Well here we are back in good old Blighty!! We had a wonderful drive across Europe from Venice to Dunkirk. We had two stops, one in Altenstadt in southern Germany and the other in Metz France. The weather was good apart from a bit of mist around the Rhine crossing. We saw the autumn leaves turning at their best.
Both ferry crossings went OK and we knew before we left Corfu that the worst part of the journey would be up from Dover! We were not disappointed the traffic was the heaviest. the weather was the worst and so was the congestion.
We were well looked after on our two night break on the south coast at our favourite hotel in Winchelsea with Marian and Keesha.
Coincidentally, some of our friends from Corfu came back to the UK on the Friday ferry from Corfu. (We came back on the Tuesday ferry earlier in the week.) How's this for chance, when we set off from Marians to head north on the Sunday, we passed them on the M20!! What are the chances of that then!!
We did the dreaded drive up north on Sunday as we thought it would be easier. OK so we were wrong again. It was the last weekend of half term and every man with his wife, kids and dog was out on the roads. Getting round London was awful, the M11 was blocked and it seemed to take years to get the A1M turnoff. What a farce. Too many cars and too many people, I guess we forgot how bad the roads are here.
Anyway, we arrived in Middleton around 6pm and despite our motorway assault course it is a lovely place to come back to. The house was OK and the view out the back is still there and unchanged. It took us a few days to adjust to life in Middleton. Trying to remember where we put things, which cupboard things were in and getting used to the cold. Boy is it cold here!! I've been wearing my best Damarts to keep warm, gone are the lazy warm autumnal days of Corfu.
So what now!!! Well we are catching up with family and friends, filling the diary with social events and looking through out list of things we need to get or put on the going back to Corfu pile!! Not that we are going back imminently as we are here until early February next year. It's just that there is so much to do and time will fly. In among we have doctors and dentists to catch up with and adjust to drinking real ale, eating fish & chips and pork pies. (That's me I think as Mrs D doesn't do fish & chips or pork pies!!)
So many people to see, so many things to do and plan for next year it's a full time operation!! We are not grumbling though as it is nice to see everyone and have people calling and wanting to meet up for coffee (or a a beer.)
Well it's getting dark now so it's fire lighting time and see whats going on in the food and drink department so will sign off for now and bid yee all farewell 'til next time.
PICTURE INFO - The 1st picture is across the Italian Dolomites from Cortina D'Ampezzo. The second is our brew stop in the Dolomites. The third is a painting on the gable end of the fire station in Ennery where we stayed near Metz, France. The video below shows the lovely autumn colours coming through France and at the end (if you are quick and pause) you will see the best Smart car showroom you will see!! Apologies for Meatloaf belting out in the background!!
