Reasons why Fran will never be taken on as a traditional travel writer


We are on holiday in Tenby, Wales. Paul and I come here most years, renting the same house each time because it has an original version of Monopoly with the metal tokens such as the top hat, boot and iron. We also like the pretty duvet covers on the beds. And there's a sea view, which is also nice.

It's a bit quiet this year - usually we bring some of our offspring with us. We are missing them. In part, this is because our she-was-on-Masterchef-once older daughter always does the cooking. We've been sitting around waiting for dinner to arrive before remembering she's not here and leaping to our feet to run to Tesco.

I'd like to share some of my holiday pictures with you. Fear not. My holiday snaps tend not to feature panoramic views or cathedrals.

1.

A sign seen in a Tenby shop. 

2.
Meet Colin and Caroline, in their usual place just outside our seaside house window. We named them about six years ago when we first came to stay here and each time we arrive, they visit. Any one of you thinking, 'How do you know they are the same birds?' is reading the wrong blog.


3. 

We're not sure whether the culprit is Colin or Caroline. Whichever it is, he/she enjoys having a little laugh at our expense as we arrive at our 'sea view' holiday home. 


4. 
There's an Easter tradition that I injure my right leg while on holiday. Two years ago in Oxford, I fell over a doorway and punctured my shin, resulting in three weeks off work with cellulitis. Regular readers may remember. This year's injury was sustained five minutes after we arrived when I catapulted myself over a post in the garden. 


5.

Two years ago when we were here, there was a classic white toilet seat, but it was off its hinges and going to the toilet meant taking your life in your hands. This year we find it's been replaced by this. It's nice to feel more secure but having the most kitsch toilet seat ever underneath your buttocks is still unnerving.

 6.

One never likes to receive alarming news on holiday. Long-time followers of my blog will have come across Rat and his adventures*. Currently, he resides with my younger daughter and, while in a coffee shop in Tenby this morning, we got the news that he was having surgery. He sustained an injury years ago after being hidden inside a light fitting, setting him on fire. His previous blue-checked-patch surgery was coming adrift, so further treatment was needed.




We then received a picture of Rat during his operation.






I sent this picture to our daughter to show her how anxious her father was about Rat's progress.





But the news was good and Rat's operation went well although Rat is probably as happy about his bandaging as we are about the kitsch toilet seat in our holiday home. 
This is post-op and relieved Rat, although his look says 'If you'd known the difference between a wall ornament and a light fitting, none of this would have been necessary ...'  







7. 


All right, then. Here's a more traditional holiday picture of Tenby, taken when we arrived on Saturday,
before the skies went completely grey and the rain began to lash down, giving us this view (below) from our holiday house. But who cares? We have the Monopoly. We have the kitschest toilet seat in Christendom. And Rat is safe and well. 








* Anyone who wants to know more about Rat and his life story, you can read all about it in this 2009 blog post

Comments

  1. Deborah Jenkins2/4/18 07:18

    Haha! Love reading about your holiday adventures. The place looks amazing. And I think your choice of holiday pics much more interesting and original than the usuals. I also had no idea Paul was so rat-fond 😂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill2/4/18 13:02

      And I'm pleased to have re-acquainted you with your own important role in the story of Rat!

      Delete
  2. Aggie C2/4/18 08:30

    Wonderful

    ReplyDelete
  3. jenny_o2/4/18 11:43

    I prefer your holiday photos by far :) Although, I am slightly disappointed your kitschy toilet seat was not included.

    And now I've had the delightful experience of reading about The Rat's operation, and also the original Rat post and ALSO about Wilfred the unDuck-like Duck! This has been an awesome day :) (P. S. Did your grandfather know about the naming of Wilfred??)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill2/4/18 13:04

      I'm so sorry - I thought the kitsch toilet seat had been included but Blogger swallowed the photo ... it has been reinstated. I'm glad you enjoyed learning about Rat, Duck and Wilfred, and, no, I don't think we ever told my grandfather ....

      Delete
    2. jenny_o3/4/18 10:45

      I can't say I've ever seen a toilet seat quite like that one, so thank you for broadening my horizons!!

      Delete
  4. BadPenny2/4/18 12:43

    I would swap in a heartbeat. We have had my nieces and their children here and events which could match an East Enders build up story finale have been had.

    My daughter's bedroom was used while she is away in New Zealand and a sand creature Turtle thing she has had forever from when we lived abroad is now looking rather thin and there is a large heap of sand on her bedroom floor. Can your daughter suggest repairs ?

    Colin and Caroline are looking like a good choice to me right now x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill2/4/18 13:05

      You are very welcome. You sound in need, and there is a bed spare here ...

      Delete
  5. only slightly confused2/4/18 14:32

    Are you any where near Trelawnyd? You could drop in on John.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Debra She Who Seeks2/4/18 16:45

    The Saga of Rat was most amusing. Thank goodness it had a happy ending.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill3/4/18 02:19

      Rat is going to be famous well before I am :(

      Delete
  7. Frances3/4/18 00:43

    I think that rat's next operation should be to move his eyes forward a bit so that he can see where he is going rather than looking at the ceiling! ( see last rat photo)
    The pic of your leg sent chills up my spine.....hope it is recovering?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill3/4/18 02:22

      You know, I thought that about his eyes when I posted the picture! The leg is fine, thanks, Frances. Just sore. I may not go for any long walks, however, just in case I make it worse ....

      Delete
  8. River3/4/18 05:23

    I suggest next Easter you wear a pair of shin guards similar to the ones Australian Cricketers wear.
    Tenby looks pretty with the pastel coloured houses.
    My sympathies to Mr Rat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill3/4/18 05:49

      Ha ha - shin guards are a great idea! Mr Rat says thank you for your kindness.

      Delete
  9. SmitoniusAndSonata6/4/18 10:40

    Rat seems to have outgrown his gingham phase and moved onto ethnic hippiedom ... has he started playing the panpipes yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill6/4/18 13:10

      THAT explains why he keeps saying 'Yeah, man' and rolling suspicious cigarettes.

      Delete
  10. Pam6/4/18 12:09

    That bit of fabric would look nice in my next patchwork quilt. Better keep Rat away from me or...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sean Bentley31/5/18 21:23

    We discovered Tenby by serendipity in 2007 and it remains a fond memory. Some excellent restaurants, for one thing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fran Hill1/6/18 11:59

    We like to buy fish from the little store on the beach and do something interesting with it at home. We are a bit cheapskate that way, but we're also decent cooks ...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Janie Junebug23/12/18 10:36

    I have Monopoly with the original pieces in my closet, along with many other wonderful games and a metric f***ton of puzzles. Would you like to rent part of the deck at Lake Junebug for your next holiday? I'll provide a port-a-potty but playing with the Monopoly set will cost a bit extra. You'll have full use of the lake as we don't get a lot of visitors here in the swamp.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fran Hill24/12/18 06:21

      How kind, Janie! Surely your place is rated 5 stars with all those generous facilities - the port-a-potty and the discounted Monopoly set and a swamp!!

      Delete

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