We’ve had nearly a week back at The Cottage now and have just about settled in. Nature has taken a strong hold on the garden while we’ve been away, and what was a slate covered driveway is now pretty much a lawn! I’ve tackled some of the knee high grass, but need to employ some additional firepower (a strimmer), before tackling the rest! Clare has been busy in the office, while I’ve been on ‘clear up’ duties and generally giving The Cottage some love, but there’s been time for some nice lunch break local walks between calls.

We’ve also had some very social evenings, catching up with friends and swapping stories from our respective summers so far. We’ve been to dinner at Matt’s, got invited to a birthday cricket match (I think I last played a cricket match in 1994!), been out dancing, met friends for swims and had chats with the neighbours which has all made for a nice welcome home.

It’s been pretty warm and generally sunny, so we’ve had a few dunks in the river, either when it felt a bit warm, or if we needed to clear our heads. It’s warmer in there than when we left back in June, but still freezing compared to our recent regular Alpine lake spot!

Last night we got invited to a ‘full moon party’, which was good fun – we cycled there from The Cottage, and the skies cleared so that we could all watch the moon rise over the mountains. There was also live music until late in a cool little barn, so we had a good dance, before cycling home by the light of the moon…