Gorgeous morning . . . up early to finish packing and have breakfast with Petunia before she needs to Uber off to Heathrow for her trip home. Since Gypsy and I don't fly out until 4:15 PM, we head off for some final sightseeing. 

Our first stop is Berry Brothers & Rudd Wine Merchants that was established in the 17th century. It is an amazing shop with wines from all over the world, including our neighbor's Au Bon Climat winery. The desk and ledger looks like Gringotts Wizarding Bank straight out of the Harry Potter movies!

Nearby, we pop into the Ritz Hotel for a cappuccino and hot chocolate . . . overpriced, but the people watching is well worth it! 

​On our way to Westminster Abbey, we head over towards the Mall and Buckingham Palace. We are surprised to see people lining the street, until we see the colorful military procession as guards march down the Mall from St. Jame's Palace. Our timing — purely synchronistic — is perfect!

No time to waste, we keep heading towards Westminster Abbey with the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben nearby. Unfortunately, our discretionary time is waning so there is no time to queue up to tour Westminster Abbey this trip, as we must get back to Cable Street Inn and pick up our luggage before meeting our driver to take us to Heathrow.

All runs smoothly and like clockwork, we are checked-in to our flight, settled into our cozy  Air New Zealand pods, and have ordered a Bloody Mary. Even our departure is on time. The flight back to Los Angles is wonderfully uneventful — though there is a really handsome man sitting behind us. After a couple of movies and hours of deep sleep, we arrive in Los Angeles around 7:45PM. No delays in getting through the various queues or retrieving luggage, and with time to spare we head outside the terminal to wait for our shuttle to take us back to the Santa Ynez Valley and home! 

All runs smoothly and like clockwork, we are checked-in to our flight, settled into our cozy  Air New Zealand pods, and have ordered a Bloody Mary. Even our departure is on time. The flight back to Los Angles is wonderfully uneventful — though there is a really handsome man sitting behind us. After a couple of movies and hours of deep sleep, we arrive in Los Angeles around 7:45PM. No delays in getting through the various queues or retrieving luggage, and with time to spare we head outside the terminal to wait for our shuttle to take us back to the Santa Ynez Valley and home!

It is almost midnight when I drive through the gate and greeted by my two sleepy pups Simba and Peeties!

Brick Lane Market is a large East End flea market with stalls selling fruit and vegetables, clothes, antiques and bric-a-brac (stuff) by the Old Truman Brewery. No sooner do we exit the Tube then find everyone walking towards the Market . . . impossible to get lost!

Luck for us it is Sunday because that is the best day to experience the chaotic and bustling vibe of the Market. Besides lots of food vendors, there are many ethnic restaurants and cafes lining the street — from authentic bagel shops to curry houses. We opt to try a variety of street food including homemade empanadas which we take with us to Kahaila Café for cappuccinos and hot chocolate.

Fortified, we explore the market for collectibles and clothes. There is also great graffiti to photograph on the industrial buildings in the area.  Around 2 PM we part company with Petunia opting to head back to Cable Street Inn, while Gypsy and I head off to Hampton Court Palace.

Hampton Court Palace is situated in the Richmond borough along the River Thames. A brief history of Hampton Court is that building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, a favorite of King Henry VIII. By 1529, Wolsey fell out of favor and the King seized the palace for himself and (of course) enlarged it. It is one of two surviving palaces out of the many owned by old King Henry VIII. In the 1600s, King William III initiated a massive rebuilding and expansion project with the intent to rival Versailles. Work halted in 1694 that left the palace in two distinctly contrasting architectural styles — domestic Tudor and Baroque.

Tourists enter the Palace through the Tradesman's Entrance. So, our exploration began in  the kitchens — Henry VIII's first building project — which are so vast they were capable of feeding his court of 1,000 people (no typo). All goods passed under the archway we used that leads to a cobbled courtyard where they were unloaded and checked by a team of accounts known as "The Board of the Green Cloth." Goods were then carried into a series of small kitchens or into the stores. Each room in the kitchen area had a specific function — bake-houses, Great Kitchen for roasting meats over the large fireplaces, etc.

