After our lazy day yesterday it was time to explore again. We had a leaflet with with some circular drives on and we decided to go on one of these – following the River Lot and the River Célé – which flows into the Lot at Bouziès. We decided to do it our way, and bashed down to Figeac as our start point. A beautiful and bustling city but it was market day and there was nowhere to park so we pressed on – not ready for city life yet!
On the way there we stopped for to phone Mel on her birthday and it was lucky that we did as Paul had to prop up this prehistoric dolmen!
At some points we were retracing the steps we had taken on the boat, so more pictures! We found the Célé to be just as beautiful as the Lot but much less dramatic.
LarnagolCregols LockLooking down on Bouzies lock
I can’t think of a more dramatic location for a lock than at Bouzies and from above it was even more dramatic than at boat level. On our way back, we stopped at our favourite patisserie in Cabrerets (yes, life IS a Cabrerets old chum!) for a late, light lunch and bought a freshly baked Plum Clafoutis for our dessert tonight. Drool. Full of tiny pinky plums – stones in (Mr S moaned!). This was a VERY hot day, with a peak of 40 degrees in Gramat where we went on our way back to refuel.
Home, BBQ and bed. There was a short volley of Bastille Day fireworks at midnight which woke us up with a start!
Today dawned bitter-sweet. Our last day here and a lazy day to bolster our reserves ready for the journey back to the Loire. It would be too hot to pack up until late evening so we made the most of it, snoozing/reading/swimming/eating. It feels a bit naughty – like we are not making the best use of our time here. But it’s our holiday! NO rules. And it suits us. Didn’t much enjoy packing up and the Cribathon has gone out of the window because we have found a new game – Pitch. Strangely apt for a camping holiday doncha think? Entertaining.
We planned an early start and were on the road by 0830 with coffee and PACs in hand – good thing as the road leading to Lacomte is narrow, with no plassing places. The last thing you want to do is meet another rig from the opposite direction. Less likely in the early morning and anyway – we had a long drive to face. 260 miles this time – or around six or seven hours with frequent stops. The route was slightly different on the way back as we were aiming for Le Moulin Fort camp-site on the River Cher, a tributary of the Loire near Chenonceaux. The same journey as far as Limoges and then further east, through Chateauroux and Vierzon. Another lovely site and we had a river pitch, which was delightful. The site is a short walk from the stunning Chateau at Chenonceaux which spans the river. They know how to build to impress!
Aerial view of Chenonceau
We arrived about 4.30 and set up before popping out to nearbyBléré for BBQ supplies and a quick look round.
Bridge over the River Cher – Blere
The view from our pitch at Le Moulin Fort
As we sat eating our BBQ (and noticed that there were far fewer flies here than at Lacomte), a fleet of air-balloons passed over. Such a colourful, graceful sight. Noisy too, when they burn.
Ballooning was invented in France, of course. By les freres Montgolfier. Perfect end to a long day – except it wasn’t over yet – frogs. Big NOISY frogs – at least we think that’s what it is. Lots of them. Started around nightfall and stopped around dawn. Funny!
Tuesday is an exploring day. We set for a quick squizz at Chenonceau (not being in the mood for traipsing round a chateau in this heat) but it’s impossible by road. SO we pressed on towards Montrichard which we liked very much and it had donjon very similar to Portchester Castle – if you screw your eyes up a bit.
Next stop was Amboise and its Chateau. We stopped here for lunch in a creperie and had a tres bon repas! They had a terrace which sprayed a very (almost like steam but obviously cold) fine mist of water on you as you ate, very welcome indeed!
View of Amboise round tower from the restarantA better viewAmboise from across the riverAnother view of Amboise from across the river
Note that it is a bit cloudy – cooler? No sir. It was like the clouds were a lid on the pie in which you were living! They really seemed to reinforce the heat.
Back at the camp-site, later, we got chatting to an elderly UK camper (very nice chap) and the subject of the frogs cropped up. He had been to talking to an angler who frequented the site regularly who had assured him that the noise was not in fact frogs, but coypu. Yes – that’s right – COYPU! Whilst there are – according to my research – coypu in the area I believe he is wrong . Its deffo frogs. Kept expecting to see Rupert along with the air balloons. Bye-ee-ah! Which leads me to this next rash of photos – this time pretty low.
