112. Plaxtol - UK - House and Pet Sitting - Episode 36


A half-hour drive brought us to our next sit in Plaxtol, only 15 minutes from Sevenoaks where Daniel and Ellen live. It sounds more like the name of a medication than a quaint little village in Kent! The house is very nice indeed. There's plenty of room, natural light and a garden with 3 outdoor settings to sit and sip coffee or other favourite beverages. Agent Mabel, who we play servant to, is a British shorthair cat with the most amazing eyes. She's quite independent which leaves plenty of us time to enjoy the house and surroundings. It does make a welcome break from the menagerie we had at the previous sit.


The house 



Because Daniel and Ellen are heading to Australia to visit family and friends,  Daniel gave me my awesome birthday present early. It was a driving experience at Mercedes-Benz World driving a C63 sports car around some tracks and an off-road experience in a G500 4x4. Both were brilliant experiences as I learned to appreciate the quality of engineering found in both vehicles. Having the 4x4 on an angle close to 45 degrees was certainly character-building! The tracks allowed me to drive the C63 flat stick for a few hundred metres before slamming on the brakes. Here was me thinking it was going to roll but it stayed in a straight line with no sign of skidding or swerving. The wet track was great too. I've never done 360's in a car before!  
Thanks, Daniel!



We also had cameras in the car and recorded the whole experience.




Daniel and Max slogging it out in the backyard


Max in full flight


Lesson to self... Do not throw clothes in the dryer without checking


One of the houses in the village


Pics from the surrounding area


I'd love to see the house at the end of the driveway!


Plenty of Oast houses here


Two of the magical trails





Daniel took me to Birling Gap and the 'Seven Sisters' on the South Coast. The 'Seven Sisters' are a group of 7 hills that follow the coast for 3 or so miles. The white chalk cliffs are literally a 90-degree angle straight down. We had a lovely day for it.






We celebrated my birthday at the "The Papermaker's Arms', a local pub a few doors down the road. Daniel and Ellen joined us for lunch, finishing the afternoon with a delicious Max-made carrot cake. She does make the best cakes ever!

My birthday also marks the two-year milestone of our travels! Where has that time gone? I'm glad we've done this blog as it allows us to reflect on that time and relive it all. Thanks to family and friends who have experienced this trip with us. 

The next day, we packed up and headed to Daniel and Ellen's place (while they were away in Australia) to stay a couple of weeks before we head to the island of Jersey for our next sit.

Lastly, it's blackberry season.  Lucky enough to find buckets of plump, juicy, sweet berries we were hard-pressed not to keep stuffing them into our mouths. There are ship loads in the freezer just waiting for apple and blackberry crumble to be made. Mmmm-mmmmmmm. 

Comments

  1. KayeAugust 29, 2024 at 7:54 AM

    What fantastic experiences you're having. And what a birthday prezzie, Paul! That was great fun by the sounds of it. I love seeing the houses you get to stay in. How the other half lives, hey? Please wish Daniel and Ellen happy hols and you and Max enjoy Jersey, it's a lovely little island xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. AmyAugust 29, 2024 at 7:55 AM

    Oh my gosh! That cat! Glad you had such a wonderful birthday….. send max all my love x

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 29, 2024 at 8:21 AM

    Nice windows behind the Goal.......u

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 29, 2024 at 9:36 AM

    So glad you have had such a rewarding time over there and Happy Birthday Paul! 'Hoping you are not affected by the unrest that appears to be in London or wherever... Love from Ian and Som

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 29, 2024 at 11:06 AM

    Yet another fantastic sit. Glad you had fun on your birthday, Paul. So good you and Max had a great time with Daniel and Ellen. Enjoy looking after their house and have a great time on Jersey. Lots of love, Glen

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousAugust 30, 2024 at 8:02 AM

    Hi Paul and Maxene,
    What lovely places you're showing us! Enjoy it and happy birthday cousin.

    ReplyDelete
  7. MaryAugust 31, 2024 at 4:37 AM

    It looks like such a lovely place! And what a stunning looking puss cat! Your birthday present from Daniel sounds pretty awesome. What an experience!
    And how's the look of those trails? The walks must be divine.
    Can't believe it's been 2 years. They say time flies when you're having fun and it does like you've had great adventures up until now.
    Thanks again for sharing your journey. 😊

    ReplyDelete

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