Charles at Center Parcs

Last week I headed to Centre Parcs in Thetford with the boy and his family for a few days away. It was our last chance for a bit of down time before summer was over and we're all 'back to school' should I say. It was so nice to switch off from everything and spend some quality together.

We spent a lot of time outdoors and rented bikes to get us around, a definite must, as the place is huge! It's also a great opportunity to get some exploring in. While waiting for a bit of bad weather to pass we passed the time in the Tropical Paradise swimming pool enjoying the slides and rapids. I'm such a water baby and could spend hours splashing around! On one of the days we rented a beach cabana for the morning. Perfect for a quick refreshment and having a snooze in between all that swimming!

At last the sun came out, and we hit the lake for some paddling around in a katakanu to make the most of the last bit of summer! I always find it so relaxing to be on the water and it's great upper body workout too! Thankfully we remained dry this time!

Our next adventure found us hanging from the branches on the aerial tree trekking. We got suited and booted in our harnesses and headed for the heights. I'm not the greatest when my feet are off the ground but there's nothing like facing your fears right? Once I got into the swing of things, quite literally, I actually enjoyed myself. The obstacles slowly got higher and harder until we reached the top and zip lined across the lake to solid ground!

I know what you're thinking, where's the food? Don't worry, there was plenty of that to keep us fuelled up after all our activities. We visited the Pancake House, Bella Italia and had our own BBQ but my favourite meal of the week had to be Cafe Rouge. We treated ourselves on the last night and went for the full 3 courses accompanied by lots of wine. We had the sharing platter of Charcuterie et Fromage to start, it was so good I think I could have eaten the lot myself! I opted for the slow-cooked duck with cherry sauce and dauphinoise potatoes, which was just yummy! And of course, no meal is complete without cheesecake for dessert.

Our first visit to Centre Parcs was a very much a success so I think we'll be back again sometime soon. Maybe we'll try a different park next time round and find some new activities to try our hand at!