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Wednesday, 17 June 2015

DIARY OF COQUET COTTAGES


Holidays, well, we have had a few. Friends of ours asked where the best place to take a dog in the UK was. Easy answer for me. Coquet Cottages in the beautiful Northumberland. I have travelled all over the globe and for sure all over the UK and for me Northumberland is the best place to visit if you want pure beauty how it was meant to be. How is it should be if not for modern lives.

 

I have stayed with Coquet Cottages before many times and I am never disappointed.  I told our friends about the company as really, I would never be ashamed to take anyone to their stunning properties. I mean anyone. They are pure luxury and the best thing is? You can take your dog. In fact, we went a couple of years ago and took three dogs, as they were all guide dogs.  

 

There were three of us who were blind and one sighted our Son bless him. I know it would not be typical of a wonderful holiday for him. What teen would want to come with his parents and their friend? But he loved the house. As did we. The best thing about it was the welcome. As we entered the front door, firstly the clean smell was so appreciated. I hate walking into a rental home and smelling dirty carpets, foisty wall paper, and old books. Yep, we have surely all stayed in a place like that? I always go for at least four stars since my experiences with not so clean properties; I’m not talking filthy, just not clean. Well, Coquet is not only clean, but immaculate. You know what was in the entrance hall? A brand new looking dog dish, a bag of doggy treats and even doggy doodle bags .I mean, who would think of our pets like that? Oh the house was beautiful.  Wood floors right through out. Not a speck of dust anywhere. The glass was polished even we blindies could see our reflection through there. Haha.

 

Well, OK, not quite, but it was so clean. The rooms were huge too and there was nothing we needed as everything including toiletries were provided. Oh our bedroom was massive. Four times the size of ours back home.

 

The back garden was interesting up the hill there was a great seating and table to chill out with the fragrance of the sea air. As for our Northumberland beaches, they as I have written about before, are the best and cleanest in the UK. Miles and miles of golden if not white sands. Quaint little fishing villages and masses of history. Unspoiled air for sure. If you want to get away from life, but need to be close enough if you want to visit modern Britain. If you have a car, you are no more than half an hour to the best shops I would say in Europe and for sure night life, vast amounts of pubs and eateries sports areas attractions too. But just to get away from the bright lights, your holiday should be in Northumberland. As long as you don’t fall so much in love with it, you all move there as the best thing about the holiday is the remoteness. Also of course, don’t forget the accents and you will hear your first true Northumbrian accent as soon as you pick up the phone and talk to the lovely friendly staff.

 

There is nothing better than to hear that, its home from home to me.

 

If I were rich and had a holiday home I was to rent out, for sure I would ask Coquet cottages to care for it for me, as they are so professional and honest.

 

Some would shiver in fear at the thought of us all on holiday, with our fifteen year old not being able to see, well, for us it’s an exciting adventure. Sadly we did depend on our Son a little, but not for cooking, cleaning etc. that we can do. We used our guide dogs to find our way around the little narrow streets and asked the locals directions. Our boy read the menus if we went for a meal, but the rest we really tried to work hard and remember how to get to places we have been before earlier in our stay that week. To go on a holiday where there is no stress or work for us is sadly impossible. Even if we go to a holiday where there is no cleaning cooking and so on, we still are aware we need to not get ourselves lost.

 

The best holiday abroad apart from our wonderful holiday in the US, was when we went to the Caribbean. Wow, that was pleasure. But the most relaxed we as blind people had was when we cruised last year. But stuck on a ship, OK, you don’t get lost much, but it can get a little stale as especially when you can’t really get off the ship and view the scenery.  We did take in the wonderful Norwegian land though. And the sea air with no housework to do for a week was a delight.

 

When we stayed at our beautiful Coquet cottage, we kept it so clean as we were just so grateful that they allowed three dogs. So didn’t want to take advantage of their hospitality.

 

I know of sighted people who leave their accommodation in a right mess. I could never do that.

 

 

As for holidays this year? Well, our children have graced us with their time and given us a week of their busy schedule to have I hope, a lovely week with us.  It’s coming up to our wedding Anniversary, so a gift for sure is to get all of our kids together.

 

My Son has just got in from college, ate, and now back out. He is going to get his exhaust fixed. Last time I will hear him leave the house or approach it.

 

I asked him how much work he got done. Oh heck, why do I even care? Seriously, this parenting is tough. He answers so relaxed. “A bit!” A bit?

Really, what kind of answer is that? He has loads to do in two days and he is answering a bit? I said to him, he could do some this afternoon as he isn’t working, his answer, no Mum. I have to have some me time. Me time? When exams are occurring? No, no no

 

 

Not sure what to cook tonight for dinner, really fed up of arranging menu’s every day. It’s more difficult trying to work out what to feed my men than actually cooking the food itself. Oh I hate kitchen work. My Niece loves to bake, as does our eldest daughter. How can anyone love to cook? My Son says he likes it too, but never really cooks for the family, to be fair, I always interupt too when he tries to start something, but the odd time he has cooked for me only, he does a fantastic job. I have been showing him how to do different meals of late and hopefully, he will remember what I have shown him as he will be one day cooking for himself or his wife. My Husband is a much better cook than me. By a mile, but it’s because he doesn’t do it every day. If he did, I think we would have the same three recipes every week. Haha. I didn’t say that. Really I didn’t, now where is the delete button?

 

Right on that note, before I get naughty, I will leave you with a few questions, perhaps you can ask these to your children as you are driving to our secret kingdom of Northumberland? 

Q: Mary’s father has 5 daughters – Nana, Nene, Nine, and Noon. What is the fifth daughter’s name? A: If you answered Noonno, you are wrong. It’s Mary!

     

Q: How can a pants pocket be empty and still have something in it? A: It can have a hole in it.

 

Q: In a one-story pink house, there was a pink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower– everything was pink! What color were the stairs? A: There weren’t any stairs; it was a one story house!

 

Q: A dad and his son were riding their bikes and crashed. Two ambulances came and took them to different hospitals. The man’s son was in the operating room and the doctor said, “I can’t operate on you. You’re my son.” How is that possible? A: The doctor is his mum!

 

Q: What is the longest word in the dictionary? A: Smiles, because there is a mile between each‘s’

 

Q: If I drink, I die. If I eat, I am fine. What am I? A: A fire!

 

Q: What travels around the world but stays in one spot? A: A stamp!

 

Q: If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it? A: A Secret.

 

Q: What kind of tree can you carry in your hand? A: A palm!

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