Viva la France!

Beautiful Dover Castle!

So, we have just got back from a fantastically chilled holiday in the South of France!

We go every year around this time with my family, the Walkers (who are now officially our family too thanks to Jak & Sandy getting hitched!) & the Pulmans. This, was our 10th year! Crazy! Time has gone soooo fast! I can't believe it's been 10 years already!

This was also Luke & I's 6th time going as a married couple which means I have now gone to Mountaurial more times WITH Luke than without! Where has the time gone!

We started our adventure with a trip to Diver castle before getting on the ferry. For years we have driven past the castle on our way to the ferry & thought 'we must go see what it's like!' but have never got round to it. So this year, we decided to plan ahead properly so we would have time to go in! It was absolutely gorgeous & just stuffed with history & exciting stories & facts. There is so much to see on the grounds we wished we'd given ourselves even more time as we ended up only going to see the original tower where Henry 8th holidayed a few times, but there was so much more to see we are definitely going to go back as soon as we can! It made waiting for the ferry a whole lot more fun, that's for sure!

Once off the ferry in France we drove through the night to get to the South as soon as possible! It was actually a really fun journey- Hollie slept almost completely through, only waking up a few times to see what was going on & check we were still close by & Luke & I got to talk for hours & hours about whatever we wanted with no distractions or feeling like we had jobs to get on with etc. It was brill! We got about an hours kip in a little parking station but then went on our way again. I kept having cheeky little naps in the car, but Luke soldiered right on through the night! I really don't know how he did it, but he did! (He'd started work at 4am Friday morning too so that he could get out a little earlier which just makes the fact he stayed awake & drove for so long even more impressive to me!!!!) 

We got to Bergerac Saturday morning around 8am & met up with Jak & Sandy at their hotel where we chilled for a few hours & Luke got a little kip in before they had to check out. Then we met up with Skid & Elliot who fitted Jak & Sandy & their luggage into their mini! (Jak & Sandy had flown out Friday night & a taxi to the house would have probably cost more than their plane tickets!!!!) Then off to the house we went!

This is the swimming pool I dream of at night when it's cold & rainy in England!

We went straight to the swimming pool for a quick dip & plonked Hollie straight in! SHE LOVED IT! Yay! & she didn't fall asleep straight away which was good news too! I think it was even better for her than our local swimming pool as it's colder so it doesn't relax her too much! 

I could literally spend hours writing down everything that happened detail by detail, but it'll take too long & probably get a little boring! So instead: here are some highlights!

1. Getting quality time with Luke & Hollie. Life has been pretty busy recently & we have spent a lot of time around each other, but not much just the 3 of us. Plus, Hollie is normally asleep or on her way to the land of nod when Luke gets home so it was so nice to have time together & to see Hollie spend time with her Daddy. Plus there was like 100 photo opportunities with her looking so stinking cute & having funny hats & things stuck on her all the time!!!

2. Getting to relax by the pool. The weather all week was 30oC, which in the Uk would be too hot for me when I'm trying to get on with things- but when you're on holiday & able to be as lazy as you like & jump in your own private pool whenever you like- life just becomes IDEAL!!!! Plus, to make it EVEN better (which I wasn't sure was possible!) My new sister-in-law Sandy is a qualified reflexoligist & MASSAGED my feet AND painted my toes for me while sat in the gorgeous heat by the pool! Does it get any better than that?!? Uhhhh- not for me!!!!

3. Watching the boys play with their boy toys! They made a giant spud gun which shot potatoes across acres & acers of land! It was MAD! They were so chuffed with it! We played this game that we picked up from the movie "Grown Ups" where they shoot an arrow into the air then see who stays put lying down for the longest (a bit like chicken!) We did it with the spud gun (admittedly I am using a bit of a royal we here as I was hiding Hollie & keeping her safe while watching the others play!!!) This photo is of Dad with the remains of a potatoes after pushing it into the gun!

