Un jour dans Boulogne-sur-la-mer

Bonjour mes amis et merci pour visiter mon blog!

I'm still in French mode! I accompanied Alex on a school trip to Boulogne on Friday & had to draw on my very rusty schoolbook french to encourage him to 'have a go' - he didn't, but I was pleased with myself for making myself understood & more importantly, being able to understand!

Alex had been very keen to go on the trip when it was announced back in January, & school asked me to accompany him as it was very much an 'unknown' as to how he would cope! He did find the day challenging & we were our own little 'splinter group', which enabled us to avoid things he finds difficult, like the inevitable crowds. I took a lot of flack from him as he tried hard to cope, but I'm glad he got to go. The children all had tasks to perform, to help them practice their language skills, & we managed only a portion of these, but we did other things instead!

We set off from school at 3am on Friday morning, by coach, & drove to the ferry port at Dover. Alex was excited about the Ferry & we spent most of the crossing on deck, watching the white cliffs of Dover disappear & the coastline of Calias come into view!

Our first stop off at Boulogne was a Hypermarket - a HUGE affair!! As we arrived a few spots of rain fell & by the time we had parked it was a full blown torrential thunderstorm!! We were all dressed for sunshine - in cotton T-shirts & sandals - so got soaked!!! I had packed a fold away rain jacket for Alex - force of habit - but not for me, so I spent the day with hair like fuzzy rats tails, very attractive!

We bought an umbrella in the hypermarket, along with some cheese to bring home for Daddy! Alex chose 'mousetrap' cheese - Emmental. We also bought a baguette to nibble on through the day! Most of the groups found various places to eat lunch in the hypermarket building, but Alex & I returned to the peace & quiet of the coach!

Once we had arrived at the old walled town of Boulogne-sur-la-mer, the children were given their tasks & we set off to explore. Our first task was to ask, in french, for a town map from the tourism office. Alex took charge of the map & we set off to check out the narrow streets inside the walled town.

Within moments I knew we would be branching off on our own, as there were hordes of school children in the narrow streets, all chatting & squealing excitedly! Alex's hands went straight to his ears & i took my cue & we set off down the hill away from the noise!

We passed through one of the towns gates & Alex was fascinated by the thickness of the walls & we made up stories as we walked about how the town would have defended itself back in history - Alex is fascinated by all thing military, so we checked out arrow slits in the wall & where the portcullis would have been! It all served to distract him from the stress of a new place & noisy crowds!

We walked down to the main town square & after some persuasion, I got Alex to sit at a street cafe & I ordered a coffee & a coke - "Une tasse de cafe noir et d'un Coca-Cola s'il vous plait" - & we sat for a while watching the world go by. There were some tantalising boutiques in a street nearby but I could not get Alex to agree to pay them a visit!!!

We returned to the old town & made our way up onto the old town wall. We had great views over Boulogne & decided that we had time to complete the wall circuit before it was time to return to the coach. Alex enjoyed this as it was very quiet & we met only one or two people coming the other way.

The cathedral was so beautiful & there was mist all around it's high central dome. I could not persuade Alex to go inside, but he was fascinated by the moat & I did get him to agree to walk through the now quieter cobbled streets.

We stopped off at a fabulous Confiseurs & bought a lollipop & bon-bons, before making our way back to the coach. We passed through a square where there was a fantastic display, using old cars, bikes & motor parts, all planted up & made into mobiles. There was even a greenhouse made out of car windscreens, ultimate recycling!

Our journey home passed uneventfully! Another smooth ferry crossing, if a bit blowy on deck! We arrived back at school just after 10pm - tired (well OK exhausted!) & glad to be home! By now my ankle was very swollen from sitting so long after so much walking around Boulogne! We picked up Nathan from my friends house & came home to fall into bed - no bath, no shower, I think we did manage to brush teeth, but that was all!!!!!

My darling hubby is away this weekend, playing golf, so the boys & I slept in till almost noon yesterday - how decadent!! I hate to waste a day like that, but boy, did we need it!!!

Yesterday afternoon, with Alex happily ensconced in front of the X-Box, & Nathan out on his bike with friends, I spent some time on a LO for the 'Oodles of Doodles' on line workshop I'm taking part in at the moment. I've been downloading the Classes, but have already fallen behind in the assignments!
This was a LO to use the squares of doodling completed in the 'warm up' lesson - I like the way the black & white patterns contrast with the colour photo's. The next assignment uses background & edge doodling - so watch this space!

