The Crepe Escape

[herbaceous]

New thread!

Title can refer either to our upcoming holidays, or our upcoming fleeing from the Bojo-led charabanc of doom.

Ooh.

so...just sign up and take a look around? Any particular pitfalls?

Payment is up front, not on arrival. It is taken out of your account when you request to book, and immediately returned if you are turned down. After payment hey only refund you if the host cancels the booking. You will need to register a credit card when you sign up.
Make sure you are particular about filters. only choose 'entire place' if you want to rent a whole property. I once stayed in someones spare room ,as I misread the description. It was Ok , but I like my privacy.
more later as I think of things

Properly finished for the summer after work BBQ
My lovely, lovely TAs gave me a voucher for a beat salon and I am contemplating getting my eyelashes and eyebrows dyed, but am worried they might do my eyebrows too dark Whaddya think, crepes?

OOOOH, Crem, We're off to Bilbao / San Sebastien for just a few days at the beginning of August! have you been yourself? Any top tips? Was hoping for starting with the Guggenheim then moving swiftly to SS for extensive scoffing of tapas and the odd swim in the sea...

Hooray for finishing work BTM.

Herbs your are brilliant for soldiering on with grace and good humour in the face of adversity.

Addle your dd's graduation photo looks fab and you look even fabber. Lovely dress! Very cool.

MI, what do YOU fancy doing? Where do YOU fancy going? Think you deserve to do something lovely that you'll enjoy...

Still melting in the heat, but have come home to empty house so have had a cold shower and now lounging languidly on the sofa. Bliss.

BTM a decent beauty place will be able to dye your brows without making you look like you have slugs stuck on your face. You need to tell them what you're after. Done well it's great. And ditto eyelashes - recommend plus black if you want to look like you have mascara on - really good in summer if you're swimming or sweating or both!

Thanks GGG - I am wanting to get black lashes (have done them myself in the past) and avoid the slug look! DD does her own really well but she has darker hair than me and her brows are dark (though not fat slug-ish!) not the look I want

That was meant to say "blue black" not "plus black"

Oh GGG jealous re Bilbao - one of my fav places!

SS eat at Arzaks if you can get in (lunch menu is good value)

Ooh...I'd like some sun and warmth, and I'd be quite happy to be in the middle of nowhere with somewhere to swim as well, but within striking/driving distance of beautiful things to look at of a cultural nature. Don't particularly want a hotel.

I want to be able to do some writing like I did last year too. Have now revamped about 25,000 words of the novel.

To be honest, what I would really like is to be somewhere on my own to write for a bit. In the sun. With nice meals.

Crem - that place you linked to in Corsica is a mere spit from where we had our honeymoon (large villa with DS/DD1, and DP's in annex!). It was heavenly.

I have to say, the thought of a package holiday appeals. This US trip has required so much planning, researching, booking, cancelling, rebooking, fretting....I'm going to be a limp rag by the time we get home.

Yes, that is one of the perils of DIY hols CV! Normally DH does all the faffing booking, but now he has his Very Important Job, I have booked the hotels. Gulp.

BTM - has DH been promoted? I knew he was a Deputy Head - is he now an even Bigger Cheese?

GGG
Uno: Nice article here
Dos: buy tickets for the Guggenheim in advancio: €11 shorter queues and standing in the White Heat of the afternoon. It opens late too until 8pm , so you can always make it an evening thing and eat late late late like the Ethspanish do. Ahem.
Trés: Mercado del Ribero is fabulous in it slightly chaotic Art Nouveauness.

Ooh CV, how amazing!! You have to go there Mi, or indeed a shepherd's cottage in which to write in the mountains.

He's been the interim Big Cheese for about 6 months now, CV.

Oh and GGG if you haven't already read it Guernica by David Boling would be a great read for background on the area, if you feel inclined.

Ta muchly Crem - you really are good at this you know!
Will read properly when I have a mo... X

GGG take the fenicular to the top and see Bilbao in all its glory.
Calle Santa Maria has some great tapas bars including a very trendy number where the cava is cheap and the tapas less traditional, but tres inventive (English cooked breakfast anyone?)
Plaza Neuvao for a drink with the locals (and free wifi) where cute kids whizz around on balance bikes and Victtoria serves the best cheese tapas.....
Mercado is lively but I found it sadly depleted of its wonderful stalls last time we went.
Never got in (closed for repairs), but there's a pool with a glass bottom that is supposed to be fab.
San Seb - Arzaks for a posh meal. Walk up to the Christ statute (Rio in miniature)

BD , what say you and i jack it all in and become personal trip advisors to the stars?
Sad to hear about Mercado being less than it was. Also found that in Barcelona in the Boqueria. Although i may have hit the wrong day or time.

Woke up suddenly in a complete lather last night and remembered we haven't organised cat sitting for our hols. Anyone fancy 2 weeks in a semi decorated cottage with a grumpy old man cat in guaranteed shit weather in the north of Ireland? Must like cats.

Would make 'atmospheric' writers retreat.

Cremo you are on........

Dmum really not good. I foresee another rush trip south....

On no, BD

I am lunching alone on the water front, having passed on a trip to Lausanne. I was just too darn hot and tired. They think iabvu.
But I am enjoying my latest JoJo Moyes and not having to talk to anyone, except the waiters. And I am enjoying speaking to the waiters in French without being rudely corrected by DS1 all the time. Even if I do make a few mistakes.

Crepeys, I have just booked the next industry reading of my play. Please note...the evening of 10th October. At the theatre I linked to a few a while back.

Oh no BD. Let me know if I can do anything/you need to get away for a bit

Sounds good, Rose - DC are still in bed here and DH is into his zombie-mode as he always is when we break-up.

It's a helluva job tilly. The big cheese at DDs school was interim/acting for quite a while before the governors persuaded him to take the permanent position. He didn't really want it...said he liked being deputy but it's turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to the school. And he is much loved by students and parents.

Och, BD, very sorry to hear that.fingers crossed its just a small set back in her recovery. Thinking of you.

Huge peels of thunder and vast forks of lightening here. Feels so oppressive as its still in the high twenties. Headache-inducing. Off to see the dps now. Hoping for calm over there, but they do know how to drop surprises on us. ( Just have to have a heart operation next year dear / we heard dd is a 'gay' , from your dsis etc) crazy people.

Feeling completely overwhelmed by jobs I planned to finish before going away. Lots started, few completed . Infuriating!