It’s St Patrick’s day today and 6 years ago we were in the gorgeous city of Lyon, eating a lot, drinking red wine, visiting Les Halles de Paul Bocuse, the best market in the world in my opinion. Les Halles in my adopted city of Limoges comes pretty close though, it’s recently won an award for being one of the best in France. Gah, travel. I do miss you. My news feed is full of Santorini cave hotels and chateau breaks because I’ve been doing some armchair planning, for whenever vaccinations are available here for people in their 40’s and it feels safe enough, and more than importantly it’s allowed!

We have a short break booked mid September, postponed and re-scheduled from last year, at Puy Du Fou, the best theme park you’ve never heard of. I don’t remember how I came across it, but from the first video I watched I was hooked. Recently voted the best attraction in Europe, and the 2nd best in the World, shows that it’s something pretty special. It’s a historical theme park, no rides as such, all spectacular shows and themed areas set over a a pretty large green space. From a full blown Roman amphitheatre with lions and chariot races to Knights of the Round Table, Vikings, the Musketeers, a spectacular birds of prey show that essentially drops hundred of birds on you from a sort of airship way above your head. I believe in French this show translates as something like the Ghost Bird Ballet, and the first time I watched it on Youtube I cried. Properly cried. You can stay on site in a variety of different themed hotels, from a medieval castle, to Henry VIII’s tented village (that’s us), to Versailles, to a village on stilts over water. At night, there are huge productions, one set on water is a love affair between a violinist and a pianist, all set on a huge lake with Bellagio style fireworks and music. The high season offering in addition to this is a nighttime show with a huge backdrop of castles and wonderment, and a cast of literally thousands, horses and cows and all sorts, and then at the end, the firework display to end all firework displays. Epic my friends. Have a wee google and then add it to your bucket list. It’s called La Cinescenie.

As someone that cries without fail at the first few bars of “Colours of the Wind”, or when I see the Disney Castle, or the first time I saw Diagon Alley at Universal, or at Cirque du Soleil, I know I’m going to be a mess. I mean after a year or more of nothingness, I’m going to lose my mind to the extent that they might need to have paramedics on standby. My standards are high though. When you’re stood at real Versailles, with jets of fire coming out of the lawn 30ft high, and your first thought is, well, it’s good, but not as good as Disney – then you need to give yourself a slap!. I like what I like people – don’t judge me!.

I’ve given up on any thoughts of going to the beer and Music festival we had planned in Berlin in May (also rescheduled from last May), I’m thinking its cancellation is just a formality now, I watch the website and I wait.

I’ve made chicken noodle soup today, after first of all making stock from yesterday’s chicken carcass. I’ve made a cheese and tomato quiche for tea. I’ve pricked out another 50 plants. I bet there are 300 plants in the house now on window ledges wherever there is room. There isn’t an inch spare, and there’s no room anywhere. I genuinely don’t know what I’m going to do. Come on warmer weather so I can at least move some things into the poly tunnel. Although, at last time of checking, we had a snow forecast for tomorrow……

Laters………. V.