Happy Scrapping & Fathers Day!..................

At last, my GP has thrown the ball into my court & I am able to decide for myself just how much I can cope with! Needless to say, after three weeks of non-activity I made a bee-line for the Tempsford Crop on Saturday! Still on anti-biotics & with leg still inflamed, albeit looking much improved, I was prepared to cut the day short if necessary, but no, I felt comfortable enough to stay till the end! I was so pleased as my good friend Karen & I haven't had any serious scrapping time together so far this year!! It was great to catch up on each others holiday tales & see each others newest layouts!

The crop is run by Sue, who took this photo of Karen & I (I am sharing it with you, even though it makes me realise that I should not even go within 100 yards of chocolate ever again!!) enjoying the whole thing! The kit was by Michelle Jackson-Mogford, who creates the most fabulous 'pop-up' creations & mini theatres. The layout was an interactive 'Mermaid' (or Merboys in my case!) scene, with pull tabs & moving parts! Michelle was there to talk us through the instructions for the pully mechanism & I did manage to complete it!

It was totally different to any kit I have used before & fun to try a new technique. I was sure the boys would love it, but alas, Alex thought it too creepy & Nathan thought it babyish!!! Ah well, it was fun anyway! See what you think...............

I still have the rest of the kit & will complete the second suggested LO - with a twist, of course!!

After seeing the TV advert for Moonpig.com over the last few months, I decided to try them out for this years Fathers Day card. It was great fun putting it together & the boys couldn't wait to hand it over!

They both wrote little promises for the day along with their greetings & presented it with a few small gifts when we took breakfast in bed to Hubby yesterday morning!

I had decided to return to work yesterday, so I left them all to enjoy the day, with the boys promising to make sure that Daddy had a stress free time!

My day went well, I only felt the need to sit down for the last hour! It wasn't busy as the weather was lovely & I guess most people were taking 'Dad' out for lunch - plus the Grand Prix was on TV, so not many people out shopping!

I drove home in glorious sunshine, very appropriate for the longest day of the year! After freshening up & changing out of my uniform, we drove to a country pub & enjoyed the lovely evening, while the boys joined other children to play in the huge garden & adjoining field. All very civilised!

So, it feels good to be out & about again! Today is my last day of antibiotics & then I can focus on getting my immune system repaired!! Oh & I suppose I ought to get the house back in order too!! Ah well......one step at a time!

My mate Marmite & shiny new shoes!.............

Well, my visit to my GP on Friday resulted in being instructed to go home & keep my leg totally elevated for a solid 48hours! So bang went my weekend plans & no work again on Sunday! I returned to him yesterday and lo & behold I have another (my 4th) course of antibiotics, this time accompanied by even more pills to deal with the nausea & other side effects! I am really fed up with all this now, my leg is still inflamed & my poor immune system is being shot to pieces with the repeated antibiotics - I'll need double helpings of 'live' yogurt after this to help build back up the good bacteria in my system!Antibiotics, while essential to clear up infection, always leave me feeling pretty yuk & my appetite drops off. The paradox is that they have to be taken with food, so I am relying on the old standby, my mate 'Marmite'!! I grew up with Marmite 'soldiers' & the taste, repulsive to some, brings back so many childhood memories & always gives me comfort when I'm not quite 'tickety boo'!! So Marmite & toast it is then!!

Now, before I went off on holiday, I'd noticed that Alex's school shoes were looking a bit worse for wear, so asked Hubby to take him off to Clarks for new ones while I was away. Somehow, this didn't happen & with all that has gone on since I've been back, it still hadn't! So when Alex had to attend his quarterly Diabetes Clinic appointment I was so embarrassed when he slipped his shoes off for the podiatrist to check his feet! They were practically falling apart!!! (his shoes that is, not his feet!)
Anyone with Diabetes is supposed to take particular care of their feet & wear shoes that are properly fitted - we know from experience that if Alex gets a blister, it takes ages to heal, something to do with blood sugar levels feeding bacteria. So to have neglected a basic, like well fitted shoes, made me cringe with embarrassment!

