Where has the Summer Gone

Where has the summer gone, well it certainly isn’t in north Devon, everyone else seems to be getting lovely weather but we have been under grey skies and rain. Well I wasn’t going to let the weather get to me and sometimes you need some exercise (or maybe not I hear you groan!) but I love bike riding, not the lycra sort of bike riding but the gently riding through the countryside, I know I am greedy but I have two bikes, one a lovely ladies bike with basket on the front and then my other go anywhere bike (that means it gets thrown into the back of the car bike).

 We have always promised ourselves to do the Camel Trail which I think starts at Bodmin and ends at Padstow (but that was a little long for us) so we parked our car at Wadebridge to do the 5 mile ride to Padstow. The OH said it wouldn’t take long so leave the picnic in the car (not one of his best ideas). We set out on this most beautiful of bike rides but we were not alone as I think the world and his wife had the same idea. I have taken some lovely pics so that you can see how pretty this bike ride is.

View to Padstow 

Opposite Padstow there is a place called Rock this can be reached by road or you can travel on a ferry between Padstow and Rock

  

There was also a lovely little snack area provided by two pashley bikes I think they were called Treats on Trail they had delicious ice cream, tea and cakes.

We arrived in Padstow to a terrific downpour so by now I am pretty wet and my lovely white plimsolls are no more.

Lovely Padstow although it is a little crowded in the summer!

Sorry about the next photo tried to take it very quick,

but we obviously did not have lunch here due to our attire and maybe the price, the locals call Padstow Padstein, can’t think why in nearly every road there is a shop, boutique, café bakery all belonging to Rick Stein. Well we cycled back and arrived back to the car to our picnic while the rain crashed against the car!!!


It was back to work and be creative, suddenly I had the energy. I bought some lovely fabrics in Antique markets in France including this beautiful rose fabric I must make some for myself as they would go so well on my sofa, what do you think.

A pretty Union Jack Cushion Cover using my lovely old french fabric.

See how nice it looks on my sofa!

and then this is just fun and looks lovely on my garden chair another flea market find! years ago for 8 euros a real bargain, sorry I know you can't see it to well in this photo.

Saturday arrives once again to gloomy skies, so I decide to make some bread and pea and mint soup, don’t you think it looks delicious (it was!)

 The rolls is just a loaf recipe to which I added sun dried tomatoes, herbs, gruyere and parmesan cheese.

More like a winters meal than a summer one, perhaps the sun will shine next week and everything will feel so much better.
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Friends Sisters and Beach Huts!!

I know I haven’t been around for a while writing my blog (or for that matter visiting all the other lovely blogs) but I think I have had a good excuse. After a lovely holiday it was so sad to come back to the news that my best friend’s mother had died, I think we all have one of those friends that have always been around from when you are a little girl at school with all the boyfriend dramas to married life, children and now sadness. We celebrated her Mother's
life and then we returned to my friends house where we sat in the garden until late ate lovely food, drank wine and it was full of laughter and tears, a special time and a sad time.

 But of course then there is my sister who let us have her house so that we were nearer to my friend (my sister Diane was on holiday) and we stayed and had another mini holiday in the Bournemouth area. It was such a lovely thing to do but then that’s sisters for you.


And now I am going to tell you about one of my most favourite of things and that is beach huts, from when I was a little girl and we had a beachhut on Cooden beach in Sussex to my very own at Budleigh Salterton in Devon (unfortunately when we moved we had to relinquish it as you have to live in the area to have a Beach Hut) But just look at these lovely beach huts at Hengistbury Head in Bournemouth

 I think they are for sale for loads of money but I want to share with you this lovely beach with the most gorgeous beach huts, some complete with Cath Kidston and lots of bunting,

 I couldn’t take the photos of the interior of the huts as it would have looked a little nosey.

Isn't this a lovely beach with views to the Isle of Wight. There is no vehicle access to this beach only a little train or you can visit my ferry from Mudeford, there is also a lovely beach cafe which in the summer is open in the evenings.  You can stay overnight in these beach huts, but some of them are so well equipped that I don't think you would be missing any home comforts!

 I so love looking in on other peoples houses and now huts! but wouldn’t you just love one.