No Salobrena for us this year - we opted for a hound friendly self catering holiday in South Devon. Why there? Neither of us had been before, and the accommodation looked good. We booked ourselves a quiet place in an environment, it turns out, not to dissimilar to home.
As always, the pics will remind us in the years to come of where we went and what we did. The kids already want to go back, so I'm taking that as holiday success.
C, a little too pleased with the pink princess in that book for my liking!
The weather was kind enough to allow plenty meals outdoors...
After a mammoth 13 hour car journey (free from electronic gadgets in true Victorian parenting style!), we ventured on a rather long afternoon walk through the woods. Great fun obviously had by all, however there was a bit of drama, we'll come to that in a bit.
Calm rivers and flat stones...we spent ages skimming. The bigger boys are getting the hang of it now.
Daredevil boy managed most of the walk on his bike, but there were one or two tricky, or just too muddy bits that meant some BMX trickery were required. I think he liked it...
That brought on his confidence to find that hard way around any trees, over their roots and jumping off rocks and ramps that nature left for him...
... no surprisingly, it ended in tears. He lost his balance on a pretty innocuous looing bit of the path and fell about 5 feet into the water. Luckily, the water was low, and not flowing fast, I managed to pull him out without getting wet myself. Normally, the big boys like a bit of rough and tumble with dad, but upside down by the ankles over a river wasn't on, so I had to wade in to recover the bike.
Thereafter, we ventured around to see what Devon had to offer...parks obviously
A rare breed farm offered the boys some hands on with guinea pigs amongst other things.
Clearly, it was too much for some and the return steam train journey passed him by...
A day out at Bigbury on Sea brought another full day of fun and frolics. Being roughty toughty northerners, the lads (more their tight dad) thought they could spend a traditional day on the beach in their trunks. After about an hour, I took pity on them, and hired wets suits - I think that was the best money we spend all week. They had a ball after that...
Even adults are allowed to have fun on the beach. Clearly, my elaborate sand castle (elaborate, but nonetheless far from picturesque) inspired MPLST to take on a dragon sculpture. How smug does she look?
This in turn inspired boyo to try some of his own. I think there was 5 in total - he's got the idea, but not for the first time, I couldn't help but capture his "concentration" tongue...
The final effort was pretty good - he obviously gets that from his mother.
On the way home, we detoured to visit an old (very old it turns out!!) friend of mine in Lincolnshire. Being as L was celebrating her birthday, our youngest took full advantage of fluttering his little eye lashes and winning some new lady friends. I think they loved it there too.
I'm not sure we'll be investing in these any time soon. We might visit again soon so he can play again though.
All in all, another fantastic holiday. Lots of hours in the car, but I was very pleased the kids hacked the pace, and the hacked it old school as well. We had the option of staying on another night, but headed back - just as well, as Her Ladyship was required at work the following day, which we were not expecting!
That'll be the holiday over then...
