Yak Gonads, Turtle's Feet & Weebbles

Hi Everyone

I think yesterday must have been a perfect day! The weather was fantastic – actually hot (well 20C), we had a great time on the beach (which we had to ourselves!). We came unprepared so Teresa had to buy Carys a swimsuit and James had to surf in his jeans. Needless to say the only people we saw all day were French complete with hat, scarf, gloves and bemused looks at us getting the ‘bake up’ and revealing our ‘short, fat, hairys’ – these days they are still short (increasingly fatter – it’s the steroids) and now hairless. Am I turning into a Weebble I wonder? We all have pink noses from the sun; did Weebbles have pink noses or noses at all? I do remember that they wobbled but never fell down – a great metaphor for life and potential sermon illustration for me I feel!

In the evening we went to a great restaurant in Pont Aven for the full works. This was not without incident including Carys gagging very loudly at a point when strangely all conversation from the other diners had died. Imagine this, silence and then - GAGG! Followed by a request to spit out the aforementioned Parma ham into dad’s waiting hand. All the French kids are of course tackling full lobsters with continental gusto followed by raw ox tongue or something.

We were brought a complementary starter that was the most unappetising thing I’ve ever seen – they looked like alien body parts. The best way I can describe them would be as a plate of turtle’s feet. These things (some kind of deranged local delicacy) are revolting. You have to pull off the outer casing and eat this glutinous tendon like thing dipped in butter and yak gonad sauce. Yuk, yuk and thrice yuk! I have just asked Teresa if ‘yak’ needs a capital ‘Y’? She tells me only if I’m talking about a particular (one assumes gonadless) Yak. Seriously, apart from this drama the meal was brill – honest.

We head home tomorrow so we’re staying local today, in fact I’m blogging on the deck in the garden in the sunshine. The plan is to bar-be-que if I can find the bar-be in the chaos that is my shed. We are taking the fast ferry from Caen to Portsmouth tomorrow lunchtime so should be home by 6.00 ish. We’re looking forward to going to church on Sunday, seeing all our mates and teasing Chloe. I must warn you though Teresa is having the inevitable 'shall we stop an extra day' trauma so we might not be home tomorrow after all.

We’re due back at half term in 7 weeks though may slip in a DIY trip with my baby brother before then if possible. As I’ve said before this place is available for free to anyone we know, are related to or needs a break. We are here for the school holidays other than that it’s yours for the price of a lawn mow and the lawn is tiny (honest)

Health-wise I’m not too good. Got a pain in my chest when I breath in and the mouth infection thingy is back – hoping these are nothing but get the scan results on Monday at 11.30. Swallowing is OK but I am tired all the time. Chemo #4 starts on Wednesday the extra week off has been great.

Anyway time to mount an expedition to Shedland in search of the bar-be. Think of me!

Luv ya – mad bloggy peeps.

Dave.

xx