I found a pair of gloves in my pocket, and
actually put them on it was so chilly. We did go in Trago Mills on the way back, but didn't buy anything. We also went into a shop that sold  model boats, but as we don't have a mantelpiece to put one on.... but we did buy a rather nice dolphin, whose tail is a crown cap bottle opener. Just right for J2O.
Having eaten too much for lunch we decided to pop into M&S for a quiche for later. Then we climbed the hill back up to Quarry car park, and headed for the scenic route home. We stopped off at Swanpool for a cuppa, but drank it in the car as it hadn't brightened up at all, the ships anchored just off Falmouth were like ghosts in the mist.
Usually, although I suffer from travel sickness on country lanes, I can cope with the route back, this time though I felt acutely unwell, really bad nausea. I was so glad to get to the straight roads near Culdrose and Goonhilly, but even that didn't help much. I gradually realised, and as another episode has since confirmed, that it was my caffeine sensitivity that caused the terrible nausea. I was glad to get back to the cottage, and it was a few hours before I could face eating.
On the Tuesday it was quite cloudy again, but we went out, and it brightened up. I found a beautiful pair of dungarees for Lydia, and as she had started proper crawling, thought they would be ideal.  they are reversible too. I got lunch at Pels again, and took my chair down to the beach to catch a bit of sun.
Wednesday was a very slow start again. it was a miserable day with patchy rain, we had a cooked breakfast, the later strolled down into the town, we looked for a gift for Nathaniel, the post office in the wharf had toy diggers and fire engines, but we thought they would be too old for him.  Later I bought another salad from Pels and took it back up to the cottage to eat it. We didn't go out again that afternoon, but in the evening got dressed up to go to the Porthminster cafe. Husband started with soup, I had scallops, we both had sea Bass with a jasmine rice and vegetables, husband said he didn't have enough room for a dessert, so had the petit fours which were served on a metal 'tree'. I had a lovely chocolate creme brulee, with a divine mint flavoured cinder toffee, Mmmm!
After coffee we took a slightly different route back to the cottage, more uphill slopes than flights of steps.
Thursday was a better day, and we ended up walking over to Porthmeor. The cafe there, on the far side was advertising a bakery, so we trudged across the sand to investigate. It's something new there, there are lots of chalets, none were occupied, but they were selling food. Of course husband had a pasty, but I chose a goat's cheese and roasted veg baguette, which was not too big, but delicious. We had a piece of their dark choc rocky road, and a coffee each. Husband asked, 'why do we not stay over this side next year?', when I said 'next year? who says we are coming next year?' he corrected it to 'next time'. I said a) the properrties get booked a year in advance and b) those overlooking the beach are very expensive, although they do have parking.

Surf's up

surf school

 

husband

someone having fun

big breakers

gulls

patterns on the beach

We sat watching the waves, it was a tad windy, and watching the surf school. I managed to find a recycling bin for some of the papers, I knew I had seen one, but couldn't find it. So I made use of the one I did find. Later we went down to sit on Porthminster beach for a while, taking the windbreak as it was extremely windy. Husband doesn't much like sitting on the beach, but it is a measure of how the cough had knocked him for six, that he even wanted to come down. He brought his kindle and spent some time people watching.
That evening we walked back across to Porthmeor for a sunset, but it was too cloudy.

Friday dawned cloudy again. Whilst I was in the basement, I swept and mopped the kitchen floor.  I decided that I would take all of the rest of the newspapers up to the big car park at Trenwith, where there are recycling facilities. I set off and at first it was all on the level, but as I got to the Stennack it was uphill. When I reached the footpath up to Trenwith, I wondered if I would make it, I haven't walked up there for at least 30 years. I stopped once to catch my breath, then carried on. I made it, crossed the car park and deposited the papers, plus a couple of plastic bottles.
There were a couple of  hopper type buses by the car park, I wondered whether to hop on one to go back to the town centre, but thought I would have needed one to come up rather than down. I was wondering which way to go back, when I saw someone disappear down a path which I hadn't seen before so I decided to follow, there were a few steps on the way, but at least  was going down. This was part of St Ives I didn't know, but I eventually came out just around the corner from where we were staying, Tregenna Terrace, so I was back where I had started. As I came down Tregenna Hill, I could see that some poor soul had collapsed on the street, but as there were plenty of people around, I didn't go over. When I came out of one of the shops, the person was sitting, back to the wall, knees bent, so obviously someone knew first aid. It seemed to take forever for the first response paramedic to arrive, and I was in Fore Street before I heard the wail of the approaching ambulance. I hope the person was ok, not nice to be ill on holiday.
I bought clotted cream to take home, and was looking for something to take for Nathaniel. There are a few shops selling children's clothes, but at a price. Eventually, I found an outfit in the shop where I had bought Lydia's dungarees. Not cheap, but not mass produced, hand made in Cornwall. There were beautiful dresses for babies, very tempting.
I rang husband who was still in the cottage packing. He said he would get a pasty for lunch, I decided to go back to Beachcomber. It had got very windy, and my skirt kept blowing up. I sat at the wrong table in Beachcomber, every time the door opened my napkin blew away, and I got the full force of the wind round my legs.
Afterwards I met husband and we took our last walk up to the cottage. As I got on with packing and cleaning the cottage, it began to rain. I don't mind leaving so much when it is raining. Gradually we packed the car, then shut the door one final time, and drove down to take the keys. The office was shut, so I dropped the keys in the letter box. we drove along the harbour, up Fish Street, then round to the Stennack and out the back way. That was the first time this year we had used that route.
Later we drove off the A30 to Bodmin, and fortuitously managed to find the chippy where we ate last year.
we didn't meet anyone we knew though. We arrived at Days Inn at a reasonable time, and settled down for a welcome break on our journey home.

