Nearly Christmas!

It is so close to me coming home now, this is a picture of the last boat I had to wash. Sad? Of course not!


Remember we went to the mountains last weekend? Do you recognise this place? It's not very easy to recognise if I'm honest.


This is a little easier to recognise. I did a panoramic photo using my phone, lots of little pictures stitched into one. Clever eh?! Both the pictures are from the same village, that will help.


This is highest-most point you can drive to up at Samoens 1600, this is how snowy it was when we got there. Lovely, isn't it?


This is from the walk we took at Fer a Cheval. We spotted some chamois (same animal the leather from your painting stick came from) up on the rock face. I can't see them in the picture so don't bother looking, but it's a nice story for you :-)


Recognise these two?! They are intently watching the chamois clambering on the rocks. We watched them for a while and they are incredible climbers! It looked like a mum and baby, they were very sure footed, leaping about in the nooks and crannies.


This is a self-portrait from the same walk. It was difficult to smile as the sun was very bright and I was concentrating on where my phone was pointing, so I am much happier than I look! It was gorgeous there, very warm and tranquil, it would have been perfect for you to take a picnic and do some painting. Maybe next time we are there if it's not too cold.


This is the pretty sky at Les Gets, it's not too far to drive from the Chalet an it is a very pretty town with lots of pretty shops. Everything there is pretty, worth a visit.


I took this this morning, it's of the two cranes we got to play with. We have taken almost all the boats out the water now, some are staying in over the winter. Lots of work for me to do before I come home!

I hope Dad has been keeping you up to date with the news from my numerous PhD applications. It's very exciting as there are 3 uni's that know about me (Leeds, Brighton and the newest, Bradford). I expect we will talk on the phone soon so you can ask me lots of questions then :-)

Lots of love,

Tommy

xxx

Of course I can do it from my phone!

I'm sure you will be very happy to hear that I have managed to find a way to blog from my phone! Not only does this mean I can blog from anywhere, but it saves the hassle of moving my photos from my phone to the computer too! Brilliant!

I have never been to the port with you, nor did I ever see Dad Morris Dancing here. The first time I came here was when I arrived this summer.

They aren't called that, here's a better picture for you to distinguish it.




We went out mushroom-ing again and found loads! The game's much more fun when you find the things you are looking for.

Lots of love,

Tommy

xxx

Unintentional food theme...

I didn't mean to, and I don't mean to, but I seem to have a food-orientated life as shown by this blog. I take photos on my phone when I feel the urge and it evidently leans towards the food side of life!

This is Steve and Zoe enjoying a bowl of squid spaghetti, and it's not an optical illusion - their bowls are different sizes. Mine was even bigger!

This is a sideways picture of the empty 1kg bag of cereal that you gave me for my birthday less than a month ago. This picture was taken on the 20th too, only 18 days after my birthday. That's only about 50g of cereal a day, doesn't seem that much.

This was a very successful main-bit of a pasta bake I did when Steve was in England. He says his parents are fine by the way. Remember that pig? His mouth is glowing green!

Guess what this picture is of. It's not a poo. Maud and I went searching for them in the forest, and they have a very ominous (I think that's the word) name.

Moving off the food theme, this is the view from one of the boats that we had to take out of the water as it had a hole in it. Have you seen the port before? This is about a third of it, the rest follows the road to the left, the offices are round the corner on the right. When I go into work now everything is frozen, it's fun to ice-skate on the boats! I use the boots that Dad gave me for Christmas last year every day, they were a very good present.

To rival your photo, this is a very pretty sky picture that I took whilst not driving back home from work. The scenery here is beautiful at the moment with the low sun and clear clear skies. It would be perfect for your painting, much better than blustery Tenterden!

Lots of love,

Tommy

xxx

Recent History

So, at the ripe older age of 23, I have decided to continue my blog after a hefty break. I am continuing for you Mum, as I know I am mostly away from home at the moment and you don't know what I get up to most of the time. It will also help me keep up with my English as I'm pretty much fluent in French now... So here is a very brief and brisk collection of the time since I was last in England.

I apologise if there are massive formatting errors, it's been a while...
This is when I was at Bestival, this is 3/4 of the group I spent most of my time with. George, Tom (who you don't know - he went to uni with Gav), Gav and me. I made the rookie mistake of taking alcohol (at the time it seemed like lots but it turned out it wasn't at all) and no food. So many £2 pot noodles later and the festival was over. Possibly the best (out of 2) festivals that I've been to. Definitely going again next year.

Tom and I standing in front of a lovely castle that was burnt down on the last night. I'm pretty sure I missed the fire after all the hype throughout the weekend.

This is when the Adams' and I went to Macon to meet Steve's brother Mark and to drop off Steve's parents. We went to a lovely restaurant where we were split on 3 bar-style tables high off the ground. Fergus and I were on one together and we had a lovely meal with sparkling conversation. Needless to say Fergus didn't manage to finish his Sundae, even with my help! I had an amazing Creme Brulee that was the size of my face, I enjoyed every morsel.

This is when you came to visit, this is at Craig's bar (Peter and Sheena's son). That was a lovely evening, lots of lovely beers. On your post you mentioned I should try that fruity beer that you had (raspberry was it?). Well I did try it, with you. It was very sharp and not beer-flavoured in the slightest. Probably why you like it then!

