Away for a Week

I was in Altrincham all of last week giving a training course..it was enjoyable in so far as being the trainer is...I had a good bunch which made it a bit easier...I wouldn't say that I have a calling for the role, but it is good for the soul to occasionally get out of routine! It's exhausting standing in the front and having to talk,think, move, engage people all at the same time! A week also seems to be a long time these days, especially as Sunshine seems to change on a daily basis!

Needless to say I managed to fill each evening with catch-ups with friends...Katie & Mark (Katie cooked some fab lamb burgers and I didn't scare Tully too much this time!), a lovely evening with Marianthi in Manchester (I'm sure we walked further than we needed to....!) and a class night out...lots of good food and not too late nights...why am I so tired?!! Well, it would have been a bit rude not to make the most of my 'freedom'....but it was definitely good to get home...eventually...

West Country Holiday

We have just spent a week as a family in the West Country. Accompanied by my parents and of course by the clement 'Cornish sunshine' (=rain).
We stayed at the Crylla Valley Cottages which is a well laid out, I hesitate in the use of holiday park...it's a collection of cottages which overlook the valley of the River Lynher at Notter Bridge (just down the hill from Saltash). The accommodation couldn't be faulted and the location is ideal for the nearby beaches of Looe, Downderry and Whitsand Bay. If the weather had been nicer, then we would probably have spent more time on the beach...but it's difficult to tell as Sunshine has a fairly short attention span (being a toddler)! A definite bonus was the leisure membership at St Mellion Golf & Country Club as we could take Sunshine swimming which she really enjoyed especially when we bought her a float...I think if she had had a float suit or a ring she would have been off on her own! Her confidence in the water has dramatically improved and she is quite happy throwing herself into the pool at her parents!
A favourite was the Aquarium in Plymouth...each time we have been it has been slightly different...I am still mourning the absence of the Weedy Sea Dragons...and it was a shame there wasn't very much in the touch pools...I think they were gearing up for the school holidays!
As tradition dictates, I had to take a picture of the fish/crustacean/sea bird thingy which stands at Mayflower steps on the Barbican... Unusually, we only managed a cup of tea at Cap'n Jaspers.
I think we all enjoyed the Eden Project, although I think my visit may have been enhanced by not wrestling or watching Peter wrestle Sunshine all afternoon! I was amazed at the sheer size of the place and the organisation was brilliant. If I went again I think I would spend more time in the biomes before exploring the outside gardens...there was so much to see and read and by the time we got inside, Sunshine had lost interest...
All in all a pleasant week, even with the rain, but trust the sun to come out for our journey home!
There are some more photos here...

OK, I'll forgive you....

In the last three weeks I needed a hire car for work twice....and twice the car never turned up! Well after all my cursing I think I will forgive Avis as I had a nice letter this morning telling me what they had found out about the first rental disaster and that I would be getting a corporate gift by way of an apology...ok I though it's going to take a couple of days/weeks to get here and it'll be a mousemat or keyring...Nope! A huge bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine....and on the same day I got the letter...in fact because the post only arrived at 1130 it was within an hour!!! Now that is an apology from customer service! Now they just need to make sure I get a car when I next need one!

So I have some flowers to make me smile and some wine to help me smile even more! Hoorah for Avis! It would probably be too much to hope for a repeat of the flowers....I mean who could be unlucky enough to have two rental disasters in 3 weeks!??!

Off to the Office

I'm off to the office in Altrincham today, my first trip since I changed my role from project analyst to support analyst. I'm off to a training course and I am quite looking forward to a few days without toddler duties! I don't think Peter is looking forward to it though given that Sunshine has been testing the boundaries for the last couple of weeks....still he did go to Portugal a couple of weekends ago so it is my turn!!

I've decided that although 0430 is a silly time to get up (although Sunshine has had us up this early all weekend!), arriving at Heathrow at 0540 for a 0700 flight is not a bad idea...especially as I checked in yesterday! No check-in queues...no bag drop for me today and only a little queue for security...the only pain being that I had to remove my boots, unload my laptop,take out my toiletries, take off my belt and jacket and empty my pockets! Still that is all par for the course these days!! Bag drop does have a few advantages after all.... Despite there being loads of signs, there is always one person who waits until they get right up to the check-point before they decide to undo their lace up boots! But, this is good for me, I wasn't the one tutting!!!

So now I am settled with a cup of Costly Coffee and updating my blog... oh and checking my (work) emails - well I may and try and use my time constructively!

Viking Night

As we were in Sweden doing a project and the pilot is underway, we celebrated by having a Viking night at Odinsborg in Gamla Uppsala.

This is me trying to balance on the stone on top of the mound which was used by the Swedish kings to hold court...it was a bit windy which is why I look like I'm struggling!

We ate at Odinsborg (Kings Graves) and this involved dressing up in Viking tunics and hats....

Eating without the aid of knives and forks (unless you were vegetarian....although strictly speaking I am sure any veggie viking would have been run out of town!) and drinking beer out of horns! Very tasty ribs and chicken accompanied by raw vegetables and a wonderful mushroom soup to start.

