Goodbye Clevedon, Hello Wychbold

Clevedon
Saturday September 14

Sam:

Since it was our last day here, we decided to stay in Clevedon because we wanted to see more of the town. We were walking along the coast when we saw a giant pool. It was called Marine Park because every night when the tide comes in, it fills the pool. As we were watching, there was a ton of people paddle boarding, swimming, and canoeing in it. Charlotte and Mom put their feet in the water.

On the other side of the park, there was a big bouncy castle, a small train that went around the park, and some crazy golf (mini-golf). It was very busy there because it was the weekend (no one had school), so everyone wanted to go to the beach. It seemed like everyone was having ice cream.

We went on a long walk called the Poet’s Walk, a trail along the ocean that inspired some famous poets. After a few minutes, we came across a really cool looking tower that was used as a lookout. There was a lot of blackberries along the trail, so we enjoyed free snacks again. Blackberries grow wild everywhere here.

Charlotte:

We were still walking and Sam found a little path and ask if he could check where it goes to. He looked and said there was a huge field. So we went to have our picnic there. We had crackers, cheese, and grapes.

There was a little brown puppy that kept running over to us. It was so adorable.

Where we were sitting, we were overlooking the ocean. The tide was out and the beach was crazy muddy for a long way. Sam called it a mud field. We saw boats sitting in the mud instead of on the water.

On the way back, my brother video-chatted with one of his friends while I ate ice cream. After, Sam and Mom got “Flake 99” ice cream cones – soft-serve vanilla ice cream with a Flake chocolate bar sticking in it. It was messy but delicious (Mom let me have her Flake).

At sunset, it was FINALLY not cloudy, so Dad and I went on a daddy-daughter date to watch the sunset. I brought my camera and he brought his phone. Dad didn’t want to miss the sunset, so we had to run to the seaside. We took lots of pictures, and Dad took a special video.

I wanted to swim because the water was not freezing, but Mom said it was too late. The water was back because the tide had come in.

We had to go back to the house to do laundry and pack to leave tomorrow morning.

Travelling
Sunday September 15

Mom:

After a sleepless night, filled with laundry and fighting with a very stubborn washing machine (it kept holding our clothing hostage for long periods of time), I got the kids and Brad up to have a quick breakfast and get ready to leave for our next destination.

A very kind Uber driver from a couple of towns away accepted our request and took us to the train station in a nearby town called Yatton. From here, we took a series of three trains (Yatton to Bristol, Bristol to Worcester, Worcester to Droitwich Spa). We learned that buying a ticket well before the trip does not guarantee you a seat or even ample standing room on a train in Britain. On the first train (luckily only 20 minutes), we were packed like sardines, trying to corral our luggage with little success. Our longer train ride was the second leg – 1 hour 30 minutes – and we had lots of room and even two tables to spread out our books and snacks.

Upon disembarking from the third train (a very short 7 minute ride), we were met at the station by Alan, our home swap host. He drove us to our home for this week. When we arrived, we met Alan’s wife, Sue. We had a lovely time getting to know Sue and Alan a little bit, having a tour of the house, and sharing an afternoon tea with them before they had to depart for their vacation. One notable part of the tea was that they shared some delicious honey, fruits, and veggies with us. Alan is a beekeeper with several hives in the backyard, and Sue is an avid gardener who provided us with all the produce we would need for the week from her allotment.

After a visit that seemed too short, Brad drove Alan and Sue to the train station while the kids and I settled in. Later that evening, we decided to give the kids a little “taste of home” – we walked to McDonald’s (only about 1 km away) for dinner. Charlotte loved the tablets they had to play with while waiting for our food. Brad and I were impressed by the zero-waste policy they had in place including paper cups, straws and fully sorting all waste into different recycling bins.

We are excited to explore Wychbold!