Christmas 2018 Part 2

Efteling was everything and more that we had anticipated.  We stayed in one of the Efteling villages Bosryk in a cottage overlooking the golf course.  It had a few little extras such as a sauna in a shed  behind the property and a hot tub.  It had the little touches that made the difference, particularly for the children.  Six night caps had been left, along with the story book of the Sandman who visited to help get the little ones to sleep with a story.  Breakfast was delivered each morning and a little gift left each day as well.  Such a wonderful touch that enhanced our stay.

The grounds were spectacular, I would imagine in the Summer it would be a stunning setting.  The lake had Mr Sandmans castle in the centre, so was always a joy to walk past to see if he was there.

Each evening he told stories prior to going to bed, so much fun despite the language barrier.

Just a five minute walk from the village brought you to a special entrance to the theme park, which is divided into several areas.  There was so much to see and do it was so easy to fill our days.  The winter wonderland aspect was a joy which included ice skating, a toboggan run, cross country skiing and a a wide variety of speciality foods and drinks.

There were carollers singing intermittently around fire pits throughout the park, which gave the park such a wonderful atmosphere.

We have some wonderful memories of visiting this Fairy Tale Park many years ago when our own daughters were small, whilst serving in the Military.  As you can imagine it brought them all back and we laughed at some of their antics.  The boys loved hearing about their Mamas adventures when she was small.  The talking tree was a highlight, along with the carvings in the forest.

You can't possibly go to Efteling and not get a photo sitting on one of the mushrooms.

Another highlight was the Ravelijn show, the boys were given a VIP pass for this so sat in the royal box, it was such fun.

All in all an amazing break away, fun and laughter good food and good company we couldn't have asked for more.  One of the eateries was a pancake house where the pots and pans came to life. 

Such fun and the pancakes were good too.  There is something for everyone at this park with some amazing shows and white knuckle rides along with children's characters and rides more suited to Granny.

Time flew by we had so much fun, must admit to been cold at times but the fire pits and hot chocolate specialities certainly helped.  It is somewhere we would definitely go back.

Hope you enjoyed our little tour, there was so much more not least the Caro show which we did have to pay extra for but it as heavily discounted as we were staying at the park.  Well worth going to, the boys loved it when Granny was invited to participate.  All in all as good as Disney without the crowds and queues although some of the characters were not as familiar.

As always I thank you for your visit and comments.  I am still trying to get the cottage back into some order but am catching up with you as and when I can.

See you soon.

Christmas 2018 Part 1

My goodness the weather is atrocious, it is blowing a gale outside.  Yesterday the winds were 75 - 100 mph the ferries were cancelled for the day and it was grey and more grey.  Unfortunately we had to leave our cosy cottage as I had a physiotherapy appointment for my shoulder.  The drive over was hard going but each view amazing.  The sea was raging and battered the shoreline making it look like a boiling cauldron.  Thankfully no damage.

Our trip away started with a bad weather forecast, so we changed our plans and rearranged the ferry to avoid the worst of it.  The ferry over was choppy and I must admit to been relieved to see the shoreline of Ullapool.

The drive down through Scotland was uneventful but slow due to the freezing conditions.  It was certainly worth it to see my dear parents, they are doing well.  They have made the decision not to move up with us, they have made new routines and the family visit and help regularly so all is well with them.  It was a joy to spend some quality time and enjoy their company.  We had lots of fun trips out, Mums favourite is the Garden Centre at Woodthorpe which we love to admire the wonderful Christmas decor displays.

Next stop Ampthill to visit Amie and her little family.  How those children have grown, we had so much fun with them.  Bertie loves to play with his Lego and Honey still loves ballet.

Soft play is still a big hit which was included in our trip to visit Santa.  Honey is a joy to watch clambering after her big brother trying to keep up with him.  All credit to Bertie he is mindful of her and gives her a helping hand.

Not too big for cuddles...and both still keen to show their crafting abilities.

How cute is Honey all dressed for the cold.

Amie is an amazing cook and a great hostess so it was a joy to enjoy all her goodies that she had prepared for us.  They went off to Disneyland for Christmas whilst Gerard and I drove over to Norwich to meet up with our eldest daughter and her little family.   Once again we were spoilt and had some amazing food, cooked with love.  The boys have grown, Wilbur more so.

Then it was off to Harwich for the ferry over to Holland and our stay at Efteling, which I will share in another post. 

I have made a start on catching up with you all but still trying to get back into some normality here.  The laundry has now been done but we are still struggling to find homes for the generous amount of Christmas gifts and craft resources.  Mum is no longer able to knit so gifted me a large amount of wool she had stashed.  I have lots of great plans for future projects.  

As always I thank you for your visit and your comments.  

See you soon.

Happy New Year

We are back from our wandering and adventures and although we have had a wonderful time it is so nice to be home.  Thankfully our journey back was uneventful, weather conditions were good and it was a nice drive through spectacular views.  A continuous feast for the eyes.

Sadly the photos are not as amazing.  It was a moving car and I was getting reflections from the window.  It was lovely to see the different layers with an eerie mist rising from the ground.  The drive through the Cairngorm National Park was as always a delight.

It was so unusual not to see snow on the peaks at this time of year.  This time last year it had been a struggle to drive through the snow.

The car has been unloaded and we have made a start on the unpacking and what seems like a never ending amount of laundry.  We were certainly blessed with some thoughtful gifts, so it will be nice to re-look at some of those gifts today and find a home for them.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, although I must admit it seems so long ago now.  The New Year brings with it Hope for a healthier future and after much pondering and deliberation we have decided Hope will be our new word for the year.  It is my intention to catch up with my emails today and then start visiting your blogs once again.  Wishing you all a wonderful New Year and wishing you everything that you wish for yourselves.

                                                    HAPPY NEW YEAR

See you soon.