The Eagle Has Finally Landed ...................

I gather it's been rather emotional over in Paris, but the eagle has finally landed, to be greeted by a magnificent double rainbow, even if it doesn't quite show in his picture.

I am keeping my fingers well and truly crossed for the quality of the pictures Nigel has promised to send back during his adventure ........

I am afraid he'll get a little overexcited and forget to snap at the appropriate moment, but there again, so long as the pictures and memories are in his head, that's all that matters ......

........ as there are far too many experiences lost to people who only see things through their phone screen and totally miss whatever else is going around them, according to Darrell.

I hear that seeing Sleeping Beauty's Castle or, more romantically, Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant for the first time was a moment to pause .........

......... and say "We're really, really, really here" ............. 

....... followed by their first ever Disney parade! 

So Near ....... And Yet So Far

As they are not due to check in to Disneyland Paris until tomorrow morning, Nigel spent last night at the Residhome Val d'Europe, an app (apartment) hotel, where you can self cater ........ 

......  a concept not that far from our usual choice of establishment when we're on our annual Greek Oddity, but in France it just seems so much more romantique!  

Nigel says it's all very lovely and wonderful, but knowing that the pleasures of Disney were all but a two minute train journey away, made him a little impatient to finally get to the Magical Kingdom and rub shoulders with Les Mickey and Minnie .......

...... but, he still managed to take full advantage of the hospitality tray, with it's tiny cartons of festively named "Gloria" milk  .........

....... and St Michel Galettes biscuits, avec pure beurre! 

However, despite having a fully operational kitchen avec un fridge, une microwave, une hob, un kettle and une coffee maker, plus les cutlery and les plates etc. Nigel opted to nip out to get a supermarche style tea, an adventure in itself, but sadly the little fella was soooooooo overwhelmed at being surrounded by all manner of real life, French, comestibles that he totally forgot to take any pictures, zut alors, comment est il? 

And after all that, although Notre Dame could also be very tempting at another juncture in time....... to be honest, Nigel's mind couldn't really focus on anything beyond the next day ............so again, comment est il?

Lost Breakfast, Then Up Up and Away ..........

What can we say, except that all the planning and secrecy behind Nigel's back for  the past few months to finally get him to Disneyland Paris (after Covid ruined all our previous plans) certainly paid off. Tom the Scientist said the little fella didn't suspect a single thing, until all was revealed as they parked up at Birmingham airport, suitcases hoisted from the boot and they proceeded to walk towards the monorail 

And yes, as we predicted, Nigel didn't manage to hang on to his breakfast with all the excitement, so thank goodness Darrell didn't send him off with a full English, cunningly telling him, when he looked at his toast a little disappointedly, before he was picked up, that T the S and The Lovely Laura had a fulsome brunch planned for him later that morning, and well, it would just look rude to turn up already half "stuffed"!

I am told that Nigel was totally overwhelmed and aghast that we'd all managed to pull off this audacious plan without him having even the slightest suspicion ..........

....... with his bags packed. his travel insurance sorted, his passport squirrelled away safe with everyone else's, not to mention his spending money in Francs already in his wallet.

It was ......... emotional and T the S says there were a few quickly dabbed tears and muffled sniffles when Nigel thought no one was looking, as he tried nonchalantly to  to check on the wings and cloud conditions! 

However, he was sufficiently recovered, by the time the seat belt sign was turned off,  to tuck in to his traditional mid-flight Twix, pinching himself at the thought of the adventures that was about to unfold.

When they landed at Charles De Gaulle airport, Nigel was then whisked off to his pre-Disney, Val d'Europe hotel on the TGV train, which took just ten minutes, instead of an hour and a half on a normal train, with Nigel swearing he could feel the G-force pulling on his face!  What is he like?

We believe is now ensconced at said hotel ...... a little more of that tomorrow! 

Absolutely Sworn To Secrecy

Oh my goodness, this past week or so Darrell and I have been doing our level best to maintain an air of normal normality throughout The Towers because, unbeknownst to Nigel, he's off to Euro Disney tomorrow morning and, as far as we can see, he hasn't got a flipping clue! 

This is all stems back to just before the Covid times when everything was sorted for him to go, but then the dreaded lurgy struck and the rest is of course history. Bless him, he's never mentioned it since, I think the heartbreak was just too much and he didn't want to risk the dams bursting.....

Soooooooo, Darrell and I have packed his bags and if he's questioned where his lucky pants, favouritist t-shirt or bestest socks have disappeared to, Darrell has put on his most convincing, serious face and apologised profusely that they're still somewhere in the washing pile, as he hasn't had a chance to sort it all out yet, but really they're all safe in his case, in the back of Tom the Scientists car, ready for the off.  We've even packed our traditional Twix for when the seatbelt sign goes off and he's cruising at 40,000 feet!  

Tomorrow, when he's picked  up, he's expecting a day out embracing the pleasures of Birmingham's museums, art galleries, open spaces and eateries with his beloved niece and nephew,  however, as soon as he clocks that he's actually approaching the airport instead .........  all will be revealed, as they say! 

I have warned Tom the Scientist and The Lovely Laura that a paper bag or two may be handy in the glove box, as the little fella might become so excited he might inadvertently eject his breakfast!  

Meanwhile, back home, Darrell and I intend to take a well earned rest from the stress of the surreptitious fuselage subterfuge and then look forward to all Nigel's daily reports from the aforementioned Euro Disney and Newport Bay Compass Club .......... happy days all round, me thinks! 

Nigel Visits "The" 50p Charity Shop.

