Gidleigh Park - To celebrate 30 years

Perfect Chaise longue

Emperor bed

When it was our 25th Wedding Anniversary we celebrated with our first Michelin star meal at Purnells in Birmingham, Purnells and stayed at the Hotel du Vin, Hotel du Vin .This was an absolutely fantastic experience, with exciting food and lovely ambiance and a perfect hotel with a friendly feel within a short walking distance. So excited from this experience we said we would treat ourselves in the near future to another Michelin star restaurant however the months passed and we didn't treat ourselves. However I happened to mention that in early November we would be in our 30th year of meeting each other, so any excuse for a treat we booked up Gidleigh Park Hotel and Restaurant. This year it had come out tops in a Times Best 100.

The best part for me, the bathroom, aghhh

For such a treat I even bought a new dress and on Saturday we journeyed down. Of course OH being him made me bring my walking boots so on the way we could have a bird watch!!!!!! Finally after a hike and a few more driven miles under our belt we arrived at 2.00pm to get the most out of our treat. The last few miles to the hotel were interesting, the roads are narrow and high sided through a rain of autumnal orange and red falling leaves. The hotel then appeared in all its black and white beauty. We knew we were in for a treat.

The Pantry

The front door is hidden to the side and opens up to a cosy panelled reception area with soft sofas, huge bouquets of flowers and welcoming staff. I have to say at this point the staff throughout at our Gidleigh Park were truly exceptional, all were polite and friendly with an easy manner without fawning. All we needed to do was introduce ourselves and our bag had disappeared immediately and we were guided and chatted to around the hotel. Before we got to our room we were shown the 'Pantry,' I loved this was an area which had home made biscuits, tea and coffee on tap, access to yogurts and milk. At least three times we would help ourselves to a pot of tea and a few biscuits. Finally after some meandering around a couple of staircases we arrived at our room.

Our room

Our guide took us through everything showing us little wardrobes which even had waterproofs for the walk around the grounds. The beauty of our room was its cosiness, not stark or over designed. The quality just oozed, the typical things were there but other things weren't. No kettles to boil as we have the Pantry! we also had bonuses, a carafe of Madeira in the room!!! as we got shown round the heated underfloor marble made me just yearn to use all the unctuous bathroom facilities, the heated bathroom resting bed!! the modern high sided bath, the beautiful shower, and the opposite facing sinks. As we walked around the view from our three windows was astonishing, the grounds slip down   a terraced slope to the three streams that combined under three bridges into a gentle cascade of a river.

After we had fully stretched our legs around the grounds I definitely chose to make full use of that bath, this being the only special request the OH had put in when booking. More than an hour later I finally reappeared having used the heated bed also. The new dress was put on and finally after much preening we were ready to reappear for our meal. As ever the staff where courteous and so attentive as we arrived in the lovely panelled lounge, and finally we arrived at the decision to have the 'Signature' menu from this 2 star Michelin Restaurant. We did try and take photos of each course but as our conversation ran away with us so we forgot a couple of courses and took photos half way through, oops!!!!! The wine we chose was utterly fabulous from a wine list containing so many bins that it was like a small book!!! We loved the arrival of each course and especially when we tried to decipher what the waiters were telling us it was as most seemed to be French or Italian but fully accented. The surroundings, the meal and the whole ambiance was beautiful.

Fully, quite fully, we were replete from our beautiful meal. Retiring, we rerouted to our favourite 'Pantry' for a tray of tea, and on entering our room OH imbibed a gorgeous glass of the Madeira! The room had been sorted with curtains and blinds closed, the bed turned down and the lighting beautiful and subtle. We finally collapsed into the Emperor sized soft downy bed, so large that you did seem to get lost!












The wind and rain battled through the night however when we woke up we found a bright clear sky and sun burning through into the room. We could of had our Newspaper and a morning tray of tea brought up however being the early birds that we are we skipped the paper and missed the tray being brought up by being the first to breakfast. This was only after another full on soak in that gorgeous bath. Placing ourselves near the leaded windows  the sunlight beamed through and lit our table up beautifully. This time I did risk an Eggs Benedict. So many times I've had horribly pre made hollandaise and over cooked poached eggs however as you would expect the eggs with a rich golden yolk burst after a slight resistance and tumbled over the Benedict.

Photos I didn't know what to do with!!!!!

