Once again - a couple of weeks between posts - but this time I've been on a little holiday.
I took the train through the Eurotunnel from France to England. It's a long drive up to Calais, but I don't mind the driving and the 35 minute crossing is great. Coming out near Folkestone is good for visiting my son in London, but not so good for visiting my daughter near Southampton. Still, there's no waiting around in miserable airport buildings and, with the car, I can take and bring back lots of goodies! Also, during the crossing you can do your knitting...
I put the latitude and longitude co-ordinates into my GPS to get to the French end and it was easy-peasy. Coming back was not so easy as the GPS co-ordinates took me to an area of sand dunes in Hythe! I should have ignored the Tom Tom and stayed on the motorway, as I was only minutes from the Eurotunnel terminal, it turned out.
A lesson to learn there for Eurotunnel! Edited to add that I see that the co-ordinates on the Eurotunnel website are different from those I used (which were on my ticket) and I wonder if they have recently changed them...
The machines as you enter the terminal recognise your booking and issue a ticket automatically, which you hang on your mirror...
If you haven't tried the tunnel - do. It's simple and quick - but watch those GPS co-ordinates!
I stayed a week with my son and a week with my daughter. In London we went to the Red House - one of the homes that William Morris lived in...
...a pretty National Trust house but virtually empty of the furniture that once filled it. Apparently most of this is at the non-National Trust house Kelmscott, much to the chagrin of the Trust (as expressed by the room stewards we spoke to)!
Down South I had a lovely time too, with visits to Winchester (always on the itinerary) and Lee on Solent...
...a pretty sea view, but not much else! Although I did get some great stuff in the charity shops!
So - back down to earth now - one of the things I got in England was some good paint and now I have to paint the house at La Tache, while the weather is still warm enough to have the windows open!
12 comments:
So glad you had a happy visit over here. I hope the weather was better than it is today! x Jo
Sadly many of the NT houses seem to be bereft of furniture. Trelissick, near to us, is the same. But the gardens are lovely.
Happy painting!
Hi Penny
Good to see you posting, and glad to hear that you had a good trip to the UK....I'm off there myself on the 23rd, 10 days with my mum and a Sasha event too! I too want to go to the charity shops, and I wouldn't mind going to a boot sale, but not sure if they are still going at this time of year...and not sure how to find out as I won't have a car.
As for your little diversion, I've wanted to take the car and go up through Spain, into France and then on thru the tunnel, but haven't done so, it would be a very long drive from here, not sure I could do it on my own. And know that hubby wouldn't want to spend that much time in the car.
Anyway, good to see you!
Bighugs Sharon in Spain x
Family together times always make me smile Penny so thanks for linking up to share them with us.
Hugs,
Annie x
I don't like the tunnel at all but I've managed to go through it without a heart attack once. Id' rather go by ship. :-)
Well I'm gladdened just to see that you spent a week in Southampton and managed to get photos that don't show rain! A good trip then, with a mission on the end - a car full of paint - good luck with that, so satisfying when done!
I smiled through the entire post. What a marvelous trip. I would have loved it, too, since I prefer to travel by car everywhere I go.
Loved all the photos, including the places you visited. Nice to see where others live and visit, since across the pond, we don't often save our "old" homes and establishments.
awesome trip~ I love to visit the NT houses when I get a chance to go to England...so much history and beauty. Thanks for sharing. Vickie
Fabulous trip, Penny. Love the photo of your knitting :) Sorry, but I did chuckle at you GPS story ... ours is forever taking us on mystery journeys :) And snap! We've been to an NTS property this week too. Thanks for sharing. Elizabeth xx
Hi Penny - late happy Friday Smiles....adventurous you - don't know if I could do the tunnel but well worth it to miss the airports and the spend so wonderful time with the family. Cheers and enjoy your weekend Robyn
I have just read about your trip to Uk and some of your house renovations. You have taken on quite a task there. It is interesting to read about other folk´s lives, and always good to read about happy family reunions. Kate x
HI Penny. The tunnel is the ONLY way to go in my opinion. Funnily enough I have found myself knitting stripy socks whilst sitting behind the wheel, just like you.
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