Needless to say, after school the same day, I drove him straight to the retail park & Clarks. This is always a challenge as he really does not want to be there, but the assistant was fabulous & it helped that Nathan didn't have to be with us!! I love my boys, but shopping with both in tow is a nightmare!

Alex was given the option of three different style of shoe available in his size (his feet have grown a whole size since the start of term!) - & surprise, surprise! he chose a pair that were almost identical to the old ones!! He wore them out of the shop & we brought home the old ones to give them a decent burial!!

It just remains to be seen how long it is until these smart shiny shoes are as scuffed & broken down as their predecessors!! It never fails to amaze me how expensive kids shoes are & how, with two boys, they always seem to need new ones at the same time! Luckily Nathan was able to 'step into' a pair of Alex's old school shoes that were barely worn before a growth spurt meant they were too small! Phew!!

A ring of confidence?...............

Well, yesterday, six months overdue, I went along for my dental check up! As anticipated, I had to endure the removal of plaque & general clean & scale which always leaves my gums (& I swear my actual teeth!) itching! This time, as I have been experiencing some sensitivity with brushing & cold drinks, I had the areas exposed by gum recession (does that mean I'm officially 'long in the tooth'?!!) filled in for protection! So, I am able to smile freely for another six months & have my instructions for not 'over brushing' & an arsenal of flossing brushes, fluoride toothpaste & mouthwash to maintain my 'Ring of Confidence' (or am I the only one who remembers the Colgate ads?!!).

Yesterday evening, we had to take one of the guinea pigs to the vet. As you know, we have four males who spar! There is a definite pecking order & the 'Boss' is Jamie, who is a bully! Taz is the oldest, but sadly is regularly picked on by Jamie. We had noticed that his eye was weepy & on Wednesday I noticed it was looking milky & opaque, so I called the vet for an appointment. We had to wait till yesterday evening, by which time his eye was also looking red rimmed. The diagnosis was an ulcerated eyeball (ouch!), although I must add, in himself, he shows no sign of distress at all & is eating as normal. I am to administer eye drops three times a day for five days & hope we can catch the infection before they eye ruptures!! If not, the eye will need to be removed!! I'll keep you posted.

Today the sun is shining after a week of torrential storms! Hubby was up at 1.30AM! to drop Nathan at school for his trip to France. They had a 3hour coach drive to Dover (I hope they slept for that!) & a ferry crossing to Calais for a visit to a hypermarket & then on to a bakery to see croissants & baguettes made. As I write, he & his classmates should be enjoying lunch in Boulogne! He was so excited & I can't wait to hear all about his adventures when he gets home tonight at 11pm - that's if he can stay awake to tell me!!

I am seeing my GP this afternoon & hope I will be able to return to work on Sunday, my leg is still a Little inflamed, but definitely improving! Watch this space!

Just what you need - a group hug!.............

Not much has happened since my last post! Still popping the pills, still elevating the leg as much as possible! It is improving - slowly!!

I ventured out yesterday, out of necessity, Alex had a hospital appointment & Tuesdays is Hubby's day at college. So I drove for the first time since getting home & it wasn't as uncomfortable as anticipated. However I probably spent too much time on my feet all in all, (well, I did limp around Tesco for a few essentials on the way back!!) & my leg kept me awake for most of last night!

Today I am having a rest day! Keeping the leg up & determined that the infection will be beaten by the end of this LAST course of antibiotics!! I'm fed up of feeling nauseous & being so restricted!!

Anyway, opening my backlog of e-mails, I discovered this, sent by a very good friend to cheer me up! It did indeed & I'm considering it as my new screen saver!! Not one to be selfish, I thought I'd share it with you!! Enjoy!!

The Conclusion..........well, so far!...........

Our day of departure promised to be another hot one, but without the wheelchair we could not go far & anyway, as we were due to be picked up at noon, we decided on a leisurely breakfast & to hang out in the hotel's lounge area.

We met with the TC resort Rep, who reiterated that she had organised a wheelchair to meet us at the airport & that our transfer Rep would give us any assistance we needed checking in. Then Rosemary deposited me on a comfy sofa with my book & set off to find help to bring our luggage to the reception area.

The coach arrived on time & the driver came in to collect us, he spoke no English but grasped my situation & was very helpful getting me onto the coach, where it was immediately apparent that we were making our journey without a transfer Rep!