Wednesday we spent doing SFA! Kept fantasising about going for a dip in the pool but just couldn’t muster up the NRJ (our least favourite French radio station!) to do it. We had a LOVELY day. The laziness continued, as we pottered off to Montrichard again for our evening meal. And very nice it was, marred only by a table of six very loud Americans talking mainly BS and culminating in the mother and her very spoilt 20-something son having a blazing row and Ma storming off – and I don’t blame her. He was vile to her. All a bit awkward and I felt embarrassed both by and for them.
We returned to a nightcap at the bar and a quick whizz of WiFi – God I miss 3G! We hung around so long there we were packing up in the gloaming! Off on the penultimate leg of our journey tomorrow. Back oop North.
320 or more miles to go today to our site in the Nord Pas de Calais, near St. Omer. A long drive but we’re OK with them – got a good routine going . And I have to say that the French motorways and Routes Nationale are much better than ours – although you do pay through the nose for them. The Aires are well-designed and well signposted. More than can be said for the M25!
We were covering much the same ground again (route)- although this time via Tours, then Le Mans, Alencon, Rouen, through the Somme, then Abbeville, St Omer and thence to our destination in Buysscheures – Camping La Chaumiere. A very compact and pretty site (bijou?) run by Guy and Bernadette. The site is much used by the Brits as Bernadette works for the local vet and can arrange pre-crossing check-ups for your dog. Great set-up. And of course we originally planned to take Archie, but had a late change of heart (heat/restrictions/long days in the car, so on). Too late to rearrange the crossing and all the sites, but it has actually all worked very well and I have been relieved that all the sites I researched and picked have been very much to our taste. No clubs/enforced jollity/stupid rules/horrible people!
It was a long journey and we arrived at about 1800. We quickly got set up and then down to the bar for a beer or two, followed by dinner at the restaurant. It was probably the best meal we had in France this year. We were both very impressed. We told Madame so and she gave me a big kiss and was very excited. Bless!
We noticed that they had a couple of Bouviers de Flandres and then saw lots of photos and rosettes and it appears that Monsieur is a breeder and has the French champion. We couldn’t wait to tell Jacquie and Rob as Rob has a Bouviers. The French couple were very impressed and said that it was rare to hear that someone in the UK had one – although he had, himself, sold one to someone in Wales.
Our pitch at La Chaumiere – very private, We liked!A Bouviers de Flandres – lovely boy. A “leaner”
It was only after dinner that we found out that they did not accept cards – cash only! Hmm. Quick dash to St Omer, then, to get some – got back just before the 2200 curfew on the gate. Quick coffee and then bed. We has plans!
Yes – we were off to Bruges for the day! Excited again. You’d think we would have had enough of travelling, but no. Short trip though, as Bruges is only just over an hour away and we had both always had a yen to visit.
We noticed that the town names in this part of France are quite un-French – Lederzeele, Steenvoorde, Hazebrouck and also that the architecture was more like ours but with a French twist.
I had found out that you could park at the station in Bruges for 3.5 Euros for the whole day and that fee entitled you to a free bus pass all day, too. Bargain!
We loved Bruges. Expected it to be like Amsterdam and it was – but more beautiful. So pretty. We eventually stumbled across a boat trip (who knew?!) and could not resist. It was fab.
Where we left fromYes. I’m handsome. Get over it.
We were hungry after the trip and found a great location in the main square for lunch, where we had the obligatory moules et frites (and survived!). Good people watching spot too. A little gift shopping and then it was home. We both had a teeny snooze when we got back. The heat is very enervating – and we’re getting on. After our snooze a quick pop to the bar for free (and easy) WiFi, coffee and farewells. Game of boules too (yeah I won!) and a nice chat with a couple from Ypres with an Airedale. And then off to bed. Very little to pack up as we knew our stay was short. Last night. 🙁
Boo! Thrice boo. Time to go home. Luckily, the site is only 40 mins from Calais so we had plenty of time before our crossing at 1520. We had to be off site by midday so we lazed around and then had a last minute panic! Left as midday struck on the village church. Perfect timing.
