Yes, the title of this post is correct. I referred to this trip as my "cozy trip". After three trips in just over a year traveling around the UK and Europe I decided I wanted a simpler one. I LOVE Christmas in England and especially London so I knew I wanted to spend time there and after so many trips so close together I knew I needed to have a less expensive trip. So petsitting it was! While I don't get paid I do get to live in a home and hang out with pets. it is a cheap trip. Or temporary relocation as I like to call it. To make it even simpler I decided to stay in England. So here are some of the highlights of my trip.
London in December
London is pure magic at Christmas. The lights, the decorations, the markets, the decorated windows - it is all so beautiful. I stayed in my usual "home away from home' at Claudia's Bed and Breakfast in Streatham in Southwest London.
I feel so at home in London and feel confident walking and taking all sorts of transport around. What can I say, it's "my city".
A weekend with Amanda
I headed up to Newark in Nottinghamshire for a December weekend with my friend Amanda. It turned out to be a bit longer as due to a storm wreaking havoc with overhead railway lines I had to stay on another night. We went to see a fun pantomime and I enjoyed a homemade Sunday roast (made by her husband Kaz), homemade delish cheese scones and lots of wine and gin. (and a bottle of orange gin to go..) We took a day trip up to Lincoln which is a place I have always wanted to visit. I also got a personal tour of Newark Castle with a professional guide that Amanda knows and got to learn about Steam Punkers. It was a great weekend - thanks again Amanda!!
Beautiful Lincoln Cathedral. I will write a post on my day in Lincoln with lots more pictures one day...I took a ton of photos inside.
This is the crooked house. I'm lucky I had Amanda with me or I would have just turned right up Steep Hill and not walked the other way to see this gem.
Beautiful Newark Castle. So much history here and in the town of Newark itself. It was a very important place during the English Civil War. I wrote a post about Newark and mentioned the castle so click here if you want to read more. I'll be writing more about this in the ahem....years ahead at the rate of writing blog posts...
Newark was hosting a Steampunk festival the weekend I was there and they were all happy to pose for me. Steampunk is a fashion style that is a salute to the romanticism of the Victorian era as well as the beginning of steam-powered engines.
Cuffley, Hertfordshire with "the girls"
I spent two weeks over Christmas with Mika (pronounced Meeka) and Mocha. Cuffley was my kind of village...with a Tesco Extra, a bakery, a couple of cafes and more on the two-block High Street. It also had a train station within a five-minute walk from the house with a frequent forty-minute service to central London. If I have to live outside of a city this was the ideal spot. Of course, I fell in love with the doggies. Mika at thirteen years of age was more sedate than three-year-old Mocha - walking them together was interesting with one forging ahead and the other at a more sedate pace. Mocha barked at everything - birds flying in the sky, the wind.... you name it! Not so pleasant when she had to go out to have a pee at 3 a.m. barking her head off and I was worried about upsetting the neighbours. Apparently, this is not normal behavior for her so she was obviously stressed with her humans away. However, we were pals and my lap was never cold. When I left they both came out to the front steps with their mum and the look on their little faces said..."why are you leaving...we want you here along with mummy and daddy" and Mika had to be stopped from coming to me. They had a doggie door and while Mika used it Mocha was afraid of it - I had been warned of this. I had a four-and-a-half-hour window to explore (though I did push it to five hours and no "surprises" were waiting for me) and there were a couple of trips into London as well as short trips over to nearby Hertford and Enfield. I wouldn't do that every day and of course, over Christmas I was home for three days. I was given lovely gifts from the girls for Christmas and gifts from South Africa when "the parents" arrived home. They were a great couple to sit for.
British Robin sightings always make me happy. They had a lovely back garden but sadly it was too cold to enjoy it.
A short train ride took me to nearby Hertford where I enjoyed strolling the town and I loved the "yarn bomb" of Christmas decorations in the Castle Gardens.
Some more time with Barney Rubble
I looked after Barney earlier in the year and was asked back for a few days over New Years. Barney is a great little fellow and a dream to walk so of course as it fit right in after my time with Mika and Mocha I said yes. We did a different walk every day around the village of Rushmere St Andrew in Suffolk and I took short trips into nearby Ipswich and Woodbridge.
Barney modeling his spiffy jacket.
