Postcard from surf Devon

I know, it's been a week since we got back from our surf weekend but Ihave been working all week in Battersea park. I've been doing 12 hour days in the hospitality village organising the bar.

Last weekend, however, we popped down to north Devon for a spot of surfing. I got to use my gorgeous new surfboard for the first time. Harland also had a new (second hand) board to play on.

Below: me and the yet to be named board at Putsborough beach near Croyde.
When we got there on Friday morning we got in the cold sea as soon as we could.

On Saturday we went for a long drive followed by some surfing in the afternoon. On the Devon/Cornwall border we found Hokey Pokey:)

Sunset on our last day of surf antics.

Going back to London we took a trip down memory lane. A visit to that beautiful valley where we lived when we first left London. Thee is nothing like seeing old friends, an being welcomed with open arms (and paws).

picturesque morocco

.....but not as beautiful in real life

View from our balcony

The Village beach in Taghazout

The Zouk in Agadir

Taghazout by night

not really sure what's going on here...

Surfers view of Taghazout

Animal Kingdom, only thing missing is a picture of sugarmuffin , my stray puppy dog on the beach oh, and the kittens in the boat, brand spanking new, six of them. adorable flea infested little nippers.

We had a really nice time in morocco, lots of eating, sleeping, enjoying the sun and, yes, you guessed it: surfing. Although the waves were pretty minuscule we tried out best but it was long boards mainly... I enjoyed it and surfed for as long as I could, even on saturday. I would love to tell you all about it.... maybe another time....

SURF'S UP

we've been out on the west coast for a few days, getting back in to surfing. Four days of riding waves and it's been so much fun! I just love surfing and sometimes get a buzz of happiness when I'm out there. On the first and second day conditions were quite rough, as they can be on the infamous west coast but it settled at the end of the third day.

Yesterday, our last day, I even dared to venture out the back to catch the proper waves, as opposed to secondary ones and white water I had been catching when I was still learning to stand up, and stay up.
So there I was out the back,with the big boys and girls - I call them the sharks- sitting on my board like a pro, gazing out to sea. It it surprisingly quiet out there considering how many people there are, maybe 10-15 surfers that look like they know what they're doing, it is almost as if there is an unwritten rule not to talk. They just sit there, looking out to sea, and at each other, waiting for the perfect wave. I almost got the feeling that I didn't belong there, in my cheap wetsuit and my board of an obscure brand nobody's ever heard of, KONZO. And being new to this lark I probably just got in the way.But at least I gave it a go! In the end me and KONZO moved on, closer to the swimming part of the beach where the waves were sort of second best but not so busy. I could have stayed with the sharks and jostled for waves but after all, that's not what were about, me and KONZO, we don't want to sit out the back for ages waiting for the perfect wave, we just want to catch anything, get up and ride it in to the beach and have fun!The funniest thing happened yesterday when Harly and I caught the same wave, riding close together and shaking hands, that made me laugh!
riding the white water to the end on my second day of surfing

in other news we've just booked our ferry to the south island. 9 December - 25 January. A good 6 weeks of exploring, hiking and being amazed.

Next stop is Auckland (tomorrow) and then on to beautiful Bay of Islands. I'll be getting on my surfboard again up north (can't wait!) which should be successful after my lesson the other day :) apparently I'm a natural at catching waves :)