Food was washed down with gallons of wine and beer. The wine cellar next to the kitchens had barrels of wine sent from Europe, while beer was stored close to the Great Hall.  

Then . . . being such a gorgeous afternoon, we quickly headed outside to the gardens, including the world's largest grape vine — which still produces a yearly crop of black, sweet grapes — and the oldest hedge Maze planted in the 1690s by George London and Henry Wise — according to the Guinness Book of Records — consisting of half a mile of winding paths surrounded by towering yew tree walls. It was created for the court of William III and Mary II as a humorous diversion.

​Nearing closing time, we hustled through as many rooms as possible, but quite honestly, another visit (or more) is needed to give Hampton Court Palace its due.

Meeting back at Cable Street Inn, we reconnect with Petunia and make plans to Uber to The Shard for our last night celebration. Our first choice was Gong of the 52nd floor, but it was fully booked. Next we tried Oblix on the 32nd floor, but it was closed on a Sunday.  Thankfully, we were able to score a table at Aqua Shard on the 31st floor — with great nighttime views facing north over London — London Bridge and Tower Bridge and across the Thames to the Tower of London! Cheers to us . . . a fabulous multi-faceted holiday in England!!! 

Wonderful night's sleep . . . I was so-o-o tired. Today we are off to Kew Gardens . . . but first breakfast and a shower!

Before leaving for Kew Gardens, Gypsy dials our route into her iPhone and we are ready to go . . . We take the Tube to Tower Hill where we adroitly change trains to Kew. What a charming area. Within steps from the Tube Station, we wander into Mia Wood boutique and eye vegan leather bags. Just beginning our day, we inquire about the shop's hours so we can make our purchases on the way home. Brilliant!

I've been wanting to visit Kew Gardens for decades . . . and even spent hours at their website. However, I was unprepared for how large the Royal Gardens are and how beautiful. Unfortunately, the Temperate House is closed for restoration. No worries, there is plenty more to see. Together, we make our way to the Palm House Parterre — a confession, I love conservatories . . . the plants, humidity, earthy smells are all stimulate my senses. No sooner do we get there and it is clear that we need a rendezvous plan to meet around lunchtime, as I will be photographing for some time. Trust me . . . there are scores more!

Before dashing to meet up with Gypsy and Petunia, I headed to the Waterlily House for a few photographs . . .

​Kew Palace was built in 1631, on the banks of the Thames River, for a Flemish merchant. About 100 years later, it was leased by Queen Caroline and subsequently purchased by George III. He and his wife, Queen Charlotte spent summers at Kew Palace with their 15 children and it was an important refuge during his infamous bouts of "madness." After Queen Charlotte died in 1818, Kew Palace was closed up. It was acquired by Kew in 1898 and opened to the public, and is now in the trust of Historic Royal Palaces.

Next to the Palace are the Royal Kitchens, which have been preserved from the time of Queen Charlotte's death in 1818. The great kitchen and preparation rooms, as well as the demonstrations, give an insight into life of the kitchen staff and Georgian cuisine.

The Queen's Garden features plants grown in Britain before and during the 17th century.

Leaving Kew Palace, we made our way to Minka House — by not the most direct route as the map and signage took some acclimation on our part. Minka House is situated in one of the largest collections of bamboo in the UK with approximately 1,200 species

Minka refers to traditional "houses for the people." In context to the four divisions within Japanese society, Minka were dwellings for farmers, artisans and merchants, and are characterized by their basic roof structure and roof shape. The houses are framed of pine logs tied together with rope, wattle and double walls and a lime-washed exterior. 

​This Minka House originally stood in Okazaki City in central Japan. It was donated to Kew by the Japan Minka Reuse and Recycle Association after the last member of the original owner's family died.

Unfortunately, Minka House was closed when we visited, so no interior photographs . . . sorry!

From here we headed towards Sackler Crossing, skirting along Rhododerdron Dell.  Sir Joseph Hooker brought back many new specimens of rhododendron from his travels to the Himalayas in the mid-19th century. Now hundreds of specimens flower in the dell.

