A huge thank you to Cheryl and Dave (and of course Mitsy the dog) for the amazing hospitality!

What a great week! England in the summer is hard to beat and we were treated to the very best weather England had to offer. We made the most of every minute and left for Paris completely exhausted.

Highlights include:

Watching England in the world cup (lose) the Semi-final. We watched this heartbreak of a game while 10 pin bowling and drinking beer. The loss was frustratingly predictable but witnessing a new, more positive, national pride and press coverage after the loss, was somewhat of a silver lining.

Crabbing in Brightlingsea. It’s stinky, slimy, ‘pinchy’ and wet… It’s also tons of fun! Amelia won the ‘biggest crab’ award, Annabelle managed to make the most friends – Hundreds of seagulls divebombing for her crab bait.

Running and walking the Essex coastline every day. Christiana and I got out to walk and/or run miles of beautiful coastline between Clacton and Frinton every day. This alone time was precious. It gave us time to catch our breath and discuss destination options for the coming months.

Dinner with my big sis and bro-in-law Dave, at the Robin Hood pub in Clacton. Awesome company and great food… What could be better!

A day at the seaside – Building sand-castles and swimming (splashing) in the sea. Leaving the house with 12 people (including two toddlers) was no easy feat but we managed it and ended up having a fabulous day. A rogue jellyfish threatened to ruin the fun but Terri bravely saved the day by scooping the little bugger up and ‘re-housing’ it a few hundred yards away. Thanks Terri! Post-beach pizza at casa Cowdery was an ideal (and yummy) ending to a sun-soaked funfilled day.

A day at the Clacton Pier chasing James and Billie. Who doesn’t love a good Pier? Clacton has just renovated theirs and it’s pretty great. After living in the U.S for so long I often find myself forgetting all the very ‘British’ things I grew up with and how deeply they influenced my definition of fun. The British seaside pier experience sits indelibly in my mind as one of THE most fun things I ever got to experience as a child. Sharing this unique, very British experience with my ‘American’ kids, was pretty special. James and Billie had a blast too!

Getting my first ‘trip haircut’ at a barber in Clacton town center (Cheap and VERY quick). A confession… thinking about getting my hair cut around the world over these next 12 months gives me a certain level of anxiety. This anxiety is not unwarranted. Being left with a half-haircut in Ann Arbor, MI (USA) by a 100-year-old barber, getting virtually scalped in Neckarsulm (Germany), and getting a mohawk in Heilbron (Germany) has left me gun-shy of barbers who do not fully understand what I’m asking for. My hair-challenged friends may laugh but I can assure you sitting in a barbers chair in front of a guy/girl who has no idea what you’re saying is scary. So… needless to say discovering ‘Pete’s Barbers’ in downtown Clacton was a godsend. Thank you dad for the ride 😉 and thank you Barber Pete for making me look pretty.

Garden party with the (whole) family in Brightlingsea. A rare treat indeed!… My mom and sister planned the perfect day. They were all there! Aunt Jan and Uncle Mick, aunt Wendy and uncle Colin, Cousin Keely + kids, AND Cousin Leila her hubby Rob + their kids. We spent a wonderful afternoon sipping drinks and eating delicious food on the lawn of Haven Village. Thanks again Cheryl, thanks again Mom for a day to remember

Clacton is a joy (words I never expected myself to say :)) – especially now the Pier renovation is finished and open to the public. If you haven’t visited recently I recommend you do so soon!

Garden party in the sun

Cousin fun!

English tea for two!

Fun at the Pier!