Come in England

And now, for the first time in a long while, I am writing Blip in England. After being woken up by some sort of Baroque piece playing over the tannoy on the ferry, I headed down to the reception area and ended up having a chat with someone who incidentally was also travelling back from France after a long time there. Well, it passed the time.

I was getting more and more excited to see my dad, who had come to get me from the port. Seeing him again waiting for me at arrivals pretty much made me burst into tears on sight. Cue scene that should probably only be in films, in which I slammed into him and we hugged for a very long time. It is horrid to be without your parents, even when you do have them on Skype or on the other end of the phone…it just isn’t the same. So after all this drama, I was not expecting the extra drama to occur next, as dad said to me that he had a surprise for me and to look over to the door. Lo and behold, standing in the waiting area was Becky, on her way back to Caen (having finally decided that this was what she wanted!) and getting the exact ferry that I had just stepped off. Things always seem cyclical don’t there, where one door closes…

Once Becky and I had had a quick résumé of our entire summers and everything in-between, Dad and I headed to my Great Uncle Derek’s, where he had been staying for a few days with my Grandma Peggy. Now it has been six years since they have seen each other, due to the rigours of travel etc., so Dad had hatched a master plan to be able to pick me up, but take Grandma with him as well, so she could see her brother. And, for once, the plan actually was executed perfectly…so Grandma and Dad spent a few days with Uncle Derek and Auntie, seeing the sights around Guildford and catching up on six years of life! Anyways, Dad and I headed back and we had a lovely breakfast before getting on the road back “t’up North”. Now the journey was long, but surprisingly uneventful…mainly just Dad and I listening to music and sharing our new finds, with occasional interjections from Grandma about the weather, or the state of the road or something!

Getting home and seeing Mum for the first time was also slightly tearful, as we did a similar hug to the one Dad and I shared at the port. There is no place like home. So to show the gravity of the occasion, and the love shared between…oh, alright, it is a picture of April yawning. Don’t know how she gets so tired…she doesn’t move all day!