We're back...
It's been a fun break. Nice drive down, then a rest while we watched DVDs (folks had a dance class in the afternoon). When they got back I took Kai for a wander, down to Belmont Park then up around Posloe Rd (where my grandmother used to live) and down East John Walk (was East John Street) where I was born. We'd had a late night on Tuesday and an early start, so went to bed early...
... only to be woken up at 3.30 am by whoever was staying in the other guest room. Who woke us up again at 6.30 am with their blaring radio... When I'm staying somewhere, I always assume that there's someone next door, whether there is or not, and keep the noise down. Why can't other people do the same? It's not like they were youngsters either: they were older than me...
We headed down to Exmouth on the Wednesday - stopping off at
Dart's Farm (site hasn't been touched since 2004, apparently) on the way. It's a lovely place, absolutely crammed with (very expensive) delicacies and luxury goods. I bought some local Devon honey (from a farm at Okehampton), a heather honey-comb for K&K to share, apple chutney with West Country cider, and a little bottle of cowslip wine! They have an outside sprog's area with dopey-looking alpaca and pot-bellied pigs
in fields - I had difficulty telling which end was which of the pigs...
Exmouth was great: I walked along the shoreline while Kai alternated between getting wet and rolling down sand dunes (the folks sat in the sun and waited for us). Kai had a ride on a miniature railway and a go at directing radio-controlled boats, and afterwards had a coffee ice-cream (I opted for Turkish Delight).
And a seagull stole my mother's scone!
We came back via Woodbury Common, where we stopped for half an hour for Kai to explore the Iron Age fort again, then after dinner Kai watched films with the folks while I met up with Wendy, and we spent a wonderful couple of hours chatting in her conservatory. Thanks Wendy - thoroughly enjoyed it! It was great to see you again, and lovely to chill. Oh, and the orchids survived the trip back and we'll plant them tomorrow!
Friday was Babbacome to see the other grandparents, and another fine time was had. We visited
Bygones while it rained, then took a ride on the funicular railway (or 'finicky vernacular' as Ken calls it) down to the beach. Considerably less wearying than walking up and down!
That's looking up from the bottom, the thing coming in to dock at the beach, and looking down from the top respectively.
Today we went to
Burnham Nurseries Orchid Paradise...
I love the Devonshire countryside...
[happy grin] It's a fantastic place, gloriously fragrant and so beautiful - and very helpful.
Having wandered around the whole orchid nursery, I believe that two of my orphan orchids are actually
coelogyne (which is pronounced 'sel UH jen nee', I was informed on my asking how to say it!) - those are the fragrant ones, so I might yet have a house full of orchid scent...
But
look! ->
Octopus Orchids!!
(The pic is a link to the Orchid Paradise photos I took - a slideshow of just a few of the gorgeous plants there. The pool is full of fish - including three of the biggest koi I think I've ever seen. Tried to take photos but the damn things wouldn't stay still long enough...)
I've bought all the provisions I need to repot and keep my orchids healthy - at least until I discover exactly what they are! Bit of a struggle carrying everything back, I have to confess, but we managed. And they're all looking fine. The
phalaenopsis I was worried about now has plump and healthy roots, and I know not to worry if the
coelogyne pseudobulbs don't completely plump up - they aren't supposed to! (Though they could do with being a little more full and smooth than they are currently.) I shall get some plant care done tomorrow, including outside - although everything is looking great: the slug-pubs really work!
So, all in all a fine time was had. The grandparents were delighted to see Kai, if a little startled by how tall he's getting, and we managed to do almost everything we wanted.
Not a bad holiday, all told!
Of course, I have a whole
load of stuff to get done tomorrow that's arrived in my email over the last few days, and a rather large amount of washing (though it's supposed to rain for the next three days...) However, I arrived back to find that Ken has found me a fantastic pair of headphones - sturdy construction, covers my ears completely and with independent volume control on each - on Freecycle!
Waiiiii! I have bass again! [dead chuffed] I do
like Freecycle...
I am very tired though. We're all planning lie-ins in the morning.
It's nice to be back!
Labels: Devon, Exmouth, holiday, orchids and more orchids
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Joules *Dances with Haddock* Taylor
pontificated this at 11:00 pm
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