toddling off (and then back again)

I'd love to tell you this is where I've been all week, lounging in a field in the sunshine, drinking tea and taking photos of my own reflection in the camping kettle.

Sadly not, although I was there for a short while yesterday evening, and it was ever so good. Lots more of it required I say.

Not this weekend, however. The rest of our 'weekend' away mostly looked like this:

... which kind of explains why we're home less than 36 hours after we set off.

We're also warm and dry, and not stuck on a bank holiday camping site with (what feels like) 500 raucous children and drunk people.

Still, a cheery time was had while it lasted, boiling up the tea on the picnic stove, and eating breakfast from a mug having forgotten to take the bowls.

We did try a little cycle ride, but, er, well, it was a tad windy (that's my stop-taking-photos-of-me-now-please face - I don't always look like that).

It was a very pretty reservoir we were meant to be cycling round, but since it's not that far from home, I reckon we can save it for another day.

Unsurprisingly, the sun came out on the way home, so we stopped for a picnic in Matlock Bath, which, despite being right in the middle of the country, and nowhere near the seaside, has a proper seasidey feel to it, with amusement arcades, chip shops, and 24 (yes, we did count) large plastic ice cream cones.

It's a haven for motorcyclists, and we escaped to the other side of the river to have lunch.

Now we're home, I'm feeling a little bit daft for having abandoned a weekend away half way through - that's really not the kind of behaviour I expect from myself! But I'm warm, dry, about to get in a nice hot bath and eat a tasty risotto, and nobody is going to be throwing footballs at us, or playing bad pop music late into the night, so I'm really feeling rather justified. Ah, bank holiday camping, I'd forgotten all about it....

Might even get out in the garden with the spare day I've acquired tomorrow!