7-19-24: The Lizard, Helston - mountains and beach part 2 - 3.7mi, 847ft elevation

 It was so much fun that for our last day we decided to have another excursion to the mountain cum beach. After snagging the last vegan pasty at Cornish Bakery, we trekked along the mountain until it dipped into the ocean. We spent hours just people watching, wave watching, and splashing in the ocean.

View at the start

Looking down the coastal cliff

Made it to the beach!

The kids build a sand castle and defend it from the waves

Last selfie of the trip!

Then we wash up and drive the 5.5 hr back to the hotel next to Heathrow. A relatively easy drop off of the rental the next morning, and we're on our way back home!

7-18-24: Zennor - mountains AND beaches part 1 - 3.4 mi, 1,175 ft elevation

 Talk about ambition. Decided to take the Zennor trek to Porthzennor Cove - which means there's a beach involved! And the views from the mountain and the beach were magnificent.

The crystal clear blue water was so tempting from a distance. And despite only being 67degF, with the hot sun beating down we couldn't wait to take a dip. And we hit the waves with a running start!

7-17-24: A man called King Arthur from St Ives?

 We move on from Bath and the Cotswolds to the western Cornwall coast of England. Along the way are the ruins of Tintagel, King Arthur's castle (closed to the public) and Merlin's cave (deep under tidal waters at the moment).

Tintagel from a distance

Merlin's (underwater) cave

We check in to mid-luxe camper cabins at St Ives Bay and enjoy a simple meal at home with the beach in our backyard.

7-16-24: Excursions to the English countryside, 4mi, 632ft elevation

 In our meandering way, we do a morning walk at Stroud, Painswick and lower Slaughter. A different type of beautiful from the Lake District, but a few Kodak moments here as well!

Stroud-Painswick

Highlight of the day (for the kids) - a hidden (public) playground just half a mile from the church!

Picturesque Ivy and wildflower gardens

Hiking along a babbling brook

Cute little chapel at Cheltenham, Lower Slaughter

Not gonna lie, the extremely narrow roads, flanked by ancient stone walls, and large lorries coming opposite us (on the wrong side of the road!) were...a bit nerve wracking. But they tell me it was quite a scenic drive for the rest of the crew. We happen to stumble upon a lavender farm not far from our dinner destination.

We meet up with the Mangharam family (who had their own adventures, stuck behind large lorries and blocked by herds of goats, driving the countryside for 9 hours...) for dinner at Eight Bells, a charming gastropub in Chipping Camden, still with original stone from the 1400s!

7-14/15-24: Bath

After a warm welcome from our English family, we continued onwards to Bath, where we met up with Mukti, Rahul, Pari and Param. We joined forces and somehow managed to squeeze two (small) SUVs into a (very small) single car garage, with only part of one car's nose sticking out. Luckily, the Bath residential and zoning police gave no grief. But cars safely stowed away, we embarked on a walking tour of this beautiful city blending ancient Roman ruins, British developments, and modern architecture.

First: Didi's of the world unite!

Kids in front of Bath Abbey

(not) kids in front of Bath Abbey

Amulya rests on the way up to our flat (only 4mi of walking, but a whopping 35 flights climbed! as much as the 1700 ft elevation at the Lake District!)

Simple home cooking, and an evening spent catching up with friends with some old Hindi music in the background : )

7-13-24 Lake District to Nuneaton

After some heavy hiking, we took this day as a travel day to see our cousins (Rakshi Masi, Raju Masa, Himal, Parimal, and families). We stopped by Sizergh Castle on the way and had a good time learning croquet. Then enjoyed yummy food at Parimal's house, and crashed with Himal's family. It was fun staying up and chatting with Himal, reminiscing about my year abroad, which was probably instrumental in developing my wanderlust for years to come.

7-12-24 Grasmere, Townend, and Ryndal Circular: 6.4 mi, 1309 ft elevation, 4:21:17

 We decided to take things a bit more leisurely on the second day of Lake District hiking. Every few steps was another breathtaking picture worthy scene. We had fun navigating past the goat traps and sheep hurdles, though no doubt we had more trouble with some of them than the goats would. Got views of two beautiful lakes on this hike.

Ended up at a nice coffee shop with fresh teas and vegan scones!

After resting at home for a bit (and...um, showering) we decided to change things up a bit. We ventured to Fellinis in Ambleside, a little bit more upscale than our usual fare, but with excellent vegan/vegetarian options. The kids were model citizens (and perhaps enjoyed the change of scenery?).