Where do I begin to fill in all the missing chapters of the last 6 months? I guess as good a place as any is beautiful Devon, in the south of England.
As most of you know I left Tuscany in October last year and spent 7 weeks in the UK before I embarked on the most recent of my adventures, a ski season in the French Alps. I had originally planned to travel around the UK and make my way up to Scotland, but when I arrived in Devon and saw how beautiful it was, that idea quickly got thrown out the window. I also needed to stay put for a while, while I convinced the Brits that I should be allowed to have all the same rights as them, as I have dual citizenship with the UK and Australia. And I am happy to report that I did a fairly good job of convincing them, as I am now a fully fledged Brit, complete with UK Passport, National Insurance number, Bank Account and Medical stuff, which have all been handy indeed.
As my father is English, I have a strong family link with the UK, but for some reason, it is a place that I hadn’t thought too much about, in terms of what it would be like or what to expect from spending time there. Maybe I can contribute that to the fact that I had been living with an English family for 7 months in Tuscany and felt as if I knew England intimately due to the many conversations that were had. And because Australia is so linked with the UK maybe I didn’t expect it to be any different from Australia in terms of its culture and nature of people. So I arrived into Bristol airport without any expectations of what I might find and experience.
The first major difference I noticed immediately after landing in Bristol was that familiarity of being amongst English speaking people again. It was such a welcome change to walk back into a country which speaks your language. Everything feels and becomes infinitely easier somehow and that little bit of anxiety that you carry around with you all the time while you’re in a foreign speaking country quickly subsided with a little relief on my behalf. Although my Italian gets me by, it is by no means perfect, so it was so nice to be able to slip back into the ease of English again.
From the view of my aeroplane window, as I flew over the UK heading towards Bristol airport I had a birds eye view over its landscape and couldn’t believe how much the landscape looked just like a patchwork quilt. It seemed as if England was completely made up of small fields all divided by lovely stone or bush hedges. I was very confused, considering 60 million people live in England, I couldn’t work out where everyone lived!!! The amount of countryside and beautiful fields is overwhelming, as is how green and lush it is. There is every shade of green you could ever imagine. You can’t help but be immediately impressed by nature, which I was completely surprised by, as it was one of the things I hadn’t expected.
After arriving into Bristol, my destination was Barnstable in the North of Devon. I had been offered a place to stay with friends I had made at the Villa that Summer. I was so welcomed into their home and life that I immediately felt right at home which I am ever so grateful to them for. Sarah and I had quickly become friends after the few days that we had spent at the Villa and in Spain that summer. I was so looking forward to spending time with her and her family again. Unfortunately her Mum had just been diagnosed with Cancer, so my timely arrival also meant that I cold put my Naturopathic skills to good use again. Sarah’s mum, Chris and I spent a lot of time together and she became the perfect tour guide for me. Taking me on loads of day trips through Exmoor and Devon.
Of the little I was told about what to expect from my time in the UK, I had been told to expect beautiful coastlines, amazing fields and countryside but nothing could have prepared me for the beauty that I found in Devon. I felt completely at home there, I was so surprised to experience that feeling of familiarity, as if I had been there before. I felt completely comfortable and I found it easy to navigate around instantly. Maybe I can contribute that to my family heritage or perhaps a past life!!
Being in Devon during Autumn was just so spectacular. The Moors were a splendour of all colours and driving along the narrow laneways and country roads was an experience straight out of a fairytale scene, with the coloured leaves falling from the canopy of trees with the stream running along the side of the road as you drove along. Just amazing! I spent time travelling along the coastline of some of the best surf beaches the UK have to offer. Willacombe and Croid quickly became favourite destinations, as did Saunton. Willacombe reminded me of the seaside town, Lorne in Victoria, Australia. It had a great vibe and the surf was awesome!
While in the UK I also wanted to get a head start on learning how to ski, so I enrolled myself in for 3 dry ski slope lessons in Plymouth, South of Devon. My ski instructor was brilliant and I was pleased to find that I was apparently a natural! I seemed to pick it up very quickly, which gave me some confidence and put my mind at rest a little as my nerves were mounting at the thought at having to actually try it all for real on snow, and be able to ski host for guests within a few weeks. As long as I could stop, snow plough and turn I was happy for the time being!
While in Plymouth I stayed with Sarah’s sister Nikki and her partner Mike and their adorable dog, Max. Mike and I spent a day at one of his favourite beaches called Bantham, which was just beautiful, with some great surf also. I explored the city of Plymouth while finalising my National Insurance number and stocking up on Ski gear.
As the end of November approached I was becoming increasingly more excited about the ski season ahead. But before I could head out to France I wanted to go and explore London. So I sadly left Devon, with emotional goodbyes to all of my new and much beloved friends, and I headed towards the big smoke!
