(9th April 2025) Breakfast was served in the hotel restaurant and turned out to be a little unusual. I enjoy experimenting with food, and when abroad, I often opt for something local, but today, there wasn’t any choice. Being part of an international hotel chain, I had expected the Holiday Inn to offer a few… Continue Reading

(7th April 2025) Jamie and Ruth’s wedding day Sue and I enjoyed a very peaceful night’s sleep. Upon drawing back the balcony curtains, we were delighted to discover that the day had dawned beautifully, perfect weather for a wedding. Unlike the previous week, when we’d taken breakfast on our balcony, we opted this time to… Continue Reading

(5th April 2025) Breakfast was at 8 am, and by 10 am, we were aboard the shuttle bus heading into Ubud. Our grand plan was to delve deeper into the town than we had on our previous shopping jaunt, perhaps poke around a couple of museums and meander down some of the more obscure side… Continue Reading

(3rd April 2025) The 2nd April in the USA. The day Trump tariffed the world, destroyed the American economy, and disrupted global stability. As on the previous day, we started breakfast at 8 am on our balcony overlooking the pool and gardens, but a cloudless sky and fierce sun soon drove us inside the villa… Continue Reading

(31st March 2025) We had packed days ago for the trip to attend Jamie and Ruth’s wedding in Bali, but the morning was spent double-checking that we had everything we needed. It was then that I made an annoying mistake, one that would only come to light later. After a final watering of the pot… Continue Reading

30th March 2025 A few days before Sue and I set off for a bit of rest and relaxation in Lowestoft, I had an appointment with my doctor to review my annual blood test results. No concerns, thankfully, but in the spirit of thoroughness, we agreed I should have a liver scan and track my… Continue Reading

(20th March 2025) Sue’s Christmas present from me was a couple of away days on the Suffolk coast, and it took until today for us to find the time to fit it in. Fortunately, we chose a run of forecasted warm, sunny days and set off from Willow Bank under blue skies at 10 am.… Continue Reading

(10th March 2025) The tour party (Roy, Jim H, Sean, Jim C, and Suraj) joined me at 4:30 am in the Garden Room for coffee before driving to Birmingham Airport to catch a 9:20 am flight to Malta. Surprisingly, the roads were bustling with heavy traffic for such an early journey, but both cars made… Continue Reading

14th March 2025 After its electrics were damaged by a rat, Sue’s Mini was eventually fixed on 24 February; the rat’s damage had cost us £570. There is now a rat bait trap permanently installed inside the garage to prevent this from happening again. Over the past few weeks, whenever I had the time, I… Continue Reading

16th February 2025 (25th January 2025) The night the MSC Preziosa crossed the English Channel on its return to Southampton, Storm Eowyn swept through the UK and northern Europe. Thankfully, the 100mph winds affected Ireland and Scotland rather than the Channel, and in our cabin, we felt just the occasional shudder. However, I had little… Continue Reading