Hitting the road...

Once Gary's contract ended at the end of June, we decided to make the most of the time and travel a bit. Our first stop was Cornwall. We stayed in a cottage inland of Polzeath. Polzeath has a lovely beach and is a centre for surfing.

Just North of Polzeath lies the historic harbour village of Port Isaac - very quaint. While we were there they were filming for a local TV production, Doc Martin

 Cornwall is also the home of Cornish pasties and we indulged at Padstock:

We travelled South and came to St Ives with the beautiful blue-green sea - but still chilly water:). Also came to Marizion, an island with a castle just west of Penzance (sadly, saw no pirates!)

Cornwall has a super ecological site, Eden Project. They have  2 biospheres - one with a Mediterranean climate( and yes, Cape Town and the West Coast featured :), the other a rain forest climate. This is a MUST visit place if you are ever in the area!

We headed home for a week and then took a slow boat to nowhere :) This was one of our best holidays ever. We rented a narrow boat with another home ed family and did a week on the Shropshire Union canal (West Midlands) from Wolverhampton to Chester ( an old Roman town) and back. Sarah, espceially, enjoyed opening the locks. With a week of sunshine, we had a wonderful time!

On our way home we stopped at the RAF museum: 

As well as Cadbury World :)

Then back home for another 2 weeks before we went to Keswick in the Lake District. WOW! What a beautiful place. Lakes and meres, tall trees and mountains - England's wettest area but if I could choose a place to live, that might just be it. We attended the second week of the Keswick convention. Henry Olange(ex-Zimbabwean cricketer) was one of the speakers and also treated us to a cricket match with his invitation team against the local team.

And then home again for a week before we left by train to London for 4 days. I initially really worried about finding our way on the train (let alone all the other horror stories we heard about the tube stations!!) but armed with our Oyster cards (Alexandra still goes free :), the tubes really proved to be a wonderful way to get around London. We were blessed to have accommodation in Rachel's (my room-mate from school) flat while she was in SA and also caught up with Bertus and his wife Tracey and their delightful twins :)

It is impossible to do justice to London in 4 days but here are some pics of our whirlwind trip.

Buckingham Palace

Nelson's Column - Trafalgar Square

London Eye

Big Ben

Thames River, Big Ben and Parliament

 Will need to get back there some time soon! For now, we are back in our normal routine at home :)

Nature - One Hour Challenge:

The Outdoor Hour

I have been looking at ways to incorporate Nature Study into our homeschooling. Shirley, a friend of mine told me about this programme. We are meant to do the 10 week starter but since a pear study is this week's challenge, and we have a row of pear trees outside our window, I decided to jump straight in here. So we went outside, into the glorious sunlight, and had a look at our trees:

Most of the pears have already dropped onto the ground or been picked for home-made cider (these particular pears are used in the making of pear cider).

We had a look at the pears on the branch as well as how the leaves grow on twigs growing out of the branches.

Then we went indoors to have closer look at the leaves and to cut open the pears to look inside.

We do have a microscope but Sarah fashioned an impromptu one using her lamp and magnifying glass :) Here is Alexandra testing it out looking at pear flesh cells

Journaling our findings - Sarah also used pastels and created a story about pears being picked and exported. Alexandra sketched her fruit and noted down some interesting facts.

And then, seeing as we are in the throws of a wonderful Indian summer, we used our pears (or rather ones I had bought, as cider pears are not too great to eat) in a delicious summery fruit salad.

So, altogether, a super "first" one hour challenge

Indian summer

Well, summer this year started well in April and then seemed to lose the plot a bit. But for the last week, we have been in the throws of an Indian summer (well, technically, it isn't an Indian summer as we needed to have frost first!) But we definitely are not complaining about the wonderful sunny, warm days with temps reaching 28C! And we have made the most of it by spending much time outdoors at Noah's Ark zoo, Bristol zoo and Clevedon!

BRistol gorillas - raised £427 000.00 for charity

Looking at the seals from the underground tunnel

Clevedon pier

Looking at ladybugs

A lookout for sugar traders watching for ships from the West Indies coming into the Bristol Channel, circa 1835

Sadly, the weather is set to change again later this week and I have even heard rumours of snow expected by the end of the month! Guess central heating is going on soon - but for today, still enjoying sunshine!

BBB - birthday, Bath, break!

We have had a break from school this week. Started last Thursday when our Sarah turned 13! Time has flown and we enjoy her so much - she is a blessing from our Lord and we see His grace on her life daily:) On Saturday she invited a few friends over for a games party - played Dutch Blitz, pass the bomb and Werewolves - was super having all the girls celebrating with us:)

 On Friday afternoon, we drove through to Bath to a Science expo at the Bath University put on by different schools - a super day!

Chocolate testing -  apparently, females are more able to discern quality chocolate

Making bath bombs

Surface tension - pushing a kebab stick through a balloon

paper recycling - making new paper from old egg boxes

Giant bubble

And for the rest of this week, we have had a good break. Got back to swimming at Backwell, visited with friends at Noah's Ark and a lovely morning today at St Fagan's Castle, just outside Cardiff (an hour's drive from Bristol) It is an amazing open air museum, showing houses and welsh life from the past

Walls and moat and gardens around the castle

Alexandra took this photo of the water fountain in the courtyard

The castle "house" - built 1580 - unfortunately, couldn't take pics inside

Maze gardens

Couldn't resist these trees, although I have no idea what they're about!

Resting in the summer house

Mill house - this artist still uses water power for his looms, etc. He processes the wool from start to finish - sorting, combing, dyeing, spinning and weaving

400 year, timber barn - constructed flat on the ground, then erected at the end

Well, we thought this was a giant outdoor oven - but it is a traditional Welsh pigsty!

Corn mill - also water powered. People were either really short in those days (what with new generations taller each time) or their back really hurt bending to get through the doorways!

Inside a Celtic house

You may have noticed the blue skies!! We have had beautiful, sunny warm (?at 16degC?) weather. Spring is really here:)

Squirrels squirreling

Trees blossoming

Flowers blooming

Sheep lambing


Psalm 19:1
¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Psalm 104:24 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ²⁴ How many are your works, LORD!
   In wisdom you made them all;
   the earth is full of your creatures.