Rye

While the girls have been in Japan, John, Adam and I have had a good time as smaller unit of three. Adam studied for his GCSEs during the day and in the evening we all chilled together. One night Adam and I went to the local pool where I perfected my walrus imitation in the aqua-aerobics class while Adam dodged the tidal waves sent out by the ladies. It was fun and oddly he did not seem ashamed to be seen with me. A friend tells me this is because I am not his mother, sons get embarrassed about mothers, not step mothers...well not as much.

On Saturday I did my first solo viewings of a property, which remain unlet, and after work John and I headed for the south coast town of Rye. http://www.visitrye.co.uk/ Highly recommended. It was once the home of what seems like most of England's smugglers as well as the author Henry James. His former residence, Lamb House, is now a National Trust property. Lamb House was later the home of EF Benson who wrote, among other things, the Mapp and Lucia books. He used Rye as the setting for many of his stories, and having just finished one of the novels, oblivious to this fact until we got there, it made the place even more appealing.

We stayed at Durrant House (rhymes with currant) http://www.durranthouse.com/ a five star B&B which was lovely. Being on the coast, we went out for a sea food for dinner and had superb English mussels followed by grilled whole sea bass and plaice.

Ever since we moved to England, John has talked of driving through Kent, the Garden of England, and as promised, it is very beautiful. We walked along the cliff tops at Hastings Country Park on Sunday, where there were many happy dogs sniffing for rabbit holes and chasing balls. The sea was calm and blue. There is nothing I like more, water, fresh air and lots of space.

We took Adam back for his last term at Ardingly last night, after the ritual meal out on the way back to school. It was a big moment for him with exams looming and the end of his time there not far away, and a big one for John who remembers the little boy who waited outside with his suitcase packed for his parents to take him away, just days after joining.

A touch of empty nest syndrome last night. The girls have not called other than to say they arrived safely, so I phoned them today and it will be so good to have them home again on Friday. Although I do not want to detract anything from their valuable time in Japan.