Mini Tornado

The Matthew - Wapping Wharf Bristol

What happened to June's blog posts? Did we expire in the extreme heat? Did we give up and flee to cooler northern climes? Or was it that we were simply just too busy to write?  Onboard we had our own small weather event (metaphorically speaking). A whirlwind, tiny in size but bursting with energy - our 21 month old granddaughter. In the tradition of naming hurricanes etc let's call her Miss A.
 I did spend a few days in the sensibly cool climate of Bristol but as Miss A's parents were tied up with business meetings I was fully occupied- mostly chasing after her. Run Granny Run!

Catch me if you can. Wapping Wharf Bristol

 I like Bristol, particularly around the vibrant, old port area where there are many old boats on display and a couple of ships (including Brunel's SS Great Britain) to visit.There was also plenty to keep a toddler interested. Each day we did the rounds of the statues of local worthies all of whom had to be examined and chatted to.

There were buskers to watch and dance to, an old double decker bus in the museum to clamber upon and the reputedly wonderful 'We the Curious' science and discovery centre to visit. I say reputedly as we never got further than the model Jack Russell dog in the foyer which Miss A loved and wanted to read to every day.

The many cafes are child friendly with babycinnos for 30p - I'm not sure such a thing exists in France. I've asked only once and was met with a look of such bafflement that I'm not game to enquire again.

Then it was back to France. We travelled from Catelsarrassin to Buzet sur Baise before the heat finally drove our visitors ashore and away to the Spanish coast. Tonight we can see lightning strikes from one window, a nuclear power station from another and hear thunder rumbling around us. All that energy but it's not a patch on our tornado toddler. We miss her.

I have a few observations on toddlers onboard which I'll make in a separate post.