Barney watched TV with me - yes, he actually watched the TV. In the Spring when I watched he would go berserk when any kind of animal or cartoon character came on the screen - Britain has a lot of advertisements featuring animals. It was chaos - I even had to turn off "Coronation Street" because he was out of control - I mean, REALLY Barney, you crossed the line there! After I left Christine bought a water gun and would squirt him and that cured him. You can see the water gun on the coffee table and yes I picked it up a couple of times and gave him a "look" when he appeared to be getting worked up and he immediately stopped. Peace at last!!!
Ipswich has some beautiful old buildings.
One "lowlight" was when Barney woke me up at 3 a.m. to go out. This was very unusual for him as he usually slept through the night and most of the day too - as his mum says - he could sleep for England! I followed him down the stairs in my bare feet not bothering to turn on the light in the kitchen as we made our way to the back door. All of a sudden I felt something warm and mushy between my toes....yep Barney did a quick poo on his way to the door. All I can say is I'm glad Barney is a small dog!! All was forgiven.
I stayed over the evening they came home and Christine took me to Felixstowe on the coast. She treated me to some delicious fish and chips at her favourite place. This was on top of giving me chocolate and shortbread biscuits - and oh yes there was a homemade chocolate cake in the fridge for me to devour. Talk about being spoiled!!! Oh yes then there was the bottle of the wine she insisted I take with me which I shared with Claudia for one of our wine and cheese evenings back in London.
A January week in London
I had a week before I was booked for my next petsit so of course it was back to my happy place. The week flew by as I attended the excellent play "Backstairs Billy" starring Penelope Wilton as the Queen Mother, visited the newly renamed Museum of the Home and toured the very interesting Bow Police Museum among other things. I also did one of the British Walking Federation's walks again that took me through Clerkenwell, the Old City and into the heart of Westminster - I did this over two days. Let's just say I kept happily busy in my soul city.
The Shepherdess Mural in Shepherdess Park - another thing on "the list"!!!
Of course, I had to run around and see the Christmas decorations I hadn't seen in December.
I paid my respects to Charles Darwin, another hero of mine. This statue is in the Natural History Museum. While there I toured the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which was fantastic.
Semington with Suki
Then it was time for more petsitting. My home for the next 8 days was a very new bungalow with all mod cons in Semington, a village five miles out of Trowbridge. Suki, the Russian Blue and I got along just fine. Not being that experienced with outdoor cats I must admit I was worried when she was out and about and always happy to see her little face looking at me through the front or back doors. While not a lap cat she would sit beside me some of the time and she sure loved a tummy rub.
Semington was a small village with no services at all and no public transport after 5 p.m. or on Sundays. Public transport was good when it was running. During my time there I managed to visit Frome, Bath (2x), Lacock and Bradford-On-Avon. I didn't even bother exploring Trowbridge as what I saw of it did not impress me at all.
The very first place I visited was Frome which was almost an hour bus ride from the village. I absolutely loved it and had hopes of revisiting but I ran out of time and energy. It is a quirky town with lots of independent shops and despite visiting on a dull damp day I fell in love!!
When I stayed in Bath for a week in early 2020 my Airbnb hosts said I must visit Bradford-on-Avon however I never made it there. I corrected that on this trip. Once I made the half hour bus journey to Trowbridge rail station it was just a six minute train ride away.
The town bridge is the symbol of the town and originally dates from the 14th century however it was widened and rebuilt in the 1800's. The structure on the far left is a lockup that was used to house prisoners before they were sent to jail.
I climbed up to a walking path along the top of the town for some lovely views. Wouldn't this be a perfect place to sit with a bottle of wine and a friend on a lovely summer's night. I'll be writing more about Bradford-On-Avon.
I spent two days in Bath doing a 13 km walk. As I mentioned earlier I had spent a week in Bath in early 2020 so I had seen most of the tourist sites and I knew that this walk would not only let me pass by them once again but also take me to areas that most tourists don't get to see.
A panoramic shot of the Royal Crescent
A side view of Bath Abbey - I toured it four years ago.
My walk took me through a park that Jane Austen (who lived nearby) used to frequent.
The walk ended along the Kennett and Avon canal. I nearly stopped when there was some ice on the trail (England was having a cold snap) but I decided to carry on and finish the walk and I am so glad I did.
