Full, Tired, Windswept and full of social history!

One of my over-riding impressions is how small the hotel and it's facilities were. Whether this is due to the limited land available, or the relatively smaller size of the Edwardian frame, or both, I'll never know. Nevertheless, this did nothing to reduce the pleasure we derived from it in the slightest: the baths were deep and hot, the food was ample and good and the room we had sported an easterly view where we could watch numerous brave souls kite surfing in what I can only describe as life-risking encounters with the elements.

I wasn't allowed to use the sea tractor and was confined to using the Land Rover for transport across, but to be honest this was probably more comfortable than a John Deere on stilts.

Dinner sported suitably pink beef and duck for yours truly, and an ample selection of things vegetarian for madam, who looked as beautiful as ever in a period-evoking Droopy and Brown evening dress. I, in a moment of weakness, had surrendered to black tie and tails despite a previous vow never to dress as a penguin again.

Even the negative points had their virtues; hotel sourcing policy specifies Free Trade, Organic, Local all appear on the menu. Unfortunately this means that Darjeeling tea doesn't make it (no, not because of 'local', sillies; they just can't find a Free Trade version. We ended up drinking an Assam-based mix, which is very dark and 'in the face'!

Today was another kettle of fish altogether; the weather for the return journey was completely awful; since we've been home we have hunkered down and drunk our sort of tea! (Darjeeling, mild). I've also managed to spoil the paragraph formatting, but I'm tired, so it will have to stay as it is...