I endured an uncomfortable trip, not being able to elevate my leg & the super cool air conditioning making it ache! When we arrived at Dalaman airport, there was no-one to meet us at all! No TC Rep, no wheelchair!! Rosemary left me balanced precariously between our two suitcases, as our fellow passengers disappeared into 'Check-In', in search of someone who might help locate a wheelchair for us. I did not have to wait too long & from there on the airport staff were great.

We were accompanied straight through security clearance & over to the check in desk. Now, here I must add that when packing we had taken into account my inability to carry hand luggage & so had packed all but my travel documents in my case, so our joint luggage (not including hand luggage) weighed in at 4kg over our allowance (all accounted for by my 5kg allowed hand luggage!!) - this cost us the equivalent of £32.00 in excess baggage charges!!!! To pour salt on the wound , once inside we learned that we had a 2 hour delay to our flight, so we set of upstairs for a cold drink & a snack.

What can I say?!!! We ordered 2 cold cans of soda & 2 plain chicken sandwiches & they cost..........wait for it.........39TL!!! - which is £17.00!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!

Anyhow, after savouring every morsel of our 'Cordon Bleu' priced meal, we set off to take up our position & wait for our boarding gate to be announced. As we waited we saw two familiar faces, a couple from our hotel who had just arrived through check-in. Rosemary told them of our bad luck with baggage allowance & our costly snack. They replied that their TC transfer Rep had given them a stop-off at a supermarket en route to the airport so that they could buy drinks & snacks to avoid paying extortionate airport prices!!!!! & also that as you enter the airport they were advised to check the weight of their cases & make any necessary adjustments, as it is now strictly observed to charge £8 per kg excess, but they still don't weigh hand luggage!!!!!! How we would have liked that service on our trip to the airport!!! I feel a letter coming on!!!!

Our Boarding Gate was called & Rosemary & I were taken out first, where I was wheeled onto a truck platform which in turn lifted me up to the door of the plane - sound like fun, Rosemary enjoyed it but it terrified me!!!! No rails or belts, just trust in the wheelchairs brakes to stop me rolling off!!!!!

The flight crew were great & apart from a little turbulence the flight was uneventful. My leg however, still not elevated but tucked under the seat in front, began to pain & throb. On landing at Birmingham, a guy met us with a wheelchair & saw us right through passport control, baggage reclaim & customs, to meeting my Brother-in-Law & loading me into the car - what a nice man!!!

We drove back to Hereford, (Lee was to bring the boys the next day & join me to spend half term visiting with family there) I was now horizontal in the back of the car & my legs throbbing subsided. However when we got to their house & removed the bandage my leg was an odd colour, very swollen, & the skin looked tight & hot. My B-I-L took me off to A&E, where I was given an Ultrasound scan to check for blood clots, more X-Rays & told that the small puncture wound on my shin (remember that little overlooked detail?) had allowed infection in & I now had Cellulitis of the Lower Leg!! Oh Joy!! I was sent home with a lower leg twice it's normal size, antibiotics & instructions to keep my leg elevated.
So, here I am now, 2 weeks later, on my third course of industrial strength antibiotics, still with a leg that although not so swollen is still infected & my life in general, on hold!! But I'm hanging in there - the latest combination of drugs make me feel yuk, but are the means to an end & I am sincerely hoping that normal service will be resumed asap!!

Thanks for visiting & allowing me to get things off my chest!!!! Catch you all later, hopefully with happier tales!!

Trip to a Turkish Hospital & other stories: part 2...........

Day 2 of our holiday dawned overcast, so we set off to the breakfast room to devise plan B, as an alternative to the beach! After the nights rain, we noted that the tiled floors, which were everywhere throughout the hotel, inside & out, were slippy in places. We even passed comment with fellow guests on the subject & witnessed one of the waiters, holding a hot coffee pot, lose his footing momentarily, to a collective sharp intake of breath!!

After we had finished breakfast, the sun still struggled to break through the cloud, so we set off for another round of retail therapy in the local shops. When it came time for a coffee break we called in to the Tequila Bar, only to bump into an old friend, Deniz, who we first met in 2005, while he was still working at the bar. He has since married & has a

respectable job now! But it was so nice to see him again & chat over a coffee.

