We're All Going to the Zoo Tomorrow We All Went to the Zoo Yesterday

Every day starts in the same way. The sound of Arthur's bedroom being unzipped, the pitter-pat on the ground sheet as he looks around for his Crocs whilst bursting for the loo, followed by the unzipping of the outer door as he darts out t-shirt on backwards, collecting his table tennis bat and ball on the way, shouting "I'm off to practice my backwards serve!".

All family affairs from that point on until bedtime are a matter of the utmost inconvenience to Arthur as he charges through his boundless supply of energy with his friends* as he bounces them from boules to swimming to table tennis and back.

We did manage to get him to sit with us for a staged photograph at Saturday night's BBQ.


Also, he agreed to suspend all scheduled activities and release his friends* from their commitments for "a half-day max!" to come with us to the Zoo yesterday, before the rains came. The inmates breathed a sigh of relief and went back to lighter duties such as latrine digging, removing every other slat from their bed-frames and emptying their trouser pockets of gravel.

The Zoo de Doue today is a very nice zoo too. Nice sized enclosures, lots to see. Clear signs everywhere. They don't try to flog you £5 'Tigger' helium balloons at every corner like at Chester, plus there's plenty of shade. Took about three hours, then we picnicked near the car.

We'd seen plenty.

*generally means anyone on the site observed not actually doing anything at a given moment, regardless of age, sex or nationality. Includes family if food involved.