Since coming back from Somerset, I've been wondering what my next post could be about. It's been pretty quiet and relaxed, which is lovely, but it's probably not the most riveting subject for a blogpost (not that any of this is hugely interesting, really, but I enjoy writing it nonetheless). I've done a little bit of baking, but nothing too extensive; my greatest achievement was that this time my buttercream actually resembled buttercream rather than cement.
Anyway, I've ventured out of the kitchen and been out and about enjoying this beautiful weather over the last couple of days - today I met up with my schoolfriend Miriam (we did A level German together) for lunch at Saltram House, a local National Trust property. As I walked down the hill into the park, I was met with this view:
And the little part of my brain that notes these kinds of things down said, 'let there be blog!' And lo, there was blog.
Saltram is such a beautiful estate - we're so lucky that it's within walking distance. Even if you don't go into the house (an amazing Georgian manor, with rooms designed by Robert Adam, which was the setting for the film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility in 1995), walking around the gardens and the park makes a great afternoon out.
I only walked from the entrance down to the Park Restaurant, but still managed to see all of this (and even make a bovine friend):
The Park Restaurant was refurbished a couple of years ago, so it's still quite new and flash. Its tea and selection of cakes is always great and they even provided gluten-free options for Miriam - as well as a discount from a v kind friend working behind the counter! (Thank you, Beth, if you're reading!)
The restaurant is an extension of the old stable block, which now houses a v well-stocked gift shop (we spent a while perusing the books after lunch) and sit next to a duck pond, where I made some more animal pals.
After our lunch and book-browsing, we headed into the park for a wander, making sure to top up the factor 30, on account of the brilliant sunshine.
The main path through the Saltram estate runs in a vaguely circular shape around the house and down to the River Plym, before looping back up towards the restaurant and stables. We wandered through the woods and down to the river on Miriam's route home.
So, zum Schluss, it was a lovely way to spend a Thursday afternoon in the sun and it was really good to meet up with Miriam while we're both home from uni for the summer.
Yes, some of my friends are spending the holidays in Spain or Italy and other lovely, sunny parts of Europe, but with weather like this, why would anybody want to be anywhere other than Devon?
(: xx
