Le Manoire with Myriam and Graham. The start of our 2000 km cycle tour through France, Italy, to Corfu and back.

We had been looking forward to seeing Myriam and Graham's new home.  Although they have only just got their foot in the door, they graciously agreed to put us up for two nights.  

We loved Le Manoire and enjoyed exploring its 'nooks and cranies'.  Everything was beautiful and our bedroom way a lovely typically French with a big old armoire and shuttered windows.

Me helping to remove some old wall fabric to reveal older fabric underneath.

Le Manoire

Unfortunately the weather was not particularly kind to us and we got a bit damp in a continuous downpour on our way to the station at Flers.  It was still a super bike ride through the lovely countryside of the Swiss Normandy.

Ready for off.

Thanks Myriam and Graham! xxx

Wadebridge, Penzance, Fowey

We've had 3 super days with Sian and Ben and their children.  Staying at a cottage at Withien between Wadebridge and Bodmin.

Sunday was cold with flurries of snow, but we got our swimming tog together and went to Hustyns https://www.hustyns.co.uk/ indoor hotel pool and watched the snow falling from the large windows around and above the pool.

Next day we went with Molly, Ben, Wren to view some properties in Penzance with Ben and Molly on Monday.  A cold and blustery day but we had a good walk along the beach near St Michael's mount.

Today after taking Sophie and Kitty to the park whilst their mother went for a run, we bundled back in the car and went to Fowey.  Met Ben and Molly in the King of Prussia, walked round the town and ended up on the terrace of the Fowey Hotel just for a cup of tea.

Exmouth past and present

2nd to 17th March Tideaways, Maer Road, Exmouth. £1,600

Past because I grew up in Exmouth and have done my best to avoid the place ever since, lamenting the tree felling in the Strand and the loss of the Shelley beach community to flats that mum fought hard against and managed to preserve rights of way.

Tideaways Maer Road, our holiday home will fantastic views

Not warm enough in March to enjoy the garden but we enjoyed looking at it from inside

Present, because we have been staying on the Maer with mum for the past week and have enjoyed the views and watching kite surfers and dog walkers.  We have even found a little nook to have a cup of tea or a meal.  The Grove near the docks.  They have also opened up the car park at the docks and at the moment it is unfenced and there are superb views.  Mum complained bitterly during the two attempts to take her out.  But it was a bit windy.

Kit surfers on an overcast weekend

The Maer

Amusements etc soon to be bulldozer for housing - what a surprise!

Tideaways is to the right of the new flats

Out of the house and into the snow!

As the night of 28th February is the first day of our adventures as homeless gypsies I will now record the previous nights accommodation and the cost of this, on a daily basis on a spreadsheet, but here is the first night.

1st March
Air B&B in Chaple Amble near Wadebridge £44.
Lunch Watergate Bay Hotel
Tea, Sian's house
 4pm travelled to Wells for our regular Friday with Wren. More on that below!

March 1st it is Sian's birthday and we spent a brilliant extended lunch at the Watergate Bay hotel followed by a walk on the beach.

B&B Chaple Amble - this does not do it justice.  It was super! 

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/13421876?location=Chapel%20Amble&s=kvZkcMiP

someone doing a spot of ice climbing

At 4pm we set out - against Sian's better judgement to Wells despite a RED weather warning for the area that we were about to drive through.

We followed the road closed warnings online.  We got through in our truck no problem until within a mile of our destination.

Driving through Okehampton

Lane near Whiddon Down, A30 was closed at this point

M5 at Exeter

Passing Wells Reclamation

Haydon Lane where we came unstuck and got stuck!

Lights of tractor in the distance that came to our rescue

Following tractor to our B&B thanks to Liz and Vernon local farmers who found us and pulled us out of the snow.

Without their help we would have been stuck in the truck for the night.

2nd March
Air B&B near Wells £55 per night 2 nights Jane and her two dogs and cat.
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/8644253?location=Wells%2C%20Somerset&s=Y57OPgLb

am took Jane and her daughter to Bath to catch the train on their trip to London.  The buses were not running and they did not want to miss out on their long planned trip. They were so happy that they could get to the station and that the trains were still running.  It was easy for us to take them in our truck.
pm lunch with Ben and Molly. Looked after Wren whilst Ben and Mollie went sledging on a home made sledge in the snow.

Evening Took thank you present to our saviours the farmers and now back at Jane's house for our second night, without  Jane of course.  We were pleased that she trusted us to stay in her lovely home without her being there.

New beginnings 2018

January 2018 can be summed up as a period of relative calm.  Regular Fridays looking after Wren in Wells, taking her to the Bishop's Palace in the morning, having lunch at The Good Earth, walking the dog in the afternoon, and leaving to be back home in Moretonhampstead in time for supper.


Lots of meet ups with Sian in Cornwall, visits to mum in Exmouth, researching Eventbrite online ticketing system for the Dartmoor Society, meeting up with friends whose visits had been postponed after our Christmas bouts of flu, and going to pottery classes at Seale Hayne.  Hannah's at Seale Hayne was offering 2 for 1 main meals in January and so we spent Tuesday and Wednesday early evening in their cosy bistro before I went to pottery and Julian fell asleep in an easy chair, ostensibly reading a book.

At the back of my mind throughout the lull of January was the thought of our work commitments during February, namely gutting and fitting a new kitchen for our tenant in Barton Road, redecorating a property throughout ready for a new tenant at 15 Northfield Road, and preparing our own house for rent, leaving it furnished but empty of possessions by 1st March.  All this alongside our regular commitments as listed above, minus the pottery classes and suppers in the Bistro.

But before all that February dawned with a visit to Rachel in Berlin.  It was cold but bright and we visited the lesser known sights and stayed in the very 'cool' Michaelsburger Hotel.

Highlights included Kopenick Island where the ducks were walking on the rivers and boat moorings.

Spandau fortress to the North West of Berlin.

But the fun could not last and when we got back it was straight into kitchen fitting in Barton Road, painting decorating and fixing things that had broken, and building a massive cupboard, more like a small room really in 15 Northfield Road, Okehampton. Here are the before and after photos.

All this in addition to moving all our stuff out of our house and continuing with our weekly family visits.  It was very organised and also good fun! We continued with all this up until the very last day when we had to move out of our house on 28th March.  Julian rushed me out of the door so the last 10 minutes were a bit of a blur.  Having said that we had time to lunch with Maria from up the road and to be hospitable to Anne and Merv our cousins who called in unexpectedly on the day we were moving, so that is testament to how prepared we were on the final day. Richard from next door came round to look at the garden as he has kindly agreed to keep the garden under control whilst we are away. Philip Fowler came in to do the inventory.  Julian stored the bikes and the packed panniers in the barn (the barn already contains all our things from the house).  I went to collect a little bag that Green Shoes had adapted to hang on my leather belt and was to contain my phone whilst cycling and that was the last thing I did before Julian bundled me in the truck and we were off to Cornwall.... more on that next time!