PAD Day 25 & 26 - Exquisite Exmoor & Lands End

Exquisite Exmoor

Lands End

Somewhere amongst the farewells, shipping Phil off to Vancouver for a month, the end of year Christmas parties and the festive frenzy, I missed posting my final entries for my Photo A Day project. So here are the final two entries. I didn't make it all the way to the end of the month - not for lack of inspiration, but because I left my camera battery in it's charger in the Rainbow Lodge in Plymouth!

We had a wonderful time in Cornwall and Devon. During our hearty breakfast in Porlock (our first stop for the week) we were joined by the most exuberant B&B dog we've ever met - a large black Labrador who would have knocked over the dining table with his excitement if it weren't made of such solid wood.

Leaving behind a little bacon treat for our new friend, we meandered through the Exmoor National Park taking the small back roads where the glorious trees in full colour brushed up against the sides of the car and occasionally opened out to display the vast open moorland. This was my second trip to this area in autumn and it now firmly ranks as my favourite English destination - particularly at that time of year when you have the area all to yourself except for sharing some local hospitality at the cosy pubs.

We followed the coastline all the way down to Penzance - alas no pirates to be found! We even checked the seas off Lands End, but the Captain and his parrot must have been hiding out in a cove of treasures out of sight. We did pick up some delicious Cornish ginger biscuits at the touristy shops there though - highly recommended!

Phil had to work the first half of the week, but was able to train down and join us on the Wednesday night in Plymouth. Despite the grumblings about train delays and overcrowding, the rail system in the UK is pretty amazing.

Our final couple of days were spent investigating the small towns and magnificent vistas of Dartmoor National Park. We did venture out to see the castle at Dartmouth, where we braved the car ferry crossing on a wet and windy afternoon - very exciting! However, the highlight of the whole trip was a visit to the Buckfastleigh Butterfly and Otter Sancturary. Mum was really keen to see otters, but we were travelling just outside the tourist season, so we were lucky to find this one place still open. Phil and I had visited before, so it was great to say hello to some old friends.

It wasn't long before we were back in London and it was time to say goodbye. Phil left on the Sunday for a month's work in Vancouver. Then I waved farewell to my parents on the Monday morning as they set off for the long journey back to Oz. We had a wonderful time together and we've already started planning the next adventure.