Sometimes it is lovely to stay in your home town and explore… and in my case, that exploration involved the museum, a film-maker, French lunch, people-watching, and Michael Portillo!
The day prior, I was thinking about this weekend being Remembrance Day, and of all the young men who gave absolutely everything so that we may live the life we have now.
Living here in England for six months of each year, one can see and feel an ever-present reminder of the sacrifices, the horrors of war, and the wonderful gratitude of a nation.
As I was thinking about the armistice, when I looked at my phone to check the time, I thought it interesting that the clock showed 11-11…
So, on to Saturday and my Staycation Day… First stop was the museum and this beautiful church right next door…
Torquay Museum has been in existence on the same spot since 1874.
There is soooooooooo much to see in the museum and after just a short cursory tour, I headed to the main auditorium…
…for a presentation by an inspiring young film-maker, Jessica Pearson.
Jessica was talking about her journey into film-making and the award-winning short-film she has produced, as well as the series she is filming on women who have done extreme adventures, such as walking to the south pole, climbing Everest etc…
I wasn’t sure where I was going to go for lunch, but felt compelled to go to one of my favourite spots, a fabulous French restaurant overlooking Torbay – and then discover my waitress just recently arrived home after canoeing from Ireland all the way to Romania!
So, of course, I told her about Jessica and her film series!
I don’t know if you can see this clearly, but the food here is extraordinarily delicious, the wine list is extensive, the view is every-changing and stunning – and two courses are a ridiculously low £11.95!
When I was at the museum, I saw a book that I knew I would love, however when one lives out of several suitcases, books are a luxury in which I rarely indulge – however……
The Hamsters that live in my head chimed in with a wonderful suggestion – now that I have a car here in England (that goes into storage when I am away), I can indulge in books to my heart’s content and simply store them in my beloved Prince (car)!
So, I purchased the book – that has two of my favourite words in the title: optimism and opulence!
…and speaking of opulence… Yum!
…and I have been thinking about pancakes for weeks – I don’t normally do dessert, let alone pancakes, but a French crepe fit the bill perfectly!
After a leisurely lunch, I returned home, had a snooze, and prepared to go out to the theatre…
You may know of Michael Portillo if not for his politics, for his wonderful documentaries on great rail journeys…
The evening was interesting, entertaining and generally wonderful. One topic in particular left me pondering still…
Michael Portillo’s father was a university don, celebrated poet and writer in Spain but escaped during the revolution to England. While he picked up enough of the English language to communicate, he never again felt he was able to effectively express what was in his mind and his heart in a language where he did not possess complete understanding of the subtleties…
I found/find that entire subject fascinating…
…and after the event, caught a taxi home and curled up for a lovely night’s sleep.
While it is wonderful to go exploring far afield, there is often so much on one’s own doorstep that a glorious day can be had without going more than a few minutes from one’s own door.
~ Bella
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