Struck off the Bucket List

On our recent European jaunt I was able to tick off a site on my Bucket List.

When we disembarked at dawn from our plane at Heathrow on October 18th we headed straight for Avis and collected a rental car. We set out on a leisurely drive via the coast to Dartmouth where we would be staying for a couple of nights. We were delighted to find our comfortable accommodation with a bay window looking over the River Dart,  After exploring the town we purchased some provisions for a picnic dinner in our room before we hit the sack. We had been travelling for over 30 hours.

View from our Bay Window

Jet lag had us awake bright and early for our big day out to Greenway, the country home of Agatha Christie. A ferry ride across the river and some winding country roads delivered us to the carpark ready for opening hour. 

Ferry across the River Dart

Armed with cameras and smartphones we wandered down the long driveway to Agatha's house. Let's see what was inside.

We started our visit in a Living Room

Agatha aged four

The doll in Agatha's portrait

Impressive chest in Agatha's room

A pretty collectible

Agatha's Bedroom

Clothes belonging to Agatha and her daughter Rosalind

Agatha's throne

The library at Greenway

Agatha aged 20

Impressive door stop

Nursie who taught Agatha to read and write

The house is full of family collections

On the kitchen shelves

Agatha's favourite recipes within

One happy old bibliophile with her souvenir

Upclose at Coleton Fishacre

Sometimes, when travelling, one comes across a site that is a gem.

We have a membership of the National Trust in Australia which gives us reciprocal access to National Trust sites in the UK. Having visited Greenway on our last trip to England and with a few hours to spare we looked around for other National Trust Properties in  that vicinity. We found Coleton Fishacre, a 20th Century country house by the sea: it was just fabulous.

Armed with our cameras we took some #Upclose photos inside and outside of the property. We learnt how the privileged lived in the 1930s.

We started with soup in the cafe

This chap was sad that he wasn't allowed in the house

Most rooms had a garden view

The furniture was typical of the era

The bathrooms were copies of those in Claridge's hotel

When smoking was cool

Not Upclose but what a room

Martini Madam?

Tropical and desert plants thrived

Water Garden

Our National Trust property of the day was the Studley Royal Water Garden in Yorkshire. It was beautiful, uncrowded and peaceful but after our recent flower feast at Chelsea I found it a bit colourless.