Mainly Betty Boo (1)

It’s been a sparse month for my faithful readers. You can blame having a houseful of Hills for that! Anyway, hopefully back to normal now that peace & quiet have returned.

The motto of this holiday? Anything Alfie can do…

…Betty can do too!

Brrr, it looks a bit cold to me…

…but Philippe is used to wild swimming back in Yorkshire/Derbyshire.

A nice warm-up cuddle doesn’t go amiss though

Cycling times

It has been fantastic to see confidence growing in Alfie. Here he's having fun at the skatepark, just a stone's throw from chez nous.

Whilst Phil was here (past tense already...) the boys went out on several cycling trips, Mamie included sometimes!

Hope you like the fields of sunflowers, everywhere at the moment

Meanwhile poor Tikka's feeling very sorry for himself having had 'the snip'. Apparently the operation calms down young dogs: there's no evidence of this yet with Tikka!

Children & grandchildren chez nous

It’s wonderful having Alfie & Betty here to stay (Nadine & Philippe too) and it looks like Simon will be able to drive over without the family quarantining on their return, now that our fabulous government has seen sense.

Meanwhile Betty is loving a bit of quality-time with Tata Cynthia pulling faces…

…and posing like fashion models!

Not exactly posing but Betty has obviously enjoyed her drink at the Starfish. The milk moustache is good evidence.

Look at Sacha’s order for the bar. For those not in the know: grenadine (a pomegranate-flavoured cordial), ACE juice (so called as it is full of vitamins A, C & E), panach(é) (shandy), 2 gin agrumes (gin & citric fruit), 2 pinte (self-explanatory) and did you get the last one? Iced tea. I think he got the job!

Alfie letting his locks down, not far from our house…

…and coming home rather wet and bedraggled with tontons Philippe & Matt after walking Tikka in the forest.

Betty returning from a cycling adventure with Maman Nadine & Mamie Martine

Sacha joins Alfie & Betty in the pool…

…and on the sofa, obviously engrossed in the television.

A final collage of some of Nadine’s photos with her two brothers. There’s no denying the genetic link, eh?

And the family is (nearly) complete

A few days later another trip to La Rochelle airport to collect Philippe, the first time we’ve seen him in 16 months

Yes, another selfie at La Rochelle airport…

…but quickly in the pool on arrival chez nous, Alfie & Betty über-excited to see their tonton on French soil.

Starfish time, our two long-haired hippies (Phil & Alfie) catching up

Next activity: a dip in the sea, with Sacha, Nadine & Betty too

Phil’s been sleeping at Matt, Cynthia & Sacha’s…

…and has to face the getting-older pup’s excitement each time he appears…

…plus the sad goodbyes when he leaves for ours.

Family nearly complete? Just waiting for Simon to be able to drive over mid-August. Come on, UK, please see sense.