Team photo

Anyway, much beer was drunk (from horns or otherwise) and many songs sung....a good team-building night out!

There are some more photos here and here and maybe even some video at some point...but that may be going too far!

Because I only had my phone to take photos, most of the photos posted here are Nick's...Thanks Nick!

Amsterdam

This week was a filled with a three day meeting...in Amsterdam...so not so bad. It was fun. Maarten had organised everything well...we stayed at the Radisson SAS in the centre of Amsterdam and he had also organised evening entertainment...a canal boat ride and dinner on Tuesday and BoomChicago on Wednesday night for Best of Boom: The Director's Choice. All in all very good!
Thursday ended with me being stranded at Schipol after two cancelled flights because of dratted snow, KLM put me up in the Mercure Airport Hotel...just a shuttle bus away from the airport. With a care package, dinner, a bed, and breakfast....who could ask for more...? Well, me! I was looking forward to being at home after three long weeks travelling...ok so I was at home at the weekends...but still....


I got home around 11am on Friday...what a relief...my first flight cancellation experience....and I am sure I am relatively unscathed!

Uppsala at Night

I have had a couple of trips to Sweden in January, Peter has been a star looking after Sunshine...I don't know how he puts up with me!!
Anyway, we had a few good meals this last week...On Wednesday we went to Tzatiki and had some fab food..I was considerably stuffed at the end...no room for pudding...On the way back to the hotel, the lights in the trees alongside the river looked so pretty I just had to record the scene...I only had my phone...so the quality isn't as great as I would have liked...but still you get the idea!

Then on Thursday night we went to Kung Krål and had a fab reindeer steak with the best mashed potatoes in Sweden!
I will apologise now if Santa is late this Christmas....

Copper

This weekend was our 7th wedding anniversary and as a treat Peter and I escaped to the Oaklands Court Hotel, Norwich whilst my mum looked after Sunshine for the night. It was a treat, but in the morning whilst we were relaxing, we just thought that there was something missing! Sunshine!

I was really lucky in finding the copper hearts I gave as a gift to Peter, and unlucky in that Sunshine found them before we had even packed the car...I really must learn to hide things better! I found them on the internet at Greens Weathervanes...I really fancied getting the Seahorse weathervane but it may have looked a bit pretentious in our semi-urban environment....!

Late Autumn Break

We spent the last 10 days at the villa in Portugal...A lovely relaxing family break. Sunshine was brilliant...she slept on the plane going out which meant that she was full of beans when we arrived. It was a little cloudy when we arrived and we had some fun and games with Hertz and the car seats...that's a whole long saga...Anyway, the sun soon came out and we had a few hot days over the first weekend...and then the heavens opened! A couple of days of storminess was fine - it was worse overnight and the pool certainly benefited....any more and it would turn into an infinity pool!

Our visits to Portugal are a bit of a lazy affair, so there is not much to say...we ate chicken piri-piri, pastais de natas, empada da galinha...Peter drank lots of bicas (short expresso)...lots of Port and plenty of Esplanada (a rather lovely regional wine)!
Sunshine seems to enjoy eating everything, although we didn't give her any piri-piri!!
We took Peter's mum with us and so we took the opportunity to go to our favourite restaurant once Sunshine had gone to bed. It was lovely to walk down to the village in the balmy evening, enjoy a lovely meal and a couple of Drambui's (in honour of Sunshine). Lucky for us Sunshine had been sleeping very well and didn't even seem to notice..!
The plane home wasn't quite as easy as going out, but BA did benefit from a bit of panel 'decorating', and Sunshine decided to go to sleep just as we were landing, which was a bit frustrating! Still she is a star most of the time!
Sunshine has posted some photos and if you are a Flickr friend or family there are some more here...

On the Schmap

A little while ago Jonny got Schmapped for Manchester....I've been Schmapped now too! For Plymouth....although the fish (and Peter and Sunshine) are the real stars!

You can see the selected photos here...or by downloading the guide...the photos selected werre a couple I took in the Aquarium!

Sweden

The last couple of weeks have been a bit mad for me and even more so for Peter....I have spent the bulk of the fortnight in Uppsala, Sweden for work. This means of course that Peter has had to resume the role of primary care giver for Sunshine! Fortunately I was home for her birthday...it just wouldn't do to miss her first one after all!

The first week was providing some training and the second in project workshops. This last week was livened up by the presence of collegues from the UK and some guys from the US...One of whom enjoyed riding around Uppsala in the middle of the night meeting the locals!

Uppsala is a lovely city and has a huge cathedral and loads of places to eat...we had Indian, Thai, Greek and on Thursday evening made a train trip into Stockholm...This was definately a GREAT idea! The train took around 40 minutes adnd after a temn minute walk we arrived at Mårten Trotzig. I don;t think I have enough words in my vocabulary to descrie he food but it was fan-bloody-tastic!! A little out of my normal price range, but absolutely fab! I had a salad to start and then the Reindeer....it was soooooooo tender that it melted on your tongue!

It was hard not to gobble it down in one go! The portion size was perfect...and wow! (I was hoping to post a picture...perhaps if I get the promised mailing....) If you are ever in Stockholm...GO THERE! :) I think that this has to be my highlight of the trip!

