Visiting Downton Abbey, er, I mean, Highclere Castle

Hello, Highclere. Yes, the tune played in my head the second the house came into view 😅

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos inside the house (where I experienced many a dopey Downton fan moment as I walked through familiar rooms, passages and staircases) but it really is something. The gardens are amazing too, even on a gloomy day like today. Atop that, however, the Egyptian Exhibit was actually really interesting. Lord Carnarvon's (as in Carter and Carnarvon) descendants live here, a fact I of course only found out after looking up the place because of Downton.

#cheerstv #highclerecastle #hampshire #happydowntondork

Writing while waiting for Steak Bakes to bake...

Ah geez, how cute is this little guy?? I said, minutes before biting his tiny grinning head off.

I've actually been pretty spoiled for food over here (food-filled photos below). Loads of vegan options for the fake vegans among us and fairly stringent allergy laws have meant eating has mostly gone down a treat. Also the Battle of the Steaks rages on with the Devonshire Arms in Baslow still well in the lead, Morelands Grill in Dublin battling it out with the Bank Tavern in Keswick for second place and Lolanda (aka Gristle City) in Paris a distant last.

Oh and I'm now obsessed with Steak Bakes. If we have anything similar to them anywhere in Sydney, I'm in big trouble.

No points for guessing what's on my mind. Dinner will be ready in a half hour so here were 100 words on steak.

#mmmmmmm

This was my first cake in the UK - Vegan Carrot Cake! Cheers to Kat's Kitchen in Keswick!

Also from Kat's Kitchen - nice little vegan version of a Victoria Sponge. 

Mother's Day lunching at the Bank Tavern in Keswick, in the Lake District.

Me and my capsicums, even on holiday!

Steak Bake! I am still trying to locate something similar to this here.

Irish Stew in Killarney! Amazing! They used thickener instead of cream so I could eat it and it was perfect - hearty, delicious and warming on what was becoming an increasingly cold and windy day in the Ring of Kerry.

Chicken wings at Old Mill, in Temple Bar. Oh man, was I missing chicken by that point!

Amazing vegan doughnuts from The Rolling Donut on O'Connell Street Lower - Lemon and Poppyseed, Chocolate and Jam with Icing Sugar. Not pictured: Vanilla Icing already wolfed down. Seriously, Sydney, pick up your vegan/allergy game! I think I'm going to have to do something about this... yes, that is a threat that I may attempt to start a vegan doughnut business.

Morelands Red Quinoa Salad - avocado, pear, toasted cashews, tender stem broccoli, overnight tomatoes, virgin olive oil and grapefruit dressing. My official conversion to quinoa is complete.

We decided to go fancy for our last dinner in Dublin and ended up at Morelands. 

Our first little 'homemade' dinner in Penzance - steak bakes, spring rolls, veggies, salad and chilli con carne.

Where we are right now...

... my face about to break from smiling. Cornwall is amazing. Twenty years I've been dreaming of visiting this county and, incredibly, not a smidge of disappointment to be found anywhere 😃 #porthcurno #minacktheatre #cornwall #teenagemeisdying #adultmeisprettygonetoo #😄😄

Porthcurno Beach - among my first glimpses of Cornwall cliffs

The indomitable Rowena Cade

What an incredible structure. What visionary sees a cliff and sees something like this in its future, then hauls sand up cliffs to make it? Rowena, that's who. What a woman.

Walking the cliff down towards the beach from the theatre. My joints copped a lot of climbing this trip and I still feel it all now, but it was all worth it.

Well done to the whole cast! Excellent production. Meanwhile, right after the show as people were beginning to make there way back up towards the exit, we suddenly heard someone say, 'There they are!' Ma and I turned around to find dolphins jumping in and out of the ocean. We took some very hopeless video, but what a cap on an already amazing day in Porthcurno.

Tripping over the North York Moors and up to the lovely seaside town of Whitby

Indeed, the Queen did enjoy this brief sojourn into her new seaside resort town, and the route through the North York Moors was most impressive. Much obliged to the Sun for continuing to shine despite all warnings it would most likely be in hiding as we made our way through. My friend, if you are feeling more bashful as we head further north, we won't complain - you've been kind enough. Say hello where you can.

I cannot recommend seeing the Moors enough, if ever you have the fortune. I really, really can't. I've never seen anything like it anywhere before and my photos are meagre means of conveying how beautiful they are. I'm aware my gush meter has pretty much exploded at this point but it is what it is. My guess is my brain is just going to straight up short circuit as we get further afield to the Lake District (where we head tomorrow), the Scottish Highlands, the Ring of Kerry and Cornwall. Watch this space, it might be entertaining.

#helmsley #northyorkmoors #whitby #yorkshire #uk2018

Our brief, but pretty, stop at the town of Helmsley. Here's an oddity - years ago when I was charged with quickly testing a Word document, I decided to very quickly write something titled 'Helmsley House'. I never dreamed a place called Helmsley actually existed.

This photo so, so inadequately conveys the beauty behind me. Those ankles, though.

Driving into the seaside town of Whitby.

Whitby Abbey