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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...

A great thing about having teenage kids is that you can get out for a little morning adventure and be back before they know it. Over our summer time in Chamonix we developed a bit of a habit of getting out with Basil for a walk/run up to the Rocher des Montets. It's a steep woodland walk up rewarded with fantastic views over Chamonix town one way and up to the Dru the other. Although we love to picnic, the friendly buvet does a very nice line in crumble and myrtille tart (almost justified by the walk up). After a little refreshment we would...

What a treat of a day. A train trip to Bruton to see the the work of Lileth Piper in the Graduate exhibition 'In Real Life.'  Then a quick walk down the high street to Hauser & Wirth Somerset to have lunch at the Roth bar and grill. Followed by 'The Stillness of Life', Don McCullin and a wander around the fabulous Hauser & Wirth Gardens.  With an hour or so until the return train, we headed up to Bruton high street via the Dove cot, a visit to the beautiful Hole & Corner, Caro and Rose & Lyon and a quick relax in At the Chapel...

After several months of lock down in the city it felt great to head out of town to Cornwall. We arrived just in time to be pitched for sunset. Maker Camp is a wonderful quiet spot above the village of Kingsand, not far from the wilds of Whitsand beach. It's run by the Rame Conservation Trust with beautiful views and natural areas. We set up our tipi tent for us and the dog and a small hike tent for the kids, with its extention using the Ordnance Survey Lake District PACMAT. Basil, the dog, had his own camping bed with the PACMAT Deluxe to keep...