Summer Holiday

We arrived in San Sebastian for our first night of our holiday and this was on the balcony where we were staying

Walking around the coast line in San Sebastian

Enjoying Sangria in the sun

Sally and Becks enjoying the live music in the square on our one night in San Sebastian

About to head down for my first swim since Jan 2008 in Getaria, Spain. We had driven around the coast from San Sebastian to here

As soon as we arrived in Vieux Beacau it was off to check out the beach and the surf

The boys played a few games of beach volleyball

The Vieux- Beaucau team out for dinner

Ken became friendly with this rather large dog at the beach

The house where we spent a week in Vieux -Beacau

The rather crowded beach where we were staying - we always managed to have enough space for the boys to play some games though

The boys playing beach cricket at Vieux-Beacau where we were staying

The surfers walk of fame and Ken's hobbit foot

I caught the biggest wave while we were away

Out in Hossegor for dinner (where Lol and Nay were staying)

The ladies in Hossegor

Nuts and Ken off for a surf

Ken at the beach in Biarritz

Ken and I - Biarritz

The boys in Biarritz (minus Paul)

One last drink by the sea

Out for dinner in Biarritz

Summer Holiday

Becks and Paul Hardy, our flatmates Sally and Nuts and Ken and I flew into Biarritz and drove into Spain to San Sebastian for the night - we staying in a hostel right in town - we enjoyed and afternoon and evening in this cool Spainish town.

The next day we drove around the coast for the afternoon and had our first swim in Europe. Then it was off to pick up Bryce from the airport before heading back to France to Vieux-Beacau (about 1hr north of Biarritz). We had rented a house to stay in there for a week. Lol and Nay were staying about 20mins away in Hossegor, another coastal town, though alot bigger than ours. Our beach town had a salt water lake, which us lovely ladies walked around in the morning and it had a really nice little township and of course the  beach.

Lol and Nay came up to visit a few times and we went to where they were staying for dinner once also. The boys managed to get some surfing in in our last few days - the waves were huge, which meant in our last few days we couldn't swim as it was too dangerous- there were helicopters pulling people out of the water but earlier in the week we enjoyed lots of swims.

The weather was amazing the whole time we were very lucky.

After a week at Vieux-Beacau we drove back to Biarritz for a night and we spent an afternoon looking around the city which was really cool and then went out for drinks and dinner before flying out the next day.

It was a really great holiday which we all enjoyed.

After a week 

A Birthday in Amsterdam

McCarroll (Ken's and Nay's friend from uni) came to pick us up from the train station on his bike, straight away Ken was off having a ride embracing the Dutch culture

Celebrating being 23 in Amsterdam - wearing my new braclet and earrings from Ken  - I did VERY well for myself on my birthday

If you can't tell - I'm pointing to the Ken in Heineken - Ken's idea not mine!!

Showing Kere some loving before he left back to NZ

Ken and I just before we went on an afternoon canal trip

Kere and Hamish on the way to McCarroll's - got the essentials on the back of the bike

Amsterdam

As I said Kere was visiting so we decided to time his visit with a trip to Amsterdam to see the boys friend McCarroll from university. He lives in Amsterdam with his Dutch girlfriend. We flew into Amsterdam on Thursday night and McCarroll met us at the train station and took us out for a drink, translating some of the things the Dutch men were calling out as we passed. It seems that on the day before my birthday I could still inspire a few cheeky remarks from the men in Amsterdam - much to McCarrolls enjoyment (especially as I had no idea what they were saying).

The next day was my birthday and I was very spoilt getting some lovely gifts from Ken, Lol and Nay, Becks and Paul (who had also come away for the weekend) and Bryce and Dale all the way from NZ. Ken had bought along the cards I had been sent so I was able to open them.

We spent the morning at the Van Gogh museum as the weather wasn't very nice and then wandered the streets in the afternoon. That evening we went to McCarrolls for a BBQ and went out to a pub and for a look at the Red Light District (the other end of the street we were staying on).

