Lynton and Lynmouth

Last Friday the Fibre Harvest mill team (Sara, John and I) left straight after work for a long weekend in Lynton. Sara and I drove up together, excited about testing out her bell tent, Beatrice, for the first time this season.

The drive was only an hour, but I'm quickly learning that an hour is a very very long drive by English terms. So funny! The landscape here is amazing - I don't think I'll ever stop being fascinated by it. During our short (or very long, depending on how you look at it) drive we saw lush green woodland, rivers and streams, moors covered in mist, heather and ponies, and then ended up at the sea! By the time we arrived at our destination (the Rising Sun pub and hotel) I was so overwhelmed by the ponies and wilderness that I didn't even notice the sea...pretty sad actually.

 We planned our trip specially to coincide with the famous nibbles Friday. Fresh and local food is served up to guests every Friday evening on the house, what a fab idea! I may have overindulged that night, the exmoor stag ale is particularly dangerous...and delicious!

The next morning Juliet - the very lovely other half of Fibre Harvest - brought Sara and I to the Lynton farmer's market. I do love a good farmer's market, especially when it's held is this beautiful Tudor building

 

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I fell in love with Lynton almost instantly. To be fair, a place with so many cream teas is impossible to dislike. It has a happy and easy going feeling that is unique in sea side communities (I think).

...and more stunning sea views that I knew what to do with!

After the farmer's market, Juliet and I took a little walk. Lynton is a very hilly place, I learned this quickly. Every local I spoke to said "I like just up/down/next to/around that hill". So the two of us hiked up a little way, encountering an iron age settlement, the ruins of a Victorian mansion, wild goats, a fawn, breathtaking woodland and eventually overwhelming sea views. All of this was in the span of about 20 minutes!

Of course, my camera battery died on my second day in Lynton. I don't have photos of my swim in the sea (very cold!) or the lovely jubilee fireworks display or my scrumptious carvery dinner at the Sandrock. I had the pork belly, oh my!

Even though I come from a family of avid fishermen (and fisherladies), I never managed to get into it - until I saw this...

Fresh mackerel and pollock for dinner, yum!

To top off a very dreamy weekend, John and Juliet may have my favourite home. Ever. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of their inspirational collection of great stuff...

In the end, I had way more fun than I could ever fit into a single blog post. So much fun, in fact, that I'm going to be moving to Lynton in about a month's time. Yay! You can look forward to me nattering on about how great it is for a long time to come!

Devon County Show

 

  As a massive fan of the Canadian Royal Winter Fair, I knew that the Devon County Show was not to be missed! Of course, this show was many times bigger than the little fair that I love so well, and it had plenty more of all my favourite things - cheese, ponies, honey, Barbour jackets and so on. I don't think anyone will be surprised to discover that I spent most of my time exploring the fresh local foods that were available...and enjoying some cider while I was at it! One very patriotic butcher made the lovely creation above - obviously a show highlight!

 

Oh right, and there were truck loads of sheep. I spent ages wandering around the sheep area taking pictures and talking to all the lovely critters (when people weren't looking so they didn't think I was nuts!) Obviously, I could not leave the fairgrounds without some wooly thing. This is what I came away with...

 

...10 balls of this lovely brown/black Shetland yarn grown right here in Devon! It's a DK weight, woolen spun fuzzy dream yarn! Delightful!

Another thrilling attraction at the fair was Cath Kidston's caravan. it's currently touring around England, and made a stop at the county show - lucky us!

 

It was mayhem in there, but I stuck it out and emerged with a very sweet pin and some postcards (I'm constantly in need of more these days - so many people to write to!). I especially like this mug, and may still pick one up for myself...

 

Undoubtedly, the best thing I tasted at the show was a scone with clotted cream and local honey. Anyone who knows me also knows about my honey...obsession. Anyway, this was amazing and life changing. Just look at those cool folks serving up the goods all day long. Bless em!

 

After a long, hot day of exploring I piled myself and all my goodies onto the bus and headed home. Any locals reading this, feel free to laugh - the buses here are terrifying!! They tear down the tiny country roads at warp speed! I clung desperately to my honey as we whirred around corners and down hills. Thankfully everything made it home safely, and I've been enjoying my loot ever since!

 

This guy knows what's important - the cider!

here we go

Right now, I'm sitting in my little room in Uffculme (the room used to be stables). listening to air and burning my precious pomander candle. It's great! I've been a little bit slow getting this blog in place, but now that it's here I plan to document my many adventures here in England. Some very exciting things will be happening while I'm here - it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics are coming to London, and most exciting of all is that I am working in a wool mill!

Before I get ahead of myself, I think I'll catch you up on some things I've been doing...

...I left my beautiful Canadian home at the beginning of the month, amidst much fanfare (isn't that the most lovely cake?!)

after a seemingly never ending day of travel in early May I popped out of the subway - ahem, tube - in London!

 I only had a couple of days to spend there (and I think 10 years wouldn't be enough) but I did my best. I spent my Saturday morning at the Borough Market, where I ate the most splendid grilled cheese sandwich. I hope you're sitting down because in between two perfect slices of sourdough was most wonderful comté cheese, as well as sauteed leek and mushroom. Phew. Go if you can!

 

My second day of London-ing was spent with Ce of the Uncommon Thread. It turns out that Ce is completely lovely and wonderful - no surprise there, and we had a great time visiting Loop, the Elk in the Woods and Toast (where I bought the pants of my dreams).  I did just a teensy bit of shopping at Loop 3 skeins of Loft in stormcloud. Silly to go to England to buy American yarn, but who can resist this stuff? Can't wait to cast on a big shawl in it.

I am also the proud owner of Ce's BEAUTIFUL BFL light DK in Zitouni. I've come close to ordering more of this yarn about one million times since - must have some self control, must! I'm planning to knit a Nethernon sweater with my 3 skeins. I've been so excited about this pattern since I saw it in Loop. My issue of POMPOM arrived this week too - better get knitting!

Sadly, one weekend in London was just long enough for me to realize that I must return as soon as I can for another adventure. In the mean time, I've been up to some very fun stuff here in Devon. I'm going to try some little catching up posts, and space them out over the next week or two. So many adventures to share!