​Reaching Sackler Crossing, we stopped briefly as the day was heating up. We stopped to admire a beautiful swan, who turned nasty on me when it became clear I had no treats to give. A swan nip is definitely not a friendly kiss!

tigers, while George III and Queen Charlotte had oriental cattle and pheasants. At one point even kangaroos were kept and successfully bred in the paddock. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived it was after its 4 PM closing, so again only exterior photos.

Time running out — as we needed to get back to Mia Wood to pick up our earlier purchases — we made our way back to the entrance through the Redwood Grove, with a glimpse of the Pagoda down Cedar Vista, and skirted behind the Temperate House, which I would love to visit one day once it reopens. Stopping briefly in the gift shop, we made a few purchases.

As previously mentioned, Kew is a cute village with marvelous shops that would have been fun to browse, but everything was closed. Hungry, we stopped at the gastro pub in the Kew Gardens Hotel for another yummy delish meal before catching the Tube. By the time we reached Cable Street Inn we had logged 16,563 steps since leaving this morning on our adventure!

I was excited about attending, and not the least bit disappointed. There are incredibly talented and innovative artisans working in jewelry, ceramics, furniture making, textiles, glass, and more. There are also mini-workshops and musical performances going on throughout the three-day fair.

I literally could have spent a small fortune . . . but curbed my enthusiasm somewhat. Though I did purchase a ring by jeweler Sam Photic; earrings by jeweler Chloe O'Brien that incorporate vintage postcards; and a mixed media storybox that is a reworking of vintage objects and entitled "Love Is The Honey" by Little Burrow Designs — all of which are to be gifts for dear ones back home.

Other artists whom inspired me were: Solange (jewelry), Ulli Kaiser (jewelry), Alice Shields (ceramics), Sue Lowday (leather), Alison Graham (ceramics), Ekta Kaul (textiles), Emily Richard (jewelry). Quite honestly, this is only a small sampling of the gifted craftspeople whose work I love!

Meeting up after an hour or two later, Gypsy, Petunia and I share stories about what we saw and liked over lunch. Then, off to Exeter to leave Petunia off at the train station with all of our luggage, while Gypsy and I return our rental car. Drop off was quick, however due to a number of events going on getting a taxi is near impossible and the rental company could not be persuaded to take us to the train station for a fee. Time slipping by quickly before our train is due to leave . . . we become increasingly anxious as there is no way to alert Petunia to our situation. Finally, after the rental company gives a family returning a car a lift to the train station, we become more emphatic until they finally allow an employee to drive us there. Just in the nick of time, we meet up with Petunia, gather our things and head to the track for a very brief wait before boarding our train. Thankfully there are seats available so we don't need to stand all the way back to London!

In case I haven't shared this yet . . . Gypsy is our go-to Nuest'a for all things electronic including ordering Uber rides, checking on train schedules, routing us on the Tube, etc. She is a master, and I am her slowly learning student.

As soon as we arrive at Paddington Station, Gypsy is ordering us an Uber to take us to our next destination — Cable Street Inn — where we will be staying for the next three nights. Enroute, of course are photo ops . . .

Cable Street Inn is a boutique Bed & Breakfast in old London's fashionable East End at 232 Cable Street. It's proprietor Julian Cole is a gracious and fascinating man who spent decades making arts documentary for the BBC. A former classmate of Alexander McQueen, he even modeled for a painting by Gilbert and George that hangs in the stairwell. This corner of old London has history that dates back thousands of years with literary connections to Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and T.S. Elliot. We are also within a half block of the Shadwell underground and overground stations, which makes getting around very easy!

Constructed in 1790 as an Ale House, it retains much of its historic character (in the best possible ways) and has three bedroom suites . . . so we have the entire second and third floor to ourselves. My room is Room One with a Juliette balcony and south facing views of Saint George's in-the East Church and Gardens. Petunia is in Room Two, which also has south facing views as well as the original polished 18th century floor boards. Up one flight of stairs is Gypsy's Room Three, which is adjacent to the terrace. 