We had originally planned to stay in Kent overnight but had decided to make a run for home – particularly if we could get an earlier crossing. Which we did. We crossed on the 1350 instead of the 1520. Just time for a quick flick round the Duty Free and it was time to board.
We spotted lots of shiny Aston Martins in the queue – all on the Aston Martin Rally to London. The rally celebrates 100 years of the Aston Martin marque. Sadly one of them is not quite as shiny as it was, as a result of collision in the boarding queue. Oops! We heard a cry of anguish and a bang and there it was.
The drive from the tunnel to home took a couple of hours and we arrived home to a very excited dog and slightly less excited son at around 4.30. It was over. Some 2,000 miles and god knows how much in diesel. We’ll worry about that later. Au revoirs.
After a few slightly crazy weeks leading up to our (critically acclaimed!) appearance in Portchester Players’ s production of Stepping Out, and after, it was time to hitch up and take a weekend away with Mum. She has been staying with us while Uncle D is on holiday in Bulgaria and we have also been house/cat-sitting for friends and had Paul’s Mum to stay – briefly. We had an early start on the Saturday morning near Newbury so we thought we’d halve the journey and stay at the Morn Hill CC site on the Eastern outskirts of Winchester. We stayed here once before and it was very pleasant. Quiet with lots of rabbits – so many that there are even warnings in their leaflet and around the site warning people to beware of all the rabbit holes on the site! Very nice pitch and a lovely sunny evening. This was our first outing with Molly our new towcar. Molly and Mr Munsch – sound’ like a band name! Anyway – Molly performed beautifully. A totally different ride but very comfortable.
As already explained, it was an early start on Saturday morning – we needed to be in Kintbury by 8.45, so we had a light breakfast (with a view to bacon butties on arrival) and set off. The rainy weather wasn’t quite what we were hoping for a day on the Kennet and Avon Canal but that’s boating for you. Always the rough with the smooth.
We arrived in plenty of time and so did Anne, Gray and Anne’s Mum, Sheila. We dubbed it “Take Your Mother on a Boat Day”. We had hired the boat, called Cygnet, from the Kennet Horse Boat Company and it was very cute. A little tatty but watertight! And very easy to handle it turned out, with all mod cons. I’d hire her again without hesitation, anyway.
We had a quick handover and then we were off – and on went the cooker for the Bacon Butties! Go Anne! It was a cloudy/showery/delugey/sunny/cloudy sort of a day and our coats were donned and shrugged off quite a few times. On balance, though it was far better than the forecast had led us to hope for – although we did get one really good soaking.
Archie, after some initial trepidation, took to the boat like the boat dog he really is and had a great day. He soon remembered how to get round locks and was on the go all day.
We went through Hungerford and a total of 5 locks before it was time for our halfway stop and the K&A was just as beautiful as we remembered. As a seasoned sailor, Gray took to the boat with aplomb and was soon steering into locks and generally manoeuvring Cygnet like an old pro. A very useful crew member to have around and he thoroughly enjoyed himself as you can see below. Well, we all did! We had a sumptuous (sumpnerous!) lunch, probably over-catering by a factor of 3, and then turned round for our journey back to Kintbury. You can see a map of our route here. It doesn’t actually look very far, but it took us from 0900 to 17.30 with a half hour lunch stop. A very slow pace which is part of the allure of canal-boating in our opinion. We miss it very much.
I should add that we had numerous cuppas all day and scones, clotted cream and jam at around 4 pm. We didn’t starve!
Here are some pics of the crew in action>
There’s water down there – look.
All too soon we had arrived back at the boat’s base and we reluctantly handed her over. We all had such a good day. Getting Mum on and off the boat was a bit of a trial but she wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I’m only sorry that I don’t seem to have any pics of her. Mind you – we left our camera in the caravan so it’s our own fault!
We have another canal day planned in August, this time on the Oxford canal. This trip is being paid for by the winnings from our quiz team and we’ll have a few more people on board. More people to open the locks! Yay!
