You Want Scenery? We Got Scenery

Dearest Gentle Readers,

Are you all enjoying Season 3 of Bridgerton on Netflix? If you have Apple TV, you might like another drama featuring hapless Americans amongst the English nobility -- check out The Buccaneers!

Devon

Meanwhile back in real life, Robin thought Devonshire would be a scenic place for us to visit, and he was right! In mid-May we took another road trip and stayed a few nights near the town of Ilfracombe. Devon is a large county with all kinds of terrain, but we concentrated our time on the north coast and Exmoor National Park.

We had a great time and loved all the scenic beauty, but the roads were SO SCARY -- to me anyway. I'm blessed with a spouse who is an excellent and confident driver. He didn't seemed to mind the steep, narrow, twisting roads with deathly drop-offs -- never mind no way to pass if a vehicle comes barreling towards you! So, I tried to relax in the passenger seat and enjoy the views.

not the worst road!

typical Exmoor view

we caught a sunset

Foxgloves everywhere

The River Heddon

tranquil garden after hike

Bonus treats while walking in Exmoor National Park: 1.) a close encounter with a band of about two dozen wild horses. 2.) Hearing the calls of a cuckoo bird by a stream. Loved them! Listen towards the end of this video for "cuckoo, cuckoo...."

curious horses

many sweeping views

The River Barle

cooling his feet

old mining bridge

Guernsey

Also in May, I finally got to fulfill my wish to visit Guernsey, a "Channel Island" (along with Jersey) between England and France. Perhaps you have seen the movie, or read the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - if not, I recommend both! The Channel Islands are actually closer to France and have many French influences, though they are "self-governing dependencies of the British Crown." They were occupied by the Germans from 1940-45 (subject of the novel) and there are still many signs of this on the islands.

A short flight from London brings you to Guernsey, which I found charming in an understated way. The scenery was not as sweeping or dramatic as say, Scotland. I did appreciate how nicely-kept everything was, and enjoyed the flowers and greenery everywhere. There are no fast-food chains on the island. Queen Victoria made a surprise visit in 1846, and this major event was commemorated with statues and monuments! Victor Hugo also resided there in exile for 15 years, and it's where he wrote Les Misérables.

Guernsey-made cider

Queen Victoria & Library

Victoria monument

V. Hugo & literary octopus

view from Guernsey heights

colorful boats

Guernsey fishing boats

backyard tea party

Guernsey cows

Guernsey ice cream

A walking tour with a local guide, part of Guernsey's annual "walking weekend," was interesting and fun. We learned that Guernsey has thousands of apple trees, and cider (the hard stuff) is made on the island. She told us a story about her daughter preparing for her wedding last summer. She made a deal with the island's cider farm to donate apples, which she and her fiancé drove around collecting from friends' backyard trees. In return, they got more than enough cider for all the drinks at their reception.

I did not go to Jersey this time around, but I'm very happy to have visited one of the Channel Islands. More islands are coming up in June as we begin our road trip to Scotland. We'll be traveling by car and ferry, and I hope to have lots more scenery to share with you!

💂‍♀️ 🫖 🇬🇧 🍺