Bring me sunshine all the while

So, where was I up to? Ah yes the meal out. I am a bit confused as to the order in which things happened after that, much mooching round St Ives in baking sunshine, occasional sitting on the beach. As we had left all our windbreaks at home through lack of car space I bought one, with the intention of leaving it in the lean to for others to use. We had taken a sunshade brolly with us but it was too windy to use it.

At some time I strolled up the Digey to Porthmeor, and fund that the flats for the elderly had been completed, and very nice they are too.

Porthmeor

Pensioners' flats

I discovered that Pels, on the wharf, where the old Harts ice cram parlour was years ago did take away salads, they really packed the stuff in tight to a small plastic box. Also, one day I  had a crab sandwich from there. As I walked in one day, a man was walking out grumpily declaring, 'thanks, I'm never coming in 'ere again'. The chap behind the counter must have seen my startled look, and explained that the grumbler had bought a pasty, and had eaten half of it, before bringing  it back to complain it was chicken rather than steak. You would have thought that the fact it contained stuffing may have told him at first bite. He was offered a replacement, but insisted on a full refund. He added that they get perhaps 3 complaints every year.
I sympathised and left with my salad. The poor chap looked really worried when I walked back in a few minutes later, but I hastened to explain that husband had come to try one of their pasties.
We tried sunset pics another evening but there was cloud, so they were not so good. THV Patricia left the bay and there were no further interesting boats to be seen.

sunset in cloud

Part of Saturday was spent shopping for weekend food, and I also bought some wool and a pattern and needles. I started knitting but in the evenings it was difficult there wasn't much on TV, but husband tended to watch CSI, and it's hard to count knit two together, knit one slip one pass slipped stitch over, wool forward, etc whilst the TV is on, much undoing and picking up of dropped stitches.
I didn't try to knit on the beach. One day as I sat on the beach, there was a group of Japanese tourists in front of me, and they must have had a box of opened biscuits on their rug. The equivalant of the seagull bush telegraph must have been operating because suddenly, at least half a dozen seagulls swooped, pecking at the biscuits scattering them and squabbling amongst themselves. The funny bit was that one of the party was at that moment filming something, and didn't even notice the ambush till it was pointed out to him, he had just carried on filming. Then later one of the seagulls swooped on a discarded roll, further along,and the others raced after him, all scrapping over the sea.
Husband was still sleeping a lot, still coughing a lot, the walking boots went unused, often after climbing Tregenna Hill and Skidden steps we were both exhausted, and needed a rest before going on to do the next thing.
On of the days in my way back up from the beach, I took the path up round the back of the station and up past Primrose cottage. When we stayed there several years ago there were roses rambling all over, there was an arch of fuchsias, it was beautiful. As I approached the gate I could see two people working in the garden. The roses had gone so had the fuchsia arch. The rusty old steps from the outside to the first floor had gone too. Why such devastation? Someof the lovely plants in the front garden gone too. Later I looked it up online, it had been sold since last summer, for getting on for half a million, probably some banker with a bonus I suppose, but will it still be a holiday let? We'll just have to wait and see.
On the middle SaturdayI had lunch in Beachcomber, on the wharf, we went there once before on one of our Christmas trips to St Ives. This time I had a jacket potato with crab, there was a lovely side salad too
On the Saturday evening we ate out again. This time we walked down to the wharf and bought fish and chips, fishcake for me, and then carried them up to the Island, going around the side to find a bench. There are dozens of memorial benches in St Ives, paid for by families of loved ones who loved St Ives,and probably went there every year. We ate our fish and chips in peace, the seagulls were elsewhere. The sun wasn't low enough for pictures, and I hadn't got my camera anyway.
Sunday morning we made it to Zion, there was a visiting speaker. Apparently he was down there on holiday and has been asked to preach,so wasn't dressed up for the occasion. The pastor was off the next day home to America for a 3 week visit to family, so I suppose it saved him a job. We discovered that the speaker knew people that we knew, small world when you are a Christian. Sad to say we didn't make it to the evening service we were both incredibly tired. I don't think we went out at all after lunch. We did have a cream tea though later. At first I had slept really well in the cottage, but I had one night when I had really bad night, so was back to square one.
Sadly, that Sunday was the last of the mini heatwave and the weather became more variable.