Category: 1

Saturday
We had to vacate the cottage by 10am on Saturday morning, which left us with plenty of time to have a relaxed journey back home staying off at one or two places on route. The first place we visited was the small town of Croyde with it's large sandy beach and sand dunes, very popular with young families and surfers. We spent a good hour here walking down to the sea's edge to have a closer look at the surfers braving the large swell, it was energy sapping for me, especially on the walk back to the car.
We agreed to make our way along the coast to the seaside town of Woolacombe with it's very long beach, and stay for lunch at one of it's many pubs. When the children were younger we spent a weeks holiday in a caravan here with many fond memories. After lunch one more stop at athe small village of Porlock in Somerset for a cream tea with scones and jam (not good for the candida, but can't be good all of the time!) - a fitting end to a lovely week.
The week had been filled with all kinds of emotions: laughter, tears, fatigue, frustration, a sense of achievement and even sadness at times due to the restrictions imposed upon me by this dibilitating illness but with hubby's and my friend's encouragement I managed to achieve far more then I thought possible and am so greatful to them all. At least I'm out there trying and am determined not to be beaten - I will one day be healed!

Holiday covelly north devon (part 7) 10/15/2010

Friday
Friday morning dawned, well mid morning, and I was feeling a little less self pity and determined to have a great time with our friends. They had kindly cooked a full english breakfast for all of us, it was totally yummy and a real treat from what I normally have. Our friends wanted to go down into Clovelly, a trip down memory lane, they had visited it many years earlier when they where a young couple.
They enjoyed the steep walk down through the village and once at the bottom they met up with me and hubby who had cheated once again and called upon the landrover service. I decided on this occasion not to walk on the beach, still fresh in my mind how difficult I had found it. I retired to the quay-side pub for a cup of tea while the others went for a walk along the beach. On their return I found out that the boys had had their photos taken standing inside the waterfall which cascades off the surrounding cliffs and onto the beach - boys will be boys they never really grow up do they?
Hubby decided to walk back up through Clovelly with our friends whilst I took the landrover service back to the carpark. All three red faced and breathing heavily after their steep walk we met on the car park and decided to find a local pub for a light lunch. We found a delightful pub with a picture postcard thatched roof, not far from Clovelly, to enjoy our lunch and a quiet drink.
Later that evening we enjoyed a superb meal of turkey and leek pie with a shortcrust pastry topping, prepared by our friends, followed by treacle steamed pudding and custard - scrumptious. We then retired for the evening in front of a roaring log fire, chatting away until the spoon thief arrived and reminded me it was time for bed.

Holiday covelly north devon (part 6) 10/13/2010

Thursday
Sorry about the delay but have not been good the last few days so here it goes.
It was always our intention to take it easy on Thursday because our friends where coming to stay with us for a couple of nights and I wanted to make sure I wasn't too tired for their arrival. The rain from the previous afternoon and night had continued into Thursday morning but was showing the first signs of clearing with the occasinal break in the cloud.
Hubby suggested that we had lunch at the cottage and if the weather improved we could have a short ride out to a local town, spend a couple of hours there and then return for an afternoon sleep. By the time we'd had lunch the sun was showing signs of making an appearence and hubby thought it might be a good idea to visit a local beach resort. So we settled on the resort of Westward Ho less than 10 miles away.
We parked up next to a huge Pebble Ridge which ran for some 2 miles in length, a most impressive sight, perhaps 30 to 40 foot high and made of huge pebbles. This is apparently a totally natural phenomenon which protects the surrounding area from the incoming tides. I found it extremely tiring even with hubby 's help to scale this ridge but was astounded by the fabulous sandy beach. It was even more tiring to get down off the ridge and onto the beach, but we made it down safely and had a slow walk on the flat beach with the clearing skys reflected in shallow pools - very beautiful.
We watched the waves crashing down onto the beach with a small group of surfers braving the elements. The spray drifting onto my face in the strong wind was very refreshing and invigorating, but we knew we couldn't stay long. It was some walk back and still the ridge was to be scaled. I found walking over the pebble ridge to be totally exhausting and couldn't wait to get back to the cottage for a well earned rest.
I slept for over two hours on our return and awaited our friends arrival, knowing I had not fully recovered from my afternoon exhertions and paid for it later that evening when I had to retire early. I had been looking so forward to our friends arrival but got upset because I couldn't enjoy their company; this was the inevitable payback for the enjoyment I had had earlier that day. There always seem to be a payback with this illness no matter how you try to pace yourself, it's so frustrating arrhhggg.