Last time I was in Bath I could never get into the famous Sally Lunn's but I picked the right time and was able to get a table - as I left there was a long line waiting to get in. This was to celebrate finishing the walk. I felt it was a bit overpriced at about 20 dollars Canadian but it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing and it was good.
Speaking of canals I decided last minute to hop a bus and head over to the Caen Hill Locks which are 29 locks over 2 miles with a 237 foot gradient. It was so last minute that in order to make the bus I had to go out in my fleece paw print leggings. I look hideous in leggings (for me and my animal friends' eyes only) and don't wear them in public (although I used them for walks with the girls) but it was that or wait another hour for the bus that would take me there. Of course, I got off the bus at the low end so had to walk uphill but it wasn't bad at all. I had a quick look in the town of Devizes and then bussed it back to Semington. (and no one made faces - at least not to my face or fainted at the sight of me in my leggings - win!) I do love canal walks and I certainly got my fill on this trip.
Of course, I mustn't forget Lacock which is a National Trust village that is used in many films and television programs. If it wasn't for the cars everywhere you would almost think you had been zapped back a century or two. I had visited it previously on a tour from Bath but being as it was a quick trip on the bus from Semington I decided to revisit. I was glad I did as I was able to visit the ruins of Lacock Abbey and wander at my leisure without worrying about being back to the bus on time. And even better...I was one of just a few wandering around the town.
Lacock Abbey - I spent quite a bit of time here walking around the beautiful building, visiting the cloisters and exploring the grounds.
Lacock residents must not have satellite dishes or antennas on their roofs.
Sadly the bakery was closed. Just as well....
One big advantage of looking after a cat is I had plenty of time to explore and there was no time limit on getting back. Ii was home every evening though to spend time with Suki. Being as it was winter and getting dark early it was good to get back but I think the poor transport options would have been very annoying in Spring and Summer. I was asked back to look after Suki in late February but of course, I was gone by then.
I grew to love Suki but I will never be a cat lover. When I see an ad that calls for a "cat lover" I do not reply. I guess you could say I take them on an individual basis.
Torquay with Cassie
Then it was time to head over to Torquay (pronounced "Torkee") on the south coast of Devon. Of course, I had to travel on Sunday the one day that there were no buses so a 28 pound taxi trip (plus tip) later I was in Westbury. (My Semington host Richard and his son would be not arriving back from France until later that day) Ken was waiting for me at Torquay station and that evening he and his wife Cathy cooked me a lovely roast chicken meal. Cassie was a very affectionate cat. So affectionate that she crawled under the duvet with me at night to keep warm as it was a cold house.
Cassie was another outdoor cat however she stuck to the back of the house - or at least that's what I was told. The house was high up and the back area was full of steps as well which I didn't even explore as it looked too treacherous. She had a cat door programmed to her chip so no unwelcome visitors were able to come through. And thank goodness she never brought any presents back to me!
I was so happy to be back by the sea. It's crazy but I was actually thinking of basing myself in Torquay for a week and was looking at B and B's when this petsit popped up.
My legs certainly got a good workout between the many stairs to get up to the house from the street and then my room was at the top of the house - the third floor in North America and called the second floor in Britain. Then the area I was in was very hilly as well which could account for the house and property that kept going up and up!!!
I found Torquay itself a bit underwhelming. The seafront was nice but the town seemed a bit rundown and sad. Of course, being the off-season some places were closed and there was construction going on. I'm sure in the summer it would be a totally different vibe.
I did enjoy seeing palm trees though! This area is known as the English Riviera.
I walked over to Cockington Village and Park which was lovely.
Who doesn't love a thatched cottage?
I took the short bus trip over to Paignton - totally tacky tourist. I enjoyed it but once was enough!!
Paignton pier. British piers are something else - crazy arcades, fish and chips, ice cream - you name it!
Paignton Harbour
I saw this in Torquay as well. There were swans in the harbour and this one decided to head out into the sea. I assume it didn't go too far. I didn't think swans hung out in salt water.
They're noisy, steal food, and terrorize other birds but I can't help but like seagulls.
Another day, another bus and I was off to Brixham which is the most important fishing port in England and Wales.
Brixham's main focus is the harbour. My hip was bothering me that day so I couldn't wander as much as I wanted to as it involved walking up - I knew my left hip would strenuously object to that.
