Well the weather finally broke a few days ago. Wednesday we were in the beach and thursday the heavens opened and we had Hammer Horror style thunder storms. Still they come and go quickly and in between it is back to hot sunny walks and swimming in the pool. We have reached a state of permanent fullness after so many long lazy lunches that neither of us can manage more than bread and fruit for a couple of days, washed down with good local wine at £1.30 a bottle....

We have explored some villages just inland of Denia which seem to be mainly inhabited by English expats judging by the newspapers for sale. Still very pretty countryside. Today we walked along one of the local capes with beautiful views of bays and rocky islands to both sides. We have retired to a favourite spot for lunch mainly for the views and the free wifi rather than the food to be honest. Generally relaxing with long lazy lunches and swimming in sea or pool...

Relaxing on the Costa Blanca. Hot and sunny although we gather England is enjoying the start of an Indian summer. Yesterday we spent the afternoon on the sandy beach at Denia and swam in clear warm blue sea. Its a struggle to do enough exercise to justify the long lazy lunches. Yesterday we bought some fresh squid, plenty for dinner for two for a quid. I needed Simon to tell me what to do with them really but very tasty seasoned and fried, but not sure i prepared...

Our final few days in Yorkshire included a trip around the excellent York castle museum with its atmospheric reconstruction of Victorian streets and where to my horror i found that so much of what is familiar from my life has now become an exhibit in a museum, not just the 50s/60s living room but the 'new' kitchen we had in Sidcup in the late 80s and the toys the kids played with and our first computer! The weather front had finally reached us and we had a blowy...

We spent Tuesday walking around Ripon as rain was forecast but it never came so we didn't make it into the cathedral although we did make it into a shoe shop, which had an excellent sale on, to grab a couple of bargains! Wednesday we had a lovely day in York in the company of friends who retired there with tea in the historic and atmospheric Gray's Court, scrumptious warm scones with thick cream and jam and a walk on the race course with the dogs to stoke up an ...