Woke this morning to clear skies and the promise of another adventure . . . today we head to Exeter. However, after another full English breakfast, Gypsy and I first hike down to Lustleigh to explore more of the village. Walking down the lane past The Cleve, we follow the footpath past cute English cottages that open onto a community field where children play and soccer matches take place on weekends. Walking by the church we are drawn in by the sound of the organist practicing for Sunday's service. Such a beautiful treat!

​Once back at Highfield House, we meet up with Petunia and head off to Exeter. Our destination is the Exeter Cathedral. Admittedly, I love churches — particularly old ones. The engineering feats of their massive structure, statuary, finely woven cloths, massive pipe organs, and acoustics that all speak to my soul. I also love lingering scents of mire and frankincense as well as the memories of countless prayers, vows and remembrances that linger invisibly throughout.

Properly know as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, it is an Anglican church dating back to 1050BC. However, the present building was not completed until about 1400BC. It as the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England — over 300 feet — that immediately took by breath away.

Afterwards we explored shops around the Cathedral before making our way to an outdoor farmer's market of sorts where we purchased a number tasty lunch items including Scotch Eggs, bulgar and wheat berry salad, homemade brownies and more!

Our next stop on our journey back to Lustleigh was Canonteign Falls — "home to England's highest manmade waterfall — an example of a Victorian folly, the falls descend over 70 meters in a magical natural paradise. ​The drive here through Devon's Teign Valley is spectacular.

Canonteign has a long history that starts with the first Viscount Exmouth, Edward Pellew. Having achieved naval honors and knighthood, he bought the Canonteign Estate. He went on to win more honors, was made a Baron and took the title Lord Exmouth and the distinction of Vice Admiral of All England. The latter title he shared with his peer Lord Horatio Nelson.

Though Sir Edward preferred living near the sea at Teignmouth, his son Pownall (second Lord Exmouth) and his wife took residence at Canonteign. During the mining boom a London banker and entrepreneur opened a mine on the Estate, the waterfall was diverted from its original course to power the mine. In 1880, after the mining boom ended, the 3rd Lady Exmouth decided to re-divert the water to cascade over a nearby massive rock formation, forming the waterfall. 

Driving back to Lustleigh, we pass by the entrance to Canonteign Barton, the old manor house, and around the bend Wheal Exmouth, the old tin mine. The latter building has been converted into a residence that is for sale . . . oh, so tempting!

The roads are narrow, winding and thanks to our GPS generally lead us on adventures. This time, we find ourselves on a dirt track where we encounter a tractor head on — thankfully it is noisy and Gypsy is driving very slowly and cautiously. The encounter requires only a short back up on our part, as the tractor heads off on a different track. Next, we meet an equestrian, who eyes us with a look that makes us think perhaps this route is not advisable. Soon, however, the landscape opens up to reveal pastureland  with grazing cows that come over to say, "hi!" when we stop to photograph them and stretch our legs. Then sheep. After a time, the dirt track meets up with pavement and we find ourselves on a familiar road that leads us back to Highfield House.

A quick change and we are ready to head to dinner with our host Paul to celebrate our stay in Devon. Our destination is The Turtley Corn Mill, in South Hams. Situated on six-acres, the family-owned property is both a pub and bed & breakfast inn. The menu is traditional using locally sourced foods. Unfortunately, I was unimpressed by my meal so didn't photograph it. 

Returning home, I begin organizing and packing my things in readiness for our early morning commitments and trip back to London tomorrow. I'm already missing Devon and Lustleigh as I drift off to sleep.

Up early to a beautiful sunny morning . . . during breakfast our host retired judge Paul invited us to join him for dinner the following evening, as it will be our last one in Devonshire. Sweet!

After our relatively "easy" day yesterday, we Nuest'as are ready for a big adventure. Heading south on the A382 to the A381 to Totnes and Sharpham Wine & Cheese. This beautiful thousand year old farm, owned by the Sharpham Trust, consists of 500 acres along the River Dart. The Trust oversees the Sharpham Partnership which is the trading name for the diversified activities run on the family estate — a vineyard, creamery, and dairy farm.

​We start our visit looking at how Sharpham cheese is made. They have cleverly built their new modern facility next to the winery with strategically placed windows to observe the making of their handmade cheeses that use the rich milk from their herd of Jersey cows, vegetarian rennet and are free of GMO ingredients. 

