Arriving in Gibraltar and Spanish barter Today, Dad talks about sailing to Gibraltar and describes buying watches from the Spanish in exchange for cigarettes. It was called the S S Mataroa which conjures up a picture of idyllic cruising in the South Seas. In actual fact it was a cargo ship with limited passenger accommodation … [Read more…]
We have a lovely little bar that we go to for a drink often on Fridays and morning coffees on random days throughout the week. We were in there at the weekend during the day for a coffee. My husband was by the fire where the smokers hang out when Madame who runs the bar … [Read more…]
I posted the last of Dad’s Navy memoirs yesterday. For months, early in the morning I have sat down, opened an England ring binder and worked through my Dad’s writing. I admit I shed a few tears as this period came to an end – I like to see me sharing the Navy memoirs as an … [Read more…]
A night out in France differs a little from one back in the UK largely because everything seems to close so early. After 4 months here, we have adapted and I quite like the fact that you can have a night out, then return to enjoy home before going to bed. On Friday we headed … [Read more…]
Today my Dad remembers his sex education and prostitution in navy ports such as Istanbul. Most of us were young. I was 19 years old approaching 20 years and quite naïve. Back at home among young people sex was not a word that came readily to the tongue nor was what it meant talked about … [Read more…]
After a questioning everything day on Wednesday, I set out to make Thursday a great day. I work to a gloriously sunny morning which always helps especially when there are no people or cars flying past and you really could believe our new house and grounds are a planet all of their own. We walked … [Read more…]
I am having a wobbly day in France. I woke up before I was ready to I think and that set the mood for the day. My husband said he had great news. This turned out to be that he had found the key to a shed place and it has useful tools and a … [Read more…]
Meeting at Night by Robert Browning was one of the poems we studied this week. My 11 year old son is currently delighting in poetry and I reckon that can be no bad thing. We read the poem, discuss it and answer questions on it. Sometimes we have very different tastes on what we do … [Read more…]
I am not really down in the dumps but today’s rainy day has brought me down a bit. When it rains here it really rains! You don’t get showers or spitting. You go from fine to downpour in a millisecond. Also our courtesy car was taken away yesterday as it is broken and they are … [Read more…]
Last night, Him Indoors popped to the local bar. He has little French but somehow with is bit of French and customers’ bit of English he manages to converse and is making acquaintances. He was talking about his job and trying to explain that he worked from home so kept saying “Maison”. Apparently one of … [Read more…]