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Having enjoyed Dublin, our next mini trip was to South Devon. We have decided each UK visit to try and see somewhere new, so we started by heading to the south coast – also, it has become tradition to try and surprise Shanhong with the accommodation, so, after the castle in Ireland, it was to be a beach hut!
On the way down though, never to miss the chance of a musical, we called into Bristol, and went to see ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ – a fun little show with great choreography!
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First stop in Devon, even before we got to the surprise accommodation, was Pennywell farm, a delightful place meant for small children where you can cuddle baby pigs, watch pigs racing, play mini-golf and ride on the back of a tractor. Perfect for 4 years olds – and therefore perfect for Shanhong and I !!
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From Pennywell farm, it was off to Shaldon Beach – to enjoy our special beach hut accommodation!
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Next morning we went to Babbacombe Model Village which contains over 400 models of houses, stately homes, factories, shops, entertainment venues and environmental features as well as over 13,000 miniature people who live in the village!!
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Our final visit in South Devon was to a National Trust Property, called Coleton Fishacre, an Art Deco 1920s coastal retreat. Decked out in the prime of the Jazz Age with live pianists, the house is surrounded by beautiful gardens winding down to the sea.
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So, there you have it – our weekend on the very South Coast of England. We drove back via Wolverhampton and a chance to see another show – this time La Cage Aux Folles – and back to Telford to continue painting and packing to get two properties ready for rental!
All the best! Trevor, Shanhong & Teddy.
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You will (hopefully) remember that before Cyprus we had a short break in the South of Devon. So, having returned from Cyprus, we went for a short break in the north of Devon – staying at Barnstaple. On the way down we ticked an item off the bucket list – doing our first ever hot air balloon flight.
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On the way down to Devon, we stopped at a British Seaside town, Weston-Super-Mare, and had a walk on the pier – a true British institution! Shanhong got to experience the fun of winning hundreds of tickets, and then I had the fun of seeing her to go to redeem them for prizes and discover 100 tickets = 1 lollipop!
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We had a short horseback ride – something we’ve found we quite enjoy – and then went to try another brand new activity – with a lesson in clay-pigeon shooting!
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Whilst I quite enjoyed it, it was not to be a favourite for Shanhong – we both had big bruises from the gun recall for the next couple of weeks!
People who have read a number of these reports will know I sometimes like to find unusual places to stay rather than ‘normal hotels’, and so our home in N. Devon was to be Taw Tower, a lookout tower!
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We had two ‘trips’ while in North of Devon, the first being to the coast at Ilfracombe
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The second, to Dunster, famous for its beautiful castle and working water mill.
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Enjoy!! Trevor, Shanhong & Teddy xx
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Summer 2017 saw us back in UK – with mini-trips to Devon in the south, to Dublin in Ireland, and to Cyprus – my ‘homeland’. We also found ourselves re-painting and doing some mini repairs to an apartment we had bought to let out, and also packing away things in our own home, after deciding to try and rent that too. So – it turned out to be pretty busy – perhaps even a little too busy at times – but still, a lot of fun was had. This report will focus on our short break to Dublin – Shanhong’s first visit to Ireland.
Ireland is famous for a number of things – the Irish music and dancing – the leprechauns and four leaf clovers – but perhaps also for their alcohol. Dublin has long been the home of Guinness, and so, like thousands of tourists before us, our first stop was the Guinness Storehouse for a tour and tasting!
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I have to say, I am not a fan of Guinness – but as I don’t like any beer, I guess I’m not the best judge! After our tour, we went to see a musical! ‘Wonderland’ was an updated take on the Alice in Wonderland story and I enjoyed it – a fun show – and then home to our castle for the night!
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The following morning we were up early for a full day tour, driving first to Cashel. According to local mythology, the Rock of Cashel originated when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the rock landing in Cashel. It was the seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years, and now is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found in Europe.
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From the Rock of Cashel we drove on to Cork, a university city in the south-west of Ireland. Founded by Viking invaders around 915, the city was once fully walled, and remnants of the old medieval town can still be seen.
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After Cork, we were back on the bus to Blarney Castle, the main reason for taking this tour. The castle originally dates from before 1200 but was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt in the 1400s and restored in 1646. The castle is now a partial ruin – but, at the top of the castle lies the famous Blarney Stone. Many stories surround the stone. Some say it was Jacob’s Pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Some say it was the deathbed pillow of St Columba from the island of Iona. Some, the ‘Stone of Ezel’ behind which David hid when he fled from Saul. And some, that it was the stone that gushed water when struck by Moses!
Whatever the origin – modern mythology claims that anyone kissing the stone will be given the gift of eloquence and public speaking for a year, and for over 200 years, world statesmen, literary giants and legends of the silver screen have joined millions of pilgrims climbing the steps to kiss the stone. Not an easy feat, as the only way to do it, is to lie down and lean over backwards!
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We ended our trip to Dublin, as we began, with alcohol – a quick visit to an Irish Whiskey distillery!
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So, there you have it – our 3 days in Dublin.
Take care!
Trevor, Shanhong & Teddy xx