Last day

I can't quite believe how quickly this week has gone and I'm already on my last day of classes and just one last dance party tonight. It really is like being in balboa heaven with so many great dancers. It's weird to think that tomorrow we all float away back to our own little worlds and smaller balboa scenes. But in the meantime I'm enjoying every last minute of summer camp. There was jousting with French sticks during lunch which of course escalated into a water fight.b I got totally drenched (thanks Trent) but it was so hot it was lovely and I even dried out before afternoon class.

I loved Mickey & Kelly's class on lollies, lots more footwork for me to get practising.

As it's the last night it's time to get dressed up in our poshest but danceable frocks, everyone looked totally fabulous.

Richard, Janet and Chris

Miss Jean, Julie, Jo, Mel & Me.

Looking good

Pretty ladies

Julie and me

We couldn't leave the lovely Kate out. I think this could be my favourite photo from camp.

The fact that we were all dressed up did not stop the high jinx and there was a little singing competition that ended up with all 8 of us from our table stood on benches! Dinner was a rather marvellous affair with awards, we won one for our Alice costumes and it appears I will forever be known as Alice in certain circles.n Then there was a film show and cake and burning Armagnac. Too much fun before we even went dancing.

As with every night this week the dancing was amazing, but what would you expect from people who spend a whole week learning and practising their balboa. I'm going to miss this soooooooo much.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

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A flocking good time

I'm so proud that I managed to do all my classes today. Yep that's another 4 hours of lessons done and dusted, which then had to be rewarded with a glass of Floc. Now i'd been a good girl until then and managed to stay away from it, but gosh it's good and of course I had to try the white and the red to see which I liked best. It was great just to sit and chat and relax.

Also as it's not only the 10th anniversary of Studio Hop Summer Camp, but 20 years since Anne-Helene & Bernard got married, they renewed their vows, which was a complete surprise for Anne-Helene! Etta and Lara got to be flower girls, they were so excited and looked so cute in their matching dresses.

So then it was a dash back to the chalet as we were breaking out of camp again tonight and going out for dinner. Janet, Miss Jean, Chris, Richard and I headed back to Montreal to a restaurant we'd spotted the other evening and it couldn't have been a better choice. Madame made us feel so welcome and they shuffled tables around to squeeze us in. I started with a kir but a blackberry one and had foie gras ravioli that had the most amazing sauce, so full of cream you could feel your arteries hardening but far too good to leave a single drop in the bowl. The entercot with copes was equally as good and I finished off with a local dessert of croustade du pomme, a crunchy little apple tart with rum & raisin ice cream. Totally delicious and well worth the dress size I've probably gained! So back to the chalet to get ready to go to the dance and work off some of those calories.

It's totally amazing that every evening has been jam packed with fabulous dances and I've been very lucky to get asked to dance a lot. My poor little feet don't know what's happened to them. Generally at home I live in trainers most days, so I come away for a holiday and wear heels for class and then for the dances. No wonder my feet are aching.

I am past working out what time I'm going to bed. On the grounds that we didn't get to the dance until midnight it's best not to think about it, especially as I have class at 10am tomorrow morning and I couldn't miss my last class with Bobbi & Kate.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

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Out and about and down a rabbit hole

It's the day with no classes today, so I slept in before heading out to Eauze with Janet, Chris, Miss Jean & Richard. As it's a bank holiday in France today the shops were closed but luckily not the restaurants. I had margaret de canard with veggies and a jacket potato, followed by a tangy blackcurrant sorbet. Ok I did start with a kir and partook of a tipple or two of wine.

From there we headed to Montreal where we found a pretty square, a car boot sale, a funny little museum and a huge local church.

The rain sent us back to the chalet where we chatted before heading up to the Daisy Show (I still have no idea why they call it that), but Bobbi, Nick and Saren made us laugh and got us singing. Dinner was a fun affair with soul music which had us dancing in our seats, (thanks for the great actions Sylvia) and then on our feet. Lots of fun and laughter. We had to tear ourselves away to get ready for Movie Night.

We'd decided to go as characters from Alice in Wonderland, and I got to be Alice, with Jean as the Red Queen, Mel as the Mad Hatter (very apt) and Jo as a Cards-Man. We also picked up Jennie as our white rabbit. Julie, Michaela and Helen looked gorgeous as usherettes and their popcorn went down a storm. There were loads of fab costumes, the mask, jaws, Bollywood, 101 dalmations, starlets, handsome old time stars and so many more. It was brilliant that so many people had made such an effort.