With the sky still overcast we finished our window shopping & ate lunch at the hotel restaurant, when lo & behold the sun finally won it's battle & broke through the clouds! We decided that we would resume our places by the pool & set off post haste!

This is where things went pear shaped! As I mentioned before, to get to our room we needed to cross the pool area & go down a flight of 6 tiled steps. Rosemary commented that with all the tile being so shiny it was hard to see where it was wet! One side of the steps had a handrail, the other a low wall. I took hold of the handrail & was just saying "Be careful Ro, you've nothing to hold on to" when my right foot slipped off the third step, throwing me back onto my bent left leg, where I bumped down the remaining three steps with my leg still tucked under me. I really don't remember too much, other than Rosemary calling for help & the very real pain I felt in my ankle, and that I couldn't feel my toes at all!! A fellow guest, who was a nurse took over & gave first aid, by now I was feeling sick & shivering - shock, I guess! The hotel manageress sent for a doctor, who in turn sent me in an ambulance to Fethiye hospital - a trip of 40minutes over a very bumpy road!! The inflatable cast I now had on helped a little, but not much! To add insult to injury, we arrived at hospital amid a torrential downpour!!

Within half an hour I was X-rayed (amazingly no bones broken!), examined, strapped up, supplied with medication & crutches, had been relieved of the £50 insurance excess & was in a taxi back to Olu Deniz!! Take note NHS!!!!

When we got back it became apparent that the crutches were useless, unless I wanted to fall again immediately on the wet tile floor, so a wheelchair had to be hired!! After the dust had settled, I realised that half of my spending money had been used up & Rosemary & I would not be having the holiday we had anticipated! But we are 'glass half full' people & decided to make the best of a bad job - albeit that our travels would now have to be very local, as although Rosemary is a very young 62, she has Angina, and I am not exactly lightweight!

So, with me dosed up on pain relief & anti-inflammatory drugs, we set forth to the Tequila Bar, ignoring the rain, Rosemary expertly navigating the storm drains & kerbs! Of course everyone wanted to know what had happened & much sympathy was dispatched!! We ate dinner at the bar & actually called it an early night, as by now we were both exhausted & in spite of being almost permanently elevated, my ankle was throbbing!!

I slept surprisingly well that night, with a pile of pillows & blankets under my leg, & woke to discover my foot was almost completely black & that my toes still didn't belong to me. My shin was also bruised & had a small round puncture wound, not noticed the day before. On rising I found that on my right side, my hand, arm, waist, buttock & knee were also developing some choice bruises! I lamented that even if it did stop raining I would still only go home with one brown leg!

So, Day 3 treated us to morning sunshine, & we set off as speedily as is possible when negotiating ramps that are definitely not wheelchair friendly, to breakfast & afterwards to the pool, where we received a round of applause from our fellow guests!! We managed a full 2 hours before the clouds started to descend, followed by more heavy rain. Rosemary & I, with a little help from the pool staff managed to return to our room before the heavens opened & I took a nap while she sat on our sheltered balcony with a book & a very large G&T!!

That evening, after dinner we adjourned to the Tequila Bar & found ourselves taken over by a group of 'girls' from Middlesex, who had been in the bar since 2pm, sheltering from the rain & were, to put it mildly, very merry!!! With live music in the bar, this was a fabulous night & I discovered that it is possible to dance while sitting down!!

Day 4 & Day 5 followed in much the same fashion, grabbing a couple of hours sunshine before the rain hit! Eating either in the hotel or a restaurant within easy distance, followed by nightcaps in the Tequila Bar!! On the Saturday however, we decided to venture to the beach front, which entailed a gradual incline! Rosemary built up speed on the approach & I could not speak for laughing as I swear I felt the G-force pulling at my cheeks!!! We spent a reflective hour sipping beer, Ro in a bean bag & I in my wheelchair! Before the sky darkened & we had to make the dash back - thankfully all downhill!

Before we left, Rosemary bought one of the bean bag covers to take home with her, so impressed was she with the comfortable position for consuming ones beer!!

Day 6 was a scorcher, the kind of weather we had expected for the whole week. After making it as far as the seafront the day before, we decided to try & get at least one day on the beach! We loaded up the wheelchair & once again raced up the gradient, Rosemary huffing & puffing & me helpless with laughter, then I negotiated the wooden boards laid down the slope of shingle with great trepidation, on my crutches. We settled for the first sun loungers we came to & spent a pleasant enough day, although I remained beneath the shade of the parasol (not like me at all!) as the sun was so fierce & we really hadn't had time to acclimatise, Rosemary did manage a couple of dips in the sea.