The next day the weather was great so we took to the canals for a cruise and then back to McCarrolls for another BBQ before flying out on Sunday.

We all had a great time and it was really good to be in a city where we knew someone and he could show us around, McCarroll is a great tour guide!

Glastonbury

It might look sunny but it was raining - I was keeping positive - our £1 jackets were a great buy

Still getting a thumbs especially since the rain stopped - it started again later though

Ken quite liked the 3D silent disco - the music was rubbish - Lol and  I kept our ear phones off most of the time

Looking towards the 'Other Stage' - the second biggest stage

Team Glastonbury - just before heading home

Glastonbury

Kere arrived early one Sunday morning (6am) and the following weekend the festivities began. We set out on Thursday afternoon for Glastonbury, we arrived and it began to rain, typical Glastonbury weather. The next thundery downpour was just as we found our camping spot - luckily these downpours were short and sweet. Our camp spot was about 15minutes walk from the 'Other Stage' and close enough to the toilets that it was too much of a walk but far enough away that we didn't have to smell them!!

The first night the bands hadn't started, we went to a silent disco which was average, Lol and I were in bed by 1am but the boys stayed out to have a better look around. 

Friday morning we woke to rain - and it rained and it rain - it didn't stop until 2pm so we put on our rain jackets and our gumboots and went exploring. That night it cleared and we caught some of the bands.

The following day we woke to brilliant sunshine - we spent time hanging out at our campsite and went off to see more acts - the biggest one being Bruce - he was so good.

Sunday we packed up nice and early and got a train back to London, we were very happy that we left that day rather than the Monday, so many people leaving at once would have been awful.

Glastonbury was something that had to be seen to be believed, the amount of people in one space was amazing and the size of the event itself was huge! 

Ken and i all dressed up at Ascot Races

Ken and I on the train to Ascot

Nay and Lol on the train to Ascot

Lol and I found a friend

The flat

The Ascot Races

One of the first events this summer was the Ascot Races, we all put on our dresses and shirts and ties and took the train to Ascot. This was also where we all got our first glimpse of the Royals. The Queen arrived promptly at 2pm just before racing began wearing powder blue (first bet of the day is to guess the colour of her hat). It was a really good day and the weather held off all day.

Lagos, Portugal

View from apartment

Ken in the streets of Lagos

Lol and I ordered the pan fried fish aka Nemo

Lol and I heading along the boardwalk to check the surf

Ken taking it all in

Setting up the beach umbrella

Lol and I having a drink at the bar on the beach in front of our apartment

Ken and his Sea Bass

The boys enjoying the free port

Ken and I on our last day

Lagos

After a long winter in the UK (and two winters in a row for me) we decided to head off in search of some sunshine. Lagos is on the south coast of Portugal, the boys managed to catch some quality waves while Gaz, Lol and I got left at a beach for 5 hours. Lucky it had a bar! We ate out every night and enjoyed temps of mid 20s.

English Easter at the Seaside

Cornwall

We (14 of us) escaped the city for a long weekend on the coast. We were on the road by 4.30am (and I wasn't the last out of the house) on our way to Cornwall. As soon as we arrived (5 hours later) the boys wanted to see the surf (or lack of) so we parked up and got our first glimpse of Newquay. We then drove out to Holywell Bay where we were staying caravans.

On Saturday we took a day trip to St Ives which was exactly how all the books describe Cornwall. We all got a bit of sun which was much needed. That night we all went out for dinner at a resturant on the beach.

On Sunday the girls went into Newquay and had a boozie lunch in the sun while the boys went for their 3rd surf of the trip. Hoods had to hired as the water was so cold. Ken said after he had put his head under 3 times he thought he was going to throw up.

There was backyard cricket played and more drinks in the sun before heading home on Monday morning, we even managed to tick the box of seeing Stonehenge as we drove right passed it on our drive home!