Family Holiday Day 4

On the Saturday of our family weekend we got up and went swimming, well most of us did anyway. The big pool was huge and really deep too so it was nice to do some proper swimming and play with T. Then Neil made pancakes and we all ate a ton of them with a bunch of toppings, which was nice. Or maybe we did these two things in the other order; I'm not sure and can't remember as it's weeks ago and I am so desperate to get caught up on blogging. I'm driving myself mad with it! Anyway. It was a nice morning. 

We then decided to go right down to Dungeness to look at the lighthouses and the beach there. Lee and I went in our car and met up with my mum, stepdad, and Kensi. We walked round a little bit and then went into the visitor centre and had a cold drink. Everyone else arrived not long after that and they all went up the lighthouse but it was too much for me. Then we all walked round and on to the beach and down a long duckboard. The beach there is all shingle so I was glad I didn't have to walk on that as I find it really strenuous and stressful. I sat at the end of the duckboard on a bench for a while cahtting to everyone else and it was lovely. Lee had taken off to go to the supermarket to get our supplies for what we were cooking the next day, so I went back to the caravan with my mum and co. 

We stopped at Prospect Cottage which belonged to Derek Jarman; you can look at it but can't go in as it's privately owned. It was nice to see though and the garden is lovely so I'm glad we bothered to stop. 

We got back to the caravans and chilled out for a bit. My mum and Kensi made tea. T stole the little stool that I have to use with my camping chair to sit on, and it was so cute. We played some games after tea and I took photos of the stars again. 

One of the Dungeness lighthouses

There was a tiny steam train that came past the holiday park too; we talked about going on it but it was quite expensive so we didn't bother, we just looked at it in the station instead

Looking towards the other lighthouse

This knitting collage was in the visitor centre cafe and I thought it was brilliant

Setting off along the duckboards. There were other people around but it really looks like I was alone in the world at this point!

Closer up towards the other lighthouse

Peter and I, what a cute photo of us! Behind us you can see the power station which is not at all picturesque but very necessary!

Some views of the beach, it was stunning

And towards the power station

Baby T walking along the beach. He isn't a baby anymore but he is a very sweet kid

Some more views of the beach

Derek Jarman's cottage. There were quite a lot of similar cottages on the coastline nearby and a few of them had artists in them selling their work. It was lovely to see!

Views of the garden

And the cottage from the other side

T having stolen my little stool in order to play with his farm models outside

And lastly, the stars

Family Holiday Day 3

On the Friday of our trip away Lee and I left the Airbnb about 10am I guess, and set off down to Kent. We stopped for lunch at a service station again and I went for Chopstix but they gave me the wrong thing to start off with and it included meat, which I don't eat, so that wasn't ideal! We went over the Dartford Bridge and got into Kent. The traffic wasn't too bad, it was just quite a long way through Kent. Once we went down to the small roads it was a bit slow going but we were fine!

We got to Romney Sands about 2pm I think. My mum and stepdad and K had just arrived and had been given our keys so we found them and together we found our caravans and let ourselves in. My mum and stepdad had a caravan just behind ours. In mine was me, Lee, K, and Peter. Then just a couple of rows over was the other one for Caroline, Neil, Rob, Beth, and T. So we were all close together.

The park itself must have been a Butlins or a Pontins once upon a time, and it was a bit neglected. The whole thing looked in need of a good clean and some upkeep. It had shades of Hi De Hi about it! But we're mostly just about being together so that was the main thing. Caroline and Neil arrived not long after us and then Peter and everyone else arrived about 5.30.

It had been T's birthday and we bought him a Jessie doll to go with his Buzz Lightyear and Woody, so he was pleased to get that. He started playing with her immediately! Rob made pasta with homemade sauces which was delicious, and he had made tiramisu too which was SO good! 

Some of us decided to go down to the sea and maybe to swim so I put my swimming costume on and we headed down. There was me, Lee, K, Rob, Neil, and my mum. The beach had a bit of a difficult dune but it was okay. Peter joined us too. My mum and he and Lee stood on the beach while the rest of us walked really quite a long way to actually get to the water. I end up going to about my waist I guess, but I could swim and it was nice to be rocked about in the waves. The water was nice and warm!

We went back to the caravans eventually and I showered all the sand and filth off me and then we had a few drinks. No one was too late to bed as we were all tired. Fortunately the heatwave wasn't too bad right by the sea - it was really windy and I appreciated a breeze blowing over me all night! 

Our caravan when we arrived

Long shadows on the beach about 8pm

Lee and I soaked in golden sunshine

My mum paddling

Me paddling

Rob wading in

All four of us waiting to get in. I don't love this photo of myself but I do love the memory of swimming with my lovely family

Lee took this of K and I wading out - you c an see we were only up to our thighs though!

Looking up towards the sunset when I got out

It was so beautiful

And the clouds were too

And here was the caravan park just before we headed to bed

Family Holiday Day 2

On the Thursday of mine and Lee's pre Kent trip to Peterborough, we decided to go into the city centre itself. We set off about 11 and found a car park and walked through the shopping centre and out into what I think was the market square. We were heading towards the cathedral because it's where Katherine of Aragon is buried! She's my favourite Tudor Queen so I really wanted to see that. They were closing the cathedral at about midday for graduations so we didn't have long to look around but long enough. It was really cool! It's also where Mary Queen of Scots was buried for a while until they moved her to Westminster Abbey to lie next to Elizabeth the First who had her killed! Absolutely wild.

We went in a few other shops including Waterstones. I still had vouchers from my birthday to spend so I had had the foresight to take those! So I got three books and unusually for me I made the plan to read them straight away and enjoyed them all over the next couple of weeks. We had plenty of places to choose to eat but decided on Turtle Bay. I had loaded fries and some kind of tacos, which were both really good. I'm sure I had a cocktail too but I'm not sure what type it was now. 

We got back to the Airbnb at about 3.30pm I'm guessing and went swimming again. It was still so lovely and gorgeous. I definitely just floated about for more than an hour or so. We finally got out and I had another lovely shower and we watched films and had sandwiches for tea, the same as the night before.

Lee and I hadn't been away as I had been away with my mum and Sam and Jac and he had been working hard and I had a big new client that I had been working nonstop on, so it was so nice to just stop and pause together for a bit. We went out to look at the sunset again later

An amazing roof in the cathedral

Stained glass window

Statue of St Peter

The tomb of Katherine of Aragon

And where Mary Queen of Scots had been buried. She was killed at Fotheringhay Castle, which was really close to where we were staying, although we didn't get chance to go

This titanosaur was on loan to the cathedral and it was indeed absolutely massive

I love St Oswald so it was interesting to read this too

The cathedral from outside. It really reminded me of Durham cathedral which we visited back in March

My lunch

The books I got in Waterstones with vouchers

Back to the pool! I was under an umbrella on this day because I didn't want to burn

The book I was reading

And the sunset later on