Hope Cove

The weather news says it all..............

Our drive from North to South Devon was scenic but wet. One of the many intriguing things you notice while  driving across the UK is the change in place names, from 'Garth' and 'Rock' and 'Ghyll' in the North to 'Withy' and'Tor', 'Moor' and names ending in ..............'sleigh' and '...cott'  in the south.

At Buckland Abbey (written about last year) and having a word with a passing wild pony, we met with friends  Joan and Meric, from Falmouth--who enquired about Carol and Chantelle in Sydney. Buckland Abbey was the home of Sir Francis Drake and also now houses (in a bullet proof glass box) an original Rembrandt self-portrait valued at 33 million pounds!

There is a massive granary store and nice grounds The red and white tile floor is extremely old and was certainly walked on by Drake as well as a few visiting kings and queens, over the centuries.

Hope Cove is very familiar to us, as well as a place where we have hosted 13 couples for short holidays, over the years. We are expecting nephew David and wife Clare to arrive from Southampton,  anytime now.This time, in school holidays, the place is more crowded, as the stoic British holiday maker insists on sitting on the beach in the wind and rain. Actually, today not bad--tomorrow will be 'orrible.

I conclude with a pic of wedding groomsmen having a pre-nuptial drink at a pub where we enjoyed an ale and a pic of a gorgeous red hollyhock--must grow one of those!