Arrival Date: 2015-11-19
Departure Date: 2015-11-25
Accommodation: Mercure Southgate, Exeter
Following a three-hour drive down to Devon on the Thursday evening, we finally arrived at the hotel around 10pm. We grabbed a quick drink in the bar, but got to bed fairly quickly as we were both tired from the journey. The room was amazing, they gave us the bridal suite (I told Helen they must’ve given us an upgrade as I only booked a standard suite online).
In the morning, we woke up, showered (you could turn on two showers at the same time for an extreme cleanse), and went down to get some breakfast. The food was great, and one waiter in particular was far too happy laying out new sausages! Full up, we decided to take a walk around Exeter itself.
The city was beautiful, and while the weather wasn’t great, we still managed to see all the sights. First off was Exeter Cathedral, the outside was littered with festive market stalls, so it was difficult to get a good picture, but the inside was absolutely gorgeous.
I had to add the picture of Helen’s favourite plaque from inside the Cathedral, the Reverend Nutcombe Nutcombe. I’m not sure why, but Helen seemed to find this name amusing.
After the cathedral, we explored Exeter a little more, finding the castle and the city walls. The walls weren’t as impressive as Chester walls, and you couldn’t make a day of walking round them, but there were some parks dotted around them which were really nice. We also found the main cenotaph which was beautiful, as well as various other statues.
Finally, a quick stop off at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, before moving on to our next destination. The museum was very interesting, I spent far too much time staring at the model of the city and reading about Exeter during WWII. Did you know for example, that in response to English bombings of German cities during WWII, Exeter was the first historic city in the UK that Hitler targeted to get revenge for medieval monuments destroyed in Germany. The museum itself was built around an old building itself.
After Exeter, we set off in the car towards Tintagel Castle. After a brief walk around Tintagel, we set off walking down the valley and back up the hill to Tintagel Castle itself. The views in all directions were stunning, and while a little windy, it was a beautiful day.
At the top of the hill, I dropped down on to one knee, and asked Helen if she’d like to be my wife. After a minute or so of giggling and not knowing where to look, she finally said yes, and took the ring out of the box to put on her finger. I was eventually able to stand up, brush the mud off my knee, and give her a hug. So as of 14:45 on Friday 20th November 2015, Helen and I are engaged. Here’s a better image of the ring itself back in the hotel room:
In the evening, we decided on a low-key steakhouse in Exeter called Starz, which cooked a lovely steak, and an especially delicious Oreo cheesecake.
What an exciting day you’ve had. All those sausages, Exeter market, prayers in the cathedral, the museum and then Tintagel. And there was still time to get engaged!
Many congratulations to you both.
Congratulations on your engagement – lovely ring. I imagine with the weather as it was, tintagel would have been a dramatic scene for your proposal.