Far flung places

So, where did the last few weeks go then? I know, it's the time of year when everything speeds up beyond light speed to warp speed and you just have to go with it. So what have we been up to? The biggest thing about the last 2 weeks was that last weekend I did my charity trek for work. It was, as they say - epic - possibly for all the wrong reasons! The adventure started when we spilled out of the Monarch 'Hen / Stag party flight' where we were the only people not half cut before the flight to get on a bus with 40+ colleagues to head for the hills beyond Malaga. Everyone was inevitably hungry so we pulled into a service station and of course the effect of the sun meant pretty much everybody had a drink.... or two - start as you mean to go on it seemed. The first and last night we were staying in the Spanish equivalent of Fawlty Towers. The 2 star hotel served us what turned out to be one of the funniest meals I've had in long time. Everything was beige and literal - if it said mushrooms on the menu, that's what you got. The puddings were something to behold, or at least decipher - who knows what they were meant it be but they seemed to be the same pudding, just served in different shapes! For breakfast we were all told to be there at 8am, only to fond a solitary waiter toasting individual bread rolls one by one - that was it - not the best way to start a long walk!


The walking itself was amazing - stunning views that go on forever, hot weather and decent climbing. we walked through blistering heat (literally for some) and snow covered paths, up to the 3 highest peaks in Spain. On nights 2 and 3 we slept in a mountain refuge - the best way to describe this is an exercise in binding through mutual adversity. 85 beds, 6 toilets and 4 hot showers. At least it made Fawlty Towers an attractive proposition. Despite all of this I had a great time, made some brilliant new friends and was very grateful to see my bed when I finally made it home (5 hour delay in airport).


While I was away Glenn and the girls went to the annual school campout - Thornfest. It's fair to say that in a perfect world Glenn would not have stepped foot into the grounds for this activity but he had no choice and both Abi and Izzy loved their evening out. In the end Izzy slept in Mia's tent and Grace slept in ours (dogs piled onto the bed for extra warmth!). Glenn admitted he'd done worse (and appeared to sleep amazingly well - maybe just the topping up of previous day's alcohol?!) and so it was all ok. I suspect it's still on me to do any repeat of this next year though.


This weekend we have had Amanda and the boys staying while Alex went off to a festival with dog in tow. The kids as ever immediately gelled, although Ben is getting too cool for school and is keeping his distance a bit more. This does mean poor Izzy gets side-lined as it's the normal Abi and Laurie versus the world - those two were clearly separated at birth. We took the 3 of them (Ben came with us) riding on Sunday which they enjoyed, and Amanda, Ben and I did gardens and a big lunch - smiles all round. We will continue to make the most of them all getting on so well for as long as we can - I can't believe that Ben goes up to secondary school this September - the teenage years are just round the corner - our babies will be babies no longer in just a heartbeat.


The weather is truly awful at the moment so we are all looking forward to France - just 3 weeks away - yippee!!!