To the End of December 2016 In the Midlands, we are well accustomed to the lack of snow or even frost over Christmas, but I can’t recall a warmer Christmas than this one. On the plus side, it has meant that the family haven’t been stuck inside, afraid to venture out into the chilly British… Continue Reading

19th November 2016 On 18th November, the Rothwells returned from KL, and I was at the airport for an early pick-up to transport the four weary travellers to their chilly British beds. Later that day, I saw them again, along with Sarah and Lee, for our usual Friday family night meal. The only absentee was… Continue Reading

16th November 2016 On waking, the wet cobbles hinted at overnight rain, but by breakfast, the sun was shining. Below, early morning commuters hurried by with collars turned up, hats on, and gloves firmly in place, clearly still cold out there. We lingered in bed for another half hour before making our way down for… Continue Reading

15th November 2016 We woke to another crisp, cold morning with bright sunshine. After polishing off breakfast, I contacted reception to confirm our transfer to the airport for late tomorrow night. The minibus arrived punctually at 9 am to take us to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. A few other passengers were already on board, and… Continue Reading

13th November 2016 The clip-clops echoed over the cobbles until around 11 pm, but it had been a long day, and I only learned this crucial piece of information from Sue at breakfast. By that point, I had already formed a delightful relationship with my Polish pillow and was blissfully unaware of the nags outside.… Continue Reading

13th November 2016 The day after I published the previous blog, the frost arrived, morning fog appeared, and the leaves began to fall. Most of these leaves, much to the benefit of the ‘in-house’ worms at my top allotment, have now been dug into several trenches and covered with soil. The cobnut hedge that Sue… Continue Reading

31st October 2016 Where has autumn gone? Where are the frosts, the wind, the falling leaves? True, I have collected enough to fill one bin and, yes, some of the trees in the garden are changing colour, but most remain green and lively. Daytime temperatures seem fixed around 15 degrees, and at night, I have… Continue Reading

23rd October 2016 Another bright, sunny morning greeted us, though a stiff breeze added a chill to the air as we stepped out onto the balcony to take in the view. After a leisurely breakfast, we packed our small suitcases, checked out at reception, and stored them in a small room provided for that purpose.… Continue Reading

22nd October 2016 Another gorgeous day greeted us. How lucky we’ve been with the October weather. As we stood on the balcony, gazing out to sea before breakfast, we watched several swimmers cutting through the water, undoubtedly covering at least half a mile across the bay as we gazed in awe. They were too far… Continue Reading

21st October 2016 We went to bed last night to the soothing sound of the sea washing against the seawall, three stories below. A rather pleasant way to drift off to sleep. Like Martin Luther King, Sue had a dream. Hers, however, involved rabbits. Apparently, Jamie had acquired another one, this time brown, and I… Continue Reading