Home to Pensacola 1-12....moving forward

So.......work begins to finish on getting Star ready for our departure in a couple of months.  Plus, it's so loverly & warm & sunny here - we're in shorts sometimes & walk the 5 mile return trip to the beach every day.  There are surf fishers there most days with their poles stuck in the sugar-white sand, fishing lines in the surf.  One guy brings a deck chair for his dog.  And the sea gulls & sandpipers & herons are fun to watch.  Who know herons hung out on the beach - a nice surprise.  They stand in the dunes & wait & watch, except when they're with the bait boxes!

Surf Fishers & herons 1-12

Mr Man & damn boat 1-12

Mr Man aboard Star 1-12

Me.....manual labor!!  1-12

Sunset & bird 1-15-12

 

Sunset & Mr heron 1-15-12

Christmas in England 12-11, last few days

Fowey Parish Church, building started in 1150

Fowey,  Cornwall - looking across to Polruan

Fowey, Cornwall, The Esplanade

Bath Abbey

Karibu, warming the bed

 A few last pics & thoughts on our loverly trip - it's always good to get away and ALWAYS fab to get back home!  Even though our home will be new to us....stayed tuned!

Christmas in England 12-11, Cornwall continued

The Southwest Coast Path is 630 miles of rugged walking - we did a couple of miles in a howling gale...

and there are some breathtaking views (literally!)

Christmas in England 12-11, Cornwall

Port Isaac harbor

A couple of years ago, we fell in love with a tv show called Doc Martin, and we always said that when we went to England, we'd make a sort of pilgrimage to the village where they filmed the series.  It's known as Port Wenn on tv, but it's real identy is Port Isaac on the northern coast of Cornwall, about 220 miles west of London.

Sights along the way....

Multi-tasking:  mascot, chief navigator & Tom Tom holder

St. Materiane Church - Near Tintagel Castle

Windmill Farm, Cornwall

Port Isaac

Port Issac, our hotel the Bay Hotel

Port Isaac, view from hotel

The Bay Hotel - how fantastic was this place?  Beautiful views, gorgeous room with balcony & fab full English breakfast - just perfect! 

Port Isaac street views......

Port Isaac, New Road

Port Isaac, Rose Hill

Port Isaac, Trewetha Lane

Port Isaac, harbor....

Port Isaac

Port Isaac, tide's out

Christmas in England 12-11, Boxing Day

Fox hunting in England is now banned, but country folk, their horses and their hounds still like reasons to gallop about the countryside.

Boxng Day, the day after Christmas is traditionally a big hunt day.  The Weston & West Banwell Harriers had a hare hunt, and they all met in the village of Axbridge.  It was fun to see them all gather, hit the hip flasks and head off into the hills!

First of all, some pics of Axbridge - it's been a town since the year 800, and is charming.

Axbridge, Church of St John, started 1230

Axbridge, King John's Hunting Lodge, built 1500

And now the hunt gathers....

Axbridge, Somerset Boxing Day hunt meet - 1st one there

Axbridge, Somerset Boxing Day hunt meet - where that's hip flask?

Axbridge, Somerset Boxing Day hunt meet - the crowd grows

Axbridge, Somerset Boxing Day hunt meet - they're off

Axbridge, Somerset Boxing Day hunt meet - a friendly hound

Christmas in England 12-11, Christmas Day

Mr Man's family - & my English family

And we are -
David, Mary, Emily (with bump due in April)
Mr Man, Wilann, Jane, Alan

Christmas in England 12-11, Wells

We love visiting the medieval city of Wells - the smallest city in England which has been around since Roman times.  

Wells Cathedral

The houses on Vicar's Close date from the 1300's

Vicar's Close

There is a street market twice a week where you can buy anything & everything.  Here I am with some of my English family  - the only thing we bought was lunch at the Cathedral Cafe.

The Crown Pub, a coaching house from the 15th century

Part of the market

Christmas in England 12-11, Walking the lanes

Sis & bro-in-law, Mary & Alan, are great walkers - they go all over the world on long-distance walking holidays, & do some amazing walks in the UK as well.  So the thought of us strollers keeping up with them is daunting.  But they very kindly slowed down to our snail's pace which meant we could all walk more or less together - but we didn't do pouring rain!

These are views in & around the village of Nempnett Thrubwell & Blagdon Lake.

Awkward Hill, Nempnett Thrubwell

House on corner of Awkward Hill, Nempnett Thrubwell

Nempnett Thrubwell, Mary Paddock Farm

Nempnett Thrubwell, view across fields

Nempnett Thrubwell, view to Blagdon Lake

Nempnett Thrubwell, Blagdon Lake

Christmas in England 12-11, Laurel Farm

Laurel Farm, front view

Laurel Farm, back view

Upper Strode, lane where Laurel Farm resides

Two weeks in England - TOGETHER! - for the first time in almost 10 years.  Usually one had to stay behind to man the business - one huge upside to not having a business to man anymore.
Stayed with John's sister & brother-in-law - known as Mary & Alan- at their big, rambling stone farmhouse, Laurel  Farm, near the tiny village of Reghill.  Laurel Farm is on an even tinier lane called Upper Strode, & all this loveliness is in the county of North Somerset, near Bristol in the beautiful & sometimes soggy West Country.

Retirement begins

Us at Pensacola beach

December 2011

Officially retired, moved to Pensacola Florida and flew to England for Christmas.  All in the space of 2 weeks.

Unofficial plan - get sailing on Star (permanently?) in the spring.  First we tackle Pensacola Bay, then head south to the Florida Keys, then cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.

That's enough to be going on with.

Star at the dock