Of course with Brixham being a major fishing port I had to have fish and chips!! Sadly the only fish and chip places open at that time of day were takeout only and I didn't feel like sitting outside - not quite warm enough for me to do that. Plus I wanted a drink and I don't mean coke so I headed to a pub by the harbour.
They were good but I've had better. The gin went down nicely though.
I started walking up this hill but didn't get too far before my hip objected.
Another day I went over to Exeter. My main reason for going there was to see Exeter Cathedral but there is so much more than that. I had planned to go back and visit the museum but I ran out of time and energy.
This is "the house that moved". Due to the road it was on being demolished for a bypass this medieval house was moved to a new location. Ironically another medieval house (I assume it was in bad condition..) was demolished to make room for this one.
I was hankering for a Devon cream tea and I decided Totnes was the place. I took a train to Totnes, changing at Newton Abbott on the way.
Luckily "Bob the Bus" (yes that's what it's called) was waiting outside the station as it was a long climb to get to the town centre. For 50p it was worth not walking! While on the bus I got chatting to the woman behind me who gave me an overview of the town and walked me along the top part of the High Street to show me where I should go before carrying on to her workplace. The High Street was definitely high up (though it is called High because it is the Main Street) and worked its way down - I can't tell you how many times I walked up and down. The Friday market was on so I may have bought a cherry brownie to have with my tea the next day. Yes, sadly I gained weight on this trip despite all the walking.
Totnes is another small town that has a lot of independent shops. Apparently Costa, the British coffee chain tried to muscle its way in and was stopped by resident protest. You gotta love that! (even if Costa does make darn good Terry's Orange Hot Chocolate!!)
This is the Totnes Guildhall. The current building was rebuilt in the mid-16th century and has a lot of history including being the place where Oliver Cromwell (booooo!!!) planned the final stages of the English Civil War. It was used as a jail, boys' school, magistrates court and is currently used by Totnes Town Council. Unfortunately, it's closed to visitors in the winter months. There has been a building on this site for over one thousand years. Originally it was a priory building that was mostly destroyed after the Reformation.
I finally had my delicious cream tea at Maisie's cafe. I'd highly recommend this place. Judging from what I saw on other people's plates there everything is very tasty. If I had been closer I would have gone back for a proper meal. Of course, I had to have my cream tea the Devon way - jam on first. I guess I'm a Cornwall gal at heart as I like to put my cream on last which is how they do it.
On the train coming to Torquay I noticed people on a walking path right beside the train. I knew I had to experience it for myself so one Saturday off I went to Dawlish. Dawlish is also known as "Home of the Black Swan". In 1940 a British game warden in Uganda presented a pair of black swans to Dawlish in memory of his parents. Those two swans have left quite a legacy and black swans still live in The Brook in the centre of the village. Unfortunately, I only got to see one (I was told they were nesting in the rocks) but I was lucky to see that as it had disappeared when I went back - I did see a few cygnets though.
Need I add that the Black Swan is the symbol of the town?
Then I headed over to the path that ran between the railroad track and the sea. The track and path are vulnerable to the moods of the sea and parts were washed away during a particularly violent storm in 2014. Lots of trains sped to and fro as it is also the line that goes on to Cornwall.
The original plan had been to walk from Dawlish to Dawlish Warren and take the train back and I had purchased my tickets accordingly. Sadly the path was blocked off halfway. Some people ignored the barriers and crawled through even pulling their dogs through. It was tempting but I figured with my luck I'd get stuck halfway! I walked up the steps to the cliffs which would take me to Dawlish Warren but to get higher required going up high steps with no handrail. Even with my walking pole I just couldn't do it without fear of falling backwards. I just didn't feel safe and when you walk alone you must feel safe so I turned around and headed back.
I snapped this from up top.
I walked back to Dawlish and then further on and picked up some stones along the beach before stopping to have a flat white and a small pastry. I love sitting by the sea.
Looking back to Dawlish.
I had heard from so many people that I should visit Dartmouth. It didn't disappoint me. It involved taking three buses and a short ferry ride across the River Dart but it was totally worth it.
A view of the harbour. I was impressed with Dartmouth and they even have an M&S Food. Spoiler alert: I resisted buying anything as I had a delicious crab sandwich with salad and crisps at a Dartmouth pub and I was heading back to London the next day.
Back to London for the last four days of my trip
It was sad to say goodbye to little Cassie as it was all my little furry friends but after nearly two weeks in Torquay it was time to leave.
