A Countryside Break

Dan posing for a photo!

Over the past few days I've had the joy of staying with my flatmate Claire (she also blogs here) and her family in their gorgeous, cosy home in the countryside (which was quite a change for a city girl like me!) and exploring the surrounding area. It allowed me to have a much needed rest after the festive season and curl up with a book in front of their many coal burning fires. Nothing beats the comforting smell of a real coal fire.

Getting cosy in front of the fire

You often don't realise how nice it is to get away from the busy city life until it's time to return to it again. We had such a nice time going for walks along the beach (sorry Judy about all that sand on my shoes!), watching the boats in the harbour and trying to protect our chips from the seagulls,  playing tabletop games, and generally chatting and having a laugh.

A trip to the beach

Smiling through the cold!

Arbroath Harbour

I'm so grateful to Claire and her family for welcoming me into their home and looking after me so well. The dogs certainly welcomed me in as well - they were delighted to have someone new to pay attention to them! It was also really nice to get the chance to know her parents a lot better - and I must say Claire, you are so like your mother. That's most definitely a good thing though!

I also hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and New Year - I'd love to hear all about how you spent it, if you can remember!