We woke up today at Grandpa Ian’s and Helen’s in a not very sunny Sidmouth which is in Devon.

We braved the potential rain storm and walked in to town, through an arboretum.  This is a Gingko Biloba tree, the leaves of which are used in many natural medicines. This Monterey Pine is incredible.  It is so huge and it looks as if some branches have become so huge they just grow along the ground because they are too heavy for the tree to support. In town we saw some fudge being made.  The smell was way too tempting for me though so I walked away. We went in to a fantastic shop that has only changed slightly since it opened 200 years ago. It was very charming. I enjoyed pottering about in Sidmouth which has many small and independent shops. I really enjoyed looking at the architecture which was very varied. These 2 houses have thatched rooves which are made by piling on reeds. This little cottage is completely covered in pebbles. We had a lazy afternoon which was just what I needed as I have been too busy lately.  It was great to just stop and relax. There are few places I feel so comfortable in that I can do that but this is one of them.  She breathes a deep and happy sigh of contentment. Eating today was not diet friendly but it was sugar free – whoop whoop.  A poached egg on toast for breakfast. Half a Scotch egg with ham, cheese and tomatoes for lunch.  I did have more ham than this and half a slice of bread. I had some lemon in water to drink. In the evening my Uncle and Aunty came for dinner.  We started with Cantaloupe melon and proscuitto and then had a Lancashire hot pot (made with lamb cutlets) served with green beans and the first Brussell sprouts of the season. Plus this amazing bread – it was a Foccaccia stuffed with rosemary and olives. I did have some mango for dessert and then cheese instead of cheesecake.

So a lovely happy and relaxing day with too much food but at least no sugar, apart from the wine I drank with dinner.  Tomorrow I am hoping to go somewhere very healthy for lunch.