Packed and Ready

We are all packed and ready to go. Vinnie staged a silent protest this morning when I was trying to do the last bit of packing. He was not successful either in stopping me or in getting packed intoLeer más
Last meal in America

We arrived at the gate really early because we had zero delays getting to the airport, checked in and through security. Literally no lines anywhere. So we decided to get a snack and some beer.
I'mLeer más
Landed in London

After a relatively uneventful night flight we landed in London at noon local time which is 4:00 a.m. for us. At one point I looked out the window and saw sunrise over Greenland.
Then we navigatedLeer más
CitizenM Hotel London (Bankside)

It took us about 3 hours after landing to navigate the airport, clear customs, get a train in to central London, get a tube close (-ish) to our hotel and then walk to our hotel. We saw someLeer más
Borough Market and Dinner at Padella

After we unpacked and settled in, we headed off to a nearby indoor food market. It was very impressive, which it should be since it has been running for about a thousand years (noLeer más
Early morning bike ride

Even though we didn't have to get up until 12 hours after we went to bed, we still didn't get a great night's sleep. But we didn't have much trouble getting up in plenty of time for our early morningLeer más
Buckingham Palace

Just as we pulled up to Buckingham palace on our tour, a ceremonial carriage arrived, accompanied by a police escort. It had all the trappings of some official visiting head of state. Then, when weLeer más
Lunch and steet scenes

We skipped breakfast before our ride, so we were pretty hungry when we finished. Our guide recommended a local cafe/diner so we headed over there. It was very yummy, and pretty healthy as well.Leer más
Modern Marvels

One thing I have noticed about England that is different from 25 years ago: the sinks in the public bathrooms have been modernised. As I recall, pretty much every public bathroom, even those inLeer más
Late dinner

We had a very late dinner reservation so we went into our hotel to get out of the rain. We had enough time for both of us to get a refreshing nap.
Dinner was at a Spanish restaurant where the foodLeer más
Slow morning

I'm not sure if it was too much wine or jetlag or both, but we were both dragging the next morning.
Russell headed off in search of an Asian grocery store while I packed our bags for the nextLeer más
Train delays

After a quick lunch at the same place we ate yesterday, we headed to nearby Waterloo Station to catch our train.
Unfortunately, when we checked the board, it listed our train as cancelled. WellLeer más
Arrival at Cadhay

We were two hours later than planned, but we finally arrived safe and sound.
Then we had a lovely fish and chips dinner with old and new friends. And a lot of wine.
Cadhay House

The next morning was clear and mild. We had a leisurely breakfast. Then I decided to take a walk around the grounds, while most people went off on various errands. I heard something about goingLeer más
Gin Distilling

In the afternoon, Stuart, Doug, Russell and I drove off to Torquay to do a Gin Distilling Experience. We had two stills between the four of us and we got to design our own recipe. We had a lot ofLeer más
Ha ha

The next morning was quite a bit windier. I took another walk around the grounds and explored the ha ha, which is just a confusing term to describe a retaining wall that separates the pasture (whereLeer más
Shopping

Then Stuart, Doug, Russell and I went off to do a bit of shopping. Our first stop was a local farm shop that ended up being a major disappointment. We thought there would be lovely vegetables andLeer más
Birthday dinner for Rosie

Dinner was another amazing feast cooked by Mark in honor of Rosie's birthday. Which was technically yesterday, but since she arrived today, we had the celebration today. Jet lag hit me in theLeer más
Silver safe

It rained overnight, but the weather in the morning was clear and not too windy.
The owner of the house stopped by and showed us what was behind this mysterious door in the dining room. It lookedLeer más
Country walk

I went off for a very long walk through several of the pastures that surround the house. I am assuming that the land is still part of the estate. It appears to be used as grazing land at times,Leer más
Toad in the hole

I woke from my nap ready for another great dinner cooked by Mark. Tonight's main dish was sausage in pastry that goes by the oh-so-appetizing name of "Toad in the Hole". It tasted way better than itLeer más
Wine shopping

Rosie and Russell got up early to head to Exeter to do some wine shopping. Even though we only have 3 more nights, we need at least a couple more cases.
Sidmouth fish market

A bunch of us headed down to Sidmouth (which is a town on the seaside at the mouth of the river Sid). It was a cold and blustery day, but I can imagine that on a warm summer day it would be anLeer más
Ottery St. Mary

On the drive home, I had them drop me in the village of Ottery St. Mary. I did a little shopping and then walked back to the manor house. The village wasn't quite as picturesque as I had hoped. It wasLeer más
Russell's dinner contribution

Russell made a lovely Chinese dinner. The baked tofu appetizer and the roasted pork belly were big hits. The mussels with noodles and the scallops weren't too shabby either.
Good idea [Lynn]