Paul & Amy in France

 

Brenda's Birthday

With Brenda being in France for her 40th it took very little persuasion to get Paul and I over there for the weekend. Brenda and David had secured a home exchange in Axat in the Pyrenees. It was a part of France I’d never been to before although I do remember studying the Langue d'Oc when I was doing correspondence French.



It was a really beautiful area, lots of hills, castles, wild flowers and vineyards. We weren’t there very long so we spent about equal time climbing up hills / looking at castles / eating & drinking. Brenda and I also spent a lot of time taking pictures of the wild flowers; I don’t know how impressed the boys were but they have been promised a pub outing when David and Brenda are in London.

On the eating side of things David prepared some great half-cow steaks for dinner one night and the next we went to a tré s flash restaurant for Brenda’s birthday. The only thing that needs to be said about that dinner is after five other courses my dessert had no less than five different forms of chocolate. Yes, I had a share for you too…

The Sultan's Elephant

Of all the strange things I have seem in my life The Sultan's Elephant rates pretty highly. And the whole thing is hard to explain. It is a giant puppet show, with a time travelling girl and a very life-like elephant in Jules Verne style. The soundtrack as the girl exited the was almost wailing seaside anthems and when she met the elephant (she walked via Trafalgar Square and the mall near Buckingham palace) they played the Baby Elephant Walk.



How did I get to see this all? Ah, well it was happening in the middle of London near work and it became a team outing as our boss at the Arts Council told us to spend a couple of hours watching it. And who am I to argue on a beautiful warm sunny day!?!

Brenda & David have arrived!

Brenda & David touched down at the anti-social hour of 6am or so on Saturday but were still up for a walk around the neighbourhood. They both kept saying it was all rather quaint so when they were resting near the phone booth I could not resist the photo!