We stopped off on the way back to the hotel for a couple of beers in the cool garden of one of the bars on the main street & planned our last nights activities before returning for an hour by the pool & then off to our room to pack, ready for our trip home the next day.

That evening was a quiet one, after handing back the wheelchair I made the slow progress on crutches to the restaurant across the street, and then on to the Tequila Bar. Instead of music, it was all beer & chat, until we saw off Jason & Nicola, who were leaving in the early hours & made our farewells to our friends in the Tequila Bar.

This is not the end of the tale & there is a final chapter to the story, which I shall share with you tomorrow!

Trip to a Turkish Hospital & other stories: part 1...........

And so it begins! After what seemed like eons of counting down, my sister, Rosemary & I met up at Birmingham Airport & immediately fell into holiday mode, enjoying a liesurely couple of hours in tax free retail therapy & a light meal before boarding the aircraft. As a nervous flyer, I am pleased to report a smooth, uneventful four hour flight, with no delays, a great in-flight movie & the best airline meal I have had!

We landed at 2am Turkish time & it was 4am before we were deposited at our hotel. On previous visits to Olu Deniz we had always used the same hotel, but this year had chosen a slightly larger one, a little closer to the beach, and our first impression was good! We decided not to go to bed, as we wanted an early start for Fethiye's weekly market (to beat the tourist rush), so we unpacked our cases, showered, changed & headed off for breakfast as the sun came over the mountain tops behind our hotel.
To get anywhere else in the hotel, from our room, we had to cross the pool area, & as we made our way to breakfast we couldn't wait to make full use of those sun loungers that afternoon, planning to start our usual beach routine the next day.

After a half hour ride on the dolmus, we arrived at the already bustling market place, glad of the canvases being stretched overhead, as even though it was not yet 10am the sun was already hot. We first wandered through the local produce area, loving the colours & trying to identify unknown vegetables, the stall holders always willing to let you sample their wares. We shared a fresh fig, which was maybe a mistake!!!!!

We both had lists of things we hoped to buy, from previous visits we knew what was available & I had orders from my boys for replica football shirts, leather thong 'tiger tooth' necklaces, Hubby wanted Turkish Delight & I just wanted to get in there & haggle!

We followed a methodical route, as far as possible, through the maze of stalls, being encouraged to stop, try on shoes, bags, dresses, smell perfumes & generally spend our Lira! I managed to get everything on my list, happy that I'd paid a fair price, and Rosemary likewise! We found a table by the waterside & ordered pancakes, by way of an early lunch, before heading off for the dolmus ride back to Olu Deniz. We did have to make one diversion though! That fig certainly did it's job & we needed the 'ladies' - remember the mistake I mentioned? Well, Turkish public toilets leave a lot to be desired by western standards, but needs must!!!

Once we were back at our hotel, we changed into our bathing costumes & claimed our spot by the pool, only to be rewarded by lowering clouds, descending down the mountainside after only half an hour!! As it was still warm & dry we stayed put, I lay on my lounger watching the cloud creep closer until we had to admit defeat & adjourned to our room to shower & change for the evening ahead. Before we were ready to leave it started to rain, and boy, did it rain!! We made our way to a favourite restaurant & sat looking out at the torrents as waiters tried to squeeze customers into spaces under cover. The main street ran like a river & makeshift bridges were constructed to allow people to get out of shops & restaurants, as the storm drains at either side just couldn't cope with the volume of water. Leaving the restaurant, we hurriedly made our way to the Tequila Bar, another favourite haunt, & were made welcome by the staff, who are there season after season. It amazes me that for all the thousands of visitors they see, they remember our names !

We enjoyed a lovely first evening, & even though we had not yet been to bed, stayed at the bar until gone midnight. We met a couple from Kent, Jason & Nicola, who shared our sense of humour, & we enjoyed their company along with a few beers!! Rosemary & I talked about making a trip into Fethiye one evening, to mooch around the little shops & find a traditional Turkish restaurant, off the beaten track. A good start to the holiday! I will regale you with part two tomorrow.......!!!