Nigel Shares Out His Disney Complimentaries.

We now have "our" Nigel back in the loving bosom of his family!  To be honest, he slept for about 12 hours straight when he got home and has said that he might have another sleep later on. Disney, he proclaimed, is not for the faint hearted or delicate of foot.

However, he was eager to show and share out all the complimentary Disney plunder he'd collected from his room.

He said that although there were shops every flipping where they were sooooooo expensive, but we'd already told him to use his spending money on himself and to make sure Little Miss Iris and Young Master Bertie were not left wanting of a Disney type nature.  However he did bring us back a Small World magnet for the fridge and a small tin of Chip n Dale sweets each, which was more than enough, bless him.

But, he'd saved all but one of his "turn down service" chocolate coins that were left on the side, in his room every evening with a very cute story card.  

We've already decided that this idea will start a new sleepover tradition Chez Towers, with chocolate coins put on the pillow of our little guests, sometimes even of a seasonal nature at Halloween, Christmas etc.

He'd also managed to collect a small pile of Disney drink coasters for Bertie to use in his bar, another sleepover tradition.

Darrell said he quite fancied the sustainable wooden toothbrush and posh toothpaste ........

...... while I really liked the wooden razor and shaving cream, so there was only  good humoured "fighting" over all these wonderous goodies, with Nigel keeping the sustainable wooden comb for himself!

As for the shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and soap (with another set put aside for Alice when she pops over), they will take pride of place in our bathroom for decoration to start with, before, I'm sure, being used once the novelty has worn off.

Then, last but not least there were two "vanity sets", again one for Alice. Disney has certainly thought of absolutely everything for its guests comfort, down to cotton pads, cotton buds, nail files and le bonnet de douche!

And there was more ....... this time from Nigel's two nights staying at the Aparthotel before and after Disney and this was with Darrell in mind ........

..... a kitchen care kit, containing a sponge, bin bag, a sachet of washing up liquid and a couple of disposable dish cloths, perfect, Nigel thought, for at least one of our caravan holidays this year.  What is he like?  But I have to say, Darrell was rather chuffed with it!  

It's so lovely to have the little fella back, even if, at the moment, he's sleeping most of the time.

Nigel Unravels Some Of The Mysteries of French TV

Nigel says that once made his happy but very weary way to his Apparthotel, he had just enough energy to prepare a scooby snack (une sandwich de jambon et fromage), after popping into a French version of Tesco Express .......

..... and then totally veg out in front of the tele as he hadn't had a chance to a watch a single sausage on the mahooosive one back at Disney because he was just too busy to even take a seconds break and when he did, he was comatose in bed!

His very favourite watch were the ads, as he could more or less guess what they were all about.

Some are exactly the same as the ads back at home, but in French however sometimes, in his expert opinion, the voice sync was a little off and somehow didn't sound right, sort of false and tinny???? What is he like?

He also managed to stumble across the real life French version of Come Dine With Me or Un Diner Preque Parfait, Le Lego Masters .........

...... and their Big Brother which, it seems, is called Secret Story.  He says that the bit he watched looked very intense, so he guessed they were making nominations!

Anyway, it him amused until he turned in for the night. He's flying back tomorrow, we can't wait to see him and hear all about his Disney adventures, but all he wants to do, he says, is sleep for a thousand years, he's exhausted!

One Last, Magical Parade ......

It's almost time for our little intrepid Disney adventurer to return to the welcoming arms of his family's ample bosom. It goes without saying that we've really missed him even though we've video called almost every night.

Sooooooo, this morning he bid a fond farewell to the tangible and palpable hustle and bustle and upgraded room .......

....... of his Newport Bay Hotel ......

....... and the lake he's looked down upon from the window of his room during his more wistful moments!

Then he took a last nostalgic wander through .......

....... and lingering gaze at Sleeping Beauty's Castle, followed by a final bittersweet queue and ride embracing the delights of Phantom Manor, Small World and  Crush's Coaster. 

...... before the final meal of his trip at the Agrabah Cafe. Saying that he thought they'd saved the best 'till last, as he just couldn't get enough of the spicy sausages and couscous .......

..... or it's exotic and magical decor splendours, which he was sure Darrell would very much appreciate too.

