Monday

Good morning, everyone.  I hope you all slept well.

I'm on the last lap before my holiday now.  My house sitter is all arranged and I am creating lists.
Food to take
Equipment to take
Things to buy
Things to pack

The last two are self evident, I hope.  I don't take a lot when there are laundering facilities but I do like to take things like my lovely big, white towel, etc, so I make a list.  When I get there, there's a little village shop a few steps along the road but I will take my first night's meal with me, I think.  After all, it is holiday!

When it comes to the first two, it's a bit more complicated.  Don't laugh - I always take Thermione with me on self catering holidays.  I am so used to having her around and now I have the Cook-Key, I can load it up with my favourite recipes (it's a bit like a Kindle for cooking, I suppose).  I also like to take two sharp knives because I cannot bear using blunt knives.  I will give them a good sharpening before I pack.  Then there's things like one loaf tin as I can't expect a holiday cottage to have one, tea towels (my experience is that there are never enough tea towels), poly bags, cling film, etc.  I see no point buying new packs when I have plenty in drawer or cupboard.

I apply the same principle to foody things.  There's no way I am going to buy new packs of things like salt, pepper, sugar, herbs, etc, when I already have plenty at home.  I doubt I will eat out much of an evening as I much prefer snuggling down at home with telly, a good book, some knitting and a glass of the chilled dry white stuff and anyway, eating out on your own isn't a lot of fun.  I've paid out for a very comfortable little cottage and I intend to get the most from it.

Yesterday I went online to plan my route.  The AA route finder is very handy here.  You can input the roads you want to use as well as the destination and it gives detailed directions that you can print out.  I'm joining the A1 at Baldock (using the cross country way, via Bishop's Stortford) and then across to Mansfield, Chesterfield and Baslow from Newark.  It looks simple enough and the signposting seems clear enough.  What with that and the Sat Nav, I should only get lost a few times!
I could join the M1 and go that way but I know the A1 and it's a good road nowadays so I will risk it!

Not long now!