We spent an enjoyable Easter weekend in the countryside on Robyn & Martin’s farm together with Chris’ parents. It was fantastic waking up to grassing cows and horses outside your window, wild pheasants courting in the garden (somehow knowing it was not yet the hunting season!), and some stunning views. And going to bed at night; the outside pitch black and silent. While I initially found it discouraging being dirtied with cow pat by the farm dogs on arrival at the farm, I soon realised it was all part of the experience. And I thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by horses, cows, dogs, and a rather tame rescue lamb named George (which seemed to think he was one of the dogs!) by the end of the weekend.
On Easter Monday, Paul, Chris and I took the children to the Castle Combe circuit near Bath for a race day featuring GTAs, Saloons, Aston Martins and other classics (or so I’m told!), and three modern championships, including Formula Ford and Special GTs. After watching a few races, Paul and Chris decided on a closer look at some of the racecars in the paddock. This also allowed us to get a little closer to the action and inspect those engines! Luckily – and with the help of ice creams - the children seemed to enjoy the experience as well.
Today, I took the first steps to becoming a driver – by applying for my provisional license! And what an odd and lengthy experience that turned out to be. UK citizens may have their passport validated by the DVLA (driver and vehicle licensing agency) when applying for a license (for the totally unjustifiable sum of £4), whereas EU citizens must hand in their passport (a passport almost identical to that of UK citizens) for validation at a designated office for free! This process takes 15 working days. We naturally tried to explain the absurdity of this to the clerk at the DVLA, soon realising that it was her first day there and she was unlikely to challenge the system on our behalf.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon cruising Bristol on Kylie, discovering a fantastic and beautifully situated organic Mediterranean restaurant/ café on the Princes Wharf beyond the Industrial Museum called The Olive Shed. Here we enjoyed wonderfully tasty seafood tapas in the Spring sun, while overlooking the water front.
After spending nearly two months in Denmark, I returned to Bristol yesterday evening. Chris picked me up at the airport, still looking a little fragile and somewhat thinner!
It’s easy to forget that Bristol is much further South than Copenhagen, but it became evident when I revisited our garden a little later that evening. Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths were everywhere. Chris had been busy weeding and planting (something he will adamantly deny if asked!) while I had been away, and fighting a continuous – and loosing – battle with the blackbird and the neighbouring cats! Still, our garden looked amazing and deserves an entry!