I’m skipping forward 10 days to write a more current entry. Then I’ll go back 10 days to March 18th and briefly (will try) to let you know what we have been up to.

March 27 – Thursday

We are in Norfolk in Sandringham camping at The Sandringham Camping and Caravanning Site. We arrived yesterday afternoon (March 27th)to this lovely site in the countryside that is actually on the Royal Lands. Today, we backtracked to Norwich for a few hours and saw Norwich Cathedral. What a spectacular masterpiece of architecture built between 1096 and 1145.

Afterwards, it was lunch time. We chose a 16th century little cafe, tudor style, on the corner. It had great coffee and quiche. We chatted with the server. He was in his early 20’s and had finished film school in Norwich recently. Film is his passion and he is moving to London soon for more opportunity. We got his name and said that we’d watch for him in the coming years at the Oscars. His name is Jack Hollingsworth.

Afterwards, we just wandered the streets for a couple of hours.

We enjoyed our short time in Norwich. It is definitely a place I would come back to for longer if I had a chance.

We drove the one hour plus back to Sandringham threw the kettle on and had a quick cup of tea/ ovaltine break. Then we ventured out on the trails near our campsite in the Royal Park Lands. This area is where the Royal family have some of their holidays and where they usually celebrate Christmas. The estate and gardens are not available for

public viewing until April. The woodlands are a mix of scotch pine and oak mixed with some beech with a ribbon of rhododendrons throughout.

We made it back to the campsite just before dusk and had a meal of french fries (there was a chippy food truck on the site tonight) left over tuna fish pasta, salad and braised rapini. Spent the evening writing and sudokuing. Life is good

Catching up:

March 17th -Monday

On the way from the Lost Gardens of Heligan to Tavistock, I took this photo that very much resembles the feel of this area, a farmer on his tractor with the beautiful green fields all around and the ocean off in the distance.

March 18 – Tuesday

We walked into Tavistock the one hour or more along country roads and then on the moors by a creek. It was very pastoral and pretty

Tavistock is designated a UNESCO world Heritage Mining site. As well , Sir Francis Drake was born nearby in 1542. We visited the local museum, St Eustachius church, the market and then walked the canal. It was a fun day.

Wish we’d taken more pictures of the town.

March 19th –Wednesday

We got up early and headed Plymouth way. Guy wanted to go see the place he started his horticultural career at Endsleigh Gardens in his late teens. He was utterly gobsmacked at the size and scope of this nursery. The only thing he recognized was some barb wire on a pole outside in the parking lot. When he was there, it was a small garden centre with greenhouses, plants and hard landscaping materials and pots and seeds. Now, it’s a total mega store with home decor, clothing, gift shop, food shop, cafe, and more. It took 10 minutes walking through the store to get to the check out. Guy couldn’t relate to the store. The old family run feel is gone. It was another anywhereville.

We got on a lesser A road afterwards, care of google girl, and once we righted ourselves, headed down to Newton Ferrers, still in Devon. Guy’s parents Hugh and Anne used to live in this unique little village on the English Channel. Guy and some of his siblings spent time there too in their later teens and 20’s.

We camped that night at Charmouth in Dorset, near Lyme Regis, positioned to visit Guy’s Aunt Ursula the next day.

March 20th – Thursday

We spent the morning in Lyme Regis. The sun was out and the promenade was bustling. We wandered to the far end and Guy had time at Monmouth Beach looking for fossils. This area is known as the Jurassic Coast that stretches 96 miles from East Devon to Dorset. The geological history of this area spans 185 million years. Erosion has cause layers of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to be exposed and “The fossils found in abundance along this coastline provide evidence of how animals and plants evolved in this region.” (Wikipedia). People flock to the area for fossil hunting as well as surf and sun.

After the morning on the beach, we went and visited Guy’s Aunt Ursula at 2pm. It was 2 days shy of her 96 birthday so we took a nice bouquet of orange tulips. Guy also gave her an ammonite fossil that he found earlier. She lives at the top of Lyme Regis in a lovely area with a sunny aspect overlooking green space. We had a nice visit and it was so good to see her.

March 21 – Friday

We spent a couple of hours in the morning at Charmouth beach, near Lyme Regis. I went for a walk and Guy continued the fossil search. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is nearby to learn more about the coast, its history and fossils that have been found. There are interpreters to help with your fossil search and help identify your finds. Guy was excited about a little belamnite fossil. To his disappointment, the interpreter informed him it was a piece of flint. 🙁 We bought a small fossil as a memory of the area.

After a quick parking lot lunch in the van, we made the hour or more drive to Corfe Castle. We were full of anticipation as we walked the 20 minutes or so up from the visitors centre where we parked. We both wanted to see the castle since watching the movie “Nuts of May”, a Mike Leigh film from the 1970’s. The castle ruins looming up above on the hill was an amazing sight.

Corfe Castle was built by William the Conquerer after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is one of 36 castles built in England by him between 1066 – 1087. It was ruined in the 1600’s by Parliamentarians acting against any royal strongholds. Now, owned by the National Trust, it is a wonderful place to visit steeped in a long and tumultuous history.

That night, we drove to Chichester through Friday night rush hour along the south coast arriving to our B and B in the dark. We were taking a break from the camper. Our host graciously gave us a ride to a local pub for dinner and then we had an early night. We love the camper and it’s very warm and comfortable but a break once and awhile is appreciated.