Happy Birthday, Dear Benjy

Our little man reached the grand old age of two on Sunday 15 April. A small(-ish) gathering was convened and the momentous occasion was celebrated by the consuming of copious amounts of ceck (that’s Ben-ish for cake, by the way).

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside…

On our arrival in the UK from France in Portsmouth, the Jones Family drove to Ramsgate, Kent, to spend a few days with my maternal grandparents. Containing and entertaining a four-year old and almost two-year old in a warden-controlled flat was something of a challenge. However, we enjoyed ourselves and experienced the excitement of an open-top bus ride around Thanet and an afternoon surveying dead, stuffed animals at Quex House and Museum.

Nous sommes retournés!

The Family Jones returned to the UK on Tuesday 10 April after eleven relaxing days on holiday in Brittany. The scenery on the Côte de Granit Rose was magnificent, the weather was generally fine, and the French cuisine was most definitely experienced. We stayed in a static caravan near the small resort of Ploumanac’h and had a very relaxing few stays. We also had the pleasure of visiting the Guingamp Evangelical Protestant Church for two Sunday morning services and were entertained at the home of the pastor (Emmanuel Hartiel) and his family (wife Maria, son Josef, and daughter Lydie) one Thursday evening. Once more, a great debate raged as to whose French was ‘meilleur’, Steven’s or Lou’s. I graciously admit that Lou’s French was more frequently used and more effective. However, it must be stated that it was not I who requested a ‘dirty butter caramel’ ice cream rather than a ‘salted butter caramel’ ice cream (‘beurre sale’ substituting for ‘beurre salé’).