The Packwood to Baddesley Clinton Round

With Mr Bee having an extended holiday in Cornwall with Nana and Grandad, Dan and I decided to embark on the walk from Packwood House to Baddesley Clinton, two National Trust properties in Warwickshire.
We arrived at Packwood at 10:30 and set off on our ramble. Thanks to my excellent lack of ability to tell left from right, we ended up going in completely the wrong direction almost from the beginning.

We walked and walked before we realised we were heading backwards around the route. Why does it always happen to us! Anyway, with some botching, we managed to find our way back on to the route somehow and made it to Baddesley Clinton just in time for lunch.

We spent a little while browsing the second hand book shop and then following some buzzy bees around the gardens (of course!). It was about 1:30 when we decided we had better be heading back so that we could pick our Bee up on the way home!

Of course, we went completely the wrong way, again. Though I don't think it was completely our fault this time, we asked at the reception desk and they pointed us in the wrong direction! Anyhow, we walked, and walked, and got our bearings thanks to these lovely fellows playing cricket. Then we walked some more until we FINALLY got to the Navigation pub, which meant we really were on the right track!

Then it was plain sailing. A long stroll along the canals brought us out just near Packwood House. We saw lots of ducks and boats but my favourite spot of the walk was this gorgeous little Porsche. It was heavenly.

I finished up with a quick wander around the formal garden at Packwood as it is just so beautiful and lush at this time of year. It certainly isn't one to miss!

Summer Holiday

It has been a fantastic long week. Playing on beaches, swimming in the pool, exploring little villages, rock pooling, eating, riding, reading, late nights... oh the list could go on with all of the busy things we have been up to!

Now I have returned home, Mr Bee is still in the South West with his Nana and Grandad and looking back on all of my photographs, it has been a beautiful week. 

St Ives Bay

Just a little hello from our favourite place :)

Bumble Bee

If you are frequent visitor to my blog, you will know that I have a penchant for those fluffy little buzzy bees. Yesterdays excursion to Upton House gave me a wonderful opportunity to add a few more bees to my collection of photograps!

 I never get bored of these little beauties!

Steph-Clymont Picnic

So today we packed up this happy little face into the car, along with a picnic basket full of food and travelled down to Oxfordshire to visit Upton House with the Stephenson's for our annual picnic party.

It was really beautiful to see the property at this time of year, as it seems that we have never visited in the summer before. Our last visit was at the very end of August so the flowers were going over a little. Lots of photo ops for me but more about that later.

We did lots of exploring and playing in the terrace gardens and after lunch we had a lovely little treat, a dip in the swimming pool! I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to go in, but oh well, you only live once!

 Of course, the boys ended up completely drenched. Boys will be boys after all...

Oh and 'downward dog' is excellent for drying soggy bottoms apparently!
 

And then came the most enormous rain cloud and thunderstorm, which coincided nicely with our timed house ticket! So we made a quick exit from the gardens to the safe shelter of the house!

Unfortunately (for some) I took hundereds of photos so I'm saving them for another post ;) Check back again soon for more!