The Wrong (size) Trousers

Well I have just run, walked and walked-with-bounce for 8 kilometers. This had absolutely nothing to do with The Great North Run or keeping fit but everything to do with trying to squeeze myself into a couple of pairs of trousers that I would like to take on holiday with me. Following a shower I had a quick try on and it seems a lot more miles are going to have to be run between now and next weekend whilst also cutting back on my food consumption quite dramatically - even then the odds of them making the suitcase are quite slim and even if they do they will have to earn their space in the first 2 or 3 days, after that they will be useless!

It's one of those rare hot days in the Norfolk today, it possibly extends across the country - I've not seen the forecast but it was far too hot for running. As usual though I'm cramming at the last minute.

We are off to France, for the first time ..... in, well - ever Andrew and I are having a holiday without the children. Well the first week anyway, the second week Madi and her partner are flying out to join us in Carcassonne. We are going to travel down the east of the country, hopefully avoiding the toll roads and seeing a bit of the 'real France'. We'll start out visiting the war graves at Verdun - we know how to have a jolly time! no, it's something I have always wanted to see. From there we will travel through the Champagne region where I'm hoping we can pick up a bottle for November. We will stay in a Hotel in the mountains that night, very close to the Swiss Border.

The next day we will travel down to the Provence Region where We are staying a couple of nights and Andrew wants to see the scull of Mary Magdalene - I'm not really sure about this but no doubt there will be a lot more in the area to see as well.

From there we will head to the coast and drive, as much as possible along the coast to Montpellier where we'll stay overnight. I was rather hoping we could have done this bit in an open top car but it's not going to happen! We'll then head to Carcassonne to pick up Madi and Jordan. On the 14th we'll see the Bastille Day celebrations when they 'set the castle ablaze' (with fireworks). It's supposed to be quite a spectacle! There is a festival in Carcassonne throughout July with music and dance happening all over the place, I'm hoping it should be quite lively and staying right in the heart of the town we can have some fun. Then it will be back up to Calais, this time on the quick roads and hopefully return to a house that's still intact!

I'm sure we will have a great time, just wish I could get into the damn trousers!