Next, on to wine and cheese tasting . . . tho' we do not have time for a vineyard trek and it is still early in the day, we opt for two Gold Tours to share among us. The wines were surprisingly tasty, tho' certainly not of the caliber of Gypsy Canyon Wine back home! And, the cheese was very delish!

Fortified for the moment . . . we head southeast to Dartmouth, which sits near the mouth of the River Dart. After checking ferry times to take us across the river to Greenway House, Agatha Christie's holiday home in Devon, we stroll around town checking out restaurants. We settle on Station Restaurant for you guessed it . . . mussels and fish and chips! And, afterwards ice cream.

While short, the ferry ride across the River Dart afforded us a unique vista of Dartmouth. Disembarking, we head to Greenway House, the family holiday retreat purchased by Christie and her husband, noted archeologist Max Mallowan, in 1938, as the family's holiday home. Upon their deaths, in 1976 and 1978 respectively, daughter Rosalind Hicks and her husband Anthony lived in the house until Rosalind's death in 2004. Agatha's grandson, Michael Prichard, then determined that Greenway, the home Agatha knew and loved, be made available to the public. In 2009, Greenway was opened to the public after extensive restoration by the National Trust. It has been restored and furnished as Christie and Max would have known it in the 1950s.  

Greenway and its surroundings were frequently used as settings for Christie's novels including Five Little Pigs, Towards Zero, and Dead Man's Folly. A long-time Christie fan, I am especially excited about our visit!

The house is full of various collections that the family amassed, especially during expeditions to the Middle East including Ninevah and Tyre.

The Greenway estate is gorgeous. The house, a Georgian manor built in the late 18th century, is surrounded by gardens, conservatories, orchards and woodlands, which were opened to the public in 2003.

A long day . . . the drive back along the River Dart was gorgeous. Upon returning to Highfield House and a quick freshening up, we made our way down the footpath to The Cleve for dinner. Afterwards, drawn to the ringing of the church bells, I part company with Gypsy and Petunia who head back to Highfield House. To my absolute delight, tonight the church's bell-ringers are practicing. My heart sings along with the bells, as this is an experience right out of a Midsommer Mystery! My ambition is clear . . . move to Lustleigh and become a bell-ringer!

The walk back along the footpath was magical as dusk set in . . . a perfect day!

A leisurely morning for once . . . relatively cloudy with intermittent drizzle and showers. Our adventure today, after a typical biggy English breakfast, is to explore Newton Abbott and Topsham with Nina. Our mission is to poke around antique shops and restoration salvage yards in search of treasurers!

Our first stop heading south on the A382, however, was in Bovey Tracey to visit the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, which organizes the upcoming Contemporary Craft Festival, which we have tickets to attend on our last day here. The work at the Guild is of the highest caliber and there was much to tempt us . . . however, with firm resolve to wait until the Craft Festival we walked out without purchases. Pretty amazing, huh?

Continuing on the A382, we reach Newton Abbott to rummage around a reclamation yard. Amidst laughter, inspiration and general tomfoolery, we found all kinds of wonderful treaurers . . . if only we had a property here to decorate.

Feeling peckish after our morning rummage, we headed to Topsham for lunch at Darts Farm, which was awarded the "Best Large Farm Shop in the UK" in 2015. It is like Whole Foods, but smaller and better — more "homey" with sections devoted to food, home and interiors, outdoors, as well as a café. Ronald Dart started Darts Farm, in the '70s, in a small hut at the bottom of his field. From those humble beginnings it has evolved into a nationally regarded local food hub that sells produce and drink products that are regionally made by hundreds of producers. They even offer family camping experiences and on-going wine events for adults. After a cursory look around, we bee-line to the café where I order fish and chips made with fresh caught cod  that is cooked to order. Yum-scrum!

Our next stop is the Quay Antique Centre, which is four stories of treasurers situated along the River Exe in an older and picturesque part of town.

