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Dartmoor, an old favourite of ours. In fact, it's where we came up with the idea of PACMAT. It was a hot day, so the first stop was a walk and dip in the River Dart. Parking at Badgers Holt, we crossed the road and walked along the river bank for about half an hour. It's always fun here with fast flowing water and natural jacuzzis. There are also lots of calm places for snoozes too. Stupidly we forgot to take our Ordnance Survey Dartmoor PACMAT with us!  . .  After we'd all dried off (and woken up) we set off...

Dear friends of ours moved earlier in the year from Hackney to France. We have missed them not being just down the road so when we were only about an hours drive away in the summer, we decided to go and visit. The weather was scorching which was perfect for cooling off in the lake. Their house is right on the water. Underneath the decking is a lock up of toys - paddle boards and canoes. The kids helped themselves and set off for Lausanne on the opposite side. It was further than they thought! I relaxed, as much as I...

We loved Gwynver beach so much we decided to camp for a few nights right above at Trevedrafarm. It's an amazing spot, with a sea view, just a short walk from the beach. .  (The picnic bench was a lucky find - The PACMAT made a perfect table cloth). After a day on the beach, it's easy to head back to camp to clean up and have supper before going back down to the beach to enjoy the last of the day and the fabulous sunset. . 

We packed up camp near Plymouth and drove on down, almost to Lands End, to the tiny fishing village, Mousehole. It's a popular, picturesque village just west of Penzance. With narrow streets and traditional fishermen's cottages. The harbour dries out, revealing a sandy beach for young families to play on. It's a stunning location and a great base for a family holiday with rock pooling, window shopping and coastal walks.  It's a short drive from this sheltered harbour over to the wilds of the north coast, perfect for surfing. After a morning of splashing about, we checked the kids into...

So we did.  Ash and Jen from The Potbank Aparthotel in Stoke, (as seen in the TV show Four in a Bed, Channel 4) came to Chamonix to stay in a friends chalet for a week and see the valley in the summer. (Ash had previously visited during the ski season). Their friend asked us to take them out on a walk.  We met early, starting  from the Auberge Boerne near Tre-Le-Champ, on the road going up to the Col de Montet. Winding up through the woods until reaching the top of the tree line then heading up the steep slopes to the top...