When Nigel was invited by LuLu to visit an out of the way, 50p charity shop in Worcester, well, it was a no brainer and would have been rude not to say yes, so off they popped, full of tangible and palpable excitement for the unknown ........

....... not sure what they would find, but with a pocket of 50p's.

Let's just say, it did not disappoint ...... with £1.50 duly spent by Nigel, not on himself, but on Darrell and Alice .......

Now, Alice is yet to share in one of our annual Halloween sleepovers and. as such. probably hasn't given a single thought to her outfit yet, but when Nigel spotted a beautiful pumpkin tutu combo on the rack, he knew it would be just perfect for her, but at 50p, if she hated it, then nothing was really lost as it could easily be re-donated. He also found her the cutest pair of embroidered shoes, he wasn't too sure what size she is, but again at 50p, it was still worth a punt.

And, for Darrell (or me, if he didn't like it, as we are almost the same size) there was a new shirt that simply spelt S U M M E R and Greek Oddity.  The little fella arrived back at The Towers in triumphant mood.

Alice was thrilled with her outfit, it fit like a dream. It was cute, feminine and with just the right level of spookiness to remain as fragrant as ever. She loved it ....... and the shoes?

Well, just think Cinderella, with Nigel as her handsome Prince!

As for Darrell's shirt, well, I'm probably not going to get a look in, he was as equally thrilled as Alice, not only with the shirt itself but also with all the thought Nigel had put into each purchase, thinking of others on his little adventure.

It has to be said ........ the boy "dun gud"! 

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23163991.charity-shop-can-get-boohoo-fatface-50p/

https://www.facebook.com/NewHope50p/?locale=en_GB

It's A Mistawee!

Yesterday, something was afoot on the river, but with the trees very much in full bloom and the weeds rising, it was quite hard to make out exactly what was going on.

All I know was that I sawn a gentleman in full frogman regalia on the waters edge ......

......... after being tied to the end of a rope, which was held by another florescent clad gentleman .........

...... before said frogman lowered himself carefully into the murky depths, before swimming in the general direction of the bridge.

It was all very intriguing, but not very romantic, as the river has been rather chocolate coloured of late, but when/whether said frogman returned to land I can't say .......

....... because, well, I can't stand at the window curtain twitching all day can I? Unfortunately, Nigel was on the school run and Darrell was up town looking for something "different" for tea, otherwise we would have formed a relay "twitching" team. So what happened next will have to remain, to quote Toyah (Wilcox) " a mistawee"! 

Scent From Above - Alice Loves Dolly Parton

As if Alice wasn't fragrant enough ........

....... Nigel has just discovered one of the secrets of her most alluring mystic  ....... 

........to wit, she absolutely loves to envelope herself in a cheeky spray (or two) of Dolly Parton's eau de toilette, "Scent from Above".......

....... with its many notes of mandarin, blackcurrant, crisp pear, fresh peony blossom, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, vanilla orchid, sandalwood, fir, musk, tonka bean, amber and finally patchouli!

No wonder she wafts in and through The Towers like a gentle, ethereal breeze when she comes round each morning for a coffee and a rich tea finger.

She gave Nigel a tiny squirt, but the effects weren't quite as captivating on him as on her, especially over his Lynx Africa and Marmite body spray, however, with this little nugget of information imparted, Christmas and birthdays should now be a doddle when looking for a small present for our beloved and very, very, very lovely Alice. What are we like, if not totally besotted

Happy Days - Now Just Wait For The Complaints!

Yesterday, the garden and Kata's flat were a flurry of activity of a naturalistic type nature. Rebecca, our lovely neighbour upstairs, who makes all the exceedingly nice cakes, has offered to take over the bird feeding stations now that Nat and Dan, who used to do it, have moved on to pastures new.

I understand that it was homemade fat balls akimbo in Kata's kitchen as she and Rebecca .........

......... along with Kata's little boy, covered toilet rolls with melted lard and seeds,  then filled them with said fat ball mix. Peanuts were also duly strung in great swathes and new feeders packed within an inch of their lives with even more fat balls .......

....... before they all went outside for everything to be hung on the feeding stations and trees at the top of the bank ........ 

....... including the cutest, little nut bench for our scurry of squirrels to hang out. 

It's all going to be soooooooooo romantic once the birds and squirrels finally work out it's all for them.

However, no doubt there will be complaints from those who must remain nameless, re: the resultant increase in bird song volume, as our avian friends tweet their enthusiastic appreciation to Rebecca, Kata and Krisztian for all their hard work!  As always, should there be any developments on this subject, we will be sure to keep you informed! 

To Quote The Flower Pot Men ...... Weeeeeeed!

Is it usual to be just the teensiest bit proud of one of the weeds on our bank? 

Nigel spotted it first when it was around the three foot mark and already starting to stand out amongst the crowd .......

 ....... but it's continued to grow to at least seven foot tall and still counting, so tall in fact that the top has become intermingled in the foliage of one of the nearby trees, which can make it hard to spot.

From Darrell's research, we think it's a Common Ragwort or stinking willie, not that any of us is up for smelling the leaves to see if they actually do whiff! We're also not sure if there is an optimum tallness to which it will grow to, but think perhaps when it flowers, it might not get any taller ????

But, it's a big 'un, that's for sure. However, sadly it's days may be numbered as we're waiting, in eager anticipation, for our gardener to come and clear said bank completely, as our view of the river is fast becoming a little befuddled, unless the squirrels accidently topple it during one of their frantic chasing sessions in the meantime.

And, talking of squirrel antics, Boris and Carrie (amongst others) are reeking havoc with our solar light sensors, poor Nigel has a full time job putting them back in position following all their shenanigans!  The wonders of nature, what on earth is it like?