My second week in England, I visited three sets of relatives in Devon and Somerset. My first stop was Bristol, a vibrant university city, to visit my cousin, Caragh, from my Mum's side of the family. Caragh and her husband, James, both professors at Bristol University, had their hands full with their adorable, chubby six-month-old, Allód. We enjoyed conversation and a few meals, and I went out with James to a community lecture he gave on philosophy of physics, his field.
My second stop was three days in Broughton Gifford, near Bath, visiting cousin Lucy and her husband and two young children. Jess re-joined me after her visit to Washington DC for her sister's law school graduation. Lucy brought us to a nearby manor house to explore its gardens and tour the inside, and Jess and I had a great walk back through sheep fields and the small, quiet town with its large, grassy common, stopping for a pub lunch on the way.
Another day, Jess and I took the train into Bath for exploring and a historic walking tour. On our way back, we got off the train one stop early, had a pint at a little pub, and walked the rest of the way home.
Then we headed to Tedburn St. Mary, near Exeter, for the weekend with my Dad's other sister, Julie. We took the train from Westbury, but not until we visited the little town's Friday morning market in the church parish hall where old ladies sell their baked goods and jams. We picked up a few goodies and had tea and biscuits.
Tedburn St. Mary, like Broughton Gifford, is a sleepy village amongst beautiful surroundings. After our first of three daily walks, we headed to the town hall with Julie's friend, Ian, for a real Devon cultural experience: quiz night with Ian's drama group. Jess and I were at a loss with most of the quiz questions, as they covered categories like history of Tedburn St. Mary and anagrams of the names of people in the drama group, but we had a good time nonetheless.
Our second day, the four of us went on an outing in Ian's fun little Czech Skoda to Dartmoor, a national park known for its tors (exposed granite hilltops) and its craggy and mossy moorland. We had a super ten-mile walk and a midway picnic by a river.
Our third day, Ian took us to nearby Castle Drogo, the youngest castle in England. Ian volunteers as a guide at the castle, and gave us a personalized tour.
Otherwise, we enjoyed some delicious meals, homemade scones, great conversation, and petting of Julie's affectionate cat, Ren.
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