[Monday 4th September 2023]
I woke ridiculously early and went down to the hotel beach to watch the sunrise. When I got back the girls were still fast asleep so I went out again, for a morning stroll around Monaco, to see if I could find a spot with a nice view of the principality.
Then breakfast at the hotel, after which I dragged the girls out for another walk, to the market, our favourite lunch spot, by way of the Japanese gardens and the casino square.
Back to the hotel after that for more swimming and lounging around on the beach, then dinner ended up being back at the same restaurant as the previous evening.
[Sunday 3rd September 2023]
In the daytime we took the (budget version of) the TGV from Aix to Nice, then on from there to Monaco, arriving at our hotel around 3pm. Spent most of the rest of the afternoon at the hotel's beach / pool. Then later on out for dinner at our old favourite restaurant on the beach, before heading back to the hotel for post-dinner cocktails (also on the beach).
[No comments]
[Saturday 2nd September 2023]
Quite a foody sort of a day in Aix en Provence today. Started with pain au chocolats at a patisserie, then went for a stroll around the market and more snacking.
Later in the afternoon Chie and Erika went for a swim in the pool at our friend's apartment complex, while I did more food shopping for dinner. I cooked my interpretation of Provencal classic "Petits Farcis" and while it was baking we had a quick outing to see the Terrain des Peintres, where Cezanne used to go and paint views of a nearby mountain.
[Friday 1st September 2023]
We spent the daytime at a little cove / beach called Port d'Alon which our friends who live in Aix had discovered. In the evening back to Aix for dinner at a Lebanese restaurant.
[Thursday 31st August 2023]
Travelled by train from London to Aix en Provence today. Eurostar to Paris, then 1st class on the TGV from there to Aix. Arrived in Aix in time for a late al fresco dinner in a lively square in town.
[Wednesday 30th August 2023]
Quite a mixed bag of a day. I spent a bit of time in the afternoon making a video about Covent Garden pubs. Erika joined me for the tail end of that, and then we went for tea and cake in Somerset House. After that, dinner with work friends who were visiting from the US.
[Sunday 27th August 2023]
Went for Korean food today for lunch on a whim, although to be honest it was a bit disappointing. Later on I randomly made a gin and tonic in my billy can.
[Thursday 24th August 2023]
Woke up in the Quantock Hills, had a simple breakfast on a hilltop watching the sunrise, then walked from there to Watchet where I had a second breakfast. Then got the bus to Taunton, and the train back to London.
[No comments]
[Wednesday 23rd August 2023]
I got the train down to Taunton, for a one night stay in the Quantock Hills. I seemed to hit it at a perfect time of year, with the heather in bloom, and on a day with good weather, and the colours were utterly glorious. A beautiful part of England, I don't know why I had never been before!
[Friday 18th August 2023]
Breakfast and a morning / early afternoon stroll around Bury St Edmunds, then later on stopped off in Grantchester for a late lunch / afternoon tea on the way back to London.
[No comments]
[Thursday 17th August 2023]
Did a round of crazy golf at the golf course hotel in the morning. Then motored on to Orford, where we had lunch and spent some of the afternoon. From there, we then proceded to our glamping site near Bury St Edmunds, where we'd be staying the night in a "pod" in the woods.
[No comments]
[Wednesday 16th August 2023]
Drove to Suffolk, where we had somewhat randomly chosen to stay the first night of our trip in what was essentially a golf hotel, because it had a swimming pool and was close to the part of Suffolk we wanted to visit.
[No comments]
[Friday 11th August 2023]
After 16.5 years, today was my final day of employment with the company. The girls came to the office with me to help me pick things up from my desk.
[No comments]
[Thursday 10th August 2023]
Got the train down to Hassocks to spend the evening cooking and drinking wine while watching the sunset on the South Downs. Whilst doing so was attacked by a swarm of flying ants.
[Tuesday 8th August 2023]
Started off going for some early evening Burgundy in a ditch on Hampstead Heath, but then received an invitation from Al to head into the centre of town for dinner.
[No comments]
[Sunday 6th August 2023]
I headed to an old stomping ground in the daytime for a walk along the Thames Path and to revisit some old favourite pubs. Mostly took video, not many photos.
[Saturday 5th August 2023]
Went to Sainsbury's, so we could buy ingredients for homemade pizza - Erika had got an idea for making a sort of face shaped pizza.
[Monday 31st July 2023]
The girls went to IKEA today, while Dad and I did a mini pub tour or Topsham - the wonderful Bridge Inn, followed by the ferry to the Turf, then we walked back from there. Didn't take a lot of photos though as I was mainly focusing on video.
[Thursday 27th July 2023]
Second day of my week off deciding whether to quit my job. Chie went out for the day and Erika and I had a nice day out together: a mix of book shops, dim sum and mocktails.
[No comments]
[Wednesday 26th July 2023]
First day of my week off work while I decided my future. Lunch at the Pineapple, then did a tour of Southwark pubs for a video. Then in the evening pizza with local friends.
[Tuesday 25th July 2023]
Actually quite a momentous day - I told my boss I was considering quitting, and was going to take a week off to think about it. To help clear my head I went and sat down at Bankside, with a bottle of Gusbourne's Pinot Noir, and eventually there met Andew and an eccentric guy who wander around London feeding the geese, who it turned out had originally also worked for big Silicon Valley tech companies. Quite a surreal evening.
[Tuesday 11th July 2023]
Erika's sports day in the morning. Ate out at our local Italian restaurant for dinner. In the evening Morris Dancing outside the Pineapple.
[No comments]
[Sunday 2nd July 2023]
Erika went off to a birthday party in the daytime (a very busy weekend of socialising for her!), and as Martin and Lucy were still in London we went out for lunch with them.
[No comments]
John's Journal / Blog
