There are still a few fireworks going off although most of them have finished.  There was a really good display this year even if some of them were so loud they were rather alarming !  We enjoyed ours and the sparklers we had and then we enjoyed our jacket potatoes followed by some very rich and tasty homemade brownies!  All in all it was very nice!

I took a half-hour's flexi at work today and left early to meet Mum.  We wanted to get started on some serious shopping for Christmas.  Today it was lots of bits and pieces rather than presents and we came away with a fair bit, cards, wrapping paper and ribbon as well as other things.  The crowds weren't too bad although it is getting busier. 

The start of another week but work was  very busy and the morning sped by.  For once it was quite nice that it was so warm in the library as after some torrential rain and very grey skies it was lovely and sunny and crisp but very cold today.  Then I was into town to pay the credit card and to open a new building society account which took ages.  It was a very late lunch today.  Tomorrow will be another late lunch but I don't mind as I am meeting Mum and we are going to do some Christmas shopping, such as card and crackers and paper.  Hopefully we will spent plenty!

There is finally plenty to do at work which would be fine but along with that has gone much higher temperatures outside and heating on inside.  It all makes for not the nicest conditions to work in!  The weather may be warmer but it's certainly not nice as it's been quite damp too.  And of course the nights are drawing in now.  It is definitely the weather for staying snug indoors!

It has been quite a long week this week, partly because work is still not very busy so the time drags.  The weather has gone from lovely and crisp to dull and damp as well which makes it that much more difficult to get up in the morning.  But the weekend is here and I am out for lunch tomorrow and then I plan to spend the afternoon reading and watch a little television in the evening.  There will be a drink in there too!

We finally have some good Autumn weather to match all the lovely colours the trees are turning!  It's sunny and crisp today with a clear blue sky to show up the golds and reds and oranges on the trees instead of the dreary, drizzly damp weather we have had all week.  And a long week it was too, being back at work, especially when it was too hot in there and too little to do in spite of the students being back in force.  So I've enjoyed my weekend, lunch out yesterday, a visit to see my friend's newly  acquired kittens - and lovely they were - and some baking yesterday afternoon, apple pie and a little turnover with the leftover pastry and cooked apple, very tasty!

We had an early start on the first day of our holiday with two train journeys that day to get us to Paris.  By late morning we were in London and it was a short stroll across to St Pancras for the Eurostar.  The trip through the tunnel was very low key.  In fact it was a couple of minutes before I realised we were actually in it and above us was the English Channel!

Once in Paris we checked into the hotel and with no unpacking to do as we were only staying one night we headed straight out to take advantage of the late night opening at the Louvre.  We didn't have very much time there so we settled on a look at a couple of famous exhibits, the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo - of the two we decided we much preferred the latter.

Thursday and another train trip - a much longer one this time made a little longer by it being late but six hours after leaving Paris we were in Nice.  We were really pleased with the hotel which had a fantastic view of the sea from the bedroom terraces.

Friday we spent in Nice first in the flower market  at the Cours Saleya and then having bought some food in the market for lunch we headed up to the Colline du Chateau, the local park, so high up there was actually a lift as an alternative to the stairs and which had fabulous views across the sea and the town.

We ate that night and almost every night after in the market place which once all the stalls had gone was filled with outdoor restaurants.  The food everywhere was delicious.

Saturday we took the train to Cannes.  It was a bit of a disappointment.  There was a lovely beach and some spectacular yachts but it wasn't as nice as Nice.

On Sunday we decided to have a lazy day as it was so hot.  There was a celebration for the town's saint which was very colourful.  After that we had lazy afternoon in the hotel relaxing with a bottle of wine on the terrace.

On Monday we went to Monte Carlo which was very picturesque and also very mountainous!  We watched the changing of the guard - too many people to get good pictures - toured the Palace and visited the Casino.   That evening we ate in the hotel and then packed for the journey back to Paris.

The train back was late - forty minutes - so we were very glad to get off and be back in the same hotel we had used on our first night there.  To stretch our legs we took a walk along by the river.

On Wednesday we took a river cruise in the morning.  We were going to go up the Eiffel Tower but with only one lift workgint the queues were too long so we found a nice place for a leisurely lunch, collected our bags and headed to the station for the Eurostar back to London.  Later that evening we were back home, shivering in the cold after all the hot sunshine.  We had had a wonderful time!

Some more pictures of the holiday are here.