We made the journey back to Morn Hill in record time. We had planned to have our evening meal at a pub but we were all so full we didn’t bother. The left-overs from lunch were more than enough of a snack to see us though until morning. We were all – particularly Archie – very tired after our early start and were tucked up in bed good and early.
As we had to be off-site by midday we had our usual leisurely brekker and read the papers before leaving for the short journey home. Our next trip will be to France for our two week summer holiday. That will be a mammoth report!
Not the nicest day as we set off with Mum, Uncle D but no Archie, but the weather forecast looked to be on an improving trend, so we had high hopes. Our first stop was – Winchester services – for lunch provisions as it was the only suitable stop on our route to Hurley, the site of our base for the caravan for the next three nights. It was not our first visit to Hurley Riverside (see entry for July last year) and we knew what to expect. A few problems over the dates we required ensued (probably my fault I think) but they were able to give us a grass pitch for the 3 nights instead of the hard-standing we had booked. Not a huge problem – except that it was raining cats and dogs! Not a great combination with grass. We got set up quickly and I soon had the kettle on for a cuppa.
Once refreshed, we made our way to Marlow, where Mum and Uncle D (hereinafter referred to – somewhat irreverently – as “the olds”) were staying – in Granny Anne’s B&B. Marlow is approached by a beautiful bridge over the Thames, which was designed by William Clark. There is a replica (although much larger) of this bridge, over the Danube in Budapest.
We popped in to Waitrose (still raining) on the way to pick up supplies for our Barbecue – which we had planned for Saturday as it looked the best bet weather-wise. After depositing them at the B&B, we popped back to finish unpacking and arranged to pick them up at 6.30 for dinner. The B&B, by the way, came well-recommended on Trip Advisor, and justly so. Mum was in “Seymour” and Uncle D was in “Magnolia”, where he fell in love with the very swish shower. They were both very pleased with their rooms.
Marlow Bridge – long shotMarlow Bridge closer
Just after 6.30, we picked them up and drove to the “Marlow Donkey” where we had a table booked. The pub is named after the branch line between Maidenhead and Marlow, presumably because it is near the station? The train that runs on the line is also known as the Marlow Donkey. No donkeys. Sorry. We returned them to their rooms around 9-ish and returned to ours to watch a movie. The rain had, by now, pretty much stopped and we had a quiet night.
We awoke to sunshine – hurrah – on Saturday morning, which was good news for the planned barbecue but more importantly for the Thames boat-trip in the afternoon.
Sunny Saturday – Hurley Riverside
So – off to Windsor – avoiding main roads – and we arrived just as the Changing of the Guards was taking place. This is a daily event and is accompanied by a band. Sadly, we could only hear the band and just glimpse the Guards but it was nice to be there.
We found a handy Disabled parking space and set off to find a cuppa. We visited the Windsor Royal Shopping arcade which is situated in the old Victorian station. Loads of eateries and a selection of “posh” (Aquascutum, Jaeger) shops. We had a coffee and a walk round, seeing the replica of the engine that used to pull Queen Victoria’s train when she visited Windsor.
Windsor Royal Arcade
Victoria’s train with Mum & Uncle D
After this, we still had a little time to kill, so we drove to Eton and had a look at the colleges and saw one or two of the Eton lads in full regalia. Then it was back for the Boat Trip, run by French Bros. Paul dropped us nearby and went off to park. We had a little bit of trouble getting Mum on the boat but the lads were very helpful and we managed it successfully. The departure time drew very close and still no sign of Paul! He was struggling to find a space. I spoke to the crew who very kindly offered to put us on the next cruise, an hour later. So – we got Mum OFF the boat. We’d just managed that when Paul rang to say he had struck lucky and was now running along the bank towards us. The crew agreed to wait (amidst my MANY apologies) and we got Mum back ON the boat – we’re talking a set of 2, then another set of three STEEP steps here. Game old girl took it all very well. It was a two hour cruise, which took us through Boveney Lock, past the imposing, Gothic styled Oakley Court (which appears in several hammer Horror films ), Bray Studios and as far as Bray, where we turned round just above the lock. It was a beautiful afternoon and on the way back, we were rewarded with stunning views of the castle.
