Heaven in Devon

Last weekend we took a weekend trip to the beautiful wild north coast of Devon. We had never been before and it was so nice to go somewhere different and explore all the beauty the coast has to offer!

We left super early as it was a four hour drive but it was so worth it when we arrived early before everyone else was up and about!

To break up the jaunt down we took the scenic route through Minehead. I must admit I had images of holiday camps and it being a bit tacky, you know the worse sort of British seaside image. However we were rather surprised, it was your classic kind of English seaside, but it was not tacky at all, the high street was clean and full of flowers and it looked like the local council had really given the place a face lift, so much to say I would go back! We were all surprised for sure!

From here we travelled along the coastal road around the tight bends and over the hills with fields running down to the sea, it is such a beautiful unspoilt part of the country.

We had a whistle stop look around in Lynmouth and Lynton, this place was absolutely beautiful and we reached this stop way before all the crowds arrived so we had the views to ourselves!

Then we headed along the coast to Illfracombe, Instow and Appledore where we enjoyed a look round and a nice Pimm's on the sea front! What I love about the coast that you don't really get inland in the midlands is that there always seems to be going on, there was a food festival and a craft fair as well as live music on the quayside, you never seem to get the same vibe inland.

Sunday we visited Saunton, Croyde and Woolacombe. All of these were just stunning. Full stop stunning. Wide open beaches with beautiful sea and sand with people carrying surfboards and bobbing about in the sea. We saw so many VW camper vans, they seem to be the car of choice for surfers and campers alike! My dream car!!

For a nice relax before the journey home we spent the afternoon sunbathing in a great little cove we found just outside of Illfracombe.  The trip was finished off with some classic fish and chips by the sea...we really didn't want to come home inland!

My heart really does belong by the sea I am sure!

For the love of french furniture

As promised, and better late than never I wanted to do a post on the French furniture I photographed when I visited France in the spring time.  As the owner of Vintique Tree and because I have a serious thing about furniture, especially upholstery the interiors of the French Chateaus' we visited were of huge interest.  I thought that the furniture and upholstery in the French houses was much more accessible than in the country houses of Britain, here everything is roped off at a distance, whereas you can really get up close and feel the age of the French pieces! Or at least I could. I love seeing a warn chair or the patina on wood, I really wish I could get the history of what the furniture has seen by just touching it!

I like the simplicity of English furniture, the majority being carved clean straight lines, but I can't compare it to the curves and flamboyancy of the French furniture. From the stunning carved sideboards that take up a whole wall  to the crazy amount of braid they put on their upholstery, it just wins hands down in my eyes!

Anyway enough gushing, here are just some of the few favourites I took whilst visiting:

French Road Trip

France is a beautiful country, this is an absolute fact.  At the start of May we packed up our  Vintique Tree van and embarked on our French road trip adventure.  After visiting Paris many times we were ready to explore a different region of France so we took the Eurostar to Calais and travelled down the coast road following our plotted route on our map and stopping off where ever we fancied along the way. All I can say is that it was completely brilliant, the sense of adventure tripping along the white cliffs by the sea and getting lost in the depths of countryside with no other car for miles was just fantastic.

We stopped in a different location every night and met some lovely b&b owners along the way, ate too many croissants for breakfast and picnicked on fresh baguettes and pear jam picked up fresh from a local bakery everyday. I can't believe how much I yearn to be back there since we got home!

It is hard to get across how beautiful it was in pictures.  When we visited the châteaus' I took so many pictures of interiors and furniture, it was so inspiring in terms of antiques, colours and upholstery, but there will be more about this on a separate post. 

  

One of the prettiest b&b rooms I have stayed in for a long time!

Harbour at Honfleur

The beach at Deauville, I would love to go back there in the height of summer to see all the multicolour parasols open, it really had the old glamour feeling of a traditional beach resort, loved it!!

In France the World Wars are still fresh in the memory, there are signs, statues and stories of how France and the allies struggled and finally conquered. This was at the American war graves by Omah Beach, I felt very emotional here, it was so peaceful and a beautiful spot, but this is just one grave yard out of the hundreds around France, the crosses of the fallen seemed to go on forever. On the positive side, at least all of these brave men and woman are remembered and will never be forgot. This was a beautiful final resting place for many so far from home.

Next up was Mont St Michel, now a tourist destination, but you can still really get the sense of history in this place...

The Chateau we called home for one night!

Fleeing Jewish people ran through the grand dining room of this chateau in WW2 to escape to the other side of the river which was still Free France.

Louis famous hunting lodge, Chambord

This Chateau was the inspiration for the castle in the Tin tin Books

Claude Monet Garden

Spanish adventures

It seems like my blog is a travel diary recently but  anyway, I thought I would break my holiday posts down into two because I have so many pictures! Another adventure on the wonderful island of Mallorca is a trip up, down, and around the mountains, Tramuntanas (I don't know if that the correct spelling! sorry!)

Here the air is fresh and clean and a welcome relief to the heat of the beaches. Our first stop was the tranquil monastery Lluc. Tucked away high in the mountains we managed to get there super early before the coaches arrived and had the place pretty much to ourselves, the views were stunning when we climbed to the peak of sanctuary a path through the olive trees which was created by Gaudi.

From here we travelled over the mountain and down a scary twisty road  and then on foot through a tunnel of rock to discover a to a little beach which in the summer is perfect for swimming and in the winter is the opening of the river into the sea. We spent a few hours here and did a bit of snorkelling.

Then it was on to one of my favourite places in Mallorca, Soller. A haven from the trashy tourist destinations in Mallorca this little town is full of bustling cafes and independent shops with a truly beautiful town square, which is the ideal place for a people watch and a big ice cream!! I want to live here!