Random Birthday Thoughts

O spotted and removed 3 grey hairs from my head (that is a photo of them, which you could see much better before I compressed the file. Now it looks like a picture of my hand). Well to be honest he noticed more but I was fed up of having my hair pulled.

I removed the piercing bar from my belly button. It has been there since I was 18. It hasn't been on display for a long, long time. I didn't expect to miss it but I do strangely.

I fully expect that neither of these pieces of information will be of interest to you. Sorry.

Celebrations

(images by me or O)

So as you are aware last Wednesday was the big 30 for me. To celebrate (or commiserate) we had planned a break away. We headed to the Lake District, to the same area where we'd spent our minimoon. However first we went for lunch in Kendal (of mint cake fame), it was a beautiful day so I tested out my new camera (present from O and my parents). O had chosen a place for lunch, I was very impressed by, he doesn't usually plan that far in advance. We walked into the restaurant and I turned towards the bar to ask for a table for two, however O just pointed me into the next room. When I looked up I was staring at my parents. It took me a moment to put two and two together. You know that feeling when you see someone you know but not in the situation you were expecting to see them - yes that. My lovely husband had managed to keep a secret from me and had set up the whole surprise. We had a lovely meal at New Moon, a wander about Kendal and then said goodbye to my parents and headed to our hotel.


We were spending the night at Langdale, after we checked in we headed to the pool for a swim, sauna and to slowly poach in the jacuzzi. We underestimated our time slightly so were a little rushed getting ready for dinner, we then got lost on our way to the restaurant, which was a little stressful. It was sooooooooooooooo worth it though. We went back to the Drunken Duck which is where we had spent our minimoon. The food was delicious as we remembered. 


The next day I'd decided I wanted to tackle a fear of mine head on. On our minimoon we took a row boat out onto Coniston water and I had a panic attack, for absolutely no reason - I was not expecting it and it has irritated me ever since. I was determined that this time I would not have a freak out. So after another swim etc. we headed through the drizzle to Coniston. This time there was no freak out and no tears. There was rain and drizzle and a wet seat but some bursts of sunshine and warmth and a lovely time. 


Our journey home was made all the more lovely with a brief stop at Rebecca's home - we had cake.

My Spare Rantings 2

Dear Hoteliers,


Two beds pushed together does not make a king size bed. It does not make a romantic giant bed. It makes two beds pushed together. It means someone falls down the break or a young recently married couple sleep miles apart*.


Please sort it out.


Thank you


*p.s. and then when they get home to their standard double bed they both try to sleep star fish style and there isn't enough room. 


I think I've ranted about this before - Sorry.

Italy: Luca & Pisa

Our last day in Italy we went to Luca. We went to Luca mainly to get gelato. We wandered around the walls of this beautiful fortified town with friends. I'd really like to visit Luca again - mainly for the gelato.

Then we got the train to Pisa, we marched rather quickly from the train station to the leaning tower. Friends we were with climbed the tower, however we were worried we would run out of time. So we watched them climb as they stopped at different stages to wave at us. There isn't really anything else to see in Pisa so we trekked back to the station, on to the airport and waited for our flight to depart.

That was a very long and dull account of our few days in Italy. It feels like such a long time ago. I hope we will be visiting  Italy again.

You forgot?!

Our first anniversary fell on a Sunday and so I blamed there being no post delivery for the lack of cards. We opened the couple that had arrived the day before and received text messages from some friends and O's family.

There was no a whiff of a message or card from my family.

We went out for the day and I expected to come home to the answerphone full of messages from my family asking what we were doing to celebrate.........nothing.

I came home from work on Monday expecting cards thinking they'd just missed the Saturday post.........nothing (ok a bank statement).

MY FAMILY FORGOT OUR FIRST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

I sent a nudge, nudge email to my Mum and got a grovelling response. My nudge, nudge to #2 got a complete blank in response, she had no idea of the significance of the date. (#1 is in Spain on holiday, I'm letting her off)

What do you mean the date of the party of the decade is not etched into your brain forever? What do you mean you don't come over all emotional when that particular date is mentioned?

(Am I the only one that feels strange when people talk about events/meetings that happen to fall on my birthday? Yes, ok then.)

My Mum has asked how they will ever make it up to us. I floated the idea that they take us with them to the Caribbean later this year. Apparently forgetting your daughters first wedding anniversary does not mean you need to pay for her and her husband to tag along on your holiday. We're very disappointed.

Italy: Florence

Our friends had been living outside Florence for months and they didn't fancy seeing the sights yet again. So we explored on our own meeting later in the day to go for dinner. 

We went to the Boboli Gardens

We had lunch in the Bardini gardens overlooking Florence

Of course we went to the Duomo (although not inside)

Our photos could never do justice to how beautiful the Duomo is.

Just a few of the highlights of Florence.

Rawr

Happy Anniversary my Dinosaur

If you want to relive it all check out my recaps

(image)

A day out in Glasgow

Last weekend we had a friend come to visit. We decided to go the new Glasgow Transport Museum. Only we decided to go at the start of the Glasgow Fair...................never try to do anything in Glasgow during the Fair.

Given that we turned up an hour and a half before the museum closed we didn't really have enough time to properly explore. The bits we did get to see were very good with excellent interactive screens - not those annoying interactive screens but ones where you got to chose what you want to look at. We'll be visiting again, when it is quieter and we will get there earlier.

Italy: Day 3 Rome, Colosseum etc

Our last day in Rome we checked out of our hotel and headed to the Forum and Colosseum for the day.

Then that was it, the end of our time in Rome. We had crammed in as much as possible.


We headed back to the train station and took the train to Florence where we met up with friends who we were staying with for the next two days.


Photos are by me or my husband

Italy: Day 2 Rome the rest of the day

It was time to leave the Vatican, we'd had enough of the crowds, the hustle and bustle and needed some time to ourselves. Checking the map we decided that we would find the botanic gardens, sit ourselves on a bench and read our books for a little bit. Lets just say we got a little bit lost along a quite scary road which left me a little bit ratty and my feet rather sore. We made it to the botanic gardens an hour before they closed. So our lazy afternoon turned into a quick sit down to allow some of the pain in my feet to fade before we did a quick rush round the gardens. They are beautiful and if our afternoon plans had turned out right I'd have loved to spend more time there.


We went for dinner in the Trastevere and wandered back to our hotel in the moon light. 

Photo 1 - Husband likes to play with the effects on the camera

Photo 2 - Getting lost can lead to some beautiful places

All photos by me or himself