8/15/2018 0 Comments South to Devon did we go! Today was a day dedicated completely to fun as we headed south to the beautiful County of Devon, one of England's most beautiful and bucolic regions. Our first stop was at Powderham Castle, the home of Earl of Devon since the 1100s. During our tour we learned a great deal about how a dwelling is shaped by each succeeding generation who lives in it. We also learned a great deal about the symbolism of daily life as it was exemplified in paintings and art work of each period. Perhaps the highlight of the tour was the spectacular hand plastered foyer of the great house which took over three years to complete and where each sculpture was made by simply by movements of the palm and thumb. In the music room the Choristers sang an impromptu performance of Malcolm Archer's 23rd Psalm and Gregg Redner had a chance to play some Bach on the 18th Century House Organ. We were also fascinated by the inclusion of a great many secret doors, many of which our Choir got to operate! After our tour we adjourned to the Estate's Café for a delicious lunch, after which we headed off to view to huge Victorian Walled Garden and spend some time with various farm animals! Leaving Powderham Castle, we journeyed south to the seaside town of Dawlish. Unlike Llandudno, which is a real seaside resort, Dawlish is a classic southern England seaside town. One has the feeling that real people live and work here. The town is surrounded by beautiful red sandstone cliffs and there is a beautiful row brightly painted bathing shacks. We had told our tour guide that we hoped to go swimming but he was unconvinced that we would be able to stand the cold temperatures. However, as in Llandudno, we all brought our bathing gear and after changing, headed to the beautiful sandy beach. The temperature in the English Channel was 16 degrees and the water temperature was 15 degrees, but we took the plunge and managed to have a good 75 minute swim. We were all quite frozen at the end, but those on the beach seemed to understand our ability to stand the cold temperatures once they learned that we were Canadians! As one woman said to her husband upon learning our nationality, 'Oh, I knew it was something like that!!' After drying off and warming up we went to the loveliest little restaurant called 'The Ugley Ducking' for a delicious dinner of traditional English pies and a sumptuous array of desserts. After a two and half-hour ride home on the coach, we arrived home exhausted, but relaxed and happy! Ready to set forth tomorrow to the Cotswolds!
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Met Choir School England Tour 2018 |