An English Christmas

Arrival in the United Kingdom was a refreshing change because it meant relaxing and sharing the Christmas cheer with extended relatives. May I also mention that this conveniently meant free homemade meals and warm comfy beds. I was pleased to see vegetables again on my place after my travels through the land of meat and potatoes. 

Our first visit was to Brixton in South Devon to visit the Oates family. I had met Tom, the son of the family, over the summer when he had traveled to Canada to work on Cornell Farms. It was great to see him again and to meet his parents and sisters. The Oates live near the sea and we were granted some lovely views on a walk along the coast.

 Walking towards Brixton.

You can see in the pictures that it was a green Christmas in the United Kingdom. It was also incredibly wet because heavy rains had caused flooding conditions in the area. The day we arrived in the UK, trains to South Devon were actually disrupted by the floods so we were lucky to have been picked up by the Oates. 

The Oates were kind enough to offer a quick stop at Windsor Castle on the way to Brixton, one of the Royal family’s many homes. The Castle is an attractive palace with lovely, well-kept grounds. We visited on a Sunday, which meant that St. George’s Chapel was unfortunately closed. It is one of the highlights of the grounds since it was extensively renovated after a fire in 1992.  Instead we toured Queen Mary’s doll house collection and the impressive staterooms. After seeing much stonework and marble in continental palaces, I was surprised to find that artistic woodworking dominated the Windsor interior.  Clearly the Royal family lives in style, but I found it hard to imagine the Queen waltzing the halls since it was milling with tourists at the time.

Christmas dinner in Britain was very close to the Canadian version. There were the additions of red cabbage and bread sauce, plus the potatoes were roasted not mashed. Dessert was a delicious selection of Chocolate Roulade and Christmas pudding with brandy butter. We celebrated with Christmas crackers and warmed port with lemon. 

The weather cleared on Christmas day so we were able to take a walk around the “Barbican” or harbourfront area of Plymouth. Here, cobblestone streets weave up to an old military barracks which sits atop a hill to provide strategic views of the sea. Nearby there is a ferris-wheel for even higher sightseeing and a red-white striped lighthouse which once provided the backdrop for a Beatles photograph. An important landmark along this stretch is the Mayflower Steps. In 1620 pilgrims bound for North America boarded the ship, Mayflower, from this spot to head towards a new beginning.

 The Mayflower Steps

Later in the week we made an excursion to the Eden Project, a series of biomes which mimic the climate conditions of other areas around the world. It was built as an educational project in 2000 to revitalize a disused quarry and now holds two massive bubble-like domes showcasing Mediterranean and tropical rainforest climates. There is also an ice rink in the winter and an exhibition building called The Core. The biomes look alien-like from the outside and you do seem to enter a different world once inside. My favourite was the rainforest biome which held a variety of plants including banana, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, pineapple, rubber and bamboo. There is no need for winter coats in this place; you can climb to a plateau at the top of the biome where it is a humid 34° Celsius!

 In the Mediterranean.

 From the top of the Rainforest.

After leaving the Oates family we stayed one evening with Rick and Jo Turner outside of Exeter. It was fabulous to see their 16^th century home with its charming (yet wonky) plaster walls and slanted floors. In Exeter itself we got to tour the Cathedral, but I would like to share instead our experience at the Turner’s business, The Big Sheep.  This award-winning agricultural attraction has everything to offer from sheepdog trials to waterparks, combat zones, train rides, sheep races and a brewery. Around the farm I found this furry face and a pig ride (pulled by pink tractor). The picture at the bottom is of the children play-area. Do you see the grey wall between the two slides? Shockingly, it is also a slide which I begrudgingly went down after both Rick led the way. Truth be told, I did find it fun. Check out The Big Sheep at www.thebigsheep.co.uk.

There is one last bit I would like to share about Devon. On our drive back from The Big Sheep, Rick took us to the most unusual pub located in the countryside near Sourton. The pub is called the Highwayman and has been ornately decorated to appear like something from a fairytale. You enter through the door of a stagecoach into a series of rooms crammed with character, including one which mimics a ship’s cabin and a somewhat creepy shrine to road-killed animals. It is the most remarkable pub I’ve been in; the type of place where you would notice something different every time you visit. 

The ship's cabin.

Next, Garnet and I were off to London for one of the more memorable experiences of our trip: New Years in London’s city centre! I’ll share that tale next time.

Happy February!

Shannon