Day 13

Emma spent the night last night at Sandra's so we could have another day together.  She came by this morning to get me so we could go visit the graves of my aunt Kay (her mom) and my Grandma Meggitt (my mom's mom).  While on our rememberance trip, Emma also took me by my Grandma and Grandpa Clayton's house.  Even after 14 years it didn't seem as if anything had changed.

So today we were all heading to Chatsworth, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.  No, they did not invite us for tea, their home is open to the public as a stately home, gardens and park and it is such a beautiful spot!

The house

The stables - there was an old Mercedes car show going on.

On this gorgeous Sunday, we enjoyed a lovely picnic in the field.

Lindsey and baby Thomas

Mother and daughter

Playing tag after lunch

This is where we made her ride - just kidding!

When we'd had our lunch, we went for a stroll across the fields and up to the stables where there was music, a tea room and some shops.

Looking back to the house and stables

Inside the stable yard

Having an ice cream (again!)

The only horse around to ride



My beautiful cousin

On the way home from Chatsworth we stopped at the Chatsworth farm store for supplies for dinner and then we drove off through the beautiful countryside to Sandra's house.  She made me an official Sunday lamb dinner.  She also taught us how to make her world famous scones!

Driving away from Chatsworth

Roses on the side of the farm store

Behind the farm store

That little notch on the hill is Lyme Cage

Enjoying some fresh scones!

Sandra's scones

Day 12

Richard has been talking the whole time we've been here about the Hazel Grove carnival which is on today.  He's quite excited about it so we are definitely going!  The carnival starts with a parade which actually lines up on Lindsey and Phil's street and then circles through Hazel Grove.  It ends at the park near their house where rides and booths of all kinds are set up.

London and Buster

My cousin, Emma, who doesn't live in the area, drove up today and met us at the carnival.

I told the kids they could pick one ride or game to play and Emmy INSISTED that she play this game and then INSISTED that she have the goldfish as a prize.  She was quite sure that the fish could ride on the plane home with us despite me saying over and over it could not!  Lindsey saved the day by saying it could live at her house.  As a side note and funny story, we brought the fish home and put him in a bowl then went outside to visit.  Emmy goes in to check on him and comes back out saying he wasn't in his bowl anymore!  We run in to find him on the tile floor!!!  Lindsey quickly scooped him up, put him back in the bowl and deemed him fit to swim another day.  And he did!  We named him Eclls (pronounced "eckles"), the first letter from all our names.  Eclls Feckles the Fish.

Lindsey and Phil

 London chose this game and won himself a plastic M-15 machine gun, another practical toy to take home on the plane.  It got confiscated at the airport before we even checked all our luggage!

Relaxing in the shade with our ice creams.

These ice creams are called a 99.  Ice cream with red sauce and a Flake candy bar stuck on top!

After the carnival we all went back to Lindsey and Phil's house to visit and have a delicious curry dinner fixed by Lindsey.

Playing cards

Day 11

With the cliff walk last night finished, our mission here in Devon was complete so we headed out early this morning to try to avoid some of the traffic on England's notorious "motorways".  We were driving strait up the M5 and the M6 which are known to become parking lots, especially on a Friday.

Our route out of Devon took us through the Exmoor Forest and through more stunning countryside which again went unphotographed since I was driving...

We lucked out with the traffic and made it back to Sandra's house safe and sound without any major holdups, and we still had the whole afternoon to play.  Well, not the whole afternoon since Emmy and London required a nap - they were spent! 

When they'd had a nap and some food (they have done nothing but eat their way around Great Britain!) Sally took us over to Lyme Park again to play on the playground.  She also suggested that we go build a "den".  She said she had seen a place where there were a lot of felled trees and it looked like a good place to build something.  We were curious and agreed.  After a 20 minute walk, we came to a small forest with a bunch of "dens" already built and some spare logs for building.

Me and Sally

Emmy decided to go the squatters route and adopted a pre-constructed model, but London insisted on building his own.  He hauled logs around to create his own fort.

Alex met us at the park and then we all headed back to Sandra's and then Lindsey's who had fixed a yummy paella for dinner.

There was a beautiful view of Lyme Hall and Lyme Cage from the woods.