Escape

 

I am not good at taking selfies.  So the above is an attempt to be a bit "arty"  I think I've succeeded in looking a bit wistful and very grey! It's been a steep few weeks really so escaping to my "happy place" Lynton and Lynmouth after the window fitter had been and replaced the rotten bathroom window felt so good.  I spent the Friday afternoon trotting down the hill into Lynmouth and having a cream tea.  Which certainly hasn't done my waistline any good but it cheered me up.

I stayed at an old house turned B&B in Lynton, mainly because it had space and was cheap.  The bed was memory foam and felt ridiculously soft after my "block of concrete" orthopaedic mattress. Surprisingly it was a good way to sleep.  Finding a working and available plug socket was a challenge - the one where the kettle had been optimistically placed was so dodgy I moved it to the gang extension socket under the bed!  Definitely an old house! But there were biscuits in a "Pirate Chest" and a cafetiere - I couldn't cope with sorting that out after a longish day and stuck to decaff.

The lovely owner had brought me tea on the outside lawn so I watched the evening chill and fade whilst hearing the story of Hazel the rescue Russian Blue cat.  She looked like Smoky - our old cat and had a playful sense of fun and gloriously soft fur.  Clearly she ran the place as she had her own chair in the breakfast room and went for a cuddle and a play with all the guests.  Even cat-allergic me.  Hard to resist something that purrs and wants to play even if it isn't quite what I expected in a guest house. Glad I wasn't staying much longer or ventolin would have been the order of the day.

This morning dawned damp and dreary in Lynton but perked up over breakfast with lovely sunshine.  But massive mounting fleece grey clouds loomed over the valley of the rocks.  The little South Sea Islander left abandoned on the bench at the start of the cliff walk had only her solar powered dancing to keep her warm.

Usually the goats are culled at some point but today they were out in force as were the runners chasing times and distances.  So not wanting to risk trekking down the sticky mud into Lynmouth again I went to Charlie Friday's for a coffee and a read amongst the orange, pinks and kingfisher blues that make it such a cheery and award winning place.