Entering Boveney LockRiver ViewsOakley Court – now a hotelBray StudiosThe CastleWindsor Bridge
All too soon it was time to leave the boat and the lads were once again very helpful in helping Mum OFF the boat, for one last time! Paul popped to get the car and then we made our way back to Hurley. BBQ time! Paul cooked up a storm over a beer or two and we ate indoors as it had clouded over a bit. Lovely meal with, of course, way too much meat as seems to customary whenever there is a barby. After we had cleared up, Paul dropped “the olds” home and we settled down for the evening.
Sunday was also a nice sunny day and we picked them up around 10.30 and set off for the local garden centre for coffee and a mooch. I bought some lavender plants, which I shall probably kill as I always seem too. Never have much success with it, anyway. We had noticed quite a few gliders about and decided to seek out the local airfield. This turned out to be the the Wycombe Air Park and we spent a while watching the small aircraft come and go and refuelling.
BarbecueUncle D enjoying a beerAt the airfield
We had arranged to meet some old friends (John & Linda Raddon) from ONS who had moved to Marlow some 17 years ago and whom we hadn’t seen in all that time. Lunch at the George & Dragon was the plan. It was so lovely to see them and meet their daughter (Charlotte). and the conversation flowed easily, despite the intervening years. Linda used to perform with Portchester Players and we enjoyed reminiscing.
After lunch we had planned to visit Henley and the Raddons decided to accompany us. Henley on a sunny Sunday afternoon is very busy! Everyone was out enjoying its riverside charms. Mum decided to stay in the car (I suspect a snooze!) and we walked through the park to the river. It felt very British, with a Brass Band in the in the bandstand and people picnicking. Lovely. Must be a pain to live there there, though, in summer. We could see preparations being made for the annual Regatta, which takes place in a few week’s time. We sat on a bench and watched the bustling river. I wished so hard for a boat, but no sign yet.
We prised Mum out of the car and she joined us for a cuppa at the cafe in the park. Lovely afternoon in good company and good weather.
Henley BridgeKay and LindaTiddley om pom pomJohn & CharlotteWatching the boats
It was soon time to part and we went our separate ways. Us, back to Hurley, them back to their house which, by some amazing coincidence was just 10 doors down the road from the olds’ B&B!
On our return, I quickly made up an assortment of sandwiches and we had a late afternoon/early birthday tea, complete with scones, clotted cream and jam. This went down very well indeed!
After dropping the olds back, we went to bed early (21.30). They had worn us out! I think they enjoyed their weekend and we arrived back by lunchtime on Monday – just in time to mow the lawn.
The next trip is quite local as we’ll be staying near Winchester, with Mum as she will be staying with us for a while while Uncle D goes off on his travels to Bulgaria. Can’t wait.
Brighton? On a Bank Holiday weekend? Bit of a cliché but what the heck? It’s a great place to spend a few days so we set off on the Friday at lunch-time. We had very little in the way of traffic problems and arrived at the CC site (formerly Sheepcote Valley) by around 2 pm. In sunshine. We are not used to this! We hastily set up and settled down in the sunshine with our Kindles. A lovely treat.
It is a very pleasant site with plenty of wildlife and the usual good facilities. It’s like a haven of peace and calm – you’d hardy know you were near a vibrant seaside holiday town. And I mean that as a compliment.
As you can see below, the rabbits are very accustomed to human company – the ones in the pics below were only a few feet away. Archie could barely believe his eyes – but he is too well trained to try to give chase, bless him. He just stands and quivers with excitement.
Saturday morning though – that dawned very dingy indeed. We were scheduled to meet up with friends (Linda and Anna) for a walk round The Lanes and a bit of retail therapy. We decided that the rain would not deter us and set off. We started off in the North Lanes and had a good poke around all the quirky and different shops. Such a refreshing change from the bland, corporate, globalised high streets of today. It was pretty chilly and you can see below how much we enjoyed our coffee stop.
