Having read of potential “travel chaos” on the roads we decided to set off in plenty of time for the four hour drive. The weather forecast was dry, average temperature but very windy. In the end the journey was uneventful, more traffic than usual but there were no delays and everyone seemed to be behaving themselves. Rather stupidly, due to a miscalculation, I drove for over three hours before taking a break at Lanhydrock, a National Trust property near Plymouth, where we were able to exercise dog and have a sandwich and drink.
Arriving at the hotel and check-in went smoothly. They had just finished preparing the room and a lovely touch was the bottle of Prosecco on ice waiting for us. A blanket, food bowl and treats were waiting for the dog.
The first thing we had to do was take dog for some exercise; being a border collie he is accustomed to quite long walks and running around freely - he hates being on the lead. Leaving the hotel by the main door the weather didn’t seem to bad, however, when we rounded the corner, out into the open towards the sea, we were literally bowled over by the wind which was fearsome and unrelenting. I’m afraid dog didn’t get a very long walk, but long enough to do what had to be done. We retreated to our room for a glass or two of Prosecco while we unpacked and prepared for the evening’s food and entertainment.
We were a bit late for the wine and cheese tasting, but frankly we had had enough considering we had already polished off a bottle of Prosecco on almost empty stomachs. While waiting to be seated for dinner we sat in what is called the ball room, but is more like a lounge, full of sofas arranged in groups around low tables. We expected to have difficulty finding somewhere to sit but it was amazingly quiet, much to my satisfaction.
Dinner was wonderful, I won’t bore you with the details but the food at this hotel is always excellent. Not large portions, it’s quality not quantity; we never leave the table hungry.
After dinner we take dog for another quick walk and then we had a couple a of cocktails before retiring for the night.
Go to Christmas Away Day 2