Clovelly, My Sweet Clovelly.

Hello, England! It's mid September and we've just landed in London. After a year living back in the USA, we are here once again in our lovely England, and the first place we head is here, to you. You can't imagine how happy I am to have made it back to this special place. My Clovelly. You are so beautiful.

And so we careen down the little road, so familiar, to Clovelly! Place of beauty, small and sweet, mysterious and quiet, holding secrets close to your coast-hugging soul. Yet, you always let us in. Still and away, you await our arrival.

GB and I are giddy with happiness, here we are again. Seems like we belong here. We can't wait to wander your sea-rock cobbled street, and struggle up your cliff-side winding lane. 

Here's hoping for clear skies. Your cobbles are treacherous in the rain.

Lovely tiny harbor, full of toy boats resting on the sea bed. Will the seas ever rise again?

GB and I wander along the centuries old sea wall and marvel at the boats resting on the sea bed.

Saugatuck T-shirt in Clovelly, yep, that's my guy! Gotta bring a little of Michigan here to the place we love.

And yes, the seas are true to their word, and they do rise again.

And off we wander; exploring, laughing, tripping along. This world is our oyster and we have so much fun, like we always do, because we always do.

I love this vista, at the top of the town, on the edge of the cliff. Down below is the sea, wild and unforgiving. 

These streets, paved with sea stones, lasting through the centuries, are remarkable to behold, and difficult to traverse. Happily, no rain as of yet.

Here we go, off on an adventure, following maps written on napkins and hoping we find our way, through gardens and coastal paths. Seems simple, so far.

Her directions seemed so clear- the nice woman in the pottery shop directed us on our way. Everything was going well, until we encountered these guys, their horns were a bit scary. How to traverse the field without getting impaled?

We went the long way around, and eventually ended up in the Clovelly Court  Gardens. England weather makes for gorgeous gardens, and this Victorian kitchen-style garden was very beautiful.

Pears, anyone?

And then we were in the Clovelly churchyard. I love to look at all the old gravestones and wander the paths, peaceful and beautiful. Something I never got tired of in England. My mom loved to do the same. Wandering and wondering, who went here before? Feeling the past and enjoying the moment. 

The inside was something, too. I love how the churches are open to anyone to just walk in and take a look around. There's no one there, and it's cold, but you can feel the history, the sanctuary, the peace and the tranquillity. Absolutely spellbinding. 

Can you imagine the hundreds of families that belonged to this Norman church, over all the centuries?  The lives, the loves, the travails, that were borne, lived and died here? So much history in one place.  

And now we're off again, on one of my adventures through the English countryside. I drag Gb along ( and some sort of map), and he's happy to go with me, because he likes to see me happy ( I am one lucky woman), and I am so giddy when we are off on an escapade. The possibilities are endless!

I trot, sing, and basically scamper through the fields, meadows, and Englishness of England- this can mean rain, mud and fearsome cattle with big horns, but on we go, forward. No one knows where we will end up! Well, I exaggerate, GB will make sure we end in a pub somewhere. 

The view from the coastal path is beautiful, quiet, and it goes on and on. 

Through the woodsy trail we wander, glimpsing the view, happy together, marveling at all the nature around us.

And here, a resting place... The English are so thoughtful.

The skies stayed clear...

And the fields clear of imminent danger...

It was a wonderful day, just a beautiful day. I am a happy girl!

GB is glad to be back in the pub, with his best girl. Cheers!

  After a drink and a rest, we negotiate the path back home.

Clovelly, Sweet Clovelly, I will be back, I promise. 

Summertime Adventures in Cape Cod.

Hello again, New England! No, not Merry Old England of our hearts and past, but New England, land of summer fun and deep connections with people we love.  This summer we visited Boston and most importantly, Cape Cod to spend time with our people, Chris, Vince and Luca.

And what a time GB and I had. I was so excited to spend time in a new yet slightly familiar place, with my best friend of all time, my Chris. This is how I always look when I know I'm soon going to be with my girl Chris.

But before we took the ferry, before we joined our friends of old, GB and I explored, like we always do, and we found some amazingly fun places, like the famous cannoli bakeries in Boston. We enjoyed an early morning jaunt, and stopped to indulge in pastries with flavors like limoncello and dark chocolate. GB is very happy, and has yet to stop talking about the cannoli.

And off we go, on the ferry to meet our dear friends in Provincetown and then off to Wellfleet, well known literary sanctuary, to spend some precious days on the beach.

Our arrival, so beautiful... postcard pretty. 

Chris and I have a lot to talk about... as always.

We eat, we drink, we talk, we play, we reminisce and reconnect with family. Time together is a precious commodity.

Yes, we eat, did I mention that? And eat well we did, with gusto!

Happy days in Cape Cod, with some of my favorite people. 

And then it's time to say goodbye again, not an easy thing, 

but better than never saying hello.  

Who is that beautiful woman?

And off we go, GB and me.