After dinner we went to the Glenfiddich Warehouse where not being a single malt kinda gal, I had a rather lovely cognac Gronstedt I think it was...I didn't have very much as it was charged for by the cl...! downtown Stockholm is not the cheapest place to be drinking single malts or cognac!! There are some pictures here...

Apparently it has been unseasonably warm in Sweden this month which was lucky as I can't quite get to my winter clothes at the moment - although this will need to change in the next couple of weeks!!

After months of quietness with work, it was lovely to have something to get my teeth into...nice to get out of the house and see the world, but even better to get home to Peter and Sunshine again!

Wedding, Work and Water(y things)

I seem to be getting more and more rubbish at updating my blog...anyway,a few things have happened since my last post...there was Harry and Marianthi's Greek wedding for starters - Jonny did an excellent post regarding this and I can;t even attempt to top it! Just a note...it was fantastic and Peter and I were out two days less than everyone else :(. Sunshine in the meantime went to stay with my Mum whilst we were away.
I finally started work again last week and after a day of slight weirdness, it all seemed a bit normal. I must admit I'm a little rusty on a lot of things but I'm sure I'll be up to speed again soon! Thank you to Jonny and Mandy who looked after/put up with (delete as appropriate) two out of the three nights I was in Altrincham!
This last weekend there was a family gathering in Plymouth to celebrate 90th, 60th and 30th birthdays which was fun...a long trip and we were a bit worried how Sunshine would cope with it all - but no need! She was a star! Fortunately the weather was fab so we managed to wander around the Hoe, have a cream tea and go to the National Marine Aquarium. The aquarium has changed a bit since we last went in 2000 but we all enjoyed it. It's scary to think that it was 16 years ago that I first went to Plymouth...so much seems to have changed...old haunts converted into upmarket estabishments, the invasion of the pub chains into the Barbican. Fortunately Cap'n Jaspers is still there....although a Jasperizer is probably a bit much for breakfast! There's more Plymouth photos here

Bury St Edmunds

As part of mu prescribed exercise routine we all went of a trip to Bury St Edmunds...quite a nice market town with some interesting things like this sign for Lloyds bank...









and the smallest pub in Britin called the Nutshell...apparently we should have been holding a pint whilst the photo was being taken but that wasn't possiible for me! :(




We stopped for lunch at a lovely place called Cupola and Sunshine seemed to enjoy the music!

Working Party

Just got back from a long weekend in Carvoeiro, Portugal...Weather was fab and I now feel nice and relaxed! Peter, his brother and sister-in-law worked really hard painting the inside of the villa as it was long overdue... I didn't really feel guilty at all about not being able to help - although I did paint 17 lanterns (which hang on the walls) so I did contribute something! I was also the designated driver for some reason...
The good news for Junior is that I found my appetite whist I was out there and ate lots!
It also turns out that there a few weeks which haven't been booked up from now until June so if anyone fancies a week or two in the sunny Algarve just let me know :)..There's plenty of lovely golf courses...if you are that way inclined!

...the next morning

I had a fortuitous escape last night...It seems that the boys decided to call me when they returned to the hotel...but rang the wrong room!

Brussels..

Well, I'm here! Not for as long as previously expected cos the customer postponed the project for a while..but hey I have a couple of days! Yesterday had an early start in the UK and I met DJ at the Heathrow...well on the plane as it seems he had a mad dash to catch the flight! The flight was not uneventful..I nearly wore half a bottle of water courtesy of the steward (who was most apologetic for the rest of the flight!)..I say nearly as most of it landed on the newspaper I was reading! Gideon from the Benelux office picked us up and we went off to site and met up with Glen...training commenced!

Yesterday evening was a bit of a beer sesh for the boys...starting at La Lunnette (at the recommendation of Rene...This resulted in 4 huge glasses of various contents being brought to our table..I think it must have been about a litre of beer! We moved on to a restaurant on the Grand Place called 'T KELDERKE
the food was good (if a little salty for my taste)... the company fab Glen and DJ in combination are...well, it certainly made up for my dullness in the beer stakes!

We went onto a couple of other, what can only be described as backstreet bars, but they are really hidden gems...free from tourists (but I gues Jan/Feb is hardly the tourist season!) I can't remember the names of either of the bars but I'll check today! In the last bar we played a game which involved throwing brass discs at a brass frog. Th ewinner being the person first to get to 5000 points...needless to say I had a girlie throw and completely missed the room let alone the target (which is shameful as I hadn't been drinking!) It would be cool to know what the game is called..so if anyone knows...?

All in all the boys looked after me well, and I was soon tucked up in bed ready for sleep and an early start this morning! Time for breakfast...

Off to Brussels...

My first week of working from home ironically won't be at home... I'm off to Brussels for a couple of weeks with work. I'll only be there during the week so my weekends are saved, but I have a feeling that there will be some long days...
I have been quite looking forward to the beer, chocolate and waffles...and the work of course 'cos I'll be testing a product I haven't used before so it will be interesting...must remember not to drink too much...