Holiday covelly north devon (part 5) 10/06/2010

Wednesday
After yesterday's episode of total exhaustion I decided to have a lie-in today in the hope of the spoon fairy paying me a return visit, alas she didn't, too busy elsewhere, maybe once a week is all you can expect. It was well after 11.00am when I finally came downstairs to be greeted by a beaming hubby who had already been out on a 3 hour walk to some secluded cove called " Mouthmill Cove".
We decided to stay at the cottage until after lunch to allow me more time to recoup my energy levels. We set off on a hour and half journey to visit The Japanese Garden & Bonsai Nursery at St. Mawgan, Newquay in Cornwall. This allowed me to rest further so on arrival I felt not too bad.
The Japanese gardens are beautifully set out with a bridge over a large pool with a small waterfall in one corner next to a Japanese tea house with bamboos and trees a plenty. The winding path goes through dense growths of bamboos with a surprise around each bend of water and stone features. The highlight for me was a covered area next to a raked gravel Zen garden, very relaxing and a beautiful place to sit and meditate which I did while hubby explored further, camera in hand.
It's only a small garden but sufficient to spend three quaters of an hour there taking in the variety of plants and well crafted Japanese structures. We then spent an enjoyable time looking around the exstensive collection of Bonsai's with hubby purchasing one for our own little Japanese Garden at home. It was a lovely larch tree with it's own monolith all in a little blue glazed pot.
On our return journey we visited the small Cornish town of Bude where we parked up and had a short stroll towards the beach. Unfortunately we didn't stay long as the weather broke and we got caught in a very heavy shower. From the look of the clouds rolling in off the sea plenty more were on the way. We had made the right decision with the rain setting in for the rest of the evening and night.

Holiday covelly north devon (part 4) 10/04/2010

Tuesday
Dawned a bright and sunny day, well it did according to hubby, it was still lovely when I arose from my deep slumber and got myself ready. My day was already planned out for me if I thought I would be up to it. " Nothing too strenuous today, honest. " hubby informed me. "A short drive down to Clovelly Court Gardens and Church and then down to the visitor's centre to catch the Landrover Service down to the harbour." Well that didn't sound too bad I thought.
Clovelly Court Gardens are all contained within Victorian Walls with restored greenhouses. It's a working garden that supplies all the fresh produce for the ancient manor house and still has sufficient left to sell to the general public. If you are down in this area it's well worth a visit, it really is beautifully set out and full of vibrant colours and the finest example of a Victorian Walled Garden I have ever seen.
If you pass through an arch and gate half way down the garden you are treated to some incredible views of rolling countryside leading down towards the coast and beyond. The ancient manor house is surrounded by finely maintained lawns and is very picturesque in it's settings, and guess what hubby was busy snapping away again.
We paid a short visit to the Parish Church of All Saints dating back to the 13th century and the graveyard contained generations of village families, sadly many of whom died far too young according to the headstones.
Back to the car and down to the visitors centre to catch the Landrover service down to the harbour. Well the driver was rather too quick for me in my delicate state and I felt quite sick with all the sharp turns but thankfully it was over in only a few minutes. Looking up at what I could see of the village of Clovelly I could understand my hubbys previous comments about not making it down by myself. The entire village looks like it's been glued to the hillside, extremely steep! I wondered how the locals coped with the walk everday, it's a traffic free zone, sledges and donkeys are used to take goods up and down the streets.
We went into the Red Lion pub adjoining the harbour and ordered fish and chips for lunch, you cant beat fish and chips at the seaside and we were not disappointed it was most enjoyable. Hubby likes trying out the different local ales on offer and had a pint of Dooms bar, tasted better than the name suggested he assured me while I had my usual .orange juice.
Suitably refreshed and rested we went for a short walk along the beach to a nearby waterfall known as The Devils Kitchen, but on route I took a turn for the worse, quite quickly all my energy just drained away and I needed to lie down on the peebles to rest . Hubby said I fell asleep for over half an hour and was oblivous to all that was happening around me. When I did wake up I didn't feel much better and it was a painfully slow walk back along the beach to the awaitng landrover. It's proving so difficult to judge what I can do! With this damn illnes the energy suddenly deserts you and leaves you feeling completely helpless. Hubby is getting used to it and takes it in his stride. I wished I could it really gets me down at times, it's SO frustrating.

