Fun, Food & Friends

Other than the motorcycle racing on the Isle of Man, what draws us back is the friendliness of the locals and their warm hospitality!  We were lucky enough last year to meet Neil and Gill, who is the cousin of one of my fellow Spay Neuter Kingston Initiative board members, Lorraine.

  They graciously invited us to share Sunday dinner with their friends and family, which was a huge honour for us.  

The platters and steaming bowls of food kept coming until the table was so full, there was no space left.

We dined on roast beef, gravy, roast potatoes, peas, carrots, beans, sweet potatoes, and yorkshire pudding!  What a feast!

 

The wine pairing was perfect!

Dessert was just as delicious!  Homemade ice cream took it over the top!

We didn't stop laughing until it was time to go.

After dinner, the award winning dogs 

were let into the house for their treats. 

Looks how well behaved they are!

Thank you Gill and Neil, for a wonderful evening!

  Good bye until next year...

Port Soderick & Langness

We awoke to a brilliantly blue sky and warm sunshine 

(by IOM standards...)

The sea in Port St Mary Bay was no longer fierce
 and her tide was fully out.

 We are sharing a cottage again this year with our UK friends, 

Christine and David.

Today was the perfect day to do some sightseeing

 of places we had not yet visited.

We first headed to the eastern coast of the island, to 

the abandoned site of a 19th century hotel, 

catering to vacationers from abroad, Port Soderick

(click here for pictures from the past)

 All that is left is a promenade, beach and a closed up cliff walkway

.....so sad to see.

 I can see why it was so popular with tourists and locals alike....
check out this stunning view

 The property has been recently bought, but there are no plans for revitalization at this time.

The views from the top of the hill were also breathtaking

We then headed to the south east corner, 

to visit a peninsula called Langness.

Other than a golf course, 

it is home to many birds and an 11th century fortress & church.

They were built by Henry the 8th to protect against any invaders.

 Of course, no community, no matter how small, 

is complete without a place of worship!

 It looked so forlorn sitting out in the grass, a shell of its glorious past

 Walking in the fresh air is hungry work, 

so I whipped up some pasta for the troops!

Delicious after our day outdoors.

A special shout-out for Kaitlyn R., a young lady who is a recent follower.  She definitely has the travel bug and will undoubtedly follow her wanderlust in the future! 

Isle of Man, Here we come!

It is that time of year again, for our annual pilgrimage to  

The Isle of Man to enjoy the island and spectate at 

the Classic TT and Festival of Motorcycling!

First stop, dinner at the airport before embarking on our 24 hour journey

We had to get in our last Canadian fix....poutine

 ...and a cheeseburger

We arrived to a rainy, cloudy day!

and were greeted by "Barbie' having a bath.....

....at our favourite B and B: West Lodge in Port Erin for the night.

We had a fabulous view of Bradda Head

We headed to our favourite Restaurant, The Station for dinner.  Ken had his favourite, 'The Station Stack'; chicken, bacon and pineapple all topped off with cheese

I opted for the special; linguine with seafood and garlic bread

Port Erin was a favourite holiday spot at the turn of the century

The next day we headed to the cottage we rented, in Port St. Mary.

The Bay was lively with the waves crashing up on the promenade.

We are looking forward to exploring more of the island...... 

 

The Party!

One of the main reasons for my trip to France this year, was to attend a surprise birthday party for my sister, Trish.  It was organized by her daughter, Clementine and took over a year of planning.   Trying to organize over 65 people coming from all over the world,

 was quite a feat!

She rented a renovated old farmhouse, that slept over 20 people.

Given that so many people knew about the party, everyone was amazed that Trish was truly surprised when the gates opened to the courtyard and she saw everyone waiting to yell 'Happy Birthday'!

Tables overflowed with food, friends and family.

Dad & Uncle Pat

Gaelle and Dad

The French connection

Cousin Mel and Aunt Shirley

Evelyne, Beatrice and sister Belinda

Pascal and Aunt Francine

The 4 sisters

This was the largest wheel of brie I have ever seen!

It had been over 2 years since my father had been reunited with his four daughters!

A few other people attending the party were also celebrating a milestone birthday this year, so everyone got into the action!

Although the people who lived close by went home, there was still a crowd staying from a few days to the whole week.  Each meal was another party in itself.

Happy Birthday Trish!

Bye France....until next year, I hope!

Cordes Sur Ciel and Albi

Less than an hour away from where we were staying,

 is Cordes sur Ciel,

a town chartered in 1222 by the Count of Toulouse.

  It clings to the top of the Puech de Mordagne and its physical location was ideal for a fortress to defend the Count’s northern territory. Standing 100 meters above the surrounding river valleys, the Mordagne peak had natural defenses in the form of 

steep limestone cliffs on two sides.

A few years ago, cars were allowed to drive up the nearly vertical streets to the top, but now they are not allowed, meaning

 'oh my god, not another hill to climb'!

The winding cobblestone streets are accented by many lovey arches.

 Once at the top, we had to stop to for a short break.....

Sisters, Belinda and Danica

......but worth the view of the valley

It must have been a prosperous town as the buildings were ornate & gorgeous

Being very close to the Gaillac region, 

a stop for local wine was in order

Our visit to Cordes was short, as we had arrangements to meet up with the rest of the family in the cathedral city of Albi for lunch

 This was my second visit to this restaurant, so I knew exactly what I wanted; tartar of beef and salmon

My sister (no, I won't say which one) ordered a dessert of

 Profiteroles and chocolate sauce

(I must admit, a number of spoons helped finish it off)

Time to walk off lunch and head towards Sainte Ccecile Cathedral.

We took the scenic route by walking along the 'pedestrian only' streets lined with charming old houses.

Finally, we arrived .....what a magnificent interior!

Another fabulous day with my family.

The finale coming up......The Party!