After we had finished our mooch we walked down towards the Pavilion. Such an amazing sight. Brighton is where comedian Max Miller was born and we noticed that some wag had augmented his commemorative statue A tad irreverent but quite amusing, really. (If you look closely he has a Heineken can in his hand)
As the day wore on, the weather started to clear, so in true British style we decided we’d have that barbecue we had planned anyway. A quick trip to Waitrose for provisions and then we cooked up a storm. We sat out whilst the cooking was going on but retired indoors to eat as it was pretty nippy.
We had tickets for the the Foodies Festival at Hove Lawns on Sunday, which was a lovely sunny day. We met our old chums Bob and Barb (whom we met on our Canada road trip) at the festival, which was a bonus. It was a lovely atmosphere, with lots of lovely food to try and buy and bands and cider. Strawberry cider. Wrong but lush. And you can see the effects of it below as I attempted to take a photo. Fail!)
Could not have wished for better weather though. It was almost too hot to sit inside a marquee where there was a demonstration on how to make Gin & Tonic cakes. Not to be missed! The demo was by a very nice lady called Emily Ladybird who is a Steampunk and also makes jewellery and writes books. She also gave us an insight into the world of Steampunks. I rather like their style and might well have adopted it, had I been young, currently. Which I’m clearly not!
Cider – makes me take shoe photos.
Cider with Archie
After the show we had scheduled a meeting with a friend of long-standing (Emma aka Dotty D or Twangy Pearl)and the new people in her life (Leroy and Lucille). It was lovely to finally meet them and Lucille enjoyed meeting Archie.
Anna and Linda joined us again for the evening and we polished off the remains of the previous evening’s BBQ – with relish. See what I did there?
All too soon it was Monday and time to leave, but not before another visit from our very own Brighton Belles (or our stalkers as we tend to put it). Another beautiful day and as soon as we arrived home, Paul could not resist a quick dip. Rather him than me – still a little chilly for my taste!
On the brinkAnd he’s in!And out again – PDQ!
The perfect end to a lovely weekend. Here’s to the next one, later this month, with my dear old Mum and Uncle.
In view of the unusually cold weather and risk of snow, we decided that Herefordshire was possibly too risky and had a last minute change of plan. A quick call on Wednesday (the day before we were due to set off) confirmed that a fully serviced pitch was available at The Old Oaks near Glastonbury and so we quickly snapped it up.
We set off at lunch time (fortified by an abundance of sarnies!) and, stopping just once for coffee, we arrived at The Old Oaks around 3 o’clock. We quickly pitched up, made a quick cuppa and then set off to have a quick skirt round the shops in Glastonbury town. We being Paul and I plus our old buddies and veterans of many holiday with us, Sue & Paul Rogers and their dog Fred (Archie’s brother). This is the first time we have shared Mr Munch with anyone else and thus a new experience for all of us. Not being in the market for any crystals or other new age accoutrements, which seem to be the main items on offer in Glasto, we returned armed only with some extra alcohol.
Since our last visit to the site in January 2011, a new facilities block had been built and we could not resist a quick look around on our return. It is indeed magnificent. Warm, spacious and scrupulously clean, with individual shower rooms complete with basin, mirror and toilet – all with underfloor heating. Marvellous! And an indoor washing up area to boot. Whilst the overall block is larger and grander than Daisy Bank‘s I have to say (sorry Old Oaks – this is being VERY picky indeed) Daisy Bank’s just have the edge, for me, because they have a shower head you can actually remove rather than a fixed one. This really is just a personal preference and the facilities cannot otherwise be faulted. The grounds are beautifully maintained and there is a real sense of privacy on the pitches. There are also great views out over the surrounding plains of Somerset. The Old Oaks have honestly thought of everything – from freshly baked cakes every day to a hot water dog washing facility. They even lend you a bird feeder so that you can do a bit of close-at-hand twitching on your pitch. Free wi-fi – good signal too! And quiet? You could hear a pin drop at night. No road roar at all. Just how we like it. It really is worthy of the AA Campsite of the Year 2013 award – which was presented to them just the day before we arrived. It is interesting to note that both Daisy Bank and the Old Oaks are part of the same , adult-only campsite collective – a group of 28 sites which rank among our favourites. It would be nice to visit all of them (we have done five to date). Maybe one day?