Balang Shan - Going higher and higher and lots of Tibetan flags!!

Tibetan flags

As usual our start in the morning was early so the driver and guide chose to stop at this local roadside noodle bar. Our bird guide was not the most adventurous regarding food having already had his rice and spice fill but to us it was all about the culinary experience.

A roadside cafe stop for breakfast

 Probably health and safety would be having nightmares but lots of locals were eating there so we chose to have our lovely noodle dish and even, wait for it, chicken feet. The OH found that a little too far to go however I thought the dish was good, the skin having been deep fried like pork scratchings and the foot removed, the spice giving it a full kick.

We moved on going ever higher but never stopping therefore taking photos out of windows when I could, in retrospect the local people, as we got closer to Tibet, did not like having their photos taken so you will see a lot of rear shots or sneaked ones.

Sneaking some photos

Local dress

 Higher and higher until we then hit the cloud, everything chilled down greatly what with the altitude and being inside a cloud effectively.


Took teddy with us so the kids at school could follow ted's journey



 Finally we got to Balang Shan in reasonable time and we all went our own ways to look at the town. Very, very much a tourist town as much as a town up the mountains would be, the houses were so beautifully adorned.

 A little stroll around the lanes would find a more realistic town.

The window shape could be seen everywhere

What a vista

 An early start to view birds around this area. Again going above the cloud to the most stunning views.


Me and OH



Whipped up with the wind

More and more Tibetan prayer flags were brightening up the view and around any peak would be a building and flags. The sound of these flags was amazing, the wind would whip through causing the flags to beat and smack a sound multiplied by thousands. None of these would be removed, nature has to remove them through ripping or decay.

Local friendly dog who seemed to be loved by all

Fish and rice for dinner

  A simple mat to rest on

 On this day we finished the bus part of our day in good time so we walked around further afield noting farming houses tending a few scattered animals that we could see. coming back we would be always greeted by this little fellow, a cherished dog it seemed in the village. There were other strays but this dog could go anywhere, wagging its tail and being fed fish and rice. Cats, there were none!!! In the whole trip I saw two cats, the one below definitely had a job to do probably keeping the mice population down in the Pig sty.

One of the few cats actually seen

Erlang Shan - Next stop on our China/Tibet Holiday

Firethroat - Love his fluffy pants

Finally released from a traffic jam to then get a puncture.

Whoops, time runs away with you and I find other posts had been posted before finishing our China and Tibet holiday blog.

Many of our destinations required some travelling, so if not early starts for the birds i.e. getting up way before the sunrise we also had to get miles under our belt. This day proved to be soooooooo long......Again my frustration was that photography was not the prime aim of those
people on our trip so photos were snatched when

Rice threshing

I was able. Occasionally we would stop for lunch or whatever!! or on the occasion below, when we got a puncture..... to the embarrassment of our Chinese guide. There seems to be nothing like the RAC so taxi rides to the local town and a repair ensued. Stopping for a proper repair in the town we were choked by the industrialisation, smog, smog, smog, the acid of which went into the back of your throat. However amongst the dull acidic light people would snatch a patch of ground and cultivate it. While others on our trip looked for a chance of birds in this environment I watched generations of one family harvest their rice crop traditionally.

Off we went  again on what can only be described as a mizzly  day, the air was moist and clothes just became damp however what fantastic birds that even a non bird watcher can appreciate. A FIRETHROAT, a stunning bird and a weird COLLARED OWLET. 

Firethroat

A favourite

The two faced, Collared Owlet

The Owlet threw me!My OH found it in the scope and I looked but...........was it two owls one facing one way and the other facing 180 degrees in the opposite direction? but I could not see another body, I tentatively put it to my OH "does this owl have two faces????????... " waiting for a derisory comment, which I got!!!!! However the birding guide heard and indeed said the owl had an exact owl copy of its face on the back of its head......something that 'you know who' had missed : )))

Eager, bright endearing kids

Our  accommodation at our next stop seemed to cyclist heaven!!! however it was in a village which had the greenest of gardens, the cutest dogs and the most endearing of children but these were only seen the next day as we arrived at 11pm due to horrendous horrendous traffic and our puncture.

Mizzle,mizzle, mizzle and OH looking like he's in heaven

 Pekinese type!!, love the boot linings drying

                                                                                           

Lush green gardens