I was duly reminded by Mrs Fink that all the cool people celebrate Christmas in March (from our joint newly created tradition in 2012). So yey we have the rehearsal on Dec 25th and then the real thing will be March 9th 2013.

What a cracking way to do it, twice the fun and twice the prezzies, whoo rar!

So The Folks are off exploring the US, whilst we all try to make the most of the tail end of the ahem “British Summa”. So in celebration of all things colonial we decided to toast some Marshmellows on an open fire while we plan the Route 66 avec Harley.

It’s a week short of 5 years to the day since we left the beautiful, peaceful village of Llangynog and the most wonderful house that was Tyddyn yr Helyg.

On our last night in Llangynog (6th September 2007) we had sleeping bags on the cottage floor and no food at all, so came to eat at the New Inn. Believe me not much has changed. After we ate we took the longest and slowest walk back to the cottage with heavy hearts, knowing that we had been at the most idyllic location possible.

Here we are 5 years later, a little older, a lot wiser and a lot more travelled, yet still we pine for that amazing view each morning (if you ignore the damp, the mice and the power cuts). Stopping a couple of nights in a local B&B and looking at properties in the area.

We ventured where few have dared and walked past our wonderful home for exactly one year, where we ate heartily, enjoyed the scenery, had BBQs, sat and watched the world go by, had Mr Spike in his element and enjoyed the life we all dream of some
day.

Who knows we may end up there again, crossed fingers.

I’ll have a harf

Lunch at the Kylemore Pass Hotel, before heading back to the folks with a lovelly cut of Sirloin, glazed chops and sausages, sounds distinctly like a BBQ to me.

Yum.

After a nice day out and a lovely meal we sat in the conservatory area watching the bad weather hammer the windows, playing scrabble and whooping Mrs Fogg, when into reception comes something worse than a loud American, yes you guessed it “Colonial Old Boy and his put upon wifey”. The happy couple had by all accounts driven hundreds of miles from a wedding, decided not to stop for food so they could get to the Dolphin B&B, unaware their restaurant is only selective days of the week and today ain’t selected.

Wherever they have come from they (or rather “he”) didn’t like “it was crap” and you just know his evening ain’t gonna get much better. Wifey continually apologising for her husbands bad manners and demeanour just wanted to get some biscuits or something to snack on and proceeded to eat more or less the entire pack of whatever they had, stopping to offer him the last one, well talk about moan, groan and whinge. Next was the fact they need to stop somewhere in Dublin on Thursday, without making any bookings in advance of travelling at a time when 50,000 Americans are about to descend on the town for an American football match. cue the helpful B&B owner, since not only did the happy couple not have any bookings, they had no idea where to stay or anyway to book anything either. As the helpful owner tried to find them accommodation and call ahead for them, all she got was “well I don’t want to stop there, there’s no parking”, “I don’t like that one it’s too close to the centre”, “that’s no good, the price is too high”. Personally I would have suggested he invest in a phone or learn how to use computers himself! Still the fun continued, as he whittered, moaned and groaned loudly with wifey asking him to quiet down. The straw and camel situation came when they found out there is no tea or coffee facilities in the room and the owner has gawn to bed. Dawp!

Lucky us, the happy couple are next door and currently investigating the patio door, by sliding it open and slamming it closed, over and over. Now this is what makes Britain great and the worrying thing is this guy is probably a “captain of industry”