Hello from the depths of cyber space! It’s been a while, but fear not – there has been knitting. Not a lot of it in this post, but I am working on another baby cardi and have hauled the long forgotten boyfriend vest out of the wip basket. Also have large plans to knit up a storm now that the weather is cooler.
The last month or so has mostly been filled with sight seeing here in London as my Mum has been visiting from NZ. We’ve seen loads and I’m happy to say I think the English countryside has wooed me thoroughly. So much so that I can now call myself a member of the National Trust (and not a grey hair in sight!).
The Royal residences had to be done, of course. Windsor Castle was magnificent and sprawling:
And Buckingham Palace was beautiful. The State Rooms and Banquet Hall were ridiculously lavish.
Bus tours were had and an obligatory trip on the London Eye:
We found ourselves spending a day and night in Bath (for the second time since arriving in the UK) on our way down to Cornwall. The Abbey was as majestic as ever – beautiful inside.
The Pump Room, of Austen fame:
Lovely Pulteney Bridge:
Stopped for a breather at Port Wrinkle on our way down:
Stayed here at Looe for a night, where Ella of Trehaven Manor cooked a lovely vegan breakfast:
And then drove on to the wonderful Lanhydrock House, where we toured the rooms and gardens:
Heading North over the Bodmin moors we noticed a change of scene – less seaside nonchalance and country charm and more moody atmosphere and broody outlooks.
We stayed a night in Tintagel, where King Arthur’s Castle was:
A place of rugged and bleak cliff tops, jagged rocks and cold winds, it wasn’t too hard to let your imagination run wild.
Back in London we found ourselves in the West End for Buddy Holly, at the Globe for The Merry Wives of Windsor and strolling through the many local parks and grounds. Kenwood House proved as lovely inside as it is out, with a large collection of paintings that I’ll definitely be going back to see more than once.
All in all, a great time of year to get out and see a bit of the UK and really appreciate how much it has to offer. I suspect we’ll be taking advantage of a few more attractions over the next few weeks before the winter sets in for good. Then, it will be knitting all the way!
ps – How did Christmas get to be so soon??
