Go West Young Man (and Lady)

A tale of three moors! Exmoor, Bodmin and Dartmoor all in a week and with not a drop of rain. And with the bonus of no Icelandic fall out and flight delays. Fitted in Glastonbury on the way there and Theobalds Park, Enfield on the way back (note the JCB on the campsite as it prepares for the 2012 Olympics rush). Also had some time for the North Devon coast which whilst not as famous as its Cornwall counterpart is just as impressive. If you ever find yourself on Exmoor then try out the Royal Oak Inn at Winsford - lovely village location, great beer and food - and you can stay (but we did not try that bit). Lunch at the Tarr Farm Inn is a good trip but if you cycle it is uphill all the way back to Winsford!

Norfolk Firewater

Happy Birthday Andy!

The World Tour of Britain Begins

Is it North America? Is it Holland? No it is the North Norfolk coast path between Cromer and Hunstanton. A gentle start to the next stage of our world tour and breaking in the camper van. Although not far from our doorstep it is part of the Norfolk coast we had never visited and is quite impressive in early spring when there are not many people around and the huge beaches are empty.

Back to Earth

Home again!
Back safely in Ipswich and it is spring - it feels like we have missed winter.
The last leg of our flights was British Airways from New York to Heathrow and we were sad to say that Qantas put BA to shame for quality and service - no wonder they are losing money and their industrial relations are at a low ebb.
Now to plan the British leg of our world tour.

Family Reunited

We had a great day rounding off the World Tour visiting our niece Nat and her husband Zac at their home in Pawling. The town is just outside New York yet is a huge contrast as you move quickly from the busy urban city into beautiful and stunning countryside. The bright sunny day combined with the snow was icing on the cake. (Jack was also with us but was asleep at photo time!)

New York, New York

Shops, more shops and very tall buildings. And in Central Park the chess hut (top left picture) where father and son play chess in the opening of Independance Day.

Times Square, 5th Avenue, NYPD, Bloomingdales - they are all such a cliche but are just like you expect them to be.

It's a Long Way Home

Arriving in Los Angeles is a bit of a culture shock after two months of isolation from western civilisation. Add Hollywood to that and it is almost surreal. Seeing Zorro shopping in the Hollywood Fresh and Easy (just like Tesco) was an experience too far!