Bonjour, Mes Amis! Lovely to be back...

Boys, Oh, Boys! You go away for a week or so and WHUUUUPMMMPHH!!! Upon my return to brass tacks there is a positive PILE of stuff waiting for me to wade through at work AND a lot of catching up. I'm getting there, don't worry, and will add my two penny's worth where necessary...

I had the most wonderful time in France - tiring, but wonderful! Three days of overland travel with a caravan in tow plus the ferry from Dover to Calais and three days of travelling back the same way after the break... thank heaven for the Uncle Joe's Mintballs - we munched them there and back and they kept us going. Seriously!

They had no mintballs in France but they had mint pastilles which have added water from a place called Vichy - they were nice but no match for Uncle Joe's finest!

I was in Lourdes (a pilgrimage town situated at the foot of the French side of the Pyrrenees) for their Jubilee Year (150 years since St Bernadette saw the Virgin Mary there)and guess what? I wore my W&G socks for the all important walk along the Jubilee Way (places associated with Bernadette's life which is a very special thing for pilgrims to do this year and it's a one-off thing).

Also, there was a shop where I went into one day to buy some ground coffee and groceries and the French shop assistant took one look at my t-shirt and said, in a chuffed-as-mintball voice: "Ah! !" I was chuffed, too, that the Almighty Nick P's chums are famous in Lourdes! I told her that there will be a new film out soon and her smile became as wide as !

In between the spiritual exercises, my friend and I saw eagles, owls, lizards, unusually coloured ladybirds, plenty of dogs, sheep, goats, fabulous butterflies and fascinating caterpillars - and a nosy tabby cat - and BATS!!! Hundreds of them flying around and in and out of the caves! Bliss!!!

Whilst my friend and I were out there, I morphed into my Sock Eye Salmon fish mode and had a splash with the trout in the River Gave de Pau (he kept catching those pesky flies for his tea)YIPTAHOOTIEEEEEEEEE!!!!

I thought about you all over there, my dearest friends! There is a lighted candle with all your names written on it in invisible ink.

Yours slightly creme-de-crackered but will be back with more tasty French morsels
Sock Eye Salmon (Saumon de Yeux de Chaussettes)

Welcome back Josephine!!! That is SO cool you wore your W&G socks for the walk, and that there are fans of the dynamic duo in Lourdes!

I missed you bigtime, and I'm chuffed WAY beyond mintballs that you are swimming with us again here on this great website!!

Bonjour! Ca va????
Wow! it sounds wonderful over there. Glad you had a good time and to have you back sock eye! wallace and gromit- Woldwide heros! because they are both great!
i have found some transfers and am thinking of some designs for my own wallace and gromit t-shirt.

Welcome back Josephine!!!!!!!!! So glad to here about your W&G socks taking a little trip!

I missed you lots and I am chuffed to mintballs you are back dear!I am so glad you have come back to swim in the wonderful lakes and seas!

Welcome back Josephine Saumon a l'oeil chaussette! How fun to bring some W&G joy to Lourdes. And the socks tie it up--but pardon a mixed metaphor. It sounds like it was a real old-time pilgrimauge even with the caravan.

Josephine it is lovely that you are back

I forgot to say Josephine I passed over the pyrenees at one point on my travels

welcome back!

welcome back josephine we were just asking about you in that other other thread then poof your back sounds like a brilliant trip