Holiday clovelly north devon (part 3) 10/03/2010

Monday
I awoke on Monday morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. At some time during the night I had been visited by the " Spoon Fairy " who replenished my cuttlery sevice with tea, soup and dessert spoons - wonderful, but how long would it last?
" Not too much today, please I want to keep some spoons in reserve "
" No probs, " hubby replied, " We'll visit Eldern Point and Hartland Point, they've both got car parks very close to them so very little walking, we'll take a little lunch and make an afternoon of it" he said.
We parked up on a National Trust car park at East Titchberry Farm, thatched cottage and outhouse, very idyllic with ducks wandering around. Only a very short slow walk to the viewpoint at Eldern Point, beautiful views across the sea and imposing views of the nearby cliff. We spent a pleasent 30 mins or so here admiring the views before making our way back to the car park.
Less then 10 minutes later we arrived at Hartland Point, a large car park and quite busy , parked up close to the coastal path and ate lunch overlooking the sea, very rewarding. The coastal path could be seen winding it's way up hill, quite steep in parts, oh dear I thought that looks strenuous.
" Do you fancy having a go or would you rather wait in the car? " Pete asked", I'm sure he can read my mind at times. Well your'e only here once so give it a go girl I thought to myself, " yes I'll come but take it slowly" I replied.
Very slowly we made our way up hill resting frequently whilst hubby picked wild blackberrys for me, he his a darling. Not for the first time we were overtaken by elderly people, a bit disheartening to be honest to see someone so much older than yourself having no difficulty whilst I struggled like a chain smoker gasping for breath. But I got there eventually to be rewarded with splendid views in all directions, a ship wreck and a lighthouse so well worth the effort. We rested at the top, well I rested while hubby continued to click away, " smile " he would say not realising, and how could he, that I hadn't the energy to smile - so a half smile half grimace would have to make do. The return was just as torturous but in the end we arrived back at the car totally wiped out . I needed to rest and soon. I felt sure I was going to pass out but thankfully I was spared and fell asleep in the car on our way back.
The sun was still shining when we arrived back at the cottage, " Fancy a nice cup of tea in the garden before you go to bed? " hubby asked. A very welcome cup of Red Bush! and Pete had something a little stonger of course. We looked out onto a field full of cows - you can't beat the countryside to lift your spirits a little.

