Merry Christmas!

          We spent a lovely weekend in Lille visiting Lisa, Remi and Tanya and were joined by my niece Gemma, Anthony and Gen, making us a party of nine - sadly only Naomi missing. Lisa and Remi have bought a terrace house in Lille which they have been working on with the help of a builder and have completely rebuilt the inside, knocking down walls and changing staircases etc..The floor, the kitchen and the electricity, nearly forgot the wall in the bathroom, have just to be completed and they are very optimistic that they will be moved in at the end of January! On Saturday evening we toasted their house with champagne and then returned to the comfort and warmth of their flat for a fun evening. On Sunday, which was a cold but clear day, we drove to Bruges which is so charming and like something out of a Christmas card. There was ice skating in the main square surrounded by a lovely Christmas market. Horses and carriages were trotting around the cobbled streets and all the shops and restaurants were tastefully and invitingly decorated. The only downside of this beautiful town are the prices and the tourists , however we just about managed a hot chocolate in a cafe.

  Despite the rain, wind and a little snow, I am just thinking what a lovely time to return home during the Christmas season. I have been able to see all the family before we all gather again for the actual Christmas celebration at La Ferme des Vallots. I have been included in several end of term "dos"; I'm off to make wreaths and candles this afternoon and then another dinner with friends tonight; there will be Christmas Carols sung on Friday evening in a little church nearby and more mulled wine and mince pies. Despite many of us "anglais" having been in the Normandie for many years we still like to cling onto some of the traditions such as mince pies and sausage rolls in preference to oysters and foie gras! I was hoping that I might have had time to be organised for Christmas but I should know better by now - there are still more presents to be bought and much cooking to be done, not to mention the tree that has to be decorated etc... Yet somehow we'll muddle through and despite the imperfections I know that we will have a wonderful Christmas together. On that optimistic note I would like to wish you all and your families a very happy Christmas  wherever you are and thank you for all your kind words of encouragement about my blog. Joyeux Noel!

Home Sweet Home

     I actually arrived back at La Ferme des Vallots last Sunday - Andrew came to meet me at Orly airport on his way back from Madrid. No sooner had I had a night to recover from jetlag and I was off again in the train, bus and plane to Glasgow where Naomi and Gen were waiting for me . It was great to see them despite the rain, hail and snow and we had a nice wander around the shops as well as nearly being blown away in hurricane winds! Fortunately the winds had dropped for my flight on Friday morning and I flew to London and then got the bus and train to Winchester to spend the weekend with Freda. Andrew had bravely come over on the ferry during the storm to meet me and then Patrick joined us on the Saturday after he'd finished his exams. We had a nice weekend in Winchester and then last night were on a calm crossing from Portsmouth to Le Havre and now I am staying HOME until Thursday when we are going up to Lille to see Lisa and Tanya. I'm sure no one has followed all that, however it is lovely to be home and now I have a few days to prepare for Christmas, do some cooking (can I remember?), see some friends and keep warm..... I'm back to wearing many layers, socks and boots.

    Here are a few photos of my visit to KL - a huge busy city which depicts the multicultural society of "One Malaysia".

Backpacker's Paradise

        I am in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, having had my very nice breakfast of fresh fruit, fruit juice, cereal, toast and several cups of very nice "proper" coffee. This colonial style building is in Chinatown and has been restored and renovated to make this incredibly tasteful, clean and welcoming backpackers hostel. I had real HOT water for a shower with a towel big enough to wrap round me; there is a cinema; (yes, 2 films shown daily with free popcorn ) internet access; a roof top bar; a laundrette etc... and for all that I'm paying 38 myr which is less than 10 euros! There are perhaps some of us who can remember the type of places we used to stay in before they were called Backpacker's Hostels, where hot water and sit down toilets were never seen and where bed bugs and the odd mouse/rat were common. This new kind of  budget accomodation might not be exactly a real test of the adventurous explorer but the spirit is the same. This popular backpacker phenomenon is where people of all ages meet and exchange travel stories and share tips of where to visit, to eat, to avoid, to buy,etc.......and importantly make friendships, however fleetingly. I have been surprised at how welcoming and friendly everyone has been at the two hostels I've been staying at and yesterday when I arrived here within half an hour I was chatting with a group of  travellers from all over the world ranging in age from 20 to 55 (Yes I was the oldest!). We all went to Chinatown for a delicious meal and although I declined in continuing to enjoy the night life of KL,  I was made to feel one of the group. If I had decided to stay in a hotel I doubt very much that I would have had such an enjoyable evening. Vive les backpackers!