pizza cone

A pizzacono or pizza in a cone. It sounds so perfect....but tastes so terrible.

I knew something so great was just too good to be true. While it looks like an ideal way to serve a delicious food it actually tatses like cold glue wrapped in a the sole of a shoe.

Barca: day 3

Back to sunshine thanksfully and once we got to the harbour the best laid plans of sightseeing and culture were pushed aside by all day sangria.

olympic rain

Amazing downpour on the top of the olympic mountain.

Barca trip: day 2

Day two and disaster. The weather had turned from Mediterranean to Middlesborough overnight. Luckily we had taken our mac in a bag from Australia and Pinar couldn't wait to look like a total dork. It really was hammering down so we ended up spending most of the day trying to keep dry and looking round the museums and olympic venues in montjuic.

Barca trip: day one

Day one and great success. Landed to bright sunshine and checked into an amazing hotel.

We spent the day sans-baby and checking out all the usual touristy sights.

It was like the old days, travelling around, tryomg to see everything and tiring ourselves out. November in the North East seemed a long way away.

On the road again

Not quite as adventurous as our trip/trips in 2006 but it was the first time we’d been travelling as a couple since then. We’d never been anywhere without Amber since she was born so we were a bit out of practice. We didn’t exactly need to refill the backpacks but even just popping over to Barcelona for a few nights is an adventure for us now.

We soon got back into the grove and it was really liberating to be able to explore without pushing a pram/pushchair/huge baby bag. We still missed her though - apart from the flight back where we watched the other parents struggling with their own screaming offspring. schadenfreude don't even cover it

Halowinge

She hated her costume so much we couldn't even get the hat on her. Eventually she came round though.

air time

The 30ft ramp looked a bit unstable in the North sea gales but that didn't stop them pulling sweet jumps.

Harry half pipe

The xtreme 08 festival on the beach was pretty impresive. BMX, skaters and roller blades all hit the indoor half pipe and amazed amber. The pictures aren't the best but it was a pretty cool set up.

The dene

Amber talks to the animals and steals my glasses.