Holiday in covelly north devon (part 2) 10/02/2010

Sunday
Hubby up early, I think someone forgot to tell him he's supposed to be on holiday. He brought my tablets and breakfast in bed and off he went at 7.30 am for a walk down into Clovelly to check out the route. I was awoken at 8.30am with a message and photo of Clovelly Harbour " just arrived, great views but very steep, no one about, streets clear of tourists great for taking photos " he does love to take photos bless him.
I eventually got downstairs at 11.00am to be greeted by my recently returned hubby red in the face from his mornings exertions. "Blimey that's steep, it shows how much out of condition I am", he said. Tell me about it I thought to myself. " Bloody great big bull in the top field" he informed me.
" what did you do? " I asked.
" Well, kept my eyes down, stuck to the edge, breathed deeply and confidently walked passed him" he replied.
He then explained that we could catch a Landrover to the bottom of Clovelly and back to the top for £2 each way per person, and that would be the only way I would get to see part of the village, oh well better I see some of it rather than none of it I thought. Hubby got his maps out again once again and suggested a visit to a local Abbey some 5 miles away if I was feeling upto it. Not too much walking there I suppose, so after lunch we where on our way.
A little history about Hartland Abbey, the last Abbey to be dissolved by King Henry VIII and given to the keeper of the kings wine cellars, now that's what I call a perk of the job. Been in the same family ever since, quite remarkable really, beautiful gardens from what I could see and very impressive from the outside. Hubby insisted on taking a few photos in the garden before we went inside the Abbey for a walk around.
I was still feeling the strain from yesterday when we went inside and before long I had to ask if it was ok to sit down on one of the chairs because I was feeling faint . I missed all the information about the dining room with my head feeling like it was everwhere except where it should have been. Apparently hubby told me later that one of the owners bought a table to seat 20+ guests for £10 back in the 1930's and todays value is over £ 300,000, now that's what I call a bargain.
We slowly made our way around the Abbey, but missed some of the rooms out as it was too much to cope with, spoons once again in very short supply. Once outside I told hubby I needed to sit down and have a cup of tea and rest, " ok you do that and I'll go on that walk down to the sea that the man on the gate told us about. "
" How long will you be? I asked. He thought it would take about an hour and we arranged to meet on the bench at the front of the Abbey.
Lemon and ginger tea and a slice of tea loaf, nice but it did little to replenish my energy levels. I made my way slowly around to the benches to sit in the sun and await my hubby's return. Sometime later I awoke to see him, grinning, camera in hand. " Been asleep have we? "
" I think so " I replied . He then showed me a photo he had taken moments earlier with me fast asleep sitting upright; he thought it most amusing.
" Let's go to Hartland Quay " hubby said "it's only a few miles away with what looks like impressive scenery. There's a hotel and car park, so no long walks. " I agreed and we were once again on our way. Only ten minutes later we were parked up, but I was too tired to get out the car so hubby went off on his own again. He loves all things to do with rocks and cliffs and from what I could see from the car park we were surrounded with some spectacular views. He returned some time later and persuaded me to have a look with the bribe of a drink in the local hotel - all very nice but more than enough for the day. Exhausted we returned to the cottage for a good nights sleep.

Holiday in clovelly north devon 09/30/2010

Holiday in Clovelly North Devon 18th Sept to 25th Sept
Over the coming few days I will, energy providing, give you an account of how it feels to holiday with CFS/ME and just how frustrating and limiting the experience can be.
My Daily Journal
Saturday:
All the necessary preperations carried out: tablets, fresh vegetables for juicing, juicing machine (can't leave the house without that), luggage all packed by hubby, sat nav set, approx journey time three and three quarter hours to our destinations of Clovelly in North Devon.
The journey went off without any problems, felt ok for most of the time but needed to stray off the main route to find a place to have some food and a toilet break. Stopped in a small village at a very old Country Inn, "The Stags Inn" and had a break for one hour. Lunch consisted of locally reared ham, organic egg, chips and salad washed down with my usual orange juice and hubby had a pint of the local brew. All very tasty and enjoyable, suitably rested and refreshed we were quickly on our way to our final destination.
We arrived at our cottage at Burscott, Clovelly at 3.45 p.m. and were greeted by the house keeper who explained the layout and facilities of the cottage. Very nice, lovely looking cottage and we were not dissapointed. Sometimes photographs can be very misleading but that was not the case. Well laid out and all the amentities you could wish for, oven, microwave, fridge, washing machine, dish washer, tumble dryer,T.V. DVD player, it had the lot including wonderful views from the kitchen window over the Devon countryside.
We settled in and decided to go for a short walk to explore our surroundings, hubby got the map out and said we could try a walk to the top end of Clovelly approx half a mile away. Over two stiles and three small fields later we arrived at the school house and I knew I was struggling, legs like lead I had to stop to rest. Hubby went down the lane to see how much further it was to go, he returned shortly to tell me " there's no way you will make it , it's too steep and too far ".
So we headed off back to the cottage. The return journey quickly sapped my remaining energy and I couldn't even raise my legs over the stiles without hubbys help. We eventually made it back, exhausted I lay down on the sofa to rest, well too much for one day I thought take it easy tomorrow.