Fun, but tiring day, we head back to Lustleigh for naps, reading and since the late afternoon light is so fantastic, some photographing of the Highfield House property with its formidable boulders and views. Feeling a bit under the weather, Gypsy opts to stay in tonight, while Petunia and I head off through the wood to the local pub — The Cleve —  for delicious tomato soup and baked baby-back ribs (drenched in a tangy sauce) . . . yummy!

Funnily, it was quiz night at the pub. The bar was relatively empty tonight, tho' all through our meal we'd hear outbreaks of laughter. Peeking into a larger room, we saw scores of folks — all ages — posing questions and noisily shouting out answers. We soon discovered it was the community's version of Trivial Pursuit . . . though at The Cleve, patrons make up their own questions.

Using our trusty iPhone flashlights, we made our way back through the wood to Highfield House and a good night sleep in anticipation of tomorrow's adventure!

It's raining, it's pouring . . . and we are eating another full English breakfast. What could be better? Yes, of course, an afternoon facial and massage at Bovey Castle!

But I've gotten ahead of myself . . . Today's adventure began with a drive to the picturesque village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, which lies in the very heart of Dartmoor National Park. As we drive along in through the mist and rain all I can think of is "Heathcliff, oh, Heathcliff, where art thou Hearthcliff?" This is a landscape of love, longing and dark romantic fantasies.

Widcombe-in-the-Moor is beautiful wee, largely farming village that lies along the East Webburn River. Not unlike Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park, here horses graze throughout the village. 

At its center is the Church of Saint Pancras, built in the 14th century and known as "The Cathedral of the Moor" for its 120-foot tower. Built of local granite, the interior ceiling is decorated with many roof bosses, which are architectural knob protrusions at the intersections of ceiling rib vaults. The ones in this church include the tin-mining trade emblem of a circle of three hares that are known locally as the "Tinners' Rabbits."

The church was badly damaged in the Great Thunderstorm of 1638. Legend says it was caused by a visit by the Devil that left  4 parishioners killed and 60 more injured.

​Besides the amazing grave stones, one of the highlights of this church for me is a folk art sculpture of the legendary "Old Grey Mare" and her riders that was constructed by an 82-year old retired sailor named Harry Price. Hailing from Drewsteignton, Mr. Price spent two-years building his sculpture, which has many moving parts, entirely from scrap (recycled) materials. It was originnally exhibited at the 1959 Widecombe Fair.

Today, the Old Church House that was build around 1540 to hold parish festivities or 'ales' is held by the National Trust and leased, in part, to the village as a community hall. It also holds a National Trust gallery that sells wide range of crafts including beautiful wool blankets and pillow . . . which Gypsy and I purchased.

​Afterwards, we head across the road to The Old Inn for a typical ploughman's lunch of cheddar cheese, locally sourced ham, pickled onion, dressed leaves, apple and coleslaw . . . and of course, a (half) pint of ale.

Fortified, we set the GPS for Bovey Castle for appointments of spa treatments on this wet and cold day. Now, the thing about the GPS in our rental car is that it finds the most "efficient" route, which today we discover is not necessarily the most conventional one. Our GPS routed us through a farmer's land, across his pasture, down an incredibly narrow dirt lane with tall foliage concealing walls that left no more than an inch of room on either side of our rental car . . . with the side mirrors pulled tight against the car. Thankfully, we didn't meet anyone coming in the opposite direction!

​Totally turned around so we had no idea where we were on our road map, we found ourselves driving into Bovey Castle through the servants entrance, which only proved to the doorman that we weren't their typical guests . . . No sir-ee . . . The American girls on holiday had just arrived!

I should say that I was a bit disappointed when we were planning our English adventure not to be staying here at the Castle . . . but after visiting and experiencing the "hushed" atmosphere and the dark and staid public rooms, I became absolutely convinced that Petunia was right in choosing  Highfield House instead!

Relaxed, Gypsy volunteers to drive us back to Lustleigh, which gives me an opportunity to document the narrow and windy roads throughout Dartmoor.

Another full and wonderful day in Devonshire . . . Back at Highfield House after sipping wine and getting warm and toasty beneath our new wool throws from Widcombe-in-the-Moors, we decide to walk to The Cleve for a dinner. For me, mussels and dark beer!