Camping in Devon

Hello all, am back from camping and very thankful for modern conveniences. First things first, some of you have hinted that I am making fun of London and should be grateful that I have this opportunity. Trust me, being disdainful of London and England itself is NOT in any way my intention. If you cannot understand my humor try to take what I write with a little grain of salt and not be so sensitive. Everyday, I pinch myself because I still can't believe I am here. When I saw Stonehenge for the third time yesterday I was the only one in the car still thrilled at seeing the ancient stones standing in the distance. I understand and know how priveledged I am, bottom line.
Now, onto Devon. We, John and I, were invited to spend a bank holiday (three day weekend) with a bunch of his friends at a campsite in a little town called Axmouth, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axmouth . It was a quaint little town with narrow streets, random sidewalks, stone buildings, and a pub that has reputably been around since the 12th century. Nearby were two seaside towns, Seaton and Beer, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaton%2C_Devon . Yes, you read right, Beer. We ended up having a beer in Beer! Ha ha ha! But, I am getting ahead of myself. So we drove there Friday night, approximately three hours, and drove directly past Stonehenge. For me, it was my second time seeing this ancient monument but apparently it isn't much of a big deal to true born and bred Englishmen. They see it every trip from East to West England. I heard comments like, "Oh hey, Stonehenge!" or "Oh, there goes Stonehenge!" It was humorous, I guess some of us in the US feel the same way when we see the Hollywood sign, the Capitol Records building, or Mann's Chinese Theater. Not, in my opinion, that those monuments in any way compare to the age and mystic of Stonehenge. It is the just the closest comparison I can come up with when it comes to reactions. Us Californians react to those monuments very similarly to the way the English react to Stonehenge. Yeah, it's there.
So we get to the campsite and it is pitch black. Tents are everywhere. We find the campsite and van of our friends Kev and Sarah. It is all the way in the back field with the toilets being a good five minute walk away. Within ten minutes both tents are up and we are all sitting around planning what we are going to do tomorrow. A beach trip is decided and all of us talk late into the night while drinking cider. This did not bode well for my bladder which is very tiny and I soon learned that I was going to have to watch what I drank, even water or juice, because of the distance to the loo.
In the morning, after sleeping on the ground all night in a cold tent, the sun hits right where I am sleeping and shines right into my sleeping eyes. Not only that, but the smallness of the tent soon becomes apparent as the warmth of the sun turns the tent into a sauna. I cannot sleep any longer and decide to go for a walk. It is about seven in the morning and I walk up one hill of Axmouth, past an old church, and out to the riverbanks of the river Axe. I watch birds feeding, hear the river gurgling past, and just enjoy the view. There are rolling green hills, small towns with clay roofs in the distance, and clear blue skies. It looked better than a postcard!
When I came back to the campsite, people were beginning to wake up and we finally were heading towards the beach. I was excited to spend the day on the English coast, until I saw the rocks.
In Seaton and Beer there is no such thing as sand. They have rock beaches, smooth rocks of course, but rocks nonetheless. We walked for a while to get to the perfect spot. After maneuvering a few rocks I finally found a semi-comfortable position and laid out with the other girls. It was a great day, swimming, fishing, talking with Natalie and Sarah. Later on Kate and John, other John, showed up and joined us in our camping fun. For dinner we ate mackerel and watercress sandwiches, sausages, and crisps (potato chips). After a while I got tired of being on rocks though and so did John, my John that is. We left the others and sat in the pub for a while discussing different things. One conclusion we came to was that we were not camping people. I missed warm blankets, matresses, and a loo that was five feet away. I also missed sandy beaches after that day, suprisingly. :-)
As the next two days progressed and we were at the mercy of our ride, Steve and Natalie, who were very energetic and tried to put in as many activities as they could, all walking activities of course, we missed the city more and more. I think if we had been better prepared for camping, better tent, supplies for cooking, etc., we would have enjoyed it more. Finally we came home last night, loving the shower in the loo, the beauty of fish and chip take out, and sleeping indoors for a change.
Overall, I am very glad I went camping. I enjoyed the views, the hikes to a certain point (see the view of Seaton bay on the website, yes I hiked up that hill to view that point, huffing and puffing the whole way), and of course the beautiful drive through the English countryside. I have to tell you, the English countryside, the small quaint towns, they are everything you hear about and more. Everytime we go out to the country I am in awe of the views, beauty, and color. As we drove past Stonehenge for the third time I pinched myself again at being so blessed to live here. Tomorrow I meet my boss and finally see my school. Will let you know what happens and my first impressions. Hope you all are well, I can't wait for you to visit and see the beauty I live in.