Eye swelling remedies.

We are battling the high winds and snow this week in the Cotswolds.  Spring is almost here and the snowdrops have appeared.

The weather is so cold the snow is staying on the fields.

One of our charges, a mischievous pony has injured his eye trying to escape into a much more inviting field.  The eye was undamaged but the surrounding area was quite swollen.  A good tip I learned from the groom was to soak a teabag in some warm water and hold it over the affected area.

It was amazing, I applied the teabag and held it there for a while and within a few hours the swelling had gone down dramatically.

Tea bags work well because they have natural tannins that act as astringents.

We will add this to our bag of tricks to take with us.

Car safe in Carcassonne

Della has been sitting in the lovely Southwest corner of France for 3 weeks.  The weather, although windy,
is very pleasant, and although it is February, it is very Spring- like.   The sky has been mainly blue and the blossom is out on the almond trees.  There was a sprinkling of snow towards the end of the month, which picked out the rows of vines which are abundant in this region.

We have a regular client with three little dogs in this area,  They are rescue dogs and all have their issues.  One issue is being frightened of traffic of any kind and other dogs.  So finding a safe and quiet spot to take them on their daily walk is very important.

Luckily a little car journey is all it takes to find quiet off road walking through the vines around Carcassonne.  It is so peaceful and the views are amazing.

The dogs are secured in the car by a nifty little gadget which clips onto their collar or harness and then connects into the seat belt holder.  It allows the dogs to sit on the back seat of the car without them being able to jump into the front or being thrown forward in the event of sudden breaking.  It is adjustable for different size dogs.  We found this such a simple little tool and costs about £6.  Great idea.

Car Seat belt restraint for your dog

http://www.justclaws.co.uk/car-seatbelt-dog-restraint-105-p.asp

New Year on the Cote D'Azure

Tracy and Sydney walking in Antibes

We have been to the South of France for holidays and house sits in the past but with a new client situated in Vence, in between Nice and Antibes, we found loads of places that we  hadn't visited before.

We went inland, away from the more familiar seaside towns, and found towns impossibly perched on top of  rocky promontories,  Gourdon is one example, a number of bastide towns, Turettes-Sur-Loup being our favourite.

The light and weather is unique in this part of the country and we enjoyed a respite from the dull, cold weather we normally experience in January.  It was cold enough for snow on the surrounding ski slopes, but down at the sea shore it was very pleasant.

Tracy enjoying the January sunshine

Our charge was a young jack russell who was impossible to wear out, so we all enjoyed some great walks in the mountains, with fabulous views out to sea, we looked at the huge houses clustered around the Cap Ferrat, there is a footpath around the cliffs of the Cap. We went to Menton one of the last towns before the Italian boarder.  There is an annual lemon festival held here in February,  we will try to get to see it one year.

Della and Sydney on a walk to St Paul de Vence

As well behaved dogs are allowed in restaurants in this part of France, we were able to visit a favourite vegetarian restaurant called Chez Helen in Antibes, it is a modest place, but the food is excellent as well as the service.  We really got the most out of our time here as we were able to take the dog everywhere with us, and being so young, it gave him different experiences.  We walked along the beach at Cagnes Sur Mer, we hiked the mountain trails and followed the coastal paths.  We are looking forward to seeing Sydney again in the future for more exploring.

Picture Postcard Cotswolds

We sat for a regular client in the Cotswolds this year, and were looking forward to a traditional family get together with the extra bonus of a very English village backdrop.

Everything was ready, we had the open log fires burning, the beautiful beamed cottage cozy and welcoming, lots of ideas for the main feast on  Christmas day, and three very well loved pets for us to pamper.

The main street of the village/town was bustling with tourists enjoying the long break from work this year. 

We, unfortunately, came down with the flu a few days before the big event and had to cancel our planned program of events.

We spent a few days in bed, and could not face any of the rich, tasty food we had planned or that was being shown us constantly on the television.

Never mind, we made up for it after Christmas, although not in such a perfect setting for such an occasion.

Food discoveries on our trip to North East America

www.teaism.com

Tracy enjoying a meal at Teaism, Washington DC

We were extremely surprised at the choice and quality of the vegetarian options available on our last trip to North East America. Here are a few of our favorites.

Hearty meal at Founding Farmers, Washington DC

 http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/

Each city we came to had a great selection of  vegetarian restaurants at all price levels.  Every one we went to had a very high quality menu and was excellent value.  They prided themselves on Organic produce and locally sourced.

http://www.citytavern.com/

The City Tavern, Philadelphia was a real find.  The diner can experience authentic 18th Century American culinary history.  They endeavour to use authentic recipes of the day.  Having said that there was ample choice for the modern vegetarian to enjoy.  We did not feel short changed in the least.

Catching up with friends in New York

With all of our busy lives, we have not been able to organise a get together for  6 years, so we were very excited to be meeting up again at last.

We met our American friends on a cruise to Alaska, when we all found ourselves sitting at the same table for dinner each evening.  We hit it off, and have been keeping in touch via Facebook, emails and the occasional short visit. 

Jeanette and Erlinda have since had a little girl, Gabriella, who we had not seen in real life, until now. They live in the Hudson Valley, a beautiful part of New York, and we were staying with them as well as our other friends from Long Beach, California, Sally and Janet, as well as Ellen.

We visited the Hudson Valley wine region, having a few wine tasting stops along the way.  The wine at each winery was very different. 

We went to our first ever baseball game with the New York Yankees, at the Yankees stadium in the Bronx. Here we are doing the Bronx sign. 

Sally and Janet came with us to Philadelphia for a few days, we got to see the Liberty Bell, Liberty Hall and learnt about American history and the beginnings of a new nation.  We kept a low profile in Philadelphia as the English were definitely the 'baddies' in this part of American history!

We went to Lancaster, Amish country with the girls and the last part of our trip Tracy and I went to Washington DC, to follow the progress of the first settlers to their current governmental capital.  It was such a fantastic trip, not only catching up with our dear friends, but seeing some fabulous places and having some fantastic experiences.  An extra bonus was the food we experienced in all of the locations

we visited.

What an amazing trip.  Thank you all guys for so many great memories.

Discovering Geneva

Tracy was sent to Geneva to sit for a new client.  She looked after a lovely Jack Russell who loved walks, so she got to explore the very affluent town in great detail.

The United Nations and the Red Cross employ a large number of  people here, including American and British citizens.  Our name was soon passed around amongst friends and colleagues and we now have a number of clients in this most beautiful neck of the woods.

On this occasion, Tracy was situated  in the city of Geneva which has a lovely lake, bordered by France and Switzerland.

French is the most common spoken language here, but as there have been a number of cultural influences over the years, the street names are a mixture of German, French and Italian.

We are both back there in February 2013 so hope to explore a bit more together then.