More Old Stones

The morning started out normally for me and Daniel. We took care of the chickens, who have rats again; RATS! We ate a small breakfast and waited for Heather and Jeremy to come collect us from the cabin where they had been sleeping. First we took them into Chagford and drove aimlessly around Dartmoor trying to find a place to enter the sacred space. Neither Daniel nor I were easily recognizing familiar lanes so Heather suggested we just pull over in a turnout and run straight up a hill. Sounded good to us so that is exactly what we did. It was extremely steep and we all huffed and puffed our way up to the tor of which name I know not because we didn’t know where we were, HA!
Half way up this mountain [a small one, and again I’d like to emphasize its steepness] Daniel and Heather took a break to take photos of burnt dead bushes. There were quite a lot of them and Jeremy and I decided to keep going and avoid the expired plants. We joked about the hike up and he told me he was going to roll down. I advised him to avoid the poop. Once we were half way up Heather wanted to go the rest of the way. She told us, “Let’s just get to those stones!” We were game and Jeremy asked me on the side, “How much you wanna bet me when we get to “the top” there is another top to get to?” I said to him, “Oh no, I agree with you. Are you up for it?” Jeremy happened to be the first person to reach the summit. Good on him!
At the top, long haired cows stared at us like we stared at them. Of course there were some calves present so there was slightly more animosity coming from their perspective than ours, which was basically nil; they stayed put as did we. We could have gone on, there were more rocks to explore; however, walking through a herd of mama cows didn’t seem the best idea so we decided to head back down. We each made our own path exploring little unseen places on the way up. My favourite kind of travelling is with people who like to wander by themselves for a bit. I like it because I do it. [I’m like that on the dance floor too!] Apparently Daniel and Jeremy were veering off slightly to the right and as they made their way down, two black cows and their two white calves ran along side the boys then suddenly stopped in front of them. Daniel describes the experience as intimidating. He and Jeremy said it was as if the cows were telling them one of two things, that they were going the wrong way, or to keep back from their babies. Either way they got the message and moved back toward where I was hiking down the hill. I missed it because I was further away and trying not to fall and roll down the bluff. Heather missed it because she was busy snapping pictures. I did hear Jeremy say, “The vacation would just be ruined if someone had to be air lifted off this mountain.”
As we came closer to the road I suggested that our car was off to the right. I had seen a house close to where we parked and I was using the house in view as a reference. Heather assured us our car was to the left. Most definitely I listened to Heather! At the road we were coming upon the car when she said, “To the right! Silly Jeremy!” I reminded her that I had said it was to the right, not Jeremy. We both laughed and I explained my theory about the house I’d seen. Heather is fantastic with directions. Daniel is good. I am mediocre, and Jeremy is, well, bad. He freely admits this, and I’m not being rude because I know he’s reading my blog. Jeremy was also the first one down from the climb because he told us whoever was last was going to have to eat a pickled egg. On the lane he chided Daniel for being last. Heather enlightened him to the fact that it should be the last person to the car. Of course, this made me begin to run. Heather and Daniel both followed me and alas, Jeremy was the last to the car.
Back in downtown Chagford we parked the car and walked the tiny lanes looking at all the cute houses and magnificent views. We went behind the gates of a church yard into the cemetery to look at ancient graves. Heather also has relatives buried in this yard. Her ancestors come from the Endicott family. At this point the sun came out and we each split up to see the burials on our own.
After the graveyard we went into the town centre where there was a small room of paintings that Heather and Daniel looked at. I found a bench and Jeremy went off to buy some bottled water. In the art shop Heather [of course] made friends with the proprietor who happened to know the people working and living at Endicott House. He took her to see it. I waited for Daniel and Jeremy to get back and followed in the direction they went off in. Luckily there happened to be a crafts fair inside the huge mansion and we all went in to look around at a house that could belong to Heather. She brought her ancestral papers; I told her to storm the place and claim it. She’s much too polite though and was happy enough just to look and experience the place. At a table right in front there was a pint jar of pickled eggs! Jeremy, of course bought the jar and we were thrilled that he lost so gracefully. He didn’t actually lose; I think he was happy to find some pickled eggs cheaper than in the pubs. The people working at the fair were very pleasant and told us destinations we needed to visit along our planned travel paths.
Ring O Bells is the pup Jan took us on our first trip to Chagford, and being that Daniel and I have been to three of the pubs there we decided the Picketts would enjoy that one the most. It’s dog friendly, as are most pubs in the U.K. and Heather and Jeremy are dog people. They make friends with all canines the world over. So we went in had a pint each, some chips with aioli and another Ploughman’s Platter.
Our next stop was Totnes, a place the locals here have been telling me and Daniel to visit for a couple months. We wanted to wait to share the experience with Heather and Jeremy. I’m glad we did. The town could be described as “new-age” and reminds us energy wise of Eugene. The streets there were so small and filled with neat little shops. Firstly we made our way up to Totnes Castle. It is a huge round stone building that you climb up and I played “War” up there. Basically that means I was pretending to have a gun that I was shooting while dodging in between the windows; until Heather reminded me that I would have shooting a bow and arrow. I quickly changed my tune. [As I suggested when we took our trip to Paris and shared what we saw, I strongly suggest again that you google the places we’ve seen. They are amazing; something to be seen at least on the internet.] There were beautiful views from the classic Norman motte.
Back through the town we stopped at a few places to admire the jewellery and I bought some Nag Champa incense. There was also an outdoor market that wondered through. Jeremy walked further down the street to purchase some meat for the dinner he and Heather had planned for the house. We made our way easily back into Crediton. Jeremy is a good driver, Heather is a good navigator. That woman is lethal with a map!
While Jeremy and Daniel started dinner in our tiny kitchen, Heather and I went upstairs to our room so I could try on the fabulous medieval dress she made me. Yes, there is no end to the talents she possesses. She laced me up good and tight and we went downstairs to take pictures of the magnificence that is my new dress. That photo shoot didn’t last long because I am a wimp and needed to put more layers on.
For dinner the four of us Americanos decided to dress nicely. Daniel and Jeremy both wore slacks and suite jackets while Heather and I put on dresses. I only decided to wear a dress when I was bringing the vegetables into the boardroom and found Simon building a fire. I told him I was so happy he was heating up the room and he told me, “Ah, well, I was thinking of you, Joanna.” Awe, everyone knows I’m always cold; so sweet. Heh. With my dress I included leggings and winter boots, but I was in a dress none the less. Jan had made up the dining room so fancy. Fancy plates and wine glasses with Yorkshire terrier heads painted on the sides, fancy flatware, and a vase full of lilacs. It was lovely and I was happy everyone was trying to impress everyone else.
Dinner was fabulous. Jeremy made crepes and Daniel had cut up cheeses and vegetables. In Totnes Heather bought organic lemon curd and local organic honey for the dessert crepes. There was also the back bacon Jeremy bought in town and some venison Jan’s friend had shot and butchered. The Picketts also brought a home bottled and vinted Tempranillo wine, Jan shared a French wine he had, and Daniel and I contributed a merlot that I had chosen for the pretty label. A solid picking tactic I always employ. The meal and conversations went swimmingly. Simon and Jeremy of course started talking computer programming which Jan kept interrupting with, “This is boring!! Talk about something else!” After the food had disappeared along most of the people, Daniel, Simon and I stayed in the boardroom listening to music and talking. I know I have said before that Simon is a lovely person. I’m saying it again because he’s just so easy to talk to. We’re very different than each other and when we disagree we mostly just smile at each other and move along. It’s not often awkward.
It’s important to note that Jeremy also graciously did the dishes. It was quite a wonderful second day.