Devon ... one of the prettiest counties!!

This is my hotel - The Osborne - in Torquay ... the rental house where everyone else stayed was at the near-end of the main building. The central part is the hotel and the rest of the building is apartments and time-rentals .. it has a commanding view of the bay and was very comfortable.


This is the little village of Cockington, a few minutes away from where we stayed. The village forge is the building on the left .. it's now a gift shop but was built in the 11th century ... the employees of the Manor all lived in the houses at one time. It's a beautiful not-to-be-missed village ... all thatched roofs and in perfect shape. The thatch is usually replaced every 15 years.

Across the bay from Torquay, is the quaint fishing village of Brixham. We took the ferry across the bay, did our sightseeing, and returned by double-decker bus. (Took me back to my school days) Brixham is a typical, touristy fishing village which also houses a full-sized replica of Drake's ship The Golden Hind which you can tour.


This is Buckfast Abbey. The architecture is awesome, inside and out. Benedictine monks first colonized the site in 1018AD. The foundation was small and had a precarious existence especially in the years following the Norman Conquest. Buckfast remained for 300 years a crumbling ruin. Monastic life at Buckfast was revived in 1882 when Benedictine monks made it their home. The rebuilding of the monastery commenced in 1884 and work on the church was started in 1906 and went forward without a break until its completion in 1938.


Rollings hills and checkerboard lands are the name of the English countryside. Only a few minutes' drive outside of any city or town, and you're in the 'country' ..

More England Photos

After spending a few days in Blackpool and reconnecting with the place of my birth, we headed south and stayed overnight in the Cotswolds (just south of Shakespeare country). We passed through the town of Evesham .. and I took this photo so you'd have an idea of the beautiful sights we saw. Lots of tudor buildings.

We drove on and stopped in the town of Broadway, near our B&B. The buildings in this area are made of local stone which is a mix of limestone, sand and soil ... which gives it the slightly yellowing look ... and which is really quite attractive. We saw a lot of wisteria in our travels too. The aroma was breathtaking.

The town itself was created in the 1600s, hence the narrow alleyways and 'walkovers' connecting buildings one to the other. It all adds to the extreme charm of the town. There weren't too many tourists, fortunately, because we were there before the major summer season.







This shows part of the town itself. We parked and walked, and walked, and walked. So many shops, so much character!



Lastly but not least, I had to have a photo taken with English phonebooths ... they're a little part of 'home' that I have missed.