 

I took it a bit easier tonight and didn't dance quite as much, I did manage to go home with a mans jacket though!

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

 

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Jack and Jill

I started the day with fruit & yogurt. Fruit club has gone international!

Then onto 5 hours of classes, which was made tougher due to the heat. But with such great teachers you just don't want to miss a class. We did have a break for lunch which I got to share with Phil & Sue, Hans & Dorrie and Steve & Julia. This place has such a great atmosphere, it's amazing to be here.

I'm not sure teaching Kate Hedin the Paddington Bear Stare was a good idea though. You'd never guess though with her having a girlie dinner with the lovely Susana

Another mad idea for today was to enter the Jack & Jill competition. It's where you have to dance with various different leads, some you may have never danced with before, or in my case, all of them! It was great fun and Miss Jean said I looked neat & tidy, so I'm pleased I had a go. Everyone in our chalet entered and there were four winners, Jo got third, Julie and Chris got second each and Mel took top spot. Congratulations guys, you were amazing.

I must have really relaxed after the competition and enjoyed my dancing as we didn't leave until 4:30 (I think!). Then when we got back Jean and I were having a snifter of port before bed when Mel & Jo came home. Thus putting the world to rights and more port made a very late night/morning. It's a good job there's no classes tomorrow.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

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More classes and a cult

Today was a tough one with 5 hours of classes and a rather hot day. I had an hour off so nipped off to the supermarket to buy fruit & yogurt and Helen came with me to buy white underpants for David Lam. Well it was quite amusing trying to work out what size he was! Sorry David we plumped for small., but look how tiny his tent is!

I was also craving greenery with lovely big prawns, so I bought supplies at the supermarket and treated myself to a salad for lunch rather than going up to the house.

Tonight's party theme was white, which was nice and easy. On entering the hall it did feel like entering a cult with everyone dressed in white doing a strange shufflie dance? Welcome to balboa heaven.

 

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

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Audition Day

Before classes start we have to audition to make sure we're in the right class level. It's not quite as daunting as it sounds as everyone trying for that level dances together, it's still pretty daunting though and you get to dance with 4 different leads. I'd signed up for level 3 and we had to wait until after lunch to wait for the class lists to be posted.

The lovely Miss Jean, Julie & Richard

Julie looking very adoringly at me. So many giggles and it's only Sunday!

I later found out that I'd been moved up to level 4, so one happy little dancer here. Then it was time for our first classes. A mere 3 hours this afternoon with some great teachers. I think I could be told every half an hour to dance with my feet directly under my hips and I'd still need reminding more often. My fellow classmates are lovely, I've met some of them before but there's lots of new people for me to get to know.

So after great classes it was time for dinner. When we went back to the chalet Mel popped the TV on which meant we got completely sucked into the closing ceremony of the Olympics, which in turn meant we didn't go out to the dance until 1am! It was still worth going though as I had some fabulous dances. I made it to 3am before my bed called.

So far I'm loving Summer Camp.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

 

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Cognac and beyond

As we'd arrived in Cognac late last night we decided to have a little wander around the town before leaving. Of course that meant a good French breakfast of coffee and a pain aux raisin! Judith (my Slimming World consultant) I'm sorry, but I'll try and dance it all off this week!

We found some pretty buildings

Oh and I just loved this old sign

And this slightly newer sign! We didn't really have time for a Cognac tour but I'm sure my liver will have enough alcohol to contend with this week, so maybe it was a good idea.

The trip down to Eauze was great, we stayed off the motorway and drove past lots of vineyards and sunflower fields. It really feels like we're in France now.

Obviously the 3 course lunch also helps with that French feeling. Well how can you say no when it was only €12 for goats cheese salad, duck confit and chips, creme brûlée and coffee!

So now onto Summer Camp. I've never been before so was excited to arrive. My first impressions are that it's beautiful and everything you could want. A beautiful house, large tents for dancing, a bar and lots and lots of the best balboa dancers. Within 5 minutes of arriving I'd already seen the beautiful Ellie and knew that I'd see lots more friends arriving plus i'm hoping I will make lots more this week.

Dinner was an international affair with dancers from the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and France. Then it was time for me to find my chalet, with Jean, Julie, Mel, Jo, Janet & Chris. I've been super spoilt and got a room to myself. A quick freshen up and then off to the first evenings dance. It's always a little daunting but I should have known there would be a warm welcome and plenty of dances for me. I stayed until 3am before searching out my bed.

A busy but happy day. It's so good to be with so many of my friends and also meeting people from all over the world who love to dance.

Sleep tight

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

 

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