Things to worry about before you go.

Taking a cruise to the Baltics at this time of year raises two big problems for me. What do you pack? It could be lovely and warm or it could be cold and wet. Or maybe even both. So you need a mixture of clothes, and definitely things you can mix and match and layer. Most cruise lines allow you to take 90kgs of luggage. But please don’t. You won’t have anywhere in your miniscule cabin to store it all. We have managed to pack everything in one suitcase and it only weighs 21kgs. Oh, and we each have a carry on with those essentials like reading glasses, seasick tabs and a change of shirt for when I drop food down my front at our first meal on board! It happens, trust me!

We have been rushing around trying to get everything sorted, mow the lawn, clean the house, defrost the freezer (which has a huge chunk of ice in the bottom tray for some reason), and powerwash the bird poop off the patio. Ok, so maybe we aren’t going to do the latter but it needs doing! But my big worry is my garden. Will it survive me being away for a couple of weeks? What if it doesn’t rain while we are gone? I have some veg that need TLC. Beans and potatoes, tomatoes, pepper and courgettes. My track record with veg is terrible but this year I’d love to come back to flourishing plants.

I hate leaving my garden when it is blooming so well. Here are my favourites at the moment. Looking lovely I think. Fortunately we have a very reliable person looking after the place while we are gone so my babies will be ok, fingers crossed.