This is Dad, enjoying himself by the very bright sign. I wonder if they charge it up with the sun in the day then let the light go at night. It was blinding! Must be cataracts getting to me in my old age...

Three very far away girls enjoying the delights of Cravant. This was on our tour of the village led by Lizzie, Dad and I found it necessary to have a quick sit-down.

Remember we went to the market in Chablis? Well this is when we had a quick aperitif outside a bar. We were so lucky with the weather, it rained the day after you left! This is Dad looking very interested in what Steve has to show him...

Of course, a phone.

You and Lizzie engrossed by something in your hand...

Zoe and Hari looking equally amused by, can you guess? Your camera!

I obviously was bored by all so took an interesting self-portrait!

I'll finish of this post with a couple of photos taken by the port this week. I was walking to the car to drive home for lunch when I saw this lovely van with "RADIOACTIVE" written on the side. Of course, the back was open revealing the large yellow plastic container that may contain some things Grandad would be interested in. But it's ok, the driver is on guard whilst eating his lunch - from a saucepan? Where would he be able to cook?

Oh right, the camping stove in the back next to the yellow container. Of course! Only in France...

Lots of love,

Tommy

xxx

Done and dusted.

For you Mother darling, there are captions on all of the pictures to explain a little more about what's happening on them call.

Til next time,

Tom

Lots of pictures!

Hello again! Before I show you all the pictures that I will put up, I want to wish my sister a happy belated birthday. I really hope that she has a great time being 22, and I can't wait to see her again when I get home. Love you Hari.

These pictures are only of Thailand, in a place called Koh Pha Ngan. There are a lot of pictures of Fiji and New Zealand, but it would be a waste of time and money for me to put them up now. You can wait til I return home!

So without further ado, in no particular order whatsoever, this is Thailand...

















This is me looking particularly dashing at the door of our room.





















James, likewise. Loving the bandanna!
















This is the beach the morning after the full moon party, Haadrin, Koh Pha Ngan.

















Kinda skipping a week, this is the boat on the way to Koh Tao, we almost capsized. ALMOST.
















A view from the boat just off of Koh Tao.
















Back to Koh Pha Ngan, Stovell and a random baby at the full moon party.
















James' "I want you" face.





















Stovell and James, lovely.
















Stovell was testing how alcohol numbs pain, thumbs up!

















The sunrise at the full moon party.
















A big glowing sign at one end of the beach, just in case you wondered why the cab wouldn't take you to New Pond Road, it's in Benenden mate, just outside Cranbrook. Cabbies...





















My kind of make-up. Shame there are no shots in black-lights, it looks much cooler then, honest.















Luke working on Stovells art work.





















Ads with everything he needs for the night.















Women numb pain even better than alcohol!





















James and Luke, what a lovely tongue you have!
















Me, bumping and grinding with... a post?
















James and a deteriorated Osama. It has been a while since the rope.
















The whole reason behind this party.




















James with his kinda hippy party paint.
















James and... I don't actually know.
















It takes a while but...















... they soon warm to him.
















They have actually scared everyone off the beach...















Ads- gangsta; Stovell- porn star; James- pissed.
















The first buckets of the night. I love Sangsom!
















Stovell looking confused about the girl dropping from the sky.
















Not the same night, can tell by the boxers. Obviously a lot of fun though.

















Whattup dawgs?! Cough... hey guys...















The incredible lifting of the giant, performed by another...
















A completely new night (boxers). Still looking damn good though!
















Yeah, I can do that, I just don't wana show off!















Fire poi, pretty enchanting!















Scary or...















... suave Stovell?
















More fire things...
















...















...















Fire skipping rope... accident waiting to happen? Probably, but it's the most entertaining thing on the beach!















Fire skipping rope in action.
















Ring of fire. Again, very entertaining.
















The coolest fire-performer ever.
















Fire staff, not the coolest performer but pretty impressive!
















A view of the beach from our balcony.















And another. Jealous? I am and I was only there a week ago!















My first bucket of Sangsom, memories...
















James... lovely.
















The lethal stuff. Nice though!
















James drinking a concoction of some sort...















The people below our balcony, literally begging to get you paraletic. Well if you insist...
















Pain returns in the morning. (slightly testing your memory of captions now!)





















James looking lovely in our room.
















James and I both looking lovely.















James looking...
















And back to that night. O yeah, those guys! Thingy and whatsisname!
















Haha, drunk guy and 10:00pm, still got another 12 hours to go mate!
















Big guy in between Luke and I. Deal was if you could knock him off his feet he will buy you a bucket, if you fail it's the other way round. I didn't want a drink...
















The ones who I elected to feed me alcohol, played pool with them a few days later. Don't have a clue what their names are. Nice guys though.















A couple of the guys again at about 4 in the morning. Wow they look awake.
















Sleeping in the middle of the beach with 8500 other notably larger people around. She's got more guts than me!















Stovell a few days before the full moon playing football on the beach.

Time jump to the beginning of Koh Pha Ngan, our taxi ride to Haadrin beach.

And back again to the crazy people viewed from our balcony.

The ring of fire with no-one inside.

A final view of the beach.

Til next time,

Tom