I took the train to Newton Abbott (the door closed on me as I was leaving the train there and luckily someone outside pushed the button to open it again - rather scary and I am glad I had a few layers on my arm as "ouch") and changed onto the (late) London Paddington train.
Finishing up the trip in London
My original petsit was (I thought) to go to January 31st but when I asked what time they would be back they told me it was February 2nd and the website had messed it up. So that cut out two days in my London...I was not too pleased.
Friday evening I had a (cheap) ticket to see "The King and I" but I had a heavy cold and was exhausted from the trip so I happily sat in bed watching TV and reading instead. No regrets.
Saturday I headed for the travel show. As I have been several times I now get a free ticket every year. There is a direct train to the Kensington Olympia from my local train station so it's an easy ride. I have to say I was disappointed in it this year - there were fewer tourist information booths and it seemed to focus much more on tours and resorts than other years. I didn't stay too long this time. I had planned to go on Thursday but of course, I was still with Cassie. The travel show is just too crowded on the weekend.
Sunday was a great day!! Claudia always fixes pancakes for her guests on Sunday. I was the only guest that morning and told Claudia she didn't have to do it but she insisted so I didn't object!!! I stuck to a minimal number as I had plans!!
Off on the train to Victoria and the tube to Mansion House station where I walked over to Paternoster Square which is behind St Paul's Cathedral. There was something I wanted to see!!!
Here is a giant gorilla that you can crawl on if you wish. There were also baby animals. Gillie and Marc are world-renowned sculptors who create these beauties to highlight the plight of endangered animals. They have sculptures all over the world and London is lucky to have quite a few.
I got there before 9:30 a.m. so for a few minutes I had the square to myself. Of course, this wouldn't work during the tourist season but this was one of the advantages of being there in the winter. Gradually a few people trickled into the square but by then I had my pictures and was able to get a couple of me with the critters. Touristy tip: if you get to the Old City between 9:30 and 10 you will get to hear the St Paul's bells go crazy as a service starts at 10 a.m. It was so beautiful.
Then I hopped on a tube to East Aldgate to visit Brick Lane. You can keep Portobello Road with its hordes of tourists and tacky tourist shops - I'll take gritty Brick Lane.
There is a fantastic food market but I am so predictable - I always go to the Tibetan kitchen for their momos. Best anywhere in my experience.
I hopped a bus to see more street art in the East End and checked a few things off my "London List".
Then came the highlight of the day and such a unique experience. I had read online that there was to be 78th Annual Grimaldi (Joseph Grimaldi was the first recognized clown in Britain) Clowns Service at All Saints Church in Haggerston. Yes, there are Clown Organisations and "Clowns International" is the oldest. A lot of the clowns were outside the church posing for photos so of course I had to take some. I was able to get a fairly good seat inside the church. They were even selling tea/coffee and cake so I bought myself some because how often can you have a cuppa and cake sitting in a pew. The Bishop of the area and Reverend of the church (both women - YES!!!!) were there and I have to say it's the most fun I've ever had in a church - well it's the ONLY fun I've ever had in church truth be told! It is truly something I'll never forget. If you ever find yourself in London the first Sunday in February you must go! If you go to my Facebook page you will see a video of the procession - what a hoot!!!
After the service there was to be a performance in the church but I was really tired and wanted to get back. What a great day!!!
On my last two days I went into central London and visited my favourite places. Top of the list was St James's Park.
I can't tell you how excited I was to see the daffodils . Honestly I thought I would miss them this year with leaving so early and sorry to sound sappy but I had tears of joy in my eyes. Daffodils and tulips are my favourite flowers and being as St James's Park is my favourite place in London it was perfect.
One thing about getting old...the energy is going. Sunday had been a full-on day and I paid for it Monday and Tuesday especially as I was battling a cold.
I walked along the South Bank between Tower Bridge and the Tate Modern and and then over the Milleneum Bridge to St Paul's. It is one of my favourite walks in London and I never ever grow tired of it. There was a line to perch with the animals above so I knew I'd waiit forever to have a turn and I would probably make a public spectacle of myself getting on
Then I had a flake 99 ice cream at Tower Bridge from the usual van - this is something I do on my last day in London. I wish I could say I delicately licked the ice cream but I stuck my face in and chowed down..but before that I toasted Tower Bridge in appreciation of another great trip and said "See you again soon".
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