Center Parcs - Suffolk 2009

1) Day 1 in Center Parcs, Elveden Forest, Suffolk, Saturday 5th September 2009. We arrived the evening before but it soon got dark and it was raining so we didn't go out, preferring instead to have a nice delivered Pizza instead. Here we see Milla having her breakfast sitting in the dining area of our chalet. It is all open plan with kitchen, lounge and dining area together. There were two bedrooms each with ensuite facilities. In our case a Jacuzzi each. Liya used it once but it frightened the baby and took ages to fill up - and who needs it anyway? The chalet was a bit tired and run down as these appear to be the ones over-due for a make-over, as others have had. So we ignored the mildew, mould, rust and dirt. There was a nice open patio area but being in the middle of a forest you couldn't see much. It got dark at times. However there were lots of local wildlife turning up all the time for their demand of rations. If you looked hard through the trees you could see a little bit of the lake but it was a short walk to the shore.

2) View from the kitchen of the chalet looking towards the lounge area. The kitchen had a microwave, fridge, cooker and dishwasher - but no washing machine.

3) Lounge area looking back to kitchen/dining area with Milla and Liya. We had a TV and DVD player

4) Milla awaits at the door for her first adventure on holiday. Liya has dressed her for the arctic.

5) Milla and mummy outside the chalet.

6) Walking through the woods between chalet and road.

7) In the car park. Milla already disrobed.

8) At the bike centre

9) Out on her own! Milla races ahead on quiet forest paths.

10) Watch out for that bike Milla.

11) Nice views down by the Country Club.

12) Milla & Mummy returning from the Aqua Sauna.

13, 14 & 15) Milla climbs.

16) Lots of red phone boxes around.

17 & 18) Mummy & Milla.

19) One of the newer chalets. Nice.

20) Daddy and Milla.

21) Daddy & Milla by the lake.

22) Daddy & Milla in the central Plaza area.

23 & 24) Central Plaza.

25, 26, 27 & 28) Views around the central Plaza.

29) Sports Plaza.

30 & 31) Milla outside the Sports Plaza.

32) Milla and Mummy outside the swimming dome.

33) View over the central Plaza.

34, 35 & 36) Milla reflects upon the gushing water through the Plaza.

37, 38 & 39) More reflecting as Milla marches through the central Plaza area.

40) What do you need in a Forest? An artificial tree that lights up at night.

41 & 42) Views down by the lakeside.

43 & 44) Milla goes exploring by the lakeside.

45) Day 2 - Sunday 6th September 2009. Milla enjoys breakfast outside on the Patio.

46) Milla makes a face.

47) Milla bird-watching.

48) The view from the patio. For the rest of the day Mark went for a long walk with the Video Camera so no more photo's of today.

49) Day 3 - Monday 7th September 2009. Picking up the camera again. View of the lake.

50, 51 & 52) There are woodland walks but they are brief, short and you are never far from a chalet.... They were quiet though.

53, 54, 55 & 56) This Monday morning Mark went for a walk to capture these shots of the forest and its Center Parc community.

57) Wow - low carbon transport in this eco-community. It is only light-green-wash though as was evident by the patio heaters outside Cafe Rouge.

58, 59 & 60) Milla gets to play in the sports pavilion.

61, 62, 63 & 64) More play.

65, 66 & 67) More play.

68) Liya chills out in the Time Out Zone - an area dedicated to entertaining the kiddies.

69 & 70) Milla plays. Later Mummy took her swimming.

71 & 72) That evening we went out to eat at the American Diner. Milla got cool. Bruce Springsteen meets El Bandito!

73) Milla hangs tuff. She is drinking apple juice.

74) ....and Yana came to. Emerging from her room, Internet and TV to go to dinner with the family. Now drawing on a balloon. Students.

75 & 76) Day 4 - Tuesday 8th September 2009. Mark goes of for a walk with Milla through the woods whilst Liya goes off for some pampering or something....

77, 78 & 79) A walk though the Center Parc woods.

80) A Bird Watching Hide. Empty. No birds either.

81) Some religious signs buried in the woods.

82, 83 & 84) Milla enjoying her walk although most of it was on Daddy's shoulders.

85, 86, 87 & 88) Milla's walk and run. When she sat down in picture 86 she put her hand on a stinging nettle and stung herself. Poor baby! She was very brave and didn't complain at all.

89, 90 & 91) More walking through the woods with Milla.

92) On the same day Milla went painting.

97) Washing up after the experience!

98 & 99) Day 5 - Wednesday 9th September 2009. Milla shares breakfast with a squirrel who came right in the house scavenging. The ducks would do the same until we shooed them all away.

101, 102, 103 & 104) Back for more artwork. This time making a memory.

106, 107 & 108) Then there was the Teddy Bear's Picnic with singing and games.

109) Being a rugged individual Milla wasn't into other people's games and went off to play with her Winnie Pooh.

110 & 111) Picnic time.

112) Rupert the Bear time (Milla extreme right of picture).

113, 114, 115 & 116) The famous Milla Brown meets Rupert the Bear. She was so keen to meet him but refused to queue like all the other good little boys and girls so she sat down and had a tantrum. When it was her turn she refused to smile. All too over-whelming.

117 & 118) Next it was the Humpty Dumpty Show.

119) Milla was so keen she was right at the front and can be seen here to he right with her Mum.

120) More Humpty Dumpty.....

121) Day 7 - Friday 11th September 2009. Time to leave. Yana says "Onwards Milla, lead the way...."

122) So she does. (Rugged individual.)

123) Final view

124) Milla says bye bye.

125) Liya on Holiday.

126) Yana at Starbucks. Then we went home.

129, 130, 131, 132) Pictures from the 5th Sept that were missed earlier...

133) Down by the beach...