With new amenities block behind.
Good Friday dawned fair but with a biting wind. Wells – dubbed the smallest city in England – was our first port of call. I had forgotten how beautiful the cathedral is. A stunning edifice and little wonder that it took a couple of hundred years to complete. Sadly – with dogs we were unable to enter. Wells is also famous for swans, who are trained to pull a bell rope when they want feeding! True! Read this.
There are some nice independent shops and we commend the council for the stunning loos! The old-fashioned sweet shop caused a bit of a stir among our party with squeals of “Floral Gums” and “Cinder toffee”!!! and much smacking of lips. I also bought a rather nifty spatula in a fab cook shop. Just right for Welsh cakes.
Next on our itinerary was a trip to Cheddar Gorge which was – ahem – gorgeous.
We had a quick scale of its slopes but it was bitter – as witnessed by the icicles you can see in the pic below. Sadly tawdry, tacky tourism has taken its toll(some fine alliteration there, I feel!) on the village. It’s pretty awful and even has a Costa (globalisation at its worst). We had a look round but it was not really to our taste. Scarecrow figures (like this)seem to be very popular this year. The good Lord in heaven only knows why. Clearly others like it as it was heaving and Trip Advisor bears witness to that fact. We prefer it “au naturel”. Again – dogs prevented us from visiting the caves, which is a shame. I can’t recall much about them as I must have been no more than 8 when I did visit them!
Saturday took us to Bristol – specifically Clifton, via the Suspension Bridge of course. I loved Clifton A very cosmopolitan feel with lots of niche shops and an abundance of coffee/shops/eateries. I would definitely return – preferably sans chiens.
Can you spot Archie in that pic on the left? Camera shy!
After a couple of hours in Clifton, we set off for the coast, with quaint little Clevedon our destination. We managed to park although it was pretty busy with Saturday afternoon strollers. Also pretty chilly again, mind you. We strolled along the prom and down on to the historic pier. Fact Time! Clevedon’s elegant pier is 312 metres long and made of cast iron. It experiences a difference of 47 feet between high and low tide – the second highest tide in the world. Construction on the original pier started l in 1867 and was completed in 1868. More info here. Love their logo.
Whilst on the pier the sun came out – albeit only briefly and we had a bit of fun with the – what are they called? Photo cut-outs thingies? You’ll see what I mean below.
After our stroll, we popped into Tiffin Tea Room for a cuppa (Assam) and cakes, courtesy of our dear friend Linda Mary Wise. Thanks Bab. Highly recommended.
So Easter Sunday. Guess what we had for brekker? Yeah. I’ll spare you the detail. So – there was a Medieval Fayre on in Glasto so we thought we’d pop along. It was £7 for the entrance fee and sadly didn’t seem to be very large so we decided (after a team conflab) to give it a miss. Lots of medieval types plodding around the town though. I’m sure they had great fun and I imagine a lot of work went into the organisation so please don’t think I’m knocking it. Had to make do with sitting outside a pub in the sunshine instead. We popped back to the campsite for a couple of hours in the sun, which was best described as transient. Lovely when it was out but b freezing when it went behind the clouds.
After tea and sustenance we strapped on our walking boots and set off for the Tor, home to Gwynn ap Nudd aka the King of the Faeries. We didn’t see him, but there were loads of folk making their way to the top and it was well worth the climb. There are some great views over the Somerset levels and all around. A superb vantage point. The dogs loved it, being allowed off the lead and they behaved like puppies, running madly up and down. Lovely to see. Words cannot express just how icy it was at the top. I lost all feeling in my earlobes. I doubt you’d last an hour up there without hypothermia setting in, it was so cold. Maybe we’ll visit in summer another time?
Do you come here often?Don’t let go!The tower on the Tor
We had a lovely stay at Old Oaks and I’d be very glad to return any time. Our next trip is to Brighton over the May BH weekend. Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in! A bientót.
