I spent the last few months traveling from London to Beijing. Here is a taste of one place we spent time. Follow the links to read about others.

September 22nd- 26th, 2005

After York we made one last stop in the U.K. and stayed with some friends of John’s mother. Chris and Tom were some of the most hospitable people I have had the opportunity to meet.

They have a gorgeous and ancient farm named Little Pirzwell where they raise sheep and Devon cattle as well as tend to some extensive gardens.

Their lovely farm is lined with blackberry bushes (as is much of the surrounding area) and we picked and enjoyed plenty of the fresh sweet fruit.

We went along with Chris one morning to the general store in the next town over and reveled in their stock of almost entirely locally produced goods. We picked up two loaves of bread from Common Bakery, one was a spelt loaf and the other a gorgeous tomato and herb. These breads were delicious, organic, and wheat free.

Chris is also a superb baker and would daily make fresh bread (her olive bread is especially coveted) and pies with effortlessly perfect crusts

On our final night in Devon Chris prepared a glorious feast of Greek beef stew, baked potatoes, roasted pumpkin, stuffed bell peppers, green beans, fresh bread, and delicious pie--with much of the meal coming directly from their farm. A superb and fresh meal.

Next stop, Gent, Belgium.