Then it was time to find a prime position from which to view his very last Disney parade, he, we are assured, gave it his all, even though there were a few tears and stifled sniffs.

Then, it was time to finally pack his Mickey ears away and travel back to his original Val d'Europe Aparthotel for a last night dans Paris before flying home!  

Stay Clear Of The Water!

Nigel says that his time at Disney has certainly been an adventure he (and his feet) will NEVER forget ......

..... where he discovered something new and exciting every day .......

...... like the free bus to and from the park to his hotel when his poor little feet (see above) just couldn't take another step! 

Or finding the car of his dreams.

And then, there was the seeming tranquil and unassuming waters of the lake in front of his hotel .......

..... that actually harboured the most gigantic fish Nigel had ever seen in real life, that seemed to circle the odd duck that ventured onto the water (and Nigel didn't see that many) in a very menacing and ominous fashion. He reckoned, just looking at them, that they could have easily taken the leg off any said, unsuspecting duck that dared to stay still long enough!

So after that, he himself was mindful not to get too close to the rail, that went all round the lake, that he now knew, had obviously been put there by the Disney people for very salient health and safety reasons! What on earth is he like?

With Thoughts of Alice

Nigel says he hadn't quite realised how much he'd missed Alice while he's been away .......

...... until he found himself in one of the posh Disney arcades .........

...... drawn inextricably to the looking at "pretty things" .........

......and thinking how she was almost born to wear a tiara. How beautiful and elegant she would look gracing a tiara, even on Evesham High Street.

But with soooooo many to choose from, Nigel was worried that he might go and buy completely the wrong thing, as he had no real idea as to what coloured gems Alice actually preferred.

Then thought perhaps he should be a a little less ambitious in the buying of such a personal piece of jewellery and wait until they were together to choose something of a sparkly type disposition for her ....

...... thus avoiding any embarrassing and unfortunate faux pas ......

....... especially when knowing that Alice would probably be just as happy with a charity shop bracelet or necklace to express her tastes equally as well.

So in the meantime the little fella is considering something a little more "usual" but just as fitting instead, bless his little cotton socks!

Blue Mayo at PYM Kitchen ..... And More

Another day, another very different restaurant and another bewildering choice of exotic comestibles ........ with a twist!

This time at PYM Kitchen, where the theme revolves round shrinking or growing food using "PYM Technologies (???, no, us neither!!!).  Nigel says it was truly "other worldly" and almost too much of an assault on his concept of normal dimension for him to take it all in, as again, his lack of photos reflect, but the little fella was truly experiencing everything in the moment, rather than through the lens of a camera/phone.

The condiments were in test tubes ........ 

......and the water served in conical flasks (perhaps not unlike the domestic life of our beloved Mr D?).

As for the bewildering array of humungous or tiny food, from beef burgers, cookies, pretzels, pizza, pasta and meatballs, Oreos and a million tiny puddings, to name just a few of the delicacies, it was hard to know just where to start and try first.

Nigel, as ever, tried his very best to try a little of everything .......

...... but he says it was the blue mayonnaise that finally blew his mind, where reality and fantasy truly caught up with him. It would have looked rude not to give it a go .......

......and it tasted just the same as "real life, proper" mayonnaise, but the colour, he said, totally sent his brain off axis, so I doubt he'll be putting in a request for Darrell to serve it with his salad when he gets home or prepare a rabbit and hazelnut pie for that matter!

However, the  giant and normal meatballs were a triumph, as were the corndogs, pickles and extra long green beans.  It was quite an experience ..........

...... made all the more surreal, when a group of quite frightening Wakanda Warrior ladies marched past menacingly after demonstrating their strength and skills in front of a rapt and appreciative audience, just as he left the kitchen .....

...... swiftly followed by Spiderman demonstrating his terrifying, death defying, acrobatic spidey skills, high above them, among the tangle of pipes on the roof of one of the nearby buildings. He obviously hadn't had his lunch at PYM Kitchen!

To be honest, Nigel was quite relieved to sit back after that to absorb the innocence and the calm of the Mickey and The Magician Show (photographs and videoing of the performance strictly verboten), before heading back to his hotel for a bit of a lie down .......... before it all started again after tea!