50 Shades of Grey - Fall colours in Britain

Enjoying the moody fall colours of grey in Great Britain, all 50 of them, we set out on the great road adventure in the blue tin can again. Whoever said white was a complicated colour has never seen the full spectrum of grey skies in England.

Committed to seeing more of Great Britain, we ventured to the south of England. I tell ya, just because Google says its a 3 hr drive, it will most likely turn all Gilligan on you and you find yourself stranded not on a deserted tropical island, but a crowded British motorway for an indefinable amount of time.

That said, we again, get to experience some new geography, and of course, FOOD!  We've been having some really good eats in Britain.

First destination was Stonehenge.  Many said we'd be let down by Stonehenge, but we found it fascinating.   E was studying it at school, so she was a great interpreter.  To boot, we beat the summer crowds too.

How did they get those stones there?

Grumpy faces

If you had to hang out in the drizzle for a bazillion years, you wouldn't be smiling either.  But I think he's winking at me.

Name that expression - reflection? dejection? constipation?

Part of the pumpkin Halloween scary faces?

Very grumpy modern day faces

Notice the lovely mauve hue in the grey sky....

Next stop was the beautiful city of Bath.  It used to be the playground of the rich and famous bourgeoisie.  I think it still is.  The architecture is stunning, grand and you can just imagine how Beau Nash made this town the most popular resort destination in 18th century England. 

Stained glass windows in the Bath Cathedral  known as Bath Abbey

Coolest light fixtures

All the angel carvings were different.

Bath near Putney Bridge

Way cool tromp-d'oeil architecture.  Apparently Nicholas Cage lived in one of the town houses

The Royal Crescent

Bath in Bath... hence the name.  

Those clever Romans knew how to keep everyone all clean.

Nope, I'm not taking a bath without a rubber ducky!

Roman Bath ducky ready for the splash

It wouldn't be a holiday without some good grub.  We splurged at the Michelin-starred Bath Priory.  They weren't going to accept our reservation since E wasn't 12.  I had to convince them there would be no problem with her eating off the tasting menu.  Go figure.  

Despite living in Britain, the sticker shock never really goes away.

However, E approves!

Tasty amuse bouche

The tiniest langoustine but oh so tasty.  

Breakfast mid-way through the meal; truffled grilled cheese with quail egg

Foie gras.  My ethical dilemma - it seems so wrong to eat fatty duck liver but it tastes so good.  

Eating too fast for the camera

To quote Karen-Anne, "you are never disappointed with a lemon dessert"

Sometimes, Adrian just has to eat.  As delicious as posh food is, there just isn't enough on the plate.  We ate at some other lovely places in Bath, including this Italian restaurant with a big rack of lamb.

Adrian-sized portions! At an Italian restaurant in Bath

From Bath we headed to the south coastal region of Cornwall and visited with Deborah and Phil Dodge.  We made a pit stop in Cheddar Gorge.  The home of the cheese.  However, there is no cheese!  Did someone move the cheese?

The Cheddar Gorge.  Its the birthplace of Cheddar.  Where is the cheese?  

We had a lovely time exploring the villages, Pendennis castle and the beach.   It was soooo foggy at the Pendennis castle that we couldn't even take pictures!  Maybe fog was all part of the attack/defence strategy for King Henry VIII?

Fog in Cornwall

A few years ago, the storm waves crashed the church tower clock out!  Talk about knocking out your clock!

  Searching for the famous Cornish pasties

Would you like a cuppa?

Hey, could you see us if we weren't wearing turquoise?

Windy beach in Cornwall

See, isn't monochromatic grey beautiful?

For the sequel winter post, I will include an all new 50 Shades of Grey Vol II.  Who knew grey could be this exciting. Oh my!