According to the Metoffice, only the summer of 1912 seems certain to have been wetter than the present one! And many areas have had double their usual rainfall! With this in mind, we went camping… Saturday afternoon, we met up with Linda and Tara, Robyn and the children at the caravan and camping site of Burrowhayes Farm, which is situated in Horner Valley in the heart of the Exmoor National Park in Somerset. It is a lovely site with good and clean facilities and riding stables surrounded by a beautiful countryside. Only problems were the slight slope of the camping spot where we pitched the tent, the lack of airbeds, and the looming clouds above – all of which were destined to ensure a comfortable nights’ sleep!
In the evening, we settled around the barbeque with Kay, David and Jessica in the neighbouring tent, and enjoyed a lovely meal despite the constant threat of rain and mosquitoes. While an anti-mosquito candle seemed to keep the most adamant away, it also created a bit of a fright, followed shortly by much amusement, when Tara was momentarily set on fire!
Sunday, we further explored the surroundings with a short walk in the woods (and in a stream in Chris’ case!), and the village of Selworthy, a quaint Exmoor village with thatched cottages and a 15th century church.
Later, we visited the medieval village of Dunster. Dunster is one of England’s most scenic villages and holds a yarn market built in 1609, the Norman church of St George, a nunnery and cottages some 550 years old, and a working water mill and castle, which both date back to 1066. In 1979, Dunster Water Mill was restored to its former Victorian glory, having lain derelict, boarded up and neglected for nearly a century. It is now operating as a family working mill, open to the public and producing stoneground wholewheat flour. Chris, Timothy and I (see pic here) had a long look around the three-story mill, with its unique twin over-shot water-wheels, before chatting to the on-duty miller about the restoration work and buying some freshly produced flour. A visit to the water mill is highly recommended.
Friday night, we headed up to London with Robyn, Martin and the children to spend the weekend with Claire and Henrik. Claire had successfully located a theme park for younger children aged between 2 and 13, in Milton Keynes to keep us amused all of Saturday.
Gulliver’s theme park was complete with a Lilliput Land, Adventure Land and Toyland, and rides including roller coasters, tree top swings and teacups. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience; Timmy frequently reluctant to get off any rides resembling vehicles. And although the log flume was among the ‘scariest’ of rides, it was an enjoyable day as well for the grown-ups! We finished off the day in style with a first class meal from Henrik, which left us all feeling a little inadequate in the kitchen :-)
Sunday, Claire and Henrik took us to a local park, where we all enjoyed a ride on a miniature steam train, before heading to the picturesque village of Amersham for lunch. Amersham dates back to Saxon times, is bursting with architectural gems and was home to Oliver Cromwell’s wife. And in addition to providing a beautiful backdrop for film scenes, including some from Four Weddings and a Funeral, the village also has some fantastic interior design shops, which unfortunately were closed at the time of our visit. But no doubt we will return!
On Saturday, we attended the wedding of Keith and Lucy in Penturch, Wales. Considering the short distance, we were able to drive back and forth on the same day. What we hadn’t considered, however, was the hot and sunny weather (was beginning to think summer had passed while we were in Paris!). By the time we got stuck in delays on the M4 westbound, the MGA was rapidly heating up. This was of course not helped by the fact that one cannot turn off the heater in the car, and that the top had to be kept up due to the delicate state of my hair!
The wedding ceremony took place in a picturesque village in the Welsh countryside. Keith and Lucy both looked fantastic, and except for a “slightly” out-of-tune organist, the ceremony was perfect. Afterwards, we drove in succession to Manor Parc Hotel for the reception. Here we enjoyed a wonderful meal, some great company and dancing.
For a month – from 21st July to 20th August – two miles of the right bank of the Seine (near Pont Neuf and Hotel de Ville) is transformed into a long narrow beach complete with sand, palm trees, open showers, a temporary swimming pool, stalls, petanque courts, and cafés. And the road is closed for motorised traffic. The so-called ‘Paris Plage’ initiative was launched in 2002 and has become a permanent annual event; it provides a fantastic place to lie down and absorb the calming atmosphere of the riverside, and is host to numerous concerts throughout the summer. We experienced the ‘Paris Plage’ first hand on our way to Notre Dame today.
Notre Dame is situated on a small island (Ile de la Cite) in the middle of the Seine. The construction of the cathedral began in 1163 under Louis VII and was completed approximately 200 years later in 1345. Under Louis XIV and Louis XV, Notre Dame was significantly altered, tombs and stained glass was destroyed, and during the Revolution treasures were plundered before the church interior was eventually made useful as a warehouse for storing food. Unavoidably, the Notre Dame fell into disrepair and an extensive restoration programme, which lasted 23 years and included the construction of a spire, was eventually carried out. Today, ongoing repairs are still carried out, but fortunately only one side of the cathedral appeared to be covered in scaffolding when we visited the building. Although quite impressive from the outside, the interior is far from perfect. Painted columns are covered in years of dirt and paintings have long lost their shine. However, the availability of modern technology, such as flat screens, seems to indicate that the church is not entirely out of touch with the times!
In order to save our legs a little, we opted for the Batobus (river boat shuttle service) on our way back to the city centre in the afternoon. The Batobus leaves every 25 minutes and covers some of the main attractions near the river Seine; including the Eiffel tower, Louvre and Champs-Elysees. A day pass (€11) allows you to use the service throughout the day, alternatively short trip tickets can be purchased at €7.5 for adults. While the shuttle service offers a relaxing alternative means of transport, one of the drawbacks, we found, was the apparent lack of passenger screening! One middle-aged German, in particular, spent the majority of his time onboard undressing me with his eyes. Chris’ attempts to stare back were in vain, and we eventually had to find other seats!
In the evening, we revisited the Eiffel tower. Although quite an amazing sight at night, this also appears to be the busiest time of the day and it took us nearly an hour to get to the top!