Tranquil Buckfast Abbey – 16/07/2022

After the highs of having family over from the States, Emily and I have added another kitten to our family, to ensure the rest of our summer is filled with as much love and happiness as we could possibly want. Adopting a new pet always has a few limitations though, and it does mean that until the little lad is at least 4 months old, our opportunity to travel further afield will be a little limited. So, with that at the forefront of our thoughts, we visited a local gem – Buckfast Abbey.

Our beautiful, high energy, little boy

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Plymouth At Its Finest – 05/07/2022 to 11/07/2022

After our fantastic whirlwind few days in London we headed down to Plymouth via train, excited to show Ashley and my mom where we live and all of our favourite things in the area. (And by sheer luck the weather was OUTSTANDING the whole time they were over.) Once we arrived at our home we took a bit of time to show off our quaint and lovely house and to unwind before heading back out again. When coming to Plymouth one of the most beautiful things about the city itself is the Hoe and the Barbican area. We parked up and did a mini loop, showing off the gorgeous sea views, Mayflower history and beautiful old houses. Liam’s parents came out and met us for a quick drink on the Barbican, before we went for one of the best meals of the trip. When I asked my mom if there was any British food she wanted to try, fish and chips was at the top of the list. So we knew we wanted to take them to Rockfish, our absolute favourite seafood spot in town. We got traditional fish and chips, along with freshly caught whiting and mackerel, with some chilli calamari. A seafood meze! The plates were wiped clean with all the fish and the triple cooked chips getting a solid 10/10 review. It was a perfect first day sharing our city with my family. 

it was only while writing this blog that I realised I took shockingly few photos, too busy enjoying the time with family! So shoutout to Google for this Rockfish stock image

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LDN 2022 – 02/07/2022 to 05/07/2022

Every visit to London is special for one reason or another; whether it is before a flight, a weekend stay for some sightseeing, or going with friends for an event. This most recent trip however, was probably the most special in recent memory for both Emily and I, as we were meeting her mom, Carmen, and sister, Ashley, for their first time visiting us in the UK! For Ashley this was even more significant as it was her first time over to the UK full stop, so a real landmark visit. No pressure then!

Sat here, trying to work out the size of a mortgage on this place!

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Guaranteed all weather fun: Woodlands – 12/06/2022

Rides, slides, taboggan run! Guaranteed all weather fun! With the jingle playing on loop inside my head all day, Emily and I visited a childhood favourite of mine with friends. Woodlands is a small family theme park, but I think for every kid growing up in Devon in the 90s it represents a piece of nostalgia. Sunny days, too much sunscreen and scraped knees. Peak life when aged 6 to 12. Luckily the nostalgia hit, and because we all had so much fun, Emily did as well. Who doesn’t want to be a big kid for a day?

One of the “bigger” rides at good old Woodlands

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Eden Festival – 17/05/2022 to 02/06/2022

The Eden Project is something that has been on my “to visit” list ever since moving to Plymouth. It consistently ranks amongst one of the top things to see in the south west of England, and with good reason!

Like something from a sci-fi film

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Palsners: Prague – 07/04/2022 to 11/04/2022

There’s just something about a lad’s holiday isn’t there? And with the pandemic finally behind us, this April my mates and I had a long overdue trip together. Four of us in Prague. A city with plenty to see and even more beers to be drank.

From left to right; me, Kevin, Rob, Kenan

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Theatre of Dreams: Manchester – 25/02/2022 to 27/02/2022

At the end of February, Emily and I travelled up to Manchester to hang out with one of my University mates and his soon to be wife. We had the best time because it was a trip packed with some great food, a visit to the Theatre of Dreams and some really overdue catching up and introductions. 

The home of football

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A Fistful of Corndogs: Colorado – 17/01/2022 to 26/01/2022

Absolutely the worst part of the pandemic has been being separated from our other home, family and friends. So, finally, after two years, Emily returning to Colorado to see her family was always going to be extra special. Plenty to catch up on, plenty to see, and plenty to do. And what better way to kick-off than with a rodeo? A stadium packed with cowboys and cowboy boots. More horses and bulls than you could shake a rattlesnake at. One cowboy even got stomped on the head… Awesome! The Americana of course just kept on coming – a local police hero, who had been shot the week before, was brought on to an ovation. A real hallmark moment that ticked all the boxes. It was so American, and such a cool experience. I can’t wait for my next one. I might even join in with the Star-Spangled Banner next time. Seriously.

Ouch!

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Birthday Walk: Bridges on Dartmoor – 09/01/2022

Happy New Year! My sister celebrates her birthday in January, my sister, her husband, her family, our mum and dad, and Emily and I decided to celebrate with a walk around an old family favourite of ours: Magpie (Bedford) Bridge. Somewhere filled with fond memories of summer days long since lost, spent splashing and building dams. The weather was a bit more dreary for this walk though!

Dartmoor CAM Walks

Stock image of my memories!

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Christmas Garland at Cotehele – 04/12/2021

National Trust properties up and down the country have special events for Christmas and the festive season. We are very lucky that one of our local houses, Cotehele has its very own Christmas tradition dating back to the 1950s – the Christmas Garland.

Emily eyeing up her future home

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