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Mum and Dad were off to Paree for a few days, so we had organised our own little jaunt: some friends we met on Lake Titicaca (as you do) are in Exeter, so we decided to abuse their hospitality.
The drive started with a pfffft: we waited for ages to get onto the M4 due to the ubiquitous roadworks, but as soon as it cleared up the Mighty Proton (our steed) roared and we flew down the motorway. Not quick enough for some, though - the Brits do tend to chug along, and anyone holding up proceedings is quickly subjected to close rear inspection. We found our place in the slow lane, despite adhering to the speed limit.
First stop, Avebury - it's Stonehenge's poor but much larger cousin. A ring of stones is enclosed by a ditch surrounded by a hill. No-one knows why. Getting a feel for the place is a bit difficult, because a village was plonked in the middle of it, and residents have been known to nick the stones to build houses back when the Church encouraged the destruction of pagan sites. It's still quite cool though.
The Mighty Proton surged again, and we found ourselves
in Bradford upon Avon, a lovely village. Successful navigation to the M4 followed, upon which we progressed to Exeter. The evening was spent indulging in our favourite pastimes: yakking, eating and drinking.
Dartmoor awaited us. It's a bleak, barren landscape upon which only sheep and ponies can survive. Oh, and there's a prison there. We loved it. England is a densely populated place, so having some space was a pleasant novelty. The sun shined upon our walk through the hills - bliss! There are, of course, old buildings; it's Europe, after all. Some poor souls charged with carving out stone and living from the quarries, which I can only imagine would have been a difficult existence back then.
More driving, generally pleasant and uneventful - we ended up at Castle Drogo, built last century by a grocery magnate who had found a noble ancestor and so felt that he should have a castle to reflect his new status. We didn't go in (twas too late) but the grounds are nice. Steak and kidney pie for dinner, Yum!
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