Breakfast in town

'Where did you put the euros I got last week?' asked JR.

'Euros? What euros? I haven't seen any. I haven't touched them. I haven't put them anywhere.' My usual line of denying everything immediately.

Now and again, when the pound is good against the euro, we buy some for future holidays. Actually, I say this, but we never do - this was the first time. And the amount we buy, it really doesn't make a heck of a lot of difference. Perhaps a couple of free coffees worth...

Anyway, JR's theory that I had indeed tidied the coffee table and chucked them out proved correct. Fortunately, my recycling bag of papers had not been emptied as usual this week, and without too much searching, the £150/180 euros were found, intact, in the clearly marked M&S 'Your Travel Money' Wallet. No harm done, then. (Phew)

Another way to get me up and out early apart from pink skies, is 'two for one' breakfasts. Eggs benedict (JR) and eggy bread, bacon and maple syrup (moi). An establishment in town was offering this. We'd been there yesterday for afternoon nibbles and a bottle of wine, and had the same waitress. She was polite enough not to mention the frequency of our visits.

Then off to the Club to catch up with a pal. I can enjoy the teachery gossip SO much more now that I'm out of it!

On the way home I was lining up a shot of the castle, although sky was bleh. I really needed something to fill it in. Winter trees, perhaps. The Gardens are all fenced off because they're settting up the *ahem* 'Winter Wonderland'.

I noticed that the bus drivers were feeding the pigeons and the squirrels, so I got a few shots of a squirrel. Then this pigeon came and sat on the railings. I have a few shots of it peering this way and that, spoiling my view of the castle, but quite comical. I switched on my flash as the bird was quite dark. I held out my hand and it came and sat on it, thinking I had food. When it realised I hadn't it made off. I thought this was a fairly novel way of hiding the bleh sky. Although it does rather obscure the castle...

Off to settle down and watch the rugby. I am quite optimistic this time, but I may have said that before...