Exploring with the National Trust

Back on the road after a few days in Norfolk for birthday celebrations, fireworks and dog walks with friends. We headed to Buckinghamshire first for an overnight stop with friends before continuing west to Somerset and Devon. 

Our week has been full of sunshine, autumnal colours and many stops at National Trust places. We have walked Cheddar Gorge, Ebbor Gorge, explored Glastonbury and made a new, beautiful friend, Carmen from the USA. We decided to look round the Abbey ruins together after climbing up to the Tor in very windy weather. The Abbey is rumoured to be where King Arthur’s grave was found.

The coast is spectacular here. A walk around Brean and out to the fort, walks along the South West Coast Path and views across the Bristol Channel have all been squeezed into the week as well as a visit to Dunster Castle with it’s Mediterranean gardens. 

Today we have walked through ‘The Valley of the Rocks’ which is stunning and down into Lynmouth where we found wifi and lunch! 

Trip to Tanzania

After a couple of weeks in the Peak District, the van was parked up and the hiking boots given a rest as I returned to the sky. A beautiful family invited me to join them on safari in Tanzania, so Poppy went off to spend two fun-filled weeks with other lovely spaniels and good friends and I dug out the backpack!

We arrived in Tanzania at night on a flight via Amsterdam so it wasn’t until the morning that we could see our green gardens and hear the wonderful birdsong. Our next journey was by safari jeep to Tarangire National Park, home of elephants. We were incredibly luckily to see so many, including a mother with twins! 

Our accommodation was tents from which lions could be heard at night and elephants walked through to get to their watering spot. It gave us the most amazing view over the river from which to watch the wildlife.

After three days in the park we travelled onto the Serengeti via Ngorongoro National Park and Masai lands. We were lucky enough to see a rhino in the crater at a photo stop!

The three days spent in the Serengeti were something I shall never forget - incredible location to sleep, a sunrise balloon flight, a bush dinner with hyenas watching (yes really,) amazing big cats, birds of prey, drinks around a camp fire and so many laughs and smiles. When I think back on it it is like a huge, warm, joy-filled hug!

The photos can never do it justice but I hope you enjoy them and they give you a flavour of the adventure…