4. Watching Hollie play in the pool! She is definitely a water baby!!!! Had we not had so many complications during pregnancy & had to have so many Dr's present- I would have definitely chosen a water birth! It was so fun to see Hollie get confident in the water & even try to swim! And, as usual, she fell asleep in her little float! At last i was able to get a photo of it as we're not allowed to take photos at the leisure centre when she does it there!!!

almost more excitement than I could take! (Yes, I really should get out more, I know!) I only got 2 pairs....now I wish I'd got more!!!

6. To see Hollie grow a real attachment to her Uncle Skid! (My sister-in-laws brother!) Honestly, I have never seen her attach herself to someone so quickly! She normally is quite shy for a while before getting confident with people but with Skid it was almost instant (apart from a little meeting just after Jak & Sandys wedding when she wasn't too sure about him!!!) Now, she squeals with delight at him, stares at him for minuets & minuets & even puts both her hands out to him for him to pick her up!!! (She has still NEVER done this for me!!!!) 

 

7. THE HOUSE! Montaurial is just one of the most stunning, peaceful houses I have been to. It's so beautiful & has become a bit of heaven on earth for our families. Coming this year was extra magic, as it was the first time we bought Hollie! I know she won't remember it, but for Luke & I- we had waited such a long time for Hollie & had some real bumps in the road getting there- so to actually be there ourselves AND to have our daughter with us, really was something special.

Who wouldn't love this house?!?!?

8. Spending time with the family! (I didn't get a group shot with ALL the families on my camera so one of just these guys will have to do!) It was great to be all together & just chill & relax. Plus I got to have Sandy as my ACTUAL sister this time round! Yay! We really missed Beef though! I can't wait for him to get back from his mission, but sadly- we still have a long wait to go!!! October 2012 can't come fast enough!!!!!

9. Getting to spend time with my gorgeous hubby! (this photo isn't exactly glamorous, but it sums up some of the fun we got to have so hey!) With all Hollies Uncles & Aunts & Grandparents there we got to have LOADS of time to ourselves & with each other which was a real treat :o) 

10. Getting to go to the Eiffel tower again & to drive through Paris. I LOVE Paris! I think it's really beautiful & love to just take in all the architecture & landscape. I really am a London fan through & through- but Paris is fast catching up! Every time I go I find more things that I love about it! Plus we were able to take Hollie to the Eiffel tower for the first time!

11. Getting to read (& FINISH some books!!!!) I read the Hunger Games as a lot of friends had recommended it & LOVED it! It was quite an easy, quick read which was nice too! Definitely going to read the second! I also got to tuck into a Book called 'The Secret' which one of my gorgeous best friends Jess got me as a present. It's BRILLIANT & got some really insightful points. I haven't finished it yet, but had good fun talking through some of the philosophies with Luke :o) Luke got to read Theo Walcotts biography which he LOVED! He said it was like getting backstage gossip! Haha! It was fun listening to him tell me all these little stories from it & then asking him why they're important or who particular players are!

And so this blog doesn't seem too 'sweetness & light' some things that weren't as ideal!

Going through a french supermarket & 'ooooooing' at the big yellow peppers that looked like pumpkins, only to get closer & see little flies hatching & swarming all over the veg!!!! Eeeeeeew!

This was the best photo I could get as I was trying to be quick before I got caught by the staff!

The only other thing- THE RAIN! Luckily, only on the way home! It was like a monsoon! Absolutely crazy & poor Luke was having to drive through it with all the crazy French drivers!!! Luckily, it didn't last very long but it was a little scary at points!

The rain on the sunroof!

Plus the pungent smell of Camembert in our car on the way home as we'd picked some up as a present for Ma & Pa Levens without thinking about how smelly it would actually be! Eeeeeeew! Haha!

All in all a BRILLIANT holiday & I have to admit- I'm a little sad to be back from it all! I miss the sunshine. I miss the pool. I miss having my family in such close proximity. I miss the laid back french lifestyle & no responsibilities!

BUT, I'm happy to be home to our cute little flat, being back in a routine with Hollie-Pop & being able to plan ahead for the rest of the year! If only the sun would stay out a little longer here in the Uk...............