I may have been fairly quiet this month - as with September - but I've really enjoyed it. I'm working my way through my mountain of partially written blogs, but more than that, I'm making time for other things I really enjoy and am making sure I balance work, home and play. This may be easier said than done some days, but on the most part, it means there is a lot that has been making me smile this month. Here are just ten things:
Autumn has well and truly begun and Halloween is here, both of which are things that I love. The only downsides to this month have been the cold weather and the darker days, which always make me struggle. At least I have an excuse to go to bed earlier and indulge in the odd hot chocolate, which I'll never complain about. I may have been fairly quiet this month - as with September - but I've really enjoyed it. I'm working my way through my mountain of partially written blogs, but more than that, I'm making time for other things I really enjoy and am making sure I balance work, home and play. This may be easier said than done some days, but on the most part, it means there is a lot that has been making me smile this month. Here are just ten things:
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One of the places I used to love going in Devon but haven't visited in years is Shaldon Zoo. As I was in Shaldon for a meal at The Ness when I was on holiday - check out my blog about it here - I thought it was the perfect opportunity for a visit, especially as the husband has never been.
You might think of a zoo as being a huge place with loads of different animals, but if you know Shaldon, you'll know it isn't quite big enough for that. The zoo is primarily home to monkeys and apes, with some birds, frogs and interesting insects thrown into the mix as well. It's tucked away near The Ness Restaurant and Hotel, so it is a case of following the signs to get there. Entry to the zoo is fairly reasonable and you're able to gift aid it so the zoo doesn't need to pay tax on it. This costs a little bit more to do, but it's well worth it as it means that all of your entry fee goes towards looking after the animals. Considering how small the zoo is, this is really important when it comes to keeping the place running. One of the best parts of being on holiday has to be the excuse to indulge in tasty food, especially if your sister happens to work at a fantastic restaurant that you haven't visited in years. I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I had a meal at The Ness in Shaldon, so I can't really compare this experience with a previous one. However, I do enjoy eating out as much as possible and I have to say that the food and the restaurant are both outstanding.
No, I'm not just saying this because my sister happens to work there - or because both my brothers have also worked there at some point. Everything about The Ness was brilliant, from the menu to the decor and especially the view. Sadly, my sister wasn't working on the day we went for a meal (she actually came with me and the husband) so I can't even make a crack about the service. My sister had managed to book us a table the day before to ensure we got one near the window. I wasn't sure this was going to be necessary as we visited at the end of tourist season and were having a late lunch, but the restaurant was still pretty busy when we arrived, which is always a good sign - especially when locals are eating there. Last month was mine and the husband's third wedding anniversary and, for the first time since we actually got married, we were in the South West for it. We had a think about what we would like to do and landed on going to St Michael's Mount for a day out and a nice lunch.
While we were in the South West, the weather was lovely so we thought we'd end up having a sunny or at least dry. Even the forecast of showers didn't put us off, after all, a shower ends pretty quickly, right? Unfortunately, we forgot that a shower in Cornwall essentially means that you're going to get drenched. There's a special type of rain in Cornwall called mizzle. This rain looks like nothing more than a drizzle until you step out in it and find that the fine drops of water can work their way through the fibres of all your clothing to leave you soaking wet in 30 seconds flat. By the time we had walked the ten minutes from the car to the nearest cafe for a coffee, we were both drenched. To add insult to injury, the mist rolled in and obscured St Michael's Mount from view so my dream of taking glorious photos was sadly dashed. We didn't let the weather ruin the day for us though - especially as I had driven for over an hour to get there and had already paid for parking - so we carried on with our plan to visit the island. |
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