Most unusually, Budleigh has had snow this year. Very beautiful….
The cold winter in the UK has also meant that thousands of birds have been coming to the estuaries of the Exe and the Otter for food and shelter, so we have enjoyed spotting them (and trying to identify them!)
We put solar panels onto our roof this year and when the sun shines we make a lot of our electricity (and get paid for it!) Not, however, when they’re covered in snow…..
In November we took ourselves to Venice for a week. It was, of course, beautiful and we walked many miles exploring and getting lost among the canals and alleys.
On the Sunday we took part in an orienteering competition – a challenging experience which necesstitated dodging tourists and finding routes that led to bridges! John came in 6th in his class, and Carol 3rd in hers.
We had quite a drought in Devon during the summer. But we enjoyed the produce from our new fruit and veg garden – which we created back in February.
In the autumn we created a nice paved sitting-out area, with a pergola which should provide a bit of shade once we’ve planted climbers to scramble all over it.
And then to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. This little Caribbean town is colourful and friendly; the sea is warm and clear. Jex and Evie have been attending The Island Academy where they have been very happy. I did a scuba diving qualification so I could dive down to 60′ on the outside face of the coral reef – an amazing experience!
May 2010 saw us heading to Central America. A week in Guatemala was a great opportunity to see some of the Mayan sites which are being partially restored from their encroachment by the jungle.
The 2 grannies went out to India to see Jex and Evie (and their parents!). We spent time in the heat of Nashik where Jayne was working for Sula Vineyards. Then took a train ride to Agra for the magical visit to the Taj Mahal, and an adventurous and exciting trip up to Manali in the Himalayas.
High time I added a few of our favourite photos from the last few months. They’re a mixture of our travels and our life here in Devon….
Let’s start with some memories of our trip to Australia and New Zealand last year…
We took part in the World Masters Games based in Sydney. The event included some ‘sprint’ orienteering in urban settings, including the Olympic Park; then there were longer courses out in the Blue Mountains which – with their cliffs and gum forests – presented some interesting navigational challenges!
The holiday also allowed us to meet up with friends in both Australia and New Zealand – and also included several vineyard as well as trips such as the one shown above down Doubtful Sound in the S Island of NZ.
We are heading out to Australia and New Zealand for the month of October, leaving the cats in the capable hands of 3 house sitters. The trip will be a combination of visiting friends, visiting vineyards and wineries, and taking part in orienteering events – including the World Masters Orienteering Championships in Sydney and the Blue Mountains. We have been training for the trip – one of us more energetically than the other!
This was the Jurassic Coast 10k run!
& I run a Wine Appreciation group!
Had a very changeable summer here weather-wise, so we haven’t been on the beach as much as I thought we would. But we’ve enjoyed having lots of visitors and exploring the area around with them. Dartmoor is a real wilderness of course, but we are exploring it , climbing the tors and finding out about the archaeology. And then there’s the coastal path…. We’ve done various trips on boats, been to local vineyards, watched cricket, gorged on music concerts, seen otters, and collected fossils.
On Hound Tor
Fishing off Budleigh beach
With friends on the coastal path
