Week 17: Christmas!!

Our stops this week:

• 3 nights at Homefield CL near Sway (in the New Forest)

• 1 night at Salisbury Camping and Caravan club site

• 1 night back at home

• 2 nights in Wickford

We started the week visiting an old favourite, but at a new campsite in the New Forest, it was just outside of the Forest but close enough that we could easily drive or cycle into the Forest and down to the coast.

The weather has been quite varied this week, ranging from 'cold' to 'really cold' and then 'really really cold and very wet', so not the best but we tried to make the most of it, although we have definitely spent more time in the van reading books and watching films, with the heating turned up high!

Warming up with a hot chocolate (maybe now known as a HoCho??) and a view across The Solent, after a freezing bike ride down to Milford on Sea, it took hours to get any feeling back in to our hands and feet!

Back to the New Forest to meet some old friends...

A view of the Needles on the Isle of Wight

A view across to Hurst Castle and Lighthouse

Relaxing on the beach, or trying not to get blown away...?

A slightly sunnier view of the Isle of Wight

On the way to Salisbury we stopped off at Highcliffe Beach for a bracing walk along the coast past...

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Christmas Eve morning we had a walk around Old Sarum which is an Iron Age hillfort just north of Salisbury... it was pretty cold and drizzly so we didn't take any pics but below is one I found online taken on a much nicer day... and by a much better photographer. Bear enjoyed the walk but not sure he appreciated the history!

Photo borrowed from www.visitwiltshire.co.uk

After taking some lateral flow tests...we spent Christmas Eve evening with my parents and had a really nice time chatting, grazing and opening presents... we had planned to spend the day with my sister and to see my nieces and nephew but that didn't work out, hopefully we'll all get to catch-up soon in the new year.

We then headed home for the night before getting up early to take more lateral flow tests (a real festive treat!) and driving down to Wickford to join Yvette's mum, dad and brother. We spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day parked up on their drive but we were allowed in the house! After eating too much it was time to open presents and relax watching some Christmas telly... Bear did pretty well for Christmas presents... he got a new toy from my mum and dad (which amazingly he hasn't destroyed yet), a blanket from Yvette's mum and dad, and numerous snacks and treats from Yvette's brother.

Much like the Government... we've not really made a new plan yet! However, we've decided to head down to Kent to see some more of the coast... and see how the weather pans out, we need to come home again in a few weeks for Bear to have some more surgery on his knee but we may well be home sooner if the weather doesn't improve. Once Bear has recovered from the surgery to remove a pin from the previous operation (fingers crossed it should just be a few weeks), we're hoping the covid travel rules will have been relaxed and we can try to cross the channel again.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed the break.

To finish this weeks post here is a selection of pictures of Bear... this week he has been mostly sleeping!

Sofa nap time...

Undercover nap time...

Another Sofa nap this time with Maya (one of my mum and dad's dogs)

More sofa napping...

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/74fed3_4e4aca4eaafb400d86e981090001e7a8/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Finally, here is Yvette teaching Bear some dance moves, he's clearly unimpressed! (needs the sound on for the full effect)...

P.S. Please don't report us to the RSPCA, it's been a long week!