Beautiful Dartmoor

After Beautiful Days we were going to another festival near Exeter, so had planned a couple of days in a B&B in Dartmoor National Park.

We got there a bit early and very tired and our room wasn't ready so we reluctantly headed off on a walk nearby.  It turned out to be a really beautiful walk, along a river, through a lovely oak woodland, filled with fungi.

The boys had a disposable camera each with only 12 shots on it.  After explaining how an 'old fashioned camera!' worked Rowan understood that when it was finished it was finished,  so he said he only wanted to take 3 in the woods and save the rest for the next festival.  They both used up all their photos!

The following day we headed off to see some more of the National Park and ended up driving up a big hill, off-road, to see the views around and have a picnic, it was very windy, but stunning.

Reuben was fascinated by the dung beetles

Then we headed off to see Becky Falls, a 70ft waterfall.  Only to get there and they wanted to chrge us £20 to see them!  So we headed off in search of some free nature instead.
We ended up on the Parke Estate, which is a National Trust property which is also the HQ of the National Park.  It was a huge old estate.  It was amazing.  It was one of those truly magical afternoons when you end up somewhere that you have not planned to go to, you know nothing about it, it doesn't look like much when you arrive but you all spend a long afternoon happily, ambling through the estate looking at trees, fungi, throwing stones in the river, climbing trees, sitting, listening, watching and just being, it was just lovely.

I think we will be having more family holidays to Dartmoor, it is truly a magical, beautiful place and it is so close to us.

FoR ThE lOvE oF FuNgUs FriDaY

Hey Hey, I'm back and as Tristan says whenever we go out walking at the moment, "Tis the season to see fungi, tra la la la la!"  So heres this weeks, many, many more to come.......
This trumpety beauty we found on Dartmoor National Park

Summer festivals: Part Two

Beautiful Days.
It was very wet and rainy on the way up and the forescast for the weekend was grim, we were not filled with much enthusiasm driving up, but the rain held off for most of the weekend until Sunday night at which point Rowan had said that he didn't want to see anymore bands, so by the time the rain poured down (and I mean poured, you could not hear each other speak in the tent!) we were tucked up in our tents.
The weekend, however was fun, good music, lots to do.  But I think it was a bit too big for Rowan (who isn't really a lover of crowds at the best of times), but we all enjoyed it.
One of Rowan and Reubens favourite songs is called London Town by Bellowhead.  So when we heard that they would be playing, Tris wrote on their facebook page and explained about it being our sons fav song and could they play it.  Anyway, they didn't play until 11pm on Saturday night (not a chance the kids would still be awake!) So Tris went to see them anyway.  Then they said, "This next song is for Rowan and Reuben because apparently it's their favourite song.  Are they here?  No, well sod them we'll play it anyway!"  Tris couldn't believe it and couldn't stop telling people that they were his children they were talking about!  Its such a shame they were on so late as that would have been so good for them to see/hear!  Tris did manage to get to speak to one of the band later and thank them anyway!

Anyway time for photos.....

 Crowds, music, dancing, ice creams, face painting (Reuben = tiger, Rowan= horse?!), rocket making and launching, more bands and dancing, van painting, fairground rides, festival food and lots of merryment!