2020 & 2021 …… what a couple of years!

In each of 2020 and 2021 we have only been able to spend about 6 weeks on board Piedaleau. Therefore we have been away for 10 months each year. Much much longer than we have been used to since buying Piedaleau 6 years ago. Some years we have been on board almost 6 months of the year.

We both have severe withdrawal symptoms! So our cruise in the sunshine up the Scheldt this year was particularly lovely.

We are lucky, however, to have been able to go for some time both years – many of our friends from Autralia and New Zealand haven’t been to their boats for 2 full years now. How hard is that?

We have been busy through the lockdowns, however, as we have moved house and we got married, ‘at last’, in September!

We now live in Lincoln, close to Lisa and Freddie and are settling in well. It’s a year since we moved here. Although we weren’t able to get out and about much for the first 6 months it enabled us to concentrate on getting ourselves organised in our new residence! Just as we had got nearly everything organised we had the kitchen / dining room revamped. Lots of repacking, mess and camping upstairs! But we are really pleased with the result. Opening up the kitchen / dining room has given us a lovely entertaining area. The whole of the ground floor is now ‘done’; the upstairs is staying as it is. Our next project will be the garden. I’m just starting to get quotes.

We are keeping well & have both had our vaccinations and boosters. But we also had Covid in July. Lisa caught it at school and it spread through us all following my family birthday dinner in July. Out of 10 of us (not all at dinner) only Freddie and Frankie, my sister, did not come down with it. Double vaxed Adrian caught it from Lisa and then passed it on to double vaxed me! He likes to share! Neither of us were badly affected. Lisa was the worst of us all as she had only had one jab at that time. She had a couple of trips to hospital for check ups. Everyone is well now and have had 2 jabs and a booster.

Through the summer things were opening up throughout the Uk, but this has now halted due to the Omicron variant which is causing mayhem. Another lock down is probably on the cards in the New Year.

It is really nice to be geographically close to Lisa and Freddie so that we can see each other easily, go for walks, help each other out etc. We are on the north west side of Lincoln, overlooking West Common. It is only about 25 min walk into the centre of town with lots of pubs, cinemas and restaurants etc. We have sampled a few ….. but have many more yet to try.

Our other main place of interest, at present, is a David Lloyd fitness centre. There is a lovely pool there – an essential requirement for me when we were looking at houses here – a huge gym and lots of classes to join, particularly aqua fit and pilates. We also walk a lot since we can get into town in half an hour. So we are focussing on our fitness & on cooking in our swanky new kitchen.

As I write this last blog for 2021, Christmas is upon us. We attended a beautiful carol concert at Lincoln Cathedral the other evening. Probably our last social outing for while. We’ll keep well away from crowds for the foreseeable future.

So I’ll finish my Piedaleau blogs for this year by sending you all our very best wishes for Christmas and a healthy 2022. Jenny & Adrian x

Lincoln Cathedral at night

PS At night we can see the illuminated Cathedral on the hill in the distance from our front door.