Center Parcs
We've just spent a week in Center Parcs (spelled incorrectly in every language, apparently) in Penrith, Cumbria. And we had an excellent time.
The park was larger than I thought and our lodge was a good 15 minute walk from the village centre; not a problem if you're an adult, but a real issue when you have the world's slowest walker, Jacob Winter, with you. So we hired a couple of bikes and a trailer for the kids to ride in; fine on the level and going down hill, but murder going up hill. And as this was the edge of the Lake District, there were lots of hills....
We had half-and-half very good weather/extremely bad weather - the joys of holidaying in England - but thanks to the "Subtropical Swimming Paradise" (that's the indoor pool to you and me) and a comprehensive programme of kiddie activities, it wasn't really an issue
Sam spent a couple of mornings in their creche - he's never been away from us before, so there was a bit of apprehension as to how he'd settle, but he didn't want to leave the first time and was beating on the gate to be let in when he arrived the second time. He also came to a Tots Tunes session with me and had a fabulous time banging drums and shaking cow bells etc.
Jacob had a fuller social diary; we went to a Tots Dance session, the creche, Magic of Mammals (polecats, foxes, sugar-gliders, chincillas), an Outing with Owls, pony trekking and decorating gingerbread men (and eating an awful lot of sweets at the same time).
Doug went quad-biking and an archery session; I just looked after small children. Next time we go, I'll arrange it better and get both kids in the creche at the same time while I go to the spa and get a massage or a facial.
Everyone enjoyed swimming and jumping about in the waves. Doug and I actually managed to get on the flumes, the rapids, the slides and the Canyon Ride, although he kept getting stuck courtesy of his "high friction swimming trunks".
Anyway, it was an extremely enjoyable (if expensive) week and we're planning to go back later in the year. Just give me time to recover first!!
3 Comments:
Yes, but we need pictures of Doug on a quad bike, singing 'Born to be Wild'.
Welcome back! Sorry our visit to York clashed with yours to Cumbria. There will be a next time, though, before long.
Now you're back I can pick your brains: what are the baby sedative drugs (beginning with M? I could be wrong) you recommended to Solveig? We're hauling Esme off to America in a few weeks, and we're not sure she'll come quietly.
I didn't get any photos of him as I had to take Jacob to the creche and Sam swimming while he was quad biking. I understand that he was wearing a red boiler suit whilst quad biking, so its probably a mercy.
The medicine you're after is Medised. Its paracetamol suspension, but also has an antihystimine (sp) in it to clear their tubes when they've got a cold - that's the thing that makes them drowsy. I keep it upstairs so I don't accidentally give it to them instead of Calpol during daylight hours, otherwise they're out for the count for hours :-)
First time I read this I missed the bit about Doug's high-friction swimming trunks. :)
Five of us including Doug and myself went to Amsterdam God knows how many years ago, and one day we all took something (I genuinely can't recall what) that made four of us want to sit around like vegetables but had the opposite effect on Doug, who wanted to leap up and do and see things.
We decided he must have had his action bloomers on. I wonder if they're made by the company who do the high-friction swimwear.
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